A/N: Long time no see everybody! Here's just another quick short from yours truly! I know, it's not what you really want from me (I'm working on it I promise! It's hard to write the last chapter for a story that's gone on for so long!) but I just had to take a break with this fun little oneshot ^^

So this one takes a bit of explaining: this is based on a recent head cannon of mine where Danny and Skulker struck up a sort of truce between the two of them after Danny got older. It's partly because Skulker realized that he wasn't going to get Danny's pelt as Danny grew more powerful, and because I always saw an underlying base of mutual respect between the two of them that I believe would build over time.

So at some point, after a particularly narrow escape on Danny's part, Danny convinces Skulker to make a vow that he would protect Danny's family should anything ever happen to him. He agrees, and takes it further than Danny intended by providing the protection now rather than later and helps "babysit" Danny's son in a way. Naturally this creates all sorts of fun misadventures that my mind just loves latching onto :)

This is just one of those many misadventures. Inspired by the fact that this year's Eleventh Dannyversary fell right around Easter, I give you...Skulker at Easter! I hope you enjoy and at least chuckle a little! (...And yes, I'll get back to work on the other fics...)

Easter's Greatest Egg Hunter

Skulker would be the first ghost to admit that he didn't understand human holidays. He also acknowledged that he probably never would. He could grasp Christmas well enough, as ghosts had their own version of the holiday with their annual truce, but any of the other multitudes of holidays that humans celebrated just befuddled him. There were just so many of them and they seemed to celebrate things that didn't need to be celebrated. And some holidays seemed more important than others, complete with obscene decorations and annoying themed commercials and sales and shopping. The Ghost Child continued to assure him that holidays were about family and friends, and he could see glimpses of it in some holidays more than others, but some part of him always wondered if, to humans, the point of a holiday was just an excuse not to go to work or school for the day…

This was another one of those days. They called it Easter, and it was one of his least favorite. The world was painted over with bright pastels and images of bunnies and chicks and lambs so sickeningly sweet that Skulker wanted to be violently sick in his exo-skeleton. There was also something about some religious figure held sacred to the humans being murdered, and yet they celebrated with colored eggs and candy and a feast. It seemed to make sense to all the humans, and yet he simply could not understand it, though to be honest he didn't devote much thought to it. He studied human's behavior as prey animals, but he could hardly care about their odd symbolism for holidays.

And yet, the one thing he actually did like about holidays, and the one reason why he tolerated them, was to see the look of delight in his young charge's eyes. The whelp of the Ghost Child loved holidays of all sorts, and he dragged Skulker into their midst every time. And while the Ghost Child continuously assured him that he too could have a day off on holidays, he could not leave the child, not when he was so excited to share the human's strange traditions with him. Unfortunately, it was that very reason that put him in his current, unpleasant predicament.

It was a sinfully sunny morning, and the air was filled with the excited, high-pitched squeals of dozens of young children, all hyper from the promise of sugar and presents and other over-stimulation that came with this particular holiday. Little girls in bright, frilly dresses and boys in miniature suits dashed about the grassy area with boundless energy while their parents, all dressed in brightly colored formal clothing of their own, recorded their play with cameras, believing the annoying behavior of their children was somehow more important today than it was any other day. It was the kind of situation that required a constant struggle against his urges to detonate every weapon in his suit in an effort to make it all stop.

"Remind me why we are here again?" Skulker requested of the Ghost Child who, thankfully, had not fallen contagious to whatever had struck the surrounding parents.

"Because I used to go on egg hunts when we visited Grandma Walker for Easter and I thought it would be fun for Lucas to do the same, at least once," he added once he received a significant look from Sam. "It's a trial run."

"I see," Skulker replied glumly as he pouted beside them, his distaste clearly visible. For the first couple years of his vow, the wife of the Ghost Child insisted that he be invisible whenever they were in public, but she soon realized that it was better for people to see him than to think that the whelp was speaking and laughing to nothing but air. And so he stood there beside them, with his arms crossed over his large ecto-skeleton as he frowned. Many parents glanced at him with wary looks, which he appreciated. He was still the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter, and he deserved to be treated with respect and fear by these mere mortals. "I vote that this is an experience not to be repeated," he finally decided.

"You don't get a say, Skulker," Danny answered simply before he knelt down in front of Lucas who was fidgeting with his wicker Easter basket. "So Lucas, are you excited?"

The boy just shrugged. "I just hafta grab the eggs?" he asked.

"Yup! They're hiding all over the place and when the hunt starts you just run and grab as many as you can," his father explained.

"And no ghost powers," Sam emphasized as she saw a familiar flicker in her son's eyes.

"Yes, no ghost powers," Danny seconded firmly.

"Why not?" Skulker asked. "He should be allowed to use his natural abilities just as the other children will use all of their natural talents."

"Stay out of it Skulker," Danny warned. "Lucas, I want you to promise. If you use them, that's cheating."

