Chapter 7
"Well well, whelp!" a familiar metallic voice laughed as Danny finally grabbed the phone. "I didn't expect to see you this far from Amity Park."
Throwing a quick, "I'll call you back" to the phone, Danny turned his attention back to Skulker and shot two blasts from his free hand. "What are you doing out here, yourself?"
"Wanted to capture a Firebird." Skulker laughed, raising his arm as missiles appeared off the side. "But you are a much better prize than some elemental."
Skulker fired off the six missiles on his arm, forcing Danny to preform feats of aerodynamic maneuvers just to avoid the bomb-like projectiles. The six blew up behind him, flinging tree debris upwards.
Danny quickly went intangible as the limbs blew towards them, only for Skulker to shoot a goo-like substance that stuck to him. He spread apart his arms only for the goo to spread out like wings. "What the heck is this?!"
"You like it?" Skulker smiled as a compartment opened on his shoulder. "Here's something else I know you'll find yourself attached to."
Danny looked up in time to find himself in the clutches of a crane looking device strung up to Skulker's shoulder. He grabbed the cord, his hands glowing as he sent his Ghost Stinger back at Skulker, shorting out the robotic suit.
Skulker started to drop, bring Danny with him. The teen fought the wind to take a look at Skulker's body, only to see the flame had gone out in his hair.
"Stupid hunk of junk!" Danny kicked at the cord, trying to get the thing to release him as the tree line came closer.
"Good luck, ghost child!" Skulker's real voice said, getting Danny to look almost eye level to see the green tooth. "I look forward to seeing you in Suffolk."
Skulker flew off, leaving Danny to find a pine tree to the face.
-.-.-.-
Jazz looked at the phone in her hand before closing it. She handed it across the table to the African American, saying "I think a ghost attacked him."
Tucker took it and placed it on the table next to his empty burger wrapper.
"Thanks Sam." Jazz looked down at her lunch, avoiding the girl's eyes.
"For what?" Sam asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
"For being prepared for this." Jazz explained, hugging herself to keep herself together.
Sam reached across the table and put a hand on the, now shaking, girl's shoulder. "Jazz, I wasn't prepared for this. I always…I knew your parents would except him cause of the Reality Gauntlet thing. They showed they loved him no matter what happened." Sam sat back down as she admitted, "The real reason I'd continued pulling out money after that was more of my own problems with the future, but now Danny needs it more."
"Hey, can I ask you three something?" Valerie asked as she stopped at their table, getting the three to look up at her.
"Sure, what?"
Valerie put on her Nasty Burger visor, preparing herself for work as she chose her words. "Was Danny really friends with Vlad?"
"Oh, you're talking about that thing during the elections?" Jazz realized, "He's not really. It's more of a frienemy type of thing since our parents and Vlad were close in college."
"Frenemy, right." Valerie nodded, looking down at their table.
"Why?" Sam asked, eyeing the girl down.
"On, no reason." Valerie held her hands up. "Just curious, that's all."
"Gray! Your shift's about to start! Girl! Get over here!"
"Coming Beverly!" Valerie called over her shoulder. She turned back to the three at the table, as if second guessing herself, before leaving to clock in.
"Did Danny tell you what happened Saturday?" Sam asked, eyeing the dark skinned girl as she disappeared from sight.
"Not much, something about a cousin?" Jazz offered, not too sure about the term for the girl. "Danielle, I think?"
"Ya, we don't know much about her either." Tucker admitted with a shrug.
"Did he tell you what happened at Vlad's?" Sam asked, getting a no out of the girl. "He and Val went to rescue Danielle, something happened and Danny lost consciousness. He couldn't tell if Valerie saw or not. I'm wondering if that's what's with her re-interest with Danny."
"Sam, I know you don't like to remember it, but they did date for a while." Tucker dared to bring up. He backed away in the both as far as he could as she stared him down. "I'm just saying, she could still like him, that's all."
"I'd still rather we watch what we say around her." Sam growled, crossing her arms.
"Come on." Jazz smiled as she stood up. "We've gotta be out there for the next search."