~ 3 ~

Damien

The walk home (or the ride home, rather) felt like a walk of shame, though it was confusing as there was nothing for me to be ashamed of. The sound of my wheels traveling over the cracks and crevices of the sidewalk was the only thing that stopped me from spacing out, otherwise I'd be daydreaming like mad. I felt horrible for Lily, and as weird as it was because I knew that I shouldn't, I wished I could take whatever pain she felt away. Life wasn't fair… her own brother—taken before she could even get to know him.

What kind of a monster puts someone through that?

And what happened to him? Is he still alive?

No doubt she'd go on some mission with AJ and Max to find out where he is; if that were the case, though, I'd have a moral obligation to help her. I made a note to talk to her about it later on, after she'd taken the time to cool down.

When I saw the semi-million dollar house come into view, drawing closer and closer, I slowed my speed a bit and looked through the front windows. Nothing downstairs was illuminated, but I'd noticed that the room of my father's study had a dim light in the background seeping through the curtains.

Great… he's still awake and he's no doubt going to give me a lecture.

I sighed deeply as I jumped off my skateboard, kicking the lip up and grabbing it firmly. Clutching it in my hand, I draped my backpack over one shoulder as I dug my keys out of the front pocket. I unlocked the door, hearing classical music greet me on the other side. I recognized the symphony almost immediately: Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake. Growing up my father made me listen to classical works to improve my focus; I guess it did something for me after all.

I dropped my backpack on the floor beside me, propping my skateboard up in the corner beside it before heading up the carpeted stairs.

"Dad!" I called aloud.

I got no response. Just the greeting of orchestral strings being swayed by the bow.

I rounded the railing to the door of his study and gave it a stiff three knocks, to which I heard him respond, "come in!" I pushed the door open to see my father, glasses pushed up the bridge of his nose and sitting in his comfy chair as he read a book very commonly known in reference to the paranormal world.

Good. More training, I can tell.

"Hey, Dad," I greeted.

"Son," he gave a nod as he closed the book over his thumb. "How was school?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"I, uh… met some friends. I know you told me to blend in so that I don't come off suspicious—"

"Of course, yes. It's good of you to socialize, son. Keep everything still and calm. Where were you all day?"

"I was studying… well, actually, I was planning—"

"Planning what?" He asked with a raised brow.

"A chemistry project. My partner and I have until the end of the year to finish it."

"You were already assigned a partner? Splendid. Are they going to come around?"

I sighed, shaking my head slowly. My dad had a tendency to say and do things and sometimes they came off more creepy than he intended. It was unbelievable that he was even able to settle down with anyone let alone my mom.

"Dad, listen… you can't expect me to bring anyone around with the kind of… environment that I'm in, you know?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" He almost sounded offended had it not been for the agitation in his voice.

"It means… I don't know, it means that things around here feel hollow. Besides, my partner… she's-she's a girl, and I don't want you getting the wrong idea."

"You feel like this place is… 'hollow' to you? You think you can find something better elsewhere?"

"No, Dad, that's not what I meant —"

"Well by all means, my boy, if you feel like life is so much more perfect on the other side then go there. Go ahead — join them! Know, however, that the grass isn't always greener, and green doesn't always mean something good."

He turned away from me and to the window behind him. I was unclear whether he was looking off into the distance or if he was staring at his own reflection.

"Dad…" I said softly, "you know that's not what I meant."

He gave a dramatic sigh, and I could swear that it came from his heart. Anything coming from my dad's heart was a surprise; most of the time he acted like he didn't have one. I felt awful for hurting his feelings, though I wasn't sure how to word my sentence and knew that I'd done what I could. It was difficult being raised alone by him and not knowing who my mother was and why I wasn't enough to stick around.

It had to be stressful on my dad, knowing that he was doing everything he could and it still wasn't enough.

"Dad, I'm sorry," I atoned, though it almost felt like a surrender. My dad was not a man to take losing lightly, and he had to have the upper hand no matter what. Sometimes, I learned, it was better to just let by-gones be by-gones and bow down to his stance. Fighting back only made it worse in the end — for him and his opponent. His famous quote was one he commonly referred to that was taken from Titanic that is: "I always get what I want, one way or another."

And he does. He really does.

I walked to him gently, steadily — a cat to an insect. Reaching my hand out to him slowly, I was more than surprised when he pivoted, his hand quickly coming up to snatch at my wrist. He straightened my arm with a downward motion, eliciting a cry from my lips. I got onto my knees and he looked in my eyes, as if he were reading the face of a stranger. His expression wasn't that of authority; he seemed like he was looking at me like I resemble someone else he knew.

"Dad," I choked out. I tried not to let the shooting pain in my arm display a sign of weakness.

"You took your eye off of the ball-allowed your opponent to get into your head."

Another lesson? He's about to break my damn arm over a lesson?

"Dad, please—!"

