Meanwhile... Inside Clockwork's lair, Clockwork watched events unfold from a time window.

"The gears are in motion," mused the master of time. "Let us see how this plays out."

"You already know the answer, don't you?" asked Shadow.

The ghost of time smirked for a second or two before becoming serious again.

"I believe you have somewhere else to be," stated Clockwork.

"Right." agreed Shadow.

Switching over to Ember's Realm about an hour later...

The ghostly diva fumed while sitting indian style on her comfy queen sized bed "Ugh... what could he be telling that halfa dipstick?! Whatever it is, it can't be good!"

She grabbed a pillow and started biting it.

"AAAH!"

She tugged with her teeth until the bed accessory had torn and feathers scattered about aimlessly all over the place.

In the next moment, there was a knock on the door of her realm.

"I am so not in the mood for company right now... Go away!"

But her message didn't stop whoever it was from pounding loudly. She pinched the bridge of her nose before shouting out, "I said go away!"

Again her message was ignored by the unknown knocker. Infuriated by the persistent pest, the ghostly diva hopped off her bed and stomped her way out the room to the front door. Then with a sour expression, she swung the door open and barked, "I SAID GET LOST!"

Smiling for some stupid reason, Skulker, the Ghost Zone's self-proclaimed greatest hunter responded, "I heard you the first two times."

"And still you decided to keep on knocking like some kind of deaf Jehovah's witness."

"What can I say? I'm deafly in love with you."

The ghostly diva rolled her eyes and folded her arms at the lame line. But she had to give him credit for coming up with it on the spot. So she softened up a bit and her mood became less standoffish.

"Ok, what do you want?" she asked.

Skulker opened his mouth but Ember cut in with, "And don't even think about saying something corny like 'You're the one I want' even though it's true."

Skulker rubbed the back of his neck with an embarrassed grin before saying, "Well, I was thinking that we could spend some time together."

"Can't. Busy."

"Doing what?"

"Something that doesn't involve you."

"Does it involve skinning the infamous whelp?"

Ember shifted a bit.

"So it does," said Skulker noticing her body language with an intrigued smile before asking, "What did you have in mind?"

"Like I would ever tell you," said the pop princess. "You'll just get in my way."

"Come now. Let me in on your scheme."

"No."

"Pleeeeease? I'll make it worth your wiiiiile."

"...How? And don't say in the bedroom. I'm not interested in your 'little' toy."

"First, its not little. I'll have you know that I make most men jealous."

Ember rolled her eyes again.

"Second, I'll get you that new rocker's jacket you had your eye on if you allow me to join in on your plan."

Raising two brow at the offer, Ember asked, "The red jacket that extends all the way down to the ankles with the two straps, a fly pop-up collar, and optional guitar restrainer on the back?"

"That same one," confirmed the hunter.

"Ok. Where is it?"

"Not so fast. You'll get your prize after all is said and done."

"Fine... but you better not be lying or my guitar's going somewhere the sun doesn't shine."

"I love it when you talk dirty to me," smirked Skulker one last time.

The next day, it was Saturday and Danny had decided to stay home and play his game console.

"Why? Because he wanted to avoid the public eye and a certain goth girl." stated Shadow.

"I am not avoiding anybody," defended the halfa. "Especially not Sam. I just wanted to try out this new game I ordered."

"What's it called? Denial Boy 2?"

"Funny... but no. Its called Green Undead Remission."

The ghost boy inserted the disk into the game tray and mashed the close button on the console.

"That game?!" exclaimed Shadow in disbelief. "Wow, I would stay home all week to play that!"

"I know right?" added the halfa "The gore, mayhem, and violence is second to none! I waited a whole week for it to come by delivery!"

"Yeah, I heard how stores ran out of stock for two weeks straight. I'm surprised that you didn't use your ghost powers to acquire it faster."

"I am not the type of guy to use my powers to get what I want," scowled Danny. "That's something Vlad would do which I'm not."

"Calm down. I just meant the game is so awesome that no one could possibly live without it for so long."

He frowned.

"My bad," apologized the halfa rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment "I just don't want people to assume that I would do something like that."

"They won't," said Shadow. "Nor would people think that you could be like that guy on the TV screen."

Danny looked to the screen and saw the intro of the character he was supposed to play as, stick a gun inside a man's mouth before forcing it deep down his throat. As the man vomited, the character used a pocket knife to carve a deep gash across his stomach which revealed the victim's insides. Right after, he pulled a pin from a grenade before sticking it into the victim's stomach. Then the title of the game flashed across the screen in oozing green letters as the victim exploded.

"You're right," agreed the dark haired teen. "I could never be like that guy but I can do the next best thing."

Danny picked up his wireless controller and mashed the start button with glee.

"Switching over to... to... who do I want to visit? Oh right Ember and Skulker. But what are they doing? Are they even together for that matter? Could they be hot and heavy? You know because she's hot literally and he's a heavy..." explained Shadow before being interrupted.

"Would you give it a rest already?" asked Ember out of irritation.

"Sorry, but if I may ask... Did you tell Skulker about what Clockwork revealed to you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because he doesn't need to know and it's none of his business."

"You do realize that the same could apply to you too right? Also, is keeping secrets a good way to build on a relationship?"

"Hey, I didn't ask to be cross-examined so put a lid on it!"

"Put a lid on what?" questioned Skulker walking into the area with a confused look on his face.

"Oh uh... nothing," responded Ember trying to come up with a good excuse for her outburst. However, Shadow took matters into his own hands and whispered something into her ear and the pop princess repeated, "I was just um... exercising... my... vocal cords?"

"That's good to hear. Well anyway the stage is set and so is the trap. Now all we have to do is move onto phase two."

"Well you do your thing and I'll do mine."

The two turn invisible and fly off through the roof. While heading off in a random direction...

"You're welcome," said Shadow.

"Excuse me?" responded the pop princess.

"I helped you back there and you..."

Ember raised a brow.

"...appreciate it?"

"No."

"Oh... I must have gotten the wrong impression."

"Looks like it."

"Silly me."

"You need to find something better to do besides annoy me."

"Would annoying Skulker be better?"

"You know what," considered the pop princess before smirking. "It actually would."

"Bye."

"Good riddance... and don't say jack squat about you-know-what!"

Switching over to Skulker who was currently flying through the air.

Shadow cracked his fingers and...

"Almost there," muttered Skulker to himself. All of a sudden, his wrist device activated with a familiar beeping sound and he read "'Go to the library and check out a book with information on the mating habits of purple-back gorillas'?"

Then in the next moment, the hunter changed course and zoomed off.

"I thought I fixed this infernal contraption!"

Switching back to Ember, Shadow commented, "Mission accomplished."

"What?" asked the confused pop princess.

But Shadow didn't respond as he left.

Two hours later, Skulker appeared at the Amity Park Power Plant or A.P.P.P for short.

"Now that this thing has been reprogrammed," said the hunter. "Time to do some damage."

He aimed his fist and launched a small explosive rocket. Then in the next few seconds, there was a loud boom but not before the ghost hunter fled the scene of the crime.