A/N: Hi everyone, so I guess this is obvious, but I'm no longer going on hiatus. If you are really curious (you're probably aren't), you can ask what happened. Anywho, I'm rather excited for the next chapter and I wanted to say if you guys want something specific to happen to our halfas, just message/review and I'll add it as an 'extra'.

Sylvia sat at the dining table with all the halfas and Vlad. There was a strange excitement that clung in the air. The young artist didn't know why it was. Catalina was chatting animatedly with Vlad who seemed just as pleased with whatever they were speaking about. Thalen and Alex were getting along well talking about some game and Vlad. Sylvia caught only part of the story, but she hearing Abigail laugh told her that something really amusing happened. "Did you hear that, Sylvia? Vlad apparently can game," Abigail said filling in what Sylvia had missed.

"Did he beat you?" Sylvia asked the two teenage boys.

"I let him win. It's not polite to beat old people," Thalen said with a nod.

Alex scoffed, "Right, that's why you let him win five times."

"Exactly," Thalen said as the two girls laughed.

"Hey everyone, can I have your attention?" Catalina said getting up to her feet. The teens looked at the standing woman. "Today is a very special day." The woman smiled.

"We're finally going to beat Dan?" Alex asked his tone serious.

The woman deflated, "Not quite. We just need one last component from Amity before the Ghost Gauntlets are done, so no. I'm not talking about that." The woman shook off the comment before smiling again. "It's Vlad's birthday," she said clapping her hands before darted away from view. Sylvia could hear Vlad sigh the smallest of smiles tugging at his lips. Catalina reappeared with a sheet cake and plopped it on the table. "I would have put the correct amount of candles, but I didn't want to start a fire," she said with a grin.

"Ohh, burn," Thalen added helpfully. Vlad rolled his eyes.

"Ready. One, Two, Three," Catalina counted before all the halfas busted out with the "Happy Birthday" song. Sylvia could hear Thalen singing obnoxiously off-key while Alex gave him a death glare. Abigail looked amused and even Sylvia could feel chuckles altering her tune. The halfas finished their song in laughs.

"I'm glad that singing isn't required to defeat Dan," Vlad said with a smirk.

"I think we sounded beautiful," Thalen said sarcastically. Vlad rolled his eyes again as Catalina handed out pieces of cake. Sylvia thanked the woman before digging into the pastries. After the cake was handed out, Catalina took her seat.

"Now that I can trust you all to be quiet, I will like to speak," Vlad started as the halfas ate their cake silently. "We'll be going to Amity Park tomorrow. I'll be going to Axion Labs and the rest of you will be patient and wait."

"Why are we even going at all if we just going to sit around doing nothing?" Alex asked.

"Because I don't trust you enough to leave you unattended for more than a couple of hours," Vlad answered.

"But Catalina is here," Abigail pointed out.

"My point exactly," Vlad answered. Catalina chuckled to herself. "Anyways, I also have something I want to give to each of you that I have to pick up from Axion Labs."

"It's like a reverse birthday gift," Catalina added finishing the last of her cake. "Which reminds me. I got you a gift, but I hid it in a super safe place."

"Which means you lost it," Vlad said shaking his head. "I'm sure it will show up eventually."

DP~DP~DP~

Alex tried to make himself as small as possible as Thalen propped himself forward to talk to Abigail. "Why couldn't we have just flown to Amity?" He huffed. He definitely wasn't a morning person he thought to himself as he yawned. Sylvia looked back sympathetically, her eyes looking sleepy as well.

Catalina turned around from the passenger seat to answer with a smile, "Road trips are much more fun. Besides it's only a state away." Alex glared at the energetic response and wondered how the woman could be so energetic all the time.

"And because Amity doesn't have an airport," Vlad added from the driver seat. The man looked awake and not in the bit tired.

"My family went on a road trip to Yellowstone once," Sylvia added softly. "I had a lot of fun." Alex smiled at the comment that was aimed to cheer him up.

After several long hours filled with 'I spy' and other games, Amity was finally in view. A dome of light green energy surrounded the city. The dome was produced by large poles that formed a barrier around town. Alex could see the other halfas flinch slightly as the van passed through the anti-ghost shield. Vlad glance quickly at them in what was possibly concern before turning his attention to the road.

The halfas relaxed as they noticed that the anti-ghost shield didn't affect them. Alex released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. The teen looked out of the window to watch the buildings roll by as he ignored the chattering of his fellow halfas. A large gray building loomed in the distance. The large "A" indicated clearly that it was Axion Labs.

Vlad parked the van in the parking lot and the halfas exited the vehicle. Alex stretched his stiff muscles; being in a van for five hours was really unkind to the body. "I shouldn't take longer than ten minutes. Please don't touch anything on the grounds," Vlad said before entering the lab.

Alex leaned against the van as he waited. Sylvia sat on the bumper as she pulled out her sketchbook and started drawing. Thalen and Abigail stood side by side while Abigail was pointing out how the clouds looked like one shape or another. Catalina paced in front of the group casting glances at the lab.

"He's not in any danger in there," Alex started to say when a loud eerie unearthly wail drowned out his words. The sound grated on his eardrum and Alex reflexively clamped his hands over his ears. The other halfas did the same; their facial expressions each showed the pain that their ears felt. The sound died down slowly like an echo.

"What in the world was that?" Thalen complained rubbing his ears. Alex looked to Catalina for an answer. The woman went pale as a ghost her eyes wide. "Earth to Cat," the teen said waving his hand in front of her face.

The woman blinked before looking at the former thief confused. "He asked what was that noise," Abigail said sweetly. Sylvia joined the group also looking concerned.

