"I have an idea of what I want to do. I want revenge. But, what will I do after?" –Paulina, written on a scrap of paper to let off steam

Danny stared at the night sky, lit up with hundreds of stars, seeing the various patterns and constellations here and there. Of course the most beautiful of all stars was the one lying next to him. He and Star were relaxing in the park, the favorite place to spend time together as a couple, doing their best to not think of all that had happened within the last week and a half.

"Sometimes," He looked at the blonde when she spoke, "I can't help but wonder what would have happened if we had become close during freshman year, instead of two years later." Her eyes glanced at him, then went back to looking at the inky blackness above.

Danny turned onto his side and lightly nuzzled her cheek. "Well, there would definitely be some differences in how some things went down. Also, instead of seven months of happiness, we would have nearly three years. Perhaps by this time you would have driven me crazy too."

A thump on the tip of his nose didn't stop him from laughing, but his response was to place a light kiss on her cheek. That caused Star's lips to curve, her always wonderful smile making the halfa feel rather warm inside. Just as he was about to give another peck, he felt a drop of water hit his arm. Ah, it was starting to sprinkle, but that wouldn't stop him. It was only 7:30, and both of their curfews weren't for another two hours.

Star surprised him however, by rolling into him, the impact pushing him onto his back. "Pinned you." Her lips brushed his for a moment, their eyes meeting and saying so much without once speaking. The blonde pressed her lips to his once more, this time keeping them together. "I love you Danny." Even while mumbling the words, she kissed him again and again.

"And I love you." And Danny truly did, with all of his half-dead heart. As much as he loved his family and friends, it was something on a whole different level altogether to love the blonde. For instance, there were things that the hero could talk with Star about that he didn't feel he could with others. Just yesterday he had admitted to her that he had wanted to strike his parents when they shot at Paulina the week before, with the blonde only inches away. While he'd only destroyed his dad's weapon, the anger that had surged through him demanded more.

The couple talked for quite some time about the issue, and others of a similar nature. Danny admitted that it made him feel ashamed that he'd thought of attacking his folks in anger. For the first time since they became a couple he told her of his evil alternate future-self, Dan, and that whenever his anger started to get out of control it made him think of the monster. Danny worried that there was still a chance that he could become Dan, even though he prevented the Nasty Burger explosion from happening, if his anger wasn't kept in tight check.

Star was a bit shocked to learn that an evil version of Danny existed, and of the horrible things the man had done, but she knew her boyfriend. Star assured him that just because he could wind up like Dan, didn't mean he would. The blonde knew that no matter what, no matter how tough things might get, that love would keep Danny on the right path. "Hey." She turned her gaze from the sky to Danny, "What do you think?" In his hand was her camera, held out to her.

"Yeah." Grabbing hold of it, Star moved her face close to his and smiled. With the camera above them she clicked the button, the flash putting spots in their eyes. The rain still sprinkled all around, the droplets causing Danny's hair to fall into his eyes and Star's to darken slightly. "Come on, I've got an idea. There's this place I want to visit." Standing up and pulling him from the ground, the couple walked to the IROC and set out for one last destination for the night. Unknown to the teens, a certain hunter ghost watched them the entire time through a set of high-tech binoculars. Once they left he lifted his arm and began to push a few buttons, bringing up a holographic screen.

"They're on the move, should I pursue?" The holographic screen showed the man that was currently being possessed by Technus, a slight green glow coming from behind the shades upon his nose.

"No. Right now I have another target for you. There is a lab in Ohio that I need you to visit. They've been developing a railgun there, the only one of its kind in the United States. I want it here by tomorrow."

Skulker frowned slightly at the tone Technus was using, but so far the other ghost had masterminded a foolproof plan that had yet to snag even once. "Understood." With the connection ending Skulker tapped another button on his wrist device, opening a portal back to the Ghost Zone. Traveling from Nebraska to Ohio would be faster by crossing the dimensions. For now he would follow the other ghost, and take any lip, but once Phantom was dead, and their attack dog put down, Skulker would make sure he paid Technus back in full.

Elsewhere

A ping sound alerted Jazz to an incoming IM on her laptop. When she saw who it was from, she minimized all other windows and focused on the messenger.

Luckyman77: No luck finding her. Looked all over town and four other cities. No signs at all.

ScaredyKat86: Ghost Zone is a bust as well. Checked out Walker's prison, her realm, and all the usual spots. Nothing.

Jazzercise31: I've been on the web looking for any news of her. Most of what I found about the attack in the record store has been taken down. Some chat rooms and forums have talked about it, luckily they're still up and running.

ScaredyKat86: I'm really worried. It's not like her to be gone for long periods of time like this.

Jazzercise31: I asked Tucker to check police files. Ember was held in the station, unconscious the whole time. Two days later, she and the files are gone.

Luckyman77: We have another problem. Several other ghosts have been disappearing off the streets and from the Zone. A month ago I asked Desiree to look into it. Haven't seen or heard anything from her since.

Jazzercise31: What do you think happened?

Luckyman77: I don't know. I don't like any of this.

ScaredyKat86: Can you meet with us? We'd like to talk more, and I think someone has been following me.

Luckyman77: I'll be there in minutes.

Luckyman77 has signed off

Jazzercise31: Where are you?

ScaredyKat86: The Fast Times Café on Concord Avenue.

Jazzercise31: It'll take longer for me to get there, but I'm coming. Tell Johnny when he arrives.

