Not Really Gone

Chapter One: Melt

Skulker was brandishing a new weapon; this one was special. This one would finally take down the whelp. He was currently in his lair, prepping his new gun and loading the ammunition. But he had to be careful because this toxin was quite volatile. One drop could bring down most ghosts. And he didn't want to risk getting any on his work area or on himself. He wasn't in his mech-suit right now. that would be both painful and disastrous. This toxin and had to be the perfect balance to take down his favorite prey. It wouldn't do to make any miscalculations.

"There, got it!" skulker exclaimed, just itching to try out his new creation. A wicked grin graced his frog-like features. He would finally have the welp this time! It was time to suit up.

Sometime later in Amity Park

Danny, Sam, and Tuck were heading over to Danny's place like they agreed prior. It had been a pretty slow day with ghost attacks. Only a few blob ghosts and the Box Ghost twice scattered throughout the day. No full periods were missed. That was a win in Danny's book. They were about halfway there now. Maybe he would actually get all of his work done.

"Hey, earth to Danny!" Tuck finally ceased his poking and snapping. His friend had probably been zoned out for most of the walk. Tucker and Sam had not noticed right away as they had been deep in conversation. But, when they saw Danny had failed to respond to several points in the conversation, they decided to get his attention.

"Oh, sorry, what were you guys saying?" Danny looked down towards the ground a little guiltily, then back up at his friends. Tucker glanced back at Danny.

"Just whether we plan to start our essays before or after patrol? I thought we could play a bit of doomed first." Sam looks up and scoffs.

"Look, I like Doomed as much as the next gal. But we should start before the next major ghost attack. Who knows how long this pace will last?" Sam reasoned. Danny rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Don't say stuff like that, Sam! You're just egging murphy's law to bite me! But yeah, you're are probably right. This peace won't last. It never…" Danny gasps as a blue vapor escapes his mouth after a slight shiver racks his form. Danny can sense that the ghost or ghosts aren't all that strong if their ecto-signatures are anything to go by. "... does." Danny looks back at his two friends and sighs. "Look guys ghost is pretty weak and shouldn't take long. Just meet me back at FentonWorks. I'll see you guys soon." Sam smiled and shook her head.

"Just be safe." Tucker opens his mouth but quickly snaps it shut seeing the pointed glare from sam. Tucker's shins thanked him. Danny chuckled at the exchange. Some things would never change.

"Always am! See you back at my place!" Danny called as he slipped under a stationary car to change.

Danny flies closer to the road hearing shrieks. Upon arrival, two ectopuses are harassing a group of teenagers. Danny swoops down grabbing both ghosts by the tentacles, turning intangible, and yanking them off. Unfortunately, they still managed to leave behind sucker marks on their skin, but that would fade. He threw ectopuses then followed with a punch, kick, ectoblast, finishing them with a round kick. With both ghosts dazed he quickly uncapped his thermos sucking them both up. Then he heard a loud excited squeal. With an internal wince and groan. He looks over to see none other than Pulina Sanchez. How did he not notice her before? He had gotten over his crush on her after both the dance and Kitty debacles. What did he ever see in her? Oh well.

"Ghost boy! You came to save me! I knew you would!" Danny cringed.

"Um … your welcome Pul… citizen?" He really found these encounters awkward and with peers… especially with Pulina. And wished they would cease. Just then his ghost sense when off again. He sighed in relief. Save by the bell or in this case ghost sense. "I gotta go! Another ghost!" He zoomed off in the direction of the ecto-signature.

"BeWare I aM ThE BWOX GHO-" but Boxy never got to finish as Danny sucked him up. Danny sighed again and heads home to FentonWorks.

Skulker lies in wait. He used his suit's built-in invisibility. As well as a device to suppress his ecto-signature. This was a gift from his employer. From his last job, to make it easier to slip past ghost hunters and the ghost child on his last retrieval mission. Well, it would come in handy in this current endeavor. The ghost child was coming in hot on Skulkers sensors. He readied his hunting rifle. The young ghost was slowing down near a window of the upper floor. He lines up the shot and takes the windy day into account. He fires and the dart hits its mark. He will wait for the dart to do its work.

Danny felt a prick just as he phased into his bedroom. Sam and Tucker were already waiting for him and pulled out their work. He lands on the center rug.

"Hey, guys! I'm back!" Danny exclaimed. Sam and Tucker both look up from their work.

"Who was it this time?" Sam asked quirking an eyebrow. Tucker leaning in a little.

"Just Boxy and a few ectopuses. Nothing much really." Danny reaches for his backpack and realizes it wasn't there. Right he was still in ghost form, wasn't he? Hadn't he changed back when he entered his room? Guess not. Danny tugged on his core. Only to be met with ...nothing. The fuck? he couldn't feel it. Where was it?!

"Um, guys? I have a slight … um problem?" Danny said, trying to recollect his quickly fraying nerves. Both his best friends look up at him expectantly. Danny swallowed the lump in his throat and licked his lips, pursing them, opening his mouth, then pursing them again.

"I can't change b-… huh?" Danny unconsciously reached the back of his neck pulling out the dart. Danny looked down at it confused. Tucker squinted. 'was that a dart?' Danny didn't feel so good. He fell to the ground. The dart rolled out of his hand. Blinding pain flooded his every nerve. He convulsed.

Both friends were horrified. They didn't know what to do! One second, Danny was fine. Then he was on the ground having a seizure. It was like the portal all over again! Ectoplasm began leaking from every orifice. Danny looked like he was in a lot of pain. Danny choked. Next, his eyes melted, slipping out of his skull. As the ectoplasm increases its flow, Danny seems to deflate. Now Danny was only twitching but that stopped soon too.

Tucker lightly grabbed Danny's wrist. Nothing! not even the slow pulse he usually had in his ghost form. Not only that his wrist was limp as a noodle. As if his bone and muscles had liquefied. Tuck's arms fell to his sides. That didn't happen. That didn't happen! Tucker's form trembled as tears rolled down his cheeks. What would they tell Danny's parents and sister? He robotically got to his feet. Tucker was at a loss for what to do.

Sam was scared to touch him. Scared to hurt him. She hesitantly held the side of his head. Her hand sunk into his head forcing more ectoplasm out of his mouth, nose, ears, and empty eye sockets. Sam cried harder. She never told him how she really felt. Now never would.

Tucker vomits.

Sam screamed.

~SkarlettSkwrl