Danny Phantom - The Next Chapter

A Desperate Escape

Vlad didn't know how long he was held in the vat, drifting in and out of consciousness without the ability to muster up the effort to care. In those few and fleeting moments when he was lucid, he longed to return back to the tranquil drifting he had been wrenched from. On more than one occasion, he woke to find himself strapped down to an operating table and subjected to horrific pain as the scientists of the Guys in White worked to figure out every aspect of his biology. Electricity was often the favoured mode of torment, his screams reverberating off the walls of the lab as he convulsed as much as he could while restrained.

It was on one of these 'electricity method' days that Vlad woke and immediately felt his stomach drop with dread. His eyes quickly darted around the lab as he tried to find some way he might be able to escape. He wasn't wearing the ecto-dampening collar but the manacles around his wrists and ankles seemed to be siphoning most of it away before he could use it.

'Why are you doing this?' he demanded desperately. 'What is the end goal?'

The scientists didn't respond and the only warning he got that they were about to begin the experiment was when one of them intoned, 'Voltage is steady. Ready to begin.'

There was a pause and Vlad tensed before electricity arced through him, setting every nerve on fire. He screamed and jerked involuntarily as every muscle in his body spasmed. Around his midsection, the black ring that began his transformation appeared and some small part of his mind that wasn't overwhelmed with pain recalled his own experiments on Danny and started to put the pieces together. He did his best to resist transforming but the voltage must have been much higher, or he simply wasn't as strong as Danny because he eventually succumbed.

It was only when his screams had been exhausted and he was vaguely aware of a peculiar weight on his chest that they finally halted. He relaxed, drawing in as deep a breath as he could while that ache in his chest seemed to strengthen.

'Subject is showing signs of cardiac distress,' one of the scientists commented emotionlessly.

'Successful transformation obtained,' another commented.

'DNA sample completed,' a third added and Vlad saw from the corner of his eyes one of them securing what looked to be vials of his blood in a small container.

An oxygen mask was fitted over his face, surprising him but he didn't complain as he took in great gulps of air.

'Vital signs returning to normal levels.'

'You're trying to clone me?' he mumbled, looking up at the man who was watching his heart monitor closely.

The man looked down at him and gave him what could only have been described as a scornful look.

'Only you would come up with such a convoluted idea,' the man replied.

Vlad glowered at him, and tried to summon a ghost ray but the man simply smirked down at him and tapped at the screen. Moments later, Vlad's surging ghostly energy was drained away and he felt himself transform back to his human form.

'Let's resume the experiment,' one of the scientists declared, 'Just so we have enough data to go with.'

Vlad struggled even harder to free himself but it was no use. His screams never made it past the hermetically sealed door.

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Time blurred together between these bouts of torture and sedation. Some days were better than others and he was left alone, floating in the vat while the scientists conducted gentler experiments. He occasionally came to a state of semi-wakefulness to see those crisp white lab coats standing in front of him, pencils flying across clipboards, but he could never find the strength to even question what they were doing. Other times, he somewhat woke to find the lab darkened and no other signs of life outside his glass prison, giving him a few moments of lucidity to try to come up with a plan of escape before his sedative was automatically administered again and he was whisked away.