Catalina's brown eyes shifted from one teen to the other nervously before a tentative smile broke out. "It's just Dan, but don't worry he can't break through the ghost shield. It is absolutely top notch. No way he can break it," the woman said with a disjointed chuckle. "No way, he can get in," she whispered as if to convince herself.

Alex looked toward the sky at the green dome; it seemed to be alright , much to his relief. The loud wail began again cutting off all the halfas as they covered their ears again and looked up at the sky. The sound of a distant explosion overlapped the wail. All eyes turned to the new sound in time to watch one of the metal poles to collapse. The ghost shield shuddered before slowly fading away. Alex shuddered at the sudden thought of Dan entering the still healing city. Alex looked to Catalina waiting for some sort of order as he was unsure of what to do.

The woman looked absolutely shocked and frightened. "Catalina," Sylvia's soft voice called out her tone unsure.

The eldest halfa seemed to snap out of whatever shock she was in. "Sylvia, Alex. Stay here and make sure Vlad gets out of here safely. Abigail, Thalen you're with me. We'll give the others a distraction," the woman's voice became serious.

"But wouldn't it be better for us all to be together?" Alex asked before Catalina gave him a glare.

"And leave Vlad unprotected? That's ridiculous… We'll be back within fifteen minutes," the woman said her tone still dark.

"What if you're not?" Sylvia asked softly.

"Just listen to Vlad," Catalina said. The woman gave a tense smile, "We'll be back in no time... I promise." She put a single hand on Alex's and Sylvia's shoulders.

Alex watched as Catalina gave Abigail and Thalen a nod and all three halfas turned to their ghost halves in a brilliant flash. The three flew off; Thalen gave a cocky wave and Abigail a thumbs up.

"They're going to come back, right?" Sylvia asked her eyes watching the others flying away. Her hand brushed his before Alex took hold of it figuring the girl needed some sort of comfort.

"Of course, they are. Thalen hasn't finished his Zelda game yet and Abigail has her family to go home to," Alex said in a joking matter trying to lighten the mood. He didn't worry about the three; they were only distracting Dan and will be able to slip away. Alex just wished that Sylvia could feel the same way.

DP~DP~DP

A/N: a couple of extras for you.

Thalen closed the library door loudly causing Vlad to look up from his book. "Vlad, I need some advice," the teen said as he walked to a bookshelf to nonchalantly pull books from the shelf. The man sighed but closed the book he was reading. Thalen seeing that Vlad was listening continued. "Let's say hypothetically that someone wanted to get someone else's attention. How would you go about doing that?"

Vlad rose an eyebrow and Thalen wondered briefly if the man could read minds. "Is this about a girl?" he asked. Thalen looked at the book in his hand like it was the most interesting thing in the world. He could hear the older man chuckling before he continued, "First things first you eliminate your competition. If she likes someone, get rid of them. Then you give her all sorts of gifts. Chocolate and flowers normally work."

"And puppies," a new voice added cheerfully. Vlad and Thalen paused to see Catalina sitting on top of one of the bookshelves. She smiled before crossing her arms. "Why are you asking Vlad how to get Abigail's attention? Didn't you notice that he's still single?" Catalina asked earning a glare from Vlad and a chuckle from Thalen.

"You do have a point," Thalen admitted. Vlad grumbled to himself. "But you sure have a thing for him, so he must be doing something right," the teen said smartly. The two adult's expressions were priceless. Catalina turned a brilliant red that almost matched the scarlet that her eyes turned to and Vlad looked between disbelieving and frustrated. Thalen nodded his head proudly at his ability to unnerve both, but the pride was short-lived considering how awkwardly silent it got in the library.

The door squeaked opened providing some noise. "There you are Thalen; I've been looking all over for you," Abigail said relieved to see the boy. "Alex and Sylvia were about to start a game of Monopoly want to join."

"Destroying friendships? Count me in. See you two later," Thalen said as he walked out of the library with a chuckle. He bet it was just plain awkward in the library now. He applauded himself for being so 'evil'.

"Something funny, Thalen?" Abigail asked.

"Just a little inside joke," the former thief answered.

DP~DP~DP~

Alex checked over the paper that Sylvia had handed to him. "It seems like everything is correct. Good job."

"Thank you," the girl stuttered slightly. Alex handed Sylvia her homework back. He didn't understand why the girl started to stutter around him, but he wished she didn't. "Um Alex. I have a school dance this upcoming Friday and I was wondering if you aren't busy, if you will like the come," she said slowly getting softer with each word. Alex barely heard the last words even with his heightened hearing. Alex felt a slight blush; he wouldn't have admitted but he did find the other halfa beautiful.

The girl looked down refusing to look at him. "Yes, I'm sure Catalina and Vlad don't have any plans for us."

Sylvia looked up shocked as if she would have never dreamed that he would say yes. Alex gave her a small smile and she released a breath. "Thank you. I was afraid that I'll have to go alone. I painted the backdrop for the photobooth and had wanted to see it."

"I'm surprised that no one asked you," Alex said honestly.

"I normally don't get a lot of attention," she replied looking down at her feet.

Alex frowned, "That's a shame. You're very talented and smart." The girl smiled at the compliments which just made her look prettier in Alex's opinion. "And pretty," he said before noticing what he admitted.

"Yuck, seriously get a room," Thalen complained as he just entered the room.

"We had a room, you just came in it," Alex said narrowing his eyes at the other teen.

Thalen shrugged his shoulders, "Cat and Vlad wanted us to meet for lunch."