Chapter 34: A Turning Point

Vlad tried his best to appear normal while he waited. If such a thing was even possible anymore. Adjusting the Packers baseball cap further down his head he tried making the motion casual, using it to search the ceiling. He was all too aware of the restless line of people behind him. The stale warm air, and the humming drone of the building's heating. Alert of the building heat in his own chest.

Behind the thick bullet-proof glass the receptionist watched the printer slowly spit out the next sheet, her mind obviously in better places. Her dull focus gave Vlad a chance to check over her head. A row of thick metal cabinets, low-lying cupboards, a dusty ceiling fan, one door-

A sharp click of a stapler jolted him back, hoping she hadn't noticed his wandering eyes. Like a well-practiced actress her distaste for her job melted away, a too-wide smile flashing white teeth at him. "They're your statement for the last six months. Thank you for waiting."

Sliding the thin bundle underneath the gap Vlad took them carefully, placing a fake smile of his own to hide his unease. "Thanks."

"Is there anything else I can help with you this afternoon?"

"No. That's…everything." Leaning forward he snuck in another casual check. He had been wrong. There were two doors.

There was a flicker of relief his service was so simple. "Glad to be of service! Have a good evening-"

As soon as she spoke the papers fell, gliding towards the floor. Swiftly Vlad bent to catch them with his opposite hand far too fast. As he did, Vlad hid the useless right hand deep within his jacket pocket. Standing straight he pushed down the embarrassment of her puzzled look, stuffing the paper in the opposite pocket.

"Y-you too." Blast it came out nervous. Too hastily Vlad twisted to the exit. The others in line now gave him weird glances, finally paying complete attention. As if his slip-up had triggered them to be awakened from their dull lives. He ignored them all. Their looks and judgment weren't truly there. It was in his head. No way could they tell what had happened to his now incorporeal hand.

Once more he stepped out into winterly, open air, breathing in deeply to retake control. Vlad had assumed this late in the afternoon the bank would be practically empty. But sadly it held a steady line, the few days closed over the festive season causing a rush. Almost enough for him to turn around and give up. But he'd told himself the fear was silly, leaving would only draw more attention. So he had waited, then almost foolishly revealed his affliction in front of everyone.

Moving away from the doorway he dug out the crumbled thin pile of papers. It only took moments to read it, a new dread settling. At the bottom those two small digits glared back, worse than he had suspected.

A silver lining to his accident was those magic freaks hadn't wanted him to legally challenge the injury the project had caused. Likely at the risk of him breaking the disclosure agreement to blab about the ectoplasm used. And creating a massive fallout of their secrets to the public. So to his relief, they paid for the monstrous medical bill without a single question. Even after all of it a tiny bit of the payout had remained. Yet now, even that was gone-

"Vlad?" Jolting at his name he tore his gaze from the balance sheet. Dread settled at the thought of another magical threat appearing- but it fell away quickly seeing the approaching woman rushing up, keen eyes narrowed. Unlike the last time he knew this face, Vlad was suddenly both happy and nervous around an old acquaintance.

He stepped back just in case she noticed anything weird. "Harriet?"

In a cocoon of her ridiculous shiny sliver puffer coat, Harriet Chan broke into a smile, green eyes brightening. " It is you! Wow, I didn't recognize you for a moment. Rocking a bold new hairstyle, are we?"

Self-conscious Vlad pulled the cap lower over his head, tucking the loose strands of hair under the rim.

He hated the white hair. Hated its constant reminder his entire life was utterly destroyed. The first thing he did was to dye it back to his old black. Seeing it normal had relaxed his nerves. Hoping this was a sign the nightmare was starting to end. But freakily even with the most permeant stuff he could find the next day he'd wake with most of the dye patchy, fading without explanation. The mess and cost had made him stop. But he knew these bizarre ghost powers had something to do with it.

" I like it! Truly Vlad! I do. It's very… Hmm, maverick. Fits your style."

"More like elderly man style," Vlad muttered and it earned him a light giggle from Harriet. Though her words had no mean intentions, no bite in them, they still annoyed him.

