Author's Note: If you read the last chapter right after it was posted, you should know that I edited it toward the end substantially. You might want to click back, even, to see what changed. But if you don't the little "previous chapter" intro will, um, probably suffice.
Previous Chapter:
"I fear not your scary ghost catching device..." The Box Ghost's voice was barely a whisper as he wandered through the walls of a home in one of Amity's classier neighborhoods. Danny Phantom lived several streets away (it was one of the few specific locations the Box Ghost was certain of) so he shouldn't have to fear any retribution while boldly defying the halfa. In secret.
Then he saw something special. It called to him. It was a box, just the kind of thing he'd been hoping to find! The squareness of it was astounding, the regularity...
He had rarely seen such a boxy box. It was perfect, although for some reason the owners had covered it with ugly blankets.
He glanced around. There were people in the other room eating, but if he was careful they probably wouldn't notice...
The Box Ghost floated forward, tugged off the silly blankets, grabbed the large grey box, and made off into the night.
Chapter 24: Never Say Never
Vlad Masters sat in front of his monitor screens down in the lab. He had some time to himself, since Daniel was in New York on business and wouldn't be back for a day or two. Surprisingly, this was the longest they'd been apart for months, and Vlad only now realized the stress Daniel's presence had brought. Allowing someone to share his living space, however large it was, had made him tense, particularly in light of the lies that still remained between them.
That said, Vlad would certainly be eager to talk with Daniel when he returned. But for now he could indulge in certain activities a little more freely.
He smirked to himself and hummed a little tune as he brought up the familiar camera feed used to monitor Nathaniel. First he'd check on the live feed, then he'd hop back and peruse through the child's day, looking for any interesting moments...
Vlad spasmed, and clenched the edge of his desk hard.
The external playpen feed...that wasn't Samantha's room...that wasn't anywhere in Amity!
That was the Ghost Zone.
He scrambled frantically, heart racing, and brought up the internal playpen feed. And...
There was Nathaniel, asleep, though even as Vlad watched, the boy shifted slightly as though the entire play pen had tilted...
Fudge Buckets!! What had happened? Where was Samantha, and Daniel, the ever faithful watch dog?
Vlad brought up video feed after video feed, growing more and more worried. He had limited resources: a few cameras in Samantha's bedroom, then two cameras installed in the playpen itself, one looking inside and one looking out. And that was it for her house, he hadn't bothered with the other rooms!
Images whisked by as he tried to figure out when and how Nathaniel had been taken. It was infuriating, for whoever held the playpen now was completely out of range of the camera. Or invisible.
There! The playpen was moved only an hour ago...
No, they were just taking it downstairs...so that Samantha's parents could watch Nathaniel while she was out...apparently with Daniel...
Vlad paused for the briefest instant. But there was no time to think about those two.
Then he saw it: there was the briefest blur of a ghostly hand, and the playpen floated up and away just about, ah...half an hour ago. Vlad skipped the video back, saved a clip of the ghostly kidnapper's appendage as it flitted through the camera's line of vision, and set the clip to repeat.
Where had he seen that hand? Where did he recognize it...
Oh. No. How...utterly idiotic. Vlad felt himself calm slightly.
It was the Box Ghost, of all the stupid...
Of course. The playpen was a box! Yet the obnoxious cretin had already gotten it back to the Ghost Zone somehow, and Vlad knew how dangerous things could get there...
Vlad shifted to ghost form and flew to a nearby wall, grabbing a utility belt that hung there. Thank goodness he was always prepared! This had a few gadgets he'd need, and only a moment was needed to reformat them...
Vlad flew off into the Ghost Zone a minute later, with the live video feed and the tracking signal from Nathaniel's playpen rerouted to the belt he wore.
Danny closed the front door to Vlad's mansion with his foot, as his hands were occupied with massaging his scalp. He pulled out the rubber band holding his hair in place, and shook his head, sighing loudly.
Ahh, better.
Then he allowed his human disguise to drop, knowing full well by now that Vlad regularly doctored everything he "recorded" inside the mansion should the FBI ever take an interest.
Ahhhh, much better. His hair rose around his head as the fire returned to it, and he rolled his neck around a few times, getting the cricks out. There were some serious inconveniences to pretending to be human and being stuck with conventional travel for the sake of appearances was one of them.
Now. Where is Vlad, anyway...?
"Vlaaaaaaaad, I'm baaaack! Got done early!" It wasn't surprising. Signing on an advertising firm for the world's first practical universal adapter? Easy.
Receiving no answer, Danny made his way at a comfortable pace toward the study, where Vlad was most likely to be. All this space, and the guy still spent most of his time there or in the lab...
He wasn't there. Danny slowly stretched his arms over his head, getting a few more cricks out. Well, maybe he was in the lab after all...
Danny left the study and made his way upstairs as if continuing to search, while an invisible double split off and headed down below.
He had come to terms with Vlad's duplicity after his initial reaction to the older man's habit of spying on his son, and...others, indirectly. Danny even, occasionally, allowed himself to wander down below, where he could pull up the live feed, for just a few moments of time where he could watch his child...
In fact, if Vlad wasn't here, he might just take some time right now. Danny dipped into the lab, completely silent.
His eyes were immediately drawn to the swirling green of the Ghost Zone portal. He stared for a moment, then glanced around. The lab, surprisingly, was deserted.
Danny frowned uneasily. Vlad never left the portal sitting open. Danny was sure he considered it unnecessarily dangerous, which it was. Danny floated over to glance carefully outside, still invisible. Perhaps Vlad was very close by? In that case, bringing up the video feed wasn't an option. But still, Danny felt drawn to at least take a glance.
