Ultimate Danny Phantom Chapter 4: The Masters Degree, a danny phantom fanfic

The Masters Degree

The Strategic Supernatural Defense Force was formed secretly in the late 70's in a joint venture between the United States, Great Britain, and Japan. In the early 80's, the SSDF attempted to respond to a rising number of ectosapien incursions. It met with little success. Ghosts were unpredictable and natural portals were nigh impossible to track. To add to humanity's problems, ballistic weaponry was utterly ineffective against these invaders. The incursions grew in number and ferocity. Soon, the world knew it was at war with an enemy it couldn't fight or hide from. The greatest minds on the planet surmised ectosapiens would overrun and exterminate the human race before the end of the decade. The SSDF began to scramble for an answer – a magic bullet to solve their problems and save the human race from extinction.

They didn't find a magic bullet; they found two.

Jack Fenton and Madeline Donovan had spent most of their young-adult life together traveling the world, studying these creatures. Their research identified weaknesses humanity could exploit, and the SSDF provided the tech to make it possible. The two young scientists married during the series of battles that took the world by storm in the late 80s and early 90's, which would become known as the Ghost Wars. Their first child, Jasmine, was born at the tail end of the conflict. Their son, Daniel, was born several years later after the family had settled in Amity Park.

The Fentons, along with an elite group of scientists and warriors, were typically given credit for 'creating' the SSDF. The true mastermind behind the organization had no problem with the public perception of his organization, even if it was not entirely correct. This man had gathered his army together, to become part of something greater than any one of them could achieve alone. They had become a fighting force the likes of which had never been seen. James Steele had hoped the world would never need them again, but as the Director of the Strategic Supernatural Defense Force – colloquially referred to as the Guys in White – he knew it was only a matter of time before they would be forced to heed the clarion call. It seemed as though that time had come.

Immediately following the defeat and capture of Level 3 Ectosapien "Ember"

"Is this where you've been hiding for the last eighteen years?" Maddie asked coldly. She and Jack sat side by side on a leather couch in the Governor's office. A dark wooden coffee table separated them from Steele, who sat on the edge of a matching leather chair. Most of the lights in the office were left off, and the faint lighting from the surrounding city cast wild shadows on the walls. "Foreboding, yet ostentatious – it suits you."

Jack and Maddie had driven up to Sacramento to debrief Governor Wahlberg following the most recent ghost attack. It was the third major incident since November of the previous year. Interference with the Fenton's operations by the town's mayor prompted the need for a change in the command structure, so now the Fentons reported to the governor. Steele saw an opportunity to reach out to his old friends, but the reunion was far from warm.

"Madeline, are you upset with me?" Steele feigned surprise.

"Upset isn't the word I'd use," she snapped back smartly. "But I don't want to offend my husband's delicate sensibilities."

"Okay, enough!" Jack growled. He held up his hands and sighed. "We've been here for all of ten minutes and you two are at it again. Can we focus, please?" Maddie uttered something under her breath, and Jack lowered his arms. "James?"

Steele looked from Jack to Maddie and shrugged. "You're right, I came here for a reason." He stood and made his way to the Governor's desk. A coffee mug sat on a stack of Steele's papers, its contents cooled to room temperature. "And that wasn't to slip back into the old routine." He took a dreg and cradled the mug in one hand as he turned back to his guests. The stack of papers was held firmly in the other hand. "The Governor has already given you the gist of what's going on, I wanted to set the record straight in person." He declined to explain his decidedly more deceitful reason for surprising them with his visit.

"The record being that the President has authorized the reactivation of the Strategic Supernatural Defense Force?" Maddie asked knowingly.

"That's the official story, yes. The truth is that the SSDF never actually went inactive."

Jack and Maddie exchanged concerned looks. "We haven't heard any news about SSDF activity since the Ghost Wars ended," Jack observed. "What have you been doing in the years since?"

"A number of things," Steele dropped the stack of papers on the coffee table and took his seat. "First was clean-up duty. Not every ghost fled back into the Ghost Zone at the end of the war – you've encountered a few in the last few years if I'm not mistaken."

"And we've taken care of those threats," Maddie noted, her tone still bitter.

"We deployed covert strike teams around the globe to eliminate the other fugitives," Steele continued. "Most of our work was wrapped up before the turn of the century."

"So why bother officially reactivating the SSDF?" Maddie pressed on. "Between your strike teams and our efforts the residual threat is well in hand."

"Is it?" Steele set his mug down and shuffled through his documents. Three files were withdrawn from the stack, each marked CONFIDENTIAL. "These are your reports on the November '08 incident, the December '08 incident, and the brand-new February '09 incident starring Ember McLain. There's a recurring theme in there, any idea what it is?"

"The threats are consistently neutra-"

"You two nearly get killed!" Steele barked. "That's the goddamn theme!" He unceremoniously tossed the files to the side, their contents slid to the end of the table. Some pages fluttered to the floor. "The bottom line is that you two aren't SSDF Operatives anymore. You're spouses, you're parents. You're a family now, and as close as we all are… as we were… this isn't a family business. You two keep scraping by on the skin of your teeth. That is not a sustainable defense strategy. The threats you face are getting stronger, and we need a stronger response. That's why we're rearming."

"James, the fact that we have a family hasn't compromised our ability to defend Amity Park," Jack explained.

"But it has, Jackie boy. Nobody is saying you aren't capable soldiers, but you two simply aren't enough anymore."

"We certainly appreciate the widespread concern for our wellbeing," Maddie remarked. "But as far as we can tell, these are isolated incidents. Have you considered the possibility that that rearming the SSDF might be seen as an act of hostility on the other side?"

"We've never found any credible evidence to support your theory that there ever was a leadership entity in the Ghost Zone," Steele replied. "The most sophisticated coordination we saw took place in the final battle at Amity Park, with what we believe were commanders leading independent forces. They were poorly organized and did not appear to be communicating with other units engaged in the same battle. If there is a leadership entity pulling the strings behind the Ghost Wars, we have determined they are not a threat."

"Not a threat?" Jack was shocked. "James, these monsters would have driven the human race to the brink of extinction if we hadn't stopped them!"

"You eggheads love throwing that word around – extinction." Steele paused for a drink. "This unstoppable horde of monsters from another dimension is poised to usurp humanity as the dominant life form on Earth, and in three short years we not only halted their advance, but we drove the entirety of their invading force back into their home dimension. We did that," Steele thumped his chest emphatically. "We were a ragtag team of less than one hundred misfit soldiers and scientists working against the clock to save the planet. We threw ideas at a wall to see what stuck – that was all we could do, and somehow we still won. I don't know about you two, but that makes me think - do you really consider these ghosts to be threats?"

"Underestimating ghosts places innocent lives in danger, no matter how effective our weaponry may be," Maddie warned. "I hope that isn't your new business model."

"Not at all; I am fully aware of the amount of damage even a single Level One ectosapien is capable of inflicting. What you're implying is something far more sinister. You've given me speculation and theories, but no evidence of controlling force behind the Ghost Wars." Steele paused to finish off his coffee. "These new threats are far more powerful than anything we faced during the war, but by your own reports there is nothing to suggest they are connected in any significant way. I need evidence of a leadership entity before I would even consider advising against rearmament. Until then, preventative measures are absolutely necessary."

"What kinds of preventative measures?" Jack asked.

"For starters, we would like to make certain your portal is not providing ingress for these new malefactors."

"We've only had one confirmed ghost use the portal as an entry point," Maddie explained defensively. "We're not sure where the others came from – natural portals, or hiding out on Earth since the war, like Ember McLain."

"Don't misunderstand, we don't want to shut down your research," Steele explained. "The work you've shared with the government since the war has been invaluable to our efforts."

"You mentioned other preventative measures?" Jack probed.

"I'm afraid that information is classified," Steele replied hesitantly.

Maddie asked incredulously, "Classified? We were some of your first Operatives-"

"Were," Steele emphasized. "When you left the outfit, we had to revoke your clearance. It's standard procedure, you understand."

"Why bother with this surprise visit at all, then?" Maddie asked indignantly.

"Well, as I said before, you've been informed of the decision to officially reactivate the SSDF. I wanted to extend the courtesy of explaining why. The information I've shared with you this evening is still classified, but since it pertains to your activities in Amity Park you had the requisite clearance to hear it." Steele shrugged. "That's the best I can do for you right now; unless you'd be willing to consider reinstatement?"

Jack and Maddie traded thoughtful glances. "It's like you said… we've built a life in Amity Park," Jack started. "We can't just uproot our family to rejoin the team."

James stood from his seat, and the Fentons followed suit. "I understand. If there's nothing further…?" Jack and Maddie traded glances and shook their heads. Steele continued, "I'll let you go. I'm sure you have much to do, following this last attack."

"James, we might butt heads on some issues, but if the situation is getting as serious as you suggest… just call us if you really need our help." Maddie offered her hand, and James shook.

"Think of us as consultants," Jack added with a wink.

Steele chuckled and clapped his hefty friend on the shoulder. "I'll remember to do that. Have a safe trip home, you two."

The Fentons retreated from the governor's conference room, leaving Steele alone. His cell phone rang several minutes later with an expected call.

"Go ahead."

"Sir, Operative K here. I've checked out the Fenton's digital security logs. They're telling the truth; only one ghost has entered our dimension through their portal since its activation."

"I figured as much. Anything else?"

"No, sir."

"Very good, K. Pull out, and await further instructions."

"Roger that."

Steele knew the Fentons were telling the truth about their portal; his faith in the Fentons was unshakable. He would trust either of them with his life; even Maddie, with whom he often butted heads. Unfortunately, his trust in his two old friends was no longer enough. Recent events had made it abundantly clear that they were not capable of handling the new, deadlier threats to the safety of mankind.

One constant among the recent string of ectoplasmic variables was the ghost child. It was strange enough that he wasn't out attacking humans, but intelligence from his field Operatives indicated the boy was helping them. Steele didn't put much stock in that remaining the status quo, and when the situation with this ghost child came to a head, he could only hope that the Fentons would be able to handle themselves… or stay out of his way.

March 2009: Present Day

Amity Park was a sprawling metropolis home to over 2.5 million Americans. The towering cityscape was rivaled in scale only by the nearby forests. Heavy concentrations of ectoplasm in the soil had mutated the foliage over the decades. The impressive woodland boasted thousands of exclusive botanical specimens. The dense forests provided for a captivating and alien experience unlike any other on the planet. The deeply wooded areas rarely received through-traffic, which made such areas perfect for Danny Fenton to begin his training with Skulker.

Under Skulker's tutelage, Danny had overcome the occasional hiccups with his standard powers – a welcome improvement which meant no more dropped beakers or dropped pants. In the weeks following Ember's defeat and capture, Danny had made considerable strides with other, more complicated abilities as well. He could now fire pulses of ectoplasmic energy from his hands and he could shape it into a protective bubble around his person. Other efforts, such as inducing the bizarre and devastating electrical attack Danny used against Skulker and Ember while in his berserker state had proven unsuccessful thus far.

I could really use that one right about now, Danny thought as he ducked out of the way of a flying hunk of rotting wood.

What started as a normal class with Skulker had suddenly and violently turned into an impromptu midterm exam when the session was ambushed by a mysterious armored figure. The suit was slim and wasn't armed to the teeth like Skulker, but it was just as strong and even more agile.

"It appears to be a suit of power armor worn over the body," Skulker had observed once the initial confusion evaporated. "The limited hydraulics systems do not substitute physical strength, such as in my case. His suit merely augments his own abilities."

The distinction made very little difference to Danny. The force of the invader's punches and kicks was strong enough to splinter tree trunks – Danny's bones didn't fare much better. Once he regained his bearings after the ambush, Danny dealt some of his own damage in kind. Several concussive blasts of ectoplasm sent the assailant tumbling through the dense foliage and out of sight. Whatever confidence Danny had gained from repelling the attack winked out of existence when a dead tree trunk was hurled at his head.

Rustling from the brush drew Danny's attention as the figure charged again. He braced himself, cocked his arm back and fed energy into his clenched fist, but was immediately distracted by a familiar noise. As the metal fiend sped into the clearing, a device in his hand winked to life with a snap-hiss. A glowing orange blade extended from the hilt of the weapon, and Danny's jaw dropped.

A lightsa-?! his thought was cut short as the orange blade connected with his dangling jaw and shattered it. Danny's eyes watered and he spun around from the impact, toppling ungracefully to the ground. Okay, not a lightsaber, he noted.

Danny rolled to his feet and launched his fist forward, discharging the energy in his fist at his target. The figure was prepared for it and smacked the blast away with the blade. Several more blasts were similarly swatted aside before the assailant charged again.

The orange blade retreated back into the hilt of the weapon and, with another snap-hiss, a glowing orange flail sprang to life. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Danny conjured a green sphere of protective energy just as the spiked head of the flail was swung up at his chin. The force of the blow sent the green sphere flying upwards, crashing through the thick forest canopy. The protective bubble flickered and died as Danny cleared the treetops.

"Way cooler than a lightsaber," he muttered, and winced as a sharp pain shot through his jaw. His regenerative ability hadn't been working as quickly as normal following his battle with Ember.

Danny's eyes were drawn to the assailant as he launched himself into the air, his weapon having taken the shape of a longbow. As the figure drew the bowstring back an orange arrow materialized at the nocking point, ready to fire. Danny spun and dove, trying to evade the arrow. It narrowly grazed past his neck before Danny reentered the forest. The assailant kept pace, crashing through the branches as Danny nimbly maneuvered around them.

Upon reaching the forest floor, a voice roared out to him. "Intangible, now!"

Weeks of training kicked in and, without questioning the command, Danny willed his body intangible just as Skulker spun around from behind the trunk of a redwood tree. Danny passed harmlessly through Skulker's outstretched fist. The assailant was not as fortunate, and a painfully-loud clash of metal rang out through the forest. The two metal warriors tumbled across the ground, sparking and whirring as their systems adjusted from the devastating collision. The plating on Skulker's fist was cracked, but the shoulder armor of the assailant had shattered, exposing a supportive mesh layer beneath.

"Zorgema, demono. Vi eble ne havas la infano helpi vin en nia proksima renkonto." Danny cocked an eyebrow, unsure what language the ghost had spoken as it rose to its feet. The surprised expression on Skulker's face was translation enough.

Before either Danny or Skulker could respond, the assailant tossed a small silver bead at them. He turned tail and sprinted away before the bead touched the ground, where it exploded into a thick black cloud. Danny, caught off guard by the unexpected cliché, gasped just as the cloud was released. His coughing and wheezing drew an irritated glance from Skulker, who waved the smoke in his vicinity away.

"That could have been poison," the ghost remarked. "You should be more careful."

"I should be more careful regardless," Danny shot back, rubbing his jaw. It was still tender. "My regen power still isn't back to one hundred percent."

"As I have said before, it is unwise to rely on that power alone. You have already seen it lacks consistency."

"I wasn't relying on it; he caught me off guard with that change-o-matic weapon thingy. Who was that? And what language was he speaking?"

