Recap: Gregor has woken from a six-month coma and is now faced with trying to assimilate being in the Ghost World. While he struggles to adapt, Daniel Masters has integrated into Human society a little too well. Or, so it seems. While he has matured in various ways, Danny continues to struggle with his humanity and what it means to be part of a species which he both hates and is drawn to.

Regardless, he is still the Ghost Prince, and his loyalty must remain towards the King and the Ghost Race. And right now, his father is not convinced of Gregor's demise. So, Danny devises a plan to lure Thomas Chrome with the hope of drawing out the Red and White Hunters.

Everything seems to be falling into place and his plan should be flawless... as long as he can account for certain variables currently revolving around him...

Disclaimer: DP characters do not belong to me; but this AU plot is my own. Juukka is also a borrowed character who belongs to my friend, JH24.

Chapter 67: Targets

Gregor scowled as he refused to meet his fake parents' worried gazes. Instead, he stared out at the bright green 'sky' outside his open veranda. The desire to flee and get away was stronger than ever.

He could survive the fall from this height. He had survived worst...

"Gregory, please," Aragon said with a sigh. "We cannot help you if you will not speak to us. Are you not feeling well? Is that why you will not eat?"

"Pup... It is important you play along," Juuka added telepathically. "You must eat."

"Shut up, you damn mutt!" Gregory projected back furiously as his glare darkened. "Talk to me again; and next time I see you, I'll eat you! Screw you! Screw them! And Screw Tom! This is ALL HIS FAULT!"

"My child..."

It was the female dragon ghost this time.

"Get out," Gregor suddenly seethed back with an angry look.

"You will not fully recover if you refuse to eat, Gregory," Aragon said soberly.

"I said get out!" Gregor shouted, his hands curling into fists. He ignored the bite he felt from his claws slowly protruding into his palms.

Aragon just stared back at him; and if Gregor was not so angry, the younger dragon would have cowered from that sober, intense look. The teen realized that no matter what he did or said, the damn male ghost wouldn't get angry at him, grow violent, or worse...

Gregory knew the older ghost was not afraid of him. Not at all! In fact, just by his look, Gregor knew the ghost was well aware of how afraid he was of him.

Gregor felt cornered.

"Altiĝis, come," Aragon suddenly said.

And without waiting for a response, the male dragon ghost grabbed his wife's hand, and all but dragged her out of the room.

The moment Aragon closed the door they heard a scream and then the sound of things being thrown around.

"What are we going to do?" Altiĝis asked desperately as tears sprung to her eyes.

Aragon did not reply right away and just stared soberly at the closed door. Finally, he looked at his mate and answered, "For now, whatever he wants. If he does not want to see us, we will allow him his space. If he does not want to eat, we will not force him."

"But he is going to get ill or worse!"

"Altiĝis," Aragon said firmly, grabbing her by her lower arms. "Our son is mentally unstable. Do you not understand? Whatever those humans did to him is beyond physical damage. If we push him, he will lash out; or worse, hurt himself more than he is!"

The male ghost sighed sharply before he let her go, and added, "I do not want you going near him until—"

"No, you cannot ask me that!" she cut him off, suddenly angry herself.

Now more committed after hearing all the furious screams and noises beyond the door rage on, Aragon firmly replied, "I am not asking you. This is a command."

Altiĝis fisted her hands, ready to argue.

"I need you to understand!" the male ghost snapped at her before she could say anything else. "I cannot risk him hurting you! Do not force me into a position where I have to hurt our son to protect you! I have enough of that from Elliot!"

Altiĝis began to sob quietly.

Aragon's glare melted away; and with a sad sigh, he pulled his mate into his arms. "We will help him. Somehow. But for now... I just need you to trust me... Come now, do not be so upset. Let us go have breakfast... I will try again when he has calmed down."

Aragon held his wife affectionately by the waist as they quietly headed down the hall.

"I just do not understand...," Altiĝis spoke up softly. "He left no food on his plates yesterday... Why is he refusing to eat today?"

"I suspect he did not eat yesterday...," Aragon answered.

"Then, what did he do with...?"

"I do not know. He keeps saying he is not hungry, yet stares at the trays of food... He is hungry, but..."

"What if he does not like the food?" Altiĝis suddenly asked.

"Why would...?" But Aragon trailed off. Of course! Why had he not even thought of that?!

"He thinks himself human...," Aragon muttered in realization as he suddenly stopped walking.

"What do humans eat?" his wife asked curiously.

"Altiĝis, promise me you will not go into that room without me."

The female frowned. "What are you going to do?"

"Get him what he wants," Aragon answered. "But promise me."

She nodded. "Yes, I promise... Just be careful, Aragon."

The male dragon smiled, kissed her forehead, and then quickly left his mate to do what he had in mind.

Too tired to throw anything else around, Gregor just gripped his hair and pressed his face into his raised knees.

The more lucid he got, the more he realized how desperate he felt.

As much as he tried and as much as Juukka insisted, he could not pretend to be okay to be here. He could not.

He just wanted to go home! He needed to go back to his master! He felt like he was going insane each second away from him!

He was shaking. He felt sick. He was weak. Everything was just wrong!

"Juukka! Damn you! I know you're here! I said open a damn portal, you piece of crap!" Gregor shouted at the empty room.

But when he got no answer, he abruptly stood as he wildly looked around. "I'm going home right now! You can't keep me here! Tom cannot keep me away from my master! Do you hear me?! Juukka! JUUKKA!"

Gregor screamed some more before he dropped to his knees and began to punch the floor over and over again. Then, he had a thought. And he looked up at the open veranda...

In a moment of insanity, he jolted to his feet and ran towards it.

"No, pup!"

Juukka abruptly materialized in the room and Gregor slammed headfirst into an ecto-shield before he could leap off the balcony.

"DAMN YOU!" Gregor screamed as he gripped his throbbing head. "LET ME OUT!"

"You need to stay here," Juukka answered.

Gregor snarled at him as he whirled around towards the other ghost. And seeing the ghost wolf, he lunged at him.

Juukka teleported away before Gregor could tackle him.

Gregor screamed some more and tried a few more times to get a hold of the other ghost.

But it was fruitless.

"Please," Gregor began to sob as he dropped to his knees, too tired and hurt to stay angry anymore. "Please... let me go home. I need my master!"

"I know, my pup... It is hard to be away...," Juukka cooed back. "His power and presence give us direction... purpose. And though your connection to our master remains intact through me, I know it cannot compare to his physical presence... But you must remain strong."

"I can't! I can't!" Gregor sobbed back. "Why is he punishing me like this?! Whatever I did, I'm sorry! Just please let me go home!"

Juukka approached the teenager and nuzzled his side.

As if clinging to a life-line, Gregor grabbed the ghost wolf and pulled him against him. The thing felt like his master, even if the presence was muted; even if it was barely there. It was better than nothing.

Gregor was so confused. The red fog that comforted him before now felt further and further away somehow. He had only been conscious since yesterday, and it was already driving him crazy. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't focus. All he could think about was the torture of needing something he couldn't grasp.

Yesterday, he kept thinking about all the reasons he wanted to go home. How much he missed Valerie. Sam. Even Tom. He thought about how much he missed his life, and just being... human. But all that suddenly became background noise when the blaring need to return to his master's side became overwhelming!

The despair was worse than when Tom had first taken him away from his master those first few weeks.

The distance now had amplified the feeling. It was pure torture!

He was nothing without his master. He would rather be dead!

"Easy, pup... Our master wants you to live... to survive. You must so you can return to him."

"I-I need him," Gregor whimpered.

"It is why I am here... I will take care of you in his absence."

Gregor continued to grip the wolf ghost like a child holding a stuffed bear in hopes of finding comfort in it.

"I'm so hungry," Gregor moaned. But then, he suddenly became aware of the other ghost's powerful core for more than one reason...

"I know, pup. But if I bring you more human food, and you continue to not eat the food the dragon ghosts offer, they will grow suspicious. Try to eat the food. It will make you feel better."

Gregor's claws began to draw out.

"Pup...," Juukka said with a helpless sigh before he abruptly vanished completely.

Gregor clawed the air before slamming his hands into the hard floor again.

He screamed in more than just anger this time.

The next morning, Skulker decided he had given his niece enough time to herself to assimilate what she had discovered yesterday. They needed to talk.

Except, it seemed his niece was not willing to just yet...

"Ember, child. I will not ask again. Open the door," Skulker commanded, knocking harder on her locked door.

But when he got no answer for the umpteenth time, the hunter growled. "Are you going to force me to tear down the door?"

Skulker counted to ten, and then realized that was as far as his patience allowed. He quickly took out a gun from his belt, aimed at the doorknob and pulled the trigger.

The knob instantly disintegrated, and the door swung open.

Skulker stomped into the room, sneering, "I cannot believe you have forced me to—!"

He stopped mid-rant when he realized the ghost girl was not in her room, and saw a note on her bed instead.

Skulker quickly walked over and grabbed it.

'Went to my parents' house. Be back in the morning.'

Skulker's eyes widened in alarm. That was a several-hour flight! And she left last night!

Panicked, the male ghost quickly ran out of his home and took off towards the direction of his sister's old, abandoned home.

A series of worst-case scenarios ran through his mind, starting with his niece being caught in a temporary portal formation and currently stranded in the human world with no way back. What if she had already been captured? What if she had already been...?

But before he could really panic, he caught sight of a familiar firebird approaching in the distance.

"Ember!" Skulker gasped as he flew faster. But the moment he got close enough to realize that she was okay, his fear turned into absolute fury.

"Wait, I know you're angry...," Ember began as Safear came to stop.

But she didn't finish when Skulker yanked her off the firebird by her right wrist and yelled at her, "Do not EVER do something like this to me again! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME! NEVER AGAIN!"

"Ow! You're hurting me! Let go!"

"I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

Ember cringed; but blinking back tears, she just nodded.

Skulker glared at her for another moment before he abruptly let her go.

They were quiet for a tense moment as Ember rubbed her sore wrist.

"Why did you go to your parents' home?!" Skulker demanded, though his voice was a lot lower in volume yet still as angry.

"I needed to get away. To think."

"To think?" Skulker sneered back. "You risk your life by flying for hours in the midst of erratic portal formation, just to go think?! I expect irrational outbursts like these from the Ghost Prince, but you?! I taught you better!"

"Yeah? Well, forgive me, for having an irrational outburst after finding out that my best friend is HUMAN! And that YOU AND HIS FATHER have been keeping it from me for SIXTEEN YEARS!" she screamed back before she took off towards the hunter's home.

Skulker tensed as he looked around out of instinct; but, of course, with how isolated his home was, there was no one to hear his niece's outburst.

Still, with a growl, he took off after her.

Safear, who had quickly followed her angry guardian, landed on the island at the same time as Skulker. And the two quickly caught up with the fuming teenager.

"Ember! Stop! Do not think you can walk away from me after—Ember!"

"Let go of me!" Ember shouted back, yanking her hand away when her uncle grabbed her. "Do not touch me! Do not touch me again! You have no right!"

"I have every right!" Skulker snapped back. "I have been tolerant with you about a lot of things, but THIS?! You have crossed the line!"

"What line, Uncle?!" she shouted back. "What line?! What rule?! You do not know the first thing about enforcing anything! You want to be angry at me for doing something as stupid as flying at night! FINE! But do not act like I owe you any kind of respect after your lies!"

"What lies?!" Skulker asked, frustrated.

"The LIES, Uncle!" Ember screamed back. "You lied to me about what really happened to my parents! About Aragon's son, Gregory! About what you and the Ghost King have been doing ALL THESE YEARS! And NOW ABOUT DANNY! About what HE AND HIS DAD ARE! What ELSE DO I GET TO FIND OUT?!"

"I did not tell you about your parents' murderer because you were too young to understand," Skulker answered angrily. "And, worse, once you were old enough, you would have gone out there seeking revenge and getting yourself killed!"

"Because that isn't what YOU did, right?! What right do you have to deny me the very same thing YOU did! What if I wanted revenge, like you?! Who are you to deny me AVENGING MY OWN PARENTS' DEATH! WHO ARE YOU TO HIDE FROM ME THE TRUTH ABOUT DANNY!"

"IT WASN'T MY SECRET TO TELL! DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THAT?!" Skulker shouted back before he added almost desperately, "What did you want me to do, Ember?! I did the best I could! It's all I've ever done!"

"Your best is not enough," she answered back bitterly without even thinking.

Skulker immediately fell quiet as he just looked at his niece for a tense moment.

Ember immediately regretted her words at seeing hurt in his eyes.

"I didn't mean that," she whispered.

"No, you're right," Skulker answered bitterly, briefly lowering his gaze. "Whatever I do will never be enough because the truth is you should not be with me. Your parents should be alive. You should be with them. Away from me. From this war... From all this suffering."

He shook his head and his hands fisted at his sides. "I wish I could have saved them that day. I would have given my life in exchange for theirs... But I couldn't." He looked at her soberly and added, "So, while my best will never be enough for you; it's all I have to give you, child."

"I'm sorry," Ember replied back sadly.

"It's alright. I know you are upset," Skulker muttered. "I understand why, but this... this carelessness is not the answer. If you want to talk about it, we can... If not, then... You will have to make a choice on your own."

Skulker turned around, but then paused and said, "I need to go see the King. I'll be back later today... Do not leave this island."

The hunter didn't wait for a response and just flew off.

Ember quietly sobbed as she watched him go.

Back at the royal palace, Danny and his friends—minus Ember—had gone out to the gardens after breakfast. After briefly catching up, the Prince had turned their conversation to a more urgent matter...

He needed his friends' help for his plans in the Human World, and he quickly told them all about it... At least, the parts he could share...