"It's good to see you again! Kyle was spreading rumors around campus that you're back in the neighborhood. But… I was starting to wonder if they were actually true. I wasn't finding you around your usual hang-out spots on campus. Or the ones off campus either…"

"I've dropped out." Sighing he stuffed the papers back into his pocket. "I haven't… Recovery has been slow, Harriet. I've been too busy with… other things."

Vlad hated the pity tightening her face. " I hear about it. Bits of it. Enough. The staff were so tight-lipped about the whole thing to us on the newspaper. Even I was having a hard time gathering information."

She winched, shuffling her gloved hands to warm herself. "The last we heard was you were… well, not coming back. I'm happy the gossip of radiation sickness wasn't true. As much as I love dramatic tragedies I prefer it to come from someone I don't know! But the rumours you… were dead spread around the dorms like wildfire. Biggest scoop the student papers ever had. Then we had rumors you'd gone missing… that conspiracy spread around even hotter."

"…I'm not surprised."

"But I knew they were all fake! I even wrote about how it wasn't true." Harriet scoffed, her wind-burned nose titling into the air. "As if they would let something so dangerous happen unreported! I knew a fake story when I saw it!"

She nodded, a smirk hinting she had enjoyed the thrill of the chase. Vlad wasn't surprised in the least. Even though she had only hung out with them at odd times- more Maddie friend than theirs, Harriet couldn't ever hold back her journalistic habits. If only she knew the truth. Knew he had been sick from contamination with… something.

Suddenly her smile fell, toying with the strap of her handbag. " It's been quiet around here without you- and the others. Strange. Between you gone, Maddie leaving, and the band disbanding things… haven't been the same around here. I know I've only got a few months left in this place until I start branching out in my career- maybe to New York or even overseas. But… I can't believe I'm starting to miss it all. Already!"

Vlad nodded in silent agreement. Thinking back on the past pained him, almost to a physical level. Coming here to Wisconsin all those years ago had felt like things were heading in the right direction. His life finally becoming something great. To be proud of. An amazing scholarship, his own place. Real friends. A bright, successful future heading to be whatever he wanted it to be. But now… now things looked hopeless. Those dreams were now utterly impossible with this issue haunting him.

Harriet scoffed again, flicking her ponytail back. " And Jack. I just can't get over those two. Jack Fenton. Can you seriously believe it Vlad? I don't know what Maddie sees in that thickheaded, blundering crackpot- no offense, of course. But I can't see it!"

"And utter Oaf," Vlad growled out at the mere mention of Jack. He'd been trying not to think about him. It hurt too much thinking of Maddie, of the woman he'd fallen in love with the moment she walked through the lab door. The way she would excitedly discuss the research he did with clear understanding and intelligence, not shallowly pretending. Always listening and brainstorming and laughing. Like a glue keeping the project moving smoothly, even with Jack's outlandish ideas. Never had he met a woman before so kind, sharp-witted, and strong.

It had taken him almost a year while working on the project to build the courage to ask her out, so afraid of rejection. Before the portal malfunction snuffed his hope out at once. Then he returned here hoping to finally confess to her, to finish what he wanted to say. Only to learn not long after the accident, Jack -the person he believed was his best friend- completely betrayed him.

Vlad had heard they moved a state over. Yet not once had they tried to contact him. No calls, visits, or letters. That hurt the most. They spent days working tirelessly together on the portal, months locked up in the college's lab planning their invention long into the night.

He had even let them stay at his old apartment, quieter than the shared dorms. Drinking insane amounts of cheap coffee. Surrounded by papers and prototypes, Dinah demanded constant attention from them.

Back then he and Jack were almost inseparable, spending all their free time hanging out or with the band. From the very first day of college, the first class Jack had seemed to instantly decide Vlad was his buddy. Spoke like they'd been best friends all their lives. Easily smashing the thick walls Vlad had built around himself. To the point, he could just finally be himself. Immediately signed up for the project when Jack's excited chatter spoke of making history and glory. It had felt like they had become a small family in their joined passion. Would always be together somehow. After everything, to just be abandoned like some stranger.

The heat flared in his chest, making him swallow ash.

Next to him, Harriet sighed tiredly. " I guess we'll both suffer it together, Vlad. Though I guess the free food and drink will be nice- making the whole crazy thing worth it. I can't wait for Jack to make an utter fool of himself. I'll even bet with you how quickly. I'm giving it … ten minutes into the ceremony at best. At least it will be entertaining to watch!"