Skulker hesitated. "I… do not know."

Danny eyed the ghost suspiciously, but let his concern slide. "Hmm. Well, hey, at least the training is paying off, right? I think I did pretty well out there."

"You were sloppy, uncoordinated, and distracted." Danny slouched, as if Skulker's words hung around his neck. "That being said… you survived, and our combined efforts forced our enemy to flee. In time, and with more training, ghosts like that will pose no threat to you whatsoever."

Danny perked up at the observation and grinned. "Same time tomorrow, then?"

"I will be waiting."

Training with Skulker was making Danny into a more accomplished, more capable combatant. As the weeks passed, he felt more confident that he would be able to protect his friends and his family from whatever beast dared to rise next from the ethereal abyss. None of them would ever live in fear from the terrors that lived in the pits of chaos. He would keep them safe.

At least, that is what Danny believed. Skulker was right to admonish Danny for his careless breathing of the smoke bomb's opaque vapors. It would have been a valuable lesson to learn. Deep inside Danny's body, microscopic organisms released by the assailant's weapon had already begun to spread.

A lone fingernail lazily tapped on the finished oak conference table. Along with its nine sisters, the nail was professionally manicured and coated with maroon nail polish; the same shade of the blouse worn beneath a smart, dark charcoal business suit. Soft silver hair fell freely over the shoulders of the suit, framing the alluring feminine features of a very, very bored woman.

At the other end of the conference table, a short, stocky man was stumbling through a business presentation. Poorly-fitting, thick-rimmedglasses sat awkwardly on his face, and the man continuously had to slide them up the bridge of his nose throughout the presentation. Light from the mid-morning sun danced in through the windows, painting bright rectangular stripes right across the face of the hapless presenter. Were it not for the serious nature of these proceedings, the woman would have spared the poor fool the humiliation of speaking. Unfortunately for him, the purpose of this meeting was not so much to gather information as it was to send a message.

A message Vanessa Masters had grown impatient to deliver.

"In summary, uh, summation, Miss Masters, our focus has shifted in the last twenty years towards more, um, consumer-based products and away from military applications. Government contracts have, have, have all but dried up, and we are-"

"You are attempting to deceive me," Masters interrupted, fed up with waiting. Her voice was cold and level.

"E-e-excuse me?" the man stammered. Vanessa had already forgotten his name.

"Your company, Dalv Industries," she continued. "You're intentionally misrepresenting its performance to make it sound like an unattractive prospect to someone like myself. Now why would that be?"

"I, uh, not sure what it is that you're, um-"

"I don't think your shareholders would take too kindly to these practices. They all stand to gain financially in the event of a buyout from the Masters Company."

"The CEO of Dalv Industries isn't willing to sell the company at this-"

"Stop talking."

"Yes, ma'am."

Masters rose from her seat, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "I have no actual interest in Dalv, and I fully intend to dismantle your useless corporation once it's under my control." She began walking, with slow and deliberate steps, across the conference room towards the nervous Dalv representative. "My interest lies in one of your subsidiaries; Axion Laboratories. You claim that your government weapons contracts have dried up. I know this to be untrue."

"A-a-axion Labs is an, uh, a small independent business we recently acquired to handle the, um, r-r-remaining government contracts-"

"You're still trying to deceive me," Masters growled, closing the gap between her and the now-trembling man. "Axion Labs is not a small business, it was specifically created for the express purpose of continuing your weapons research, but for the private sector. I wonder how the government, particularly the Strategic Supernatural Defense Force, would react if they knew you were making deals to sell your research to China…"

"Those deals are perfectly- you don't- I- the SSDF is disbanded!" the man exclaimed, taking several steps back from Masters.

"They are very much active now, and I wonder, Mister…?"

"Selman!" The man finished indignantly.

"Selman," Vanessa continued, "the level of your complicity in these deals. The SSDF would have no compunctions sending someone like you to federal prison. Assuming, of course, they don't try you for treason in a secret court and execute you instead."

"W-what is it you want?!" Selman collapsed into his chair.

"I wanted to let you know that I have already purchased a controlling interest in Dalv Industries when the markets opened this morning." Selman's eyes widened behind his smudged glasses. "Return to your CEO," Vanessa continued, leaning against the conference table, "tell him I will take the information I have regarding his uncouth business practices to the authorities if he does not give me total and complete control of the company in the next twenty four hours."

"T-this is blackmail! Extortion!"

"Perhaps."

"What's to stop them from turning themselves in, along with you? What you're trying to do is also a crime."

"I have one of the most powerful corporate legal firms on the planet on retainer. The Masters Company can survive your allegations. The government will be much more interested in the illicit affairs of Dalv, if my information is disseminated. I'm offering your CEO and his cronies a way out. One in which they keep their dignity, such as it is."

"So why bother purchasing stock in Dalv Industries if you plan on dismantling the company anyway?"

"Insurance, my dear Selman, in case you and Dalv's executive board are actually as stupid as I believe. Now run along; my lawyers are eagerly anticipating the necessary paperwork."

After a moment, Selman stood and moved to gather his presentation materials. Masters watched through the windowed wall of the conference room as the terribly awkward man shuffled out the door and down the hall. He hadn't even made it out the door before he was on his cell phone, no doubt preparing his bosses for the bad news.

"Another vicious display," a nasally, disembodied voice spoke from a teleconference device situated in the middle of the long, oval table. "Are you finished toying with your prey for the time being?"

"For the time being," Masters repeated emphatically. She pushed off the table and turned to the windows on the far wall, overlooking the sprawling cityscape of Seattle – home to one of the Masters Company's many regional offices. It was also home to Dalv Industries. So much for the home field advantage.

"There is still the matter of your rogue operative. If anyone can unravel all you have done, it is Skulker."

Masters sighed and massaged her temple with two fingers. "This was supposed to be simple, but Skulker went and injected allegiances into the equation. I can't bring Daniel to my side if Skulker has poisoned his mind against me."

"I have been monitoring communications between the children, as well as their Internet activity. Nothing suggests Skulker has revealed your true self to any of them."

"Good," Masters turned to regard the security camera on the far wall, effectively making eye-contact with Technus. "What of our newest recruit's mission?"

"I have reviewed the data sent to me from his engagement. Everything went according to plan. While we wait for the next phase of this project, I will keep monitoring communications." Technus paused. "Skulker still poses a considerable risk. When he connects you to this attack, he might begin to divulge sensitive information to the children."

Vanessa flashed a toothy grin. "We'll have to caution him against such foolishness."

Axion Labs, Daniel Fenton, Skulker, the Strategic Supernatural Defense Force – all were pieces of a puzzle. None of them knew the full picture, not even Technus. That was for the best; even Technus might have second thoughts helping Masters achieve her hidden, ultimate objective. But by keeping all the pieces in the dark, the game was hers to win.

Several weeks had passed since the Ember McLain incident. Following her defeat and capture, the robotic ghost hunter named Skulker had convinced the Fentons to allow him to train their son so that he would be better prepared to handle future threats. The Fentons had hesitantly agreed, but the acceptance of their son's ethereal alter ego had not been easy. The Ghost War had ingrained some very deep-seeded prejudice against ghosts in the Fentons, and those prejudices were difficult to overcome.

Jack had a much easier time adapting to the change than Maddie. For Jack, it was a chance to further bond with his son; to bridge the rift that had grown between them over the years due to their work and research. Jack's openness to the change was clearly a welcome relief to Danny.

Maddie, on the other hand, was having a more difficult time adjusting. Not necessarily because Danny was now possessed of the same ethereal energies used against humanity in the war, but because of how he received them. The accident which changed her son forever was, in her mind, utterly avoidable. If she had been more cognizant of his needs, more attentive, her son would never have felt the need to don his protective suit and venture into a portal to another world in an ill-begotten attempt to earn their attention. The accident which changed all their lives for the stranger could have easily killed Danny, and torn the Fentons apart.

Something else had been triggered in Maddie's mind upon seeing the creature Danny had become while under Ember's control. At first she thought it was revulsion at her son's new duality, but that had since dissipated and been replaced by her unyielding concern for his wellbeing. Having his powers was unquestionably dangerous for him, no matter how quickly he could heal from injuries. While Skulker might have offered reasonable justification to train Danny so he could master his abilities, Maddie was still of the mind to find a way to remove those abilities. Progress on that front to date had been unsuccessful, and so she resolved to make an effort to be supportive of her son's attempts to master his new abilities.

"Maddie, honey, I finished vacuuming the living room!" Jack called out from downstairs. "It wasn't that dirty, not sure why it needed vacuuming, but it's done!"

"That's great, Jack," Maddie replied, wiping her eyes. She unsuccessfully tried to hide the tightness in her throat.

"Uh-oh, I know that voice," Jack poked his head into the bedroom. Maddie sat on the edge of their shared king-sized bed, framed on either side by twin nightstands. Laundry sat in a pile in the corner of the room, forgotten when Maddie saw the album sticking out from under the bed. "I knew it, photo album again."

"I'm sorry," Maddie said solemnly, sliding the album onto the bed. Several tears had stained the borders of a photograph depicting Maddie and Jack sitting on a couch, watching Danny play with a plush ghost toy. One of Jazz's fingers had partially obscured the camera lens and the angle was crooked, but Maddie cherished it. "You'd think me, of all people, should be able to deal with this."

"Well to be fair," Jack started, taking a seat next to his wife, "I don't think there are any books on how to cope with your son gaining ghost powers from an accident in your laboratory."

"No, not that." Maddie smiled, thankful for her husband's sense of humor. "My father used to be a police officer."

"I won't soon forget Officer Lance Donovan," Jack mumbled. "Wait, is everything okay with your folks?"

"Yes, they're fine. I was just…" Maddie paused to collect her thoughts. "When I was a little girl, I was so proud of my Dad. He was like my own superhero; brave, strong, a force for good in a scary world. But when I got older, I finally was able to see the risks he took every time he put on the uniform. I was afraid for him. I started to wonder, 'is this was the last time I'll get to say goodbye to my father?' when he left for work. It took me years to come to terms with it, but I never stopped worrying."

Jack nodded slowly. "Now Danny is the one taking on risks," he said. "We have to worry for his life, and wonder if we'll see him again when he leaves for school."

"I feel as helpless as I did when I was a kid," Maddie continued. "What can I do to keep my son safe when he's fighting these… monsters? How can I save him if he starts to become one?"

"If there was an easy answer to that question, you would have found it already," Jack offered. "That robot ghost, Skulker, he told us what we already knew. We have to be there for him, to support him every step of the way on this journey of his."

"A journey we set him on," Maddie added sadly.

"All the more reason not to let him down," Jack said confidently, standing from the bed.

Maddie sighed, feeling slightly relieved. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd vacuum a lot more often, that's for sure. The carpet wasn't even dirty!"

"Okay, back downstairs," Maddie ordered with a grin. "Jazz will be home soon, I want this house spotless!"

"I mean, if there were a bunch of crumbs on the floor or something, I'd understand," Jack continued on as he and his wife left the bedroom.

Maddie knew she would never be able to stop worrying for her son's safety, but the conversation with her husband got her thinking. She couldn't help but worry; every good parent worries for their children. Unlike other parents, Maddie was one of the foremost experts in the strange and terrifying world her son had just entered. She would not idly fret while her son stumbled aimlessly in the dark. If she and Jack were unable to safely remove Danny's powers they, like Skulker, would help him master them - even if it meant putting herself between her son and the Guys in White.

"I hate Fridays," Danny wheezed. He and Sam were jogging around the outdoor track at Casper High School. Their gym instructor was taking advantage of the cool spring weather by making his class run a mile. Danny was halfway through his last lap – most of the rest of his class had finished some time ago. "My legs feel like concrete blocks."

"Is Skulker working you that hard?"

"No, it's not that. Remember the attack I told you about?" Sam nodded. "I think that wore me out more than I thought," Danny continued. "I still don't feel back to full strength, I feel…"

"Human?"

Danny's pace slowed even more as he thought about his situation. "Yeah, actually. My appetite's back, I can feel more temperatures than just boiling or freezing, but… my ghost powers are weaker."

"Is that bad?"

"Uh, yes, Sam. That's very bad."

Sam rolled her eyes as the two completed their last lap. Danny lazily dropped onto the cool grass off the side of the track. "Maybe your new powers take some of the energy away from your old ones?" she offered, sitting on the field next to Danny's sprawled form and ignoring his antics. "Like, you have the same amount of power; it just has to be split up between more abilities?"

"Maybe. It's funny, you know? I feel like I've been freaking out 24/7 since I got these powers. I haven't even had them that long, but now… I guess I don't want to lose them."

"That is funny, seeing as how you still blame yourself for Tucker getting overshadowed, and for what you did to me under Ember's spell."

Danny furrowed his brow. "That's part of the reason why this is freaking me out even more. I have the power to stop these things from happening; it's my responsibility to keep you safe."

"Buying me fifty trillion scarves to cover up a ghost hickie isn't the same as keeping me safe from ghost monsters," Sam remarked.

Danny blushed. "It wasn't a hickie!" he hissed. "And you wouldn't have gotten it if I was strong enough to resist Ember's spell!"

"No, shut up, we've had this argument, like, every day since this happened." Sam stood up and brushed wayward blades of grass off her gym shorts. "Look, this is all still new. Maybe your powers are settling, or maybe that berserker trip used up a lot of power and you haven't gained it all back. Whatever's happening, you're still you."

"True." Danny sat up and rubbed his legs. "Maybe I'm worrying for nothing."

"Hey guys," a familiar voice called out, interrupting Danny's thoughts. "What's up?"

Danny saw Sam tense up out of the corner of his eye as Tucker jogged over. Okay, now I have something to worry about. "Not much, Tuck. You?"

"About the same. How about this running thing, huh?"

"Yup," Sam muttered without making eye contact. "Nice weather for it, though."

"Oh geeze, small talk?" Danny groaned. "You guys are killing me. I mean, not literally, but you know."

Tucker looked away. Sam scowled at Danny. Danny shrugged.

"I'm sorry I've been avoiding you guys lately," Tucker offered.

"Apology accepted!" Danny offered excitedly

Sam lightly slapped Danny's shoulder. "Tucker… I think we owe you an apology too," she started hesitantly. "We weren't sure what we were supposed to do. With what happened to you… we tried everything to try and get you to work through it, but none of that seemed to work. We got frustrated and… I guess we kinda gave up."

"No, don't apologize," Tucker replied. "I should never have put you in that situation to begin with. I should have been straight with you guys, you're my best friends!"

"Let's stop trying to out-apologize each other," Danny said. "This kind of ghost stuff hasn't happened for, like, twenty years, and it probably never happened to a group of kids like us. We all handled it the best we could, which was very poorly, because we were never meant to deal with something like this."

"That's really on the nose from the guy who thought Shakespeare wrote To Catch a Mockingbird," Sam remarked.

Danny scowled at her indignantly. "I say we just put it behind us, pretend like nothing's wrong, and go back to normal," he continued. "Whaddya say, Tuck?"