"That definitely sounds like my kind of job!" Johnny replied with a growing grin the moment the Ghost Prince finish telling them about a new venture...

"Of course, you'd love the idea of another near-death thrill in the Human World," Kitty answered with a scoff.

"I personally don't know how to feel about this," Amorpho spoke up in a troubled voice as he looked at Danny. "We almost died saving the King's warriors the first time. And, sure, you know I would do it again for you, Ghost Prince. But... this is no rescue mission. You want us to bait ghost hunters... Isn't that asking for trouble?"

"Maybe," Danny answered soberly, "But that dragon ghost we saw out there... Elliot's brother. He's dangerous, Amorpho. The King needs to be certain he is not out there... that he is truly dead."

"And what if he is out there?" Kitty asked, just as worried. "The only reason we made it out after he appeared was thanks to Elliot. And I doubt your dragon friend is coming with us this time..."

Danny shook his head. "We have to do this without Elliot."

"And Ember... apparently," Amorpho added. "Why exactly is she not here again? She told me yesterday she would be. That we would all hang out..."

Danny hesitated, and briefly lowered his gaze. "As I said, she couldn't make it... Something came up."

"Something...?" Kitty pressed. "As in between you two? She told me you broke up with her before you disappeared on us..."

Danny cringed this time.

"That wasn't cool, kid," Johnny added with a frown.

"Alright, I get it," Danny replied before he sighed tiredly. "I know I haven't made the best decisions lately; but I do not want to discuss it. Yes, something happened between Ember and me; but that is not the discussion right now. Whether or not Ember decides to join us is up to her. Just like it is up to each of you whether you accept to help me or not with this latest mission."

"Well, of course, we'll help," Amorpho answered. "I don't like it; but... you're our Prince."

"And friend," Kitty added with a warm smile.

"We got your back, little dude," Johnny replied.

Danny smiled back. "Thank you. I promise we'll be alright. We have the King's support this time. And Technus and Skulker will be helping, too..."

The Prince suddenly grinned. "It will be better than last time."

"As long as we don't get mauled or fried to a crisp by the sudden appearance of Elliot's evil twin," Johnny replied with a smirk. "Otherwise, I'm blaming you, kid."

Danny rolled his eyes.

"By the way," Kitty suddenly spoke up. "I've been wondering something... Do you know what Elliot's brother's vendetta was against you? The way he went after you... We didn't see everything, but it was more than obvious he was targeting you."

"Come on, Kitty," Johnny spoke up. "We've talked about this. What other reason would he need besides Phantom being the Ghost Prince? Of course, he'd go after him!"

Kitty continued to frown. "I don't know... His fixation on him... It seemed so personal."

Danny paused as he thought back to his encounter with Gregor...

"I'll never leave you alone. I hate everything about you. It's my personal goal to kill you and your father. Or, haven't you figured that out yet?"

He definitely had a personal vendetta against him, but... why indeed...?

"That's for hurting my girl!"

Danny frowned at the memory, and thought with confusion, "His girl? What girl?"

Did he mean that Red Huntress he always worked with?

But then he remembered something else...

Gregor drew nearer, his mouth burning with dark blue energy as he hissed possessively, "Elliot is mine. Sam is mine. Tom is mine. And this place... This place is mine, Phantom. And not you, or your tyrant father, or anyone else is going to take it from me! Not without going through me first!"

"Sam?" Danny pondered. "Was he talking about the 'Sam' I know? But... How does he even know her?!"

Danny just frowned further before he realized that someone was speaking.

"Hey, so, since we're on the subject and we are short one or possibly two of us, I know someone who might be willing to join our little A-team," Amorpho said excitedly.

Danny pushed his thoughts away and raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Who?"

"Sydney!"

"Poindexter?!" Johnny exclaimed. "No way!"

"Poindexter?" Danny questioned, confused. "Why do you call him that?"

"Maybe because he's as interesting as a rock," Johnny answered.

"And as nerdy," Kitty snickered.

"That makes no sense!" Amorpho snapped back. "And stop being bullies!"

"Of course, you'd hang out with that loser," Johnny scoffed.

Amorpho's eyes flashed white.

"Okay, stop," Danny cut in with a sigh. He then frowned at the shapeshifter and added, "Not that I am agreeing with Johnny and Kitty, but why Sydney?"

"Well, for one, he really admires you," Amorpho said with a smile. "And two..."

The shape-shifter grinned. "Have you heard about his special power?"

Danny cocked an eyebrow in interest. "I take it it's useful?"

"Very much."

Danny smirked. "Alright. If you trust him, and... he's interested."

Amorpho grinned back in triumph, while Johnny just scoffed.

"Hey, so... Are we just going to sit around the gardens all day?" Kitty suddenly asked, changing the subject. "Ember might not be here, but we said we would be hanging out today."

"Seriously!" Johnny agreed. "No offense, little dude, but taking a stroll in your palace garden is not my idea of a good time."

"What did you have in mind?" Danny asked with a smile.

Johnny's eyes flashed a brighter green before he suddenly conjured up two other bikes like his own.

"Let's race... Forest of Emotion, down Carnivores Canyon, and around the mouth of the River of Revolution."

"Oh, no... Not getting on that thing!" Amorpho quickly jumped in. "Your little 'joyrides' always malfunction around me!"

But Danny's smile melded into a smirk as he said, "If I win...?"

"You get Shadow at your beck-and-call for a week. No bad luck included."

Danny ignored the quiet protest of the creature lurking just under Johnny's feet.

"But if I win...," Johnny continued, "You have to babysit my cousin, Youngblood, in my place for three weeks."

"You cannot be serious," Danny muttered, annoyed. "One week."

"Three weeks," Johnny pressed.

Danny glowered. "Two weeks."

"Fifteen days. On any days I want," Johnny compromised.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Hey! What if I win?!" Amorpho protested.

Danny and Johnny glanced at the other male before looking at each other. They then burst out laughing at the absurdity of Amorpho beating either of them.

"Ugh, you guys are awesome friends," Amorpho grumbled as Johnny and Danny jumped on their bikes.

"You comin', babe?" Johnny asked Kitty.

"Duh. I love a good race!" Kitty answered excitedly as she hopped on the back of Johnny's bike.

Johnny revved his engine; but then paused and glanced over at the Prince.

"Do you need to tell anyone that...?"

Danny waved dismissively. "I already told my father I would be spending a couple hours with you all. Beating you won't take long, anyways," he added cockily.

"Yeah, okay, kid. You're going to be eating my dust. Let's go!"

And not needing any further prompting, Danny revved his motorcycle, and they took off with Amorpho not too far behind.

Despite his initial protest, the shapeshifter soon grinned as the excitement of his friends rubbed off on him. It was nice to know nothing had changed even after not seeing their Prince and friend for so long.

The only thing that could make the moment better was if Ember had been there, too...

As the teenagers raced away from the palace with shouts and laughs, none of them saw a certain ghost wolf materialize where they had been.

Juukka watched the teens with curious red eyes until they disappeared from his sight completely. He then glanced around him to confirm once more there was no one around to see him.

The Hunter had asked him to track down the Gem of Life... And while the ghost wolf's unique ability to track the gems led him here, he was now confused.

He had felt the gem's presence somehow circling the Ghost Prince... But even before he had raced away, Juukka had not been able to pinpoint its energy entirely. It was like catching a scent in the air, but not knowing where it was coming from except that it was nearby. Something was hiding the gem from view... from truly being detected.

The prince must be using some cloaking spell.

All the same, Juukka was at least able to confirm the Gem of Life's overall location. It had surprised him that the Ghost King did not have it; but... it was still within royal hands...

Right then, Juukka tensed when he caught the scent of a ghost even before he saw him approaching in the distance.

His eyes briefly flashed green.

"Skulker..."

The name passed briefly through his mind.

But then his eyes flashed a brighter red and they narrowed. The ghost had tried to kill his pup. Almost succeeded, too.

The Hunter wanted Skulker dead; and unfortunately, Juukka had not succeeded in his initial attempt. But no matter. He would eventually succeed.

For now, he had other duties to fulfill.

He briefly closed his eyes as he temporarily connected to his pup. Yes, pup was still good. Scared and angry, but still good.

He had time.

Not wanting to risk Skulker catching his scent, Juukka disappeared and re-materialized further down the palace gardens; and once he was sure no one would see his use of power, he created a portal and dove in.

Skulker's thoughts had been circling around his niece so much that before he knew it, he was already at the edge of the palace's grounds... He blinked in surprise before he sighed and fell into his thoughts once more... It was very rare when his niece and him fought; but each time, he was left feeling conflicted and burdened.

He loved his niece. He did. But he could not help but question his ability as a 'parent'. He knew he was a poor excuse for a caregiver. And he acknowledged once more that he had made the right choice of breaking off his marriage vow with Dora. What hope could any offspring of his have in his care? His poor niece was hardly content because of him.

Maybe he should have found her foster parents.

Skulker's core clenched with sadness at the thought.

However, even with his emotional turmoil, he didn't miss the strange scent in the air as he walked past the gardens in front of the palace.

But while strange, the smell was familiar. After all, temporary portals had a unique scent, and that was because of the amount of atmospheric energy they pulled into themselves to form. It was like the smell of an electrical storm in the Human World.

It lingered in the air.

The odd thing was that it was barely noon; so, it was too early for temporary portal formation; and there were no permanent portals near the palace. The closest permanent portal was at Walker's prison; a good twenty minutes away.

Skulker sniffed the air some more as he paused and looked around the area in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

The hunter jolted; but he soon relaxed when he looked towards the voice and saw it was Vlad.

"Nothing...," Skulker replied automatically but still frowned, and asked, "Do you smell that?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow before inhaling deeply. He frowned. There was a peculiar smell in the air. Faint, but peculiar. Yet, he could not distinguish it right away.

"It smells like a portal," Skulker muttered.

"There are no portals nearby... Well, except for... you know," Vlad replied, thinking of the simulation room.

"Right," Skulker muttered.

"Is this important...?" Vlad asked, confused. As much as he would love to sit back and 'smell the air' with his friend, he really had more pressing matters.

Skulker just shook his head. And dismissing the subject himself, he said instead, "I was just coming to see you."

"Glad you did. I need to go see Technus. You can come with me."

Vlad paused and looked around. "I was going to ask Daniel to join me, but I could not find him. He must still be with his friends."

Skulker nodded. "Let us go, then," he replied before the two flew off the island.

"Why are you going to see Technus?" Skulker asked as they flew on.

Vlad replied, "Against my own desires, I have asked Daniel to move forward with his plan of baiting Agent Chrome... and possibly drawing out Gregory."

Skulker smiled. "Glad you saw reason at last. When are we doing this?"

"Not us. Daniel and his friends... But Technus will help. You and I will keep watch from my castle in Wisconsin. We must be ready to intervene with any sign of Chrome or Gregory."

Skulker hummed before asking again, "When?"

"Tonight, if possible."

Skulker raised an eyebrow. "That's quite sudden."

"Maybe, but I fear this window of opportunity will not last very long. I think Daniel believes the same, as he was the one to pick tonight."

"I guess we will see. And I'm a bit surprised. His friends? Are you sure?" Skulker asked skeptically.

Vlad chuckled. "I do not know how they did it, but those teenagers accomplished what you, nor I, nor any of my warriors could... They infiltrated a Guys-in-White's facility. Chrome's facility. And not only did they come out practically unscathed, but they freed my warriors... Even I must acknowledge such a feat."

Skulker smirked. "I have to admit, I am interested to see those whelps in action with my own eyes. Although..." The hunter's smile melded into a frown. "My only concern is they will be short two. Elliot was with them the last time. And Ember..."

"Ember will be there," Vlad cut him off. "That is an order from her King."

Skulker's frown deepened. "She is not well, Plasmius."

"She needs to be," Vlad replied. "My son works well with her. I need them together."

Skulker didn't reply at first. He had thought to share what happened with his niece; but... seeing the King so set on his decision, he now thought better of it.

Still, if he were honest, Skulker had every right to be upset with the whole thing. Why couldn't Vlad understand that anyone learning about his and his son's human ...condition would be shocked and confused? Even Anĝela had reacted poorly at first!

But then, Vlad spoke up again.

"I have also decided to involve Daniel in the situation in Amity Park. If all goes well, we will be traveling there, soon. I am already planning how to have him infiltrate the Fentons' little team. If Daniel was able to successfully convince those within Vladimir Masters' social circle about who Daniel Masters is—and mind you, those humans are as cunning as lions and as vicious as sharks—then he can easily fool some children his age. It shouldn't take my son long to identify them. And once I know who they all are, it should be easy to eliminate them."

"Maybe it's time to also consider a permanent solution to the Fentons," Skulker added with a raised eyebrow. "I understand your hesitation. But they are a threat you can't ignore forever."

"I am aware. And I will do what needs to be done when the time comes. And the time will come. I have no doubt. I can then only hope for one of two things..."

"What's that?"

"That Daniel never learns the truth of his origins... Or, if he does... that he will forgive me," Vlad answered soberly.

Skulker could not help but think of Dora's reaction after she learned he had murdered Gregory, her nephew. How do you forgive someone for murdering a part of you? Dora would never forgive him...

But could Danny forgive his father for the same?

Skulker did not know the answer.

"I'm hungry!" Spectra suddenly chirped as she turned away from the full-length mirror and grinned at her partner in crime.

"So soon? I'd thought all that misery you practically inhaled last week would have filled you better than a tick," Bertrand replied with a chuckle.

"Oh, but there's just so much more to try!" she continued and then turned around to look at her reflection. She leaned in to study her immaculate face, taking care to inspect for the slightest wrinkle or blemish.

