Chapter 10: Flight or Fight

Morbius was in his personal chamber, it was a large triangular room with dark rock and etchings all over the place. It was in the heart of his temple and he was floating crossed legged as he was focusing his powers. All the power he had taken he was fine tuning it within himself making it flow like a river in his body. It would help to use his powers more effectively as he spoke long forgotten and even forbidden Words of Power. The chamber started to take on a red glow as the glyphs etched into the stone turned green.

He could feel the web of his power flow into the temple as he was bonding with it, when he built this structure he designed it to act as a conduit for his powers. There were glyphs and wards and Words of Power written all over and even inside the temple. Its design was also integrated into spell casting as well with how it was laid out to help with spells.

Morbius closed off all other thought as he felt like his body was becoming the structure and now he was reaching out, to the land of the living he could feel it. He felt the wall that separated this world and the next and he could almost 'touch' it with his mind. He tried to form a hole into the human world but it was hard and his concentration was wavering with the effort.

He fell from the strain of overtaxing himself and grunted as he hit the stone floor, the glow faded and he breathed heavily as he tried to regain his composure. He had been so close but he needed more power, he just needed a bit more and he could pull his temple into the human world once more. After several minutes he felt the strength to pull himself off the ground. He walked to the large stone door and waved his hand as it opened up. Morbius walked the halls which were being filled with his mindless minions doing restoration work.

He ignored them all they were unimportant as he made his way to the chamber where his love lay. He once more opened the doors to this sanctuary with the white room where his love lay. He walked over to her and looked at her pale form he ran a hand over her flawless face and through her long silky hair. Even though he sold his soul to bring her back he never gave up his heart that he gave up to her the first day he met her.

"My love...Soon we shall be together again..." His voice had actually softened and his eyes looked less black when he was with her. He had done so much, sacrificed so much to have her back. He couldn't bare to be without her, every moment without her tore of his spirit. It was like a never ending torture to see her, to touch her but still not have her. He leaned down and kissed her lips through the cloth over his face as he dropped to his knees and just laid his head on her.

He closed his eyes remembering all the memories he had of her of his life with her. He had given up so much and he would do it all again and even more. He would never be denied and he would take control of the human world and turn it into a world of the dead. As master of all that is dead he would be master over even death itself, that cruel being that took his precious wife from him. He would take her back and see to it she would never be taken again and no one would stop him.

Not those so called Ghostbusters or that boy, he would see to it.

Morbius steeled himself as he rose up, now was not the time to indulge himself he had much work to do. He would have eternity with her once he had the power to bring her soul back into this body. "Soon my love we will be together again, our love is eternal it will never die and we will see the end of time itself together. But first I need more power to bring you back and to take us all into the human world."

He caressed her face one last thing as he turned and walked to the door, so far his minions had been hunting ghosts and bringing them to him but maybe it was time to go looking himself. He would go out into the hunts today and see if there was anyway to speed up the process. Then he would go back to the human world and finish off that Danny Phantom and take his power for his own with that boy's powers he would have all that he needed. He was so close now he could feel it but he had to keep his patience. That was how battles were lost and he had to keep his wits about him, there were others that no doubt wouldn't want his return and that Clockwork was most likely one of them.

That ghost had been part of that group that banished him or at least had given those mortals help from behind the scenes he was sure of it. And knowing him that ghost would help those new heroes, well he would have to prepare himself for that there would be no way he would be caught in the same trap twice already he was making preparations just in case the worst would befall him.

- The Ghost Zone-

Skulker the greatest ghost hunter of them all was now the greatest prey of them all, he was running for his unlife as more and more ghosts were being taken over by Morbius. At first it had just been rumours that Morbius had been let out, and rumours like that had caused the few that wanted to be on the safe side leave through the doorways into more safer areas, especially those few ghosts to have been around when Morbius had first started up.

But he wasn't alone either he was leading a band of ghosts to try and make an escape.

One of the ghosts was a blue skinned one in work coveralls and a tuque, he was the Box Ghost with the power to control anything box shaped...yeah all in all one of the most lamest ghosts in history. The one next to him was a green male ghost in a lab coat who was kind of scrawny with a mane of white hair and a pair of dark glasses that hid his eyes he was Technus a ghost with the power over anything to do with technology. He was also kind of long winded and liked to hear his own voice as well.

The two female ghosts in this bunch, one of them was a green ghost with very long black hair and a slim sexy figure wearing a getup that looked like it belonged in an 'I Dream of Genie' episode or from Arabian Nights tale. But then again this was Desiree a genie type of ghost that could grant wishes although those wishes tended to backfire on those that made them much to her delight.

