Ultimate Danny Phantom

by Grumbles

Impossible choices. Webs within webs. Gods and monsters. The righteous path is not easily tread. -now under heavy revision-

5. Fatalist Attraction

Fatalist Attraction

Buzzing fluorescent lights shone over the Fenton family's basement ghost laboratory. Several of the long glass bulbs had burnt out in the past several weeks, but neither adult Fenton had seemed to notice. Data printouts littered the floor, brushed away from their sensitive workspace. A computer sat on a desk against a wall, the desk itself beneath one of the burned out lights. The faint shadow over the desk space was offset by the glow of blue light shining from the monitor. Strings of computational data and algorithms were scattered across several applications. A cable snaked from the computer tower and trailed along the floor, weaving over and under discarded papers, tools, and equipment. The other end of the cable was firmly fastened to the base of a machine mounted to the adjoining wall.

Standing on opposite sides of the machine, Jack and Maddie Fenton were deep in concentration as they worked to fasten rivets to the machine's protective casing. As Jack repositioned himself for a better angle, he felt the cable against his ankle. Slowly and carefully, he maneuvered his foot over the cord and planted it firmly on the other side.

"Careful, Jack," Maddie warned in a knowing voice.

When she was in the zone, working on a project, Maddie had an almost preternatural ability to sense when Jack was close to making a mess of things. "Yes, dear," he mumbled in response, continuing to fasten the rivets in place. He worked diligently, but without enthusiasm. Unlike the other Fenton projects, he found no joy in completing this particular machine.

After several seconds of unspoken riveting, Maddie asked, "Is the hardline secure?"

"I didn't touch it!" Despite his confident objection, Jack briefly glanced down to make sure the cable was still attached. It was.

"Just making sure," Maddie replied knowingly.

Jack grinned despite his mood. "And you married me anyway!"

"It's why I married you."

He fastened one final rivet into place and sighed in relief. "I'm all done over here." He set his riveter onto a pile of papers and stretched his back.

"Don't get too comfy, we still have to weld the insulation onto the seams."

"Yeah, yeah." Jack wiped grease from the riveter onto his blue jean overalls. The straps were fastened over the shoulders of an orange tee shirt, which also sported dark spots of grease and oil. "It's really something," he continued, "ever since we got the portal up and running, this other stuff has been a breeze."

"Well," Maddie still had several rivets left to fasten. "The Ghost Portal gave us a lot of insight into ectoplasm energy feeds. We learned how to harness some of that energy, how to account for its fluctuations…" she trailed off, interrupted by the last, obstinate rivet. She scowled at it. "Damn thing won't go in."

"Here," Jack gingerly stepped over the lab clutter and relieved his wife of her riveter.

"It was the biggest breakthrough we've ever made," Maddie continued, rubbing the palms of her sore hands. "Now that we know what to look for, and what to look out for, it should be a lot easier for us to utilize ectoplasm in our tech going forward."

The last, stubborn bolt refused to go in. Unsatisfied with the riveter, and still in a sour mood, Jack used the butt of the device to slam the rivet further into its slot. As he fastened it in place, the cracked plastic casing of the riveter fell apart. Maddie snatched the machine away from him, and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Stop breaking these things, eh?"

Jack grinned. "Sorry, hon."

Maddie smiled, setting the broken riveter down next to the other, non-broken one and headed for the computer.

While she typed away at the keyboard, Jack took several careful steps towards the stairs at the other end of the lab. He turned to face their newest machine, and regarded it solemnly.

Not long after the Fenton Ghost Portal had been activated the year before in November, 2008, the Fenton spouses made a remarkable discovery. Their son, Danny, had been caught inside the portal when it activated. Despite the wealth of information gained from simulations and past accidents, despite intuition and commonsense, perhaps despite logic and the very laws of nature, Danny survived. Stranger still, he emerged from the portal as something… different.

Jack fought conflicting emotions upon discovering just how different his son had become. All his life, Jack had hunted ghosts. He grew to hate them; to regard them as other, as entities which could be dehumanized and demonized. He shared this in common with his wife, as both Fenton spouses had served on the front lines during the several-years long global conflict known as the Ghost Wars. To Jack and Maddie, and most of the rest of the world, dehumanizing ghosts was not as morally ambiguous as doing the same to the human combatants in the traditional theater of war. Ghosts were simply animals, and their intrusion on Earth's soil amounted to a hazardous infestation by vicious and deadly vermin. This attitude quickly gained traction with the global population, particularly in cities hit hardest during the war. It made propaganda more effective, and increased support for the war effort. After all, there was no moral grey area in wanting to eliminate vermin.

Jack was forced to deal with a sudden and radical restructuring of his deeply held beliefs when he learned his son exhibited the same ghostly attributes as the countless monsters he encountered over the years. He spent many nights lying awake in bed, struggling with how he was supposed to address this development. Which perspective gives me the clearest viewpoint, he had thought. Jack the scientist? Jack the war veteran? The man? The human?

Jack the father won out. He scolded himself for skirting the issue for so long. Daniel was his son, and the boy had been thrust into a dark and deadly world without warning. He was alone, with no guidance and only his two equally-confused and terrified teenage friends to confide in. After growing up as the child of two fiercely passionate ghost hunters, it was easy to see why Daniel didn't want to broach the issue with him and Maddie. That sent a pang of regret through Jack's heart. No child should ever feel unsafe confiding in their parents, Jack had thought.

But Jack could see why Danny might want to hide his newfound duality from his ghost-hunting parents. A world-famous pop star, Ember McLain, had made a surprise appearance in Amity Park several months before. She had managed to hide her true identity as an ectosapien behind the smoke and mirrors of an extravagant celebrity lifestyle for almost five years before her encounter with Danny and another ghost named Skulker. Ember used her powers to bring Danny under her control, but whatever her plans for the boy had been, they backfired when a failed rescue attempt drove him berserk.

Jack and Maddie were no strangers to the lingering horrors of war, but Danny's berserker rampage had vividly revived Jack's wartime memories. The fighting was fierce and visceral, and Danny was only restored thanks to Skulker's quick thinking. Jack's eyes traveled from the portal over to the cryogenic storage locker, built into the wall opposite the computer desk. In addition to saving Danny, Skulker also contained Ember in a Fenton Thermos and turned her over to Jack and Maddie. Ember, along with two other deadly ethereal malefactors, was now safely stored away in cryogenic stasis.

Jack's eyes returned to the Ghost Portal, and to the new machine constructed around its octagonal frame. Until Daniel's berserker rampage, Jack was convinced his son would become an unrivaled force for good. He had already shown himself to be courageous, risking his life to save Tucker Foley from the savage dragon ghost the year before. But Ember proved his powers could be turned outward, to indiscriminately harm any humans unfortunate enough to stand in his way. With a heavy heart, he acquiesced to his wife's wishes. Rather than trying to find ways to help Danny develop and master his powers, they would instead set to work on a way to remove them.

Many laborious weeks later, Project Vitruvius was finally completed; or, as Jack initially preferred to call it, the Fenton Dream Catcher. This new device was the same shape as the Ghost Portal, so as to most effectively utilize the portal's considerable energy output. Four siphons were built into the new octagonal frame; two at the top and two at the bottom. The siphons were integrated into an elaborate sensor array housed behind dozens of lenses mounted within the inner rim of the frame. When the sensor array detected levels of ectoplasmic energy above acceptable background levels, it would activate the siphons. In turn, the siphons would absorb the surplus energy and redirect it into the Ghost Zone.

The siphons had a secondary function, to which Jack was verbose with his reservations. "And you're absolutely certain the shackles are necessary?" he asked quietly. His gaze fell on his wife, engrossed in her calculations.

"Danny's too short to secure his hands and feet in the siphons," Maddie replied, not turning from the computer screen. "The bindings are there to protect him, to keep him from hurting himself in the process."

Jack looked away. "Bindings," he repeated with a hint of sarcasm.

"Are we really going to have this argument again?" Maddie huffed, tearing her eyes away from the computer.

"This," Jack said hotly, pointing at the machine, "this is his worst fear. This is the reason he never came to us, why he couldn't trust us."

"The machine isn't some medieval torture device!" Maddie protested, pacing forward. "It can save him, it can cure him! He needs this, Jack, you know that."

"I get it. I really do, it's just… I," Jack paused and rubbed the back of his neck. "I see this machine and I think… I think maybe there's got to be another way. With more time, we could-"

"Jack, ectoplasm is toxic. It's poison. In high enough concentrations it can cause decay in living tissue. And what it doesn't destroy, it mutates beyond recognition. Look at the trees in the state park – twisted and alien and… you can hardly tell they used to be just… regular, normal trees."

Jack could hear the strain in his wife's voice. He softened his tone. "But Danny's fine, nothing's happened to him."

"Yet," Maddie clarified. "Nothing yet. It's our fault this happened to him in the first place. It's our responsibility to make sure he's safe."

"But only if he asks us to. Until then…"

Maddie sighed. "Until then, we support him. Of course we will. We help him in any way we can. Project Vitruvius will be here when he's ready." She turned back to her work station. "Or when we're left with no other option," she added quietly.

The Vitruvian Man was a famous sketch drawn by Leonardo Da Vinci, based upon the work of the Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio. The sketch displayed the figure's arms and legs in multiple positions, all within a circular frame. Jack and Maddie's machine would imitate the drawing of the Vitruvian Man, and Daniel would occupy the empty space within its frame. Jack hadn't planned on shackling his son to the machine. That had come later, from Maddie. Jack thought of Daniel chained up, struggling to escape as his powers were stripped from his body… it was unsettling. His wife's apparent indifference to their son's fears was no consolation.

He moved to the workbench and retrieved a soldering iron and a measured length of insulator. Only as a last resort, he thought as he began welding the material in place. Only as a last resort. One of the lights above the machine began to wane, flicking sporadic shadows over its frame.

Dream Catcher no longer sounded appropriate. It was anything but dream-like.

---

As was his Friday night custom, Dudley Pugsley set about closing his Elmerton pawnshop earlier than the 10:00 pm posted closing time. Elmerton was a rougher neighborhood than Amity Park. Before the Great Depression of the 1930's, it had been a thriving mining town and was home to a number of other high-demand industries. The economic collapse dealt a grievous blow to the little town. Other financial hardships kept the once-proud city from finding its footing again, and it never fully recovered. Dudley harbored no delusions about his hometown, but rent was cheap and beer was cheaper.

While in the back room locking away some of the higher-value items, he heard the distinct jingle of the bells attached to his door frame. A quick glance at his watch revealed the time to be 9:45. Dudley sighed. I am still open, he thought cynically. "I'll be right with ya," he called out.

"Take your time," a faint voice replied.

Returning to his register, Dudley was surprised to find a short, stocky woman perusing his wares. Most of his patrons were regulars, or at least had the look of a working-class Elmerton local. This woman wore a black robe of some kind, with a hood drawn up over her head. Her aged face was lined with wrinkles, laugh lines, and crow's feet. Her skin was a light shade of brown; Dudley assumed she was of Middle-Eastern descent. Not that it made any difference to him.

The woman made her way past the television sets, regarding them curiously as she passed. "Do you carry any jewels or gemstones in stock?" Her voice carried a light accent, but her English was otherwise perfect. "Perhaps any special rings or necklaces?"

"I have a few rings and stuff like that. You lookin' for anything in particular, ma'am?"

"I'm looking for a sapphire, about the size of my fist," the woman held her fist up for emphasis. "A… friend of mine mentioned it may be here in Amity Park."

"A sapphire," Dudley repeated. "Sorry to say I don't have anything like that here. And if this sapphire you're lookin' for is in Amity Park, then you're in the wrong place, ma'am. This here's Elmerton."

"Oh, goodness me!" The woman exclaimed with a laugh. "Don't I feel foolish. I must have visited twenty shops like this one in the last week alone, and I wasn't even in the right city."

"Does nobody no harm to look a bit silly every now and again," Dudley offered with a grin.

"My, aren't you kind! Your children are lucky to have such an insightful father."

"Oh," Dudley looked down at his left hand, and grimaced at the sight of his naked ring finger. "'Fraid I don't see much of my kids these days."

"I'm so sorry, how rude of me-"

"Nothin' to fret about, ma'am." Dudley was growing irritated with the exchange, but he remained civil. "The divorce was a few years back, kids are all grown up by now." Why am I telling her this?

"Well," the woman had turned her focus from the jewelry display to Dudley. Her hazel eyes focused intently on him. "I suppose even a small time with them is a small relief?"

"I didn't see them much growing up, actually. Even less nowadays." His crumbling relationship with his children was a sore spot and he usually only shared his feelings on the subject with his good friend, Jack Daniels. "Starting to feel like I'm a stranger to 'em." Dudley was growing absorbed in his thoughts. Almost like they were being pushed to the forefront, to the point where he couldn't think about anything else.

"Would you do anything differently, if you could do it all again?"

The woman's voice sounded distant to Dudley's ears, even though she was standing right in front of him. Now his mind raced with fantasies, each one more appealing than the last; his wife, his children, all together again. Finally, the intense focus on his children abated. "I…" he absently dabbed some sweat from his brow. "I don't know if doin' things different would've made things turn out any better. Mighta messed it up even worse, y'know?" The woman nodded, and Jeremey continued. "At this point, all I want is… is just to be closer to my kids. I wanna be a part of their lives."

"And that is your heart's desire?"

"Yeah… 'spose it is."

Without another word, the woman turned away and headed for the door. Her pace was slow, but appropriate for her advanced age. She spoke, her voice barely a whisper, as she opened the door. "Your heart's desire is my command." Her words were caught in the gentle spring breeze that drifted into the shop through the open door, and never reached Dudley's ears.

He watched her go and, after taking a moment to collect himself from the strange encounter, resumed closing up. Unbeknownst to Dudley, he would soon become a very important part of both his children's lives.

---

"You're cheating."

Danny feigned offense at Sam's remark. "Cheating?!"

"The last time we had a game night, you bowled a seventy." She leaned forward in her chair and glared at him. "Seventy," she repeated, waving an arm at the electronic scoreboard mounted above their lane.

Friday nights with Sam, Tucker, and Danny had long been held in the Mansion house's elaborate basement. It featured a lavish number of entertainment options, ranging from a cinema-sized home movie theater to a private bowling lane. The advent of Danny's ghost hunting had drawn the trio outdoors in search of extra-dimensional malefactors.

But Danny had suddenly changed course following a series of encounters the month before. Instead of dragging Sam out into the night to help him hunt down and capture or chase away ghosts, he had insisted on returning to the old routine of movies, games, and pizza. The return was bittersweet without Tucker, who had withdrawn from the trio, and Sam found herself wanting to fight ghosts instead of staying indoors.

Danny's newfound affinity for bowling wasn't making the return any more enjoyable for Sam. Going into the final frame, the scoreboard for the two teenagers showed Sam with 133 points. Danny had just bowled a perfect game.

"Don't hate me 'cuz I'm beautiful," he said haughtily.