"I can't disagree on that. But is that a good idea?" the male ghost countered. "The King and the Prince just returned. What if they come looking for you while you're gone? Not to mention, our royal highnesses tend to visit the prison after an extended absence. Remember last time the King caught us at the prison? Imagine if he saw us near there again? Or, worse, finds out Walker lets us use the portal near there for our... ventures."

Spectra suddenly frowned, but not at anything Bertrand had said. In fact, she was hardly paying attention. Instead, she was more focused on how she had just spotted the faintest crease at the corner of her eye.

It was definitely time to 'eat' again.

The good thing about this war and its progression was that the more the King swept through the Human World, the more misery spread around. It was such easy pickings now-a-days.

Their King's thirst for power and destruction seemed all but unquenchable, including all the sorrow he left in his wake. And who were they to not help with 'clean up'? Someone had to!

"Eh," Spectra replied dismissively as she moved away from the mirror and toward Bertrand. She then plopped on the couch beside him, and somewhat focused on the conversation again as she said, "Vlad and Danny are too busy trying to play catch-up after all these months of being absent. I barely got a word in with either of them yesterday at the dinner celebration. They're not going to even notice I'm gone. Not that they ever do even when they are around! And as for catching us at the prison again... We just gotta be alert. No big deal."

"I guess...," Betrand replied. "That still irks me though."

"What?"

"You know, how we still have to be super careful when we sneak out; while they can so easily vanish without a trace. From what Walker has shared, not even the council knows where they go. This last time with Prince Phantom... no one knew where Plasmius was hiding him."

Spectra shrugged. "Vlad's been doing this since he became King; and he's clever. It doesn't surprise me he can outsmart his enemies. My bet is that he goes to the Human World. Probably hides Danny there, too."

"But how?"

"Same way we do," Spectra lazily answered. She was already getting bored with his prattle.

"Spectra, the most we have stayed out there has been a few days before we need to return because of our core's energy depleting in that world," the male ghost argued. "Plus, it's not exactly safe for ghost to be out there for too long with so many hunters. Whether the Ghost King controls the human territory or not, there is always a chance of running into someone looking to kill ghosts. So, how in the world could the King use the Human World as a hide out? Let alone risk taking his son out there? And for months? It's not possible."

Spectra was quiet for a moment before she shrugged again. "Whatever he does, it's definitely working for him. And it benefits us. So, then! What will it be? I'm in the mood for Chinese!"

Bertrand laughed; but then grinned evilly as he leaned forward. "I heard the French have some of the best food... Isn't that one of our King's latest takeovers? Imagine how fresh the misery must be there..."

Penelope licked her lips. "We can slip into one of those infirmaries. I love those. It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet!"

"Let's do it, then!"

"Perhaps, I can persuade you to choose a different location?"

The two misery-feeding ghosts tensed as a third voice intruded in their conversation. Except... it had not spoken out loud...

"Did you...?" Bertrand began, looking around Spectra's home.

"Yeah," Spectra replied with a glare as she stood and drew out her claws.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" the female ghost sneered, looking around for the culprit who had somehow spoken in their minds.

The creature's telepathic chuckle seemed to rattle their brains before it suddenly materialized on top of the couch they had been sitting on.

"You...," Bertrand gasped as he and Spectra took a step away from... Juukka.

The ghost wolf merely watched them for a moment. He was aware he had already connected to their minds; however, Juukka was only privy to the thoughts actively circulating in other's minds.

And for some reason, the first thing that Betrand had thought about with Juukka's arrival was... Horris. And with that, came more memories... Memories of what the shapeshifter had done.

Juukka's eyes flashed green for a brief moment and he whispered in their minds, "You... You poisoned my guardian."

Spectra and Bertrand tensed and glanced at each other.

But suddenly Bertrand shook his head, and sneered, "You're the one who poisoned him! It's why the whole ghost world is after your head!"

But even as Bertrand had said that, Juukka sensed a memory that had slipped out of the other male's mind...a memory that involved that male and...

"What do you want, Walker?"

"I need to shift control within the Ancients. That, and... our King has too much baggage. It makes him...weak."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bertrand answered.

"I know you and Spectra poisoned Horris to get the King out of the way the day we set that trap for the Queen and Prince... Could you do it again? But a bit less... inconspicuous?"

Bertrand shrugged. "Um, yeah, I guess; but it would need to be introduced continuously... That's not easy to do."

"Leave that to me. Just get me what I need to get it done."

Juukka was momentarily stunned, unaware that his eyes had begun to flash between red and green. Tears began to trickle down his face; but other than that, there was no reaction. He just stared at them.

In fact, Spectra took the opportunity to slowly move away and around the ghost.

She was on edge. It was clear Juukka was onto them. And that made him dangerous. And yet... she could not be sure of his motives. He might not be responsible for Horris' murder; but he had obviously gone rogue. After all, she had heard about how the ghost had tried to kill Skulker and Vlad six months ago; and as a result, the High Council—including the King—were convinced Juukka was working with the Guys-in-White.

Spectra wasn't sure she bought that Juukka was working with Tom, though. That hunter hated ghosts. Hell, he only tolerated her and Betrand because he hated the Ghost King more. And even after Juukka's attack six months ago, she couldn't imagine the ghost wolf truly turning against his own race...

Something was not adding up; but it didn't matter right now. She had to do something before Juukka decided to attack.

Luckily, she still had a few of Tommy's toys.

Spectra glanced towards a cabinet near the entrance of her living room. She had a ghost device there...

"Why are you here?" Betrand demanded as he morphed into a green cougar when Juukka continued to remain quiet. "Leave! Before we alert the authorities you're here!"

But Juukka just stared back with flashing red and green eyes.

"Uhh... hello?" Betrand asked, waving his hand in front of the non-reactive ghost.

Spectra had managed to move to her cabinet, and grab the energy-suppressing disk; and was now inching back towards the ghost wolf.

"Wait a minute, Spectra...," Bertrand said when he finally remembered what Spectra already had thought about. "...Didn't Walker say the council is saying Juukka is working for Tom?"

"And you believe that?" she hissed yet stopped. "He'd never betray the Ancients, let alone Vlad!"

"Maybe not...," Bertrand slowly muttered when he finally noticed that the color of the ghost wolf's eyes were changing. It was way too familiar...and suspicious.

"Juukka... Who is your master?" Betrand carefully asked.

Juukka suddenly blinked and his eyes immediately turned a solid red. As if reanimated, the creature looked at Bertrand and replied, "Freakshow is my master; but... the Hunter has sent me to find you both."

The wolf ghost then looked at Spectra and the device in her hand as he added, "You do not want to do that...Juukka will be forced to retaliate if you attempt to subdue him..."

Spectra's eyes widened before she smirked. "Well... Freakshow and Tommy have definitely been busy..." She lowered the weapon to her side; and studying the wolf ghost curiously, she asked, "So, what are you? Gregor's replacement?"

Juukka stared back without a response before he suddenly looked down at the compartment on his wrist. He typed something on the device there, and the compartment opened.

He finally pulled out a small tracker and offered it to Spectra.

"The Hunter said you will find him here... if you are interested in a new... deal."

Juukka then looked back at Betrand and his eyes flashed green again. He showed no other reaction; and before they could say anymore, the creature disappeared through a portal.

Spectra hummed before she smirked at Betrand and said, "Looks like the menu has changed from French to All-American."

Gregor slowly woke up feeling something warm caressing his face. It was so familiar that he groggily thought he was somehow lying in the sun at the edge of a lake in the forest he often visited. He reflexively relished the memory as the sensation continued to radiate.

But then, the teen's eyes fluttered open and he immediately knew he was not lying on his back as he first thought, but on his side. And he instantly spotted the source of that heat sitting right on the night stand next to his bed. He frowned. It seemed as if the glowing, red glass-like sphere might as well have fallen off his master's staff... Except that it felt nothing like its...lure...and, besides, there was something within it besides the light and heat. He squinted his eyes before they widened. Two dragonflies, somehow suspended in flight! And perfectly preserved!

Gregor was awed by it.

"I am sorry to say that your... companions did not survive your absence," a familiar voice said quietly.

The teen raised his head a bit, and immediately noticed Aragon sitting in a chair some feet away from his bed.

For the first time, Gregor did not feel that overwhelming fear with the older ghost's presence. Maybe it was because he was too confused to be afraid right now.

Where had this ghost gotten the dragonflies? How did he even know he kept them as pets?

"I thought they might bring you some comfort," Aragon continued. "Even if they are no longer living..."

Gregor just stared back.

"Oh, I also brought you this..."

Aragon leaned down and lifted a large picnic basket that had been beside the chair and placed it on his lap. He opened it as he said, "I realized it will take you some time to get used to the food here; so, I decided to make an exception to my own rules and bring you human-world sustenance... I was not sure what you like to eat. So, I grabbed a few options."

Gregor watched him take out a loaf of bread, a block of cheese, some fruits, and a few more things that reminded him of how hungry he was...

"I do not know exactly what all these are, but they should be edible. And I already supplemented everything with pure energy... It..."

"What do you want?" Gregor cut him off quietly.

It was a logical question, wasn't it? Gregor had been through this before. And one of the first lessons he learned as a kid was that no one was this nice. There was always a catch.

Tom. His Master. Spectra and Bertrand. Everyone always wanted something in return.

Even... Sam and Valerie. Not intentionally, of course, But...they were nice to him only because they didn't know who he really was... what he was.

Aragon frowned as he slowly lowered the jars of fruit preserve back into the basket.

"I just want you to eat," he answered truthfully. He then glanced over at the dragonflies in the energy sphere and added, "And for you to feel at home."

Gregor sat up on the bed and pulled his legs towards his chest. He looked troubled now.

"You... You're lying," he muttered back. "I'm not stupid... You want something. So, just say it."

Aragon stared at him for another moment before replying, "What do you think I want from you?"

Gregor frowned as he answered guardedly, "Information, maybe. On me. On the human hunter. On my—"

But the boy stopped himself, and just pressed his legs closer against him.

Aragon did not miss his son's omission to... something.

But ignoring that, Aragon's eyebrows creased as he countered, "And... what do you think will happen if you do not give me this... information?"

Gregor didn't answer this time; yet his eyes betrayed him. A single, small fearful glance at the basket was all the answer the older ghost needed.

"Those monsters... starved him," Aragon silently realized. They would force him to do things in return for mere necessities...

Once again, the dragon leader felt pure hot rage curl around his core; and while he tried to contain it, it must have briefly flashed in his eyes because Gregory instantly tensed with further unease.

Aragon briefly looked away. This was the first time his son had shown him anything else but anger and fear. He didn't want to backtrack now.

"Actually...," Aragon muttered, thinking carefully on his next words. "...I would like some information from you."

Gregor tensed even more, and his eyes narrowed slightly to mask his growing fear.

The dragon leader hated the words the moment they had left his mouth because he could already imagine his son's thinking he was just like his abusers. But... It was all his son knew. For now, he would have to 'talk his language' until he showed his son a new way of living, something else besides fear and enslavement.

Aragon pointed at the dragonflies within the red sphere and asked, "Would you mind telling me about those...? I'm afraid I do not know much about them except they are called... dragonflies..."

Gregor looked confused again. Was that really what this ghost was going to ask about?

The teen hesitated.

"You do not have to tell me... I am just curious. They are beautiful little creatures. Shame I could not see them alive and free..."

Gregor looked back at the sphere, and he couldn't help but smile. He loved dragonflies.

"Yeah... They're... cool."

"Cool?"

Gregor looked back at Aragon. He hesitated again. "Nice? It means, nice... I think."

"Oh, I see...," Aragon replied. "I found these two already deceased close to where you lived in the Human World... They caught my attention. I could not understand why such beautiful creatures were... just lying on the ground outside a human home. It did not seem like they belonged there..."

Gregor lowered his gaze. "Because they didn't belong there. Not really. They prefer forest and swamps; and only venture away to hunt... I... I took them from the forest. I tried to give them a good home, but I guess I didn't do a good job... "

"I am sure you did the best you could."

Gregor glanced sadly at the preserved dragonflies. "I didn't want them to die..."

Aragon frowned sadly at his disheartened son; but deciding perhaps this wasn't the best topic, after all, he slowly stood.

But Gregor immediately looked at him and froze with wariness. He looked like a cornered mouse again.

"Would you mind perhaps looking through this basket?" Aragon asked causally as he carefully neared the teenager. He then offered him the basket, and added, "I, well... I brought it for you. But the truth is I am a bit intrigued... You see, I have never eaten human food. Maybe I should try some myself? It must be somewhat appetizing if you enjoy it so much..."

Gregor's eyes quickly darted from Aragon to the basket being offered to him. His fingernails dug into his palms in some vain effort to keep his hands from reaching forward. He was so hungry.

But he knew the ghost was just bribing him. He wanted something. They all wanted something... But maybe he could play it smart? Yeah, he just needed to comply with the male ghost enough to get food. That, and keep this ghost satisfied enough to keep him from showing his true colors, which undoubtedly would include violence.

Gregor wasn't an idiot. He knew this ghost was powerful. He stood no chance against him.

"If you are not interested, then I can just—"

Gregor quickly reached for the basket and pulled it towards him on the bed. He stared at Aragon for another moment before he turned to the basket and opened it.

Gregor's mouth watered as he anticipated his savoring the different fruits, cheese, crackers, jams, and breads. And there was glass bottles brimming with juice! He wanted to tear into all of it and gulp it down.

"I can get something else if you prefer?" Aragon suddenly suggested when he noticed the boy just staring at the contents in the basket.

Gregor shook his head and finally reached in to grab an apple out of the basket. He was about to eat it but then paused. He looked back at Aragon. And then with uncertainty, he extended the apple to the ghost.