Vlad froze, a pit forming in his stomach. "What?"

"What?" Harriet blinked up puzzled at his confused face. "What you do mean- You don't know? Oh my- I'm sorry Vlad! I was certain you'd be one of the first ones Jack and Maddie would tell! Now I've gone and ruined it…"

All sounds around them seemed to muffle as he stared at her. "They're… getting married?"

Slowly Harriet nodded, frowning. " Yes… I just got my Engagement party invite from Maddie a few days ago. Also asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. Her sister got maid-of-honor- not that I'm complaining, of course. I was… I was sure Jack would've asked you to be his best man. I mean… He doesn't have any siblings and you two seemed as close as brothers to me. Closer than me and Maddie are. Were. I was sure you already knew?"

"No. I-" Briefly Vlad thought of the pile of letters by his door. All he got was bills these days, so lately he'd stopped checking. But maybe there were more than bills in there. Jolting he took a step back, trying to act normal. " It's been wonderful talking to you again, Harriet. Really. But I- I need to go check something. Urgently. I'll... We'll catch up later, alright?"

"Sure?" He saw the worry on her face, the hesitation. Maybe saw some change in him as his chest abruptly burned like it had caught on fire. " We should… grab a coffee sometime. Catch up."

"Yes." Vlad sent her a quick wave but didn't wait to see if she had returned it. Swiftly he hurried back to his apartment, blood thundering in his ears. It couldn't be true. It was hard enough to learn of Jack's betrayal. But Vlad was certain their relationship wouldn't last! Couldn't last. Was just some fling that would end. If what Harriet said was true… Then his worst nightmares were becoming reality.

All too quickly Vlad thumbed the key back into his apartment lock, wrenching the thing open. Inside he quickly dug at the pile of thin letters by his door, the old shoe book full. Flicking through them he was greeted with the usual logos and fonts of bills. Yet there in the middle of the pile a smaller, thicker envelope was trapped between them. Nervous he pulled it out, staring at the curl letters of his name and address. It was Maddie's handwriting. He knew her long, flowing pen strokes anywhere.

By now Dinah had padded up to greet him. But Vlad ignored her as he thumbed the letter open. Inside were two pieces of paper. One a thick-stock card and the other a folded note. Slowly he took out the letter, hands shaking. Unfolding it he was greeted by Jack's messier, chaotic handwriting, blue-inked words jolting out to him on a full page.

Hey, V-man! We both heard the amazing news you're back in Wisconsin again! Mads and I are so happy-

He never got to read anymore. An intense burst of rage flashed through him, so strong he lost all focus on the letter. Immediately it burst into red flames, destroying both the envelope and the letter in seconds. Dinah leaped away from him with a yowl, retreating into the apartment. He watched it burn- until yelping backward when flames licked his fingertips. The blackened paper fluttered to the wooden floor, the ashy embers sending a wave of panic through him.

"Dammit!" Quickly he stamped out the fire as quickly as he could, fearing they would spread. With a few more frantic pats the embers snuffed out, smoke drifting underneath his shoes. For a horrid moment, Vlad waited for the smoke alarms to screech on. Yet thankfully nothing happened.

Breathing in a shaky breath Vlad tried to calm down. But the rage of learning about… them both was still causing him to shake. The heat in his chest surged hotter than it ever had so far. He couldn't believe it… Another thing to stab betrayal in while he was at his lowest. And worst was that stupid idiot's words! How dare Jack act so carefree! So oblivious to the things he has done. What right did he think he could act so friendly after nothing!? Thinks he would dismiss and forgive it all with a cheery Hello!?

Vlad leaned against the wall, pressing a hand to his forehead. Already he could feel the power surfacing, right arm disappearing. The rush of energy would summon an episode. Yet with the level of fury coursing through him, he feared what could happen this time. The damage it could cause. It was taking every ounce of his control not to snap.

Then the grief hit, equally causing the acid burning in his torso to worsen. Maddie. Why on earth would she say yes!? It was insane she'd let Jack weasel his way into her heart. Not seeing who he was. But Vlad saw it. Jack might have manipulated her with honeyed words, but he knew.