Sam rolled her eyes. "That is neither true, nor a reason why I hate you." She moved over to the return rack and grabbed her personal ball, finding the finger holes as she lined up. Several seconds of silence passed. Sam sped forward with three confident, wide steps and released the ball. It hit the lane with a satisfying crack and sped forward. The purple ball curved and collided with the space between pins one and three, sending them and the other pins flying across the deck. Another strike followed. Only nine pins fell on the third roll of her final frame.

Suddenly, a black beam of energy shot past her waist. The last pin was knocked back behind the lane with the others just in time for the scoreboard to flash the word STRIKE! on its display. Sam's final score was recorded as 163. She turned with an irritated look plastered on her face. Danny was grinning cheekily. "You cheated," she said again.

"You deserved that strike!" Danny floated up out of his seat, remaining in human form. "So, what next? Ping-Pong? Basketball?"

Sam cocked an eyebrow at him. "What's going on with you lately? You're even more cheery than usual. It's pretty gross."

"I, uh… I dunno, I just feel," he paused and furrowed his brow. "I feel great." His expression lightened, and he held his arms out to his sides. "Like, I was in a pretty rough place after Ember, but I guess I got better! Maybe I was sick?"

Sam pursed her lips and said, "That can't be the only thing going on." She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Is bowling one of your new powers?"

One month prior, Danny's secret had been discovered by Vanessa Masters, a billionaire and ghost-tech genius. Shortly after this discovery, Danny had begun to exhibit new powers. He was faster and stronger, and his mastery over more complex abilities had drastically improved. The neon-green coloration of his ghost energy had also changed to an inexplicable glowing black.

"Maybe not bowling, but I feel… it's hard to explain. More coordinated? Like, before, when I tried to bowl, I'd trip over my own feet more often than I ever rolled the ball." Sam nodded in enthusiastic agreement. "But now, it's like I've known how to do it right my whole life – the stepping and the winding up, even how to make the ball do different spinny things. And it's not just bowling, or even sport things, it's… everything."

Danny gestured to the pool table and hurried over to it. Sam followed. "Did you read for Lancer's class on Monday?" Sam shook her head no as Danny racked up the pool balls. "I did," Danny continued. "We had to read a collection of Emily Dickinson poems. And I liked them…" Danny paused, lined up his shot, and fired away with the pool cue. Two striped balls found homes in opposite corner pockets.

"And once I read for Monday, I read for the rest of the week" another striped ball was knocked into its pocket. "And then for the rest of the semester. Did you know George Elliot was a woman? And she's great!" Another striped ball hit its mark. "And before I knew it, I was reading all kinds of poetry. Stuff from other countries and time periods." Yet another striped ball sunk into a pocket. Danny quickly maneuvered around the table, sinking the remaining striped balls and finally the 8 ball. "Corner pocket," he muttered, lining up the shot.

"Whoa," Sam mumbled as the 8 ball rolled cleanly into the called-out hole.

"You know what's really whoa? I did all that in a week," Danny set the pool cue on the wall-mounted rack next to the table.

"So what, you have a ghost… brain now?"

"I, uh…" Danny regarded Sam thoughtfully. "That's a really interesting question, actually. Aragon, Ember, that faceless ghost from last month, they've all been pretty smart, right? Like, they knew stuff, it wasn't just mindless destruction for its own sake. And we know Skulker's really smart. Do you think ghosts might be smarter than humans?"

"I dunno, you fight plenty of dumb ghosts too," Sam offered. "The random ghost monsters that pop up aren't plotting elaborate schemes, and that Lunch Lady ghost didn't seem too bright."

"True," Danny looked down at his hands. "I feel great now, but…" he shrugged. "I dunno, a little freaked out at the same time."

"What do your parents think?"

"They, ah, only know about the color change." Danny turned away and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't really want to talk to them about this."

"What?" Sam walked around the pool table to intercept Danny's gaze. "Why not? They're, like, the perfect people to talk to about this. They know your secret and they're cool with it, and they want to help you!"

"I don't know if they do." He briefly met Sam's eyes, but looked down again. "Once they found out what happened to me, it feels like we've been growing further and further apart. Like I'm a problem that needs solving."

"Well, to be fair, a lot of really bad shit has happened to you since this all started up, so I can't really blame them for being worried."

Danny grinned weakly. "I guess not." He leaned back on the pool table and sighed. "I know they mean well, but sometimes I wish they never found out."

"Careful what you wish for," Sam joked, resting a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder.

Danny turned to reply, but froze. It might have been the lighting over the pool table, or the Eddie Money song playing over the sound system, or even allergies affecting his eyes, but Sam looked different. For the first time, he noticed the soft, warm features of her face, her flowing black hair, her lips…

"What?" she asked softly.

"What?" Danny felt his heart pounding in his chest. "I-"

An obnoxious, beeping ringtone sounded from Danny's pocket and jarred him from his trancelike state. He shoved a shaky hand into his pocket and retrieved the device, noting the time. "Oh, ha, it's uh, almost curfew," he said with a nervous chuckle. Danny moved away from the pool table. "I guess I should, uh, you know. Get going."

"Right." Sam sighed. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

"Hmm?"

"Tomorrow? Are we still-"

"Yeah!" Danny cleared his throat, "I mean, yeah, uh, I'll… call you… or something."

Both teens stood silently, staring at each other with wide eyes. Cutting the silence, a black ring appeared around Danny's waist with a snap. It split in two; one sped down to his feet, the other up to his head. His street clothes were transformed into the familiar black hazmat suit as the rings passed over. Now in ghost form, Danny floated up towards the ceiling. "Okay, uh, see ya later…?"

"Okay…" Sam said slowly, raising an eyebrow.

Danny smiled and disappeared up through the ceiling, through Sam's house, and out into the night.

So many things already occupied his thoughts – his developing powers, training with Skulker, navigating his uncomfortable home environment, keeping his secret a secret, Vanessa Masters. Now, as Danny soared over the pale tops of cottony clouds, all he could think about was Sam.

---

Intangible and formless, Technus' consciousness was spread throughout hundreds of networks across cyberspace. With more space to expand components of his neural network, his processing power increased rapidly. Few systems on the planet were denied to him, and others would soon be within his grasp. It was a nightmare scenario imagined by many artificial intelligence academics, but as far as the rest of the world knew, Technus didn't exist.

He preferred to keep it that way. Humans, predictable though they may be, were still dangerous to Technus in his present form. Plans had been put into motion to eliminate that danger. Until he was free, Technus served the whims of Vanessa Masters, his creator. One of her mandates had been the constant surveillance of Daniel Fenton, his family, friends, and known accomplices.

With some simple manipulation, Technus had implanted components of his consciousness inside the cellphones of his targets. On this particular night, he had the misfortune to eavesdrop on the awkward exchange between Daniel and Samantha Manson which took place in the girl's basement.

He didn't pretend to understand the ins and outs of human courtship rituals – some things were simply beyond him. However, if he was to be forced to surveil these children, he refused to be directly subjected to more of these awkward moments between them. Technus created a subroutine – a splinter of his own consciousness – devoted to monitoring the children, and then set the issue aside. Other, more pressing matters were afoot.

He accessed the comm system in Vanessa Masters' Wisconsin office. "My master, I have news." His nasally voice announced through the speaker.

"Mmm?" The woman looked up from her desk, momentarily distracted from her deep concentration. A scattered array of printouts littered her desk and some of the surrounding floor. The office was much more ornate than the Axion Labs office in Amity Park. Potted bamboo plants occupied the corners of the room. One wall was dominated by a built-in waterfall which fed into a small koi pond. Behind her desk, a sliding glass door opened up to a garden balcony. Moonlight peeked through the cracks in the bamboo plants on the balcony, pouring over the pink and white lilies and into Masters' office. "What is it?" she asked.

A holographic display projector built into the ceiling winked to life and immediately cast a blue light image of an Amity Park newspaper, The Specter. An image of a gruesome car crash was plastered across the front page. "This occurred in Emerton, just outside Amity Park, two nights ago. The driver of the truck, Dudley Pugsley, was the father of the two individuals in the other vehicle. He owned and operated a local pawnshop."

Masters waited patiently for Technus to continue. She appeared disinterested, but knew better than to assume Technus was simply wasting her time.

"Four days prior in Dimmsdale, another city contiguous to Amity Park, this happened," the projector displayed a new image superimposed over the first, also from The Specter. "A dispute between neighbors turned violent, resulting in the death of the instigator, Timothy Turner. Turner operated a franchise branch of Jay Jewelers."

Several more similar newspaper articles winked into view, from various newspapers in and around Amity Park. "This string of incidents all involve proprietors of establishments which partake and the purchase and sale of jewelry."

"Jewelry," Masters repeated slowly.

"I've obtained the following security footage from police computers." The newspaper images disappeared and were immediately replaced with a small display of square screens. "Only a small number of the establishments in question featured security camera footage. On the nights of or before each fatal incident, this figure visited each store and spoke with the owner."

Technus had already reviewed the footage hundreds of times. He waited as Masters watched each screen, taking in every scenario. The figure, an elderly woman, spoke briefly to an individual in the shop before leaving. However, nothing untoward appeared to take place. "You think the woman is a ghost?"

"Her appearance at these establishments and her communication with the deceased suggested a pattern beyond mere coincidence. I conducted further research to test the veracity of my supposition." Dozens more screens activated at Technus' command, and he continued, "I retrieved this footage from other pawn shop establishments across the nation. The woman appears in each one. Not every encounter results in a fatality, but a majority of them do."

Masters turned her attention to the security camera in her own office, effective looking Technus in the eyes. "I understand you are a very capable construct, Technus, but this seems like a particularly consuming undertaking, even for you. I hope this nationwide search hasn't drawn your attention from other projects."

"This was well worth the effort," Technus reassured her. A map of the United States appeared in the display, superimposed over the video footage. Red markers appeared in Boston and New York City, Richmond, Washington DC, Columbus, Nashville, and Amity Park. "These are the cities in which the woman appeared."

"That path looks familiar," Masters said quietly, connecting the dots in the air with her finger.

"For good reason." Technus displayed a brighter blue line, intersecting the red dots in the named cities and passing through several others before terminating in Amity Park. "This line represents Ember McLain's tour schedule."

Masters straightened in her chair, her eyes widening. "This woman was following Ember?"

"I believe so. The first recorded incidents with this woman took place shortly after Ember McLain's tour began in Boston, but we intercepted her before she made it to New York City. It would appear that the woman made it as far as Nashville before she learned Ember had been defeated in Amity Park, at which point she headed directly to that location."

Rising from the table, Masters smoothed out wrinkles in her blouse and stepped over to the holographic display. Technus noticed his creator, who otherwise maintained a flawless external appearance, looked disheveled. Her silver hair had been hastily drawn into a bun, held in place with two chopsticks. Wayward strands fell over her face, but she didn't seem to notice. Her expression was tightly focused, but Technus detected signs of fatigue. Bags and crow's feet framed her piercing blue eyes.

While Masters waved the map display off of the main projection area and examined the footage more closely, Technus looked into what had occupied so much of her time as to deprive her of sleep. He found his answer quickly. After acquiring and gutting Axion Labs, Masters learned that the company had indeed been stealing and selling her trade-secret ectoplasmic decontamination technology to unknown parties overseas. She had been hard at work trying to follow the threads to their terminus, but many of the trails had gone cold.

"Do any of these recordings have sound?" Masters asked, her eyes darting from one video to another.

"Only these," Technus said as he minimized all but three of the video feeds. "The quality makes it difficult to-"

Masters held a hand up to silence him, and pointed at the center feed. It magnified, showing the most recent appearance of the woman in the Elmerton pawn shop. Masters listened intently to the audible parts of the conversation, taking note of the man's focus on his children. The woman said something before leaving the shop, but it was imperceptible on the video. "This man," she pointed to Dudley Pugsley, "you said he died in a car crash later that night?"

"Correct. He ran a red light and wasn't wearing a seat belt. Coroner believes he died instantly."

"And his adult children were in the other vehicle?"

"Yes, they were taken by medical helicopter to North Mercy Hospital. Both received severe internal trauma, but they are in stable condition after undergoing organ transplantation."

Technus displayed the medical records for both adult children, which he had retrieved from the hospital's computer system. He also displayed Dudley's criminal record.

"Multiple domestic abuse charges," Masters observed. "Not exactly father of the year material."

"If you say so."

"And yet he was the organ donor for both children?" Masters attention returned to the medical charts.

"I find that of particular interest," Technus commented.

Masters looked back to the security camera. "Oh?" she asked, curious. "Why is that?"

Technus played back an audible clip from the Emerton pawn shop footage. Dudley's static-laced words played over the office speakers, "At this point, all I want is… is just to be closer to my kids. I wanna be a part of their lives."

Technus remarked, "I'd say he is very much a part of their lives now."

For several seconds, Masters stood still, her gaze distant and unfocused. Then she turned back to her desk, waving her hand dismissively over her shoulder. Technus deactivated the holographic display. When she returned to her seat, her supple lips had curled into a grin. "Prep my jet for takeoff. We're heading back to Amity Park."

---

Saturday mornings were usually spent slowly waking up from a restless night sleeping on Danny's floor after leaving Sam's basement. This morning, like all his Saturday mornings for the past several months, Tucker was alone. Following a series of unlucky and unfortunate encounters with vicious ghosts, Tucker resolved to distance himself from everything ghost-related, including his two closest friends. Even with the new friendship he found with Dash Baxter, life was lonely without Danny and Sam – and it was decidedly less interesting. Tucker thought about this as he lazily strolled down the street, on his way back from grabbing a quick bite to eat from the Nasty Burger's breakfast menu.

Occasionally, Tucker would receive a call from Danny's sister, Jazz. She had reached out to him several weeks prior, hoping to help him work through his lingering anxiety and stress. He found the phone calls therapeutic. Jazz was scary-smart, studying with world-renowned educators at the University of Wisconsin's ectoplasmic sciences department. Her affinity for academia made it easy for her to engage Tucker on a variety of topics having nothing to do with ghosts. Their present conversation on this Saturday morning was one such example.

"I don't know how I feel about the doom and gloom," she said thoughtfully. "Artificial intelligence is becoming more and more integral to our society, sure, but I think it'll be a long, long time before we need to start worrying about it taking over."

"I agree in principle, but a lot of the more popular opponents gloss over the bigger concern; that a general intelligence might begin to exceed the scope of its programmed limitations and cause serious problems before we even get close to creating a super-intelligent AI."

"Ohh, okay, okay, I think I get it. So the general intelligence could learn things it isn't supposed to do, and cause problems even though it thinks it's still following its programming."

"Right. I mean, that's what I think. It sounds more possible, given our current technology limitations, than creating a super-intelligent construct that wants to hurt us."

Jazz sighed. It was the kind of sigh one made after finishing something enjoyable, and Tucker could practically hear the smile in her voice. "Well, I'm sure I'll have more questions once I finish this book I'm reading. It's really cool stuff!"

"You're preaching to the choir," Tucker said with a grin.