And besides, something wasn't sitting right. He floated over to the computer, squinting as he noticed a video already playing...
No, it was a video clip, repeating over and over...
Everything suddenly clicked: the portal being open, this particular video clip, set on repeat! Every hair on Danny's body stood up and his double, still upstairs, raced to him as he ceased bothering to hide. His eyes glowed bright, too bright, and his whole body rose in the air, tense with the need for action.
No! No!! Not Nathaniel...
Now he knew why Vlad had left things so quickly! If anything happened to his son...!
Danny's hands clenched his flaming hair convulsively as he struggled with himself, the battle for the self control raging inside him once again, a battle he'd almost started taking for granted as won.
I'll kill him, I'll kill that idiot ghost!
"Arrrg!!" Danny drew himself into a ball, as tight as he could, then tighter still. His hands scratched harshly along his scalp and neck.
"Rrrr..." Control, control, control...!! His instincts demanded he destroy something, but that wouldn't help!
Calm down!
Calm down!
Calm...down.
Slowly, Danny uncurled, and carefully shook himself out. His jaw was still clenched, a muscle there jumping repeatedly, but he was thinking clearly now. He was under control.
But he wouldn't let this happen. He wasn't going to watch, again, as the most precious person in his life was permanently taken away.
After studying the video screen a few more moments, Danny left for the Ghost Zone, a new mantra repeating in his head.
It's only the Box Ghost, only the Box Ghost...
Nathaniel would be alright. He had to be.
"Well, if it isn't the Box Ghost! And look, Bertrand, he has a box." The Box Ghost stared guardedly at the ghost known as Spectra. He didn't like her or her friend, and they had just popped out of thin air which, in the Ghost Zone, was pretty lousy manners.
Spectra addressed him directly. "Did you get that from the human world just now?" She was smiling and her voice was fairly pleasant, but her eyes were hard.
The Box Ghost felt his expression close down. He didn't trust her, but couldn't think of anything to say, as usual. "I...yes?"
Her smile froze slightly at his simplistic response. "Right...right. You know, I've always admired your control over boxes. Keeping it solid like that, even in the Ghost Zone...it's quite an accomplishment!"
"I..." The Box Ghost knew he wasn't doing anything special, but heck. "I am the Box Ghost!"
"Yes..." Spectra floated closer, and her smile turned strange. He thought briefly of a shark. "Tell me, how are things in Amity getting along? How's the...Fenton kid...our little halfa doing?" Her smile darkened noticeably. "Still on a rampage?"
"I..." He had to make something up! He didn't want to look like a total coward, after all. "I, the Box Ghost, boldly defied the..."
She rolled her eyes, and interrupted. "Right! Let's cut to the chase...have you actually run into him lately? Yes or no?" Spectra had her arms crossed, and Bertrand, creepy as ever, had moved out of the Box Ghost's line of vision.
He hugged the box to him as best he could, and tried to look smart. He really hated Spectra. "Perhaps..."
"Hih-choo."
Everyone paused. Then they stared down at the box.
Spectra looked incredulous. "What the hell was that? A baby? Did you steal someone's playpen?" Then she raised an eyebrow, and smirked at him. "I didn't think you had it in you."
The Box Ghost was secretly mortified. He didn't think he had it in him either.
Spectra's smirk widened. "I'd take that back to the human world if I were you. If Phantom finds out you stole someone's kid, he'll kill you." She smiled, and put a hand on the playpen, looking it over again. "You know, this is the ugliest playpen I've ever..." Her eyes widened and she petered off. "Where...did you get this? On second thought, it looks..." She looked up, suddenly piercing the Box Ghost with a sharp stare, and he flinched in surprise.
Then she glanced behind him. "Bertrand..."
The Box Ghost flinched again, violently, and nearly lost control of the box as Bertrand appeared out of nowhere, floating less than a foot away.
His hands were resting on the playpen. "Huh. I can't get in."
Spectra's voice went strangely quiet. "What?"
"It's solid. Can't phase through."
Two sets of eyes zeroed in on the Box Ghost, and he shrank visibly. Even if he had been maintaining its tangibility, which he wasn't, Bertrand should have easily gotten through since human objects were naturally intangible in the Ghost Zone. Still, the Box Ghost had thought it was just a very special box!
Spectra spoke, her eyes even wider. "Where did you get this? We saw you come out of the Fenton Portal just now..." Her nostrils flared, her face glowing with excitement. "Open it! I want a look!"
He stared for a moment too long, as fear rose in the pit of his stomach. This wasn't right, he needed to take it back...
"Never mind!" The playpen was yanked out of his hands, and a distinct 'oomph!' came from within. Spectra and Bertrand paused for an instant. Then both ghosts fumbled with the playpen for several moments, until a faint click was heard, and the top opened up. The Box Ghost came over, morbidly curious as to just how much trouble he had gotten himself into. Even he understood the significance of a ghostly playpen in the human world...or, or...a halfa playpen, he supposed, since it was solid in both worlds.
But it hadn't come from the Fenton household!
One look killed that thought. The child was sitting, leaning forward with one hand splayed out for support. The other hand held a teething ring, which he was biting down on half heartedly. Most of the tiny boy's bewildered attention was focused up. His look seemed to say "What's all the shaking about, and who are you funny people?"
He had black hair and blue eyes, and even if you didn't squint, he looked like a pint-sized version of Danny Fenton, minus a full set of teeth. As they all stared down, the tiny boy took the teething ring out and closed his mouth, looking more worried by the moment.
