I hope y'all are ready for one of the big milestone chapters I've been waiting to write for over three months. This was a fun one!


The remainder of the school week came and went in the blink of an eye. Wes stared at his reflection in the locker room Friday afternoon, half an hour before the game was scheduled to start.

He couldn't lie, he was nervous. He'd practically thrown the last game, and he'd done it with Danny watching, after bragging about how good he was. And Danny would probably be there for this game, too. What if he made a complete fool of himself again? What would Danny think then?

...No. He couldn't think like that. He balled his hands into fists, very real fingers curling against his solid palms. He had a better grasp on his intangibility now than he did when facing against Lucy-Muir. A slip-up like that wouldn't happen again.

The Ravens entered the gym ten minutes before the game, the Gozer Dusters following not long after. The two teams did their pre-game exercises, Wes keeping his eyes glued to the door. To his surprise, Danny came in with three minutes to spare, finding a seat at the bottom of the bleachers. His eyes found Wes's, and he held up two thumbs, as if to celebrate his punctuality. Wes's face broke out in a grin.

The game started much like the last. Casper took possession of the ball and tipped it to Wes, who made his shot without moving from his position in the circle. The audience stood to cheer, and Wes didn't miss the way Danny smirked at the showy play. Definitely off to a good start, then.

Both teams racked up points throughout the quarter, with the Dusters finishing a measly three points ahead. But by the time halftime rolled around, it was the Ravens who were pulling ahead with a four point lead. Wes had yet to fumble a shot. If things kept up, he had no doubt in his mind that the Ravens would win.

But, of course, it wouldn't last.

His ghost sense went off barely a minute into the third quarter, followed by a deep rumbling. The players all stopped and looked around in confusion, the audience muttering amongst themselves. A boisterous cackle reverberated throughout the gymnasium, and the Casper students, familiar with the voice, quickly rose from their seats and began running for the exits. The Gozer students followed suit, screaming their heads off as they made their escape.

Wes ran for the exits, but skidded to a halt as a chunk of the ceiling landed in front of him. Debris continued to rain down in the center of the court, and if Wes had to make himself intangible to avoid getting crushed by a few errant chunks, well, nobody was paying him any mind anyway.

Soon enough, the culprit himself descended from the brand new hole he'd created. "Greetings, ghost child!" boomed Technus, no less than twenty lab computers hovering around him, cords and all. "It is I, Technus, master of technology, here to once again enact my plan to take over the world! And my first step? Your downfall!"

"Is it really too much to ask for one afternoon in peace?" asked an irritated Danny, hands clenching into fists as he prepared for battle.

Seeing that Technus was more focused on Danny, Wes made a break for it. But unfortunately, his quick movement caught the ghost's attention. He lifted a hand, and two of the computers extended their cords, ensnaring Wes and dragging him back towards the court. "Oh excellent, you're here too! How lucky for me!"

Wes squirmed in an attempt to get free, but the cords held fast. "Let me go! What is it with you ghosts tying me up lately, anyway!"

Danny jumped, transforming as he took to the air. "Let him go, Technus. Don't involve him in this."

"Oh, but he's already involved, isn't he!" guffawed Technus. "My dear friend Skulker told me that just the other day he caught a glimpse of another Halfa! Tall, red hair, red and white jersey. I would say that description fits you quite well!"

Danny's eyes went wide, and Wes grit his teeth. So Skulker had seen him change back after all, and was apparently telling other ghosts about it. That was just fantastic.

"Well. Secret's out I guess." Wes attempted a shrug, then flashed, taking on his ghost form.

Oddly enough, Technus grinned brighter at the sight. "Ah, so it really was you! I wasn't sure that I had grabbed the right student, but now I know you were the other ghost child after all!"

Wes cringed. He should have just played dumb.

While the pair was distracted, Danny charged, delivering a sharp kick to Technus's chin. The computers released Wes, who hovered in place indecisively. "Go!" Danny barked at him.

Wes nodded, summoning his tail and turning to take off. "Oh, no you don't!" Technus called, one computer detaching from the swarm to once again grab Wes by the torso, lifting him before slamming him against the ground.