Jazz laughed. "True! Very true. So, how have things been going with you?"

"Oh, you know," Tucker paused, looking both ways before crossing the street. "I'm, uh, I'm good. I mean, things have been going good."

"Any new developments with Danny and Sam?"

Tucker's shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes. He knew the question was coming – Jazz always asked it – but anymore it felt as though it was her whole reason for calling. "Not really, no."

"Okay. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm pestering you about it."

"No!" Tucker didn't want to chase Jazz away. He was truly grateful for her concern and willingness to be a sounding board for his problems. "No, it's just," he sighed – a rueful, contemplative sigh – and continued, "It's been a pretty long time since I last talked to them. I don't think they'd even want to hear from me at this point."

"That's ridiculous, Tucker. You three might be in a complicated place at the moment, but I know Danny. There's nothing in the world he would like more than to hear from you."

"But why haven't they reached out? I mean, yeah, I'll take your word for it about Danny, but if that's true, why hasn't he tried to call me?"

"I seem to recall you being the one who wanted some distance," Jazz reminded him. "He's just giving you the space you said you wanted."

Oh, duh, Tucker thought. "It all sounds so simple when you say it."

"Maybe it really is that simple?"

"I-" Tucker paused when a simple-looking black sedan pulled up alongside the curb several yards in front of him. The passenger door opened, and a tall man dressed in a pristine white suite stepped out. The white fabric contrasted his dark brown skin, and his eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses. Tucker's eyes widened. "I, uh, I think I'm gonna have to call you back."

"Oh, um, oka-"

Tucker ended the call and slid the phone back in his pocket. The man beckoned him closer, and Tucker obliged. All of the stranger danger programming that had been drilled into his head as a kid was not helping him in this moment.

"Tucker Foley?" the man spoke when only a few feet separated them.

"Uh, yeah?"

"My name is Jackson Reddington, I'm an operative with the Strategic Supernatural Defense Force," the man produced a badge from the inline pocket of his suit jacket. Tucker recognized it from the SSDF website. "I need to have a word with you."

"What, uh," Tucker looked around, hoping to see any other passersby he could call out to for help, should the need arise. "What is this about?"

"You're not in any sort of trouble. The SSDF needs your help, Tucker. I was sent to collect you." Reddington opened the rear passenger-side door and gestured inside. "Please, come with me."

After one last look around, Tucker acquiesced and headed for the sedan. It's not like I could get away if I tried to run, he thought. The inside of the vehicle was more spacious than it looked from outside. The leather seats faced a divider, concealing the driver and windshield from view. All the windows in the back were heavily tinted – Tucker couldn't see out of them. In the middle of the divider, a monitor screen winked to life. Tucker could see a small camera mounted into the frame just above the screen.

On the display, another man looked back at them. He was broad-shouldered, like Reddington, and wore similarly close-cropped hair and a white suit. His skin was lighter, but tan. He had a tired look to him. The man smiled after some delay – Tucker assumed the sedan's video feed had just registered on the other computer.

"Mr. Foley," he spoke, his voice low and gravelly. "I'm glad Reddington could convince you to join us this morning."

The car began to move, and Tucker's nervousness intensified. "Where are we going?"

"Relax, kid," the man held up a palm. "We're taking you home."

Tucker did not relax. "Yeah, alright. Who are you?"

"I'm James Steele, Director of the SSDF."

That caught Tucker's attention. "Director?" he repeated. "Like, of the whole organization?"

"The very same. Tucker, I'd like to apologize for startling you, but we don't have a lot of time to do this through the proper channels. Operative Reddington can explain the situation to you."

"Thank you, Director." Tucker turned to the man next to him as he continued. "The SSDF has long suspected Axion Laboratories and its parent company Dalv, Incorporated, of illegal activities that threaten national security. Any illegal activities were well hidden, and we have been unable to turn up any proof to assist our investigation. When Dalv was acquired by The Masters Company, we were hoping that Vanessa Masters would turn over any evidence of wrongdoing. They have not provided any information we requested in the month since the acquisition took place."

"What kind of illegal activities?" Tucker asked. He was becoming engrossed in the story, and his nervousness was waning.

"Treason," Reddington continued. "Axion Labs, as Dalv's subsidiary, made several successful bids for government contracts. These contracts all involved development of classified technologies for use in weapons research. The government provided Axion with schematics and designs outlining their specifications. We believe Axion then sold these designs to foreign entities, which is in direct contravention of federal law."

"Alright, well that all sounds… terrible," Tucker remarked. "But what does that have to do with me?"

Reddington turned to the monitor, and the Director answered. "The Masters Company has a scholarship initiative – the Masters Program – aimed at high school youths who show interest in STEM fields. Every year, subsidiaries of The Masters Companies with relevant focuses seek out high school students to employ as interns for the summer. Axion Labs recently confirmed it would be participating in the Masters Program, starting this year."

"Oh… well that sounds pretty cool, actually. But again, what does that have to do with me?"

"You've been on our radar since your encounter with the dragon ghost," the Director continued. "We've been watching you to make sure you didn't have any post-event trauma. As far as we can tell, you're fine, in case you were wondering. When we were drafting this mission, Reddington pulled your file. We don't employ any operatives who could even begin to pass as a high school student, which is why we sought you out."

"Alright, so, wait, you want me to apply for this internship so I can… what, ask them about their dirty dealings? Can you, like, explain what it is you want me to do?"

"Not here. Take some time to think it over. We'll call you tomorrow and, if you choose to accept, we'll make arrangements to meet in person." The Director paused to look at another screen. "Looks like this is your stop, Mr. Foley." The sedan slowed to a stop, and Tucker could hear the turn signal clicking.

He exited the vehicle slowly, and instantly recognized his street. The sedan was parked a few houses down from Tucker's home. "It's a big decision, Tucker," Reddington said, exiting his side of the vehicle and walking around to the front passenger side door. "Don't make it lightly."

He shut the door behind him, and the sedan drove off. Tucker was left perplexed, anxious, and with a lot of thinking to do.

---

A warm welcome awaited Vanessa when she arrived at the Axion Labs facility on Saturday. Her subordinates and those who thought themselves her equal swarmed her office and attempted to discuss all manner of subjects, ranging from ongoing projects to if she had enjoyed her week. After nearly an hour of enduring the pleasantries, Masters retreated to the uppermost floor of the newly renovated building and sealed herself away inside her office.

The outer façade of the forty-story tall building had been completed weeks ago. Sleek curvatures of steel and glass glistened in the brilliant afternoon sunlight. The modern design created a stark contrast to the surrounding greenery. Axion Labs was inconveniently nestled in a small valley surrounded by acres of lush, rolling hills miles from Amity Park's sprawling cityscape. The Terror Tower loomed like a distant mountain, washed in faded blue light.

Masters preferred the seclusion, although her underlings seemed driven to deny her of this simple pleasure. Inside her private office, she could embrace it once again.

"Be it ever so humble," she muttered upon realizing her office was as she had last left it a month ago; spartan in ornamentation to the point of nakedness. The room sported mostly monotonous shades of white. An oak desk sat opposite the door, framed by a window that occupied the entire wall. Aside from a closet door, the room was virtually featureless.

From above the entrance to the office, Technus' voice spoke through a speaker. "I have scheduled an appointment with your interior decorator for next Thursday."

"Very good." Masters crossed the length of the room in long strides of her slender legs. She cast her suit jacket onto the back of the guest chair in front of the desk as she passed it. "Anything to report on our mysterious visitor to Amity Park?" She seated herself at the office chair behind the desk and started up the computer built into the multimedia-capable piece of furniture.

"Nothing reported by local law enforcement," he replied. "I have attempted to infiltrate security systems of similar establishments, but the technology is antiquated and beyond my ability to manipulate, short of making physical contact." Although Technus was an artificial intelligence construct, his ectoplasmic origins granted him the ability to materialize in the physical world as a cloud of binary mist. As such, he could gain access to systems not connected to the Internet.

Masters waved her hand dismissively. "Don't bother. I have something else in mind. Dial Daniel's number." She waited for several seconds as the phone rang over the speaker system. A sensitive microphone in her desk could pick up her voice from anywhere in the soundproofed room.

When he finally picked up, his voice was hesitant. "Uh… Hello?"

Grinning, Masters spoke with an excitable tone in her speech. "Daniel!" She figured he must have saved her number in his phone after her initial call the month before. "It's Vanessa Masters, how are you?"

"Oh, uh, hello! I'm good… thanks. Um, how are you?"

"I wish I could say the same." She changed her tune to crestfallen, but maintained its sincerity. "I've come across a bit of a problem, and I was wondering if you might be available to lend me some assistance?"

"You need my help?" His voice softened to a hush. "Is everything okay?"

How cute, he must be in public, Masters thought. "For the moment. I don't think we're dealing with anything on the same level as your musical misadventure, but it's a matter that I believe should be dealt with quickly."

The other line was silent for a moment. Masters imagined the boy grimacing at the thought of his pitched battle with Ember McLain. "If you really think you need my help..."

Shifting her tone again, Masters spoke with concern and firmness. "You sound unsure, Daniel. If you aren't comfortable with this-"

"No! No, it's… it's no problem." Then, quietly, "Ow, Sam, stop it!" He spoke up again, "I'm not really sure how I can, like, help you, but I'll try. What do you need?"

"It might be best if you stop by Axion Labs; the problem is a little complicated to explain over the phone. I'll be in my office on the top floor, you can't miss it. Stop by whenever you get the chance. Sometime this afternoon would be nice."

"Okay, um, alright then. I'll see you later."

"Thanks so much!" Masters made a cutting motion with her hand, and Technus terminated the call.

Masters pressed her finger to an icon on the touchscreen display of the desk. Four green LED indicator lights began to blink in the corners of her window.

"Will you walk into my parlor, said the spider to the fly," Technus droned through the speaker.

She flashed a toothy grin.

---

Tucker's phone call barely got through the second ring before it was answered by Danny's excited voice on the other end. "Hey, Tucker! What's up, man? How are you?"

"Hey dude, I'm good." Tucker leaned back in the chair at his computer desk. The spacious room was painted in a light shade of green. Clothes and comic books littered the floor. Shirts on hangers hung from the handles on his closet door. A clear path from the door forked to his computer and to his bed, where the comforter and sheets lied in a disheveled mess. He took it all in as he slowly spun around in his chair. "I, uh, well, how are you?"

"Oh, you know, I'm good. Doing, uh… real good." Tucker heard the sound of wind in the background, and figured Danny was in his ghost form, flying somewhere.

"That's… good."

"Yup."

"So, listen, I have a bit of a situation, and," he sighed. "I need some advice. Possibly ghost-related advice."

"Oh, uh, okay, sure dude, whatever you need. It's just-"

"What?"

"It's just, well, aren't there other people you'd feel more comfortable talking to? I'm not trying to, y'know, push you away, or whatever, I just want to give you your space. That's all."

"I appreciate it, man, I really do, but this is… bigger than all that. And no matter what's been going on lately, I still trust you."

"Alright, Tuck, glad to hear it. So, lay it on me."

"Earlier today, I got picked up by the Guys in White. They want me to help them with a mission."

Danny's line was silent for a few seconds. Then he laughed. "Okay, so, what, you're a government agent now?"

"I'm being serious. They've been monitoring me since the whole thing with Ar-er, the dragon ghost went down." Even almost half a year later, and Tucker still hesitated to call the ghost by his name. It made him uneasy, and he didn't want to acknowledge just how well he had gotten to know the ghost in the short time they spent together. "Best I can figure, they want to use me to get inside Axion Labs so they can find proof that the former owners were committing treason."

"Axion Labs? I'm actually headed the- whoa, hold on, they've been monitoring you?" Danny didn't sound amused anymore. "Do you know, like, how much they've been monitoring you?"

"I have no idea. Honestly, I was going to turn them down, but I think I'm going to do it."

"Hold on, let's think about this for a second. The SSDF, a paramilitary department of the US government, wants a high school kid to infiltrate the subsidiary of a multibillion dollar corporation. This seems... dumb. Like, really dumb."

"They haven't told me what they actually want me to do. I think it'd be easier for me to get in because I can pose as an intern."

"Nothing you said is making this sound less dumb."

"No, their plan is dumb, I agree. I want to do it because it gives me access to them. I think they'd take me to one of their offices or something to go over the plan. Maybe it's like a private headquarters or something in town. And if they do take me there, I can try and see if they have any information on you, or what they have on the Ghost Boy, or whatever. Point is, this is my chance to do some recon, and whatever I find could… I dunno, help you prepare for if they ever come after you."

"So you want to be, what, a double agent?"

"This is all way too coincidental. If there's a chance I can find out what they have on you, I have to try, don't I? We need to be ready for whatever they might throw at you."

"We do?"

"Yeah. We."

Danny hesitated, and then lowered his voice. "I don't like this, but if you're sure, I trust your judgement. If anything goes wrong, call me. I'll be there in a flash."

"Deal." Tucker's mother's voice called to him from downstairs, firmly reminding him to clean his room. "I've gotta go. And, uh… it was really good to hear from you."

"Likewise, man. I'll be on standby if you need me."

Tucker hung up the phone with a grin and set about cleaning his room. His decision was made. The only thing left to do now was wait.

---

Danny eventually found the Axion Labs building after some wrong turns and a few phone calls to an exasperated Sam. He was drawn to a set of green lights winking from the frame of a large square window. Floating outside, he could see the top of Masters' silver-haired head poking overtop the back of a large, black leather desk chair. He thought the lack of any other furniture, or paintings, or anything was odd, but he pushed that thought aside. He tapped gently, scolding himself when he saw the woman jolt in her seat. She turned with a bewildered smile and waved him in.

"I'm sorry," Danny blurted out once he phased through the glass. "I didn't, I mean, I wasn't trying to-"

"It's no problem, Daniel," Masters laughed and waved her hand glibly. "I'm accustomed to knocks on the door is all. Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable."

Danny floated into the seat opposite Masters. He suddenly felt very awkward in his ghost form, like he had just shown up to a gala in pajamas. A brief mental struggle ensued as Danny contemplated the formality of his ghost mode, and then intensified as he thought how ridiculous he felt even thinking about that. He fidgeted in the chair, appearing anything but comfortable. If Masters noticed, she didn't make a comment.

"I hope I haven't pulled you away from anything important," Masters spoke again, her eyes fixated on the touchscreen built into her desk.

"Oh, uh, no, you didn't. I was just hanging out at the mall with a friend."

"Was it that Manson girl I met last month during your fieldtrip?" Masters asked attentively. Danny nodded. "Such a lovely young woman." The woman looked up from the screen, locking on Danny's intense irises – his only green feature which hadn't changed to black. "That's obviously not why I asked you here today. Please, have a look at this."

A small excerpt of the data from Technus' earlier report appeared on the touchscreen desk face. Masters rotated it up so that the display faced Danny, and she walked around to stand beside him.

