Danny was jarred from his sleep by a relentless poking to his ribs. He opened his eyes and instantly regretted it. He felt like the sun had burned his eyes out. Danny pushed himself to a sitting position. A girl no more than six was standing next to him with a stick in her hands. She gave him a weird look and smiled.

"I told you he wasn't dead."

Danny could hear a small group of children voices moaning from some bushes. He glanced over and saw Tucker laying about a foot away from him. He was curled into a ball and sucking his thumb. Danny managed a small smile as he reached over and gently shook his shoulder.

"Time to wake up, Tucker." Tucker grumbled and rolled over. Danny sighed and shook his head. He turned to the girl. "You wouldn't happen to know where we are?"

"The park!"

Danny checked his watch, it was past five. "Oh boy!" He grabbed Tucker's shoulder and shook him violently. "Wake up! We've missed school."

"WHAT!" Tucker leapt to his feet. "My perfect attendance."

"Forget your attendance. What are we going to tell our parents?"

"Please don't kill us."

"This isn't the time for jokes."

A light chuckling caused the two teens to glance down. The little girl was trying to keep herself from laughing out loud. "You two are funny." Both boys took off for the exit.

Vlad strolled through a long corridor deep under his Wisconsin home. Thanks to his hidden ghost portal in Amity Park, he could travel between the two locations almost instantaneous. The corridor was fifteen feet wide and curved upward to form a ceiling twenty feet high. A long red carpet adorned the floor and the walls were covered in paintings of him. He loved the hall. He traveled the fifty feet from the portal to a large set of double doors. The portal that connected to the hall was separate from the one in his lab. Paranoia is bliss. He took a deep breath.

"Showtime!"

A ring of black energy formed at his waist and slit in two. One slid upward and the other down. As the rings passed around him, his clothes changed from a black business suit to a white regal suit, complete with cape. His skin turned dark blue and his hair black. His eyes glowed with red light as the rings vanished. He rolled his shoulders and pushed open the heavy metal doors. The doors opened up to a very large room. The carpet continued on and ended at the foot of a raised dais with a golden throne. On either side of the carpet were two ghosts. The four ghosts turned as the changed Vlad walked towards the throne. His throne room was decorated in the same decor as the hall. He stepped up onto the dais and sat on his throne. He let a moment of silence pass before placing his fingers into the power pyramid position. Yes he was very intimidating in his mind.

"I trust you all know why I have summoned you here today."

The ghost looked to each other and all shrugged.

Vlad smiled. "I have invited you here to join me as members of my cabinet."

One of the ghosts stepped onto the red carpet and looked up at Vlad. He stood seven feet tall and skin was silver metal. His face was the shape of a human skull with a green Mohawk.

"And what pray tell does that mean? Why should we follow you?"

"My dear Skulker. If it wasn't for me, you would now enjoying the confines of Walker's prison. I have big plans for the human realm and if you join me, I promise you all power beyond your wildest imagination."

"You talk big!" A large ghost covered in white fur stepped next to Skulker. "But you have done little to prove yourself to us."

Vlad hid his annoyance well. "Do all you share these sentiments?"

A small five foot ghost walked past Skulker and the furry ghost. He looked humanoid except for the fact he was covered in eyeballs. "I will join you."

"Good Eyevar! Anyone else?"

The last ghost was dressed in a red business suit and top hat. His skin was blue and his eyes shined with green light. "You make an interesting proposal." He took off his hat and bowed. "I will join."

"So half the room is with me. It is a start. As for the remainder, sit back and watch. I have just made arrangements to have a tech specialist added to our ranks." Vlad stood up. "And soon my forces will grow in number and the world will know the name Plasmus."

Danny and Tucker had never ran as hard as they were now. They decided to head to Danny's house as his parents were the easiest to convince of any lame story they could come up with. The turned the corner and stopped as the neared The Fenton home. A police car was parked in front of the building.

"What happened?"

Danny didn't answer Tucker as he ran to his home. "Mom! Dad!"

"Danny!" His mother opened the door and jumped down the steps. "Oh Danny!" She wrapped him in a tight hug. "Thank heavens your alright."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"There was an explosion at your school. Several teachers and students are in the hospital and some are even missing. When they couldn't find you.." She started to cry.

Danny's heart sank. "The school? What kind of explosion?"

"No one is sure. Your dad is down there. He said the ecto scanners went off the charts when the explosion happen. He thinks that whatever caused it used ectoplasm as a base."

"Jazz?"

"She is fine! Luckily her class was on a field trip."

"I need to get to the hospital. My friends."

"We'll go later. It is best if we stay out of the way right now." Maddie looked up and saw Tucker. "Come inside. I'll call your parents and tell them your alright." She led the two boys inside.

Three Hours Later

Danny and Tucker hurried into Amity Park General. Jazz led them down the hall to the east wing. Danny ran to the desk.

"Is a Sam Manson here?"

The receptionist quickly glanced down her list. "Yes. She is visiting one of her friends. A Amber McLain." She pointed down the corridor. "Room 116!"

"Thank you!" Danny took of in a run.

"No running!"

Danny nearly fell down as he reached the room. It was a large private room. Amber was laying on a bed. Sam was sitting next to her reading a book. He sighed in relief.

Sam looked up. "Danny!" She jumped up and gave him a quick hug. "I was worried that you and Tucker disappeared."

"Hard pressed to get rid of me. How is Amber?"

"She got hit by some flying rubble. Would have been worst if Zack hadn't pulled her out before the fires reached her. Poor guy actually got burned." Sam turned to the sleeping girl. "She refused to leave until the entire band had gotten out." She managed a weak chuckle. "Had Rachel drag me out so I wouldn't stay."

"What exactly happened?"

"Not sure. There was a series of loud blasts and then smoke." Sam hugged herself. "It was horrible."

"Danny!" Tucker appeared in the doorway. "Mr. Nicolas is one of the people they can't find."

"Anyone else?"

"Not sure, but no confirmed deaths."

Danny looked at Tucker and then Sam. "Who would do this kind of thing?"

Night fell upon Amity Park as Plasmus floated over the ruins of the high school. He marveled at the shear destruction his bombs had unleashed. He made a note to try and stabilize the raw ectoplasm he used. It was still too unstable. He landed in the rubble that had been the computer labs. A ghost was on his knees in the center of the area. He had a white mullet and a long ponytail that hung just above his waist. Plasmus smiled. His target had been full transformed into a ghost. As he landed, he felt a wave of ecto energy. The shockwave had been more powerful than he had originally planed. If the ghost noticed him, he didn't bother to move. He just kept staring at the rubble.

"Having trouble my friend?"

The ghost glanced back at him. "I'm having trouble remembering things. My mind is a jumble."

"Understandable." Plasmus walked up to him and placed his hand on the ghost's shoulder. "That is why I am here."

"Really?"

"I help those who are in your situation. You have been given a great gift. You are now one of the chosen ones."

"Chosen Ones? What is this, a video game?"

Plasmus held back a sneer. "Just come with me. Everything will be clear in time." The ghost nodded and stood up. Plasmus pulled out a small rod from his belt. He pointed the rod and a green portal appeared. He led the ghost through the portal and it shut behind them.