Danny bared his teeth, using both hands to fire a plasma ray. Technus waved a hand, summoning a pixelated shield that blocked the beam. He laughed at the failed attack, dispersing the shield and striking Danny with the back of his hand, sending him careening into the bleachers.

Wes groaned, picking himself up off of the floor. He had barely gotten his tail under him when the computer barreled into the back of his head, painfully forcing him back down. He rolled onto his back, scowling as the monitor raised its cords threateningly, jacks pointed directly towards him.

Looked like he was going to be forced to fight this time around.

An audio jack jabbed forwards, and Wes darted back, getting himself upright as he did so. The computer's appendages writhed like tentacles as it advanced, the jack continuing to stab at him while others lashed out like whips. Wes ducked and weaved, moving backwards as he tried to avoid the cords. One snared his wrist, and in his moment of immobility, the jack skewered the point in his skull right between his eyes.

...But it didn't hit. Wes's head opened and warped around it, splitting his vision for one disorienting moment before the jack retracted, Wes's face snapping back to true solidity once it was no longer impeded. "...Oh. That was horrible."

The computer paused, as if confused by the action. Wes wrenched his hand free, then retrieved his legs so that he could kick out the monitor's screen. It recoiled, and Wes reached inside the opening to tug at the exposed parts inside. The machine whirred dangerously, and then exploded, forcing Wes to guard his face to avoid the flying shards of glass.

Great. One down, two dozen and an evil ghost to go.

Danny was still keeping Technus occupied. Both were already sporting bruises, and a few computers littered the ground in broken heaps. But it was clear that Technus had Danny on the ropes. He was surrounded on all sides, cords and wires lashing out at him as he tried to deflect both them and their master's blows. Had it been a one-on-one match, Wes had no doubt that Danny would have the upper hand. But cornered like he was, it was clear that he could be overwhelmed at any moment.

He needed a distraction.

"Hey Technus!" he called. "Say cheese!" Danny covered his eyes with one arm, and at the same time Technus turned with a perplexed look on his face. Wes let loose a bright flash of light, which died down a few seconds later.

However, Technus appeared completely unfazed, giving him a cocky grin. "Foolish other ghost child! Did you think you could hurt my eyes with a light show like that? Because it's you the joke is on, for my eyes are state-of-the-art displays, and can therefore not be bothered by your flashy brightness!"

Technus laughed haughtily, and in his moment of distraction, Wes charged, winding up a fist and striking him on the cheek. The ghost reeled back a couple steps, running his fingers along the bruising skin in astonishment. "Sweet, I can actually punch you!" Wes exclaimed, even as he shook out his aching hand. Danny could only pinch the bridge of his nose.

"...You're right," Technus hummed, the corners of his mouth quirking back up. "You may be a young and inexperienced ghost with the strength of an average twelve-year-old—" a very false statement "—but you can, indeed, punch me. But after I do this, you will not be able to lay a finger on me at all!"

The fifteen remaining computers trembled where they hovered, then gravitated towards their master. The inactive but intact ones on the ground also picked themselves up, adding themselves to the growing mass. The equipment closet burst open, and out of it flew two tennis ball cannons. The scoreboard shorted out and pried itself off of the wall, floating over and settling down at the front of the scrap pile. The whole thing shuddered, then rose, raising itself until it took on a hulking, loosely humanoid form. Finally, the board flickered to life, the tiny yellow and red lights illuminating a broken up, pixelated version of Technus's likeness. "This technology may be sorely outdated, but behold, my new form!"

"Great, you just reminded him he can upgrade," Danny groaned.

"Well how was I supposed to know punching him would do that?!" Wes shot back.

"Try to punch this!" Technus cried, throwing an armored fist. Wes was sent flying into the wall, where he then fell forwards, eyes wide as he attempted to draw in a winded breath.

Danny's eyes glowed brightly, and he threw a punch of his own, dislodging a keyboard. A series of wires extended and attached to it before it could fly too far, coming back around and giving him a surprise uppercut. He staggered back, and Technus leaned forwards, the cannons swinging down from where his shoulders should be and firing a stream of tennis balls. Danny was forced back further, then fell backwards as Technus continued to bombard him.