"You do not beg at the hands of another," he spat at me through grit teeth, displeased immensely at my lack of will to fight back. "You do not show empathy to your enemy, no matter who they are… no matter what they say… no matter the circumstance! If you are ever to rule the Ghost Zone and take over the world—to stop anyone who gets in your way—you need to stay focused!"

"Yes!" I called out. I sounded pathetic when I realized my tone was more of a beg.

"'Yes', what?"

"Yes, Father!"

"When I train you, I am to be referred to as 'Master', and you know this."

"Yes, Master," I whimpered.

I almost didn't think this would be enough for him to let me go, but he did. He released the pressure off of my vein, let go of my wrist and watched practically in hunger as I fell onto the ground holding my arm. I was panting in pain, trying to recuperate from the physical and mental trauma I'd endured.

"We train tomorrow evening," he said gruffly, "six-o'-clock. Don't be late."

With that, he exited the study before shutting the door behind him. In the echoing of the halls, I heard him make his way to his bedroom. I sighed, standing to my feet with eyes glued to the door that my father had previously disappeared through. I know that he cares; I know that he loves me. Sometimes, though, when he looks at me, it's like I remind him of an arch nemesis. Sometimes, he looked at me with such hate.

I'd give anything to know the reason why.

…

Lily

Damien was just… incredibly sweet.

I didn't know how or what I'd do to repay him for his kindness, but I owed him big time for helping me stay focused. Luckily, my pissed off mood kept my parents away long enough for us to get the pre-planning for the project done by the end of the night. We finally settled on a "lemon-powered light" and agreed to go to the store to grab materials for it and just split the money down the middle. After the planning, Damien stuck around for just a few minutes longer to check in with me emotionally.

"I'm so sorry, Lil… this is a really sucky situation to be in."

I wiped my eyes, relaxing my body as I sharply sucked in a breath.

"Like I said: not your fault. If my parents choose to lie, then that's their choice."

"Yeah, but you shouldn't have to pay for that. Not like you can't take it; you're a fighter. What's your sign?"

I looked up at him, puzzled by the sudden question. "Huh?"

"Your sign? What is it?"

"I'm a Capricorn."

I drew back. "Hey, me too."

I chuckled a bit, pleased that I could tally one more thing we share in common. "I didn't even know that guys could be interested in astrology."

"Not a lot," he gave me a wink, "but some."

I responded in a light smile, but I wished there was more that I could muster. It's not easy pretending to be happy knowing that your whole life was not what you thought it was. I was more than worried; there wasn't a word for how I felt. You ever wake up one morning thinking that everything you're seeing is real only to find out it was a figment of your imagination? I guess that's as close as can be. I don't think that Damien understood, but he tried to. It meant a lot to know that he was giving some sort of sentiment when he could have easily folded and dipped.

My hands grabbed each other, fingers lacing through as I twiddled my thumbs. Damien gave me a slight nudge before he got up and grabbed his backpack. Slipping it over his shoulders, he shot me a concerning look before transforming into his ghost half. I hiccupped, my ghost sense indicating the presence of another paranormal being as per usual.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Yeah," I sighed defeatedly, "but I'm going to have to be. As long as I let myself down, I'll lose focus on what really matters. If it's fate that I find my brother one day, then so be it, you know?"

He gave a nod in agreement, his overall demeanor optimistic and brightening.

"I'll see you at school Monday, okay?"

"How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? Yeah, sure."

"I'll invite Max and AJ, too. I think it'll be nice to get us all together and warm up to each other… plus Max is hardcore gushing over you."

"Yeah, I noticed."

Ending the conversation on a positive note, Damien gave a brief "bye" before turning intangible and soaring through the ceiling and into the night sky above the house. I deeply exhaled, a rushing wave of relief floating over my body before I rolled onto my stomach from my back. I faced the window and used the distraction of the twinkling stars, counting them one by one. Each star that I saw reminded me of a memory growing up—a memory that lacked a soulmate. A brother. A partner.

I'd wondered how many things I'd missed out on that I could've enjoyed with a twin, much less a big brother. My whole life I'd felt like I knew only a part of myself, and I finally found the answers I was looking for.

So… why did I feel so empty still? Why, now, did I have more questions than I ever did?

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts, forcing me to elicit a more pleasant voice than I thought I could muster at the time. "Come in."

When I heard the door open, I craned my head back to see my dad approaching me slowly with his hands in the pocket of his black sweatpants.

"Hey, honey," his voice was comforting, gruff and inviting, like we didn't just have the conversation that we did twenty minutes prior.

I didn't speak. I decided for once in my life to just listen. I didn't think it would do me any good, and it certainly wouldn't make me feel better, but I trusted my parents… especially my own father. If there was any justification that would rationalize him lying to me, I guess he deserved to be heard out. Besides, sometimes to protect the ones that we love, the wrong choice to make is made for the end to justify the means.