Vlad now knew who Jack truly was. After all, he had told him! Thought he could trust Jack by telling him he'd fallen for Maddie when they started the project together. Thought his secret would be safe with his best friend. Jack had even seemed to be supportive?! Instead, he had bided his time and waited until Vlad was out of the picture to strike. To double-cross his trust!

He knew those black rings were moments from breaking free, the pressure of the power growing too much.

Abruptly the lights went out, Vlad groaned when he realized he'd done it again. Once more he had blown the electrical fuse to the building. Heard the alarm cries of surrounding neighbors at the blackout. Taking in a deep sigh he moved deeper into the dark apartment, flopping face down onto the bed.

His life was in ruins. Constantly losing no matter how hard he tried- and he did try. Over and over and over to win, to be better. Yet each step he thought was taking him to success was only digging him deeper into failure. He was sick of it.

Why did this always happen to him? Why him? Looking back through his deplorable life he tried to seek a reason, a source for this bad luck. Yet found nothing that was his own doing. Only of others wronging him. Always paying for others' mistakes while they got away completely free. As far as he saw it he had done nothing to deserve any of it. There were other selfish, horrible people out there who deserved this kind of suffering, far more than he did. Yet here he was alone, cursed.

Vlad lay there thinking, jaw clenched, lost in the mass of emotions running through him. The searing anger pulsed from these half ghost powers. Once more his crazy idea resurfaced. Taking on a different meaning than it had when he first planned it. It… didn't seem so stupid, too ridiculous anymore.

He toyed with the plan, once again weighing the worst outcomes if it too failed. But he laughed thinly. What did it matter anymore? It was a gamble. If it worked he would solve his immediate problems at once. If not and he got caught… Then he didn't care. So what.

It took about an hour for the lights to flicker back on. But when they did, Vlad had already made up his mind.

###

Midnight had long since passed. Most of the snow-covered town had fallen silent in sleep. In Vlad's apartment it was still and dark, quiet as its owner had left unseen two hours earlier. Lounging on the bed Dinah stretched, repositioning into a more comfortable spot. With a yawn, she began to clean her paw absentmindedly, annoyed at the change of routine.

Suddenly she stilled, ear flicking up for sounds which no one else could hear. A chill abruptly passed through her, the fur along her back fluffing at the sense. Slowly she rose, coiling, muscles ready to jump.

Dinah leaped away just as the bed scraped as it was pushed. A loud heavy thump slammed into the wooden floor, followed by a hiss of frustration. On impact Vlad lost control of his powers, returning into view where he'd fallen from gravity issues. Winching at the pain running along his jaw he froze, waiting for the repercussions.

As expected the neighbor below responded with a slamming bang of their own, the floor echoing from the hit. Yet Vlad ignored it, more worried about being in this horrible form. It would be just his luck to lose control again. Falling through the floor and spooking the neighbors below into terror. It would certainly make them never complain about him ever again though…

Thankfully as time moved on he didn't pass through, laying there still. Until Dinah padded over to investigate.

Taking in a shallow, useless breath through his nose Vlad slowly pushed himself up. He was still shaking from the thrill, the rush and shock seemingly catching up all at once. But it would fall apart staying like this. Nervously he focused, trying to call forth those strange black rings that always seemed to hum, reverting him to normal.

There was a flash of dull light, then the room returned to darkness. The thrumming power of the form disappearing. It almost seemed to fade completely, content at last. Finally, Vlad accepted he was okay.

He'd done it. The thought sent a chill down his spine. Unbelievable still. He had done it.

Slowly his gaze dropped to the flattened duffle bag which had slipped off his shoulder, watching it fall in shunned shock. Vlad was almost fearful to check its contents. But the buzz of excitement was too great. Unzipping the bag there it all was, the bundle pile of notes banded together. He reached for one of them, running a finger along the paper edge.

The key had been to be careful. Take the whole thing slow. Concentrating on controlling the powers fully- from what he could manage. Vlad suspected even with these freaky ghost powers robbing a bank would never be easy.

The first hurdle was holding his powers making sure at no point did the invisibility drop. He hadn't a clue how, but through pure determination- and rage, it had worked. Then the next challenge had been taking it from the safe without falling into view. Not too much money to draw massive attention. Just enough to test to see if it was possible. Whether he could get caught days later.