This playpen needed to go back to the human world, now! "I...the Box Ghost...must take..." He tugged at the pen, a step away from panic. The look on Spectra's face was making him queasy.
Between Spectra and Bertrand, who were both ignoring him, the pen didn't budge. Spectra began talking excitedly.
"It makes sense...it makes sense, Bertrand! Who was the brat looking for the last time? His little goth girlfriend, who had obviously run away on him! But I suppose she couldn't stay gone long, not with this little bundle of joy." She grinned darkly down at the child, who visibly flinched back and remained silent, as though trying to hide.
The Box Ghost understood how he felt.
Spectra shifted abruptly. "Come on, there's no time. We've got to move."
The playpen was once again yanked away from the Box Ghost's hands, the tiny "oomph" as the child fell sideways more audible this time. He turned to watch as Bertrand and Spectra flew off at top speed with the playpen between them, only taking a moment to slam its lid back into place as they went.
The Box Ghost stared after them, temporarily immobile as the shock of what had happened washed over him slowly. Time passed by, as the events replayed themselves in his head. It was so unbelievable, yet somehow it had happened, and now...?
He was doomed. That was all there was to it. He wasn't one for pondering his existence, but for once, he was certain. He was dead! The only thing he had going for him was that he wasn't really going to die, because he was already dead!
This was far from comforting. Danny Phantom could really make things hurt when he wanted to.
But then...Phantom didn't know, right? Perhaps the best thing to do was to go back through the portal, wander around for another box, pretend this had never happened? Play it cool?
That kid, though. He was helpless. And he'd looked so confused and afraid, just before they yanked him away.
But what could he do? The Box Ghost's brain wasn't willing to reach that far, when it meant facing a distraught Danny Phantom...
So...maybe he could just go home, and...cower?
The Box Ghost had never thought so long or so hard in his entire afterlife.
More time passed.
Then a movement caught his eye, and the Box Ghost looked up to see a small shape grow into the form of a ghost flying at an incredible speed. If there had been time the Box Ghost would've been impressed, but as it was he simply scrambled to get out of the way. The ghost was clearly heading toward the Fenton Portal...
Or not. He watched, amazed as the stranger came to an abrupt halt only feet away from the portal, the nearly instantaneous change in momentum causing his flaming hair to fan briefly out around his head. The ghost turned quickly back around, and focused intently on him. His eyes were a deep red.
He didn't look happy. "You. Where's the playpen?"
The Box Ghost stared. This couldn't be good! He tried to look nonchalant. "I know not of what playpen you sp..."
The ghost was suddenly in his face. "Where's. The. Playpen. You just. Stole." The Box Ghost fought panic as he was pulled up by his shirt until their faces were only inches apart. Something about this person was disturbingly familiar.
"I...know not...agh." The ghost's hand moved to his throat, cutting off his words.
A wide grin had spread across the stranger's face. "Think...really...hard. Then try again." The ghost's right eye ticked twice, and the manic smile grew nightmarish.
The Box Ghost had a revelation. This guy reminded him of Danny Phantom! Except there was one key difference:
Phantom had never scared him like this.
After a few seconds the pressure on his throat lessened, and he raced to answer. "The ghosts Spectra and Bertrand, they took the box! I did not want to give it to them, but they...they..." He stopped when a fist was suddenly drawn back, and brought his arms up to cover his face. His voice dropped to a whisper. "It was not my fault...I was going to return it..."
"You IDIOT!!" He was shaken hard, twice, and then suddenly let go. He looked up hesitantly, terrified. The ghost was staring off into the distance, face frozen in a look that promised death.
Then the look shifted, slowly, into something softer. But the rage was just below, and the Box Ghost knew better than to move a millimeter.
The ghost turned suddenly, and pierced him with a stare. His voice was a deep growl. "Where did they go? Do you remember which direction they went?"
The Box Ghost, completely mortified, closed his eyes and pointed randomly.
"What?! I just CAME from...!" The stranger's voice cut off, to be replaced with what sounded like a leaking tire.
The Box Ghost finally glanced up. The stranger's lips were drawn back in a grimace, air hissing from between his teeth. A muscle in his jaw was visibly jumping, and his fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly.
Clench.
Unclench.
Clench.
The temptation to run nearly overwhelmed common sense: he wouldn't get away.
The hissing stopped suddenly, and the stranger focused on him again. He spoke, voice gritty and urgent. "You are going to go into the human world, find Danny Phantom, and tell him that Spectra and Bertrand have the playpen with Nathaniel in it. Tell them...Dan sent you." He came forward, nostrils flaring, and grabbed him by the shirt again.
"Do you understand? Repeat what I said. Now."
"I-I will go into the human realm, f-find Danny Phantom..." The Box Ghost cringed, trying to look anywhere but him. "T-tell him Spectra and Bertrand have the box..."
"Not box...!" He was shaken, once. "Playpen. With Nathaniel."
His voice dropped to a whimper. "P-playpen. With Nathaniel."
"And tell them Dan sent you. Say the names again!"
"Nathaniel. D-dan." He was supposed to tell Danny Phantom he stole his kid?
"Right." He was drawn closer suddenly, and found himself trapped under the stranger's burning gaze. "And if you don't, I will find you. And you don't want to know what I'll do to you when I do." The ghost'seyes narrowed dangerously. "Do you understand?"
"Y-yes."
"Go. Now." The Box Ghost was trapped by eyes that promised bloody vengeance for an instant longer, then he was dragged to the Fenton portal, one handed, and thrown in.
Vlad sped through the Ghost Zone, pushing himself to new limits. He had gotten a nasty shock a few minutes earlier, while flipping between the playpen's external and internal video feeds: the Box Ghost no longer had Nathaniel!