The information was on three local pawnshop owners, including Mr. Pugsley. Danny reviewed the information, trying to make sense of it as best he could, while also trying to see what would have prompted the wealthy industrialist to seek his help. The common thread was fairly obvious – the short, hooded woman who appeared in several images.

"Are you familiar with the term apex predator?" Masters asked, her voice softer and less enthusiastic than before. Danny shook his head. "Apex predators occupy the top of their food chains. They are indomitable, even preying upon other predators in their environments. This is true of the Earth's fauna, and of her invasive population of ectosapiens."

The conversation had taken a sharp turn. Danny felt apprehension creep up his spine.

"I'm sure you have no fond memories of Ember McLain," Masters continued, leaning forward to wave the display to a new screen.

"Ember? You're saying she was an… apex predator ghost?" Danny asked, hoping against hope the answer was yes. It would mean his troubles were already over.

"No."

Damnit…

"The blue line," Masters pointed at a map of the U.S., "represents Ember's planned concert tour stops. These red dots indicate sightings of the same figure in the Elmerton pawn shops. Sightings date back to just after Ember's cross-country tour started, and once news got out about her defeat here in Amity Park, she skipped all of the remaining stops and arrived here." Masters returned to her seat, lowering the display back into the desk. "I believe this woman is really an ectosapien, perhaps in control of an innocent human's body. And if my hunch is right, she's followed Ember here, to Amity Park."

Danny sat quietly. "A ghost is hunting Ember, and it's strong enough to think of her as prey," he said finally.

"That's correct."

"But I stopped Ember!" Danny protested. "I almost k- I mean, she's gone. She's not here anymore."

"Be that as it may, this woman is still in Amity Park." Masters leaned forward in her chair and folded her hands on the desk. "You've seen everything I know about the situation; this isn't solid evidence, and I'll be the first to admit it. But I don't believe in coincidence, certainly not on this scale. If something isn't done, more people are going to die."

"And I have to stop it."

"Isn't that why you use your powers? To stop these beasts?"

"It's not that simple." Danny stood from his seat without thinking. Masters' eyes followed him. "Ember and the ghost dragon; I didn't win because I was better. I won because I got lucky. You think, because I have beaten ghosts like them, that I can beat this one, but-" He stopped, breaking eye contact. "I've gotten stronger since we first met… but not that strong."

Masters rose from her seat, standing a full head taller than Danny. "You misunderstand the source of that strength. You've had friends and family to stand at your back, to cheer you on, even to fight at your side at every turn. You fear this new threat because you think you're alone." She chuckled. "You're never alone."

Danny felt a slight blush creep into his paled cheeks. He hooked his thumbs into the white belt of his protective hazmat suit.

"I look at you," she continued, "and I see the vanguard of a new future; one in which humanity is finally rid of the scourge of these extra-dimensional abominations. You and I may not be friends and you may not trust me; I certainly hope this will change. In either case, I trust in you. Every ounce of strength I have, all of my resources, every asset within my control is at your disposal."

At the tender young age of sixteen, it was a strange thing for Danny to feel humbled. Silence hung in the air, waiting for Danny's words. "We'll need a plan," he spoke at last.

Masters flashed a toothy smile. "I might have some ideas."

---

Rain pounded on Sam's umbrella as she sloshed through the muddied forest trail. Despite the plastic shield and the poncho she wore over her clothes, the torrent still soaked her to the bone. The downpour had swept in quickly off the ocean, as these rains frequently did. Sam cursed herself for not staying at the mall to wait for Danny's return, but after two hours with no phone call, she headed to the dense, alien forests to the north of Amity Park.

With her boots too logged with mud and water to press further into the thicket, Sam found respite on a felled tree. It was dangerous for humans in these woods, although the irradiated and mutated foliage was not the cause. Bears and mountain lions thrived in the hundreds of acres the national park, and were none too shy about preying on humans. Fortunately for Sam, bears and mountain lions were far from the most dangerous life forms which called the forest home.

Muted thuds sounded off from within the dense undergrowth, and Sam turned to the source. From the darkness, a massive figure strode into a small clearing. Twigs and smaller branches splintered beneath the winged knuckles of a massive Quetzalcoatlus. True members of this species had existed during the end of the Late Cretaceous era. The specimen striding confidently through the rain towards Sam was an ectosapien, with a physiological makeup not too dissimilar to that of Skulker, or Danny's ghost form.

Andy, as she had come to call the beast, was sent to eliminate Skulker by one of his enemies. Sam had been used as bait, but she turned the tables on the beast when she destroyed the mind control device embedded at the base of its skull. Ever since, Andy had repaid his emancipation with affection rivaling that of any dog. As he neared Sam, Andy slowed his pace and awkwardly hobbled on three legs. His massive wing unfurled, and he brought it to bear over top Sam where he kept it still.

He was shielding her from the rain.

"Thanks, Andy," Sam said loudly to be heard over the unrelenting torrent. She extended her arms, and Andy lowered his deadly beak for her to pet. The same beak was capable of discharging deadly blasts of energy, and had almost defeated Skulker in their forced confrontation. "I wish I had an umbrella big enough for you."

Andy snorted steam and water droplets from the bony ovular nostrils embedded in his beak. He slowly raised his large head and surveyed their surroundings. Sam wondered if he sensed a predator nearby.

"That would be a very large umbrella," Skulker called out from somewhere unseen.

Andy adjusted his stance and uttered several low squawks. While no longer aggressive, Andy was apprehensive whenever the hulking robot entered his territory. Sam found that strange, considering the obvious size difference. While Skulker stood at an impressive 8 feet tall, Andy was as tall a giraffe at 15 feet. Perhaps it was Andy's memories of fighting Skulker that unnerved the beast so much.

"I did not expect to see you here, much less in this weather," Skulker continued as he stepped into view. His silver body was mostly covered by black military fatigues and boots. His upper body was covered in only a matching black tanktop, criss-crossed in front by ammo straps. His right shoulder sported an armored pauldron. In the dim forest light, the green flame which flickered atop an open wound in Skulker's skull cast eerie shadows over his face and the surrounding trees. Rainwater steamed on contact with it.

"Yeah, well," Sam's voice quieted as the rain slowed to a light patter. "Danny went to help Vanessa Masters with a problem."

"She contacted him?" Skulker asked quizzically.

"Yeah, and Danny almost didn't go." With the rain now stopped, Sam folded her umbrella and sat it on the ground at her feet. "He's been acting so weird lately, ever since his powers started changing. He never wants to go hunting any more, and now he thinks he might be getting smarter. I don't know about that, but his pool game's definitely improved."

"Smarter?"

"What, he didn't say anything to you?" Sam asked, genuinely curious. She had thought Danny shared everything with her distant uncle.

"Daniel has opted to limit our training sessions to an as-needed basis. I could hardly argue – his complex abilities are, to put it bluntly, outside my wheelhouse. It will take years to master the martial arts skills I have attempted to impart upon him, and it seems increasingly more likely that his battles will be fought much differently."

"So he's bailing on you, now? That's…" Sam furrowed her brow, and slid the plastic hood of her rain poncho back. "What the hell's going on with him?" With the umbrella and hood stowed away, Andy withdrew his immense wing. Pooled water streamed down the length of his bony appendage and off onto the ground. He folded his wing back at his side, redistributing his weight among all four appendages. "Last night he was all distracted and goofy."

"I cannot speak to that," Skulker said knowingly. "However, his absence may prove beneficial in other ways."

"How's that?"

Andy, sensing that Skulker was not there to attack him, lowered his guard and trundled off into the thicket. His beak nudged aside logs and rocks, looking for small mammals and reptiles to sate his appetite.

"It occurs to me that you and I have had little time to spend together as family. I hope it is not presumptuous for me to imply you would enjoy such activities-"

"What?" Sam laughed and stood up suddenly. "I mean, no way! That would be awesome. What'd you have in mind? Ghost hunting? Fighting crime? Toppling dictatorial regimes?"

"Ah, well, not exactly." Without Andy to cause a ruckus, Skulker moved closer to his niece. "We are obviously precluded from enjoying normal activities, such as going to an amusement park, or having a picnic."

The mental imagery of the hulking mechanical exoskeleton attempting to enjoy either of those things made Sam snicker.

"But," he continued, "Since the pterosaur has imprinted on you, it would be a pity to let such a golden opportunity to go to waste."

"Opportunity? What do you have in mind?"

An uncommon grin appeared on Skulker's face. "Have you ever ridden a horse?"

---

Tucker answered his phone expectantly on Sunday morning, and agreed to assist the SSDF in their mission. He offered his parents the excuse of meeting a friend at the Nasty Burger before heading off down the street. Several blocks away, the familiar black sedan pulled up alongside the curb, and Tucker entered the rear passenger side. Reddington was seated next to him, but the two-way monitor was dark. Tucker closed the door behind him and buckled in as the car drove off.

He noticed the heavily tinted windows again. "Couldn't you have just blindfolded me?" Tucker asked jokingly, trying to mask his nervousness.

"We used to use a burlap sack," Reddington replied, his tone level and serious.

Tucker fell silent, and remained so for the duration of the trip to the blacksite. He took some time to appreciate the simple, leather interior of the vehicle. Upon arrival at the blacksite almost half an hour later, he heard the sounds of straining metal outside the vehicle before it stopped. Muffled voices spoke outside, but Tucker couldn't make out the words.

Reddington brought a finger up to his ear and listened to communications over his earpiece for a moment before opening his door. "Alright, kid, let's go."

Tucker followed suit, and was greeted to the strange sight of the interior of a repurposed warehouse. Rows of tables sporting advanced computer technology occupied the largest open space on the far wall opposite the car, an array of television monitors displayed video feeds from unknown locations. Transparent plastic boards were positioned in seemingly random locations with photos of men and women, maps, and dry erase marker scrawled across their surfaces. Operatives in white suits either sat at their computers, typing furiously, or hurrying around the workspace and exchanging information with other Operatives. Tucker watched one agent hurry past him and Reddington and up a flight of open metal stairs onto a metal grate catwalk above them.

Reddington tapped his shoulder and directed Tucker's attention to the catwalk. "That's where we're heading."

Tucker followed the man up the stairs, which he saw hung above a wide garage door. At the top of the stairs, Tucker saw the catwalk crossed in front of an office with stairs leading down the other end. Two windows framed a windowed door, which led to an office occupied by the Operative from earlier and the

The upstairs office looked very old. A stained grey carpet covered the floor, and its frayed edges poked up at the corners where Tucker could see. Faux wood paneling lined the walls, chipping and falling off in some places. The ceiling was made up of soft, off-white tiles. To Tucker, it appeared as though the SSDF hadn't bothered renovating the shoddy conditions created by the previous tenant. A large, oak desk – Tucker figured it was the Director's – was pushed back against the far wall. Filing cabinets lined a second wall, and a large television monitor was mounted to the third. Inside, two other Operatives stood talking. They quieted once Tucker and Reddington arrived.

"So, you've decided to join the band!" the male operative said with a wink.

"This is the kid?" The female Operative asked crossly. Her alluring, sharp face was framed by straight locks of dark brown hair. Piercing brown eyes glared at him. Her alabaster skin was almost as brilliant as the white suit she wore, like the others.

The other operative warned in a teasing voice, "Easy, Keane." He was around the same build and height as Reddington and sported the same close-cropped haircut and white suit and black tie. The other man was also white skinned, but a few shades darker than Keane.

Tucker looked up at Reddington as he spoke. "Joining us today are Acting Director Merissa Keane and Operative Raymond Pollock."

"Where's Director Steele?" Tucker asked quickly, again drawing Keane's icy stare.

"Out on assignment." If Reddington was annoyed with Tucker's lack of decorum, he didn't show it. "We've only just been officially reactivated, and not everyone on Capitol Hill is happy about it. The Director's meeting with a special Congressional committee to discuss our strategy moving forward."

"Don't worry, kid, we don't bite," Pollock said reassuringly.

"We don't have much time," Keane snapped, silencing the two men. "An opportunity at Axion Labs has opened for us, and we need to move quickly if we're to capitalize on it."

Keane dimmed the lights, and Tucker saw why the furniture had been pushed aside; a holographic display projector mounted on the ceiling beamed down a three-dimensional model of the Axion Labs facility.

"We have an informant in the computer sciences division at Axion Labs. He's been working at the facility ever since Vanessa Masters bought out Dalv, Incorporated, and acquired Axion. He's recently been promoted to a position granting him authorization to the secure computer server room in the first sub-basement level of the facility, which you can see here." Keane pointed to the floor just below the hologram's first level. "With his authorized access to the server room, we can finally get access to the information stored on Axion's computers."

The hologram display flickered, and a new image appeared. "This," Keane continued, "is our data miner." The object was a USB thumb drive, with a thick, cylindrical body. "You'll leave the device in the waste paper bin in men's restroom just outside the reception area. Our inside man will retrieve it, rip the data, and return it to the same place for you to collect on your way out."

"So, wait," Tucker interrupted. There were many problems he was already finding with this plan, but one in particular bothered him the most. "You already have an inside man? What do you need me for?"

"Masters wasted no time applying her Big Brother touch to her new subsidiary," Pollock spoke. Keane didn't object. "All of Axion's staff members are constantly monitored. They're also put through a very thorough scanning process at the beginning and end of each workday. Any foreign objects on… or in… an employee's person will be discovered. We don't want that happening."

"Even our concealment methods don't measure up against Masters' security tech. If our inside man was discovered with the data miner, Axion would have the facility on lockdown, and we'd lose our opportunity. But they don't scan visitors who won't be accessing off-limits sections of the facility, such as yourself," Keane finished. "I can tell you have other questions, Mr. Foley."

"This is definitely the kind of thing I would apply to even without the cloak and dagger stuff. But I know I'm not qualified for the internship, and they'll be able to figure that out by looking at my resume. How will I even get this interview in the first place?" Tucker wondered why the Guys in White picked him for this assignment at all; he thought he was obviously unqualified in more ways than one.

"Fake it 'till you make it." Pollock's reply was unhelpful, and Tucker suspected this man would continue that trend.

"We have falsified information for you for this assignment." While her first impression hadn't been as inviting as the other operatives, Keane was direct and forthcoming with information. Tucker admired that. "You'll have a fake resume and credentials. Our support staff is working on it now. Our inside man will serve as a reference, which will ensure you get your interview. Anything else?"

Tucker cleared his throat. "What happens if I get caught?"

"If you get caught," Keane started, "the interviewer will see that you have falsified credentials and will terminate the interview. They may contact someone listed on your references, or perhaps look up your name and school, but all of this information will be falsified. Each false reference and false contact is connected to a different operative here at the blacksite. The worst that could happen if they make you, and that's a big if, is that they'd ask you to leave. We would likely have to scrub the mission, and lose our opportunity."

"We've got a bit more riding on this than you do," Pollock added.

Keane asked, "Anything else?"

"I guess I'm still just… confused as to why you picked me for this."

"Director Steele already explained that much to you," Reddington said sternly. "You were already on our radar, and we need a teenager."