Aragon smiled before he reached forward and took it. "Thank you... I know this one. It is called an 'apple'. Never had it though. Is it good?"

Gregor grabbed another apple from the basket and this time took a bite in response.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Aragon replied with a small chuckle.

The male ghost hesitated to try the fruit, and Gregor almost smirked. This ghost seriously had never had human food? He felt bad for him... He didn't know what he was missing!

Aragon finally took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. He really had not expected to like such a foreign thing, but...

"That is surprisingly... pleasant," the male dragon ghost said, impressed.

"Yeah?" Gregor asked with a small smile. "It's good, right? I love apples!"

The teen then set down his half-eaten apple on the bed. And now more animated, he reached back into the basket and pulled out more fruits as well as some kind of cheese Danish.

He took a bite of that, and then grinned. "Now, this is good! Here, try it!"

He took out another Danish and offered it to Aragon. "It's a Danish; or some fancy version of it anyways!"

Aragon took the pastry but was a bit unsure again. The truth was he had no desire to continue to eat human food; but... if it distracted his son and got him to finally eat something, then...

Aragon took a bite of the pastry; and while it was not horrible, he could not say he enjoyed it as much as the apple. It was too strong in taste. Too sweet.

Gregor seemed to love it though because he ate two of those in a row. He then finished his apple before grabbing some grapes.

"So, what do you really want to know?" Gregor suddenly asked. He didn't give Aragon more food since he seemed to be taking his time with the Danish. The male ghost had finished the apple though.

Aragon appeared momentarily lost in thought; but the question definitely got his attention.

His son really did believe he was trying to bribe him or get something out of him. But it would be pointless to say otherwise. Gregory would not believe him. And... Aragon supposed his son was not completely wrong.

Of course, he had a million questions—questions he had had for years!

He wanted to know about that horrible human; about what that beast had done to his son all these years; what his son had been forced to do; how he survived this long... Who took him...?

But as much as he wanted to know, Aragon did not want his son to have any reason to believe his only interest in him was to get something out of him. He would not allow his son to feel 'used' ever again.

"How about a request, instead?"

Gregor had been about to open a bottle of juice when he tensed.

"Request?"

What was the ghost going to have him do now that Gregor had taken the bait?

Before Gregor could panic or start thinking of worst-case scenario, Aragon looked towards the open veranda and said, "You must be tired of being cooped up in this room. Would you like to take a stroll in the garden with me? We will not go too far since you are only just recovering. But... I think you will enjoy it."

Gregor stared down at his unopened bottle. He did want to get out of this room. This was only his second day awake, and he was already on the brink of insanity. What he really wanted was to go home... But he couldn't do that.

"It is only a request," Aragon reminded him.

"With you?" Gregor asked, unsure.

"Yes... Simply because you might get lost. You still do not know our home. Once you do, you are welcome to go on your own, if you want..."

Gregor glanced out at the veranda. He didn't want to be close to this ghost longer than necessary. But he was right. He would have to get to know his surroundings. It might even be beneficial with his plan of finding the quickest escape if things got too dangerous here.

"Yeah, okay," Gregor muttered before he looked back at his juice bottle and finally opened it.

He took a long drink, and then sighed in satisfaction. But he immediately blushed when he saw that the other ghost was smiling at him.

"Do you feel better?"

Gregor just nodded and lowered his bottle onto the bed.

"Well, then," Aragon suddenly said, standing again and grabbing his unfinished Danish. "I will let you enjoy your meal in peace. I will return later to take you to the gardens. Let me know if you need anything else."

Gregor didn't answer.

The older male smiled pleasantly at him before he finally left.

The teenager watched after him. He wondered how long his 'nice' act would last. Hopefully, long enough for him to escape this place.

Gregor finished his juice before he grabbed a large cured sausage link. He ripped off the plastic wrapping with his teeth before he proceeded to eat the whole thing.

As he ate the last of it, he glanced over to the red sphere on the night stand. He wiped his hands on a napkin he found inside the basket before he reached over and grabbed the sphere—

—only to gasp and violently yank his hands away.

There was ghost energy in it. Not just ambient energy, but energy that belonged to that dragon ghost... to Aragon.

Gregor's eyebrows creased. It had felt... warm... and nice.

And... somehow familiar.

Gregor hesitated some more before he reached for it again. He tensed as his fingers wrapped around the crystal; but this time, he did not let go.

He brought it over with him on the bed and raised it up to his eye level.

The dragonflies were pulsing with the same red power.

Why did this foreign energy feel... familiar?

"Come here, my child... why are you so upset?"

"I-I tried to fly, and I fell down the hill, and it hurts!" the young dragon wept.

The older male pulled him closer, inspecting the child's wings. The right one had a few cuts that were trickling ectoplasm. But nothing appeared broken.

"It hurts!"

"Shh, you will be alright. Hold still for me, alright?"

The older male then pulled him into his arms and pressed his large, warm hand against his core.

The child whimpered, but not in pain. Instead, he curled his long neck around the familiar humanoid form, pressing up against the warm core in the center of the older male's chest.

Almost instantly, the pain ebbed away, and the child purred happily again.

"Do you feel better, Gregory?"

The child nodded, though he continued to hold onto the older male.

He liked how his father was always warm...

Gregor blinked in confusion with the sudden... vision. He couldn't know that his red eyes were melding into a warm yellow. All he could do was stare at the sphere; and then, he had the desire to bring it closer...

Closer to his core.

Except he never got the chance.

A green force field unexpectedly appeared around the red sphere and yanked it away from his grasp.

Gregor jolted, his eyes turning red again. And yet, he gasped when he saw the sphere now in Juukka's hand.

"Hey! That's mine!" the older teen protested.

"No, pup. This is dangerous!" Juukka replied sternly.

"What? No, it's not! It's my dragonflies! And... just give it back, you damn mutt!" Gregor snapped angrily.

"No, pup... It is a threat to your bond with our Master."

"What are you...? Wait! No!"

Gregor scrambled off the bed the moment Juukka unexpectedly crushed the sphere, shattering it into tiny red shards.

The teen scrambled to the ground and desperately scooped up what remained of his new gift... But all there was left were shards of glass and pieces of insect too small to save.

But the worst of it was... the memories triggered by Juukka's actions...

"No, Master! Please give him back to me! Don't hurt him!" Gregor suddenly shook his head, and screamed, "DAMN YOU! You can't hurt him!

"Watch me!" Freakshow screamed back, and then ripped his stuffed dragon to pieces.

Gregor's eyes flashed a brighter red as rage like no other gripped his entire being.

With a scream, he suddenly lunged at Juukka.

The creature tried to teleport away; but Gregor had expected it. The teen's body instantly dissolved into smoke despite the room's anti-power spell. The moment he reformed, he grabbed Juukka by the neck and slammed him into the ground with such force that the floor cracked.

Gregor's rage deafened the ghost wolf's yelp as he extended and then angrily thrust the claws of his right hand straight at the creature's chest.

Gregor was so inflamed that he had forgotten that he had already cracked his claws against the floor when he had earlier attempted to attack Juukka. And, it was too bad that he had never anticipated just how strong the creature's armor was. Because the moment his claws made contact, three of his five claws snapped clean in half!

Gregor screamed loudly and instinctively jolted back as he gripped his bleeding hand against his chest.

Juukka scrambled to his feet and gasped in fear. Not only had the teen really hurt himself, someone would have surely heard him scream!

Gregor fell on his back rolling and crying in agony as he continued to grip his hand.

"Pup! Why did you...?!"

"You broke it!" he wailed in a mixture of pain but still utter fury. But then, he twisted violently toward the ghost wolf, and with a glare, sneered, "I hate you! You broke it!"

Juukka's eyes briefly flashed green, and his ears flattened back with regret.

"...Juukka is sorry," he whispered, troubled and confused.

Gregor didn't say anymore. Even with how angry he was, it did not compare to the physical, emotional, and mental anguish swelling inside him. And rolling on his back again, he let out an anguished cry. All he could do was grip his bleeding hand against his chest as more unwanted memories surfaced.

They were images of his master. Of all the pain he had subjected him to. Of his destroyed dragonfly. Of... that red power.

There was nothing comforting about it! It was painful! Suffocating!

Why did his master hurt him like that? What had he done to deserve so much pain and anguish?!

Juukka's ears pressed back in concern; but before he could do or say anything else, he heard footsteps.

With an annoyed growled, Juukka vanished.

And the door swung open.

"Gregory!"

It was Aragon.

And seeing the ectoplasm smeared on the ground and on the teenager, Aragon ran over and knelt beside him.

"What did you do, Gregory?!"

Gregor gasped and cringed when the older dragon ghost grabbed his shoulder.

"G-Get away!" he shouted, sounding dismayed as he squeezed his eyes shut and held his injured hand closer against him.

"Gregory, just let me see. I can help!"

"No... No! Just leave me alone! Stop... Stop hurting me!"

Aragon's eyes widened in alarm. Why would his son think...?

The older ghost suddenly gripped the teen by his upper arms and forced him to sit up.

"Gregory," Aragon whispered. "Look at me."

To his surprise, the younger ghost did. But it was then that Aragon saw it. And while he had seen this before, he had not been sure before if it was a trick of the light or his imagination. But being this close to his son left no doubt...

Gregor's red eyes had flashed yellow! And Aragon realized that there was still something invading his son's mind... But...what kind of sorcery was over his child that could holdfast even away from whatever source had caused it in the Human World?! At least... he believed it to be away! He had even made sure to destroy anything the child had had on him that had come from the Human World.

Aragon lowered his gaze to the teen's bleeding hand and raised his own towards it.

"D-Don't hurt me."

Aragon's hand stilled just inches away from his son's own as his eyes darted up to meet the younger dragon's fearful gaze. There were tears gathering in his red eyes. Tears of pain, confusion, and sadness.

"Never, child," Aragon assured him soberly before he removed his amulet, and added, "Hold still for me..."

Gregor squeezed his eyes closed and whimpered when warm hands and a warm...power pressed against his injured hand and his core.

There was a flash of red that he could see even with his eyes closed.

But unlike his master's power, this one did not hurt.

Instead, the pain ebbed almost instantly. And he calmed. His confusion melted away with the steady warmth of this familiar energy.

Gregor finally opened his eyes. They flickered yellow again before they returned to red.

Aragon glanced at his son's right hand and saw his broken claws had stopped bleeding. It would take a couple of weeks for them to grow back; but he at least did not break them low enough to cause irreparable damage.

Though Gregor had calmed, his emotional suffering had only slightly decreased. The memories of his master's last assault still gripped at him. And now... this ghost...

"Who are you?" Gregor asked, completely lost. "Why are you helping me?"

Aragon looked back at his son's face. The uncertainty, fear and confusion were back.

Aragon smiled sadly. "I already told you. But I know you do not believe me..."

The male then finally stood up again.

Gregor just looked up at him where he sat, while he kept his once-injured hand against his chest. He could still feel the remnants of the other dragon's power.

"Do you feel better?" Aragon asked instead.

Gregor looked away, and he accidentally looked towards the remains of the red sphere. It suddenly made him angry again. Angry enough to push down his other emotions.

He suddenly glared back at Aragon. "Would you stop pretending to care?!"

"But I do care."

"Then, you're an idiot!" Gregor suddenly yelled as he got back on his feet. "Another idiot who's going to end up dead like everyone else who has! Just... Just leave me alone!"

Aragon didn't reply and instead glanced at the shattered remains of the red sphere on the ground.

"Alright...," Aragon just answered soberly; but he then reached towards the pieces of debris. Red energy quickly swept towards it, lifting up the remains, which then gathered in the older ghost's hand.

Gregor just stared with uncertainty.

But Aragon said nothing else as he moved over to a waste basket and threw away the remains of the red sphere. He then just silently headed to the door.

The young dragon ghost felt the sudden urge to let the other ghost know he had not been the one to destroy the sphere... But he forced himself to keep quiet.

"I think you should rest this evening," Aragon said softly without looking at him. "We can try to take that stroll tomorrow... If you are up to it. Ring the bell if you need anything."

And then he left.

Gregor stared after the male ghost before looking towards the waste basket.

"You must learn to control your emotions, pup..."

Gregor sneered as he whirled around and saw Juukka sitting on the table in the room. The teen noticed two horizontal cracks in the creature's chest plate from his attack... They were oozing a bit with ectoplasm.

It seemed the wolf ghost had not come out completely unscathed.

Good. Served him right.

"Juukka is sorry for upsetting you; but that dragon ghost is trying to separate you from our master... He is a threat to us, pup." Juukka glanced towards the waste basket. "I had no choice but to get rid of it."

Gregor also glanced at the trash can again. He knew the ghost was right. He had felt it. That... brief separation. Then that... vision or... memory? But for some reason, he still wished Juukka had not destroyed it. It had felt nice. It had briefly calmed the anxiety and fear...

Gregor looked away at last, then walked over to his bed and grabbed the picnic basket still on there. As he put the remaining food back inside it, he glanced angrily at Juukka and demanded, "Get out, mutt! Before I really find a way to get past your armor!"

"But Juukka has news..."

I don't care! Just go away!"

Juukka hesitated; but then he sighed as he opened a portal and vanished.

As soon as he was gone, Gregor sat back on the bed and just stared at the picnic basket now on his lap.

His mind felt like it would explode at any minute from the turmoil. He was confused and angry.

But what troubled him more was why he felt this way. Sure, he was confused by these ghosts around him, especially Aragon.

But he was mostly confused and angry at... at the memories. It had taken him a moment, but he finally remembered all that happened to him before he was forced to come here.

His memories of his master... of all he did to him... They were not pleasant. And while his master had punished him other times before, what he had done to him this last time... it felt different.

For the first time in his life, Gregor felt anger...

True anger towards his master.