"That's kinda the other thing, though," Tucker started. "I still don't want to talk about what happened with Aragon. I don't want to talk about ghosts at all really. I just want a break from it all."

Danny and Sam exchanged worried looks. "Well, hey, we don't always have to talk about ghost stuff, man," Danny offered. "We have other interests, we can-"

"Danny, you have ghost powers. You patrol the city at night looking for ghosts to chase out of the city. There's no way we can have a conversation that doesn't come back to ghost fighting, and I'm not ready to jump back into that yet. I just need something…" Tucker trailed off.

"Normal?" Sam asked bitterly.

"…I'm sorry."

"You're such an awesome friend, Tuck," Sam growled. "I'll admit Danny and I could have done more to help you, but it sounds like you never wanted to meet us half way. What you really wanted was a way out, so you can go hang with normal people. Well, you know what? Fu-"

"Sam," Danny cut in. "Tuck. We didn't ask for this. If you need a dose of normal to get your head on straight, go for it, I'm not gonna hold you back with guilt trips. We're not gonna hold you back with guilt trips," he added, lightly elbowing Sam. "I just want my friend back."

Tucker nodded and, without another word, walked away.

"I can't believe him," Sam spat. "When the hell have we ever been normal, even before you got your powers?"

"You have to admit," Danny said, sitting back down. "Our situation is pretty freakin' weird, even for us."

"Yeah, and when the going got tough, I stuck by you." Sam sat down across from him. "Screw Tucker. If he's too much of a delicate little flower that he can't tough out a few waves with his best friends, he probably wasn't that good a friend to begin with."

Danny sighed. "You know, if you wanted to take a break from the weird too, I wouldn't hold it against you."

"What are you talking about?"

"If my weird, insanely dangerous life is getting too much for you, you know. I wouldn't be mad if you wanted to put some space between us."

"I don't know if you noticed, but my life has gotten pretty weird too. I found out my great-uncle is a ghost mercenary; he walks around in a giant robot suit and… doesn't use contractions… for some weird reason. And in case you didn't already figure this out, I like weird. So no, I want as little space between us as humanly possible." Danny didn't catch the double entendre, or Sam's reddened cheeks when she did.

"You're a great friend," he said, looking pensively after Tucker. "Maybe the best there ever was."

"Thanks."

"Now, can you carry me back to school? I can't feel my legs."

"Oy."

It didn't take long for the inept board of directors at Dalv Industries to cave into Masters' ultimatum. Facing either a hostile takeover or intense government scrutiny, Dalv had smartly chosen to bow out with some semblance of dignity and acquiesce to the takeover – not that they had any choice. Within days, skilled and practiced business associates from the Masters Company had moved in and began to radically restructure the company into yet another subsidiary cog in its unstoppable business machine. With equal speed and efficiency, construction crews had descended upon the old automobile assembly plant which housed Axion Labs and had begun to renovate the structure to Masters' specifications. The infrastructure of the building would serve her needs, but the dilapidated industrial interior would require a complete overhaul, as would the worn façade outside.

"Ma'am," a voice called out to Vanessa from across the site of her newest acquisition.

"Damon," she responded with a friendly smile, "how was the tour?"

"Insightful," the tall, broad-shouldered man replied as he strode over to her side. "Technus has a subroutine running in their network as we speak, scanning through their data and removing any surprises the former tenants might have left us."

Damon Gray was one of the privileged few individuals on the planet with knowledge of Technus' existence. Initially employed as a physical security officer, his technical know-how and successful coordination of counter-intrusion methods against cyber-attacks landed him the position of Chief of Cyber-Security the Masters Company. Damon provided a human perspective to Technus' capacity as a business tool, which helped the AI react more efficiently to the often-unpredictable nature of human cyber attacks. Damon was, however, left in the dark about the extent of the AI's capabilities and his ethereal origins.

"That's excellent news, thank you." Masters turned her gaze out to the construction vehicles and workmen busily reshaping the ramshackle building into something more respectable. "We already saved the world. Now, Axion is going to change it."

"I'm looking forward to it, ma'am."

"It's going to need someone to keep it safe." She turned her eyes on Damon. "I want you overseeing my operations here."

Damon looked surprised. "You want to put me in charge of this whole facility?"

"I know it's a lot to ask, but I need someone I can trust running things here."

The sounds of construction work filled the lapse in conversation. Damon rocked back and forth on his heels, deep in thought. "What about my duties as Chief of Cyber-Security?"

"Technus can pick up the slack. He'll still consult with you when the need arises, of course."

"Of course," Damon repeated, still rocking on his heels. "It's quite a move, all the way from Chicago."

Masters grinned knowingly. "Come now, you think I'd ask you to pack up and move halfway across the country on your own dime?" Damon returned her grin. "Consider it an advance on your new salary," she continued. "This is a promotion, after all."

"I'll have to talk to Carmen and Valerie first."

That conversation would be a simple formality. With a few phone calls Masters would have Damon's physician wife, Carmen, employed at any hospital of her choosing in Amity Park. Valerie could be admitted to the most prestigious private high school in the county if she so chose. Trustworthy humans were few and far between, and Damon had proven himself to be a cut above the rest – the cream of the cream of the crop. Relocating Masters' favorite family was well worth the expense.

Despite her affection for the Grays, Masters didn't delude herself with illusions of camaraderie. Even the Grays amounted to nothing more than pawns in her elaborate game. Just like everyone and everything else caught in her web of intrigue, they would play their role. And then they would be cast aside.

Sweat dripped from Danny's brow and into his eye, but he dared not blink it away. He likened his current situation to that of a prehistoric human ancestor who had just locked eyes with a predatory saber-toothed cat on an ancient hunting ground long forgotten to the ravages of time. Unlike an extinct predatory feline, Danny's current foe was far more cunning and devious. Its intelligence far surpassed his own, and its reflexes had been honed through the crucible of combat. Danny knew he was out of his league, but he refused to back down. This was a battle for survival, for honor, and for clean drinking water. Despite his best efforts, Jazz Fenton was easily able to throw her crumpled up dinner napkin into his glass.

"M-o-o-o-m," Danny moaned, "Jazz is throwing her napkin into my water!"

"Jazz, don't throw your napkin into your brother's water."

"God, it's like you've gotten even worse since the last time I was home," Jazz taunted.

"Maybe you should go back to school, we can play again in a bajillion years," Danny replied as he got up to get a fresh glass of water.

"M-o-o-o-m, Danny told me to go back to school for a bajillion years!"

"Danny, don't tell your sister to go back to school for a bajillion years."

It felt good to slip back into the old routine, before Jazz left for the University of Wisconsin. Danny and his sister weren't best-friend close, and her bossy attitude would undoubtedly start to grate on him soon, but he liked having her home all the same.

"We're so happy you were able to fly home for the weekend, Jazzy-pants!" Jack boomed enthusiastically.

"It's great to be home, Dad." Jazz beamed at her parents.

Danny rolled his eyes. Jazz had spent most of her spring break in Miami. She had opted to spend the last few days home before returning to school. "Yeah, how wonderful," Danny mumbled as he turned from the sink.

"And Danny is actually home for dinner this time! Isn't it great how these things just," Jazz paused and threw another crumpled napkin, which bounced off Danny's chest and into his newly-filled glass, "fall into place?"

"Okay, bull crap, what were you gonna say if you missed that time?" Danny asked irritably, dumping out his water and refilling the glass again.

"Jazz," Maddie hissed and slapped her daughter's hand as Jazz started crumpling another napkin.

"So, Danny, how's Tucker and Sam?" Jazz asked, relenting and dropping her napkin.

Danny glared at his sister as he moved cautiously from the sink to the refrigerator to get ice. One hand sat firmly on top of his glass. "They're fine. Everyone's fine, I'll tell them you said hello."

"Oh, come on. I'm an Ectology and Psychology double major, you can't not tell me how they're doing after all the craziness that's happened in the last few months."

"Thank God you reminded us what you're doing at college; you haven't mentioned it in, like thirty seconds, I almost forgot." Danny rolled his eyes. "In case you've forgotten, I was wrapped up in that stuff too. I was even on the news!"

"I know, I saw," Jazz waved him off. "Do you want to talk about your fifteen minutes of fame?"

"More like fifteen seconds," Danny said, feigning disappointment. "That was my big chance to get discovered!"

"Yeah, as a huge dweeb, maybe," Jazz scoffed. "I'm being serious, though. And I didn't mean to exclude you, if you want to talk about your part in it, I'm all ears."

Danny saw his parents give each other signals to leave the kitchen, and so Danny was left alone with his sister. "There's really not much to say, at least from my side. It was scary, kinda like… you know," Danny was struggling to come up with a fake explanation. At his insistence, his sister was still in the dark about his powers. "You know you could probably die, and that's scary. Terrifying, even. I mean, like, how else would you feel in that situation? I dunno. I guess I just knew Mom and Dad would come through and save the day like they did back in the war. And they did, so I guess I just got over it? Sam and I weren't hurt, and we got out with barely a scrape, so… yeah, that's about the gist of it."

"Makes sense," Jazz observed. "What about the ghost boy? You said he saved you and Sam. What was that like?"

"Uh, well, you know, weird!" Danny chuckled. He moved to rub the back of his neck, but stopped. Jazz always caught that tell, and would read more into comments following it if she picked up on his nervousness. He pretended to stretch instead. "Ghosts don't help people, they hurt people. That's what they teach us in school, that's what happened during the war. It was, you know, weird to see one help us out. I'm not really sure what to make of it."

If Jazz had caught his tell, she didn't say anything. "That certainly would be strange. Do you think he was really trying to save you? Or do you think he had an ulterior motive?"

"Oh, uh, well, I guess he probably had, like, an ulterior motive." Danny thought back to that night and frowned. "He certainly didn't save those other people."

"The ones that died, you mean?"

Danny nodded.

"So what about Tucker?" Jazz pressed on, changing the subject. "He's one of the only humans to have ever survived being overshadowed. How has he been doing in the aftermath?"

Now Danny could sigh in relief. He didn't have to lie about this part. "You'd have to ask him. Right after it happened, Sam and I tried everything we could to be there for him, but we're just, I guess, out of our element. We tried getting him to talk about it, and that drove him away. We tried not talking about it, but now that more and more ghosts are popping up, it's pretty hard to avoid the topic. The word 'ghost' gets him all ticked off and he'll just walk away from the conversation."

"So what's he been doing in the meantime?"

"He started hanging out with Dash, of all people. No idea how that started. We're pretty far out of the loop, me and Sam."

Jazz leaned back in her seat. "Do you blame yourself for these problems?"

"Are you blaming me?" Danny snapped.

Her response was to cock an eyebrow and cross her arms over her chest – Jazz's 'really?' expression.

Danny sighed emphatically and held his arms up at his sides. "Yeah, I guess I do." He let his arms drop. "All of this weirdness started when I-uh, the portal activated. If I didn't spend so much time around Tucker and Sam, they never would have been put in any danger."

"Plenty of people have been injured, or worse, since the portal turned on – people you've never met. Being friends with you isn't a danger magnet. And Mom and Dad said that ghost that overshadowed Tucker didn't even come from the portal downstairs. How could that possibly be your fault?"

"You wouldn't understand," Danny mumbled.

Jazz held his gaze for a moment. "I might, but if you don't want to talk about it, I'm not going to push you. I go back to Wisconsin tomorrow, I don't want to argue." She stood to take her plate to the sink.

Danny looked down at his plate. Maybe she would understand, he thought as he took some bites from his dinner. He noticed in the past few days that his appetite had begun to ebb again. Then again, I don't even fully understand what's going on with me. Still…

"Hey, Jazz?"

"Yeah?"

"Things have been weird lately; I don't really know how to make sense of it. It's been tough, and…"Danny paused and looked up at his sister. "Thanks."

Jazz smiled warmly. "Anytime, little brother."

Skulker was unaccustomed to finding himself stuck in a predicament. He was intelligent enough to outsmart most of his adversaries. He was strong enough to overpower the rest. Once in a blue moon, however, a being came along that put Skulker through his paces and reminded him that there were plenty of bigger fish in the infinite realms of the Void. His most recent assailant was one such being. The new faceless aggressor was faster, possibly stronger, and at least as intelligent. As if that was not bad enough, the language it spoke was hauntingly familiar.

As a composite being, Skulker drew his strength from the combined memories and experiences that had been absorbed into the Skulker entity over the centuries. While one consciousness rose to dominance, isolating the memories and experiences of that dominant entity would create unrest and division within the whole. Still, Skulker was forced to reach into the recesses of his dominant consciousness, Kevin Manson, to find answers. Unburdened from the intricate overlapping neural network of the composite, Manson was free to recall the memories he sought. The voices of the other consciousnesses whispered warnings to him.

What you seek was not meant to be found...

Ignorance of this truth makes you stronger...

Do not burden us with your past…

Still, he continued to dig. The others quieted, knowing Manson would not heed their warnings. He searched for a memory of the strange language spoken by his foe.

It is the tongue of thieves…

They are the words of killers…

The translation of your unmaking…

The language was Esperanto. Manson had struggled to learn it… but why? He needed to go deeper, but the memories so far down had not simply been buried by time and blurred by overlapping consciousnesses. These had been repressed.

We can only impede your progress so far…

But we cannot destroy what is not ours…

These are your tortured memories…

Esperanto. Kevin Manson. Army Ranger. Korean War. It was related, and the answers were just beyond his grasp. The fugue began to clear.

We found you when you wanted to hide…

We saved you when you wanted to die…

We remember what you wished to forget…

Then the dam burst. A deluge of memories flooded Skulker's collective consciousness; terrible, nightmarish memories. The entities within the Skulker composite strained in psychic anguish as the emotions attached to those memories spread from Manson into the whole. The experience overwhelmed Manson, and the other consciousnesses enveloped him. Pain rolled over him in waves which gradually began to recede.

You dodged this Bullet in your past…

He has returned, hungry for vengeance…

Alone, you are weak. Together, we are Skulker…

After some time, Skulker began to regain his composure. The dissonance within the composite settled, but the memories and emotions could not be buried again. Skulker's predicament was suddenly made much more complicated. Following the incident with Ember, Skulker had abruptly severed ties with his former employer. He figured it was only a matter of time before Vanessa Masters made an attempt on his life. Now, another specter had returned from his dark and sordid past.

"You've looked better," a nasally voice taunted from the computer console on the far wall of Skulker's lair. An array of monitors occupied one large wall in the abandoned water treatment center that Skulker had called home. The dull light given off by the screens was the only light in the building. Shadows flickered over long unused pumps and pipes, and danced over the rotting wooden boards nailed over the windows years before. Technus' binary form wafted from screen to screen, his green binary form briefly adding a brighter glow to the open room. "Did you blow a gasket?"

"What do you want, Technus?" Skulker grumbled, still uneasy from his harrowing journey of self-discovery.

Technus hesitated. "Aren't you curious as to how I discovered your lair?"