"As you can see, we don't keep many kids on our payroll," Pollock gestured out the window.

"We're wasting time," Keane interjected. "If you're wondering why you're uniquely qualified, you're not. This isn't a difficult assignment; it just called for a different approach than we're used to taking. If it makes you so uncomfortable, think of it this way – once you've completed this painfully simple task, we'll never contact you again. Understand?" The words stung, but Tucker nodded. Keane continued. "Good. Now, let's get you outfitted. If our informant does his job, you should be scheduled for an interview as early as tomorrow afternoon. We can arrange transportation to and from their facility."

Tucker followed Keane out of the office and down into the main floor of the facility. Pollock and Reddington trailed along behind. The support staff for the operation were finishing up his fake application materials. It was then Tucker realized this was all a waste of time. He wouldn't be returning to this facility, even after his job was done. There was no chance for him to poke around the computers to try and find out what they knew about Danny. In hindsight, he realized it was rather foolish to think he'd be left unsupervised in an SSDF facility.

Red lights and emergency klaxons suddenly sprang to life, and Tucker nearly jumped out of his skin. What the hell's going on? he thought, barely able to hear himself think over the sirens. He hurried closer to the action, but took care to stay out of the way of the frantic operatives.

All of the operatives were scrambling at their stations, while others stood rooted in place as city-wide monitoring devices pinpointed a location in the heart of the city. Keane strode through the chaos, pointing and shouting at her fellow operatives in a bid to restore order.

"-and somebody turn that goddamn siren off!" Her shout was piercing, but well heard. The siren quickly died down, but the flashing red lights remained active. "Sitrep, now!"

"The Fenton's early warning system just picked up a Level Three contact in the heart of downtown!" the respondent replied nervously, his fingers flying across a keyboard.

"Some good that does us if it's already inside the city," Keane spat. "Where are the Fentons?"

"En route," another operative reported from across the room. She slammed a phone down on the hook. "And they confirm their portal is still inactive; it didn't come from them."

"We'll see about that later." Keane moved to issue more orders when the siren picked up again. "Will somebody, for the love of-"

"New contact!" the man at the keyboard cried out. The siren went silent again. He spun in his chair, sweat beading at his forehead. "New contact is a Level Four!"

Tucker didn't need an explanation for the wave of panic that gripped the room. Operatives stood quietly, watching as the video monitors switched to live feeds of the city. His eyes widened when one of the screens magnified its view on Danny Fenton. Operatives called out to each other about the 'Ghost Kid', but he knew they weren't worried about him. Several meters in front of Danny sat a machine, and opposite the machine stood the real threat.

The Neutron Classification Index posited the existence of ectosapiens with powers and abilities exceeding even that of their Level Three counterparts. Given the quasi-mystical nature of ectoplasm, it was theorized that, in high enough concentrations, this energy could be manipulated in such a way as to grant its holder a mastery over nature, physics, perhaps even reality itself. Given the toxicity of ectoplasm, detractors of this theory suggested even ectosapiens wouldn't be able to live with that much energy coursing through their veins.

But standing in front of Tucker's oldest friend was living proof, as real as the concrete on which he stood. The ghost stepped forward and a brilliant blue light flashed from its eyes. The video feeds were consumed with static before winking off in rapid succession. Tucker felt a knot form in his gut, and his throat tightened.

Danny was about to fight a god.

---

The plan was simple, as far as Danny was concerned. Masters had spared him the technical details. Danny would take a device of Masters' own design and soar through the skies over Amity Park. The meter-high cylinder was capable of mimicking energy signatures of ectosapiens, given the proper input data. Fortunately, for the sake of the plan, Axion Labs had recorded Ember's data when the company was still under the control of Dalv, Inc. If all went accordingly, the ghost would be drawn up to Danny and would follow him out of the city, where he could safely engage it away from the densely populated cityscape.

What is it they say about the best laid plans? Danny thought bitterly. In the course of his search, an unseen force had gripped the device and pulled it downward right as Danny passed overtop the heart of the downtown area. Though he struggled to resist, the device's momentum was undisturbed by Danny's attempts to stop it.

Much to his dismay, the citizens of Amity Park noticed once Danny had been pulled beneath the canopy of the concrete jungle. Hundreds of curious onlookers watched from windows with fascination and confusion as Danny floated downward. Hundreds more gathered in the thoroughfare below, stopping traffic on the intersecting roads. People stepped out of their cars and poked their heads out of windows for a better view.

Firmly on the ground, Danny quickly recognized the elderly woman from Masters' computer. A hood was drawn close over her forehead, concealing her eyes. She was barely five feet tall, and her robes hung loosely off her stocky frame. While certainly not intimidating on her own, something about her presence sent a shiver up his spine. The black mist that billowed from his nose contributed to his discomfort.

"Are you doing this?" He asked irritably, trying to mask his nervousness. He tugged and pulled on the device, betraying his desperation.

"You… are not Ember McLain," the woman said softly.

Her voice was barely audible over the clamor of the gathering crowd. Some were recording the encounter on their phones, and Danny tried to look away and hide his face. "Yeah, no kidding. Listen, lady, if you're, uh, who I think you are, then you need to come with me."

"She doesn't need to go anywhere with you," a voice called out from behind the woman.

"Yeah, who do you think you are, spook?"

"Isn't he the one who saved those kids?"

"Get the hell out of here!"

Danny tried to ignore the crowd, but he didn't need a ghost sense to tell they were getting angrier. They thought the woman was just a human, and the crowd's anger was directed at him. If the crowd turned ugly, the woman might get away. Or worse…

"Where is Ember McLain? Where is her instrument?" The old woman didn't shout, but her voice was dramatically amplified. The growing crowd shifted their focus to her, taken aback by the unexpected development.

"Ember's gone, and so is her guitar," Danny explained, trying to keep his voice level. "I can explain, but you need to come with me. These people don't need to be involved."

She spoke again, her voice even louder. "I can see the scar she left upon your mind. Where is Ember McLain? Where is the sapphire?!"

Before Danny could respond, a concussive blast knocked him back into the crowd behind him. He saw as the shockwave blasted the civilians gathered around the two back in a circle around the woman. The woman herself exploded in a brilliant blue fireball; any people who hadn't already begun to flee turned tail and followed.

The pillar of blue fire reached up into the air, and Danny flinched away as the heat grew more intense. He realized the fire must be supernaturally hot if even he could feel it. Shocked and agonized cries met his ears, and he quickly looked to the sources. Scorched citizens stumbled and crawled away, helped by those left unburned. No fatalities.

Not yet, Danny thought sourly.

The fire dissipated, and Danny's jaw dropped. The old woman was lying prone on the ground where she once stood. Long, slender legs of a new figure stepped over the unconscious old woman. Broken glass fragments stabbed through the bottoms and sides of the new figure's bare feet. Rusted shackles covered her ankles, rubbing into raw, open wounds. The bloodied bottoms of tattered, faded-blue pants brushed against the shackles. Rips and tears covered the length of the pant legs all the way up to her waist where another rusted shackle was secured. The shredded remains of a loose-fitting blue top hung down over her breasts and flapped in the ethereal wind against the light-blue skin of her bare belly. Locks of tangled black hair blew in all directions. Her face was sullen and sad, but strikingly beautiful. A pointed nose sat just above a full pair of full, blue lips. A blazing blue light shone from her eyes, as vibrant as the ring of blue fire burning on the ground around her.

Danny's eyes darted from side to side as four sinewy arms moved independently through the air, summoning and dispelling blue energy as if each had a mind of its own. Each wrist bore a rusted, bloodied shackle just like her ankles. The ghost craned her neck and exhaled blue fire and black embers into the air. At twelve feet tall, Danny nearly fell backwards trying to meet her intense gaze as it bore down upon him.

"Shit."

One of the four arms rose, her fingers clenched as if holding an object. Danny felt his body rise into the air in sync with her rising hand. His body compressed, and he realized she was grabbing him with her mind. She squeezed, and Danny felt the bones in his arms and ribs crack under the invisible pressure. The air in his lungs was forced out in a pained warble.

Her palm opened suddenly, and Danny was flung back into the side of a nearby building. His bones had already mended. Brick and mortar crumbled from the impact. Window glass rained down onto the sidewalk. Civilians unfortunate enough to still be nearby scrambled for their lives.

Danny struggled out of the vertical crater his body made, but the telekinetic grip of the titan clutched him once again. He felt himself pulled inexorably towards her and struggled fruitlessly to break free. As he tried to think of something to say, the ghost repelled him once again. This time, his body hurtled upwards and crashed into, and up through, the wall of another building. With no way to stop his momentum, Danny tore through plaster, drywall, and wood and metal beams. Frantic office workers dove out of his way, or were violently knocked aside. He finally burst through the roof, sending debris flying in all directions. The ghost was there to meet him. She floated forward, each of her four hands glowing with blue energy.

No longer caught in her invisible grasp, Danny pumped his fists forward in rapid succession. Concentrated blasts of black ectoplasm sailed towards the ghost, but she deftly deflected each one with minimal effort. Her hands moved swiftly, bringing defensive blue shield constructs in the path of his blasts. Each one dissipated harmlessly, and she continued to advance.

Danny shot back, putting more distance between him and his attacker. With his brow furrowed in concentration, Danny charged his fists with black electricity. Jolts of visible energy surged across his body. Roaring in frustration, he thrust his hands forward and loosed a surge of lightning at the ghost. One of her hands rose to intercept the twin bolts. But when his lightning connected with her shield, a flock of blue doves flew from her hand and off into the sky. Danny watched them in bewilderment.

The ghost took advantage of his distraction. Danny cried out in pain as the curved blade of a blue sword stabbed through his chest. He flew back, narrowly avoiding his foe's attempt to decapitate him with a second blue blade.

He flew in a wide arc, firing off random concussive blasts as he went. Most of these were harmlessly deflected or inexplicably transmuted – flower petals, insects, and more birds sprang into being from his attacks.

Some of his shots connected – the titan was unable to keep pace with his frantic aerial acrobatics. These did little if any visible damage, but they certainly infuriated his foe. One of Danny's attacks caught the ghost in her forehead and her head snapped back from the collision. She bore her teeth, and Danny realized with horror that she had not been fighting at full strength until then.

She advanced on him with a new vigor, bringing her glowing hands to bear. They scratched through the air creating a heat shimmer in their wake. Danny couldn't dodge all four quick enough, and her hands began to find their marks. Her fiery nails sliced deep through his skin, spraying black slime and green blood through the air.

As another hand swooped in to disembowel him, Danny shut his eyes and braced for the impact. He hoped with all his might to be out of her range. When the attack never came, he opened them slowly, and saw he was now behind the ghost.

Is this a new power? He thought both excitedly and desperately. The ghost turned on him and lunged. I hope so! He closed his eyes and concentrated on moving out of her grasp. When he opened them, he was again behind her. It was just the advantage he needed. Twin concussive bolts connected with her back and pushed her through the air, though not as forcefully as Danny had hoped.

He closed his eyes, trying to blink in again. This time he felt a horrible stinging sensation in his brain, as if someone had smacked him across the brain with wasabi. When he opened his eyes, he was floating directly in the path of an oncoming sword as the titan swung at him.

He wasn't able to avoid the attack – the curved blade caught him above the shoulder and sliced deep into his torso, crossing through towards the opposite leg. He cried out as pain exploded through his body; the blow had nearly cleaved him in two.

With a swift flick of her wrist, Danny was sent flying from the blade and tumbled through the sky. His regenerative power worked quickly to both seal the grievous wound and to keep his entrails inside. He crashed onto a rooftop, cracking the concrete beneath him. The ghost pursued, exchanging her four swords for a single, massive pike. She roared and dove at him with the pike coiled behind her flowing black hair.

Danny wasn't sure if he would survive such a blow, but he knew for certain that anyone left inside the building underneath him would not. With his wound healed, he rose to his feet, inhaled, and screamed.

As the force of his scream intensified so too did the pain that rolled over his body. Blood and scraps of tracheal tissue sprayed into the sonic blast, which then shattered his teeth and liquefied his tongue and gums. His lips and much of the surrounding skin was torn away, but the scream continued to intensify. Danny felt his vision cloud and his thoughts grew hazy, but he could still see, and he could still understand what he was doing.

The titan was stopped dead in the air, pressing two hands each firmly, desperately against her ears. Blue blood coated the innermost palms and thick streams of the substance trailed from her eyes and nose. Her skin rippled as if she was caught in a wind tunnel.

With one shaky hand, she reached out and grabbed Danny's head in a telekinetic vice. With quickness and rage, she flicked her wrist sideways, and Danny's neck snapped with it. His ghostly wail fell silent, and he toppled backwards. Danny felt the vertebrae in his neck repair themselves, but much more slowly and painfully than he was used to. The remains of his mouth and throat burned as they began to recover. The titan held him firm in her psychic grip and drew him close.

SUCH TERRIBLE POWER. Her sinister voice boomed inside Danny's mind. SUCH TERRIBLE PAIN. She cradled the shredded remains of his face in two of her hands, the other two supported his body. OPEN YOUR HEART TO ME. WHAT IS IT YOU DESIRE?

Danny resisted the pressure that built up in his head, but the ghost was too strong. Dozens of thoughts, feelings, and memories were pulled into his consciousness, and he knew she could see them all.

SUCH TERRIBLE PAIN, she repeated, turning his head slowly from side to side. SPAWNED FROM THE POWER YOU WISH TO HIDE… FROM THE MOTHER, AND FROM THE FATHER.

No… Danny thought in a desperate attempt to communicate. Get out… get out! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

The fog of the ghost's psyching intrusion faded, and Danny wriggled out of her grasp. His healing power had fully restored his mouth and vocal chords, although his neck and throat were still sore.

I CAN SEE WHAT YOU DESIRE MOST. YOU NEED ONLY WISH IT. AND IF YOU SO WISH IT, SO IT SHALL BE.

"I don't want your wishes," Danny spat defiantly, hovering some distance away from the ghost. She made no move to attack him, and he continued. "You came here looking for Ember, for her guitar? Ember is gone! Her guitar is gone. If you can read my mind, you know I'm telling the truth."

YOUR TRUTH IS NOT MY TRUTH. I HAVE HEARD THE SAPPHIRE'S CALL AND I HAVE COME TO ANSWER.

"There IS NO SAPPH-HNNNGGH!" The psychic coils ensnared Danny once again, and he was pulled in closer to the ghost.

IGNORANT AND STUBBORN, LIKE THE REST OF YOUR KIND.

Danny managed to choke out few words between ragged breaths as her grip tightened. "You should know… whatever you do to me… somehow, you will be stopped!"

WHAT I KNOW IS, IT WILL NOT BE BY YOU.

Danny cried out in pain and terror as his feet began to disintegrate. The effect rushed up his legs and torso, scattering his molecules. His frantic, gasping wails quieted to silence as his entire body was reduced to a fine black dust. The ghost crossed all four arms in front of her, and then cast them out forming the shape of an X.

Danny's ashes scattered to the winds.