Dusk approached far too quickly, and Danny reluctantly stepped back through the man-made portal connected to his father's Wisconsin castle.

His father had also stepped in with him, and immediately turned human.

"How long do you think it will take Technus, Skulker, and my friends to get to Madison?" Danny said, still in his ghost form. "Maybe I should also turn human while we wait?"

Vlad did not answer right away, and instead, went to his mainframe. He typed something in and a hologram of himself appeared.

"No, stay as you are... Unless you can transform willingly," Vlad replied.

"You know I cannot," Danny replied with a frown.

Vlad glanced at him before he ordered the AI program, "Run spectral scan on Prince Phantom."

The virtual hologram calmly walked over to the teenager and raised a hand towards his chest. The 'hand' began to spark.

Danny tensed.

"No need to fear, little Phantom," the hologram reassured him with a smile. "This is painless."

The hologram then shot a red laser towards the Prince. The teen reflexively tried to block the beam as it hit his core, but the infrared light still penetrated him before expanding into various red lines that moved up and down his body.

"All done," the hologram announced as soon as the rays suddenly vanished. It turned away and headed over to another part of the lab.

Danny lightly rubbed his chest, even though he had felt nothing. It had still been a weird experience. He finally walked closer to where his father was standing; but Danny was still watching the hologram as it placed a hand against a reader connected the computer mainframe.

"Running spectral scan now," it announced.

"What is a spectral scan?" Danny asked his father.

"It simply reads your energy and core strength among other things to determine your spectral health. Although Anĝela can do the same, I want to check myself to make sure there is not anything physical keeping you from shifting forms at will."

Vlad then reached over to a nearby drawer and pulled out a black bracelet and a earpiece.

"Put these on. It will help me track your whereabouts and energy level while you are out there. And the earpiece is a communicator."

Danny carefully grabbed them and took note of how they lit up green with his touch. But as soon as he snapped the bracelet on his wrist, it turned white. He then put in the earpiece. It was very small and somehow the same color as his skin, so it almost disappeared in his ear and was further obscured by his hair.

"Spectral scan complete," the hologram suddenly announced.

Vladimir quickly typed something into the computer, and a file popped open on one of the five computer screens.

Danny looked up at it, too; but he did not understand half of the data. But what he did understand was related to his vitals.

"Hmmm... There does not seem to be anything outside of what is normal for your ghost-half... "

"So... if it's not a physical limitation, why do you think I cannot transform?" Danny asked with a frown.

Vlad looked at him for a moment before turning back to the computer screen. He seemed to hesitate before saying, "When you were younger, you had a similar issue... except I could not get you to turn back into your ghost form. I suspect the root cause is for the same reason though... I had hoped you would outgrow these... mental blocks but it is clearly not the case... "

"Mental blocks?" Danny repeated, confused. "You just said it's not a physical issue, so you must mean an emotional mental block... Is that it? ...I cannot turn human at will simply because of some emotional trauma?"

"More of a disassociation, I would say," Vlad answered thoughtfully. "Ever since you learned you were part-human you have struggled with balancing your two sides. I thought it was fear-induced. Maybe in part it still is..."

"I'm not afraid," Danny instinctively denied.

His father glanced at him. "But... I don't think it's only fear... And I don't believe it's some 'emotional' response. It's almost as if your mind and physical body cannot connect... In your mind, you are a ghost. In your mind, your human-side... is foreign. It is what I mean by a 'mental block'. I suspect you simply cannot make the mental connection to trigger your transformation..."

"I suppose my human-side does feel foreign, even after all this time that..." But Danny fell quiet. He wasn't so sure it wasn't some emotional response to his... well, emotions. If he was honest with himself, he all but rejected the fact that he was part-human. He didn't like it. He wished he could just be normal. But maybe his father was right, too. After all this time being in the Human World, he had 'adapted' to being human. He had come to terms with it; and so, he had honestly been trying to work on transforming from ghost to human. But no matter what he did, he just could not turn human at will. And it made no sense when he had no problem with turning back to a ghost at will!

Looking at his father again, he asked, "How do you do it? What do you feel and think of when you turn... human?"

His father's eyebrows creased in thought. "I would not say I think of anything in particular; it's more of a feeling. Although I suppose at first when I had to learn, I would think about the feeling of a heartbeat and my lungs expanding with air... It feels different to be human. Like being underwater. As human, my sense are dampened... But you get used to it. It becomes comfortable, even."

"How?" Danny asked, unsure. He understood the feelings his father was describing; and he agreed being human felt so different to being a ghost; but to say it could be comfortable? It was like telling a person they could get comfortable with the feeling of drowning.

"Exposure," Vlad answered simply. But when he saw his son's eyebrows crease further with confusion, he added, "Do not worry, little Phantom. As I said, we will work on this. I will show you. For now, let's focus on our plan for tonight. Skulker and Technus will be leading your friends to the set location. You will meet them there, and Skulker will return to assist me with keeping a look out for our potential targets."

The older hybrid then pointed at the earpiece pressed into his son's left ear. "There is a button here... If you press it, it will prompt the device on your wrist to open a communication channel with my own device."

He raised his left wrist to show his son a watch-like device on his own wrist.

"Anything outside of what we discussed you need to let me know at once. And whatever you do, if Chrome shows up tonight, do not to engage him. Our only goal is to try to draw Gregor out... if he is still alive."

Danny nodded, but replied, "If Gregor does show up tonight, he won't be alone. And you won't have the element of surprise to strike like last time, Father."

"Which is why we will not strike. We will retreat, and deal with him another day. As I said, our only goal tonight is to try to uncover the truth regarding his fate."

Danny nodded.

Right then, the computer monitors beeped, and Vlad quickly refocused on the screens.

"Right on time," he said with a smile as he saw his tracker alerting him of ghostly signatures in Madison.

Vlad turned to his son again. "I've turned on the GPS program in the device on your wrist. It will guide you towards Skulker and your friends' location. You might be familiar with the area. It's near that popular park in Madison."

Danny glanced down at the bracelet and noticed it was now softly flashing green. In his earpiece he then suddenly heard a robotic voice say 'linkage complete. Destination set'.

"Daniel?"

Danny looked up at his father again and noticed his sudden sober expression.

"Is... Is this necessary?" the older hybrid muttered as his hand gently pushed aside his son's black cloak to slightly reveal his wardrobe underneath. "You should have just worn your suit... Being so exposed like this..."

Danny smiled warmly because he knew his father wasn't really concerned about his decision to forego his usual black-and-white 'battle' suit for something more...royal.

"I'll be fine, Dad. And what's that human saying? Dress to impress? I even brought my crown!" he said with a grin, tapping the gem around his belt.

But when his father didn't smile back, Danny sighed and placed a hand against his father's chest. "My friends and I can do this."

Vlad reached forward and placed his own hand against his son's core as he replied with a small sigh. "I know."

Danny suddenly wished he could feel his father's core in his human form; but knowing he had no real way of easing his father's worry, he finally pulled away.

"Don't forget to tune in to the nine o'clock news," the young hybrid said with a wink and a smug grin before he turned invisible and intangible, Then, finally, he flew out of the castle until he was high in the sky.

The sun had already set an hour ago and the stars were shining brightly in the clear night sky.

'Proceed forward. Route southwest. Estimated flight duration: thirteen minutes.'

Danny glanced down at the compass flashing on the bracelet's small screen, indicating his direction. Then, with a determined frown, he took off.

He soon got to his destination with no issue. And Phantom sensed his friends and his father's warriors before he even caught sight of them.

He ignored the uncomfortable cold air that escaped his mouth as he came up on their rendezvous. As soon as his feet landed on the clock tower closest to Madison's central park, Johnny, Kitty, Amorpho, and Pointdexter appeared around him.

"About time!" Johnny exclaimed from his seat on his bike. He then stretched out his hands behind him, and added, "I was about to take a nap."

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, Johnny," Kitty said with a sigh and shake of her head. "We weren't waiting that long."

"I still can't believe we're out here again!" Amorpho remarked with a nervous laugh.

"First for me! But I came prepared!" Poindexter said with an excited grin.

Danny smiled at him as he answered, "Glad you could make it, Sydney. Thank you for coming..." He then glanced at the others and added, "All of you."

"Told you, little dude," Johnny replied, "You don't need to thank us." But he then looked at Sydney, and asked, "What did you mean you came prepared? What's in that backpack?"

Pointdexer grinned. "Lots of useful things. Like this ruler here!"

Johnny blinked as the other teen ghost pulled out a large ruler as tall as him out of the tiny backpack. But instead of being impressed by the impossibility, the older teen questioned dryly, "What are you going to do with that? Measure your coffin after a hunter blasts you to pieces? ...Ugh..."

Johnny shook his head before he looked over at Amorpho and muttered, "Told you not to bring him."

"Watch it, you big bully!" Sydney snapped before his shape-shifting friend could reply to Johnny. "I can easily measure you with the same measure you judge others! See if I share any of my snacks tonight!"

Johnny slapped his face.

"Okay, enough. It's time to focus," Danny jumped in before he looked around, and added, "Where is Skulker and Technus... And Ember?"

"I'm right here," the girl suddenly said as she appeared at the edge of the tower. She was sitting with her back towards everyone looking down at the view below. "My uncle and Technus are scouting the surroundings. They should be back any minute."

Danny frowned as his friend did not even bother to look at him. But with a small sigh, he walked over to her. "Ember..."

"We'll talk later, Danny," she softly cut him off with a sobering glance before she looked back out into the distance.

Danny's eyebrows creased in sadness. But before he could say anymore, Skulker and Technus suddenly appeared.

"Looks like all is quiet," Skulker said as his eyes locked on the Prince. "Are you ready?" he asked him.

Danny nodded.

"Good," Skulker said before looking back at Technus. "Follow the Prince's lead. The King and I will remain hidden. Far away to not be detected by hunters. But if anything goes wrong, we will intervene."

Skulker then turned to Danny again; but this time, his expression melded into a sober frown. "My Prince..."

"I know, Skulker," Danny answered with a small smile. "I'll be careful. Go. I will handle the rest."

The hunter nodded and smiled before he glanced quietly at his niece. But they said nothing to each other, and Skulker soon vanished and flew away.

"Everyone knows what to do? Just like we discussed...," Danny said; but then he hesitated, and added, "Ember...?"

"Relax, Ghost Prince," Ember cut him off. "I know the plan."

Danny frowned at her but then focused on Technus. "Let's go."

The tech ghost smirked at him before the two took off into the sky, while the rest of the ghost teenagers turned invisible as they waited for the next part of the plan.

"How long do you think this will take?" Danny asked.

Technus glanced at him. "No time at all. A few minutes at most. Believe me, Ghost Prince. Once you've cracked a communication tower, you've cracked them all."

"Good. I want to make sure we can capture our audience's attention quickly..." Danny answered with a smirk.

"I will make sure you get their full attention," Technus answered evilly.

Technus knew that his skills to infiltrate and take control over almost any human technology with the smallest of access points made him dangerous to the humans and thereby so vital to the Ghost King's takeover. He really could take over at any communication tower. But the plan was for them to seize the largest tower that was just ahead so that they would secure a faster connection to multiple satellites and servers.

"Showtime, Prince," Technus announced as they landed. And with a cackle, he vanished within the electrical wiring of the large antenna.

Danny reached down to his belt and pulled out his crown. He briefly studied it before he pushed back his hood and placed it on his head. He then took a step closer to the edge of the building and looked out at the city.

There were so many tall buildings with flashing screens; and the lights that illuminated the streets below were so bright that one could barely see the stars in the dark and clear sky. He had not been out here as Phantom before—always as Daniel Masters. So, it certainly felt like he was viewing the city of Madison for the first time.

But while the streets were empty due to the curfew in Wisconsin, it was clear the inhabitants were awake in their houses, apartments or working overnight inside the buildings. Everything was bright and calm.

That is, until, suddenly, everything electrical went off. And there was pitch darkness.

Phantom's green eyes glowed brighter and his pupils seemed to vanish as his eyes created their own light to accommodate his night vision.

If he listened carefully, he could hear the alarmed cries of humans, clearly confused by the blackout. And the Prince knew that all the power grids throughout the state were now falling like dominoes as Technus' power went viral..

And yet, the blackout did not last more than a couple minutes. Power quickly returned, and the lights and other electrical devices came back to life. It appeared like nothing had happened at first except for the large TV screens around the city flickering with indiscernible static.

Phantom slowly grinned when the static stopped; but instead of the normal ads and broadcast, each TV screen now reflected a steady image of himself.

The Ghost Prince knew his face was now plastered on every TV and computer screen, and his voice was on every radio output in the state of Wisconsin. He could imagine the humans' news and entertainment companies now scrambling with the sudden loss of control of their own satellites and feeds. Not only that, but they were also picking up their little phones and making calls, spreading the news of what was happening in Wisconsin.

After all, humans loved to spread gossip and drama. And nothing like a demonstration of the King's power and control over Wisconsin to get the attention of this state, of all the states... and the entire human world.

Phantom estimated at most it would take mere minutes before the rest of the news channels around the world were also projecting the live feed from Wisconsin.

That was the plan, of course. For the whole world to see and hear him tonight.

In fact, it was for that reason he was not wearing his usual white and black battle suit. Instead, he wore dark pants without anything covering his chest, except for his armlets and royal necklace which reflected his brightly glowing royal symbol.

He was still wearing his cloak; but as he stepped forward he pushed it back like a cape and his crown gleamed in the spotlight.

He wanted no doubt in anyone's mind who he was.

He grinned wider, showing off his elongated fangs to the many cameras focused on him.

Like he did as Daniel Masters, he pushed back any thought or emotion, and played his part.

And he played it very well.

