The rain assaulted the earth in a storm of biblical proportions. Only a complete fool would risk the high rising rivers and flooding streets, a fool or a desperate man.

Michael Zimmerman, an investigative journalist, loving husband and father of 4 was a desperate man racing through the rain and fog. The water sprayed from his tires as his silver suburban bounced into a pothole.

"this is madness! He's going to kill me" he choked, the inside of his vehicle began to drop in temperature to where he could now see his own breath manifest into a grey cloud. He began to tremble as he sped around another corner leading to the cliffside roads.

His speakers turned to static and that same creepy, cold soulless voice crackled through the car, "that tingling sensation crawling up your spine, that's inevitability and that little bit running down your leg…fear"

A thick grey mist invaded the car swirling like a storm cloud choking the life from Michaels lungs. He slammed on his breaks sending the car into violent slide, crashing against the guard rail. Dazed, dumbfounded and now injured Michael fell from his door to the water surfaced road.

"it won't do you any good Mr. Zimmerman your road ends here" that cold voice echoed in the fog, as more and more fog intensified around him shrouding the road in a grey wall. "this is goodbye Mr. Zimmerman" a solid metal arm reached out from the fog grasping his throat with inhuman strength. The cold press of the metal fingers slowly closed around his throat, in his final moments of consciousness Michael watched two glowing orbs emerge from grey, and the silhouette of a man soon followed. The shadow stood tall, a man of 6'7, his right arm metallic from his shoulder to his fingers and a hood with a partial mask hiding his face. A story he was chasing had now found him,

"you're…you're, their secret assassin" Michael croaked as his final breath escaped his lips the stranger loaded him back into his car, he carefully clicked in his belt making sure every detail was perfect, this was his specialty, zero trace of foul play. With his enhanced human strength he pushed the large SUV over the guard rail sending it rolling down to the crashing waves of the ocean below.

"a bitter sweat victory Mr. Zimmerman, to learn you were right cost you your life rest in pieces you poor fool" on that parting line the stranger disbursed into mist and floated through the air into the night sky.

(outside New York)

Phantom had taken some time to adjust to his home, an underground facility that agents Coulson and Hill had supplied him with. A safe house to hide from the prying eyes of SHEILDs new investigative agents. It wasn't homie, but it beat a dark isolated cell of 16 years.

Coulson told him he would search into the records of the other experimental subjects but until then he was to lay low.

His thoughts often focused on Maria and Selena he wanted to be with them, but he knew he couldn't… so for now and the foreseeable future his mission was his life.

"Cruz! It's Coulson that thing we discussed, we think we found something in Boston, several bodies turned up at first I thought it was nothing but this latest report a man named Wolfgang Greitsike was murdered, get this, he suffocated while taking a steam bath. Sounds like a specter case doesn't it"

Phantom stood up from his seat, a case already, at least he wouldn't be sitting still for long "can you arrange a ride for me Coulson?" he calmly asked.

"already on route Cruz there's 7 bodies in Boston agent Hill is scanning for any related suspicious deaths across the country, I'll have the files waiting for you when I get there…"

"you're coming here?" Phantom quickly interjected.

"didn't I tell you, I'm going with you, after all dead men can't run investigations" Coulson cockily replied.

Phantom rolled his eyes but still managed a small chuckle, "Coulson, you're an ass"

"and yet you my friend are the silent deadly type"

With that Phantom cut the communication shaking his head in contempt of Coulson's humor "Parker must have infected Coulson with his juvenile sense of comedy…god help me"

After a couple hours of idle waiting Coulson arrived in a black Lincoln sedan carrying a folder, his suit freshly pressed and shoes brightly shined. A very professional appearance, Coulson was swimming in deep waters keeping SHIELD out the loop but with Fury missing and Sitwell being a pencil pushing bureaucrat wanted Phantoms head on a spike. They had to keep to the shadows.

"7 bodies, all different situations, no connections but the C.O.D is the same, asphyxiation one surveillance clip" Coulson brought up a video clip it was a 40 year old man in a 3 piece suit, he was sucking on what Coulson explained as a vaporizer, some cash grab on the anti-smoking wagon, but the shocking point came from when the man blew a large white cloud of vape into the air. Like a very thick cloud clinging around his face after a moment the man suddenly shifted into a panic frantically looking every direction… "this is what brings me to think this is a specter" a metallic arm sprung out from the vapor clutching the man's throat. A shadow slowly manifested from the cloud, a silhouette resembling Phantom… the man died, and the specter dissipated with the vapor. No trace, no earthly disturbances, not even, finger prints.

The man was murdered by a brief few second clip of a man in the mist "this man's autopsy revealed he suffocated, something caused his wind pipe to forcefully close, zero prints and no physical signs of strangulation whatever this is…it's an untraceable murderer"

Phantom quickly walked over to the passenger side of the car and took his seat "Then get this heap in gear! And get us to Boston, of all places why Boston Americas sewage city" he moaned.

"not a fan of Boston Cruz? The Red sox, Bruins, New kids on the block? Ted?" Coulson chuckled,

"I hate baseball, what the hell is New kids on the block and who is Ted?" Phantom asked.

Coulson fell silent and started on their drive, with Phantoms unwillingness to chat it was going to be a long drive, especially when going to Boston home of the bad accents.

Phantom crossed his arms and pulled his hood down, he didn't sleep but he did visit the dreamscape a place where could visit Selena.

"freaking Boston…I'd rather go back to the archives"

hey everyone this was a collaborative project idea so thank you to Jack Montero for publishing it and thank you to Aferus for allowing me use of his character and story arcs.

hope this project holds up, i'm not Aferus or Jack so it won't be as strong as their stories I just hope it holds its own with readers thank you