"Listen… I know that you're upset with me and your mother… and there's probably a million thoughts going through your head." I felt my mattress dip low to my right where my pillows rested carelessly against the sheets. My father was sitting beside me. "You just… you have to understand, Bear, that your mother and I had to make a very, very tough decision… a decision we made keeping you in mind. We didn't want whoever took Luke to come after you, too… so I stopped ghost fighting—we stopped ghost fighting—and moved us away from Amity Park. Your uncle came not too long after… a way to help you adjust, I suppose."

I buried my face into my decorative pillow, which by comparison was much smaller than my face. My father hadn't called me "Bear" since I was a child; it stemmed from "Lily Bear" because throughout my youthful years I was notorious for lots of cuddles. In almost every family photo, I was cuddling my mother or father, my grandpa or grandma…

My father only called me Bear when he was in an emotional state, as tears usually followed not long after—from him and from me.

"All we've ever wanted was to protect you… both of you… and I failed. I blame myself every single day for what happened to your brother… and I didn't want to lose you, too."

I could hear a quiver in my father's voice.

Oh, no… he was crying.

I hated seeing my parents cry; it was beyond hard to keep it together. They carried my strength for me, and I was so used to that that seeing them cry freaked me out. Sometimes I forgot, though, that my parents are still human. All these years, my father being hard on me… being demanding and rigorous with my training… my dad was a shell, and I was too stubborn to notice.

My dad was broken. He blamed himself.

Boy, did it hurt feeling like a jackass.

I pulled my head up, preparing myself mentally to face my broken, damaged father, who I now saw in a different light. I leaned up, seeing nothing but a man who was lost and incomplete. His face was redder than a ripe tomato; his heart pounding so aggressively that I could practically see it hop in his chest. I couldn't maintain a rock-solid stature when I saw how devastated he was.

My head tilted slightly, eyebrows furrowing and tears begging to stream down my cheeks. "Daddy…" I cooed sympathetically with a knot in my throat. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder. I felt him heave in and out, a choked sob leaving his lips as he brushed the back of my head gently.

"I love you so much, Bear…" he sniffled. "Please… I don't want to lose you, too."

I was shell-shocked. I didn't know what to say or what to do. I've painted my parents as liars—it was me against them. Now that I could see their vulnerability, I didn't know what to feel anymore. Inside, though, I felt the same turmoil of emotions my father did. More so, I've never seen my father as nerve-wracked as he was then. As I held him in my arms and ran my hands up and down his back, I felt like the same little girl who loved him and believed that he shielded her.

We grieved together. It was never about me versus them. They were always on my side.

It's why I'm here now.

"You won't, Daddy," I whispered back. "I promise."

Shit… I have so much making up to do…

…

"No. Way."

I heard Max's voice chime in staggering shock on the other end of the receiver. Upbeat pop music was playing in the background, along with the voice of a pint-sized princess—her little sister Marlene. She was giggling in the background, which I could only rule out came from her dancing like a maniac. What I wouldn't give to feel that again.

AJ was on his end and his background was filled with galactic pew-pews and buuurngs. He was playing some form of Galaga, I could tell; he was always such a mole for eight-bit video games. As soon as he heard me let the cat out of the bag, though, he paused the game and listened in silence. "Seriously?" He followed Max's lead after a few seconds.

"Yeah… it's true after all, AJ. You called it."

"When did you find all of this out?" Max asked.

"I don't know-an hour ago? Damien was here when it happened. We were working on our science project. We had a… sort of mishap. He turned invisible when my mother came into the room and she let the name 'Luke' kind of slip out. I went downstairs with her, my dad was there and… the rest is history."

"Are you, like, super cheesed at them?"

I mentally groaned. I loved Max, but sometimes her lingo made me want to kick myself. It was so "valley girl"-like. "No. Not as much as I was. My dad literally sobbed; I don't think I've ever seen him so hurt. I think he just didn't want me to hate him… and felt so bad that he'd kept it from me all this time."

"Do you think my dad knows?" AJ questioned cautiously.

"Oh, he knows. He was there when me and my brother were born-gone with my dad the night that he was taken."

"Shit… and he never told me anything, either?" He sounded violated. "Can we trust our parents with anything anymore?"

"So, what are you going to do?" Max questioned curiously. She, of course, was expecting the next step in a preconceived "grand plan" she just knew I was cooking up. Suppose she wouldn't be my best friend if she didn't suspect it because I was cooking up a plan.

I tightened my lips, my eyes scanning from left to right before me. I searched my dark-colored carpet so deeply you'd think I was searching for my brother's location within the crevices and indents. Best friends don't keep secrets, and they don't let you get yourself into trouble… well alone, at least.

"I'm going to find him."

"What!?" The two of them called out simultaneously. AJ was the first to speak out.

"Uh, Lil, I don't think that's such a good idea—"

"It's a terrible idea!" Max added. "Never mind how endless the Ghost Zone is—do you know how dangerous a mission like that could be? Your father has kept you hidden for years, and by going in there asking questions you're going to completely unravel all of that!"

