The reporters had flocked to the scene of the fight: the first battle that phantom had participated in since the explosion.
It had been two days since the Fenton's ghost portal had overloaded and blown up their house and the surrounding neighborhood, claiming the lives of the Fenton family and a few others.
There was a crash of breaking concrete and the air was filled with dust, choking the reporters and blinding the cameras. All that could be seen of the battle was flashes of green and pink energy. There was a flash of darkness and a shadow was seen near the edge of the cloud of rubble.
The reporters looked excitedly at the shadow eagerly waiting for it to exit. To their surprise, when the shadow stepped back out of the cloud with its hands in the air, it was revealed to be neither the Wisconsin ghost, nor Danny Phantom, but Mayor Masters.
"Ph-Phantom," the Mayor's voice had lost its normal smooth tone and was trembling with terror, "what would the media and the government think if you killed me?"
"I don't care." Phantom's normally light, joking voice had turned dark and menacing and the air pulsed with cold, "There are seven people whose opinions matter."
Mr. Masters looked relieved, "Well, then what would they think?"
Phantom stepped out of the cloud of dust and everyone gasped. His suit was torn and burned along with the skin underneath it and he was dripping ectoplasm from numerous cuts. The left half of his face was an ectoplasmic mess, and his remaining eye was glowing bright red and trailing red vapor.
"They're all dead." Phantom snarled at the mayor, "You slaughtered them. Ruthlessly. Painfully. Mercilessly. And now it's your turn to die." He charged glowing green and red ecto-blasts.
Masters looked upset. He glanced at the news crews with a look of indecision, then quickly turned back to Phantom with a forced look of confidence, "You wouldn't." he whispered, "It goes against your obsession."
Phantom smirked wolfishly, "You should have known this was possible. When you learned about Dan and how he came to be."
Masters' eyes widened, and his expression melted into terror, "No…" it was barely audible.
Phantom took another step forward.
Masters stepped back and crouched into a fighting position. Two black rings sparked to life around him, turning him into the Wisconsin Ghost.
Phantom surged forward, into the air, and snarled. "Die."