Kim considered the teenager. Something told her that he was telling the truth about him protecting his grandfather but she didn't think that the teenager was telling her the whole truth. However she wasn't a doctor. For all she knew, the boy's grandfather might have a weak heart and had been terrified of Rotwood and the gauntlet. Suddenly the alleyway echoed with malevolent laughter. Kim turned to Rotwood and the old man. Both were visibly startled. Ron was still panting against the wall and Jake was looking around for the source of the laughter.

"I suppose I should thank you Rotwood. You have paid for my gauntlet and retrieved the second gem for me," the voice went on and suddenly the crazy man that had unnerved Kim so much before appeared deeper in the alleyway. However he didn't just walk out of a hiding place, he literally appeared out of nowhere. He snapped his fingers and a figure in a long red cloak appeared. The hood was up and only thing that was visible were two deep red eyes glowing in the shadow. However Kim saw that this was a ghost. They had a soft ethereal glow.

The man snapped his fingers again and the cloaked ghost flew forwards faster than Kim could react. She was thrown into the teenager and then two green, tattooed hands appeared and grabbed the gauntlet on Rotwood's arm. The ghost turned the glove intangible and tossed it to the man. He caught it and slipped it on his left arm. He laughed loudly.

"Ha ha! The Dominion Gauntlet. Sister of the Reality Gauntlet. Mine! And combined with the ghost gem, complete!" The man announced theatrically as he pulled a green diamond shaped gem from a pocket and slotted it into the third gem slot. He grinned broadly and tapped the gems in a seemingly random pattern. He waited expectantly as Kim and the teenager got back to their feet and stared at him. Neither noticing that the only person freaking out about the cloaked ghost was Rotwood, who was standing stock still mumbling incoherently to himself.

"Blast! It uses a different sequence. I can only turn one gem on at a time," the man muttered angrily to himself before turning back to his audience.

"Well, I'll just have to eradicate you witnesses," the man decided and pointed his left palm at the old man first and fired a red beam at the man. He vanished the moment the beam connected him.

"No! Gramps!" the teenager exclaimed in shock. Kim gulped down her fear and turned back to the man. She had to stop this mad man before he hurt anyone else. In fact, if she got a hold of the gauntlet, hopefully she could reverse what it did. But before she could react, the boy turned to the cackling man.

"That's it! You're gunna pay!" he growled before he launched himself at the man. The man simply raised an eyebrow at the boy and pointed the gauntlet at him. He skidded to a stop and Kim pushed the boy out of the red beam's path. It hit her instead.

"KP!" Ron screamed fearfully and started to run to her, but stopped when he noticed she was fine.

"What? But the old guy vanished," Kim muttered to herself.

"Mm, perhaps I should retreat until I have better control over this. Or even better until I figure out the sequence and have my revenge on that boy!" the man decided.

"Come Lydia! We're leaving!" the man called to the cloaked ghost and the ghost floated to his side and they disappeared in a swirling green wave of small ghosts.

"Boy?" Kim repeated, letting the man go. It wasn't like she could follow them anyway. She turned to Rotwood, who was slowly snapping out of his mumbling stupor.

"That… that man stole my gauntlet!" Rotwood realised.

"Dude, that man killed a guy. I think stealing stuff doesn't matter to him," Ron reminded Rotwood and then flinched.

"Wait, sorry kid," Ron apologised to the teenager.

"Mr. Long! You're working with him, aren't you?" Rotwood accused. The teenager turned to Rotwood.

"Are you insane Rotwood?! That guy just vaporised my grandpa! Now if you excuse me I need to make a call," Mr. Long shot back at Rotwood.

"Wait, call? Who are you calling?" Kim asked.

"Ghost busters!" Mr. Long snapped impatiently and trudged out of the alleyway. Kim and Ron ran after him. Rotwood was left alone in the alleyway.

"Aren't you going to help me?" he called weakly after Kim before grumbling under his breath about the rudeness of the youth and stalked home.

And our villain has been introduced… any guesses to who he is? Anyway, Danny is introduced in the next chapter.

Until the next chapter.