Instead, the child was in the hands of a rather malicious and creatively cruel pair known as Spectra and Bertrand.
Vlad wasn't sure how the switch had taken place, and since the belt could only show real time, he couldn't check. It didn't matter. Probably the Box Ghost was waylaid by the two, who no doubt recognized the opportunity his little "box" represented.
What did matter was that they had been at their lair for five minutes already. For the moment, at least, Nathaniel was still inside the playpen, lid down. Vlad wanted to keep it that way.
Still, even with the fear for Nathaniel's safety coursing through him, Vlad couldn't help see the opportunity this situation presented.
An idea was already percolating.
Why take Nathaniel back to Amity? Vlad had a location, several locations, in a pinch, where he could keep the boy. This was the perfect time, really. Nathaniel had already been kidnapped, playpen and all. Spectra and Bertrand, and even the Box Ghost, represented a buffer between himself and the crime! Perhaps, even...perhaps he could leave a few clues somewhere; a burnt up playpen, a remnant of cloth? Daniel and Samantha wouldn't even try to look, if they believed Nathaniel to be...
Vlad squelched the guilt he felt rising at the thought. He planned to take the boy eventually, didn't he? Their loss was unavoidable then, at some point. Why not take him now and get it over with, when he had a convenient way to cover his tracks?
Yes. Now was the time. He simply needed to flesh out a plan.
Vlad smirked. This would be tricky, but if he could offer Spectra and Bertrand something that would keep them quiet about his part in this, something they desperately wanted...
Perhaps this could even work to their mutual benefit, who knew?
Vlad glanced down at the homing beacon again, and adjusted his direction slightly. He was nearly there. When he arrived he would assess the situation, make certain Nathaniel was safe for the moment, and then, hopefully, negotiate.
The Box Ghost was panicking. On one hand, there was this homicidal maniac waiting to do something terrible to him if he went back out that portal. On the other hand, he'd just lost Danny Phantom's son!
And...he didn't know where the halfa was anyway!! He floated, quivering in mid air. But then, the red haired girl, Jazz, who called him by a stupid, and wrong, name...she might know!
The Box Ghost had generally avoided exploring the Fenton household for multiple reasons, but tonight he began a surprisingly thorough search through the three story building.
Jazz sat at her desk, perusing the internet for pictures of wedding dresses. She was in an extremely good mood. Danny and Sam, finally together! Okay, so maybe it was a little early to be looking at wedding dresses...but what the heck!
They were so obviously meant to b...
A voice spoke in her ear. "I, the Box Ghost, have a mes..."
"Waagh!" Jazz jumped up, completely caught off guard, one hand held to her heaving chest. She scowled when she realized who it was. "Oh, you are so going in the Fenton thermos..." She turned to where the thermos sat on the desk, but to her surprise the Box Ghost flew forward and grabbed it first. He held it in both hands, crouched over in a strangely subservient manner. Jazz crossed her arms, and seriously considered yelling for her dad. But that would mean dealing with the huge mess Jack Fenton was likely to leave in his wake.
Maybe she could convince the Box Ghost to leave instead? "I don't understand you! Why bother the people you know can kick..."
"I...I bring a message. Where is D-Danny Phantom?"
Jazz stared, caught off guard by his strangely shaky, quiet voice.
"What's the message? I'll tell him later." Like heck she was letting the Box Ghost interrupt Danny's first date ever with Sam!
He seemed to consider this, then shook his head. "No, I must tell him myself, or risk the wrath of a ghost even more..." He swallowed, looking desperate. "Please tell me where Phantom is! I am the Box Ghost!" He slumped. "Beware?"
Jazz frowned softly. She was torn between aggravation and curiosity. The Box Ghost wasn't behaving normally at all. He seemed...almost panicked. It was weird.
She narrowed her eyes at him, and pursed her lips. "Why don't you tell me the message, and I'll decide whether Danny needs to know right now?"
The Box Ghost stared at her, eyes wide, then bowed his head, cradling the Fenton thermos to his chest fearfully.
Then he spoke, going a mile a minute. "I took a large wonderful box, but it was actually a playpen, but then the ghosts Spectra and Bertrand took it from me, and it had the son of Danny Phantom in it, and then later another scary ghost, who..."
"What!?" Jazz's stood, shocked, arms uncrossed, fists clenched. She stared. "You're telling me that Spectra and Bertrand have Nathaniel? Did they send you here?"
"No, an even more terrifying..."
"Get to the point!!"
"Dan...his name was D..."
Jazz's eyes widened more. "Flaming hair, red eyes, black and white outfit?"
"Y-yes." It just now occurred to the Box Ghost that there had been a letter D inscribed on said outfit.
"Oh no, oh no...oh my God..." Jazz walked in a mad little circle, before stopping dead. Then she lunged for her cell phone, and grabbed her keys. "Come on! You're going with me!"
The Box Ghost's heart sank. "We are going to tell Danny Ph..."
"Yes! And go invisible on the way out, or my mom will get you!"
Mrs. Pamela Manson tried to keep the panic from her voice as she picked up the house phone. "Yes?"
"Mrs. Manson? Have you, er, checked on Nathaniel lately? Because..." The voice was young, nervous, and female.
Her heart leapt. "Oh! Have you found him?!" There was a long pause, and a horrible thought filled her with terror. "You're not..." She couldn't finish.
Holding him hostage?
The voice came again, clipped and tense. "I...I...there's a situation. We're getting it under control right now, Mrs. Manson, so just stay right where you are, okay? Don't...worry."