The last member was a pale ghost with light blue hair made of flames in a ponytail and in punk rocker clothing with her electric guitar was Ember McLain the musical rock ghost.

They were all banded together as more and more armies under the thrall of Morbius were hunting down more and more ghosts. By now they had worked their way up the food chain to more powerful ghosts, the Lunch Lady, Johnny 13, Spectra were already taken and the ghosts here did not want to become next on that list of names. They had been on the run for awhile now and every time they stopped for a break the army of ghosts would eventually find them. By now they were getting tired and they stopped in a cave that was part of a floating mountain in the ghost zone.

They all sat down as Skulker looked outside, "Looks like the coast is clear...for the moment at least."

"And what a great hiding spot you got here too," Technus sneered.

"Hey lay off him at least he's trying!" Ember said almost ready to harm the geeky ghost. If it hadn't been for Skulker she would have been taken long ago, and it didn't hurt that lately she and Skulker kind of had a thing going. She still thought that he wasn't a great a hunter as he claimed but he did have his good points. He treated her well enough and he had kept them alive and going this long.

"Thanks," Skulker told her.

"Don't let it get to your head we're still in trouble here," She told him.

"Look we have to get out of the Ghost Zone it's the only way," Technus had been trying to think of a way out they had tried to contact Vlad but he wasn't answering, and the other portals to the human world so far had been guarded. Apparently Morbius didn't want ghosts to escape his site in this world and they didn't have the ability to make their own way into the human world.

"Well we have to try something soon Morbius will take over the entire Ghost Zone." Desiree said.

"I hear Purgatory is nice this time of year," The Box Ghost offered getting glares from them all, there were some places even they were not that desperate to go to.

"I'd rather go to Jersey then Purgatory." Desiree and then muttered, "Like there is much of a difference."

Skulker was quiet as he was thinking there weren't many places to hide and hiding was something that he hated. He was a hunter and being the prey wasn't something he enjoyed. But they were right they needed to find a safe place if at least to rest and regroup, there were other places they could go but some where one way and others...well some of the others were places ghosts didn't want to go to. The only real place was the human world but there were two problems, first was how to get there and the second was the boy.

He was still steaming after his last defeat by the hands of that boy and he wanted to capture him more then ever now. But then there was the fact that with Morbius on the loose the boy might be the only one to stop him. He had stopped Pariah Dark after all so there was a good chance the boy could do the same and maybe with the information on what was going on in the Ghost Zone he could trade that to leave them alone.

Skulker looked out into the Ghost Zone as he thought about things, there weren't many free ghosts left that could make their own portals into the human world and if they couldn't find one then they would have to force their way into the human world.

He felt a hand on his arm and looked down to see Ember there, he wasn't sure how it had happened. One day they had gotten together and started to argue and then it turned into a 'I hate Danny Phantom more because...' contest and the next thing he knew they were meeting up together regularly then somehow things just grew. She was loud and made him crazy at times but for some stupid reason...He liked her.

Ember had no idea why the big lug was special to her, he boasted a lot about his 'great skills' but he could lose the remote so easily it was insane. And he sometimes spent more time on his silly weapons then he did with her but for all his faults he was a decent enough ghost. "So what do you think?"

"Oh so you're asking for my advice now?" He gave her a grin to show that he was kidding.

"You know keep acting like that and I may go looking for a new guy, I wonder if Technus is single?" She made a mock pose of thinking about it even though she wouldn't be caught alive with Technus.

"That better be a joke or his hide will line my wall." He growled out.

"Easy there oh mighty hunter, just wanted to make sure you cared was all..." She looked out into the zone and she wasn't sure what to do at this point. They needed help that was sure but the question was could they get there in time, could they even get out of the zone with the ever growing army out there looking for any free willed ghosts.

Skulker got rigid at that point and was staring at something. "Get everyone ready."

"What why?" She asked and then looked to see a large dark grouping on the horizon and she rushed back inside as fast as she could. "Everyone they're coming!"

"What already!?" Technus said.

They all heard the sounds of Skulker's weapons firing and they rushed out to see the mighty ghost hunter already firing his weapons into the crowd, Technus, Desiree and Ember joined in as the Box Ghost raised his arms to use his power but looked around and didn't see anything box like. For a moment he stood his ground trying to think of something but without anything box shaped he was pretty much useless. As for the others they gave it their all as they fought on.