Wes staggered to his feet, wheezing. He looked between Danny and the imposing mech, uncertain. Should he take his chance and run? Should he stay? He wouldn't be any use against an armored suit like that, but the thought of leaving Danny to fight alone made his stomach churn.

Despite the onslaught, Danny managed to raise one brightly lit hand, then he swung it, sending a wave of ectoplasm that decimated the rest of the oncoming fire. "Your efforts are meaningless!" Technus bragged. "You cannot defeat a perfect being such as myself!"

"Funny, you say that every time," Danny countered, preparing a powerful laser in both hands. But before he could fire it, several wires snapped out, latching onto him before unloading a mass of crackling green electricity. The Halfa screamed and collapsed, Technus letting him fall the short distance to the polished wood floor.

A basketball smashed into the scoreboard out of nowhere, crushing several of the lights on the timer and further distorting Technus's face. He swiveled around, spotting Wes, who was an agitated shade of red. "You forgot about me."

"Oh, I didn't forget," Technus told him, reaching over and simply flicking him to the side. "You just aren't a threat to me."

Danny hoisted himself back up, his hair singed and smoking, but Technus was quick to bat him back down with a hefty arm, denting the floor under him. Thick cables snaked around the Halfa, lifting him so that he was hovering inches above the ground. "Aha!" Technus cheered. "I have you now, ghost child! You may have been able to shrug off my earlier electric attack, but this time I'll be sure to deliver one you won't ever wake up from!"

"No..." Wes whispered, getting to his feet and rushing to Danny. He grabbed one of the cables and pulled, but it held fast.

"Oh, perhaps I get to take you both down in one fell swoop!" brayed Technus, laughing heartily.

"Wes, get out of here," Danny grunted, voice tight.

"I'm not gonna leave you to get fried!" Wes exclaimed, redoubling his efforts. But no matter how hard he tugged, the cables refused to come loose.

Technus finally finished laughing. "Say goodbye, ghost child and other ghost child!" Danny and Wes could only stare helplessly as electricity arced and snapped, rapidly traveling down the rope of cords.

Wes realized many things very quickly.

The first was that getting electrocuted was surprisingly painless. He opened his mouth to scream, only to close it when no sound was forced out of him.

The second was that Danny hadn't screamed, either. He was looking at Wes in awe, completely unbothered by the rushing current. When Wes looked down, he discovered that it was because it hadn't even reached him. Instead, it had stopped where his hands were clinging to the cable, flickering energetically but remaining immobile.

The third was that, whatever had happened to Wes the week before, it had not been a core overload. Not even close. That feeling simply couldn't compare to what he felt now. He inhaled in a sharp gasp at the sensation of the electricity that pumped into him almost rhythmically, chasing away his fear and the ache in his bones. It was like a dam inside of him had burst, and his core pulsed and throbbed as it struggled to contain the sudden influx of power.

It was the most exhilarating thing he had felt in his life.

Technus cut back on his energy, hesitating. "What is this?! Why does this not hurt you?!"

"I dunno," Wes shrugged, baring his teeth in a toothy smile. "Maybe something different will happen if you do it again."

Frustrated, Technus drew back his cables, crying out angrily. While he went on a tirade to regain some sense of dignity, Wes marveled at the remaining sparks that danced across his fingertips, lightening from a vibrant green to a startlingly light blue as he watched before disappearing under his skin. Without Technus to continuously feed him energy, his core began to settle, transitioning from a heavy thudding to a low, powerful hum. Fingers repeatedly flexed and curled, and he shifted foot to foot, giggling eagerly to himself even as he suppressed the overwhelming urge to run laps around the court and never stop.

"You... You can absorb electricity?" Danny breathed, excited for his friend despite the still very much present danger not thirty feet from them.

"It hardly matters!" Technus shouted, having regained his composure. "Even if you know how to release it, you can't hurt me with something as integral to me as an electrical current!"

That was fine. Wes had a better idea. "Hey Danny, get that thermos of yours ready. I think I know how to beat him."

