WARNING: This fanfiction contains vivisection, cold-blooded murder, PTSD, violence, kidnapping, scientific procedures performed on humans without their consent, and attempted murder using poisonous gas. Reader discretion is advised.

Catalyst

Maddie rolled her eyes heavenward at the unmistakeable sound of knuckles rapping against the kitchen window. Unfastening the latch, she lifted the heavy frame, allowing the white-suited agents to slip through the gap. "Would it kill you to use the door?" she hissed as they brushed past her.

"Negative," one of them stated in a dead tone. Maddie could not recall his official title, but then again she never had been able to tell. He had been revealed in a tussle with Jack – in which all sunglasses had gone to hell – to have lighter eyes than his darker-skinned partner, so Maddie and Jack had taken to calling him Bright Eyes in private conversation. The irony amused the two Fentons. "We may not use the door as it would bring suspicion upon all our heads," he continued, striking a dramatic pose which the huntress supposed was meant to be majestic. In reality, he looked like he was about to elbow his companion in the nose.

Jack rubbed his eyes and didn't move from his seat at the kitchen table, casually extending his leg as the second agent backpedalled in order to avoid Bright Eyes' protruding elbow. The agent stumbled, tripping on the hunter's leg and falling against the table with a disgruntled noise. Jack turned his head to the side, attempting to hide his smirk as the GIW operatives spluttered inarticulately and gestured wildly at each other before seating themselves without invitation. Maddie sat next to her husband stiffly, and neither host spoke, knowing that their bizarre guests would address the purpose of their impromptu visit when all was silent.

Bright Eyes tilted his head, clasping meaty hands on the scarred table top and flicking his index finger in Maddie's general direction. "You no doubt know why we are here," he intoned.

The huntress barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes dramatically. "You need another sample?" she drawled.

The second agent, whom Jack had dubbed Speckles for reasons unknown, raised a dark eyebrow. "Your willingness is certainly inspiring. However, we do not require anything of that nature today."

Jack squeezed his wife's hand under the table. Maddie squeezed back before lacing her fingers within his, drawing strength from the contact.

"You are aware, I trust, of the delicate nature of your condition, Madeline," Bright eyes drawled, steepling his fingers. Jack fought down the urge to kick him beneath the table as the burly man continued. "We are here to notify you of the new procedure which will be implemented from midnight onwards. Human-ghost hybrids are now protected from hunters by law, as you know. However-"

Speckles, who had been squirming with excitement since his colleague commenced with the explanation, butted in loudly. "You need to be registered!" He grinned like a simpleton before quailing beneath the other's glare.

"As I was saying," the first continued, "all halfas shall be registered with the government. They are to be assigned one hunter and one scientist to cater to their specific needs and to ensure that they do not overstep the boundaries of the law."

Maddie found that her free hand was shaking in her lap, but she couldn't figure out if it was from elation or terror. "And what exactly will this entail?" she hissed. Or fury. Quite possibly fury.

Bright Eyes smiled in a way that made her want to curl up and cry. "Halfas shall work for the government, using their specific abilities. They will not be exposed to the public, but the local law enforcement will be aware of each half ghost citizen in their area."

"And how will you police this?" Jack enquired, faking an air of nonchalance as Maddie's fingers trembled within his gentle grasp.

The dark smile widened, and Bright Eyes' eyes glittered with malice. "A very big gun. Any halfa that does not have their ectosignature keyed into the system will be targeted, no matter what form they are in."

Jack sighed, raising both hands to run them through his hair in exasperation. "Is this because of Vladdie? Look, I know that he's a bit out of control, but-"

"He is of no concern to us; the law will deal with him soon enough. However, we have reason to believe that halfas have been emerging from the Ghost Zone for the past decade, taking up residence in our world. Whilst the numbers are small, we are currently taking measures to control what could become a mass invasion. There is also the matter of the so-called protector of Amity Park – recent evidence suggests that Phantom is half human."

This time Maddie did roll her eyes, clasping her hands on the table's worn surface. "You actually think that we'd want to take over the world?" she scoffed. "And why Amity Park, of all places?" The huntress ignored the comment about Phantom – the young ghost had formed a truce with the Fentons almost eighteen months prior, and whilst the woman had noticed signs indicating his half ghost status, she had not yet broached the subject for fear of alienating or offending the teen.

Bright Eyes raised a thick brow from beneath his shades. "Amity Park is the ghost capital of the United States of America. As such, the gun shall be initially located here. If the trial is successful, a similar gun shall be installed in every major city of America." His eyes slid to the woman's wrist and Maddie self-consciously rubbed at the back of her neck in an attempt to remove it from his line of vision. "You should remove that," he murmured, motioning towards her battered watch. "It has become redundant."

Maddie frowned. "You've forced me to wear this since I married Jack!" she exclaimed, slamming her palms against the table in an uncharacteristic display of emotion. "Why do you suddenly want my powers to be unbound?"

"It is necessary," Bright Eyes stated. "If not, the gun would be unable to detect your entire ectosignature due to the watch's interference, resulting in you getting shot."

"What?" Jack hissed, his eyes glittering with fury.

Bright Eyes sighed, completely ignoring the hunter's question. "Did any of your children inherit the halfa gene?"

Maddie gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Jazz didn't, but Danny did. His powers are dormant, though – they still haven't been activated, and he knows nothing about all of this."

As Bright Eyes scowled, Jack waved his hand through the air. "I've got a question," the Fenton patriarch interjected. "How is Vladdie a halfa if his parents are human? Don't you need a halfa gene for powers to be activated?"

Speckles grinned, delighting in the fact that he knew more than the Fentons for once. "Mr Masters' great grandfather – the founder of our supreme organisation – was a halfa, but kept the secret from all but his colleagues. Vlad inherited the gene from him, but thought that he had contracted a terrible disease upon exposure to an ectoplasmic catalyst, and quarantined himself for twenty years. What an idiot!"

Jack frowned as though struggling to comprehend this new information. Before he could open his mouth to ask any more questions, the two agents had stood as if at some unseen signal. Speckles inclined his head towards the Fenton matriarch. "Your ectosignature has already been keyed into the device so you will not be targeted. Jack is your assigned hunter, and I am your scientist." He then spoke to both husband and wife. "You are to meet us in the town square at approximately five minutes to midnight, where you will be acquainted with the gun, and it shall be turned over into your hands. After the demonstration tonight, you two are charged with the maintenance and monitoring of the weapon. Good evening." Before either Fenton could respond, the operatives had scrambled out the window and slunk into the gloaming.

Maddie stared at the open window for a moment before shifting her attention to the bubbling pot on the stove. The soup within had turned ectoplasm green, corroding the pot and oozing onto the stovetop where it burned in the fire, giving off the occasional low-pitched moan and a smell like Danny's dirty socks. Jack followed her gaze before chuckling. "You wanna order pizza?" he asked.

This story is set almost three and a half years after the accident, making Danny seventeen and Jazz living on-campus at Harvard. PP never took place.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are much appreciated, and I'm always open for constructive criticism.