"You tracked the power usage across Amity Park, looked into any discrepancies, and traced them to their sources," Skulker deduced in an uninterested tone. "It was only a matter of time."

"Yes, well… I come to you with a message-"

"A warning, you mean. Masters wants you to remind me the dangers of revealing her true nature to Daniel and his friends." Technus was silent. "You can comfort your master with the knowledge that I have not acted in direct contravention of her plans for Daniel."

"Why not tell her yourself, then? And why sever communication at all?" Technus sounded exasperated. His tone brought a weak grin to Skulker's face.

"I have my reasons. If she can honor my desire to return to my solitary lifestyle, she will not have to worry about any interference from me."

"What reasons?" Technus plied curiously.

"Masters' entire strategy is fundamentally unsound. She disregards the psychological consequences of the encounters she instigates. Daniel's friends and family have been placed directly in the line of fire during every one of her field tests. If she wants to gauge his abilities, that is one thing. I am forced to wonder, though, how her experiments would progress if Daniel is mentally paralyzed by the traumatic evisceration of his family? Or if one of Masters' minions devours the boy's friends right before his eyes? "

Technus was silent for a while. "I will relay your concerns to her."

"You do that." Skulker's words hung in the dank air of his lair, answered by the ambient sounds of electricity humming through his computer equipment. Skulker ran a diagnostic of his systems, which did not indicate the presence of Technus or one of his infernal subroutines. He was alone again, free to think. As his thoughts drifted back to the memories of Kevin Manson, Skulker began to resent such freedom.

Sam briskly strode past Danny as the two entered their study hall classroom. Danny was unfazed by his friend's brisk pace, and lazily dropped into a seat next to her. She was a morning person. Danny decided long ago that he, in fact, was not.

"You didn't answer my question, you just told that stupid doctor joke again!"

"Inspector? I barely know her!" Danny smiled hopefully, but the punch line failed to elicit a smile. Sam just rolled her eyes again. Danny sighed in resignation. "Jazz said to say hello, and she's fine." Danny grabbed a notebook out of his backpack and started doodling. Jazz had flown out of Amity International Airport at some ungodly hour in the morning. Danny barely remembered grumbling a half-hearted goodbye before she left. Unable to get back to sleep, Danny had reluctantly prepared for the day long before he normally would. It left him in a sour mood. "What did you do over the weekend?"

"I was pretty useless. Bought the new Cradle of Filth album, annoyed my parents with it, so that was fun. Other than that…" Sam shrugged. "Pretty boring."

"I think we've had enough adventures to justify being boring for at least a few years," Danny said absently. His hand listlessly drew strange circular patterns on his notebook

"Not me, I like the adventures. I think we're overdue for another near-apocalyptic ghost event."

Danny huffed. "Somewhere in the Ghost Zone, a crazy eight-armed shark ghost with a gun for a face just heard you say that, and he's probably on his way here right now."

"You can take him."

Danny returned Sam's smile with a sarcastic one of his own. "Maybe Tucker has a point, we talk about ghosts way too much," he said thoughtfully.

"Forget Tucker. I don't know what he gets from hanging out with Dash and the cool kids club, but come Friday he's definitely going to regret jumping ship."

"Why, is that when you plan on killing him for revenge?"

"Har har. No, ass, that's the day of the school field trip to the Axion Labs building that just opened."

"Oh, right." Danny turned the page over and continued drawing. He did remember something about a field trip announced in his homeroom that morning. "Why is that happening?"

"Do you not pay attention to anything? Ever?" Danny shook his head. Sam rolled her eyes and continued. "Axion Labs is owned by Vanessa Masters, the lady who owns the Masters Company, or whatever. I don't know business words. Anyway, she's been pouring money into Amity Park since the war, so I guess this field trip is probably some kind of public image thing."

Danny perked up and finally turned his attention to Sam. "Wait, did you say Vanessa Masters?"

"Yeah, why?"

"My parents used to know her before the war; she was the biggest, uh, contributor to the Guys in White back in the day. The way my folks tell it, she's probably the reason we won."

"Your parents used to know her? What happened?"

"They never said much, just that there was some accident in their lab at the University of Wisconsin, and they fell out of contact afterwards."

"An accident in a ghost lab run by your parents? You don't think...?"

"Wha- no! I mean, I don't think so. They never said what actually happened. She's obviously okay now though."

"Bummer."

Danny shrugged. "I guess. I mean, she's just some rich lady, right?"

Although students were allowed talk amongst themselves in study hall, carrying on loudly was frowned upon. Sam's haughty laughter earned her a disapproving stare from the teacher. "My mom is just some rich lady," Sam said, lowering her voice. "Do you really not know who Vanessa Masters is?"

"I have a feeling you're about to tell me."

"You remember learning about the aftermath of the Ghost Wars, right? How entire cities were irradiated with ectoplasm?"

"Yeah…?"

"Well, Masters is the one who developed the ectoplasm decontamination technology."

Danny blinked. "Yeah…?"

"You really aren't picking up on this, are you?" Sam huffed. "That tech was used all over the world to clean up after the war. Amity Park was one of those cities. So were London and Kyoto. Millions of people would have been permanently displaced if it weren't for Masters' technology."

"I didn't know that…"

"Start paying attention in class. Please. Like, five minutes a day, that's all I'm asking."

"No, I mean, you'd think my parents would have mentioned that. You know, like, especially now, in light of… recent events."

Sam leaned forward and dropped her voice to a whisper. "You think maybe there's more to them falling out of contact? Maybe there's bad blood between them?"

"Maybe." Danny turned his attention back to his notebook and resumed his doodling. "Maybe going on this field trip isn't such a great idea."

"Oh, come on," Sam sat upright again. "You can't keep looking for things to get stressed over. Masters has her hands in tons of other businesses. She's the CEO of MasterSoft and Mastersanto; she has tons of other things on her plate."

"But what if-"

Sam cut him off. "No, stop. You're coming, even if I have to bring you in a thermos." Danny narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. "She probably doesn't even know you exist," Sam continued. "Hey, maybe she'll be there! Then you can ask her what went down."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll go. But, seriously, even if she will be there, I'm sure she has more important things to do than talk to some random kids."

The first half of the week passed without incident from either the mortal or ethereal realm. Masters tried not to take the lull in activity for granted. The necessary construction on the Axion Labs building was nearly complete, although the rest of the building would take considerably more time to finish. The first floor reception area and first stage research laboratories would be finished well before the event she planned for Friday. She stood on the roof of the building, surveying the site and basking in her success. Everything was going according to plan; all the pieces were in place and ready for her next move.

"Masters."

All save one, apparently.

"I didn't summon you, Bullet," Masters turned on her heel. "Why are you here?"

"To discuss our arrangement." The faceless ghost rose to his full height, almost two meters tall. The slim robotic suit he wore was deceptively powerful, and more than capable of doing battle against Skulker. What Bullet lacked in size, strength, and armaments, he more than made up for in agility and strategy – he adequately filled the void left by Masters' former enforcer.

"Tell me what troubles you," Masters offered insincerely.

"Your attitude towards Skulker is troubling. You treat his situation with the same indifference with which you currently regard me."

The remark caught her off guard. She wasn't used to being called out by her subordinates. "I am indifferent toward Skulker… for the time being. Your little rendezvous with him in the forest was meant to gauge the sensibility of my timetable. Skulker did not connect you to me during your battle and he hasn't since."

"You are sure of this?"

"Technus is very thorough, Bullet." Masters regarded the ghost curiously. "What have I done as of late that has given you reason to doubt me?"

"Skulker may not have connected my arrival to your presence in Amity Park yet, but he will inevitably arrive at that conclusion. If he does, and if he learns of your plans for the ghost child, he will make every effort to undermine your machinations."

A cool breeze rustled Masters' overcoat as it wafted across the construction site. "Do not presume to know my plans." Her words hissed from her lips, barely audible in the light wind.

"I mean no offense," Bullet offered hastily. "I only wish to express my concern. Skulker's continued survival poses a considerable risk to the success of your mission… as I have come to understand it."

"Your concern is noted." Masters felt her muscles relax, unaware she had tensed up. "Skulker will eventually outlive his usefulness to me. For the time being, the part of my plan involving the ghost child benefits from the training he receives from Skulker. It would be unfortunate for Daniel to lose such an opportunity before he learns anything truly valuable from it."

"So this is a gamble?"

"A calculated risk," she corrected. "I have weighed the odds. They're in my favor."

"And should the scales tip against you?"

"Should they, Skulker will die. I will make sure to grant the honor to you."

Bullet bowed respectfully. "Thank you, my master."

"But of course." Bullet turned to leave, but Masters cleared her throat emphatically to stop him. "I hope your obsession with Skulker's demise won't interfere with your responsibilities during the upcoming event…"

While faceless, Masters couldn't help but picture a knowing smile behind the ghost's faceplate as he cocked his head. "I promise you, it will be quite a performance."

Napping became a daily occurrence once Danny had fallen into a routine of patrolling the city for wayward ghosts. Even though his grades had taken a hit, Danny relished his late afternoon siestas. His parents, however, were less enthusiastic about the change in his routine.

"Danny, can you come in here for a minute?"

Feigning a great deal of effort, Danny pushed himself up off the couch in the living room. He had been curled up in the corner of the grey sectional, absently watching the History Channel. After narrowly avoiding a catastrophic toe-stubbing with the coffee table, he plodded into the kitchen where his mother had summoned him. His father was seated next to her at the dinner table.

"What's up?"

"We wanted to talk to you about something, kiddo," Jack gestured to the seat opposite them.

The grogginess from his impromptu nap quickly evaporated, replaced by a feeling of nervousness. "Yeah, okay…"

"This field trip you're going on tomorrow, it's to the Axion Laboratory building?"

"Uh-huh," Danny mumbled with a nod.

Maddie asked, "We've told you about Vanessa Masters, haven't we?"

"Uh, I think so? A little bit, yeah." Danny sighed. "Sam told me more about her the other day. Masters has done a lot of good things, right? Like, she saved Amity Park and a bunch of other places after the war. And she's a filth-anthro – no, wait, phil-endo-"

"Philanthropist," Jack finished. "Yes, she did save Amity Park, and she has done a lot of good since the war."

Danny eyed his parents suspiciously. "But you guys didn't wake me up to tell me how awesome she is, did you?"

Jack and Maddie exchanged concerned looks. Then Maddie said, "We never went into much detail about why we fell out of contact with Vanessa after the war. There was more to it than just growing apart, and the accident at the University of Wisconsin played a major role."

"You mentioned that, a long time ago when you first told me about her," Danny said softly, thinking back. "So, what happened?"

Jack explained, "The Strategic Supernatural Defense Force recruited us at the University of Wisconsin so we could work on our ghost portal technology."

"It didn't get all the funding we needed," Maddie continued. "Congress would only allocate funds for weapons research, and so Vanessa personally funded the project."

Danny leaned forward, listening intently. "So what happened?"

"Our first attempt to create a portal into the Ghost Zone was… technically a success," Jack said.

"The particle accelerator we built was unable to support the energy requirements for the rift," Maddie said. "The portal collapsed in on itself and emitted high levels of ectoplasmic radiation in the process. Your father and I were wearing radiation shields. Vanessa had dropped in unexpectedly for a visit… she wasn't shielded." Maddie looked down at the table, and Jack placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"But she didn't die?" Danny asked hesitantly.

"She slipped into a coma which lasted three years. When she came to, she refused to speak to us. We assumed she blamed us for what happened," Jack said sadly.

"But it wasn't your fault, it was an accident!" Danny protested, leaning back in his chair. "It's no different than what happened to me, right?"

Maddie smiled warmly at her son. She started to say something, but hesitated. "…We wanted you to hear the whole story from us first," she said finally. "If you see her tomorrow on your field trip and if the accident comes up at all… we didn't want you to get caught off guard."

That didn't exactly answer his question. "But if she was caught in the same kind of accident as I was, I mean, is she like me? Does she have ghost powers?"

"We don't think so, kiddo," Jack said with his own warm smile. "There haven't been any sightings of a Wisconsin Ghost since she came out of her coma. And she's so busy with her… businesses! Where would she even find the time?"

Danny chuckled. "That's true. Thanks for telling me all of this; I'll be careful if she shows up tomorrow."

"We always want you to be careful, now that you're flying around town looking for trouble. But this should be a fun field trip!" Jack exclaimed. "Axion Labs was one of The Masters Company's chief competitors in ghost technology research; you should get to see some cool stuff!"

"Until then," Maddie pointed expectantly at a discarded backpack. "Homework."

Danny rolled his eyes and grabbed the backpack on his way out of the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway. "If Masters thinks it was your fault… that's her problem, but it isn't the truth. You guys aren't to blame for what happened to her. And you aren't to blame for what happened to me." He stole a quick glance over his shoulder and saw his parents regarding him lovingly. Danny offered a smile of his own before heading up to his room.

The initial uneasiness he had felt from his parents was almost nonexistent now. More significant to Danny was their trusting him with the truth about such a sensitive subject. His parents didn't help him learn and master his powers like Skulker did, but they were opening up to him and sharing important information. Danny wasn't sure if he had reason to worry about Masters, but the information his parents provided would give him an advantage if she ever approached him. Such an advantage might serve to keep his secret safe.

After a good night's sleep and a relaxing flight to school, Danny thought his spirits would be up when he disembarked with Sam and the rest of his class for the field trip. He was wrong. Presently, Danny regarded Sam with irritation. Before climbing into the bus headed for Axion Labs, Sam had called dibs on the window seat. The girl was currently slouched down on her end of the seat. Her knees pressed firmly into the seat in front of them, and her head was nestled into her purple spider backpack, which was pinned between her matted black hair and the cool metal frame of the bus window. Even at the back of the bus and over all the noise of the other students, she managed to look comfortable. This just annoyed Danny further.

"Why did you want the window seat if you aren't even going to look out of it?" Danny sneered.

"I didn't realize I had to explain my dibs to you, Fenton," Sam replied with a smirk.

"Whatever."

"So, did you ever talk to your parents about the field trip?"

Danny recounted what his parents had told him about the particle accelerator malfunction to Sam. "Sounds like Masters might have a grudge, or something," he finished.

"I dunno about that," Sam offered. She paused to unfold herself from her position and sat upright. "I mean, if she had a grudge, she'd be out to get them, wouldn't she?"

"I guess so," Danny replied, nodding absently. "It does sound more like the cold shoulder."

"If you ask me, you have nothing to worry about. She probably doesn't even know you exist. And if she recognizes you somehow, it's not like she'd cause a scene."

"That's true."

Danny looked past Sam as the Axion Labs building came into view. It looked like whatever renovations were needed had already been finished – the architecture of the building looked almost futuristic. Metal frames held massive window panels in place, providing outsiders a clear view into the first several floors of the building. As the bus pulled into the parking lot of the site, Danny could see the bare skeletal frame of the upper levels. Construction workers milled about, diligently completing work on the structure. Whatever purpose the building had served to the previous owners, it was clear that Vanessa Masters wanted something completely different.