The hunter grated his mechanical teeth in disapproval as the boy promised his father. The Ghost Child and his wife had this fixation on treating the whelp like a normal boy, when he was anything but. Like his father, he was a rarity amongst ghost-kind and deserved to be treated like the prize that he was, not constantly forced to behave like the rest of the boring human population. Unfortunately there wasn't much more time to argue the matter as the organizers of the event were rallying the children.

Sam shooed the now excited Lucas off to join the other kids while she and Danny watched him scamper off with wide smiles. Skulker, however, kept a close watch on the black hair of the whelp. His parents may not seem concerned, but it would be very easy to lose him amongst the others, and he had no intention of letting that happen. He would not let his eyes stray from him. But as the signal to begin the egg hunt sounded, Skulker realized that was going to be much more difficult as the kids scattered in all directions, nearly toppling over one another in their attempts to find the eggs that were somehow very important.

"I do not like this," he stated as he craned his neck to keep the whelp in his sights.

Danny groaned. "Uh, what don't you like now?"

"It is too difficult to find him in this rabble of these mindless small humans," he complained.

"Oh for crying out loud, it's an Easter egg hunt Skulker! Nothing's going to happen to him!" Danny argued in exasperation.

"If I were hunting one of these small humans, there would be no better time than when they are scattered and distracted. It would be very easy to capture or kill one amongst them and no one would even notice," he explained, much to the horrified look of one of the mothers standing near them.

"Skulker!" Sam and Danny both cried in disapproval.

He growled as he crossed his arms over his barrel chest. "I was merely making an observation," he pouted, but he didn't say any more on the issue. He was lectured almost daily about how he needed to control himself in public, and it had gotten to the point where he just stopped caring. He had defended himself and his hurt pride, but now it just didn't matter anymore. It was almost expected, and he was sure the two of them felt the same.

He continued to think on his current situation, not keeping his eyes off the whelp, no matter what. He looked to be doing fairly well for himself, finding a number of these oddly important eggs. Unfortunately, he must have been doing too well, because his success attracted the attention of another boy. He watched with a scowl as the deplorable child confronted the whelp and not only beat him to a hidden egg that they had both spotted, but snatched another egg out of the whelp's basket. He knew from his studies that this behavior was the natural order of the world: animals would challenge each other for resources and the stronger would take it, leaving the other with nothing. And while the whelp certainly was the stronger, more superior being, he unfortunately was unable to show it due to his promise to the Ghost Child. It may be the natural order of things, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"That worthless child just stole one of the whelp's eggs!" Skulker reported angrily as he pointed accusingly at the red-headed child.

"That's too bad," Danny frowned as he located his son's dark hair. "But he looks like he's recovering okay."

"You are not going to do anything?" he asked in shock. "You should fly down there in a rage and ecto-blast that worthless excuse for a life until nothing remains!" he practically demanded.

"What? No way!" Danny protested. "You know I don't harm humans, especially children!"

"I also thought you saved people, but clearly you will not even save your own son!" Skulker spat. The whelp's pride and dignity had been shamed, and yet his father refused to do anything to right the wrong that had been done to him!

"Oh for crying out loud, he just had an egg stolen!" Danny cried out in exasperation. "It happens all the times at these things! It's one thing if some kid pushes him, but I'm not going to come down on some kid for one egg!"

"Fine, then if you will not do something to avenge your son's honor, then I will," he growled, and before the Ghost Child and his wife could argue, he ignited his rockets and flew down towards the child in a vengeful rage.

"Oh God…" Danny groaned as he watched him fly off.

Sam hid her head under her dark hat to avoid the looks from the others. "Danny, if he kills someone, it's all your fault," she threatened dangerously.

"He's not going to kill anyone…I think…" he replied, with much less conviction than he had hoped.

Skulker landed right in front of the red-headed child, and he watched with a sense of satisfaction as the child tripped over his heavy boot and pitched forward into the grass. The child turned to look at what had tripped over him, and his eyes slowly took in the giant, mechanical body that stood before him. The figure loomed over him, obscuring the sun behind him as his eyes glowed a fiendish green light.

"I believe you stole something from my charge," he thundered, a manic grin on his features as he beheld the look of terror on the child's face with glee. "I demand that you return it to him."

The child's eyes widened as his face paled. He scrambled backwards as he tried to find his feet before he dashed off with a terrified cry, leaving his entire basket of eggs behind.

"Wow Skulker! That was awesome!" Lucas cried happily as he watched the bully run away with more delight than was probably healthy for a six year-old.

But Skulker wasn't paying attention to the compliment he knew he deserved. He was looking at the abandoned basket of eggs, a dangerous look on his face. "Whelp, what is the purpose of this activity?" he asked, his voice controlled and calculated.

"To get all the eggs," he answered simply. "Kid with the most eggs wins and gets a prize from the Easter Bunny."