"Guys, I don't have a choice! If my brother is out there somewhere, then I'm going to find him! What if he's in trouble? What if he needs us!?"

"Lily, come on," AJ scoffed half-heartedly. "You're talking to, like, the king of stupid decisions who's actively telling you this is a stupid. Decision. It's worse than stupid, actually—it's suicide!"

"Not to mention what will happen if your dad finds out; he will literally make the three of us full ghosts!"

"They're never going to know because one of you is going to come up with a decoy plan."

"A what?" AJ asked.

"I need someone to lie to my parents and tell them that I'm going on an early summertime getaway—a camping trip or waterpark visit or something."

"Uh, no no no," Max replied fumbily. "I can't lie to my mom. I'm a horrible liar."

"AJ will lie to my parents, you'll lie to his parents, and I'll lie to your mom. We'll tell the others' that we're going on a trip with another friend from school—someone we're not close to, but we are well-acquainted with. Preferably someone that none of our parents have established contact with. Friday night my parents are going out on a date. We'll meet at the hilltop that overlooks the city, I'll open a tear and we'll jump in. I'll make sure to bring some ghost equipment."

"I don't know about this, Lily—"

"Yeah, it seems way too risky," AJ cut in.

"If you aren't on board, then just say no. I'll figure out how to cover myself. Just know that if I go alone, I'll have a higher chance of something happening to me."

They were silent, and I could tell that I'd won. The both of them know better than to question my motives or my decisions; when I'm dead set on something, I'll do what it takes to achieve it even if it means acting alone. I'd never make my friends do something they aren't comfortable with doing, but I know they'd never let me take a journey by myself.

"She's right," AJ broke the cackling silence, his mouth being stuffed with some sort of crunchy snack I'd assumed were chips. "If we don't go, she'll still find a way to make it happen. At least this way we can watch her back."

"You can't be serious," Max stated incredulously.

"Max, I don't agree with this any more than you do, but if she's going on a mission that's even remotely high risk then I'm not letting her go alone."

"I…" she started, but gave a deep sigh. I could still hear Marlene hopping around in the background and Max turned away from the microphone to shush her. The rambunctious behavior died down after a brief exchange in Spanish. "Por que? Solo me estoy divirtiendo."

"Deja de saltar. Sabes que mamá odia eso!"

"Oy, Max," AJ attempted to grab her attention, "you're in America, speak American!"

I'd be offended for Max if I didn't know AJ well enough to know he was being satirical.

She completely ignored him. "Acuéstate a dormir!"

"Si hermana mayor," Marlene responded in pure defeat.

"Muchas gracias, mija. Te quiero."

"Hey!" AJ yelled out again. "I said what I said—"

"AJ, shut up," I scolded. "They can speak in their native tongue in their own home; you're just mad the only thing you can speak is English and nerd."

"Uh, I'll have you know that I'm getting an A in German so… nein."

"Hey," Max rejoined the conversation in English, "you forgot to mute your mic on your end, puto. I can speak Spanish all I want to. And FYI, we speak English in America, not American."

"I rest my case," he responded boldly.

Max let out a very audible sigh and I can tell her mental dilemma was coming to a close. "Alright. I'm in."

"Good," I lied back against my pillow, smiling softly. I could always rely on my friends to help me in my time of need, and this way if I get into a pickle they'll be there to help me out. "There's one more thing. I think I know who else can help me out…"

…

Damien

The following day (after much needed rest on everyone's behalf), I met outside of Lily's house and waited around for a little bit until she was ready. I double-checked the text message I'd sent her merely twenty minutes before where I'd told her that I was on my way; she'd responded "okay" and left it at that. I rested idly on the sidewalk in front of her house, pacing back and forth to pass the time. Pretty soon I switched it up, riding back and forth on my skateboard and performing manuals and kickflips. I knew I probably looked creepy and stuck out like a sore thumb, but I wasn't entirely sure what else to do. Nothing like practicing some skills before they die out, though.

I was taken completely off guard when I saw the front door swing open from about fifteen feet away off to the side. The door swung open and out stepped Lily, wearing a pair of red and white Converse sneakers, a black zip-up hoodie with white stitching and beige cotton-made joggers that hugged her ankles. I chuckled at her attire. It wasn't bad—it was just different. Everything about Lily was different, and I think that's why her and I resonated so much.

She jogged down the steps, smiling as I came into view.

"Hey," she greeted with her hands stuffed in the pockets of her coat.

"Hey," I said back. "Fancy flying? I'd offer a ride, but uh… all I have is this skateboard." I gestured towards my limited edition Rob Burnquist design board. She let out a laugh, shaking her head left and right. "What?"

"I never learned how to skateboard," she confided.

"Shut up."

"I'm serious."

I raised an eyebrow at her, putting my skateboard on the ground wheels down before grabbing her hands.

"Let's fix that."

"Uh, no," a wave of panic seeped into her voice. "I suck! What if I fall and get hurt?"

"Relax. You're not gonna fall; I'm right here beside you. Just follow my lead."

