Wow... Another chapter. Again, just had to write this before I forgot.

Chapter 10 - Skulker

The Observant was quiet for a while then, a look of peaceful contemplation in his single, bulbous eye.

Clockwork looked on, absentmindedly shifting into this middle-aged form, his long white beard disappearing in favor of a clean shaven chin while he prepared his answer to the Observant's next question. He already knew exactly what to say, but it was a way to pass the Time.

He looked up at the Observant as he was pulled abruptly out of his reverie by a sudden thought. He looked a little confused at first, then stared at Clockwork, his eye narrowing. To him, Clockwork appeared deep in thought. "Clockwork," he said, to get the Master of Time's attention.

"You already have it," replied Clockwork.

"What?" asked the Observant, puzzled.

"My attention," Clockwork said. "You've had it ever since you had the thought to enter my lair."

The Observant didn't quite get it, but by now he was somewhat used to Clockwork's ambiguous manner of speech. Thus, he went on with his question. "The boy has problems with his sanity now that different dimensions are merging."

"That didn't sound much like a question," Clockwork said, knowing it would irritate the Observant.

"I wasn't finished!" replied the Observant angrily, reddening as much as one with green skin can.

Clockwork chuckled and waved his hand. "Go on," he said.

Glaring at him, the Observant continued. "The girl, as well, goes insane in many more timelines than the half-ghost boy. Why does she not have the same problem?"

"The answer is fairly simple," answered Clockwork," to one such as I, being able to see what has happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen. Past, present, and future. Now as simple to you, perhaps. Certainly long. This time that we are all focusing upon is the primary line. All other times concerning Danny split off of this one. In the timelines where Danny's loved ones died, only in about half of them did he lose his mind, becoming evil. The ones where he didn't gave him more time before the crossroads of good and evil within his mind. In most of the timelines concerning the girl in this situation, her ghost was driven insane much more quickly, because of her lack of power and control over her, to put it one way, life. She dealt with her insanity long ago, gaining the ability to control the power her insanity gave her while not becoming insane herself. I expect her to assist Danny in controlling his. But that is not for a little while yet. Come, watch the story unfold."

--

Skulker watched as the boy fell to Earth, as he hit said Earth with a resounding crack, as the dark asphalt gave way to form around the halfa.

He sighed, looking down at his lower torso, which was no longer there. It was a long way back to the Ghost Zone. Even once he got there, his island was a fair trek in. He was about to turn to leave, but not before his software picked up... Bones. Clinking and rattling together as the ghosts they belonged to marched in tempo, then began to run.

Refocusing the technology in his eyes to find the source of the noise, he found exactly what he had hoped not to find. A few skeleton thugs from the army of Pariah Dark had discovered the boy.

His prey!

He watched, helpless, as they ran forward to subdue his prey. If they managed to get him to the Ghost King, there would be no chance to hunt him ever again. No, only one possible chance. If Pariah Dark used him up, burned him out under the pressures of too young a general in his army, he might let him go. But then, there would be no witty banter, no sport, no fun in the hunt. There would be no value to a ghost like that.

There was only one thing he could do. He hated to do it, but he would have to. Turning from his prey, he fired his jet pack and flew the opposite direction, towards FentonWorks.

--

He tried to land, then realized he couldn't with no legs. He had no backup backup suit. On second thought...

Note to self: get Technus to create backup backup suit, he entered into the keypad on his arm.

Nevertheless, he hovered at what he hoped was the right level in front of the front door and knocked. He had had thoughts to just phase through the door, but, when entering the home of enemies, it was best to be polite, he reasoned. On the second knock, the door was opened by a female ghost with black hair, clad in black and crimson.

"Hel-" she started to say, before her eyes widened. "Skulker?!" she said, astonished.

"Umm, yeah. I-" began Skulker, before she pulled him inside, slamming the door and shoving him up against the wall.

"What are you here for, Skulker?" she asked menacingly. "Looking for Danny? What, you were tired of looking for him, so you came to his house? So kind of you to knock, but sorry, he's not here right now." Her eyes now black from there original red with fury, she pulled up her free hand into a fist. Skulker realized that she was holding him up with one hand.

She continued. "I'm sure I can compensate for that, though. I think I know what he would have said. Here, try the knuckle sandwich!" With that, she quickly jabbed her fist forward, to punch him in the face.

Skulker barely managed to stop it with his hand, and even so, the force of it dented his metal palm. "Wait!" he cried, just in time to freeze her next strike.

"Hmmm?" she asked.

"I'm not here for him! I've already fought him today!" He internally winced. Probably not the best thing to say in front of an angry, somewhat overprotective female ghost.

Her eyes narrowed. "Oh really?" She asked, looking him over and loosening her grip a little. "Well, I guess he's made his mark on you. But if your battle is over then why isn't he here? Why are you? You should be in the Ghost Zone. Is he injured?" Her grip tightened once again and she looked up at him expectantly. "Well?"

"I, uh..."

She shook him. "Spit it out!"

"Near the end of our fight, he..." He explained Danny's strange power, his changes of heart, as it seemed, how he passed out, and that Pariah's skeleton thugs were currently bringing Danny to the Ghost King. By the time he had finished, she had set him down fairly gently, a look of contemplation upon her face.

He spoke up. "Shouldn't you be going to rescue him or something?"

She frowned, looking down to him. "What do you care?"

"He's my prey. I'm not going to let someone else just take my prey. Even it they are the Ghost King's minions." He sniffed, a little offended that he had to explain.

"Hmmm," she said.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Go help the whelp!"

She shook her head. "Nah. One, he'll get here on his own in a minute, and two..." She shoved him up against the wall again. "If you ever call him 'whelp' in front of me again, I'll make you so sorry that you became a hunter I the first place that you'll probably take up gardening or something."

Her voice had dropped to a menacing whisper, enough that he had to lean closer to hear.

"You got that?" she said loudly, causing him to jump.

Satisfied that if his boots had been there, he would have been shaking in them, she smiled pleasantly and said, "Why don't I set you down on the couch? As soon as Danny gets back we'll get you back to the Ghost Zone, no problemo." Not waiting for an answer, did as she had said.

Settling down onto the couch opposite, she assured him, "Don't worry. You won't have long to wait." Though the word were more or less cheerful, Skulker detected a grim tone to her voice. He had already been a little confused, but now? Determined that he would be here for a long time, no matter what the female said, he laid his head back and closed his eyes.

Less than a minute later, he heard a slight commotion over by the front door. He looked up in time to see his prey, dirty and tired, stumble, intangible, through the front door, collapsing on the floor.

"All right," Skulker yelled. "Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on here?"

So what do you think?

Have a happy New Year!

-Flaming Water