"Good evening, Citizens of Wisconsin... And to anyone else watching... I do not believe we have formally met. So, I have decided that tonight I would rectify this rude oversight..."

Extending his arms outward, he bowed dramatically and said, "I am Phantom. Your Prince."

He looked back at the cameras and continued with a calm smile, "And, tonight, I am serving as your liaison with the Ghost King... After all, it has been many years now since this state made the wise choice of submitting to his rule. And clearly, it has been for the better. Compared to other states and places around the world who refuse his guidance—not that there are many left—", he added with a smirk, "—Wisconsin has seen an increase in prosperity. Crime rates have declined over sixty percent. Even the environment has benefitted since my King's reign. Wisconsin is at peace. It is safe..."

The Prince's eyebrows creased as his hands came forward. "It is why the act of aggression from a rogue ghost hunter a few days ago is a serious matter. And while I am here on behalf of your ruler, King Plasmius, as your liaison, I also come to offer the best possible resolution for us all. The murder of royal guards is not a mere threat to just the ghost kingdom, but a threat to its subjects in Wisconsin. After all, loyal citizens, it is your peace and safety that has currently been challenged!"

He paused only briefly before continuing, "Contrary to what radicals might want you to think, your King has your best interests at heart! Yes, in the past there has been loss and hardship. All good outcomes have a painful beginning, after all. But ultimately, I can confidently say King Plasmius has never taken pleasure in the wake of death or destruction. He is not here to destroy your human society, but rather, to make it better. The goal has always been to create a world where humans and ghosts can safely coexist. And Wisconsin is the proof that such a union is possible..."

"Unfortunately...," Prince Phantom said with a deeper frown. "...not everyone wants a world without violence... This hunter... The one who calls herself the Red Huntress has dared to disrupt our treaty by murdering simple guards who were only fulfilling their duties of watching over and protecting the citizens of Wisconsin! This hunter, in allegiance with the Guys-in-White, has spilled ghostly blood on the pristine streets of this city! And it is absolutely unforgivable!"

"...Tell me, then...," Danny eyes flashed with anger. "...How should your King react to such hostility within his own territory? A lesser King would punish all Wisconsin's citizens for such disrespect! In fact, the law says such crime is punishable by death!"

"But..." Phantom's expression and body posture relaxed as he asserted more calmly, "...our King is fair. He is just. And he knows all of you are as much a victim as those poor guards. It is why he has sent me."

He spread his arms again as he continued confidently, "It is why I have stepped forward to fight for the King's loyal human subjects. You deserve protection. You deserve peace. But for me—and your King—to assure it, we need your help. Your support. Open your eyes, good citizens! Look and see who the real threat is to your lives and livelihood! Who your real enemy is! The King and I are not your enemy! Ghosts are not your enemy! The real enemies are those who wish for the violence and bloodshed to continue! The real enemy is the Guys-in-White and anyone else who continues to fight against the safe world our King offers humankind!"

Danny silenced and his eyebrows creased. He took a moment to look at the screens around him to make sure his eyes connected to each camera angle before he said with soft passion. "Join me. Join us. And together we will eliminate once and for all the real threat to our worlds! I am now before you tonight to ask for your support. Help me defend you now, Good Citizens. We can make a stand together; we can make a pact to not rest until we end the true reason of this world's suffering. Do not let those who truly wish you ill fool you!"

His eyes narrowed a bit, and revealed, "The Guys-in-White have made it their mission to convince the Human World this war was started by the Ghost King—by a monster wishing to enslave you all. But the truth is, this war was started by their hand. By their greed. They declared war not just on ghost-kind but human-kind. They call themselves your protectors when it is far from the truth. If you still do not believe me, then see a real example of the truth in the place you call 'Amity Park'. The Guys-in-White have caused more destruction and harm there than my King ever did during his attempts to take control from those hunters' corrupted hands! And when they finally could cause no more harm, they abandoned that city. Fled, like cowards. Their leader..."

Danny smirked, and corrected himself, "No, their so-called leader is nowhere to be found. And after failing Amity Park, he dares bring his evil to the peaceful state of Wisconsin by sending one of his little soldiers to cause mayhem! No, I will not allow it. We, good citizens, cannot allow it! It is why I convinced my King to withhold his intervention in the matter concerning the murders of those peaceful ghost guards. Instead, he has agreed with me to entrust you, citizens of Wisconsin, to bring those responsible to justice..."

The Ghost Prince stepped forward as he seriously said, "This is your command: Hand over the Red and White hunters. Their leader, Thomas Chrome... And anyone associated to the Guys-in-White... They are to be handed over to us ...Dead or alive... and the Ghost King will reward your loyalty. You will be named the 'Watchers of the King'. The command and offer, however, extends to all human citizens under the King's banner. Bring forward any threat to the crown; and... your king will grant you the greatest of rewards: true freedom."

He smiled. "Help us end this war, and while you will live under the Ghost King's banner, we will return leadership of your cities and towns; to your governments and human leaders, as long as they remain submitted to the King's vision of a peaceful world. We will prove to all that it is possible for humans and ghosts to coexist."

"I know the fine citizens of this city will do what is right...," he said confidently. "In fact, to show our good faith, my King has agreed to lift all curfew from the state of Wisconsin starting tomorrow. You, citizens, will pave the way for a new treaty between humans and ghosts... Help us fight against the real enemy and you will know true freedom..."

"As for those who insist on war..." Phantom's tone of voice darkened, yet he stood confidently even as he placed his hands behind his back.

"... Listen well now..." His eyes narrowed as he emphasized, "Listen well, Agent Chrome... and anyone who threatens the King's ghost and human subjects... Your end is near. And believe me when I tell you, I will be there to see that end. You will lose. So, come out. Stop hiding and face me."

The Ghost Prince brought his hands forward to his side, revealing his now elongated claws before he finished with a dark smirk. "I will finish what you started..."

And with that, Danny vanished, and the screens went black.

The younger hybrid reappeared at the building where he left his friends.

"Nice job, kid. A bit too much 'King Plasmius' vibe, but, not bad...," Johnny said with a smirk.

"I got chills!" Kitty said with a giggle.

"My teeth started chattering!" Sydney added, and Amorpho agreed with a laugh.

"Stop," Danny replied with a small chuckle before he looked over at the now black screens. But suddenly, they lit up again with their normal programming.

Technus soon materialized in front of him.

"Thank you, Technus...," Danny said with a smile.

The tech ghost nodded, "Glad I could help, my Prince."

"Now what, Danny?" Ember asked.

Danny smirked. "Now, we wiggle the bait... Amorpho..."

"You got it, Prince," Amorpho said as he created two duplicates; and then they morphed into exact versions of the Ghost Prince—crown and all. With a laugh, the copies flew off.

"Amorpho's clones will be flying above the city to try to draw out our enemies. Meanwhile, we will all spread out but not too far," Danny ordered. "You are to stay hidden and only keep watch. If you see any humans, consider them a threat and report back to this spot. Do not engage."

They all nodded and disappeared before only Technus was left. "Technus, you know what to do...,"

"Not my first rodeo, my Prince," Technus replied cockily before he vanished inside the nearest electric device.

Danny looked out in the distance at the quiet city before he pressed on the button on his earpiece. "Bait is set."

"Well done, Prince Phantom," his father praised him "Even if Chrome does not show, he will at least send out some of his hunters.... We already know the Red Huntress is in Wisconsin. And if he's alive, the White Hunter won't be far behind. Remember any sight of trouble, let me know at once, and Skulker and I will come to assist. Do not engage them."

"Understood," he answered before he disconnected.

"Pamela, honey. It will be alright," Jeremy tried to comfort his wife who was shaken up after hearing the Prince's speech.

The couple had been watching the news together in one of their living rooms when the power had abruptly gone off.

Sam and Valerie, who had been in their rooms, immediately had come down to investigate the power outage.

But just as they had arrived at the living room, the lights had come back... and so had the TV.

The Manson family and Valerie could do nothing but stare in disbelief as the Ghost Prince appeared on the TV and gave his unexpected speech.

But the shock wore off all too soon...

Pamela covered her mouth as more tears formed in her eyes. "Those horrid creatures are after my brother! First his adopted son, now him! Oh, Jeremy! If something happens to Tom...!"

"Mom," Sam jumped in as her mom's sobs got louder. Despite their disagreements, she didn't like seeing her mom upset.

"Uncle Tom is an experienced hunter," she tried to reassure her. "Of course, they are going to target him; but that doesn't mean he can't defend himself. He's smart and resourceful. He'll be fine, Mom..."

Pam looked at her daughter; and her words seemed to do the trick because she calmed down significantly. But still clearly worried, she stared back at her husband and asked, "What does this even mean, Jeremy? The Ghost Prince has now set his eyes on Wisconsin! You heard him! He wants people to turn against each other! Are we even safe here anymore?!"

Mr. Manson didn't reply, clearly distraught and unsure of what to say.

"I'm going to go call Tom," Pamela suddenly said.

"Good idea!" Jeremy answered and hurriedly followed his wife out of the living room.

Sam sighed before turning her eyes to Valerie... only Valerie was no longer in the room.

"Crud!" Sam thought and ran out of the living room.

"Uh, going to bed! Good night!" Sam shouted as she raced past her parents on the stairs.

They said something back, but she didn't hear it.

Sam turned the corner; and getting to Valerie's room, she didn't even bother to knock and barged in.

"Valerie!" Sam called urgently, closing and locking the door behind her to avoid the risk of her parents hearing or coming to look for them.

The girl, who was already in her ghost hunting suit, only glanced at her before she turned towards her window and opened it.

"I have to go out there, Manson. Don't try to stop me."

"No!" Sam answered, grabbing her arm. She ignored the other girl's glare behind her vizor and snapped, "You can't go out there! It's what they want!"

"I know it's what they want!" Valerie muttered angrily as she yanked her arm from the other girl. "And I will give them exactly what they want!"

But as the girl went to press a button to activate her glider, Sam moved around to somewhat block her exit.

"Valerie, I get you're angry, but think! My uncle and his men are nowhere near here! We are in a state owned by the Ghost King! And you just stamped a target on your forehead after what you did a few days ago! They are looking to kill you, like... like Gregor!"

Valerie was still frowning; but her anger was not so much directed at her friend this time.

"It's because of Gregor that I have to go out there! Sam, you heard that freak!" the Red Huntress exclaimed. "He threatened your uncle's life! He's threatening all of us! He might have talked about peace and good intentions, but we both know the true intent behind that! For all we know, if I don't show my face, he'll go harm innocent people just to prove some point! And I can't let that happen!"

Valerie let out a sharp sigh before she muttered. "You're right... I was stupid enough to draw attention to myself after Agent C told me to lay low... But I'm not letting anyone get hurt for my mistakes so move!"

Sam stared back with uncertainty before she asked, "Have you at least tried to call my uncle? I'm sure he'll back you up if..."

"I'm sure he'll be calling me soon enough," Valerie replied with a scoff. "He's going to be furious with me for blowing my cover... Then again, I'm sure if Agent C was here, he'd want me to go after Phantom anyways."

The hunter suddenly smirked. "Who knows. If I'm lucky, I might just get the chance to kill that ghost tonight and put an end to all this!"

Sam looked even more troubled. For one, there was no way Valerie could get close enough to the Ghost Prince to even try to kill him; so Valerie was ultimately walking into a trap. And even if by some chance, the other girl could get close enough to Danny to... end him...

No, Sam couldn't allow it.

"I'm going with you," she suddenly said.

"No way, Manson! You have no suit. You don't even have a weapon!"

"I've never needed a suit to ghost hunt," Sam answered rolling her eyes. "But I do need a weapon... And you have plenty."

Valerie opened her mouth to protest.

But Sam cut her off, "I'm not asking. I'm telling you. I am going out there regardless of what you think, but maybe I—and you—stand a better chance together."

Valerie looked annoyed, but then sighed. "Don't get killed, Manson," she warned before offering her hand to the other girl.

Sam grabbed it and stepped up on the window edge with her friend just as the girl activated her glider under their feet.

"Says the girl who is about to fly into an obvious trap," Sam replied dryly before she swallowed a gasp as they whooshed up and out the window.

Valerie's glider steeply veered around the house and then down to the shed where Sam kept her moped.

"What about your parents?" Valerie asked as she watched the other girl run to the shed, open the door, and pull out her moped.

"I locked your door. They will think we're scared from what happened, and both fell asleep in your room. That is, even if they would check on us. They are too freaked out right now to do anything but argue and try to get in touch with my uncle."

Sam smiled as she opened her moped's compartment and pulled out her old hoodie-now-mask and ecto-knife.

"Here," Valerie said, offering her a decent size ghost gun and a communicator. "I'll fly ahead to scout the area."

"No," Sam said right away. "They are expecting you to fly in. We'll stay low on the back roads. I'll get us into Madison. Da—the Prince is not going to be alone; so we have a better chance at spotting some of his guards before we will spot him."

Valerie sighed but nodded. She deactivated her glider; and as Sam started her moped, she hopped on behind her.

"Do you really think you're going to get anywhere near him, Val?" Sam suddenly asked soberly, turning slightly to look at her.

Sam clearly thought this was suicide. But she couldn't let her friend go off on her own.

"I know I can at least keep him busy," Valerie answered.

Sam frowned. "Busy?"

Valerie smiled almost viciously. "Do you know what your uncle wants more than killing the Ghost King? ... It's capturing the Ghost Prince. I told you. If Agent C was here, he'd want me to go after Phantom. There's no way he won't make a move after that little speech! I just have to keep that ghost in Madison long enough for your uncle and his men to get here."

Sam tensed. "But... My uncle is nowhere near..."

"It doesn't matter. He'll come; or at least send someone. I know him better than you think. Come on."