"I see…" Skulker pondered as he stroked his metal chin. "If the goal is to truly obtain all these eggs, then I find the method of hunting for them inefficient. This," he mentioned as he pointed to the basket filled with the product of another child's labor, "is a much more efficient method. Whelp, I propose a new strategy…" he stated decisively, and Lucas just smiled in response.

With a renewed excitement in this usually drab holiday, Skulker turned invisible and flew down to the next target, a small girl in a floppy wide-brim hat and yellow frilled dress. She skipped along the lawn with her loaded basket of eggs, until Skulker's imposing figure burst from the ground, his visage causing her to scream in terror and drop her basket as she ran to the safe arms of his mother. He promptly picked up the basket and gave it to Lucas, who looked to be having the time of his life.

The same fate fell upon a young boy and his brother sharing a mutual basket. It was promptly dropped when they found themselves staring down the barrel of an ecto-gun.

A little girl with a doll became his next victim. After the ghost stole her doll, it was easy to barter the basket of eggs for the doll's safety from the knife that rested against its throat.

The glowing blade made another appearance, to threaten another young boy to give away his eggs as well. It was handed over promptly before he too went screaming to his parents.

The onslaught continued until almost all the eggs were in Skulker and Lucas's grasp. There were still a few more children that had evaded his attacks, but the time had been called and there was nothing more that he could do. Not that it mattered, the whelp's victory was assured even without every egg. And the whelp was happier than the Box Ghost in a shipping store, which made Skulker swell with his own happiness. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone, of course. He had a reputation after all.

What was left of the children gathered near the announcer, and Skulker watched attentively to see the whelp be crowned the greatest egg hunter of them all. It was not nearly as great a glory as being the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter, but it was a good first step. The whelp was easily crowned the winner, to polite applause and an embarrassed thumbs-up from his parents who looked absolutely mortified.

"And now to give little Lucas his prize, it's the Easter Bunny!" the announcer called as a giant, pink, sparkling bunny hopped onto the stage, a set of coloring books and a jumbo crayon set in his basket to present to Lucas. The rest of the children seemed to forget their trauma at losing the egg fight in the excitement of the Easter Bunny's presence, and cheered as jelly beans and candy were thrown to all the children who tried their best but didn't win.

Skulker, however, no longer cared for the rest of the children. His eyes were transfixed by the magical bunny that posed for pictures and magically pulled candy from a pouch that should not exist. He had heard tales of this magical Easter Bunny and how, like Santa Claus, he traveled all around the world hiding eggs in backyards and filling baskets with candy and small toys for the children. Truly this creature held much power and magic and was a prize among rabbit kind.

He needed the pelt of this creature for himself.

His keen mind quickly hatched a plan, and while the magical rabbit was distracted, he shot out a glowing net that completely encapsulated the creature, much to the screams of the nearby children. "Easter Bunny!" Skulker announced as he walked closer to the trapped animal. "You possess great magic, but even with all your power you were unable to counter the might of me, Skulker! The Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter!" he cried out, chest swelling with pride. "What a glorious addition your magical pelt will make to my collection!" he threatened as the glowing blade slid out of his suit.

Chaos broke out as parents screamed and rushed for their kids while traumatized children shrieked as one of their childhood idols was captured and about to be knifed by the crazy, nightmarish ghost that stole their eggs.

"Okay, that's enough!" a voice cried as Danny Phantom came bearing down on the group, much to the cheers of the children.

Skulker groaned as the Ghost Child landed in front of him. "Be gone Ghost Child; this is my reward and my prey. I shall have his magical pelt for my collection!"

"Oh no, you are not skinning the Easter Bunny on my watch!" he cried as he shot an ecto-blast at Skulker. Sure they had struck a truce, but that didn't mean he wouldn't shoot him if he deserved it.

Skulker stumbled back before his suit exploded in a shower of guns and weapons, all ready and trained on the Ghost Child. He shot ecto-blasts, threw grenades, but the Ghost Child just dodged them all. He was starting to remember why he had struck this truce in the first place… It didn't take long for the Ghost Child to start throwing his own ecto-blasts into the fight, first slicing one through the net to save the Easter Bunny, and the rest to take out the more dangerous weapons on his suit. Those were going to take forever to fix…

Finally, his suit could take no more abuse, and he knew that he needed to depart. Without a word he sunk into the ground and flew away from the group, floating up invisibly further away. He watched as the parents and children applauded the Ghost Child, the hero that saved the Easter Bunny. Apparently attacking the Easter Bunny was a greater offense than he realized. Perhaps that was the religious figure who's death and resurrection the humans celebrated? Well whoever this mysterious bunny was, it only made him more desirable. Already his head was spinning with thoughts and plans on how to capture the Easter Bunny next year. He'd be better prepared, and he'd plan for the Ghost Child's involvement. He'd find some way to get that pelt. Even if it took him years and years of tries to do so, he would get that pelt.

"I believe I like this holiday," he announced to himself with a manic grin, and he was sure he would enjoy it even more in the years to come.