"It's kinda crazy how big this city keeps getting," Sam remarked, following Danny's gaze. "Ghost stuff is great for the economy. This facility alone will create hundreds of new jobs."

"When did you start to care about that stuff?"

Sam shrugged. "My parents really like their money. Their economy talk must've rubbed off on me."

Busses full of Casper High students stopped in rows outside the Axion Labs building. On the opposite end of the lot from the busses, an array of construction vehicles sat motionless. As a child, Danny pretended they were hulking yellow dinosaurs, either sleeping with their heads tucked down or lazily munching on loose soil.

A bored-looking woman in a bright orange vest was waiting for him when he stepped off the bus. She thrust a yellow hardhat into the arms of each student as they disembarked. The other busses had similar greeters, handing hardhats to the rest of his classmates and directing them toward the main entrance. Danny and Sam fell into the throng of students, taking tiny, awkward steps as the crowd moved forward into the building at a painfully slow pace.

"I hope we get to keep these neat helmets," Sam remarked, taking off the hardhat to inspect it. A gray sticker with a dark purple M was plastered on all of them. An admonishment from one of the construction workers prompted Sam to reluctantly put hers back on.

"You think they'll let us? She probably paid a lot for all of them." Danny remarked. His attention was drawn to two upperclassmen who had taken to ramming their armored heads like a pair of pachycephalosaurus. Teacher chaperones quickly broke them up and escorted them back out to the busses.

"Please. If this Masters lady is as rich as I think she is, she could have paid for individual limo rides for all the students to and from the school and not even notice the money was gone."

"Oh, I'd notice," an unfamiliar voice commented. "It just wouldn't take me very long to recoup my losses.

In all the bustling of students, Danny hadn't noticed he and Sam had been pushed to the outer rim of the swarm. Here at the edge, they were well within earshot of their ushers and teacher chaperones, and anyone else who happened to be walking by. Danny and Sam turned to the speaker, finding themselves face to face with Vanessa Masters.

"Ohmigosh, you're- I'm-" Sam stumbled over her words, bringing a sly grin to Danny's face. "I'm so sorry!" she finally managed to blurt out.

Vanessa waved her hand dismissively. "Please, I can't really be offended by jokes about my wealth, can I, Ms. Manson?"

"You… know who I am?"

"I met your parents at a charity gala several years ago. You were… otherwise occupied, rejecting the advances of a rather unpleasant young man. We never got a chance to get acquainted."

"That sounds like just about every event they drag me to," Sam offered with a smile. She held out her hand and Vanessa shook it. "It's nice to actually meet you!"

"Likewise," the older woman replied, matching Sam's smile. Her gaze fell to Danny, and her eyes widened. "No… you're not Jack and Maddie Fenton's son, are you? You're the spitting image of your father!"

"Uh, guess so, yeah," he mumbled. Not many people thought Danny looked like his heavyset father, but then again, not many people in Amity Park knew the Fentons before the war – Danny was the spitting image of the thinner 70's Jack Fenton. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I'm Danny."

"Danny," she repeated. Her expression softened. "It's so good to finally meet you, Danny. I used to work with your parents, did you know that?"

"I, uh, yeah, I did. They talk about you, you know, uh, sometimes."

"Good things, I hope," Masters said with a chuckle. Danny and Sam laughed along, Danny a smidge more forcefully than necessary. Sam elbowed him. "Well, don't let me keep you," Masters continued. "Please, enjoy your field trip. My employees can answer any questions you might have. And, Danny, please do give my regards to your parents."

Danny nodded, choosing not to open his mouth lest he reinsert his foot. Masters gracefully strode away, and Danny and Sam headed off to rejoin their class.

"You completely fell to pieces," Sam laughed derisively. "I can't wait to watch you do your English report next week."

"Oh, nice, my one remaining friend enjoys watching me fail." The blush in Danny's cheeks had yet to fully recede.

"Well," Sam started as she looked around, "at least she was cool right? She wasn't all indignant or whatever."

"Yeah, that was a relief. Guess you were right, I had nothing to worry about." Danny saw the herd of his schoolmates disappear around a corner further down the hall. "We should probably catch up with the class, huh?"

"Or… we could explore on our own!"

"What? No! We'll get in trouble!"

Sam cocked an eyebrow. "In trouble for what? We were invited here, we're wearing the stupid hats," she knocked on hers for emphasis, "we just got separated from the rest of the class."

"Yeah, and then we get detention or suspended for wandering off."

"You are such a stick in the mud. And besides, neither of those things is as bad as you think. Come on! It'll be fun!"

Danny reluctantly allowed Sam to lead him down a different hallway. Windows along the walls allowed them glimpses into pristine laboratory settings. Scientists clad in white lab coats and protective goggles were hard at work with all manner of subjects. Some worked diligently on liquid formulae, others examined solid matter under massive microscopes, and others still tinkered with complex-looking machinery. Most of the scientists who weren't preoccupied with their work smiled and waved at the two teenagers as they continued on their way through the facility.

"Okay, this was pretty cool," Danny admitted after over half an hour of meandering through the halls of Axion Labs. At the insistence of Sam, the two purposely avoided bumping into their classmates whenever the larger group was heard nearby. "But we should probably catch up with the rest of the class, right? If we don't get busted for wandering off, we definitely will for ditching school."

"Ugh, fine," Sam relented. "Which way?"

Wherever the large group had went, they were being uncharacteristically quiet. "How am I supposed to know? Maybe they're in a presentation or something."

"Hey, regrouping with the rest of the flock is your idea. You want to find them so bad? You get us back there."

Danny rolled his eyes and looked around. The inner part of the sterile-looking building lacked windows to the outside, but suffered no shortage of offices and lab spaces. It was a particularly disorienting experience. "I have no idea how to get out of here. Maybe we should call-" he was cut off midsentence as twin streams of green vapor billowed from his nostrils.

"Seriously?" Sam asked, watching the mist as it dissipated. "What ghost would be stupid enough to set foot in this building?" Danny cocked an eyebrow at her. "Present company excluded, of course," she added with a sheepish grin.

Before Danny could answer, the lights above them in their hallway flickered and died. Danny looked from one end to the other, watching as the other lights followed suit. Faint sunlight barely illuminated the ends of the corridor, but it wasn't enough to restore visibility. Red emergency lights along the wall and floor winked on, providing just enough light to see. As Danny looked back at Sam, his vision was immediately drawn to a figure standing several meters behind her.

It was the armored ghost that attacked him in the forest.

"Sam," Danny whispered, reaching out and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Run!"

Seeing the fear in Danny's eyes was enough motivation for her to dart past him, fleeing down the hall. She didn't look back. The faceless ghost turned his head, as if watching her go. Its attention returned to Danny, and it took a step forward. "Hello, ghost child."

"So, you do speak English."

"I speak many languages, but my native tongue… is combat." The ghost assumed a fighting stance, legs firmly anchored to the floor and arms poised like cobras ready to strike. "Come, Daniel. I would have words with you."

In the dim light, Danny didn't notice the luminescence of his transformation ring had turned black. Once it had split and completed its pass, Danny rose up into the air and cocked his fist back. A green light grew brighter as he fed energy into the appendage. The faceless assailant leapt at him, but Danny managed to fire off his energy blast first. The beam collided with the armored ghost and sent him tumbling back along the floor.

Danny sped forward, but his enemy was already back on his feet and ready to receive him. As Danny swung, the assailant grabbed his outstretched arm and violently swung him into the drywall. Plaster and wood crumbled from the impact. Danny was yanked free as his foe prepared to slam him into another wall. This time, Danny passed intangibly through the wall and sped down through the floor. He circled around and attacked from below with a powerful uppercut, catching the assailant off guard. The armored ghost was sent crashing up through the ceiling and onto the second floor.

Quick on the heels of the armored ghost, Danny followed him through the hole and landed several punches as his enemy tried to right himself. The assailant stumbled back and braced itself as Danny swung his foot at the ghost's head. Danny's foot was caught by a waiting hand, and the assailant spun him around and hurled him down the length of the new hallway.

As Danny tumbled off the floor and walls, the assailant drew his familiar energy weapon. An orange energy bow materialized and several orange energy arrows sped toward Danny's chest. Two of the three energy bolts found their mark, piercing through his protective gear and into his cried out and was sent sliding further along on the floor.

"Skulker is not here to save you this time, whelp," the assailant proclaimed as it strode towards him. The bow winked away, and a blade appeared in its place. Danny yanked the orange energy arrows from his chest, and they disappeared. "Any last words?"

In response, Danny swung his hand forward and fired a continuous stream of green energy at the ghost. The assailant brought his blade up to deflect the energy attack, sending the energy down into the floor where it burned a hole back down to the first level.

While the ghost was distracted, Danny fired a second blast at the shoulder Skulker had injured during their last encounter. When the energy blast hit its mark, the assailant cried out and dropped his guard.

Capitalizing on the injury, Danny sped forward and grabbed the armored ghost by the throat. He thrust the ghost's head up and carved a wound into the ceiling as he flew himself and his foe down the length of the hallway.

The ghost landed several punches and twisted free, but Danny was right behind him and collided into the assailant's back. Roaring at the exertion of his own power, Danny forced himself and the ghost crashing down through the floor of the second level, then the first level, before colliding with the floor of a basement level.

The two parties bounced apart, and Danny saw his foe's weapon clatter to the ground nearby. He snatched it up as he stumbled to his feet, holding the hilt in his hands like a sword. Nothing on the device showed him how to activate it.

While Danny was distracted, the assailant lunged forward and caught Danny square in the chest with a powerful blow. Danny was flung back where he crashed through a wall and into another lab space. The weapon was knocked from his grasp. The punch knocked the wind out of him, and white spots clouded his vision.

As Danny tried to stand again the orange energy weapon snapped forward, this time in the form of a whip, and wrapped around his neck. The hilt fed electricity down through the length of the weapon and pumped thousands of volts into Danny. Unable to cry out and hardly able to see, Danny grabbed the sizzling orange cord and yanked it as hard as he could. The barrage of electricity cut out and Danny's vision cleared enough to see his enemy charging with a new melee weapon at the ready.

Furious, frightened, and in pain, Danny shot his hand forward with the intent to fire an energy blast. Instead, green electricity crackled down his arm and jumped from his fingertips. The lightning arced out and surged into the armored body of the assailant, freezing him in his tracks. The ghost stumbled back and dropped to his knee, his armor smoldering when the lightning attack ceased.

While Danny didn't need to breathe in his ghost form, the inability to do so in a high pressure situation was extremely disorienting. Air eventually returned to his lungs and Danny shakily rose to his feet, bracing himself on a pile of debris. "Had enough?" he managed to choke out.

The assailant righted himself and regarded Danny silently. After several moments, he returned the energy weapon hilt to his belt. "Until next time, ghost child." The faceless ghost flung a smoke bomb at the floor and disappeared into the cloud. Relieved, exhausted, and too depleted to remain in ghost form any longer, Danny transformed back into his human form and cautiously surveyed the damage.

His eyes locked with Vanessa Masters, standing shocked and silent at the far end of the room.

Before the Ghost Wars, Elmerton was the larger sister city to Amity Park. Once Amity Park began aggressively expanding, Elmerton suffered a blow to its local economy. Dozens of businesses had been forced to shut down or relocate. Abandoned buildings lined the empty streets of once-thriving communities, giving the appearance of a ghost town in some locations. These buildings were somber reminders of better days – they also served as excellent locations for black site facilities for the Strategic Supernatural Defense Force.

James Steel leaned on the metal railing just outside the door to his office. On the level below, SSDF lab technicians and other personnel carried out their various duties. Several rows of desks had been set up in the center of what was once a fish market. Advanced computer technology rested atop the desks, gathering information for analysis. Two men in matching white suits stood out among their colleagues. "Gentlemen," Steele said from his perch overlooking the first floor of the Emerton black site. "Bring me up to speed."

SSDF Operatives were the best of the best, recruited from the Special Forces and intelligence organizations of allied nations across the planet. Operatives were capable of performing near-impossible tasks with minimal oversight. They were even more effective in a unit, and K and O were two of the best. Operatives K and O climbed the metal stairs leading to the catwalk in front of the Director's office, taking care not to scuff their spotless black shoes.

"Sir," K spoke first once the three men were secure inside the Director's office, "our informant in Axion Labs confirms there was a ghost attack at the facility today."

Naturally, the official story of faulty wiring left over by the previous tenant was a cover. The Masters Company was facing some serious scrutiny in allowing high school children into such a dangerous facility, and reports of a ghost attack would have driven off potential investors. "Do we have an ID on the bastard?"

"Bastards," O corrected with a sly grin. "Two ghosts were fighting each other, sir."

Steele looked back and forth between his Operatives. "Jesus Christ. So now these things are duking it out in a facility tasked with finding ways to kill them?"

"If they were smart enough to figure that out, it didn't seem to bother them," O added.

"Right." Steele sunk into his chair and rubbed his temples. "You didn't answer my question."

"No, sir, no identification on either malefactor," K replied. "Our informant did provide us with something… interesting."

With that prompt, O produced a smart tablet and opened a video file. He handed the tablet to Steele, who watched intently as two teenagers strolled down a hallway alone. "When was this taken?"

"Approximately five minutes before a power outage disrupted the security feed. However, if you move to time mark 1043 hours…" Steele followed O's instructions, and saw one of the teenagers running down the way she came. The hallway was dimly lit, and her companion was nowhere to be seen. "Who are these kids?"

K and O exchanged knowing looks. "Sir," K started, "the female student shown at both time marks is Samantha Manson, a student at Casper High school. The male student… is Daniel Fenton."

Steele felt the world begin to fade away around him. The implications fit together like pieces of a puzzle, depicting a very clear – and very unsavory – picture. "Does Daniel reappear in the security footage?"

O accelerated to another time mark and played the video. The students had gathered outside as a result of the commotion. Danny Fenton snuck out from behind a construction vehicle and regrouped with his friend Samantha. They exchanged words before slipping into the crowd unnoticed.

There was one critical piece of information missing from the puzzle - the center piece which would bring it all into focus. "Is there any footage of the physical encounter on site?"

"Negative, sir," O replied. "A localized electric disturbance appears to have disabled the security cameras in the area."

"How convenient."

"Sir, if I may," K started. "This footage and the circumstances surrounding the events of the last five months all point to Daniel Fenton being the Ghost Boy. Why not just bring him in for questioning?"

A mix of emotions fluttered around in Steele's mind as he regarded his two Operatives. "Jack and Maddie Fenton aren't just old associates I keep in my rolodex. They are family. I'm Jasmine's godfather, for Christ's sake." He paused and rapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. "And besides, if we're right, we won't be bringing him in – not for questioning, anyway."

K and O exchanged confused glances. "Then what do we do?"

"We wait until we're sure," Steele replied. "And then we invite Daniel to join us."

"Technus, please initiate the repair station."

"Of course."