"W-what kind...?" She stopped at the sound of the dial tone.
Pamela slowly sagged to the floor, the telephone receiver still clutched to her chest. The girl's voice had been subtly shaking.
Jazz was doing ninety-five on the highway. She had called Sam's house before leaving, to confirm that Nathaniel was missing. And thus presumably in the hands of Spectra and Bertrand of all people...
It was a ten minute drive to the restaurant, though she could cut that down to five or six, probably. But that was still wasted time! Not that she had a choice! Danny and Sam both had their cell phones turned off...
The Box Ghost was quivering next to her. "I do not know if your puny human body should go this fast..."
"Oh shut up! You're a ghost!" He cringed, and fell silent. He seemed to be permanently cowed for the evening.
Not that she could blame him. When Danny found out...he'd get the beating he richly deserved, the idiot!!
Jazz swore as red and blue lights started up behind her.
"I do not think that..."
"Shut UP!" Jazz made a nearly suicidal exit off the highway, and careened onward.
"Here's the plan." Spectra moved as she talked. They were packing the bare essentials, and then they'd be leaving for quite some time. Permanently, if things went well. "We're going to get into the human world through the rift you found last year." There were portals, and then there were rifts, which were difficult to find, almost always less stable, and usually very small. But Bertrand had found several rifts over the years, and the one Spectra mentioned could handle larger objects, such as a child's playpen. It would also, conveniently, place them a few thousand miles away from Danny Phantom's home.
Bertrand nodded briefly as he floated by. He rarely spoke when a gesture would suffice.
A malicious grin twisted Spectra's face. It was obvious, through deduction, who this child belonged to, and any troubling doubts she had were destroyed after a single look.
This boy was Danny Phantom's son. That meddling, pretentious, holier than thou freak with a hero complex!
To put it simply, she loathed him.
Spectra had seen her efforts to move up in the human world destroyed repeatedly by him. Even so, she had been threatening his space. It had been understandable, though she had still hated him for it. But it wasn't until over six months ago, when he had come to them in their ghostly home, that Spectra had vowed to get bloody revenge.
And now the pieces for that revenge were falling into place, and he was partially to thank. Spectra wouldn't have known Sam Manson had gone missing, for instance, if he hadn't come to her and demanded where she was. She wouldn't have realized how incredibly important the girl had become, if he hadn't simply been reeking with worry and panic.
That day, she hadn't been able to resist capitalizing on that. She had attempted to draw out his worry a little more with her special brand of psychotherapy.
Spectra's grin turned to a deep frown. He'd caught on. Then all that lovely despair had turned to pure hatred. And, humiliatingly, he had used them, as ghostly battering rams, to destroy the furniture, the walls...everything, really.
She couldn't forgive that. She couldn't forgive his strength, his ability, when it came down to it, to completely best them, both of them, in a fight. And yet he was half human, not even a pure ghost! He hadn't worked for countless decades to build up that power! A freak accident had given it to him, by comparison, in an instant!
That day, he had lorded that power over them. His face, his words, his emotions, everything about him had been focused on driving home their inferiority.
That was why she loathed him.
Spectra's dark grin returned. Now she could take Phantom down, step by agonizing step. And in the end, he would be low, so low, he wouldn't recognize himself anymore. And then she would end it all with a death blow.
The grin fell away. But first they had to get out of here, before Phantom noticed his son's absence. Then the games could begin.
Spectra looked around one last time, and made her way over to the playpen, slinging a bag over her shoulder as she went. Perhaps they could throw all their junk in with the baby for the trip?
Then something made her pause, and she hovered tensely. She slowly unslung the bag from her shoulder.
There was a push at the edge of her mind of another consciousness nearby. "Bertrand. Someone's outside."
He was there in an instant. "What do you want me to do?"
She pressed her lips together, thinking fast. "Take the playpen in there," she pointed to the next room, "Then come back. Stay invisible, and watch for my signal! I'll deal with them if I can." They had a system of hand signals set up, since it was often useful for only one of them to be visible.
Spectra hovered for a moment, then quickly went to a chair and sat down. It was best the "visitor" didn't know she was expecting them. A few moments passed, and then she felt someone enter the room. Whoever it was chose to remain invisible, and moved up to the ceiling. Spectra waited, and a few moments later another ghost entered, visible this time. He was a double of the first ghost. She could tell by the echo of emotions between them; there was only one mind present.
He was Vlad Plasmius, a mystery figure of sorts. He was powerful in his own right, but little was known about his past; how he had died, for instance, or even if he had died. He might have been born to ghostly parents after all, though Spectra doubted it.
She rose to greet him, polite surprise plastered on her face. "Vlad Plasmius. This is quite a surprise." She walked toward him, as he set himself down to stand instead of float, watching her closely. "I wonder, how did you find your way in? No offense meant, of course." His untimely arrival could hardly be a coincidence. Had he been tailing them, and she hadn't noticed? This place was built into a huge mountain of rock, which most thought uninhabitable. Even on close inspection the entrance was likely to be missed.
Vlad's invisible double studied the room from a bird's eye point of view. It was rectangular, perhaps five hundred feet square, with a couch and a few chairs. A living room. There were three doors; the entrance, and two doors leading further inside on the opposite end of the room. Bedrooms, perhaps?
Vlad had glanced one last time at the radar before splitting himself and entering this place, so he knew that Nathaniel was surely behind the door to the right. Vlad's invisible double flew to it.
Across the room, Vlad answered Spectra, a single eyebrow raised. "How did I find my way in? I followed you here. Or more specifically, I followed the child here." A red flag had risen in Vlad's mind in association with these two, and he couldn't think why.