---

Sunday had found Sam in Skulker's lair at the abandoned water treatment plant. The two were hard at work crafting a saddle for Andy when Skulker's security system alerted the pair to the arrival of a new spectral foe. Sam thought if robotic shells could turn pale, Skulker's might have when he announced in a hushed voice that the ghost was a Level Four.

An energy surge emitted by the newcomer had blacked out most electronics nearby, but Skulker's systems were shielded against such interference. Sam watched nervously as her best friend traded blows with the godlike being above the city. Skulker had rushed to his armory to gear up in preparation to assist Danny. Sam fidgeted in her seat, centered in front of the wall-mounted monitors as she watched the fight rage on. Danny was not doing well. And just when it seemed like he had gained the upper hand, the unthinkable happened.

"No…"

Sam couldn't move. Her eyes were fixated on the screens, hoping, praying to see Danny fly out from behind a building, or reappear from having turned invisible. Seconds passed. Then a minute.

"No, no, nononononono! NO!" Tears streamed down her face. "SKULKER!"

Skulker rushed back into the main room and skidded to a halt behind his niece. "What?! What happened?"

"Play it back!" she spat out, grabbing his wrist. She furiously wiped her face with her sleeve and pointed at the screens. "Skulker! He-" she sobbed, falling back into the chair. Sam pulled her legs close, daring to look over her knees as Skulker rewound the film. She closed her eyes when Danny's face came back into view – twisted and frozen in pain and fear – before it was atomized.

"I was too late," Skulker said quietly.

Sam felt his metal hand caress her head gently. She pulled at the ghost's arm, and he knelt down to embrace her. She cried into his chest, and Skulker remained still for several minutes.

"You couldn't have known what would happen," Sam managed to say finally. "This is my fault."

"Samantha…"

"I'm the one who pushed him to go meet with that Masters bitch."

"Masters," Skulker whispered.

Sam thought she heard a twang of menace in his voice. "She called him to help her with something." She waved a hand at the screen with one hand, wiping more tears away with the other. The screen showed only an empty sky. "This must have been it."

Skulker pivoted. "Samantha. Please remain here until I return."

"What?" She sniffled. "Why? Where are you going?"

"Daniel's plan was not one of his own design. If Vanessa Masters is responsible… I would speak with her."

"Then I'm coming too," Sam said defiantly. Her crying had waned, but tears still streaked down her cheeks.

"No." Skulker rested a firm, gentle hand on her shoulder. "If we are correct, if she is responsible, I do not want you on her radar." He placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Please. Remain here."

Sam nodded slowly, and stepped back as Skulker primed his repulsor engines for flight. He took off, up and out through a retractable panel in the ceiling which closed behind him. Sam hesitantly returned to the lone chair. She curled up between its high arms, resting against its soft back. The image of the empty sky was still frozen in place on the monitors in front of her, but the sight of Danny turned to dust played over and over in her head. The pain of seeing him decapitated in the previous year burned anew, only this time, Sam didn't see how anyone could possibly save him.

She lowered her head and wept.

---

"Search. Again."

"My master, I have conducted fifteen sear-"

Masters growled. "Search again!"

Technus was silent. Then, "Search complete. Daniel Fenton's ectoplasmic energy signature: not found. Expanding range… please wait… ectoplasmic energy signature: not found. I apologize, my master. If Daniel Fenton was still alive my sensor array would have located him. The other ghost has disappeared as well."

Masters flung herself back into her seat and sighed. "This is… a most unfortunate setback. Some of my most important long-term plans have been altered to implement the boy in some fashion, and now this… thing," Masters gestured at the display in her desk, "comes along and vaporizes him."

Her frustration manifested through her tightly-pursed lips and furrowed brow. She truly did not know how powerful this newcomer was and regretted sending the boy to his death, thought not for sentimental reasons. Daniel had been a resource for Vanessa to exploit, like any other, and now he was gone.

"Perhaps she could replace the child," Technus offered. "With some manipulation-"

"Don't be an idiot," Masters snapped. "There are less painful ways to commit suicide than giving that monster a reason to come after me. No, the loss of Daniel is unfortunate, even tragic, but I will endure." She paused and rapped her manicured nails on her desk. "I'm very interested in learning more about this sapphire the ghost was so adamant abo-"

A raucous collision sent Masters, and the shattered remains of her office window, tumbling over her desk and across the floor. With a heavy crunch, a pair of armored boots reduced her desk to sparks and splinters. Masters looked up in time to see a gloved metal gauntlet reach down and grip her tightly by the throat. "Ah, Skulker," she choked out as the ghost lifted her up off the floor. "What a delightful surprise."

With his free arm, Skulker pointed at the nearby wall and projected an image of a device from his wrist. It was the same device Daniel had used to draw out his destroyer. "The Chameleon Emitter," he growled. "Designed to mimic the signatures of any ectosapien in its databank. Did you think I would not notice your hand in this, or do you consider me so beneath your contempt that you simply did not care?"

"Neither, my old friend." Masters squirmed in Skulker's unbreakable grip. "Please, set me down – ah! – and let's discuss this like civilized beings." Several seconds passed, and Skulker finally set the woman back on her feet. He released her, and dropped his bulky arm to his side. "Much appreciated."

"I should have expected you to make a play against Daniel after you sent that first monster after Samantha." Skulker said coolly. "You have made your intentions painfully obvious."

"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you I had nothing to do with that?" Masters offered. It was, as far as she knew, the truth. She also knew Skulker would laugh at the suggestion, were he the type. She huffed at his stoic silence. "What do you want me to tell you, then?"

"The truth."

She guffawed. "The truth? Fine. My early warning systems detected a ghost on the outskirts of town. I thought, if I could help Daniel draw the ghost out, he could easily defeat it. But that," she pointed out the window, "who on Earth could have seen that coming? You can't honestly think I sent that boy to die on purpose."

"I honestly can," Skulker paced forward, but Masters held her ground. "Your perverse interest in the boy was driven by your lust for power and insatiable greed."

"How dare you… how dare you?!" Now Masters stalked toward Skulker, stopping just short of making contact with his armored shell. Her voice rose to a shout. "I spent years lying in a coma, poisoned and rotting away thanks to the same power that turned Daniel into a hero. I wanted to understand him, so that he and I could share what we learned with the world and keep humanity safe from future threats." Masters turned away. "I don't expect you to understand, the brute that you are." She sighed and sunk dramatically to her knees on the floor. "You're right. Daniel is dead and I am responsible, intentions be damned. If you've come as my executioner… I won't stop you."

Skulker's face was contorted in disgust, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned and left through the hole he had unceremoniously created in Masters' office.

"Brilliant," Technus said approvingly once the sound of Skulker's repulsors had faded into the distance. "I almost believed you myself."

"I'm sure you did." Masters rose to her feet and brushed splinters and debris from her person.

"Surely a simple threat would have worked just as effectively?" the AI construct asked. "A different lie, no less convincing, perhaps about contingency plans to wipe out the children in the event of your demise…?"

"Skulker's days are numbered and he knows this. That obsessive fool Bullet will soon have his vengeance, or whatever it is he craves. In the meantime, it is best not to draw Skulker's ire. Even if he doesn't believe me, I may be able to delay him long enough for Bullet to take him out of the picture for good."

"A wise strategy," Technus said reverently.

"Yes. Best to keep my motives in the realm of speculation. Especially…" Masters paused to look out the hole in her office at the sky. Clouds were forming overhead. "Especially if things are not as they seem."

---

The Fenton Family Assault RV didn't have connections to any of the covertly-placed video monitoring devices located throughout the city. They were forced to rely on their energy detection grid which was connected to a GPS navigation system. Their race to the heart of downtown was impeded by stalled traffic. Side roads and emergency access to oncoming lanes allowed them to drive even further into the heart of the city, but even that could only get them so close. They traveled the last two city blocks on foot, laser-powered anti-ghost weapons slung over their backs.

On the scene, the dueling specters had already vanished. Local police waved them under an area cordoned off by yellow caution tape. Something about the scene made Jack feel worried – more so than he usually felt entering a combat zone.

"We've gotta do somethin' about the roads in this fuckin' city." Larry Braverman, the Chief of the Amity Park Police Department had to shout to be heard over the clamoring crowd. A bulge of chewing tobacco formed a visible bump under the man's lower-right gum line. "You two hit the traffic comin' in?"

"It was a nightmare, Larry," Jack confirmed, shaking the chief's hand firmly. "We got here as fast as we could. What's the situation? We couldn't pick up any local radio stations in the RV."

"Must'a been the energy surge given off by the bigger one. Fried a bunch'a electronics nearby and it's been shittin' up our radios all day."

"The bigger one?" Maddie asked.

"Witnesses nearby say that Ghost Kid came flyin' outta the sky holdin' some kinda machine, asks this sweet old lady to come with 'im. She says no and, wouldn't ya know it, she's, uh, whatchacallits, overshadowed. Like the Mayor's kid last year." Jack noticed the chief's voice turned sour at mention of Mayor Foley. "They say this big honkin' ghost, tall as a tree and dressed like a belly dancer, starts dukin' it out with the little punk."

He pointed to a nearby building, and Jack saw a small crater among the brick façade several stories up. Glass from the windows near the crater littered the sidewalk below. "Worst of it's up there," Larry directed Jack and Maddie's attention to a different building, further up. Jack could just make out a hole in its side. "That one goes all the way up," Larry informed them. "There's a third building a few blocks over with some damage to the roof. I gotta say, as far as these fights go, this one wasn't so bad. No fatalities, no slime, none of the usual shit."

"Where are the ghosts now?" Maddie asked.

"Strangest thing, they both just up and vanished!" Larry sounded happy about that development. "We questioned some witnesses closer to the third building. Sounds like the ghost kid turned invisible and turned tail. Can't say I blame 'im – sounds like the bigger one really put 'im through the ringer."

"You mentioned an old woman the bigger ghost was overshadowing?" Jack asked.

"Oh, sure. You two'll love this." Larry led them over to a smoldering ring burned into the middle of the street within the roped-off area. "The old lady collapsed when the big one left 'er body, fell right inside this ring. Witnesses say the ring was on fire, and that the fire was blue." Sure enough, Jack could see neon blue embers still gleaming through the ash. "When the fighting was over, the woman was gone."

Jack and Maddie locked eyes, both of them thinking the same thing. The private, family matter they kept to themselves. They could ask Danny about his encounter when they returned home. In the interim, there was a more pressing issue to deal with.

Jack said, "Then we have to make finding the woman our highest priority."

Larry grinned. "Already on it, Jack. We're interviewing more witnesses and gettin' a profile sketched up. We'll have 'er face plastered on every news station in the tri-county area by tonight."

"And please, Chief Braverman, if you find her, tell your men to exercise extreme caution," Maddie warned. "If the ghost has retaken control of the woman's body-"

"Aw, not to worry, ma'am," Larry said deferentially. "My boys and girls know when to fight and when to duck. Gotta say, though, I gotta bad feeling about this whole situation."

"Worse than the usual bad feeling when a ghost comes to town?" Jack joked dryly.

Larry shook his head. "It's just… that Ghost Kid. He might be another goddamn spook, but at least he's pointin' 'is lasers in the right direction, y'know?" he paused to spit a glob of tobacco-colored saliva on the ground. "But this new one, the big one, sounds like she hit 'im hard. I just hope she doesn't give you two as much trouble."

Chief Braverman left the two alone. Unease crept up Jack's spine. "I can't reach Danny," Maddie said. Her voice was noticeably worried. "You don't think he's hurt?" She tried to dial her son again.

"That's never stopped him before, he always bounces back," Jack offered. He wanted to reassure his wife, but he was uneasy himself. "I'm sure he's fine, and he'll give us a call when he can."

"You heard how Braverman talked about the fight."

"Maybe he went to regroup with Sk- uh," Jack looked around, "uh, Stevie." Maddie cocked an eyebrow – Really? Jack shrugged in reply. "Look, I'm worried too, but until we hear otherwise, we have a job to do," he jerked a thumb over his broad shoulder at the incident scene. "Danny will call us when he can," he repeated.

Maddie nodded and the two got to work analyzing the scene. All the while, Jack couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

---

What… What is this? Where am I?

The words came slowly, but Danny didn't remember saying them aloud. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't feel them. His body was likewise nonresponsive.

"Well met, young man." The new voice was strong, bold, and echoed loudly all around him.

Who are you?

"Introductions? Very well. I am Clockwork, Master of Time."

Oh… hello. I'm Danny Fenton. I'm... not a master of anything, sorry.

"I know of you, child. I stood beside you on the day of your second birth."

Where is- what happened to my body? Am I dead?

"For one such as you, life and death cannot be so easily defined."

I was fighting, I think? Yes, the other ghost… so strong. I couldn't stop her.

"She is a force to be reckoned with. You fought valiantly, child."

Thank you. I'm very tired, I think… I'd like to rest now.

"You have certainly earned the privilege. It is within my power to release you into the Void, to grant you the rest you seek."

Will they be safe? My family and friends, will they-

"No. The specter hunts for that which is now beyond even her considerable reach. Her hunger will intensify, and all in her path will be consumed."

Then… then I have to go back. Can I go back?

"I hold no power over you, child. Yours are the hands of fate; with them you shape your own destiny."

Ah, Shakespeare said that, didn't he?

"No."

Oh.

"I can help you return to your world, if that is what you seek."

I do, but… I couldn't beat her. I'm not strong enough. What if I fail again? Everyone I know… everyone I love…

"Take heart, Ghost Child. Where strength alone would win you the day, another approach may yet seal your victory."

I don't understand.

"You will. It's only a matter of time."

---

The following day, Tucker presented a pass to the school office allowing him to leave early for his interview. Keane was right – the inside man had worked swiftly to set things in motion. Tucker was picked up by a black sedan lin the school's parking lot. His driver navigated to their destination without incident, following the winding roads to the secluded Axion Labs destination. Once inside, he received a visitor's badge and was left to wait in a sterile white lobby. He was nervous, for many justifiable reasons, but chief among them was Danny. The SSDF had lost sight of him during his battle, and Danny wasn't answering his phone. His friend had incredible powers, and seemed to be able to heal from any injury. But the lack of communication made him uneasy.

"John Stewart?" A man with striking white hair poked his head around the corner and beckoned Tucker into an office down the hall. His alias had been chosen in honor of his favorite Green Lantern. The man who called him was in his 30s, wearing white pants and a matching tie over a black button-up shirt. As Tucker passed other similarly-outfitted employees, he sensed the man was following some kind of garish dress code. Tucker followed him into his office and took a seat opposite the man's desk. "Thank you for meeting with me this morning, my name is Gregor Fabiani," he spoke again. "We were very excited to receive your resume over the weekend, I hope this interview doesn't come on too short notice?"

"Oh, not at all. My schedule is very flexible this semester, so it was no problem." The response was one of many he had spent hours reviewing at the blacksite. He hoped his voice didn't betray his nervousness.

"Excellent! Let's get started then."