Following his scheduled battle with the ghost child earlier in the day, Bullet discovered the boy's electrical energy attack had cause significantly greater damage than he originally thought. Servo-motors in the torso and arms had shorted out, and Bullet was forced to make repairs. One of Skulker's abandoned lairs, housed within a sewer junction, hosted an automated repair station. Without Skulker's neural uplink to command it, the machine required Technus' guiding influence. Bullet stood quietly as two of the machine's larger arms removed the damaged armor plating.

"The ghost boy did quite a number on you!" Technus remarked. "Post-combat analysis from his engagement with Ember McLain suggested his energy level had diminished. Masters did not anticipate his ability to replicate his lightning attack so soon."

Bullet had shared a similar belief, but his fight with the boy gave him cause for concern. The light of his transformation rings had altered in color – from green to black. This change, along with his ability to discharge, or perhaps absorb and redirect, electrical energy suggested something sinister. The microscopic organisms inhaled by the boy several days earlier were engineered to sap his ectoplasmic energy, leaving him powerless. That outcome had clearly not occurred. Whatever power the boy already possessed, it appeared to have altered the organism, and now Daniel was drawing strength from it.

This news was troubling. Bullet's true lord and master, who had ordered the deployment of the organism, would not be pleased by this news. He was unable to share the news with anyone associated with his current mission. Vanessa Masters would make him suffer for attempting to interfere with her own plans for Daniel. If Bullet confided in Technus, the AI construct would undoubtedly reveal his treachery. And so Bullet was forced to keep the information secret, until he could make contact with his master in the Ghost Zone.

"From the reports I have read, this child is full of surprises," Bullet replied.

"Very true, now hold still. You may feel a slight discomfort…"

The charred pieces of armor were yanked from Bullet's body. He grunted at the sharp pain that stabbed through his chest. "Take care, virus. I am not Skulker. There is a body beneath this shell."

"Speaking of Skulker," Technus started as he moved the damaged armor aside. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"I'm not particularly fond of any of you."

"Yes, but your hatred for Skulker is singular, it's an obsession." Smaller arms from the repair station moved in to treat the mottled green flesh beneath the armor. An ectoplasmic salve was applied to the wounds before they were covered with high-tech bandages. "Skulker isn't the most charismatic life form I've ever encountered, but I find it hard to believe anyone could detest him like you do."

Bullet grimaced as the bandages flash-froze, hardening the healing resin to his flesh. "You may contain the sum of all recorded human knowledge, but your actual lifespan is laughably short. You cannot possibly know what it is like to have a nemesis."

"Ooh, how very theatrical of you," Technus remarked sarcastically as he maneuvered new pieces of armor onto Bullet's body.

"In his service to Masters, Skulker was disciplined and principled. Even his defection from her service was to protect the wellbeing of innocent children. But it is all a farce." The repair dock finished attaching the new armor plating to Bullet's frame, and he stepped away from the machine.

"You don't think his concern is sincere?" Technus asked.

Bullet regarded his new armor for a moment, running diagnostic scans to ensure it was properly functioning. He then turned his attention to a security camera mounted on a nearby wall, looking Technus in the eye. "If the children he has sworn to protect knew what he really was… if they knew what he has done to me… they would rethink embracing him as an ally."

Danny didn't want to add to his stress, and so he refrained from calling his parents. He didn't want the quirky and against-the-grain input from Sam, and so he held off on calling her too – even if she had badgered him for details relentlessly on the bus ride back to school. Danny wanted the logical and level-headed Skulker to tell him what to do. Several hastily typed emergency texts were fired off to Danny's sensei as he tore through the sky above Amity Park. Twenty minutes of nervous pacing in the thick forests outside of town did little to assuage his fear. The only relief Danny felt since that morning came from the familiar sounds of Skulker's jet engines from somewhere above the forest canopy. The hulking robotic suit eased itself down into the clearing, and had barely touched the ground before Danny was desperately grabbing at Skulker's black combat vest.

"Slow down, boy. I can barely understand you."

With great effort, Danny took several deep breaths. He only slightly reduced the tightness in his chest, but it was enough to speak clearly. "Someone saw me today," he hissed. "Someone saw me transform!"

"How did this happen?" Danny explained his rematch with the faceless assailant from earlier. Skulker cocked his head at the description of the fight. He asked, "You were able to summon lightning again?"

"Wha- yeah, sure, I dunno, he zapped me with his weapon thing and, I guess, I just shot it back at him, or whatever. Are you even listening?!"

"Yes, of course, calm yourself. Someone saw you. Who was it?"

"Vanessa Masters." Danny noticed Skulker tense, which was a strange thing to see a giant robot suit do. "What, do you know her?"

Skulker hesitated before answering. "I know of her. She is a very prominent businesswoman, is that correct?"

"Yeah, she's rich, she's famous, and she made her fortune off of ghost technology. She worked with my parents during the war."

"And you fear that she will attempt to capture you to use for future experiments?"

"Yes! What do I do?!" More hesitation from Skulker followed. Danny might have grown suspicious if his mind wasn't preoccupied with terror.

"Take this," Skulker produced a small device from one of the pouches on his belt. "It is an emergency beacon I created for you and your friends. This is my only prototype, so please use caution when handling it."

"How is this supposed to help me? Skulker, come on, man, I'm freaking out here!"

The larger ghost rested a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Relax, and listen." Skulker pulled up an online biography of Masters on his holographic wrist display and angled it to show to Danny. "Masters has a public image to maintain; it would not do her well to become implicated in a kidnapping plot, would you agree?"

"Okay, not sure where you're going with this, but I trust you-"

"She may be wealthy, but she is probably not stupid. If Masters attempts to make contact with you, it will be peaceful. She may only wish to speak to you – to hold an innocent conversation. It may be an insightful experience."

"Are you kidding?! You want me to bring Ms. Moneybags into Team Danny? That's a terrible idea!"

"As terrible an idea as Team Danny?" Danny scowled, and Skulker continued. "I said nothing of bringing her into your circle, and I would advise against it. But there is no harm in indulging her curiosity. The conversation will be on your terms, should she extend the offer. And if the situation takes a turn-"

"I just hit the button on this beacon thingy." Danny held it up, examining it. "And you'll come running at the drop of a hat?"

"I will be there before the hat reaches the ground."

Danny sighed in relief and slid the device into his pocket. "What about my parents?"

"They have a history with Masters?" Skulker asked, scanning through the biography. Danny told him they did. "That relationship may give rise to undue concern, and your parents may attempt to interfere with your training. All Masters may want is a conversation. I advise keeping them in the dark about this situation – for now. The time will come when you may wish to inform them of this development, but perhaps it is best to wait until you learn what Masters wants from you, if she wants anything at all."

"I don't know about that. Mom and Dad are… I don't know – they're getting better about this stuff. They told me the truth about what happened to Masters back before the war, and they're laying off the removing my powers thing. I don't want to lie to them."

"The choice is, ultimately, up to you. Should the situation call for the use of my emergency beacon, however… you may not want them involved."

Danny nodded. "Alright, I'll do it your way for now."

"Very well. If there is nothing else, I will return to my lair." Skulker extended his engines and stabilizer wings.

"Wait, what? What about training?"

"Your encounter with our faceless assailant is more than enough training for today. You are stressed, and if you do not relax it will begin to adversely affect your abilities. I suggest reading a book."

Danny scoffed as Skulker's engines hummed to life. The larger ghost accelerated up into the sky and vanished above the tree tops. Danny was left alone in the darkening woods.

"Skulker's right," Danny mumbled to himself as he headed for home. "There's nothing to worry about. I mean, my parents already know, and Skulker's on my side, so what am I afraid of?"

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a presence began to push into his consciousness. It was familiar and alien all at once, like a memory he had forgotten long ago. Unlike a memory, the presence took thought and feeling and sense and warped them into something stranger still. Something resembling words…

Whatever the presence was, it was strangely comforting. Before it receded back into Danny's subconscious, it seemed to tell him that, even without his parents, without Skulker, or Tucker or Sam, he would never be alone.

As an artificial intelligence construct, Technus was capable of incredible feats of cognitive processing. While his services to The Masters Company almost exclusively rested in data analyses and cybersecurity, his ever-increasing processing power gave him the ability to predict human behavior with almost precognizant accuracy. This tool was used by Vanessa Masters to gain the upper hand in negotiations by manipulating representatives from rival corporations – like the hapless Mr. Selman of DALV. As far as Technus knew, Masters had no idea that Technus frequently used this ability to predict her behavior and manipulate her for his own ends. When she summoned him in her new Axion office, he knew with a high degree of certainty what she wanted to discuss.

"How may I serve you, my master?"

"Run a quick profile on Daniel. I'll be making contact with him soon; I'd like to have an idea of his current state of mind so I can tailor my interaction accordingly."

Technus observed Masters from his vantage point within the security camera in the office. It was Spartan in regard to decoration. A bare office desk with an accompanying swivel chair dominated the wall opposite the door, and was framed by a floor-to-ceiling window. Two unremarkable chairs sat opposite the desk. Masters approached an unassuming closet and stepped inside. The door obscured Technus' view.

"Compiling data. One moment please."

Technus accessed the boy's recent phone records and saw a higher than average frequency of text messages sent to Samantha Manson and a contact labeled Kevin. By the nature of the messages, it was clear that Kevin was actually Skulker. Technus made a note to investigate that further, especially in light of his recent conversation with Bullet. The message logs contained dozens of messages from Daniel to both contacts detailing his concern over Masters' discovery. Each message indicated the boy was deeply conflicted on how he should approach the situation, but both conversations shared the theme of anxiousness and unease.

Unsatisfied with just this information, Technus accessed his subroutine in the boy's phone and sifted through the data covertly recorded by the smart phone and computer cameras. Technus could tell Daniel was uneasy by certain tics in his facial expressions. He also made numerous typos in text- and instant messages – far more than he did when engaged in casual conversations. This trend seemed to stretch back well before Masters "discovered" the boy's secret, and so Technus dug even deeper into his records on the boy.

He did not have to dig very far. The last recorded message from Daniel to Tucker Foley was almost three days after the defeat and capture of Ember McLain. The subject of Tucker Foley had appeared in many conversations with Samantha and Skulker since then. It appeared to be a sensitive topic, and one that caused Daniel no end of stress. And yet, Technus was unsure why. Skulker had said there were risks by putting Daniel's friends in danger, but was this Tucker Foley such a great friend if he had abandoned Daniel?

Technus spun off a new subroutine to infiltrate the systems of the boys' cellular service providers. The subroutines wormed through the systems of these companies, gathering and analyzing any records available. With this information in hand Technus finally appreciated the situation. It was almost tragic.

The whole process took less than a minute. "I believe the boy is… freaking out, to use his own words," Technus reported.

"Over my discovery?"

"Over a great many things, my master. Your discovery has exacerbated the situation, but his stress started long before he began worrying about you."

"Can you pinpoint an origin of this distress?"

Technus watched silently for a moment as the dress pants and blazer Masters had been wearing were tossed out of the closet and onto the floor. "I believe so. Following the defeat of Ember McLain, Tucker assumed responsibility for Daniel's berserker state. This compounded on his existing trauma from his possession by Prince Aragon. Tucker has distanced himself from Daniel and Samantha, and it has deeply affected Daniel."

"How so?" The white blouse followed the blazer and pants on the floor.

"Tucker provided a voice of reason, an analytical mind through which Daniel could rationalize his increasingly abnormal situation. Even with the support of his parents and Skulker, who are more than capable of filling this role, Daniel appears lost and unsure of himself. Tucker's logic, flawed as it may be, is no longer present to calm Daniel down in his time of need."

"Fascinating," Masters mumbled from within the closet. "It sounds like, until Tucker is brought back into the fold, Daniel needs a voice of reason that he can take as gospel."

"I would advise against offering to fill that role so soon."

"Obviously," Masters said with disdain. "But for now, all Daniel needs to know is that I wish him no harm. I can establish a stronger relationship in the future. Would you agree?"

"Yes, that is a sound strategy." Technus watched as Masters emerged from the closet adorned in slim-fitting jeans and a Green Bay Packers jersey two sizes too big. "Fascinating selection, master."

Masters smiled. "I think it will suit my purposes just fine."

"Area code 920?" Danny whispered. The phone vibrated against the wooden surface of his night table. Sitting on the edge of his bed, Danny watched the device dance in between a lamp and an alarm clock. He hesitated to pick it up.

Following his impromptu reveal to the famous, wealthy, and notoriously ruthless business woman, her next move had been the only thought on his mind. Skulker had said she would try to make contact, and so Danny had done something out of character. He had done research.

His research revealed that Masters Company was incorporated in Delaware, but primarily operated out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. He thought that was weird, but business formalities were certainly not the strangest thing in his life at the moment. He also discovered that Masters owned a lavish estate outside of Green Bay, and Danny assumed that, if she attempted to call him, she would be calling from a Wisconsin area code. His instinct proved correct when the caller ID on his phone displayed the Green Bay area code.

With a shaky hand and a sweaty palm, Danny hit the Answer button and lifted the device to his ear. "…Hello?"

"Yes, hello," the voice on the other line was a nasally-man. "Am I speaking to Daniel Fenton?"

"Uh, sure – I mean, yeah, yes, this is me… him." Although his heart was pounding in his chest, Danny felt some relief. Maybe she's not gonna call after all…

"Hello, Daniel. I'm calling on behalf of Vanessa Masters, she was hoping you have a moment to speak with her?"

Oh. "Yeah, uh, sure, I have a moment. To, um, speak talk – talk to, uh, her."

"…Alright. Please hold."

Sam is right. I'm a freaking mess. A click from the other line told Danny he had been put on hold. He furrowed his brow at the thought. She had someone else call me, and then put me on hold to wait to talk to her, when she's the one who wanted to talk to me in the first place… what the hell is-

"Hello, Daniel?" This new voice caught him mid-thought. He instantly recognized it as Masters.

"Yes!" Danny stood upright abruptly, as if she had walked into the room and addressed him in person. "Yeah, this is me. Him. It's me, Danny."

"…My assistant was right, you do sound nervous."

Danny took a deep breath, but it did little to calm him down. "I guess I am, still. Still am… nervous."

Masters laughed softly. It sounded gentle, but the sound still sent shivers up Danny's spine. "Relax, please," she said sincerely. "I'm not sure what you're thinking right now. From your reaction earlier today, I can only assume that I saw something I wasn't supposed to see." Danny couldn't think of anything to say. "I think this conversation is one we should have in person," she continued.

"Oh, I don't, uh… I don't think that's a good idea."

"I'm not out to get you, Danny. I'd like to help you."

That had been unexpected. "Help me?" he repeated.

"Come to the Ghostlight Café, on 3rd Street, downtown," she said, ignoring his question. "If you'd like an answer to that question, and any others I'm sure you have for me, meet me there before they close."

Danny's anxiety was quickly being smothered by curiosity. "What happens if I don't show?" His voice was more level than before.

She didn't answer right away. "I guess that's up to you. Although I do hope you'll at least consider it." And with that, Masters hung up.