Even together they were no match for him. But then Nathaniel was completely helpless, and Bertrand wasn't in sight. That was probably it, then.
Spectra's smile had dropped. "The child?" Her eyes narrowed. "And why would you be interested in him, Plasmius?"
Vlad tilted his head to the side a little, as if thinking how to answer, while his invisible double searched for a way through Nathaniel's door. Unfortunately ghosts couldn't phase out in the Ghost Zone, and though his double could stretch his form, make it almost like shadow, there still had to be a small gap to get through.
There was none. He would have to...
Vlad's double flinched back as the door opened ever so slightly on its own. Then he threw himself against the wall. Bertrand was coming through that door, he was sure of it! And since intangibility was impossible here, they could literally brush by one another, which would blow his cover.
After a moment the door began to close. He hesitated for an instant, then took a gamble and leaped forward. He just barely slipped through.
In the living room, Vlad suppressed a smile of triumph, and answered Spectra's question. "Why am I, or perhaps why should I, be interested? That's a rather complicated question, my dear. For now let it suffice to know that I am."
Spectra fumed inwardly. She was painfully aware of the switch that had just occurred. Now Bertrand was out here, and Plasmius' double was with the boy!
"Well! If you're so interested in him, why don't we have a look, then?" She turned abruptly, crossed the room, threw open the door, and went to stand next to the playpen, Plasmius following behind.
Spectra suppressed a double take. Drat! Somehow, Plasmius' double had gotten inside the playpen, right next to the child! He had certainly figured that lock out fast! She hesitated. Still...he was effectively trapped in there for now, right? Instead of flinging the playpen open as she had originally planned, Spectra turned to face Plasmius.
He was smiling, damn him. "What is it that you're planning, Spectra? What is it you hope to gain by keeping this boy?" He raised an eyebrow. "You hardly strike me as the mothering type."
Spectra forced herself to smile and relax a little, as her mind raced. For whatever reason, Plasmius appeared to want the kid, and he was underhanded enough to make off with him if she didn't watch the man very carefully. And if it came to a fight, she was far from confident that it would go in their favor. He was turning into an incredible nuisance!
Still. Wasn't he an enemy of Phantom? It was one of the few things that did seem clear about him, elusive as he was. He had antagonized the boy for years, had even enlisted other ghosts' help. This could work for her, assuming he could be made into an ally. Although he would have to go eventually. He was too powerful, too smart. And his emotions were kept on a tight reign, making him difficult to read. Still, perhaps for now things could be worked out...
Spectra caught his eye. What had he asked?
"What do I plan to gain?" She leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Don't pretend you don't know whose child this is." She smiled, and rested a hand on the playpen. "Can't you guess what I want?"
Plasmius pursed his lips, face unreadable. "Revenge."
"Yes." Her eyes became slits. "Revenge. Although I'm sure Phantom will prove to be quite the money maker, too."
The tension Vlad had been feeling was finally softening a little. His double was sitting beside Nathaniel, and the boy, though nervous and a little afraid, looked fine. The situation felt controllable. Now the question was how to most effectively manipulate it to his advantage.
There was only one problem. In taking Nathaniel, he needed to offer Spectra something in return, something to keep her and Bertrand under control for a long time. But it seemed that her desire was to make Daniel suffer.
Guilt flashed through him. Daniel would suffer more than enough, with Nathaniel gone.
Vlad squelched the thought.
He smirked at Spectra, who was watching him closely. He'd get her talking, and give himself some time to think things through a little more. "Please, my dear, tell me more about this...revenge. I'm quite curious. How will he be a money maker, exactly?" He let his face radiate interest.
Spectra flashed a carefully pleasant smile. Plasmius' interest seemed genuine, but his thoughts were somewhere else.
And why the flash of guilt just now? It threw off every assumption she had made about him.
Spectra wouldn't take any chances. She would talk about Phantom and his son for a while, do a little prodding here and there, and soon she would know exactly where Plasmius stood.
Emotions never lied.
Danny sat with a delirious smile on his face, and played with the last few bites of food on his plate. Sam was in the ladies room right now. It was the first break from each other they'd had all evening.
It gave him time to marvel at everything.
The night was a dream. Sam was so funny, so smart, so beautiful, she had no idea...
And he was on a date with her. And everything...just...flowed! It didn't even matter what they talked about, it was amazing.
They were meant for each other. He'd been wanting to think that thought for so long now! Danny hardly realized it though, not until it was there in front of him, ready to be said.
Life had thrown so many things at them, but even so this night was still pure magic. Amazingly, Sam seemed to be just as entranced with him as he was with her!
Danny sighed softly. Nothing could ruin this. In fact, even the restaurant was perfect, and that was admittedly tricky! He would really have to thank Jazz later for telling him about i...
Then again, maybe not.
Danny stared at the entrance and resisted the urge to rub his eyes and look again. Jazz had just appeared there, and was looking quickly around. She spotted him just before he thought to get up, and started waving frantically. Then the Box Ghost popped into existence behind her.
Right. His mind traveled back down to earth remarkably fast. Maybe, just maybe he could deal with whatever this was before Sam came back. He jumped up and made his way over as discretely as possible, making throat cutting gestures to Jazz as he went, his eyes going to the Box Ghost repeatedly.
She got the hint and turned violently to the Box Ghost, who quickly went invisible. By the time Danny got over there, Jazz was explaining to a passing waiter that no, in fact, there wasn't a ghost, he needed to get his eyes checked, and please go away.
Danny shrugged nonchalantly at the befuddled waiter, who finally turned and walked away.
Then he leaned down to speak quietly. "Jazz...?"