But as Vlad counted the amount, his heart sank. He had thought only four bundles would be enough. But unable to see inside the safe he'd grabbed fifty notes by mistake. Each roll was filled with a thick pile, easily totaling over a thousand. Never had he held this much money before. Almost surreal. Enough for rent for months. Maybe more than that even. And it had been so easy… Walking through the walls and reaching intangible into their vault-

Suddenly Vlad gasped, throwing the pile back into the bag. What the hell had he done!? If he wanted to draw attention from the magic freaks he'd done it now! He had stolen money!? Taken it from a bank!? If he wanted to guarantee his life was in permanent ruins ending up in prison was a good way to do it!

But it had been easy. Too easy. The thought haunted in his mind, wouldn't leave him. And being completely serious here how on earth would anyone find out? He'd been invisible the whole time. Returned, and left home invisible too. Everyone in the apartment building knew he had been home, never left the apartment from what they could see. They couldn't pinpoint it to Vlad. Never in a million years would they figure out he was half ghost! It sounded stupid even to him.

Vlad hissed through his teeth, standing to pace. That wasn't the point. It was wrong! He couldn't steal and cheat his way out of this mess! It would undo all the hard work he'd done to get here in the first place! All the work to prove he was better. Could claw his way to success without any help. Could thrive from nothing. Taking this wasn't right.

He deserved it. After everything. After everyone had kicked him to the side. He deserved this. Needed it far more than anyone else did. And it wasn't like he stole it directly from anyone's pockets. They could get more cash perfectly fine. If he didn't, he would find himself in a worse position than ever before. What did it matter if it was wrong-

Swiftly Vlad grabbed the pile of notes from the bag, rushing over to stuff them into a drawer. He couldn't use it! If he did it would point the finger directly at him. A man who is almost bankrupt, unable to hold a job, suddenly has thousands of dollars overnight?! Why hadn't he thought of tiny, stupid details before?

Now the money was out of sight Vlad felt numb. He closed his eyes, gripping the drawer top tightly in his hands. All too quickly he was losing control. These powers were doing far more than make him turn invisible and transform randomly.

They were insanely strong. Tempting him with an ability he was afraid of. Before the mere suggestion of stealing from a bank Vlad would have shaken his head at the absurdity of it. Laugh at the idea he could ever pull it off. But now he had done it.

And what was worse… It had felt good to do it.

Taking in a deep breath, he knew he needed to do something. Quickly. Couldn't sit back and hope the ectoplasm in his blood faded away. It wasn't fading away. Instead, it was growing stronger. Changing him. It was so obvious now. So clear he was furious it had taken him this long to figure it out. Rubbing his thumb down the underside of his arm, he knew what he needed to do.

Vlad had to find a cure. Find a way to get rid of this affliction so he could get his life back. It was the only way. With it gone he could work again, return to college, try to use the little time he had left to fight for Maddie back- It would fix this.

Deep down he knew the ectoplasm was changing him permanently. Building, increasing to the point he couldn't contain it anymore. He'd seen how bizarre, how deranged Danny sometimes got. How his ghost powers had warped his normal sense of thinking…

Danny. Immediately Vlad paused, gaze falling to the closed window. Thinking of the other half ghost sparked an idea inside him. Yes… He needed to find Danny. Vlad did not know anything about real ghosts. How their inner biology worked or these apparent cores within them.

But he did.

The kid seemed to know spooks far beyond any of the paranormal junk he'd read returning here. To cure himself he needed to get more information about what this was. And he knew of a freaky teenager who just might hold the key.

But to find him… It could be impossible. A needle in a desert. In the entire sea. Vlad knew from his accent he must be from the States. But other than that he knew next to nothing else. The half ghost was so guarded, so private about his personal life… He had no clues to go on other than his hometown was invaded by ghosts every day. And even that could've been lies! Danny's disappearance had also been so sudden. Lacking any trace it had stumped ghosts. He could be anywhere in the entire world! Or… in places far beyond.

And yet… now there was someone in Wisconsin who might know where. A tingle coursed through Vlad, frowning. Tam should still be here- if what he said was truthful. The bitter history between him and Danny meant the wizard might know where he could have run off. Even be involved in his disappearance.