I bent down to tap her left calf and pointed to the top end of the board. She picked her foot up to plant it, but I held my hand out to stop her.

"Are you left or right-handed?"

"Right."

He smiled. "I'm left, so I skate goofy."

"Goofy?"

"It's jargon. It just means you skate the other way around."

I moved my hand and she placed her left foot at the top. The wheels swiveled back and forth, causing her to react suddenly but I braced my foot in front of the wheels to stop her. Still holding her hands, I verbally guided. "Now put your right foot on the board."

"I don't know about this, Damien—"

"Do you trust me?"

She blinked, her mouth dropping open slightly before closing together again. "What?"

"Do you trust me?"

She laughed a bit. "Define 'trust'."

"Okay, I understand we just met yesterday but… do you trust that I'm looking out for you? Trust that I won't let you get hurt?"

She smiled, giving me a nod. "Yes."

"Okay… then watch me. I'm gonna stand in front of you and walk backwards, okay?"

Gently and slowly, I began pulling her along with me as I back-walked ahead of her. Her facial expressions were a mixture of surprise to nervousness to straight happiness, and I loved watching the different forms that they took. She gripped my hands hard, her nails practically digging into the back of them. I wasn't phased; if a vice grip was enough to make her feel comfortable with me, then I'd deal with it.

"You're doing great," I praised her with a grin.

Her nervous, shaky breathing made me feel as if she thought otherwise.

She really was doing incredibly well for being an amateur. Her balance was already exactly where it needed to be and it's clear that ghost fighting played a large role in that. She was almost rock steady—so much so that I don't think me standing before her really even did much to help her.

"Okay… I'm gonna let go."

"No, no-!" She cried out in protest, but I shushed her to calm her down.

"Relax," I reassured her, "I'm still here, but you've got this."

"I can't do this by myself, Damien."

"You're never going to learn until you try it, and I wouldn't do this if I didn't believe you had it in you."

I looked for hopelessness in her eyes, but I saw nothing but fight. Lily was beyond smart and impressively agile. It was true that if I didn't have faith in her then I would've held on tighter for much longer. I knew she believed in herself the same way I believed in her.

Very gradually, as if to wean, I let her go and continued to stay before her. She maintained her balance and giddily harked, taking a relieving exhale that came straight from her soul.

"Excellent job, Lil… now use your right foot to kick off and keep moving. Keep your left foot planted and make sure to bend your knees."

"How far?"

"'Til I tell you to stop," I teased.

After about ten minutes of going back and forth in front of her house, her cell phone chimed enthusiastically. It, of course, was a telltale sign that her friends were still waiting on her and that she was taking longer than expected. She rolled up to me at a steady speed, where I was waiting for her on her porch steps. Planting her foot on the ground, she stopped herself and kicked the board up to carry it in her arms.

"Look at you-you might just be the new Bam Margera."

"Please," she rolled her eyes with a light-hearted scoff. Digging her phone out of her jacket pocket, she saw the multiple missed texts from AJ and Max. "Oh. We should get going."

It was too bad; I enjoyed spending some time alone with her… in a totally-not-creepy-flirtatious way. It was insane just how close we quickly became. Of course it wasn't to the point that we were sharing secrets and having sleepovers, but I felt comfortable around Lily. I felt like I could be myself and I could tell her everything free from judgement. She was reliable, smart and incredibly kind. She knew how to do the right things and frequently did. She always attempted to make the choice with the least number of casualties and understood the sacrifices that needed to be made as a hero. In a lot of ways, I saw a version of myself when he looked at her. It was surreal had we'd become so close in less than twenty-four hours of knowing one another.

Of course, to be fully included into the flock, I'd have to get AJ's approval, as well.

…

At Ralphie's, Max was given the privilege of picking the booth we got to sit at. As per usual ̶ in accordance to Lily's reliability ̶ Max always picked the window seats closest to the car. The entire time that she spoke she was wrapping her hair around her fingers and chewing her gum almost obnoxiously. I didn't mind it, but Lily was getting abundantly bothered. AJ was just tapping away at his phone, the same thing he typically did with or without company.

Even though I'd just moved to Saxton, I had to admit that I was a sucker for the diner food. Ralphie's makes their milkshakes completely from scratch, starting with their ice cream blend and ending with a single cherry drizzle. Because I was tight on money and I hadn't gotten a job yet, Lily was nice enough to split the dessert drink with me. We drank from separate straws enjoying the same mouth-watering flavor of strawberry and blueberry blend; it was ideal that we both had the same taste in ice cream flavors.

Ideal… and also kind of weird.

"So… Damien," Max asked in a sultry tone. "Do you have your eye on anyone in school?"

Lily peeked up at her menacingly, giving her daggers that could burn through drywall. I gave a slight chuckle, unaware of whether to respond in seriousness or satire.

"I don't have my eye on anything but my studies. My dad says it's important to be educated."

"He's not wrong," AJ muttered, still not looking up from his screen.