Sam hesitated for only a moment before she finally took off. Suddenly protecting Valerie was not her only concern. If Valerie was right, and her uncle actually showed up, things could get even worse...

Sam was sure Danny was well-protected by his kind; but, somehow, her uncle had the ability to get past those defenses, even when that defense was the Ghost King himself. After all, he had captured Danny once. And in Amity, he had been close to capturing him a second time.

Danny was no match for her uncle's cunning and determination. And Sam knew she couldn't let her uncle trap her once-friend again. Even if she knew killing the Prince would end this war and stop the Ghost King in his tracks... Sam couldn't find it in her heart to let Danny get killed.

She had to get to him first. Before Valerie could. And before her uncle could.

He had said so many things in his speech. And while she could not ignore the threats and lies, she knew he was right about one thing... Her uncle had started this war. And while enslavement of the human race was not the answer to ending this war, Sam believed it could end. She believed it was possible for ghosts and humans to coexist.

And she hoped Danny had meant it when he said it, too.

He was the key to ending this war. Not by killing him, but by making him see there was another way than the vision his father had convinced him of...

"How do I get through to you, Danny?" Sam thought with despair as she and Valerie took off down the road towards Madison...

After his time in D.C, Tom had now returned to Michigan. There was only a single stronghold left at the edge of the state. With almost all of Michigan under the King's control, it was hardly the safest place; so, the facility was only being used as a temporary base. Anything of importance had long since been sent to more secure locations. Nevertheless, Tom was not about to just walk away. They needed this location since it was the closest to Amity Park.

His team had been watching the city using drones and satellites. They might have withdrawn; but like he did with many places that fell to the Ghost King's rule, he used the opportunity to study the enemy. To watch how he moved and the strategies he took with every invasion. After all, when it came to good strategy, sometimes doing nothing was the best strategy.

And what Tom had learned in the past six months was that the Ghost King's own strategy was changing. After taking over Amity Park, Plasmius had only set his sights on a couple other locations in other countries. But for the most part, he seemed to be focused on keeping the areas he had already won under his rule.

But maintaining control was easier said than done.

Tom was proud to say that if humans had one thing over ghosts, it was tenacity. Humans did not easily give up when they believed in something. After all, humanity was created to be free; to be at the top... There were always humans willing to fight back despite the odds. And Tom and the Guys-in-White never took that for granted.

Anywhere Tom got word of rebel groups rising, he had been sure to send an agent in to provide support and weapons. Even outside the states, the U.S. government provided their allies with as much support as possible. And, of course, other countries had their own anti-ghost teams and military personnel to continue the fight against ghosts.

As long as there were those willing to never surrender, the Ghost King would not win.

It was why Tom was confidant that the Guys-in-White and the U.S. government would gain enough support from other ghost hunting agencies and world leaders to move forward with Project A.I.M.

He would still need to figure out how he would get enough pure energy to fill the missiles; but he already had an idea on that. He would, of course, need the help of two certain ghosts...

In the meantime, Tom was currently in his temporary office sending emails to his many uncover agents around the states and the world. He had not met with them in a couple of years, and it was about time he did. While Plasmius was occupied with controlling the Human World, Tom knew he could continue to work in the background to bring him down, even if it meant working as silently as termites eat away at a home's foundation.

As long as the end goal was met:

To bring his enemy's world crashing down around him.

Tom paused with the email he was typing when he felt a familiar sensation. He looked up just as a portal formed in his office, and Juukka jumped out.

The creature shook himself like a dog before he approached and hopped up on the nearest chair.

"Mrrp?"

Tom raised an eyebrow. "I take it you have news for me?"

"Juukka has news," the creature confirmed.

"Let's hear it then...," Tom replied impatiently. "Did you give Gregor my message? I need to see him."

Juukka's ears pressed back. "I could not give him your latest message... He... did not want to speak with Juukka. I am concerned."

Tom frowned. "What is wrong with him? Is his core still...?"

"His core is stable... He's still not at full strength; but... physically he is well... It is... his mind. He is very confused. I fear my connection with him is not enough to keep him under my master's control. Not for much longer, at least."

"Good," Tom answered with a scoff. "Frederick's power over him has been a joke at best. I do not need a puppet, Demon. I couldn't care less about whether or not Freakshows little power holds over Gregor. What I want to know is if he is well enough to return to me. I need him here."

Juukka tilted his head. The hunter might not care about the pup's weakening connection to his master; but the wolf-ghost knew his master would. All the same, Juukka had no opinion on the matter or any matter. His sole purpose was to obey. And right now, his master had ordered him to watch over the pup and provide the hunter with whatever information he needed...

"I will return to him tomorrow; when pup is not angry at Juukka," the wolf ghost answered.

Tom rolled his eyes; but deciding to let the matter with Gregor go for now, he asked instead, "What of Spectra and her little helper?"

"I gave them your message," Juukka answered right away. "And..."

Juukka raised a claw to open a compartment around his arm.

But as he did, Tom noticed the ghost's chest plate was cracked. He briefly wondered what had caused such damage; but he didn't care enough to ask about it. Instead, the hunter's eyes sparked with interest when the creature pulled out three small cylinders filled with clear energy.

"Nova energy?"

Juukka chirped in response as he handed the requested supplies to the hunter.

"Excellent...," Tom said with a smile as he lifted one to eye level and studied it. Not only was the Nova energy useful for weapon creation... Tom had also learned it was the next best thing to the Ghost Prince's energy. It was just as pure. Not as powerful; but enough to keep the hunter... satiated.

"I also tracked the Gem of Life," Juukka continued.

But before he could say anymore, someone abruptly burst into the office.

"Sir!"

Luckily the creature had been fast enough to disappear before being seen; but Tom immediately stood up as he sneered at his subordinate, "What the hell?!"

"I'm so sorry, sir!" the operative said as he realized what he had done; but he quickly added, "You need to come see this! It's the Ghost Prince. He's on the news!"

Tom's eyes widened slightly. And forgetting all about the interruption, he quickly left his office with his subordinate.

They entered a break room with a small TV in the corner. Several other hunters and workers were already gathered and gawking at what they were seeing.

"...You deserve protection. You deserve peace. But for me—and your King—to assure it, we need your help. Your support. Open your eyes, good citizens! Look and see who the real threat is to your lives and livelihood! Who your real enemy is! The King and I are not your enemy! Ghosts are not your enemy! The real enemies are those who wish for the violence and bloodshed to continue! The real enemies are the Guys-in-White and anyone else who continues to fight against the safe world our King offers humankind!"

Tom narrowed his eyes at what the Ghost Prince had just said. That little demon... Was he actually trying to turn people against him and his division? But not just that... He thought himself clever in his attempt to get humans to turn against each other!

"....The Guys-in-White have made it their mission to convince the Human World this war was started by the Ghost King—by a monster wishing to enslave you all. But the truth is, this war was started by their hand. By their greed. They declared war not just on ghost-kind but human-kind as well. They call themselves your protectors when it is far from the truth. If you still do not believe me, then see a real example of the truth in the place you call 'Amity Park'. The Guys-in-White have caused more destruction and harm there than my King ever did during his attempts to take control from those hunters' corrupted hands! And when they finally could cause no more harm, they abandoned that city. Fled, like cowards. Their leader..."

Tom sneered at the little grin on the Prince's face as he publicly continued to taunt him.

"...their so-called leader is nowhere to be found. And after failing Amity Park, he dares bring his evil to the peaceful state of Wisconsin by sending one of his little soldiers to cause mayhem! No, I will not allow it. We, good citizens, cannot allow it!"

Tom glanced down at his communicator as it began to beep like crazy with messages from several people. His superiors in D.C were probably in a panic.

"Do we know where in Wisconsin this feed is coming from?" Tom asked those around him.

"Looks like Madison," one of the operatives in the room answered. "I grew up there; so, I recognize the area..."

"...This is your command: Hand over the Red and White hunters. Their leader, Thomas Chrome... And anyone associated to the Guys-in-White... They are to be handed over to us ...Dead or alive... and the Ghost King will reward your loyalty. You will be named the 'Watchers of the King'. The command and offer, however, extends to all human citizens under the King's banner. Bring forward any threat to the crown; and... your king will grant you the greatest of rewards: true freedom."

This time, Tom's hands slowly clenched at his sides. So, the King didn't fully believe that Gregor was dead... This is what this was about. This is why that demon spawn was taunting him. He was trying to draw him out. To draw Gregor out.

Tom needed to speak to Valerie right now.

But just as he was going to turn away to leave the room, he heard his name called out again.

"Listen well, Agent Chrome... and anyone who threatens the King's ghost and human subjects... Your end is near. And believe me when I tell you, I will be there to see that end. You will lose. So, come out. Stop hiding and face me.... I will finish what you started...."

Tom could only stare for a moment at the Prince's extended claws... taunting him; reminding him of how that little beast had...

"Operative T," Tom quietly muttered as the screens went dark.

"Sir?"

"Get the helicopter ready for us. And you...," Tom glanced at his secretary. "I want a copy of that broadcast on my desk in the next ten minutes."

Tom ignored their responses and walked out of the room. He headed right back to his office, and immediately closed the door behind him. He spotted Juukka sitting on his desk waiting for him.

"I want Gregor here no later than tomorrow night. Am I clear?"

Juukka nodded.

"Leave," Tom all but growled out as he went to his desk and grabbed his cell phone next to the ghost wolf.

Juukka said nothing, and just vanished.

He turned on his Bluetooth earpiece with the intention of calling Valerie. But then thought better of it.

"Dial 'Commander O'," he commanded his phone instead.

It didn't take more than a ring for his commander to answer.

"Good evening, sir... I take it you saw the... news," the commander said hesitantly over the phone.

"How close are you to Wisconsin?" Tom asked.

"I am still stationed in Indiana, sir. But I believe Commander K is closer. Somewhere in Illinois."

"Good. Get ahold of Commander K. I want both of you and your teams to meet me in Madison, Wisconsin as soon as possible."

"Sir... That state is under the Ghost King's complete control. If we step foot into his territory, we will be on our own... The U.S. government will not come to our aid if things go south, and this is clearly a trap, Agent C."

Tom's teeth clenched because his commander was right. Responding back to the Prince's threat with guns blazing was what he and his demon father wanted. They probably had an army of ghosts waiting to slaughter him and his men.

In fact, he was suddenly glad Gregor was still in the Ghost World; or else he would have probably risked revealing that his weapon had survived just to get a chance to get his hands on the King's spawn...

He wanted that brat so badly... He was going to cut off not just his claws this time but each of his fingers at the first chance he got!

"Sir?"

No. He couldn't allow the Ghost Prince to make him lose his rational thought, like he had during that demon's little break in at his Amity Park facility. Tom couldn't act so impulsively if he was going to get what he wanted.

"Contact Commander K," he forced himself to say. "I need you both to return to the facility in Michigan in forty-eight hours... For now... stay where you are..."

"Yes, sir."

Tom disconnected the call and sat down. For a moment, he just glared at the glowing transparent vials on his desk.

Suddenly his desk phone rang.

Tom reached forward and turned on the speaker. "Yes?"

"Helicopter's ready, sir."

"Thank you. I will not be needing it tonight. But make sure it's ready at 0-eight hundred hours tomorrow. Also, tell Margarite I am waiting on that video."

"Yes, sir."

As the call terminated, Tom reached for the vials and opened a drawer. He then placed two of the three vials inside before he reached further into a drawer and pulled out a sealed syringe.

"You think you're clever, don't you, little demon?" Tom muttered to himself. "As if anyone would believe you... As if anyone would side with a demon..."

Tom uncapped the vial and opened the syringe before he proceeded to fill it with the glowing clear liquid.

"The world knows who their enemy is... And all you've done is ticked me off. But fine..." He raised the filled syringe to eye-level and said with a dark gleam in his eyes, "Challenge accepted. By the time I'm done with you, Danny-boy, you will remember why you are terrified of me..."

He injected himself with the foreign energy; and as he closed his eyes, he whispered, "We will indeed finish what I started..."

For several minutes, he just leaned back against his chair and focused on the feel of pure energy coursing through his veins. His body glowed softly with the power that unfortunately never lasted as long as the Prince's core energy would. But he had run out after using his last dose for Gregor when he had been dying...

Nova energy was better than other ghost core energies at least. It didn't carry with it the unpleasant side effects. He could probably even just continue to use Nova energy and it would be enough to keep him strong. But... he wanted the Ghost Prince's core. He wanted to see those scared green eyes begging him for mercy again. The Prince was now much older, of course. But that would make it all the more satisfying. He was going to break him, and in turn, destroy his father.

Tom suddenly opened his eyes as an idea curled in his mind. He lifted his wrist and pressed a button on the communicator that was on it, "Juukka...?"

The creature chirped back in acknowledgment.

"Come back."

There was a moment of silence before a spark of energy appeared in the office again, and Juukka jumped out of a portal again.

"I need you to do something before you return to Gregor's side... I need you to head to Madison, Wisconsin right now. Do you know how to get there?"

Juukka replied, "I have means of locating the area..."

"Good. The Ghost Prince is there... And I am sure he is not alone..."

Juukka's eyes briefly flashed green. "The Prince... Yes... Do you wish for me to kill him?"

Tom chuckled. "If only it were that easy... You will die before you can get anywhere near enough to try. No, I do not want you to fight him. I still need you alive to make sure Gregor comes home... I need something else..."

Tom paused before he leaned forward a bit and asked with a smirk, "How well do you know the Ghost Prince?"

Juukka seemed to think about that for a moment before he answered, "He was once my pup."

"Then, you would know those closest to him...?"

Juukka nodded.