But it was stupid to approach him again. An obvious trap. Why else had he come? Wanting something from him which would only hurt in the long run.

Yet there were no other leads. No way he could search for Danny himself. And as Vlad's gaze dropped to the drawer he knew he was running out of time. Not just with Maddie but with his entire life. His rent, his future… His sanity. He had to cure this. Besides; he suspected Danny also hated his ghost powers just as much as he did. Maybe together they could cure this damn curse. And reclaim their normal lives once more.

Sighing, Vlad once more turned invisible. He was tense to be seen walking about in the middle of the night after… his little heist. If he was sighted out it could lead him right back to the robbery.

Outside it was snowing lightly, damp haze covering the streets. Carefully Vlad moved down the laneways, making sure his shoes left little trace. Thankfully, the streets were mostly empty. But faint noises hinted at other nefarious individuals lurking in the dark. Likely magical beings did too, the sky moving with shadows made Vlad suspicious of owls. To his relief he found his destination without trouble, slowly phasing through the glass into the phone booth.

He wasn't a fool. Heading to the hotel and talking to Tam privately would be the dumbest, brainless thing he could do. They- like Danny, might think he was a huge idiot. But he was aware of their scheming and plotting. He'd dealt with others who had pulled egotistical mind games like this all his life. Time to show them he too could play this game of deception.

Digging into his pocket he counted the loose change, scanning the printed directory for the correct number. Once found he called, waiting for it to dial. It was a terrible time to call, fearing he'd never get a response from the front desk. Just as he accepted he wouldn't get through, Vlad was rewarded with a deep grumbled hello.

"I'm sorry for calling this early, but I need to speak with one of your guests."

"Don't do stuff like that-"

"Please, It's an emergency. I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't."

"Couldn't this wait till opening?"

" Can't wait. Very urgent."

A long sigh. " Who's calling?"

"Vlad."

"And?"

Vlad fought down a curse. He didn't want a trail. But he was running out of coins. "Vlad Masters. Their name is Thomas O'Dearie. I don't know his room number."

The man huffed, clearly not believing it was. Instead, he heard the sound of fumbling of buttons until the line cut silent. Vlad waited in the cramped space, annoyed he hadn't even bothered confirming if he was transferring. His coins didn't give him much time to waste it.

When the shrill tone sounded, Vlad's nerves flared up again. It was one thing to think about this, another doing it. Doubt crept in. He was making a huge mistake. Way out of his league. But he was done with being such a coward. Couldn't turn back now. All he needed to do was play this game carefully.

The ringing stopped and a cautious breath echoed out in the earpiece. "Hello? Vlad?"

Vlad immediately tried to sound more confident than he felt. " It is me."

On the other side, there was a rustle, a sharp inhale. "Didn't - Didn't think you would contact me. Pushing our deadline kind of close-"

"Drop the pointless talk. I will hear your reasons for wanting my help. But what you say will depend on whether I agree to it." Vlad peered out the frosted glass, checking no one was watching. Not that anyone could see him, he was still invisible.

"You… you will? Okay… But it's a lot to explain. I rather not speak over a phone without protection-"

"Not at the Hotel. I will only speak to you in public. No offense, but I don't trust you… people."

"Of course. I understand. I don't trust my people either… So, where do you suggest?"

His willing agreement caught Vlad off-guard, deflating his confidence at once. He had thought the wizard wouldn't be this relaxed about the whole thing. Maybe even refused to attend a public meeting, demanding someplace where he would have the advantage.

Vlad thought of busy places he wouldn't dare do anything, eying the amount of time he had left. " …There is a Diner around the corner from where you are. I will meet you there at nine AM sharp tomor- today. I… will only wait fifteen minutes."

"Got it! Don't worry, I will-"

Vlad didn't wait to hear the rest. He hung up the phone, exhaling for the first time. There, it was done. He'd thrown himself into the stupidest, craziest trap he could think of. But it was a risk he needed to take. The consequences of doing nothing were far greater. He was at the end of the road. And right now Tam was the only option he had left in finding Danny. He had to take the risk.

Checking his surroundings again, Vlad walked unseen back to the apartment and scoffed. Let the games begin…