Danny shook his head, brows furrowed. "Wes, I don't think this is a good idea-"

"Just trust me, alright? I've got this. I just have to get close, and I need you to be ready when I do." Danny frowned, but after watching Wes soak up several seconds of raw electricity with apparently no ill effects, and with him practically radiating confidence like he was now... He found that he really couldn't say no.

"...Okay. Just be careful."

"I hope you're done planning over there, because I think it's about time we finish this!" Technus called out, balling his enormous metallic fists as tendrils writhed threateningly around him. But Wes couldn't find it in himself to be intimidated. Instead, his grin spread into something determined, almost manic, his tail manifesting and slapping the ground beside him. It coiled in preparation to sprint, buzzing and crackling like a live wire.

He felt dangerous. And he reveled in it.

Wes was moving almost before Technus attacked, launching a stream of jacks in an attempt to impale him. Wes swerved around them, then darted to the side as a heavy cord came down where he was hovering. A fist was swung, but Wes stayed just out of range, the gust ruffling his hair when it passed. Several wires flew towards him, circling in preparation to ensnare him. But he jerked backwards so quickly it was like he had been yanked from behind, the wires closing over the spot where he had been a split second before.

Even in the face of such a dangerous ghost, Wes found himself laughing. He had always been a fast individual, and his ability to fly only aided in his mobility. But this... He never knew this sort of agility was possible, this ability to react with such speed that he was avoiding attacks well before they could be executed. Moving around before was like wading through honey, compared to what he was capable of now. He felt untouchable, unstoppable.

Technus raised one heavy foot, bringing it down to crush his opponent. Wes easily slithered out of the way, then around and upwards, working his way up Technus's leg until he had reached the torso. He buried his hands in the mass of wires that composed the abdomen, his tail curling as far around the mech's midsection as it could reach like an anchor. "What are you doing, other ghost child?" Technus asked, the barest hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"Maybe you can't be electrocuted," Wes told him, gripping the cables harder, "but your tech still can be, right?" Technus squawked furiously, but with Wes clinging as tightly as he was, there was little hope of prying him off. The Halfa opened up his core, and tiny sparks began to zigzag up and down his arms. Individual strands of hair lifted from the mass of their careful sweep, and shadows danced across his features as his own energy began to backlight his flesh. "Now who isn't a threat?"

Wes didn't let everything escape him. Instead, he pushed.

His aura condensed, and then with a resounding crack, it flared violently around him, arcs of cyan electricity forcing themselves into Technus's torso before spreading throughout his body. The mech froze and shuddered, animated by the power being pushed through it. Individual parts flickered and died, falling off of the main body. Others shorted out and burst into flames as they were overloaded before doing the same. "No... No...!"

It wasn't long before the entire suit was fried, leaving Technus completely exposed. Wes dropped to the ground, out of his immediate reach. "Now!"

Danny didn't need to be told twice. He aimed the thermos and fired, Technus being immediately engulfed by the beam. His furious scream died down to nothing as he was swallowed up, the thermos being capped shut over him.

With the battle finally over, Wes let the rigid tension melt from his shoulders. He swayed on his feet, completely spent, and Danny ran up just in time to give him a shoulder to lean on before he changed back. "...Wow," Danny murmured, a disbelieving chuckle escaping his lips. "I can't believe you actually beat him."

"Nah, I just disarmed him," Wes huffed tiredly, a small smirk still plastered on his face. "You're the one who's good at doing the beating part."

Danny snorted, allowing his human form to wash over him. "Yeah, well, I've been doing this a lot longer than you."

There was no point in sticking around the gym any longer. Destroyed as it was and littered with scrap metal, it was doubtful that the basketball game would continue, even if students were brave enough to return. The two shuffled their way out the door, heading towards their lockers.

"...So am I allowed to fight ghosts now?"


And there you have it. Flashy boi is actually shocky boi!

I already have an idea for what the next chapter is going to be like, though there are a few things I need to work out before I actually start writing it, haha. Still, I may end up doing some artwork for this chapter. If I do, I'll let y'all know!