Summary: Jack and Maddie search for the two men in Danny's sketches.
Characters: Jack and Maddie
Written: October 2015
Note: This is set after chapter 72 of Spectacular Specter.

Chapter 72.5

"I never realized Danny was so good with art," Maddie admitted, staring at the sketches their son made of the two men who lured him into a trap. Maybe they were no Mona Lisa, but they were detailed enough that Maddie was certain they would have no trouble identifying the two men if they crossed paths.

"He must get that from you," Jack said, peeking over her shoulder to see the drawings too. "Because we both know how artistic I am."

Maddie frowned at her husband. "You draw most of the blueprints when we're designing stuff."

"Yeah, but that's just technical junk." Jack waved off her argument. "If we're talking about things like people or landscapes, I can't do it."

Maddie nudged him in the waist with her elbow. "You designed that logo for Fenton Works." She smirked when she spotted a blush on his cheeks.

"Oh, um, you saw that?" Jack scratched at a pink cheek, looking away from his wife. "I was just messing around. I was thinking, if ghosts become a bigger problem, maybe people might like to purchase things for protection. Like an anti-ghost field to go around their house so they'll be safe from ghost attacks. Weapons, though, I think we should keep off the market."

With a nod of agreement, Maddie folded up the sketches and tucked them away into one of her pouches. "We don't need any more people running around with dangerous weapons they don't know how to use."

Jack rubbed at his chin, his brow furrowing as he thought. "You don't think Danny will want to follow in our footsteps, do you?"

"He has demonstrated a keen understanding of our research and inventions, just from looking at our notes and blueprints." Maddie brushed back a lock of her hair. "But we are not going to pressure him into it." She glared sternly at her husband. "Danny can choose to pursue whatever career he wants."

Jack held up his hands. "I never said anything about pushing him! It's just," he sighed, raking his fingers through his hair, "he gets that light in his eyes when we start talking about ghost stuff. I always thought he might feel embarrassed by us if he ever learned about our work. I just never thought he-"

Maddie shushed him, holding up a hand. "We're getting something." She had pulled out their ghost detector, which was set for strong presences of ecto energy. "Come on!" She led the way down the street at a fast pace, following the signal on the detector. It might be a random ghost, innocently hanging around town, but her heart raced a beat faster. Could it be one of the ghosts they were looking for? Would they get answers about what happened to their daughter? Maddie feared she might have to restrain herself from punching the ghosts for attacking her son.

"How far away?" Jack questioned, jogging a step behind her.

They received odd looks from those they passed, but Maddie hardly paid them any attention. She was used to odd looks, having received them since childhood. In her family, she had always been the odd one. She didn't mind the outdoors and learning to fight, but she had a mind for science that the rest of her family lacked. She was happy to leave Spittoon to attend college in Wisconsin. Some of the other college students may have thought she was strange, but she had found a group of friends who liked her as she was and shared her interests. Because of her experience with her own parents, who couldn't understand her interest in science and ghosts, she wanted to do everything she could to support whatever interests her children had.

"Just a block up," Maddie answered after a quick check on the detector to be sure the ghost hadn't moved.

When they reached the corner rounding to a back alley, Maddie halted, holding up an arm to stop her husband. They were close! Just around the corner was the ghost. But before charging into a potential fight, she wanted to investigate. She glanced at her husband, and Jack nodded, pulling down his goggles in case the ghost was invisible. Cautiously, they peered around the corner. Exactly as Danny had drawn them stood the short mustached man and the one called Skulker. Maddie nearly gasped out loud.

"What are we waiting for?" Skulker demanded, his beefy arms folded over his broad chest. His mouth pressed thin as anger flashed in his eyes. His foot tapped impatiently against the ground. "You promised me-"

"I know what I've promised." The mustached man scowled with a storm of fury in his eyes. "Do not think of me as a fool!"

Skulker snorted. "Then explain to me why we haven't followed up and taken out that pesky brat."

Maddie gripped the edge of the building, tempted to rush over and knock the man flat on his back for calling her son a brat. But they wouldn't learn anything more if they struck now.