The interview progressed in a fairly standard fashion, and Tucker's preparation allowed him to give satisfactory answers to the interviewer. Fifteen minutes of questions flew by, and Tucker found himself enjoying the time. Even if he had ulterior motives, Tucker felt like he was benefitting from the experience.

Finally, Gregor set his interview questions and notes down on his desk and stretched. "One last question, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all," Tucker replied cordially.

"Where is the data miner?"

The question didn't register at first. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Where is the data miner?" Gregor repeated, bringing a pistol into view on the desk. "The one the SSDF gave you?"

"Wha-what's going on?"

"Answer the question, please, Mr. Foley."

Tucker's eyes widened. "How do you know-?"

Gregor laughed. "I know all about you, Tucker. The SSDF isn't nearly as good at keeping secrets as it thinks it is. Now, I'll ask you one last time. Where is the data miner?"

"Wh... what do you-"

Gregor slammed the butt of the gun down on the desk. "Stop stalling!" he shouted. "You're going to give it to me, and we're going down to the server room. Together." He gestured in various directions with his gun. "Or I am going to kill you. Do you understand?"

With weak knees and a mind clouded by fear, Tucker hurriedly retrieved the data miner from his pocket and handed it over to Gregor. He kept his gun in his pocket and threatened to shoot Tucker if he tried to run. Tucker walked in front of the man, following his directions to the elevator.

The elevator took them down one floor and deposited the two in another hallway. Except for the lack of windows, it was identical to the one above it. Gregor unlocked the door to their destination with a bloody pass card. Inside, rows upon rows of servers lined the walls. A dim red light was all that illuminated the room, and a sudden chill raised goose bumps on his arms. Slumped against a table was a man in his forties, weakly holding a hand to his stomach. His white shirt was soaked with blood. The SSDF operative was dead.

"Alright," Gregor said as the door closed behind them. A twisted smile spread across his face. "Let's get to work."

---

A private construction firm was busily repairing Masters' office the day after Skulker's unannounced visitation. Technus watched them work tirelessly to complete their task. Masters preferred this particular group because they never asked questions, no matter how bizarre the project. That came in handy in cases such as this, when a window on the fortieth floor of an office building had been smashed inward.

Technus' attention was suddenly drawn in two directions at once, and he effortlessly prioritized his focus accordingly. The ectosapien which had torn the Fenton boy apart molecule-by-molecule had returned in her natural form. The tall, slender biped was setting buildings and cars ablaze in a new location; the concert hall where Daniel defeated Ember. Whatever she was looking for, the ghost seemed determined to burn civilization to the ground in order to find it.

The other problem was right under Technus' nose, figuratively speaking. He focused the security cameras under his control in the off-limits server room and took several milliseconds to process his confusion. Gregor Fabiani, the director of Axion Labs' Human Resources department, was holding Tucker Foley at gunpoint in the basement beneath the building.

He quickly relayed this information to Masters via text display on her tablet computer. Her expression twisted, and she ordered the burly men out of her office. "Release our guard dog, have it target Mr. Fabiani."

"Tucker Foley might not survive the encounter."

"Something tells me our nosy friends at the SSDF are behind this. If they want to play with fire, let them burn. We have plausible deniability; Tucker's death will be on their hands, not mine."

"At once. There's also the matter of the Level Four ectosapien."

"Level Four," Masters repeated. She looked out the window, seeing a column of smoke rising in the distance. "Call for my chopper. I'd rather not be in this city when that monstrosity expands her search."

"I'm… oh, this is strange." Technus paused to recheck his information. "A helicopter is already inbound to this location."

"What?"

"I'm attempting to hail… it's no good, I can't raise the pilot."

Masters strode to into her closet, away from Technus' eye. She returned with a small pistol clutched firmly in her petite hand. "I've had enough surprises for today. If that beast so much as sneezes in this direction, evacuate the building."

"It will be done. What are you planning to do with that?" he asked, ensuring the components of his neural network in the Axion computer systems were backed up elsewhere.

She hurried to the door and concealed the firearm in the pocket of her suit jacket. "I'm going to introduce myself to Mr. Fabiani."

---

Gregor kept his gun leveled at Tucker as he waited for the data miner to complete its task. Tucker sat quietly on the floor, not daring to move.

"Gotta admit," the man said with a smug grin. "I had doubts this was gonna go so smoothly." Tucker said nothing, and the man continued. "And to think the Guys in White had no idea about me. Not even a suspicion!" He laughed. "You're in this predicament because someone didn't do their homework."

That made Tucker squirm. This guy got the drop on an SSDF agent. How did that slip by their intelligence? "So, who are you really?"

The man laughed. "I guess you deserve that much. You're an unwitting victim of the SSDF's incompetence, after all. My name is Elliot Alkaev, and I've been paid a disgustingly large amount of money to retrieve the data this little gizmo is ripping from the server bank," Elliot tilted the gun towards the data miner. "They've got big plans for this back home. There's enough data on here to-" An explosion shook the floor, and dust fell along with a few tiles from the ceiling. Elliot and Tucker lost their footing and tumbled to the cold concrete floor. "What was that?!" Elliot snapped.

Another explosion rocked the building. Debris rained down from the ceiling, obscuring and disorienting Elliot. Tucker seized the opportunity and bolted for the door. He slammed it open and sprinted down the hall. The sound of Elliot's coughing was drowned out by several loud cracks as his gun fired around the room. Tucker ducked into another office. He locked the door behind him and hid behind a desk. Elliot must not have heard him, because the man's white-haired head sped past the window as he made for the stairs.

Tucker breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, until he remembered that Elliot had the data miner. Tucker followed Elliot to the stairs, trying to ignore the fear screaming at him to run the other way. He has a gun! His voice of reason cried out. You're just a kid, let the authorities handle this! He'll kill you! The heavy metal doors to the stairwell flew open and Tucker bounded up the steps two at a time. If that data gets into the wrong hands… I have to do something. I have to try!

The receptionist yelped as Tucker sprinted past her, out the front doors and into the parking lot. He was gasping for breath, and hunched over with his hands on his knees to recover. Tucker scanned the parking lot, but there was no sign of Elliot. Am I too late?

The sound of a helicopter drew his eyes upwards and Tucker's eyes widened. The chopper! He's gonna escape by chopper! As Tucker started back into the building, another sound caught his attention. A mound of paved ground of the parking lot rose and fell like a wave, crunching and cracking from the exertion. A second push split the mound in two, and Tucker froze in place as a narrow, reptilian snout pushed up through the pavement. Bumpy white skin covered the beast's head and framed the sockets of two glowing red eyes. Jagged teeth jutted out around its mouth. As it pushed forward, Tucker saw glowing red tiger stripes covered its limbless body. A thin dorsal fin covered the length of its snake-like back, and red surges of electricity traveled along the membrane. As long as a school bus, the eel floated effortlessly up through the air as if it were swimming.

Tucker followed its gaze. The ghost was heading directly for the helicopter.

---

Masters waited patiently on the roof, out of sight of the helicopter now hovering over the landing pad. Elliot kicked open the access door and stumbled outside. In one hand he held his handgun. His other hand was balled into a fist. She wondered if Tucker was still alive somewhere on the grounds. That would have to wait. As Elliot headed for the chopper, she raised her own pistol and fired.

Elliot stumbled forward from the force of the impact. Two more shots rang out, and he tumbled over, hitting his head on the steps leading up to the helipad. He lie crumpled in a daze on the steps and slowly rolled on his back. Blood soaked into his black shirt and began spreading down into his pants.

"I make it a point to learn the names of all my employees, Mr. Fabiani." Masters stood looming over him. "Everyone who works for me is thoroughly investigated, and so I can say confidently that I have a good idea of who sits on my payroll. So I can't help but wonder, how did you slip beneath my notice? You don't strike me as having the brains to do it yourself." She knelt down and whispered in his ear. "I will find out who you really are, Mr. Fabiani. Once I do, I'll find everyone you consider family. I'll find every man you've called friend, every woman you've taken to bed. They will all die screaming, cursing your name for ever having crossed their paths."

Elliot's eyes went wide. "I can… tell you who-"

"I want more than names, and that's more than you can offer, isn't it?" Tears welled in Elliot's eyes. Masters stood erect. She leveled her gun at his head, "I thought so." Another crack of her pistol sounded off, and he was dead.

A brilliant flash of red lightning surged from somewhere below the roofline and slammed into the cockpit of the waiting helicopter. Masters watched as it lurched back and smoke began to billow from its rotor. A second surge slammed into its tail, snapping it off from the body of the vehicle. The ghost eel, her guard dog, crested the top of Axion Labs. Its mouth opened wide and a third lance of red lightning knocked the chopper out of the sky. It crashed into the trees several hundred feet away.

The eel should have returned to its containment, per the mind control chip implanted at the base of its skull, but the beast roared a challenge in another direction. Masters spun around, and felt her heartrate spike. The four armed destroyer was fast advancing on Axion Labs.

She must have been drawn by this lumbering brute's energy signature, Masters thought spitefully. She dashed for the access door and ducked inside just as the massive eel shot forward to attack. A cacophonous symphony of screams, snarls, and energy blasts pierced her eardrums. As deadly as the eel might have been, it was nothing compared to its opponent. Masters hurried down the stairs, and could only hope the beast would buy her enough time to escape.

---

Ten thousand feet above the city, the ominous grey clouds rolled into and over one another. Thunder like cannon fire roared down at the Earth below, and flashes of lightning danced among the tufts of vapor. Electricity crackled around the condensing mass, drawing the attention of the dueling ghosts below.

With the crack of a thunderous whip, a streak of lightning raced down from on high. Lookers-on were forced to shield their eyes when the bolt made landfall, reducing pavement and soil to charred glass in a ball of brilliant black fire. From the smoking crater Danny Fenton sped into battle, bathed in luminous black energy.

The multi-armed titan stood, mouth agape, struggling to comprehend the return of her once vanquished foe. Danny didn't give her time to think. His fist connected with her abdomen and she was knocked back into the pristine façade of the Axion Labs building. Glass shattered, and the entire building swayed from the impact. The eel snarled and flung itself at Danny, but he caught its jaws in his waiting hands. He blinked overtop the beast's head and slammed a fist into its skull. The impact destroyed the unseen impulse control device, and the eel fell listlessly to the ground.

The god, no longer distracted by Danny's return, moved in to engage him. She grasped him tightly in her psychic vice and pulled him close, but Danny summoned lightning from the clouds themselves. Bolts of energy rained down upon the ghost and her grip loosened.

Danny tore free and blinked in close. He landed a solid punch to the side of his enemy's head, and followed with an uppercut to her chin. A spinning kick was caught by one of her waiting hands, and he was slammed viciously to the ground.

I REDUCED YOU TO ATOMS, she screamed in his mind, I WONDER, HOW MANY MORE TIMES CAN YOU SURVIVE THE EXPERIENCE?

Her psychic grip lifted him into the air, and again she turned his body to dust. Instead of dispersing, his granular remains swirled in a small vortex before retaking shape. Danny solidified and grimaced.

AS MANY TIMES AS IT TAKES, his own psychic voice roared back.

The two traded blow for blow, this time on seemingly equal footing. The god was unable to deflect all his blasts. Danny darted erratically through the sky, making his attacks harder for her to repel. Growing angry, the blue ghost formed a shining blue bow in a hand on her right side. The other right arm nocked an arrow in the string and let it fly. The arrow speared Danny neatly in his shoulder and pinned him to a tree.

EVEN WITH ALL THE POWER YOU POSSESS, YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME ALONE.

"Yeah," Danny said, wrenching the arrow from his body. "You might be right."

He smirked when the ghost eel entered his field of vision. It rose up behind the god and struck like a cobra, digging its jagged teeth into her right shoulder. The energy bow disappeared, and she struggled to dislodge the beast.

Danny sped in and collided bodily with her knee from the side. It bent inward, and she cried out. She tore the eel from her body and threw it at him. The eel regained its bearings and swam in a wide arc through the air. Red lightning surged up and down its fin, and a lance of the same energy snapped from its opened jaw.

Twin bolts of black lightning struck her from behind, and the eel's beam quickly burned a hole through her torso. Her face twisted in rage and agony. As the eel closed in, the ghost raised her four arms high, creating blue daggers in each hand. Danny threw himself in above the creature, catching two of the blades in his stomach. His hands formed black shields, repelling the other two daggers.

With its path clear, the eel's maw clamped firmly around its enemy's waist. The rusted metal binding grated against the eel's teeth, but it refused to let go. With two hands, the ghost fought to push the eel away, and held Danny in her psychic grip with the other two.

Unable to fly and with his arms pinned to his sides, Danny opened his eyes wide and let loose twin optic blasts. The concussive beams clobbered the ghost right in the center of her face. She stumbled back, and Danny floated higher into the sky.

With a ghostly wail, Danny called down a colossal bolt of black lightning from the thundering clouds above. He then unleashed the same power through his hands at the wagging tail of the eel, which was hungrily chomping at the metal binding around the titan's waist. The eel would only feel a tickle as Danny's attack surged through it and into his intended target. An explosion, bright as a detonating nuclear device, erupted from the god. Her vision blurred and her mind began to fade. She screamed in agony, losing control over her powers. Blue fire engulfed her twitching hands and erupted from her mouth. Then all was quiet. She fell backwards, shaking the earth as she impacted the ground.

She lazily turned her head to where Danny was floating, the eel coiled and snarling at his side.

Finish it. Her telepathic voice was barely a whisper in Danny's head.

Danny lifted a device from his hip and pointed it at her. A beam of silver light washed over the titan and pulled her inside. Her world faded away, and then she was gone.

Onlookers had gathered outside the damaged building to watch the ferocious battle. Danny's parents stood by Tucker, Chief Braverman, and other police and Axion employees. In the hills, hidden among the trees, Sam and Skulker watched in stunned silence. Danny chose to remain apart from them all. He ascended into the clouds, the giant eel following close behind him.

And as quickly as he had returned, he was gone again.

---

Danny had flown north for hours until exhaustion caught up with him, and gentle waves lapped at the shore of a chilly beach in the state of Washington where he eventually stopped to rest. It was a narrow strip of sand separating the ocean from a dense forest of pine trees behind him. The sun was sinking below the horizon, painting the blue water and stray clouds with warm shades of orange and pink. It momentarily distracted him from his worry.

Sprawled on the beach behind him was the unconscious form of the god. An empty Fenton Thermos lie discarded at his feet. And further inland, propped up against a tree, was the elderly woman from whom the titan had first emerged.

Danny didn't remember anything from his disembodied state, only that a sense of urgency spurred his body to reform itself among the clouds. He couldn't wait to try and explain that. And while he could have easily stored the thermos in cryogenic containment, something in the back of his mind told him to take a different approach.

The ghost stirred, and Danny took an involuntary step back. Slowly, she regained consciousness and sat upright. Her feet curled inward in the lotus position. She leaned back, supported by two arms. The other two crossed over her breasts.