At the moment we were just killing time as we waited for our food, but I felt that Lily had brought us all together for something more than just chit-chat. The entire walk down to the diner, Lily had been going on and on about wondering about her brother — where he was and what he was thinking. I felt bad that I couldn't give her the answers she so desperately needed, but the immense support she felt from her friends and from me was enough to keep her strong.

As if the universe were sending a sign, Lily finally addressed what was truly on her mind.

"So… confession time: I didn't bring all of you here just to get to know each other, although I think that's super important." She folded her hands together and leaned onto the tabletop, turning her head to me. "I talked to AJ and Max last night. I'm setting up a mission — a mission to find my brother. I'm going to need all the help I can find… and I want you by my side, too."

"What?" I asked shockingly. It was one thing to help her fight ghosts and take them back to the Ghost Zone, but to travel with her on a full-fledged missing person's case was a lot to ask. She barely knew me; why would she trust me with such a big assignment?

"Uh… not that I would refuse to help you if you truly needed it, but why me? That seems like a lot to take on for someone you just met yesterday."

"You're the only other halfa that I know without going to my father, and we all know that's not possible. My Aunt Dani is all the way in California; I can't ask my grandparents, not that they could be of much help other than lend me equipment that my father already has."

I wished more than anything for a mirror so that I could see just how horrified I looked at the moment. It was more than an insane idea — it was likely a death wish. Putting aside the fact that the Ghost Zone would be impossible to cover without guidance, the amount of enemies that we could run into were endless.

I turned to look at Max and AJ, both of which were sitting across from Lily and I, and Max just shrugged her shoulders. AJ inserted his opinion with a, "we tried to tell her."

"I… Lily, this is crazy."

"I know," she sighed. "I know it's crazy… but my brother is out there. I can feel it. He needs me."

"How do you propose we go about this? We're gonna need a way to protect ourselves—"

"My dad's ghost equipment. We can stock up before we go."

"He's going to wonder where all that stuff has gone," Max added.

"He won't be home all day. Plus, my grandparents usually trade equipment with my mom and dad all the time, so they'll just assume that it's over at their house. Trust me — I've mapped all of this out."

Lily dug through her camo green backpack on the floor, pulling the main zipper back and rummaging through some papers. She removed a quad-folded paper from within and laid it out on the tabletop, unraveling it until it was out flat. Her handiwork showed a penciled layout of the GZ, along with the chambers of many significant figures that dwelled: Clockwork, the ghost of time, Frostbite and his snow valley, and in the far top left corner circled four-times-over with permanent red marker was the GZCF — Ghost Zone Correctional Facility. It was an industrial prison complex where ghosts in the GZ were locked up for conspiracies and disturbing the peace; the prison was run by none other than Walker, a high-profile notorious warden.

Lily pointed to a portal opening with her polished index finger and spoke allowed as she followed her words.

"This is the portal to the Ghost Zone that can be accessed from my parents' basement. Our first route is going to be to the Valley of Beasts. There we'll find my father's companion Frostbite, and he can lend us the Ghost Zone Infimap. Route two will be straight to Clockwork's Lair, where we'll request that he takes us back to the day where my brother was kidnapped so I can attempt to identify the ghost that was involved. From there, I'll sneak into the GZCF's directory master control center to look through the inmate booking system. I want to see if I can cross-reference the names and faces with who I see in the vision. There would have to be some way for us to find him — maybe he mentioned a name or an accomplice in passing. My hope is to find him locked up there; if he's not, well… then I go to Plan B."

"What's 'plan B'?" AJ had long put his phone down in his lap as he turned into Lily's elaborate plan.

"We infiltrate enemy territory."

"Who?"

"The only other person that I know who could be responsible: Vlad Plasmius."

"You're not seriously going to go after Plasmius? Plasmius? The man that terrorized the Ghost Zone and the human world for years over?"

"He's the only one smart enough and careful enough to plan something so detailed, and he has connections with other rivals. If my guesstimate is right, then he's got something much bigger waiting for us, and somehow my brother is involved in it. Wherever he is, we need to find him."

It was true. I'd heard many stories of Vlad Plasmius from my father — told me all of the things he'd done for power. The version that I'd heard, though, painted him as a martyr. He was a ghost that was damned to the Ghost Zone for eternity and sought to unify the two dimensions so that separation and discrimination between both the paranormal and the normal would be obsolete.

Now, he was a forbidden name in the human world.

Rumor has it, though, that he still thrives in the Ghost Zone.

We halted our in-depth conversation when the waitress returned to the table to present our food, laying it out accordingly. After expressing our gratitude and leaving her to walk away, we reverted back.

I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest.

"This is so incredibly stupid, aye dios mio," Max mumbling guttingly. "It's a suicide mission."

"Then I die trying," Lily shrugged. "I'm not keen on letting anything happen to you guys. Now," she said cockily with her eyebrows raised, "any questions?"