Danny looked out his bedroom window. His view was obstructed by the fire escape and the neighboring building, but his thoughts were on the sky. He could be at the mall in just a few minutes, but he still wasn't sure if meeting this woman was the best idea.

Skulker is there to back me up, he thought. He patted his pocket, feeling the metal disc through his jeans. And all she wants to do is talk…

His mind was made up. Danny closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He focused on changing and felt the energy inside surge over him. Once again, he failed to notice the discoloration of his transformation rings as they passed over him. Within seconds, Danny was soaring over Amity Park in the direction of the downtown mall. With his mind preoccupied on his first real encounter with Masters, Danny failed to notice the distant silhouette of the Terrorsaur as it descended upon Amity Park.

Bullets and plasma bolts whipped past Tucker as he darted for cover. A smoldering jeep offered temporary safety from the enemy fire raining down on him from the top of the rocky hill. Once in cover, Tucker loaded a fresh clip into his rifle and checked his Heads Up Display. Three red dots were converging on his position, and the enemy fire hadn't let up. Just as Tucker moved to engage his foes, a second jeep slammed into him. His body was sent tumbling into a nearby river, and the driver of the jeep was unceremoniously obliterated by an enemy rocket.

"Jesus," Dash said through clenched teeth, bitter at the loss of his warthog. "You're the biggest computer geek on the West Coast, but you suck at Halo."

"I'm more of a JRPG guy…"

"That explains a lot."

It had taken a while, but the friendly ribbing from Dash Baxter had quickly become part of their daily routine. Before the trouble started – before Aragon – Tucker never could have imagined being friends with his childhood bully. But when Tucker drifted away from Danny and Sam, Dash had been there for him.

I guess it's more like he put up with me tagging along, Tucker thought to himself.

In any case, the two had become fast – if unlikely – friends. The best part, where Tucker was concerned, was the conspicuous absence of ghost-related drama. It felt good to finally get away from it all. Instead of chasing ghosts after school Tucker was free to hang out in his living room and play video games with a normal human friend. The two boys sat on a leather couch which had been pulled forward on the white carpet to sit them closer to the flat screen television. There was just enough space for their legs and the coffee table. Various snacks and empty soda cans littered its once-pristine wooden surface.

As Tucker's character was impaled on the business end of an energy sword, his phone began to ring on the coffee table.

"Who's calling you?"

"Probably your mom," Tucker quipped back. He was getting better at dishing it out – almost as good as Sam. Then again, maybe Sam got so good at quipping because she would never be slugged in the arm by Dash for it. Tucker got to experience that firsthand. "Huh," he said, setting down his controller and picking up the phone. "It's Jazz."

"Whoa, Danny's sister?" Dash asked with a laugh. "Bro, you hit that yet?" Dash pretended to grab for the phone.

"No, dude, shut up, let me get this!"

"Oh, hell yeah, get it bro!"

"Shut up, bro!" Tucker slid off the side of the couch and stumbled away. He answered the phone and walked into the kitchen. "Hello?"

"Hey, Tucker?" the unmistakable voice of Jazz Fenton answered from the other line. "It's Jazz, Danny's sister?"

"Wha- yeah, Jazz, I know who you are."

"Yeah you do!" Dash hollered from the other room.

"Oh! That's right; I gave you and Sam my number before I left for college!"

"Right," Tucker looked over into the living room. Dash was attempting to use both game controllers simultaneously. It wasn't going well. "So, what's up?"

"Oh, not much. I was home last weekend, back in Wisconsin now."

"That's cool. I, uh, didn't know you were here."

"Really? Danny… didn't say anything?"

Tucker's confusion evaporated. Jazz was well-meaning, but she didn't have the best poker face; or, perhaps in this case, poker voice. "No, he didn't. I guess he told you that we haven't really been talking lately."

"He might have mentioned it."

Dash poked his head over the back of the couch, listening intently to Tucker's half of the conversation.

"I don't mean to butt in, I'm sorry if this upsets you."

"No, you're fine. I mean, it's fine; the subject… the subject is fine."

"I'm just concerned for you is all," Jazz continued.

"Everyone is concerned for me," Tucker added sourly. "And you all say the same thing."

"Try to see it from their perspective, Tucker," Jazz offered. "All these people who care about you really can't imagine what you went through. They're trying to be supportive, but they don't know how. It's the best they can do."

Tucker took a deep breath and let his arms dangle at his sides, and he leaned back against the cool steel of his refrigerator. Dash now stood in the entryway, propped against the door frame.

"Jazz," he continued, bringing the phone back to his ear, "you might be one of the only people with a better perspective." He hesitated. Dash watched on expectantly. "…What do you think?"

"The honest truth?" she paused. "You lived through a nightmare, Tucker, and you almost didn't survive. A ghost used you to hurt people… to kill them. You feel responsible for their deaths. And I think somewhere buried deep down, there's a part of you that wishes you didn't survive, and that you don't deserve to live. If I had gone through what happened to you, I can't say I wouldn't feel the same way."

"That's not-" Tucker gritted his teeth. She's so close… "That's not all of it."

"Then tell me all of it, Tucker. Please."

"I can't." Tucker screamed at himself internally. Idiot! Bad enough he was even entertaining this conversation, but now he had given Jazz cause to dig deeper. She was one of the smartest people he knew – if she caught onto Danny's powers, it wouldn't take long for her to learn the truth.

"Tucker, if you don't stop running away from what happened, it will follow you for the rest of your life. You'll never escape it, and it will consume you."

"I'm not running, not from you, not from the ghosts, and not from Danny. I'm dealing with it, and I'm not going to stand around and let you turn me into a thesis project."

Silence met him from the other line. "When you're ready, I'm here for you." The call disconnected from her end

Tucker carelessly dropped the phone on the counter and covered his face with his hands. "Everyone just wants to talk about it," he mumbled through his fingers.

Dash pulled out his own phone and sighed. "Gotta go." He paused to brush some crumbs off his shirt. "She's right, by the way."

"About what?"

"About you running. But more than that, you keep pushing people away. When this all catches up to you, or when you decide to turn and face it head on, it'll probably help to have a few friends in your corner." Dash patted him on the shoulder and made for the front door. "Something to think about."

With Dash gone, Tucker was alone. From the living room, he could hear the Halo announcer declare his team's defeat. Tucker retrieved his own phone from the counter. He looked down at the device and, for the first time, he was unsure what to do with it.

There is no harm in indulging her curiosity, Skulker's words echoed in his thoughts. Replaying that conversation over and over in his head was enough to finally settle his nerves, and his flight to the mall relaxed him further. If his meeting with Masters took a turn, Danny could summon his sensei with the press of a button. Danny reverted to his human form in the alley behind the café and made his way over. Masters was surprisingly difficult to locate – Danny had assumed she would be separated from the crowd, or isolated by paparazzi. He almost didn't recognize her, with her silver hair let down around her shoulders and clad in skinny jeans and a Green Bay Packers jersey.

"Yoo-hoo! Daniel!" She, on the other hand, spotted him instantly. He slid into the booth opposite her, and noticed a drink with the name Denny scribbled on it. "Sorry about that," Masters waved her hand at the beverage. "Baristas, am I right?"

"Oh, uh, that's okay… ma'am," Danny took the drink in his hand, but his paranoia got the better of him again. He fiddled with it before setting it aside.

"Daniel, I don't want to waste time with small talk. What you did earlier today was nothing short of spectacular." While she talked, Master's mouth curled into a smile. Her wide eyes twinkled with what Danny figured was excitement. She continued, "I'm still having trouble believing what I saw!"

"Uh, well, what did you see?"

"I saw you fend off the ghost that attacked my facility with a localized electromagnetic pulse. I saw you discharge lightning from your fingertips," she jabbed her fingers forward at him for emphasis. "And then, most striking of all…" she lowered her voice and hunched over the table, "I saw you transform from a ghost into a human!"

"Okay, well… are you sure that's what you saw?"

Her expression fell as she sat upright. "Daniel, I don't know what all you've heard about me, but please do not mistake my kindness for stupidity. I know what I saw."

Danny sighed and nodded. "You said you wanted to help me. What did you mean?"

"It's like I mentioned earlier. I believe that I have accidentally become privy to some very sensitive information – a very personal secret that you've likely only shared with a precious few confidants and allies. I don't want to butt into your personal affairs."

"So if I said I didn't want you to bother me about this stuff, like, ever again, you'd leave me alone?"

"If… that's what you really wanted," Masters answered with a frown. "I was hoping you'd hear what I have to offer before making that call."

He almost asked what she could have to offer him, but not even Danny was that dense. He gestured at her and said, "Okay then."

Master's expression shifted again. Her eyes seemed to lose focus, and her voice fell softer again. "Daniel, you and I actually share something in common," she started, folding her hands on the table. "Years ago, just before the war began, I was working with your parents in their laboratory at the University of Wisconsin. They weren't just developing weapons tech. Your parents were in the early stages of developing Ghost Portal technology. I insisted on monitoring the project since I was the principal financier of the SSDF at the time. There was a malfunction – the result of unforeseen circumstances. I was irradiated with ectoplasm and slipped into a coma. When I awoke, the war was over." She paused, and Danny took a moment to let the story sink in. "You and I are the only two humans to survive exposure to near-lethal concentrations of ectoplasm."

The icy grip of terror began to tighten its fingers around Danny's heart. His grip on the edge of the coffee table tightened as well. "…How did you know about my accident?" he asked cautiously. As soon as the words left his mouth, he winced and mentally kicked himself – if Masters was bluffing, he had just played into her hands.

Her attention refocused on Danny. "You're the son of the only two scientists on the planet who were trying to crack inter-dimensional travel," she explained. If that was a trick on her part, she made no indication of it. "The creation of such a portal requires massive amounts of energy, at least the same level used in the prototype that irradiated me. I image the energy feed was drastically increased to stabilize a portal."

"Well, yeah, fine, but that doesn't explain-"

"I'm still the principal financier of the SSDF," she continued, pausing to take a sip from her drink. "They are required to inform me of all of their projects which utilize my funding, be they in-house research and development… or collaborative efforts with independent contractors."

"And my parents fall into the independent contractor category," Danny concluded.

Masters nodded. "I was notified when the portal went online. Not long after, the ghost boy made his first appearance. At first, I assumed he was a visitor from the other side. Once I saw you transform, the pieces of the puzzle just fell into place."

Danny sighed in relief. "Kinda sounded like you were spying on me."

She laughed. "You really are a paranoid young man, aren't you?

"Can you blame me?"

"Hardly. I didn't get to where I am today by trusting people," she said with a wide grin.

"But I'm just supposed to trust you?"

"Heavens, no!" Masters feigned shock. Her voice fell to a whisper, "You have it right, Danny. You shouldn't trust anyone." Her eyes fell to the table, and her finger played with the condensation accumulating at the base of her drink. "At least… not until they earn your trust. That is what I'd like to do."

"How?"

"As I said, I'm a woman of means. I have so many resources at my disposal that many of them go to waste when they could be used in service of someone like you." Danny craned his neck to listen more intently. "I've followed your work, the Ghost Boy's work, since you first appeared. You were fascinating to me, but now I don't have to sit idly by waiting to see what you do next. I can help you. I want to help you."

"Help me with, what, with ghost fighting?"

"With anything."

"But… why? Why me?"

Masters paused to take a sip from her drink. "We're kindred spirits, Daniel; figuratively speaking, of course. I wasn't blessed with the same incredible abilities as you were, but we've both undergone transformative experiences. I rose from the ashes of my former self with a vision, and from that vision I have altered the course of human civilization. When I look at you, I see so much raw potential… you will accomplish so much more than I can even imagine. I have the power to help you, and it is my responsibility to do so."

Danny blushed and broke eye contact. The excited smile had faded from her face, but her eyes were still wide and twinkling. Masters' gaze was intense, penetrating. He felt like the woman was looking into him. Whatever she saw, he didn't understand it. "I don't think that's me."

"I think it very much is you." She stood to leave, gathering her purse and her drink into one arm. "Take some time and think about what I have to offer, the decision is ultimately up to you."

"Yeah, okay. I will. Uh, think about it."

"Of course." Masters winked and strode away.

Danny was left alone at the booth with his drink… and a lot of thinking to do.

With Daniel preoccupied in the presence of Vanessa Masters, Skulker assumed his student's patrol responsibilities. An otherwise quiet evening was interrupted by an alert on Skulker's city-wide spectral detection network. The network, installed in secret after the incident with Ember, enveloped Amity Park with an energy detection field which relayed the presence of ectosapien intruders directly to Skulker's onboard computer. It could pinpoint the intruder's location to within five meters.

The intruder's flight pattern was erratic at first, but then the creature sped off in a straight line. Skulker cross-referenced the flight path with a real-time map of Amity Park, and saw that Samantha's house was directly in its way. While it wasn't unheard of for ghosts to fly strangely through Amity Park and leave without causing problems, the timing of this particular intruder sent up a red flag. He took to the skies, planning to observe from a distance. When his sensor network indicated the ghost had stopped directly on Samantha's house, he quickened his pace.

The intruder had departed before the house came into view, and Skulker opted to check and make sure his niece was safe. He quickly discovered she was not. Her bedroom was in disarray. Furniture was either knocked over or battered apart. Clothes and personal affects littered the floor. And on the wall, almost imperceptible against the red wallpaper, Skulker saw blood.

No… Why her? Of all the souls in this city, this beast abducts Samantha? The timing of this attack felt too coincidental to be a coincidence.

In seconds, Skulker was tearing through the sky at hundreds of miles per hour, following the intruder's new flight path into the forest. Green ectoplasm trailed behind him as Skulker tore through the skies and away from the city. As the suburban outskirts of the city gave way to the dense forests, tree limbs splintered as Skulker charged through. A sonic boom rang out through the trees as Skulker broke through the sound barrier. The intruder – a massive pterosaur – finally came into view, and roared a challenge. Clocking in at over six hundred miles per hour, Skulker barely had time to aim his body at the ghost before impact.

Armor plating cracked and shattered. The two ghosts tumbled backwards, rolling over and under each other across the forest floor until the trunk of a redwood tree absorbed the brunt of their momentum. Wood splinters shot out in every direction from the impact site, and the tree swayed from the force. Skulker's protective suit was capable of surviving such an impact, but he had not counted on his foe being just as sturdy. The ghost slowly righted itself, rising to its full height of five meters tall. Even Skulker's impressive size was dwarfed by the beast.

"Skulker…?"

Samantha's weak call for help drew both his and the pterosaur's attention. Before the ghost could return to the girl, Skulker fired a flare at its eyes. Temporarily dazed, the ghost squawked angrily and stumbled off deeper into the woods. Skulker rushed to Samantha's side and inspected her injuries.

"Samantha, I am here. You are safe."

"Skulker, I knew…" she winced trying to take a breath and brought her hand away from her side. It was slick with blood. "…I knew you'd come."

Three gashes in her side ran from her back just below the right shoulder blade and stopped beneath the armpit. Her shirt was shredded in the attack. "The wound does not appear to be fatal, but you have lost a lot of blood. I must get you to a hospital immediately."