But she turned around frantically, and squinted out the tinted window. He stared at her, nonplussed, as she turned back after a moment, seemingly satisfied, and pulled him out the door by the wrist. She hustled him a little ways from the entrance, then turned to face him.
A cop car passed by on the road, and his sister jumped behind him.
Danny did a double take. "Jazz?"
She looked around him furtively, and answered, voice quiet and distracted. "I kind of out ran a cop..."
Danny put a hand to his head, incredulous. "You what?" This would almost be funny if it wasn't for the look on Jazz's face...and the timing, of course.
She was finally looking him in the eye again, staring up at him, as though she had too much to say, all at once. Her hand trembled lightly on his wrist.
Danny spoke gently, suddenly worried. "What's wrong, Jazz? And why is the Box Ghost following you around?"
Finally she found her voice, all in a rush. "Oh Danny! Spectra and Bertrand have Nathaniel!"
Danny stared at her aghast. "Spectra...and Bertrand...?!"
The Box Ghost appeared out of nowhere; Danny had known he was still nearby. "It is not my fault! I did not know..."
Jazz over rode him completely, suddenly manic. "They're somewhere in the Ghost Zone..." She held up a hand to his unspoken question, "I don't know where! Listen, your older self is already looking for him. He sent the Box Ghost!" She let go of him suddenly. "Go help look! I'll tell Sam!"
This was a nightmare.
Danny started to run for a quiet corner where he could transform. Then Jazz's words sank in completely, and he whipped back around.
"What the hell do you mean, my older self?!" Jazz flinched back slightly, eyes wide. Then she stepped forward, tears in the corner of her eyes.
"Would you...would you just get going?! Trust me, he's looking for Nathaniel right now!" They were both yelling for some reason.
Danny's hands flew to his hair, where he tugged lightly, eyes going wide. He turned violently to the Box Ghost, grabbed him, and shook him once.
"What the hell is going on?! Did he send you here to threaten us?!" He vaguely registered Jazz pulling at his shoulder. Her voice was getting frantic.
"This is Spectra and Bertrand, Danny! Please, you need to g..."
Her turned abruptly, face twisting into a mask of anxiety and anger. "Shut UP!" He turned back, pulling the Box Ghost closer. "Answer the question!"
He answered tremulously. "I...it is true...he...he is looking! He was...very angry when I told him about Spectr..."
Danny cut him off. "Fine!" He growled for a moment, trying to think. "You're coming with me!" Then he turned, face crumpling briefly into despair. His voice was rougher, quieter, and apologetic. "Jazz...please tell Sam." He avoided her eyes, and quickly turned away, dragging the Box Ghost with him.
This evening couldn't get any worse.
Spectra thumped the top of the playpen, while keeping her eyes carefully on Plasmius, who stood several feet away. A sly grin twisted the corners of her mouth. "This kid is going to lay me golden eggs, Plasmius." Here was the first test. "Although...I'm sure there will be enough to share, with a few choice individuals." She paused, waiting.
The greed she expected didn't come. She went on, nonplussed. "I'm going to relocate to the human world." There was no need to mention Bertrand, who she could sense hovering nearby. "From there I'll maintain a safe distance and, through video and pictures, I'll let Phantom know I've got his son. Little...Danny Junior." She smirked. "It's simple really. He'll do whatever I want."
Plasmius was certainly a good actor. He truly appeared to be listening, but his emotions were strangely withdrawn, even more closed off than a moment before.
She was almost sure he was tuning her out.
Spectra forced herself to stay calm. She hadn't hit on what he really wanted yet, that was all. "Of course, it isn't just a question about money." Which clearly doesn't interest you. "It's the humiliation! The degradation of his pristine character. The halfa with a hero complex. It makes me sick." She felt her anger rise; it didn't take much, when talking about Phantom.
Vlad's thoughts jarred slightly.
The degradation of his pristine character? Daniel's distraught face flashed into his mind briefly. No, it was the pain of losing Nathaniel that would truly hurt him, and poor Samantha...
He forced the train of thought to a stop. He couldn't think about that; he knew better. Vlad found himself listening to Spectra, to tune out his own thoughts.
Spectra smiled, and went on. Plasmius was beginning to listen, she could feel it.
"I'll completely ruin him. He won't simply rob banks in the dead of night. Pft, I could do that myself! Oh no. He'll go during the day, and publicly announce himself! And that's just the beginning. He'll destroy anything I want him to. Things precious to society, precious to the world." She laughed briefly. How strange! She could feel a subtle anger welling up inside Plasmius. The question was, what exactly was it that bothered him so?
Listening to Spectra was aggravating. Yes, her plan was cruel, but not so horrible for Daniel as she obviously thought. Everything, property damage included, came second to his family and friends. One only need look at the damage done last winter in Idaho to understand.
An image formed in his mind: Daniel's older self laid up in bed with a mangled arm, a beaten body, and a look on his face that begged for friendship, guidance. From him. He had come from a time where they had all died...
A leaden ball landed in Vlad's stomach. He would need to be told that Nathaniel was dead too, of course. There was no other way.
Spectra's eyes narrowed. He was feeling guilty? But what did that mean? She continued on, pulling subtly at the emotion.
"He'll do it all, with his son at stake. I know he will. You see, I've observed the boy, Plasmius. He cares about family, friends! Those close to him. Everything else...not as much. His life revolves around his loved ones. With his son, I can break him."
She had found the magic words! Family. Friends. His guilt had peaked then, and her unique powers would keep it strong. And still there was no greed, unless a peculiar longing she sensed counted as such. Almost...was it loneliness? How odd. In any case, the thought of harm to the halfa and his son was upsetting to Plasmius.