"Since Spectra unfortunately made herself known," the mustached man glowered, "I decided to employ her for another use. Books, you see, can be very enlightening." He reached into a pocket of his coat then pulled out a rolled up scroll of old, yellowed paper. "We finally have a clue. We just need to decipher the text."

Maddie backed away from the corner. She caught her husband's gaze, and they shared the same thought: They couldn't allow this ghost to read whatever was on that scroll. Jack pulled a blast from his belt, readying it to fire at the ghost. Maddie retrieved a small silver rod. When she hit a button on the side, glowing green beams sprung from both ends. They were ready to face the man and the ghost. Wasting no more time, they charged around the corner.

Jack fired a blast at the short mustached man. His shot missed by a hair, zooming past the man and singeing the hairs of his mustache. The man shot a dark glare at Jack, but his features slowly morphed, fur growing out of his face. He dropped to all fours as muscle and bone rearranged. In moments, before them stood a ferocious tiger, snarling with sharp teeth ready to snap at them. Jack hesitated only a moment, maybe a little fearful of taking on a tiger or maybe fascinated by watching the ghost transform.

Perhaps it wasn't the ghost's wisest move, however. Once transformed, he lost his hold on the scroll, which now lay on the ground beside him. If they were quick, maybe one of them could grab the scroll before the ghost realized his error. Maddie moved forward, but the man with Mohawk stepped in to block her. He cracked the knuckles of one hand as a grin stretched across his dark skinned face. Then Skulker threw a punch, direct and to the point. He had strength and power, but Maddie was quick and nimble. She ducked under his arm then pivoted, her staff arcing around and upward to catch Skulker under his arm. He stumbled back, wincing at the blow.

"Impressive," Skulker sneered, though he didn't sound impressed at all. He reached behind him and unsheathed a long curved sword. He slashed at her, and Maddie blocked with her staff. She gritted her teeth, struggling to hold him off. Skulker kicked her in the stomach. With a gasp, she hit the ground, her staff skittering away from her. Skulker held his sword before her face with a cocky smirk. "But not impressive enough."

He raised his sword then swung it downward. A blast of green struck his hand. The sword flew, turning end over end before striking the ground several feet away. Skulker cursed under his breath, holding his injured hand. Maddie took the opportunity to grab a weapon from one of her pouches. It looked like a simple lipstick holder, but when she uncapped it and pushed a button on the end of it, a blast of green goo shot out of it. The goo splattered across the man's face, blinding him. Maddie rolled onto her feet and rushed over to her husband. Jack leaned against a building's wall, his jumpsuit torn and blood dripping down one side of his face. The ghost was gone.

"What happened?" Maddie asked with concern etched into the lines of her face as she gingerly touched her husband's forehead from where he bled.

Jack shook his head then glanced toward the stumbling, cursing man. "Let's get out of here first."

Maddie followed his gaze and nodded. They could discuss things later. The important thing right now was to retreat while Skulker was still blinded. Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her down the back alley toward the street. Maddie tossed a look over her shoulder, seeing Skulker wiping the goo from his eyes, as they rounded the corner. On the street, they rushed by people, pushing past them to put distance between them and Skulker. After interrupting their little meeting, Maddie wouldn't be surprised if he came after them. She ground her teeth in frustration. They had rushed in, and her husband was now injured. And for what? What did they have to show for that effort?

"And we have some analyzing to do," Jack added when they were several blocks away. Some people released startled gasps when they saw him with blood down his face. Jack grinned at Maddie and held up something in his free hand. It was a faded yellow, crushed bit of paper with jagged edging.

Maddie gasped when she realized what he held. "I could kiss you!" Their efforts weren't a complete waste! Jack managed to snatch a portion of the scroll the mustached man had shown Skulker. It wasn't the whole thing, but maybe if they could decipher enough of it, they could understand what the man was plotting and stop him.

Tetractys: XD Kind of makes you wonder how Spectra ever gets a job since she clearly isn't doing it to help out students.

jayswing96: Yup! Lancer the teacher. =) Poor guy though. =( Like when you watch the Amorpho episode and all the students kind of act like jerks to him. orz

YumiStar: Dan was not expecting to learn he was dead! XD;; But it's definitely good that he was someone who can talk him down from the crazy. XD;;