Ghost energy ripped the sky as they battled on their enemies. Techus was having a bit more trouble without much technology to work with but as they started out on this he brought enough spare things with him to help him out. Ember whipped her flame hair at several of the ghosts as she finished off a few with the power of her guitar.

Desiree was no pushover herself even though she couldn't use her main ghost powers that didn't mean that she was defenceless. Together they kept taking down more and more of the ghosts that were under Morbius' control but for every one they took down it only seemed like two or three more would take their place. Even though the ghost slaves were not as tough as they had been after their draining, the sheer numbers of them were dragging them down.

As they were getting swarmed Ember and Skulker were separated from the others as they fought back to back. "Okay any ideas to get us out of this? And where are the others?" Ember asked him as she let loose a powerful cord of her instrument.

"I...Honestly have no idea, we can only fight our way through. As for the others I can't see them." Skulker fired his weapons but he was starting to run a little low on ammo for a few of them. He kicked one ghost away and pulled up a gun and fired point blank at another. He noticed that one of the ghosts looked like Walker in fact it was.

Skulker never liked the man, the man was too strict and the fact that he had tried to put him in jail a few times in the past for some of his allegedly 'illegal' hunts. He took great satisfaction when he punched him in the mouth sending him flaying back and that hat of his flew off his head. 'Well at least today isn't a total lose, I've been wanting to do that for years.'

A scream caught his attention and he looked to see Ember in trouble as Desiree was not holding Ember from behind. "Desiree get a grip!" Ember cried at her and she managed to fling the other female ghost aside. "What is your...oh no..." She looked at the other ghost and saw that she was thinner and a bit paler and her eyes were all dark.

"No...that means..." She knew what it meant and she could feel the cold presence behind her and she turned to see the face of Morbius not far from her. Ember felt her legs go and if she had not been flying she would have dropped to the floor if there had been one.

"I am so glad I decided to lead this group personally," Morbius said behind his clothed mouth, "You're little group has been avoiding my minions for some time now well it's time to put an end to that."

He reached out towards her and for a moment she paused not sure what to do and just when his hand was about to clasp around her throat Skulker came in and slammed into Morbius. "Don't you dare touch her! Ember run! I'll hold them off just get away!"

"What! I can't leave you!"

"Just do it woman!" He cried out at her as he started his battle with Morbius. Skulker knew that he didn't stand a chance but he was tired of running, he was a hunter and it was time for this prey to become predator. Besides it would give Ember a chance to escape as the focus was on him. He lunched himself at Morbius ready to battle him with all his might. Morbius just stood there and gave a soft laugh and then seemed to inhale and a large roaring wail was heard and it was something very familiar to Skulker.

He cried out as the wave of the Ghost Wail hit him, he was losing focus being so close to the source of that. He tried to move but he hurt all over he could see the other ghosts floating there as they too had been hit by the wave, it was obvious that Morbius didn't care about his minions. Skulker felt a hand on his throat as he was pulled up face to face with Morbius.

"Th-that power...that belongs...to..." Skulker tried to choke out the name Danny Phantom but he was too hurt to do much else.

"Ah yes the boy. It's a souvenir from my last battle with him I doubt he even realises that it's missing. But anyway I must commend you." He looked to his left and extended his hand as Ember's unconscious form floated towards them as he took hold of her as well. "I see that you too care for one another, well I do sympathize. I do know what it is to fall for another woman and to sacrifice for her and I know the pain of separation all too well."

"So I shall grant you both a mercy I was denied. You both will be together...as my minions." His eyes glowed with a dark power and Skulker grunted out as he felt his energy drain from his body he looked over to see Ember's form twitching and he tried in vain to each out. His hand trying to reach her was the last thing he would see before being taken over by the darkness of Morbius' power.

After the two new ghosts were drained Morbius would let them recover, he was nearly there now he could feel it. Now just a few more ghosts and he would have all the power he would need. He began floating off when two minions that had gone after the Box Ghost returned with him in tow.

"Oh please, oh please don't do it! I'll do anything just don't do that thing to me too." He begged.

Morbius looked at the ghost and turned away. "You...Are not worth my time, leave him we have more important ghosts to get and this feeble one is useless to me."

"huh?" The Box Ghost was dropped at the minions just left him there and for a moment he was relived but the fact that he wasn't even worth draining? "Oh...That hurts I mean come on I'm the mighty Box Ghost! Take me damn it! I'm powerful so feed on my energy!"

Then it hit him what he was saying. "What am I stupid!?" He just ran off hoping to find a place to hole up while everything blew over although it still stung that even Morbius wouldn't take him.

Next up Chapter 10: Evil Rising