WHY DO I STILL LIVE? WHY DID YOU NOT KILL ME?

Danny winced as the voice echoed in his skull. "That's… complicated," he replied.

INDULGE ME.

"You," Danny sighed. "I don't want to be that kind of person. You're looking for something, you didn't come to my city to try and hurt people."

AND SO YOU OFFER ME A CHANCE AT REDEMPTION?

"I, uh… yeah, I guess so."

The ghost looked quietly out over the ocean. DID I HURT ANYONE?

He was taken aback by the question. "Wha- uh, no, not really. Nobody died, at least."

I DID… I did not want to hurt anyone. Her voice fell, no longer booming in Danny's skull. I grew desperate, to be so close to my goal and see it denied to me…

"What was your goal?" Danny asked. "Who are you?"

The ghost gestured to the sand, and Danny sat with her. I am Desiree. Before the dawn of the First Age, my husband and I ruled over a vast kingdom. We were… unkind to our subjects, and they rose against us. We were bound and shackled, and our only daughter was forced to watch as my husband was butchered. I was soon to follow.

She paused, closing her eyes and inhaling the salty sea air. I pleaded with the leader of the uprising to spare my daughter, to give her a life among free men and women. It was the deepest desire of my heart. He granted my request before he snuffed out my life. In the thousand centuries hence, I have come to appreciate the righteousness of our demise.

She paused again, and Danny waited quietly for her to resume. Several minutes passed, the silence broken only by the sounds of waves and sea birds. Then she continued.

I could not understand why I was cast into the afterlife. I thought I had made peace with my fate. Over the ages I grew more powerful. I could see into the hearts of my kind, and into those of humans. I thought… if the satisfaction of my own heart's desire would not release me, then perhaps satisfying the desires of others would set me free. I have granted countless wishes to man and beast, and yet I only grow more powerful. I thought I would be cursed forever, until I learned of the sapphire.

"A sapphire?" Danny repeated. "How can a little gemstone help you… uh, move on?"

The stories of its origins stretch back eons before even my life began, and are as numerous as the grains of sand upon this beach. With her psychic power, she drew a column of sand into the air, floated it over her legs, and set it back down. I do not concern myself with such trifles, but one aspect of the sapphire remains constant through each retelling of its tale – it is a gem of pure fantasy. Whosoever wields it can fulfill their deepest desires.

"But you said you'd, uh, grant my heart's desire," Danny's cheeks reddened. It felt like an odd thing to say. "Can't you, like, wish for your own release?"

I have tried.

"Oh. Well, if you're trying to, you know, die… again… why not just… end it yourself? Or let something else kill you?"

I have tried that as well.

That revelation saddened him. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, looking away from her stony expression. "I can't imagine what that must be like."

Your sympathy is appreciated, but unnecessary. For, you see, my struggle has not been in vain. At the advent of your Ghost Wars, I finally sensed it. Desiree hung her head back, and a smile spread across her lips. It was as glorious as I imagined, and I followed it to Earth amidst the chaos.

"And that's why you were hunting Ember, because you knew she had it."

Yes. I had no illusions she would part with it willingly, although I suspect she never fully understood what she had.

"And if you got your, er, hands on this sapphire, all you'd want with it is to help you… end?"

It is my heart's deepest desire.

Danny nodded slowly. "Ember's guitar was destroyed, and she was captured. I never heard anything about a sapphire or any kind of gemstone."

I know it was in your city, its essence was strongest there, but alas… it seems to have evaded me again.

"It seems like a lot of people paid the price in your search."

My power compels me. When I find someone with desire burning deep in their hearts, I must make it reality. Not all the hearts of men and women are pure. A dark heart creates a dark reality, this I cannot control. Desiree paused. It seems this places you in an unfortunate predicament. If you take pity upon me and allow me to wander free, my power will continue end the lives of humans – ones you deem 'innocent'. Your other option is to seal me away in your prison. She pointed at the thermos. Inside, I will be denied my prize. And you… will be denied your heart's desire.

"My heart's desire," Danny said softly. He shifted nervously in the sand. "You could really do that? Make my parents forget what I am?"

Your heart is pure. No ill fate will befall you or them. Do me this last kindness; I will grant your wish, and I will leave your territory in peace. Should you choose to keep me prisoner… I will not resist.

A long, low whistle sang from Danny's pursed lips. A different approach…

I can feel your conflict, little phantom. Many impossible choices lie in your future. You must make decisions, no matter the outcome. And now, you must decide what you will do with me.

---

"She did what?!" Maddie shrieked.

Jack's jaw hung open and he stammered, "Danny, that's – I don't even, I mean, to come back from something like that? How'd you do it?"

His son had returned later in the day and after fifteen minutes of awkward hugs, forehead kisses from parents, and relieved reassurances, Danny had recounted the events of his first battle with the ghost known as Desiree. Without any video footage of their own, Jack and his wife had been left in the dark. At his insistence, Danny had called over Sam and Skulker. He had wanted to set the story straight with everyone at once, and all five individuals were gathered back in the Fenton's laboratory.

"I don't really remember how, I just sorta… came back? It might be part of my healing power."

"Whatever you did- Danny, that ghost was a Level Four." Maddie had made this point several times during the conversation. "And you beat her."

"I don't know if this level stuff makes sense anymore," Danny replied. "That ghost eel wasn't nearly as powerful, but it still tore Desiree up pretty bad. Maybe the different levels aren't as clear as you guys thought, back in the day."

"It certainly seems that way," Skulker agreed.

Jack asked, "What happened to the eel, anyway?"

"He took off for the ocean," Danny answered, and then added, "Uh, don't go swimming this summer. At all."

Jack and Maddie smiled at each other. "Danny," Maddie started, "We're never going to stop worrying about you. If today proves anything, it proves we're right to worry. That ghost you fought, she was… godlike."

"Maddie," Jack tried to intervene, but his wife held up a hand.

"But if you can fight them, and win those fights… it's not right for us to keep saddling you with it, and I'm sorry if you've felt that way."

Danny blushed. "It's okay, you guys are supposed to worry. I can handle it."

"Your mother's trying to say you don't have to." Jack added. "Whatever hang-ups you have about us being involved, and if we haven't been there for you as much as we should have… we're with you to now, and we'll be there 'till the end of the line, kiddo."

"A touching sentiment," Skulker spoke, "Perhaps the children would prefer to convene upstairs? I have some suggestions for upgrading your detection system which I am sure would bore them."

With Danny and his friends out of the lab, Jack watched as Skulker turned his attention to the Dream Catcher. "This machine…" he said quietly. "It is a siphon. You constructed it to remove Daniel's powers?"

"How did… I hardly see how that's any of your business," Maddie snapped, also keeping her voice low.

"I do not mean to criticize." Skulker walked up to the machine and ran his hands along its surface. "It is an impressive feat of engineering. How did Daniel take to it?"

"We, ah," Jack rubbed the back of his neck, "we told him it was a filter." Maddie shot him a warning look, but he continued. "To keep things from getting out."

"And I suspect you were wise to do so." Skulker turned to face them. "By all rights, Daniel should have died yesterday. No force on Earth or in the Void has ever displayed the power to reassemble itself in the same way he has."

"But you've seen everything else?" Maddie asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Skulker replied without hesitation. "I have seen a great deal. He was not unique among ectosapiens until recently. Regenerative powers, even atmokinesis – the ability to manipulate weather – are well documented, if rare phenomena. However, the rate at which his powers and abilities are expanding suggest… troubling implications."

"What kind of implications?" Jack asked.

"I would rather not burden you with my theories until I have more data. You will be the first to know when I do. Until then," Skulker stepped back and regarded the Dream Catcher almost reverentially. "Pray we are not forced to use this."

Jack and Maddie looked at each other, not sure what to make of Skulker's cryptic warning. Built into the adjoining wall, the cryogenic stasis containment chamber hummed quietly. Three Fenton Thermoses sat secured in their ports, with [FULL] indicators glowing in bright green letters. The indicator on the fourth thermos, quickly added to the collection by Danny, read [EMPTY].

---

Monday night saw Danny and Sam sitting in Danny's kitchen, but they weren't alone. While Skulker talked shop with his parents in the laboratory, Tucker had joined him and Sam. Tucker had called Danny again after witnessing his heated battle with Desiree at Axion Labs. Danny had resolved to clear the air with Tucker once and for all, in the hopes that Tucker was ready to come back to the fold.

Tucker and Danny stood near the kitchen table, Sam leaned her body against the entry way to the living room. Tucker listened as Danny regaled him with some misadventures, and the two boys laughed and teased one another as if they hadn't spent so much as a day apart. His focus intensified when Danny shared the parts of his story he had left out for his parents; about his involvement with Vanessa Masters.

"That's insane, dude," Tucker said quietly, his eyes darting to the door to the lab. "You don't think she knew?"

"I doubt it," Danny replied in a similar hushed tone. "I mean, she sounded so excited to help out, you know? It was like she'd been planning for it since we first met. I can't blame her for not knowing something as powerful as Desiree was hiding in the body of a little old woman."

"Well, after the weekend I had, I don't know if that would really surprise me." Tucker shared his experience with the SSDF for Sam's benefit before moving onto his encounter with the double agent, Elliot Alkaev.

"You're joking," Sam said with a dry laugh. "So, what, now you're Special Agent Tucker Foley?"

"Skulker can back me up; he managed to get this back for me," Tucker held up the data miner. "It was lying on the roof – must've fallen out of his pocket or something when he got on the helicopter. Skulker didn't look around for his body, the cops are probably still swarming over the crash."

"What about their base? Were you able to find anything out? What they know about me?" Danny pressed.

"No, sorry man. I was under constant supervision. I never got a chance, and then Desiree attacked." He looked crestfallen. "I don't know if I'll get the chance to keep looking."

Danny clapped him on the shoulder. "You did fine. And you said it yourself on the phone, I'm not sure what any of us were thinking would happen inside a top secret government facility. If there was anything sitting out in the open, you would have found it."

"I guess." Tucker shrugged. "And if this is how it's gonna be, I might as well get back on board. We can deal with all the ghost craziness together." Tucker paused. "I mean, I get if you guys aren't, you know, if you don't-"

Danny cut him off and pulled him into a bear hug rivaling even the strength of one from his father. "It's good to have you back, Tuck." He felt a lump form in his throat, and tears clouded his vision. "I, uh," he pulled back, his hands grasping Tucker's shoulders, but his friend's expression wasn't cheerful. "What is it?"

"There's something else." Tucker waved the data miner between them. "Elliot, or Gregor, or whoever the hell he was, said someone in the SSDF hadn't done a proper background check on him. It let him slip under their notice and manipulate the whole organization. Does that sound like the paranoid government agency we all know and love?"

"No," Sam said, entering the conversation. Whatever ill will she still held toward Tucker was left forgotten in the moment. "No, it doesn't. You think someone did this on purpose?"

Tucker nodded. "If there's a mole in the SSDF…"

"They could leak my secret," Danny said quietly. "Or use it to get to you guys, or my family."

"What are you gonna do with the thumb drive thing?" Sam asked.

"I'll give it to Keane, she was Acting Director while Steele was gone. I figure, if he trusts her, I can too."

Danny and Sam nodded. "Tuck, be careful," Danny cautioned. "Get rid of that thing as soon as you can."

"I was gonna do it now, actually. And thanks, I'll be alright." Tucker left through the kitchen's back door, leaving Danny and Sam alone.

"So…" Danny looked at her, unsure what to say. "I hope I, uh, didn't scare you and Skulker too bad back there."

"It wasn't fun watching you get obliterated," she replied coldly. "That's twice now I had to watch you die. Maybe, you know, try and stop doing that." Danny shrugged. "And it would've been nice if you stopped by and let me know you were fine before flying off dramatically," Sam added.

He smiled sheepishly. "But I like flying off dramatically."

"Yeah, I noticed. And one other thing," she moved in close, almost brushing her nose against his. Danny's heart pounded furiously in his chest. "The next time we're alone in my basement, and you look at me with those eyes, and you don't kiss me?" her voice fell to a whisper, "I'll tear you apart molecule by molecule myself."

"Wha-mmmm!" Sam leaned in and pressed her lips firmly against his. She grabbed the sides of his head and pulled him closer, and Danny's foot popped into the air. His hands found Sam's waist, where he balanced precariously. After several seconds, she pulled away and slipped out of his arms. Danny's foot returned to the floor and he remained frozen in place, wearing a wide-eyed face of shock.

"So, Phantom," she whispered in his ear. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

---

It would have taken weeks, perhaps months, for a woman of Camilla's advanced age to travel from the beaches of Washington all the way up north to Alaska, but Camilla was no ordinary woman of advanced age.

Upon returning to Earth, Desiree learned that her bloodline, borne of a single daughter, had survived the fall of the First Age of man and prospered even into the midst of this Second Age. Time was no ally of mankind, and it had taken its toll. Camilla was the final descendant. With no children of her own, Desiree's bloodline would die with her. She thought it fitting to choose the woman as her Earthly vessel, and found immense joy in Camilla's willingness to aid her ancient ancestor.

The little phantom could have left Camilla to the devices of suspicious and fearful men and women. He could have destroyed her. Instead, he allowed the two to reunite and continue on their path. He was a peculiar sort, but Desiree would remember his kindness. She hoped, someday, to repay it in kind.

Desiree had no need of the sustenance her lesser kin required to survive. Her host bore no ill effect from Desiree's occupation, even years later. Camilla offered Desiree camouflage, allowing her to travel the globe undetected by humans and other members of her species. From time to time, she was reminded that the camouflage was not perfect.

The armored, faceless figure who stepped into her path clearly saw through her façade.

"You are djinn," he spoke, his voice smooth, but forceful.

"Djinn?" Desiree repeated with her host's voice. She talked slowly, enunciating every syllable. "Yes, I am djinn. Why do you stand before me… Bullet?" The ghost made no effort to conceal his thoughts. Desiree sifted through his memories, his desires, and felt the sting of festering rage in his heart.

"My mortal foe stalks this Earth. I thirst for vengeance against him. Fate has led me to you, so that I may slake that thirst."

"Yes… yes I see," Desiree said absently as she continued to peer into Bullet's mind. "Your foe attempts to regain his humanity. He seeks redemption in the task, to atone for past horrors."

"He must be destroyed."

"Of course… but your brashness begs a question. Few on this world know what I am, and of those who do, fewer still would seek me out. There are consequences for those with dark hearts who avail themselves of my power, even if they do find what they seek."

"My vengeance, it burns any darkness from my heart; it is pure."

"So you say…"

"Will you grant my wish? Will you allow me to exact my revenge?"

Desiree inhaled, allowing the ethereal currents of the Earth to flow through her. "You need only wish it, my child."

Bullet fell to one knee, and Desiree cradled his faceless head in her hands. "Soon I will take my vengeance. In the coming battle, I wish only for victory – a victory where Skulker lies dead at my feet."

With a thoughtful sigh, Desiree whispered. "And so you have wished it… so it shall be."

To Be Continued.