Samantha's eyes went wide and she pointed with her free hand over Skulker's shoulder. He turned to see the silhouette of the ghost lumbering through the trees towards them. Skulker turned and reached into his pocket. His hand grasped the handle of the grenade launcher built into his thigh. He pulled the weapon free and fired several rounds at the ghost. The darkening forest was illuminated by brief flashes of green fire as the grenades detonated. The ghost roared in protest and flapped its massive wings. The green hues and dancing shadows cast a sinister, demonic visage on the ghost as it rose into the sky and flew off.

"Did you get him?"

"No, I merely bought you some time." Skulker set his weapon down and retracted the fingertips on his left hand. One finger sprayed a solution into the gashes - a disinfectant and blood coagulant. Samantha winced in pain, but understood what Skulker was doing. "Until I can safely bring you to a hospital, I need to stop the bleeding." Halfway throughtreating the third wound, he felt her grip loosen. Her hands dropped to her sides, and her eyes fluttered shut.

"Stay with me," he pleaded softly, finished his work. "Samantha! Samantha, wake up!" A roar from overhead signaled that the ghost had returned, and was preparing to resume its attack. Skulker ran several diagnostic scans and prepared his systems for battle. "Samantha, if you can hear me… when you wake up, no matter what you see, no matter what you hear… you run. Do not look back." He planted a gentle kiss on Samantha's forehead – and drove the thick needle of an adrenaline shot straight into her heart.

The forest floor rumbled as the ghost made landfall. Skulker dropped the spent syringe and turned to face his enemy. He charged, unsheathing a hidden blade from his elbow. The ghost reared its head back, and then drove its beak into the soil. The crest atop its head flared with green energy, which then traveled down the length of its beak and disappeared beneath the ground. Skulker was thrown up into the air as the earth exploded beneath him. He rolled forward and continued his charge.

As the ghost stabbed its beak down a second time, Skulker swatted it aside with his sword. The energy discharge went wide, hitting a smaller tree nearby and setting it ablaze. The ghost then swung one of its long, muscular appendages forward. Like a giraffe, the force from such a blow was more than sufficient to kill a human. Skulker braced himself and caught the limb, although the momentum pushed him back. His heels dug into the dirt until he came to a stop.

Skulker pushed the limb back, but was caught by surprise when the ghost swung its beak at him. The impact sent Skulker rolling along the ground until another tree stopped him. He rose to his feet and armed his missile systems. Taking a wide stance, the missile ports on Skulker's shins, abdomen, chest, and shoulders all had enough clearance to fire.

The projectiles streaked forward, detonating against the beast's hide. It was engulfed in a cloud of green fire and smoke until the barrage ceased. Irritated squawks could be heard, muffled through the smoke. The ghost strode forward, showing only several bloodied wounds along its tough, leathery hide. Even without advanced abilities, the pterosaur's nigh impervious hide and tenacity made it a fearsome opponent.

The beast roared and galloped forward; the crest on its head began to glow. Skulker answered its battle cry and rushed at his foe. The lance of energy sizzled overhead as Skulker skidded beneath it on his knees. He launched upwards, catching the ghost off guard with a sharp uppercut. Dazed, the ghost was helpless to stop Skulker from digging his fingers into its shoulder. He yanked it down to the ground, and wrapped his arm around the beast's neck.

Just below the base of the skull, Skulker noticed a dull green light blinking beneath the ghost's skin. He almost loosened his grip – the device could only be Technus' work, meaning Masters had sent the beast to eliminate him. Worse still, she had used Samantha as bait. Rage clouded Skulker's vision, and his grip tightened. The ghost flailed and squawked in pain, but Skulker tugged on his prey, keeping it grounded.

Unyielding, the pterosaur rolled over onto its back and clawed at Skulker with its talons. The talons tore through the armor plating around his midsection and damaged the hydraulic systems in his legs. Skulker was tossed free and fell in a heap at the base of the tree where he had left Samantha. Only, the girl was nowhere to be found.

She ran… she is safe… and with my death, Masters will have no reason to torment her any longer. Skulker hoped that was true. The pterosaur reared his head back, feeding energy into its beak once more. Suddenly, a dark figure leapt from a nearby tree branch and landed on the neck of the beast. The energy attack discharged harmlessly into the ground away from Skulker, sending a plume of dirt and rock into the air. The ghost squawked angrily, but then froze as a green flash of light went off behind its head. Slowly, the massive creature toppled forward.

Samantha tumbled from its head, coming to a rest in a sitting position right in front of Skulker. She was breathing heavily. A hefty, pointed rock rolled from her hand to the ground. "I guess… this makes… us even, huh?"

Irritation at her disobedience, pride in her victory, relief over her safety – it all bubbled up inside him – and Skulker could only think to laugh at the dirty and bloodied girl who sat before him. "I guess it does."

Samantha stood up, wincing and holding a hand to her wounds. "I guess you need help getting back to your Skulker Cave, or wherever you go to skulk and lurk."

"My exoskeleton has already begun self-repairs, I will be mobile within the hour." He scanned Samantha's wounds. "The coagulant was only a stopgap measure, you require actual medical treatment."

"Okay… but," Samantha waved an arm at the unconscious pterosaur, "what are we going to do with him?"

Skulker regarded the unconscious beast, at first with disdain, but then with pity. It had hurt Samantha, but under orders from Masters. It had no control over its actions – to put it down without gauging its true nature seemed cruel. Or perhaps that was just Samantha's personality rubbing off on him.

"Hospital first," he said firmly. "The beast can wait."

The official story given to Danny by Sam's parents was that she had been attacked by a mountain lion while out for a walk near the forest. Mountain lions weren't unheard of in the dense forests outside of town, but they tended not to leave three long, thin gashes along the sides of their victims. The official story spoke of an anonymous passerby who scared off the animal before hurrying on his way, allowing Sam to get medical help.

While the official story satisfied the concerns of Sam's parents and the attending physician who treated her at North Mercy Hospital, Danny knew better. A quick conversation with Skulker revealed the unofficial story – about how Sam was abducted, and then saved Skulker's life from a dinosaur using a gigantic syringe. Skulker had invisibly delivered Sam to the hospital before attempting to straighten the girl's room so as to avoid suspicion.

Sam was supposed to be resting at home, after being discharged from the hospital. Instead, she had returned to the forest with Skulker. Danny circled overhead, looking for any sign of them. One of the larger clearings displayed scorch marks and damaged terrain. A familiar face could be seen from a precarious tree branch.

"You know, there actually are mountain lions out here," Danny said smartly as he floated up to her. "What are you doing? Are you alright?"

She patted the thick branch next to her and grinned slyly. Danny grumbled and took the perch next to her. "I'm fine, Danny."

"Fine? Skulker said you almost bled out, that's, like, the textbook definition of not fine. Where is he, anyway?"

"He left to do Skulker things, or whatever. And I wasn't going to bleed out," she sneered. "Turns out the scratches weren't as bad as all that. Skulker tried to stop the bleeding, but I kinda made it worse when I decided to play hero." She paused, and then quickly added, "Seriously, though, I'm fine."

"But you had to get stitches?"

"Yup."

The two sat quietly, and Danny racked his brain trying to think of a way to get Sam to admit she was, in fact, not fine. Then maybe he could convince her to home and get some rest. "How bad is it?"

"What, the scars?" Danny nodded, and Sam reluctantly pulled up the side of her shirt. Danny's jaw dropped at the three deep-red, mottled gashes on her side. Each gash outlined a strip of black stitches. Sam blushed and tugged it back down. "Happy?"

"Wha- no! Why would I be happy? I should have been here, I could have done something."

"The ghost almost killed Skulker. I'm not sure if you could have done much to help."

"I could have done something," he repeated glumly.

"Or you could have gotten yourself killed, too. You really need to stop beating yourself up like this. Seriously, it's like, every time something bad happens to someone, you make it your fault. You can't be everywhere at once, Danny. At some point you need to just accept it and move on."

Danny sighed. "Maybe you're right."

"I'm always right. Now, help me get down. I want to show you something."

"More battle scars?" Sam elbowed him, and Danny gingerly lifted Sam up bridal styled and floated the both of them to the ground. Sam stepped away, put her fingers in her mouth, and let loose a sharp, piercing whistle. "Ow, hey, what are you doing?"

"Showing you something." A slow, rhythmic thudding sound drew Danny's attention to the tree line at the edge of the clearing. His jaw dropped again, and green vapor billowed from his nostrils as a massive ghost strode into the clearing. "Danny, this is Andy. He's my new friend."

"Is… oh my God, Sam, is that a dinosaur?!"

"Technically, no. Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that lived alongside the dinosaurs, and-"

"Dinosaur, got it." Danny's eyes were rooted to the ghost as it regarded him curiously. Upon noticing Sam, it lowered its head to her level and, adding to Danny's already considerable surprise, nuzzled its massive beak against her. "What is – what's he doing?"

"This is the ghost that attacked me last night. There was a thing in his neck; Skulker said it was a mind control chip or something. He wouldn't tell me who put it there..." Sam paused to scratch the underside of the ghost's beak. "When we came back this morning, I dunno, I think he was waiting for us. He was all mopey earlier until we started petting him! Skulker thinks it's just friendly," she trailed off as she repositioned her arms and rubbed her hands along the ghost's beak in long, broad strokes. "I think it feels bad for hurting us. Either way, he's a good boy. Yes he is! Yes he is!"

Danny regarded the scene in bewilderment. "This is easily the weirdest thing I've seen… ever."

"But doesn't it make you feel a little better?"

"What? No! How is that thing supposed to make me feel better?" Danny took several involuntary steps back when the ghost hissed at him. "Are you sure it's safe to keep it around?"

Sam let out an exasperated huff. She turned from the ghost and grabbed Danny's hands. "I've almost died a few times since this all started; as in, more than once. Last night was the closest I've ever come to meeting the reaper. I'm not even seventeen yet, I'm not supposed to get beaten half to death every other month! This is all seriously freaking me out. Goofy stuff like this," she waved off after the pterosaur, "helps me get through it."

"Okay, but-"

"Now that Tucker bailed on us," she continued, "it's really… really important to me that you still have my back. I don't think… I can't handle this without you."

It was then Danny understood Sam's situation. She and Tucker both stared death in the face and walked away. Tucker's path was taking him away from his friends. Sam was trying to embrace the weirdness, to go with the flow, despite how traumatizing the last few months had been. For whatever reason, Danny, who had squared off against death more times than both his friends combined wasn't struggling with the mental fallout of those encounters. For as much as he had changed since the accident, he was still the same old reliable Danny Fenton. And that was exactly the Danny Fenton that Sam needed.

"I mean, as long as he's housebroken," he said, giving Sam's hands a gentle squeeze. "I guess he's okay by me." Sam went to hug him, but winced as she raised her arms. "That doesn't mean that I'm going to stop worrying about you, though."

"Please. Andy can worry about me now." Sam and Danny looked up into the ghost's eyes. It regarded them curiously before lumbering back off into the woods.

Sam began to walk off, heading for a distant trail. Danny reverted to his human form and followed along. Once again, the discoloration of his transformation rings went unnoticed. Had his mind not been preoccupied, Danny might have noticed the change. He might have also noticed his shadow lingered on the ground for several moments before hurrying to catch up with him.

Secluded away from the world in his lair, Skulker sat in his makeshift chair in front of his console interface. He had dropped Samantha off in the forests once he was certain the pterosaur was not hiding any additional impulse control devices. The beast seemed amicable enough – it appeared as though his instinct not to put it down had been right.

His monitor array depicted the cycling security feed of cameras covertly installed across the city, linked up to his energy detection network. Skulker's neon-green optics were focused on the damaged remains of the impulse control chip recovered from the pterosaur's neck from the night before. He slowly rotated it around in his fingers. This had been Masters' play – an attempt to both punish him one final time, and eliminate him. It had failed, and her second attempt would leave nothing to chance.

In response to mental commands, the security feed winked off. It was replaced by an encrypted data stream which contained detailed files on Masters, Technus, and her other known associates. These files had received a great deal of attention in the weeks following his defection. At first, he had hesitated putting them to use. Now that his termination was imminent, Skulker held no reservations using his contingency plans against her.

For all the attempts made to learn more about the Ghost Zone, precious little progress had been made in the effort to unlock its secrets. Probes confirmed its existence, but little else. Had humanity the means to properly investigate this alien realm, they would have discovered the Ghost Zone was not a dimension of pure energy, as originally hypothesized. The Void was as empty and black as space. The primary difference being the existence of ghost stars – burning spheres of brilliant emerald energy which dotted the ethereal darkness. Each ghost star could be pinpointed based on real-world astrological mapping, because ghost stars occupied the same space, only on the Void's unique dimensional plane.

Sol had a dark twin, burning in its shadow in the Void. Earth, too, had a dark twin, but at some point in time, the planet had been blasted apart. The molten core of this dark Earth had been left exposed to the vacuum, and was now dead. The remains of the planet itself, however, were anything but devoid of life.

The end of the Ghost Wars left billions of refugees stranded on Earth's doorstep. They were abandoned by the Great Armada, and left to war amongst themselves. Infighting had cut that number down to several million in just under twenty years. Bullet kept his eyes cleared for the barbarian tribes and lone hunters as he traversed the scorched glass surface of the dark Earth. Eventually his destination rose to meet him over the horizon – a colossal mountain, shattered during the infighting, left its fragments in a low orbit around the planet. The dark Earth had long ago lost most of its atmosphere.

Nestled safely in a cave at the base of the mountain was a metal sphere, over thirty feet in circumference. A circular door appeared towards the bottom of the sphere, and Bullet stepped inside.

"Computer, open a channel to the Mothership." Within seconds, a three-dimensional holographic display materialized in front of Bullet, and the armored ghost knelt before the figure.

"Rise," a hollow voice spoke.

Even over the communication channel, the voice still sent a shiver up Bullet's spine. He complied, and stood to face his contact. Black, empty eyes bore into him from sullen sockets. Gaunt, skull-like features poked out from the figure's pale skin.

"The weapon was deployed, by your command," Bullet reported. "Post infection analysis shows that the organism has taken hold, and will continue to incubate inside the target."

"What of Vanessa Masters?"

"She suspects nothing. I have earned her trust."

"See that you maintain it." The being paused, his expression turned vacant. "And now… you would ask leave to see to your personal vendetta."

"Unless you have further need of my services?"

"Not for now. Go settle your affairs; I will call upon you when I need you." With that, the connection terminated, the hologram flickered and winked off.

Bullet exited the sphere and began the several-days-long trek back to Masters' portal. His true master was not much for conversation, and that suited Bullet just fine. Even with an entire lightyear separating them, Bullet felt a sense of dread and foreboding in the entity's presence. Of course, that was an understandable reaction for anyone to experience when speaking to the single mind in command of the trillion-strong ghost army sent to do battle against humanity.

Masters might have her schemes, but whatever she had in store for the Ghost Boy would pale in comparison to his fate at the hands of the Conqueror.

To Be Continued