AJ raised his hand. "Frostbite will never give us the Infimap. Remember that quad-dimensional trip around the Ghost Zone? Frostbite has completely lost trust in letting it fall into anyone else's hands."

"I have ways of persuading others, and I'm sure he'll make an exception for me. Next?"

I was next to raise mine. "What's your plan if Walker and the rest of the prison staff catch us?"

"Escape like hell as quickly as possible," she spoke in a half-confident tone.

"That's your grand plan for getting busted?" Max asked. "Run like hell?"

"Only plan that's worked for me."

"This is insane…" AJ shook his head almost grumpily.

"If you guys aren't all in, let me know; I will do this alone if I need to."

The remaining three of us looked at each other in silence, unsure of what else to say or ask. This was an incredibly high-risk plan. Forget the fact that it's relying on members of the Ghost Zone to aid us (in which there's no guarantee of such a thing occurring), it requires trust, agility and most importantly pure luck.

Luck, like many tangible and intangible things in life, runs short sooner or later.

AJ breathed sharply, sucking down the rest of his hot fudge chocolate milkshake before shrugging his shoulders and very matter-of-factly stating: "I mean… her mind is made up. Max," he turned to his blonde-haired Latina beauty beside him, "you know just as well as me that when Lily says she's going to follow through with something, she typically does."

Max rolled her lightly-colored hazel eyes, thrusting her back assertively against the cushion of the seat. "Jesuchristo… yeah, okay."

Lily's gaze fell to me and suddenly I felt as if I were put in an overwhelming spotlight.

I hated being on a stage.

"You in?" She asked plainly. How could she sound so mundane with something so crazy?

I let out a scoffing laugh — the kind that highlights just how ridiculous the words previously fed to your eardrums was beyond horrendous. I shook my head slowly at her, the flooding emotion of frustration and the sheer look of disbelief painted on my face.

"You really don't quit, do you?"

The amethyst-eyed princess gave me the pearliest smile. "Nope."

I looked at AJ, who had awkwardly returned to his cellular game in silence, then Max who was using her straw to break apart chunks of ice cream in her cherry garcia milkshake. Neither one of them showed any indication of protest any longer, and it made me feel even more cornered.

Even if I'd said no — even if I'd expressed my concerns, it would be three against one.

I sighed deeply. I knew immediately that I'd come to regret my decision.

"Okay."

…

I was in deep shit.

Like really, really deep shit.

I'd completely forgot about my father's lesson, and it was going on seven-thirty.

He's gonna kill me, I just know it.

I skated as quickly as possible to my home, avoiding hazards as I saw them. I didn't stop to breathe, think or recuperate; I knew that as soon as I walked through the door, I was going to be in for it. My dad took training very seriously, and when he set a date and a time he expected it to be upheld.

I'd gotten so caught up with AJ, Max and Lily that I'd lost track of time. After Ralphie's we went to the empty playground a few blocks from the elementary school and goofed around before prepping for a ghost patrol. Soon enough it was going on a quarter-after-seven and time was ticking towards my imminent doom.

When I finally got to the front of my house, I slowed down before kicking the board up and carrying it in my hands. I jogged up the endless foyer steps, finding the already unlocked door preparing for my arrival. I stepped inside and didn't hesitate before tossing my back and skateboard off to the side and transforming into my ghost half, turning intangible and phasing down into the basement.

There, in front of an open ghost portal, was my father with his back facing towards me. He noted that I was here when the wisp of cold air left his mouth with an upper-body jolt. As my heart raced, I dug around in my mind for just one of the fleeting thoughts that highlighted excuses for my tardiness.

"Dad, I'm so sorry. I completely lost track of time."

He didn't respond in any way — verbally or physically. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.

No response usually meant that my father was beyond the epitome of pissed.

I hovered to the ground, my feet landing to the tile below. Walking slowly towards him, I felt the looming feeling of fear drip over me. It was indescribable just how hard it was to breathe, and I didn't know if it was the tension in the room or my lungs giving out. I loved my father and knew that he meant well, but he became a very scary person if you crossed him. It's not that I'd intentionally done so — in the past, however, he has had many of whom he'd trusted screw him over, and developed a very abrasive demeanor because of it.

I could feel his mood shift from across the room, and had I known what I did about my father I would've ran for the hills.

Running, I came to learn, only makes the prey more desirable.

When I was close enough to him to be within arm's reach, I opened my mouth to continue on before he very suddenly pivoted and smacked me across the face as hard as he could muster. It had taken me completely off guard and I reacted harshly, my body moving in direction with the blow. I had to re-plant my feet to recover, tasting the metallic substance of what I'd assumed was blood welling in my mouth. At first I didn't know where it came from; I realized I had bit my tongue almost immediately after contact.

I paused, my head turned down to the ground in inferiority. I heaved roughly before I gathered a quarter-sized amount of saliva and spit the concoction onto the floor. I felt hot, like my skin could fry an egg.