Spectra was nearly certain that he would be an enemy to her, not an ally.
Vlad watched closely as Spectra spoke. He needed to analyze her, and stop these silly, puerile...pointless thoughts! Why was every distressing thought he could have rising to the top of his mind as if propelled there?
For the love of butter biscuits! He knew what he wanted! And he didn't care if it was heartless! He didn't care. He came first. No other way was safe. And right now he needed to focus on strategy.
Spectra smirked at his distress, though he hid it perfectly, she had to admit.
It didn't matter. Her ghostly powers were fully awake now. His emotions were beginning to feed her. She went on.
"I'll start small. Oh, maybe he will rob a few banks at night." Her voice grew dark. "But every time, if he wants another picture of his son, another video, the price will go up. He'll rob in the daytime. He'll burn down a museum. And so on. Slowly all his happiness, his pride, that narcissistic hero complex...they'll die. Someday, Plasmius, he'll even kill for me."
Then Spectra laughed heartily, eating up his sudden wave of horror, drawing it out, enhancing it. Another hit! The thought of Phantom as a killer deeply disturbed him. She stopped laughing, and gave him a harsh grin. "He will! He'll kill, by the end. Isn't my revenge wonderful?"
And Plasmius still stood there somehow, silent, demure, as if what she said was mildly entertaining. Meanwhile, felt her power was rising. He was giving her a full meal, and making his loyalties crystal clear at the same time! Spectra couldn't help it. She laughed again and soaked up, quite unexpectedly, a brief wave of pure anger.
Vlad's smile was in danger of cracking.
Daniel, a killer.
But he has killed, you fool. You don't know what you're saying! What you're planning! Leave him be! He deserves...
He couldn't finish the thought.
It distressed him, to imagine either of the two Daniels falling that low. The thought drove deep into a painful, empathetic place he had buried deep a long time ago. Yet it had already been eroding these past months, ever since he had come face to face with Daniel's battle torn, emotionally scarred older self.
The worst had already happened to the boy, once. And now, didn't he deserve, he...deserved...
Fudge buckets.
Vlad's double, inside the playpen, slowly moved closer to Nathaniel. He wanted to hold the boy. And he didn't want to think. Not about Daniel, older or younger, or Samantha...
His arms ghosted through Nathaniel, completely useless.
Spectra kept talking. "You know what the very best part is, Plasmius? When I've finally sucked Phantom dry, when he's so low he simply can't imagine going on, and life is too much for him..."
Shut up, shut up, shut up...
His double grasped Nathaniel's wrist band which, like the playpen, was solid. It would have to go. Nathaniel had been wearing the thing for a few hours now, so he should automatically switch over. The danger was that he could change back again too soon.
It didn't matter. Vlad wanted to hold the boy.
Nathaniel. My son. My son. I deserve this, I deserve it!
Something inside Vlad was being painfully pulled, twisted.
Spectra's voice came through, relentless. "...I'll give him what he wants, Plasmius. What he deserves! A meeting with his son, in hell!"
It was all Vlad could do maintain himself, to appear calm, instead of leaping forward and wringing her neck.
Never, you monster. Never.
Something gave. There was a deep anguish, a horrible sense of loss. He felt defeated.
"...maybe if I'm kind I'll send his girlfriend, little Sam, to join him, eh Plasmius? They'll be gone, and I'll be rich!"
Vlad suppressed a shudder, as his double handled the wrist band gingerly, funneling ecto energy into it. He still wanted to hold the boy. In a way, it felt like nothing else mattered just then.
Nathaniel was looking up at his double in the gloom, eyes wide, and his double tried to smile. He found that he couldn't, though he wanted to so badly. So badly. He wished he could whisper words of comfort too, for things would be all right.
For the child, things would soon be wonderful again.
Spectra paused to tap the playpen again, unknowingly drawing Nathaniel's nervous eyes from inside. "And this brat. I'll obviously keep him alive for now, to use as bait. But why bother doing anything more than that, when he'll be killed in a few years anyway?"
Spectra smiled wide, and pulled in another wave of outraged anger, tinged with a curious sense of anguish and loss. She grew stronger.
This meal was nearly over, though. "The boy will spend his life in this playpen. I'll feed him, and I'll keep him clean, because the stench would be intolerable. But that's all."
Vlad, who still stood only a few feet away, struggled to hold himself back. Then the thought occurred: why bother? He had no intention of working with this woman, for any amount of time. He might as well attack now.
Then several things happened nearly at once.
Spectra brought her hand to her heart to form a point there with two of her fingertips.
Nathaniel's wrist band broke, and the boy was instantly a ghost. Vlad's double picked him up, hugging him protectively.
And Bertrand, invisible and waiting for Spectra's signal, stabbed Vlad in the back.
Spectra's voice rang out just as he struck. "And you, Plasmius, won't be able to do anything about it!"
Author's Note: (Dodges rotten tomatoes.) Er, yeah, this time it really is a bit of a cliffhanger. Meep? You should know I wrote pages and pages of notes for this, wrote half a chapter, scrapped it completely, started again... Suffice to say, I've really nailed down the plot for the next chapter, though, so it should be up a LOT faster. :) Also, special thanks to Esme Phantom, for talking to me lots in the forum I set up here! She really helped get me going on this! Give her a humongous cheer!! Thanks you Esme, and the others who posted too! (No joke!) I'll...get on there after this, meep. Respond to, cough, anybody I haven't responded to yet...
Please read and review! Puppy dog eyes! (Tis a weapon, you know.) OO