Jazzercise31 has signed off

ScaredyKat86 has signed off

Downtown

The scaled figure walked through the alley silently, focused on nothing as a few homeless vagrants eyed her warily before going back to sleep. The sprinkling rain was constant, lightly pelting her skin and clothes. In the week and a half since the bank robbery and confrontation with Phantom Paulina had been laying low. Getting interrupted by those idiot Ghost Hunters and Phantom nearly cost her all the money and jewelry taken. The next task, when she made her move, would have to be more carefully planned. Luckily the apartment she was taking residence in made for a good place to hide out, with the entire building empty save herself. So long as she was careful it would be fine.

Pausing for a moment Paulina looked down at her hands. Covered in white scales, claws, and the last few days she noticed patches of her skin hardening. How long had she been transformed now? Almost two weeks as her Ghost half, not once changing back human since the first night in the apartment. Why? If the Latina were honest she was afraid. Oddly, along with her skin body changing slightly, her clothing were different colors now. The red shirt and white pants were now purple and black respectively. She didn't know how or why, but perhaps it was a side effect of the prolonged transformation?

"Well," Near the other end of the alley was a door, from which she could vaguely hear club-type music from. "It wouldn't hurt I guess." With but a thought, a black ring of light appeared around her waist and separated into two. Once both rings reached their end and disappeared, the teen once more looked upon smooth, tanned skin. Interestingly, the clothing was now repaired from where the spikes along her back had erupted, and both items were their original color of red and white.

Back to a human state everything felt different to the teen. She couldn't smell or sense things like before, nor did her body automatically feel as if it were on alert for threats. Her body was returned to normal, and with it something interesting. For the entire two weeks she had not ate or drank anything, for her body didn't need it. Now out of her Ghost mode, a watery mouth and rumbling stomach alerted her to the need for food and water.

Continuing her walk the sounds of muffled music, the type played in clubs, reached her ears. Eyes glancing up they only had to look for a second to see it. A back door under a neon sign that read Animus, odd for a club of any kind to have a sign in such a place. Usually they were only out front where club patrons could see from the street. Oh well, that didn't matter. Paulina approached the door and stared it down, thinking of what to do next. The halfa had no cash on her, no ID, and was unsure if being in a club would be a productive choice.

The door slammed open suddenly, almost causing the Latina to activate her Ghost mode. A young white guy, maybe mid-20s, stood there coughing lightly. She didn't recognize him, but with her currently spotty memory that wasn't a surprise. The man eyed her in shock for a moment before waving his hand at his side, "Sorry if I startled you, I was in a hurry to get some fresh air. Few hours in these places will tire you out and all. Were you waiting?"

Paulina raised a brow in confusion, "Waiting?"

He indicated a direction back in the club, "To come back in? Sometimes I see other people out here having a smoke or something."

"Oh, uh, yeah. I had to make a call to someone, lost track of time during. You know?" Her lie was so transparent a blind person could see it. Worse, why would she say yes?

The man shrugged and stepped out of the doorway, holding it open for her to enter. The instant she did the music seemed to amplify exponentially. It was loud and the bass thudded, but the sounds were not ear splitting. All around her bodies were in motion, sweat glistening in the changing lights, no end to it all in sight. Had she been to a club before? The teen could not remember, but that didn't matter that much. Awkward and unsure she stayed off the dance floor and kept to the wall, squeezing by people that wanted to dance out of the groups. Finally finding a relatively free space she leaned against the wall and watched.

The music, the lights, the humid air, the smells. Something about it entranced her; seemed to draw in and not let go. So much negative stimuli since two weeks ago, partly her choice and partly circumstance, but here, in this club she hadn't even paid to enter: a high that no drug could truly replicate. So enthralled by the sensations that Paulina never noticed someone leaned on the wall beside her.

"You don't exactly look old enough to be in this kind of place."

The halfa turned to the person, expecting it to be a bouncer or club employee. He didn't look it with his white t-shirt, jeans, and grey high tops. His face was handsome, with blue eyes and auburn hair. If she had to guess he was about the same age as the guy that let her in. "Is that so?"

"I don't really care, people should be allowed to have fun however they want. Figured you would be with friends or something. Plenty of friends sneak into places together these days." His eyes and face didn't look at her, instead keeping to the large crowd dancing.

"I don't have any friends." Her gaze copied his and lazily watched everyone.

The man's grin went unnoticed. "Not even one? Must be lonely."

"Well," She thought back to the blonde, Star, who said they were friends. "Maybe one."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear it." He turned his head towards Paulina. "Want to join the fun?"

Paulina kept her eyes on the dance floor. For two weeks her life had been chaos and uncertainty. The last few days she had been searching all over town under cover of night looking for the lawyer that had prosecuted her father, and had yet to find him. Failure to find him led to anger and frustration, along with depression. Her body and her heart were strung out, and tonight she had simply been aimlessly wandering. Now the teen found herself in a club, a complete 180 from her habits so far. This guy, whoever he was, was offering another change. He was handsome, and nice, sure he was a few years older but…the room was so intoxicating.

Out on the floor it was like a completely different world. Dancing with him, moving close, sweat pouring down her skin. Lights. Action. Bass drum. Mind-numbing. One hundred twenty beats per. Twice the speed of a beating heart. For the first time in two weeks, and possibly much longer, Paulina felt good. And for once, she didn't have to hurt someone to feel that way. She felt truly, wonderfully, alive.

I have been dealing with things in life that have caused writing to slow. Forgive me. The club scene was partially inspired by Assassin's Creed: Revelations when you do Desmond's Journey part 4. The music playing in the club is the one from the game, Party Hard by Jesper Kyd, and that is where the line about 124 beats per came from. Know who her dance partner is?