"When I tell you to be at a certain place at a certain time, you obey!" He hissed. His deep voice echoed throughout the room, maximizing the volume to an almost unbearable level.

I slowly lifted my head to look at him.

"You must not understand the gravity of what I'm trying to teach you," he continued on. "Do you not understand that this world is full of people who despise you simply for being a part of me?"

"Yes, sir," I affirmed like a kicked dog.

"Do you want to be chastised?"

"No, sir."

"Do you want to be lynched!?"

"No, sir."

"Do you want to succeed in making the ones who've taken everything from you and your father pay for their wrongdoings? Do you want revenge!?"

My eyes welled with tears. "Yes, sir."

He placed both his hands on either side of my head, lifting my gaze to his.

"Then do as I say and you will achieve it."

Whilst holding me, he transformed to his ghost half, and I watched as his turquoise eyes morphed to a deep red and his light apricot skin gradually faded into a low saturated teal. His appearance in his ghost form was as unsettling and cold as an arctic storm. He released me, taking my hand and guiding me to the entrance of the portal. As if to check to see if I were ready, his dark orbs scanned my body before he hoisted me up into the air with him and led me into the portal. I showed up into the vastly green atmosphere on the other side that many paranormal experts identified to be the Ghost Zone. Normally, my father would give me free reign to follow alongside him. We must have been going somewhere I didn't know because he continued to pull me along like a hitched vehicle.

Passing structures and other beings I didn't recognize — transitioning into a dark and foggy area of the Ghost Zone — we finally slowed down when we saw a concrete building that closely resembled a castle come into view. I didn't exactly know what part of the Ghost Zone I was in, but I'd heard about it. It was the Forbidden Depth — the darkest parts of the GZ that even the most experienced and fearless ghosts don't dwell. The books talked about this place; it was limbo's comparison of Hell with lack thereof. The evilest, most vile ghosts were banished to this part of the Ghost Zone and didn't dare try to blend amongst the masses. They were ostracized — ignored by the finer parts of the GZ.

Classism existed even when you were dead.

When we arrived at the upward paved steps that led to a four-story long door, my father let me go and I continued to hover off the ground. I looked in mermerization at the structure before me; I don't think I'd ever seen anything so beautiful.

"I waited until you were old enough to understand," he began before he came face to face with the door and knocked loudly. After several seconds, a looking slot pulled back and a pair of glowing eyes were revealed on the other side. My dad uttered something I couldn't make out but sounded close to the words "he's here" before the slot closed and the door began to open. It seemed as if the whole dimension around me shook like an earthquake had rushed through and I waited to see who was on the other side.

When the door opened all the way, a colony of infamous ghosts waited on the other side: Skulker, Johnny Thirteen and his partner Kitty, Ember McClain…

They were all here, seemingly waiting. For whom, was my main concern.

Behind them stood what the modern-day ghosts called The Three Heralds: Nocturn, the ghost of sleep, Undergrowth, the ghost of plants, and Freakshow, the ghost of illusive reality.

The amount of discomfort that I'd felt was more than what I could describe, and I was on high alert. The good in me — the hero I wanted to be — wanted to take all of these ghosts down. My father seemed to sense my posture and held an arm out to keep me stable.

"Relax, son — they aren't here to hurt you… or me."

"Dad, you do know who these people are, right?"

"The enemy of our enemy is our friend," he responded indirectly. "Remember that." He turned to me, holding my arms as he gave me an intense glare. "And who is our enemy?"

"I…" I stammered, my sense overloading with tension. "I don't—"

"Yes, you do," he gritted through his teeth, eyebrows knitting together. "Tell me who our enemy is!"

I briefly remember a flash of events leading up to now and all of the memories that I'd seen growing up — the stories that I'd heard. Stories of my father being struck down and attacked. Stories of him being stolen from and framed as a liar. Stories of him losing everything he'd ever known all because of one rival.

Then I remembered the securing snug of my father's arms when I was afraid. I remembered the countless times he'd try to protect me; the countless times that he nurtured me and helped me grow. I remembered the training, the sparring, the testing… I remembered what we did everything to prepare ourselves for.

Growing up, my father told me that I was an important icon. He told me that I was destined to be a king. I didn't understand what it meant at the time, but now I do. When the old king disappeared from the Ghost Zone, he stepped down. My father was able to succeed his throne through wit and fight. He showed the members of the Ghost Zone — showed the Observers — that he was capable of harnessing the very power they'd feared he'd have. In his aging years he has passed the privilege onto me — his only heir. My father told me that he, our greatest enemy, was yet to be done — that one day, he would return to reclaim what was his and overthrow the balance of power.

Now, I had a duty to protect the Ghost Zone at any cost.

Through peering eyes that were hooded beneath my brows, I just knew that green had nestled into my corneas. A burning glow raced through my body; a natural desire to guard the only family that I knew.

"Danny Phantom."

A/N: Thanks for reading, y'all, and I appreciate the ones that leave reviews because I def want to know what you guys think! Thanks guys. :-)