Tom smiled smugly. "Danny-boy thinks himself clever... I am going to correct him... I want you to go to Wisconsin and find out who is there with him. I expect they will be hidden; but that should not be too much of an issue for you. They expect I will try to target the Prince, so I am sure those around him will be too busy trying to protect him instead of themselves... Do what you must to draw them out, but I need a target. A valuable target. "

"And when I find this... valuable target?"

"We are going to kill it, of course. But not you. You are going to send me the target's coordinates and description... I have someone out there who can do the job without risking your death or capture."

Juukkka just chirped before he opened a new portal and vanished.

Tom quickly grabbed his cell phone, and dialed Valerie's number. But... she did not answer.

"That girl...," Tom grumbled; but then, he quickly pulled his wrist up again, pressed a button, and connected with the communicator on the girl's suit.

She replied to his call this time.

"Agent C," Valerie answered. "Did you see the news? I am on my way to—"

"No," Tom cut her off. "Do not seek out the Ghost Prince. That is what he wants. And I don't need you killed for being foolish enough to fall for his trap. And by the way, we will be discussing your little escapade that has caused all this..."

"I know I messed up, Agent C, but... he's going to hurt people here if I don't show my face! I know he will!" Valerie protested. "And did you hear all he said about the GiW? About us? He's trying to turn the world against us!"

"That will never happen," Tom replied with a scoff. "Listen closely, Valerie... and I am sure my niece is there with you because she just can't help herself..."

Valerie stayed quiet, which confirmed his suspicions were right.

"I am sending someone over there undercover... We have a different target tonight. Once I have their location, I will contact you again. Understood?"

"Who are you sending? And what target?" she asked, confused.

"No questions. I will explain everything tomorrow when I arrive at Wisconsin. For now, I need you to follow my instructions very closely..."

"Yes, sir..."

"Good. This is what I need you to do..."

"I can't believe he's not going after Phantom...," Valerie muttered as she disconnected the call with Agent C after the hunter gave her the rest of his instructions.

She looked at Sam, who was still sitting on her moped. They had both arrived at Madison and were currently hiding in an alley. So far, they had not spotted any ghosts.

"My uncle might be obsessed with the Ghost Prince, but he's not stupid," Sam answered with a frown. "He's not going to fall into an obvious trap. And I am surprised you would... I told you this was a bad idea."

"And I told you, Agent C would back me up. He obviously has a plan!" Valerie replied, a bit annoyed. "Even if his target's not Phantom..."

"And he didn't say who the target was?" Sam asked, unsure. "If he's not going after the Prince then he's definitely not going after the Ghost King... So, who else could be of interest to him tonight?"

"I don't know. He must know something we don't," Valerie answered with a huff. "He wouldn't even tell me who he was sending over! He just told me to get to the center of Madison; and once his 'uncover agent' got him the target's location, he would call me back."

Sam didn't reply.

Valerie was fell quiet as she considered the possibilities... Would Agent C send Gregor over? No... Last time she spoke to Agent C, he told her Gregor was still not recovered. And even if he was, he wouldn't risk the King finding out he survived his attack... would he?

Valerie suddenly shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Agent C knows what he's doing. Whoever the target is must be important." She paused before adding, "He knows you're with me."

"Of course, he does," Sam muttered, rolling her eyes.

Valerie hesitated. "You sure you want to go with me? I can always tell Agent C that..."

"I'm not leaving you alone. And... my uncle already has his plan. Believe me, he's already included me in it."

Valerie frowned at the bitter tone in the other girl's voice. But deciding not to ask, she said, "He wants us to split up to see if we can locate any ghosts out here with Phantom. But he said to make sure we're not seen. I'll cover the high ground, and you stay low... But don't go too far. I'll call you when Agent C sends me the location of the target. I'm going to need you to cover for me."

Sam frowned. If she had been with Team Fenton, she would have already questioned the idea of 'splitting up'. It was the worst thing they could do when there were enemies everywhere and they had no idea where they were. But this was her uncle calling the shots.

And as much as Valerie thought otherwise, she had no idea who her uncle was...

"Alright...," Sam said with a forced smile.

"Then, let's do it, Manson!" Valerie said with a smirk before she activated her glider and took off into the sky.

Sam watched her only for a moment before she sighed and jumped on her moped. She quickly took off, following the huntress just far away enough to remain unseen; but close enough for her to be able to jump into the fray or alert her of a possible ghost.

However, just a few minutes later, her cell phone rang. Luckily, she had her Bluetooth speaker in her ear and was not surprised at all who was on the line.

"Hello, Sammy..."

"Uncle Tom..."

"I need help with your ghost boy...," he said with mirth.

"He's not 'my' ghost boy, Uncle Tom," Sam muttered back.

"Oh, but he is," Tom replied smugly. "Come on... Don't tell me you haven't noticed. When I first captured him, and each time I have gotten close after that, you are involved. For whatever reason, the demon is attracted to you."

"And what? Want to use me as bait again? Maybe he'll succeed in killing me this time...," Sam answered angrily.

"He won't, because I know you won't make the same mistake again, will you? Your belief that he is harmless is what almost got you killed last time. This time, you know better. He is dangerous, Samantha. But he is also vulnerable under the right conditions."

"What do you want from me?"

"Let him see you. I need you to distract him again," Tom replied.

"Why?"

"Didn't Valerie tell you? I have a plan... I won't let him get away with threatening me and my agency on national television!"

Sam stopped her moped as she turned the corner of an empty street. Her eyebrows creased with indecision.

"Sam...?"

"How will I find him?" she quietly asked.

"As soon as I have his location, I will send you the information..."

Sam didn't answer right away; but then said, "Alright... But if I do this, you have to convince my parents to let me go back to Amity Park."

"No," Tom answered coolly.

Sam glowered this time. "You forget it's thanks to you my parents found out I was ghost hunting! Imagine what they would say if they knew you are forcing me to help you..."

"Are you threatening me, Samantha?" her uncle asked with a mixture of mirth and... something darker.

"I need to return to Amity Park," she replied firmly.

Tom sighed a bit dramatically. "Do a good job, and I'll... consider your request."

Sam's hands fisted; but she knew it was the closest to a 'yes' she would get from her uncle.

"What is this 'target' you have Valerie going after?" Sam demanded to know.

"Do not worry about it. She has her instructions. And now you have yours."

Sam glowered as she insisted, "What if she gets into trouble? She is counting on me to watch her back!"

"The Red Huntress is well-trained, Samantha. She will be fine. And so will you as long as you do not stray from my instructions. Understood?"

"Ping me Phantom's location when you have it," Sam muttered before she disconnected the call.

Vlad stared at the various screens in the lab. His arms were tightly crossed in an attempt to hide how tense he was.

While he had various cameras and even ghost detecting devices around Wisconsin, most were close to his castle since their main purpose was always to keep his castle secure from unwanted visitors...

He also had a few in the city of Madison, but they were mostly centered in the area where his two companies stood. For the most part, he had to rely on Technus' power to feed to his computer any other view taken from other security cameras mounted throughout the city and from radio and satellite broadcasts.

But, of course, it was impossible for him to have eyes in every nook and cranny in the entire state of Wisconsin. At least keeping Daniel and his friends centered in the city of Madison narrowed the area he needed to focus on.

All the same, there were so many ways Chrome and his men could surprise them. That man wanted Daniel badly enough to risk an attack on a state that belonged to the Ghost King. Not to mention, the Red Huntress was currently here.

This was why Vlad had been so opposed to this tactic of using his son as bait for that beast. It was a risk, but... he also knew this could prove beneficial.

Gregory was too much of a threat; and this could very well be one of the few chances he could get to draw him out.

But as time continued to go by, the older hybrid was questioning more and more if the reward truly outweighed the risks...

"It's almost been an hour...," Vlad muttered. "I'm starting to believe Chrome is not going to take the bait..." He looked at Skulker, who was also helping him monitor the multiple cameras and screens.

"I should have everyone return home... I can always keep looking out for Gregory as Masters..."

Skulker immediately glanced at his friend with a frown. "Your son directly threatened him and his team... Even if he does not show, he will make a move. He's too prideful not to."

"If anything, he will just send out the Red Huntress," Vlad muttered with agitation. "I'm sure he'd have no hesitation to sacrifice the girl."

"Wasn't she and Gregory close? They always hunted together," Skulker pointed out.

Vlad paused. "Yes."

Skulker continued, "That hunter might not care what happens to this human whelp, but do you think if Gregory is alive, he would sit by and do nothing? I say she is the perfect human to spot out here tonight. If Chrome sends her out there on her own, she is as good as dead. She will be easy to capture, and then we can have Technus broadcast her execution. We extend her suffering to draw Gregory out before we kill her."

"Make an example of her...," Vladimir muttered as he stared back at one of his screens.

"She is the perfect target, Vlad. Either her death draws Gregory out; or it does not because he's really dead. Either way we get rid of one of Chrome's more dangerous hunters."

"Seems simple enough...," Vlad answered soberly. "Except Chrome is a lot smarter than you may think... He would expect us to make such a move."

"Maybe he would... But maybe there is not much he can do about it," Skulker insisted. "I'm telling you, Plasmius. I ran that dragon whelp through, straight through his core. No one can survive that kind of blow!"

"Then, why send out the Red Huntress at all?" Vlad questioned, looking back at his friend. "I know he would have no hesitation to sacrifice her; but he is not going to do it for nothing! Sending her out on her own tonight would be suicide!"

Vlad shook his head. "This is useless, Skulker. I am going to have them retreat. They are not going to show."

"Wait, Vlad...," Skulker protested. "As much as I do not believe Gregory is alive, I want you to alleviate your uncertainty on the matter. Can you at least give it another hour? Last time you heard of Chrome, he was in another state. Give it some time."

"Fine. I suppose...," Vlad trailed off as one of his ghost-detecting devices suddenly picked up a new ecto-signature.

Vlad and Skulker quickly turned their full attention to the computer frame.

"Are any of Daniel's friends near the train station on the east side of Madison?" Vlad asked, confused. He was quickly typing commands on his computer to try to pinpoint where the ghost signature was coming from exactly.

Skulker's eyebrows drew in. "I don't think so... Unless one of Amorpho's clones has wandered that far..."

"The signature is too strong to be a clone..."

"Do you think it's the... Dragon whelp?" Skulker asked, unsure.

Vlad hesitated but then said, "Gregory has never set off any ghost detectors... Unless... Would Chrome risk Gregory showing up in his true ghost form...? But that would mean revealing to the Red Huntress what Gregory truly is. And I am almost certain she does not know. That girl hates ghosts. If she knew..."

Vlad trailed off as the signature just as suddenly disappeared. Unfortunately, his devices near Madison were not sophisticated enough to try to get an energy-level reading, let alone detect exactly what signature was being picked up.

Vlad frowned deeply before he brought up his communicator on his wrist. "Daniel?"

"Father?"

"We might have some activity just east of you. Do you know where the train station is?"

"I've seen it a couple times. I should be able to find it."

"Stay hidden. But see if you spot anything. I lost the signature, but it couldn't have gotten too far... Take Technus with you."

"Yes, Father."

"Is that wise?" Skulker asked, unsure. "Why not send Technus alone? Or anyone else but the Prince?"

"Because as much as it pains me, Daniel is the bait tonight. And a ghost signature in the area means either Gregory is here; or..."

Skulker's eyes widened. "Juukka," he realized.

Vlad nodded. "Either way, Daniel is the only one who will be able to identify and detect their presence regardless of how hidden they might be."

"He has a ghost sense like you," Skulker remembered. "I just didn't realize he had developed it well enough to make out different ghost signatures."

Vlad sighed. "He has known Juukka all his life. And Gregory's ghost signature is similar to Daniel's friend, Elliott. He will know immediately if either of them shows up."

"And if it is Juukka?"

"... He won't be getting away this time," Vlad replied darkly.

When Juukka arrived at Wisconsin, he only briefly took a moment to look around the area. The hunter wanted him to find who was out here with Phantom... But to do that, he would have to first find Phantom.

Luckily, his former pup had the Gem of Life with him. Juukka could track it to the child.

He closed his eyes and briefly concentrated on the unique gem's power. He might not be able to know exactly where and how the Prince was hiding the gem; but he couldn't completely mask the gem's aura from him. Not when it had once been his duty to watch over those gems during Pariah's reign.

It took a few minutes, but Juukka soon felt the unique power. It was barely a caress against his core from how hidden and far it was; but it was there.

Juukka quickly opened a portal towards the pull and reappeared in a new area.

He turned invisible and got on all four as he took to the ground following the feeling of the gem.

But after a few minutes, he stopped as he realized... the gem's power was coming towards him.

Juukka retreated to the side of a tall building just as the Ghost Prince and Technus landed on the empty main street.

They were invisible like him. But while Juukka could not see them, he knew they were there. The Gem's power was pulsing steadily around the child. And... Juukka could already feel some of their thoughts connecting to his own mind telepathically. He had such mastery of his telepathic abilities that any creature- if it was close enough- was exposed to his powers.

"Technus," Danny whispered; but Juukka heard the voice mostly in his mind. "There is another ghost here... I can sense him... I think it's Juukka."

Juukka's eyes widened. Wait... How could the Prince detect him?

The ghost wolf searched the ghost boy's mind; but unfortunately, even his own powers had limitations. Juukka could only read the thoughts at the forefront of someone's mind. And right now, the Prince's full focus was on trying to track his signature...

But while the fact did not answer how the Prince was able to sense him, Juukka immediately became aware that what the child was sensing was his energy signature... He would have to remedy that immediately or he would be discovered.

Meanwhile, Danny stayed still as he focused on the feeling curling through his core and forming into a mist outside his mouth. He had known Juukka all his life. He would recognize his ecto-signature anywhere.

"Technus," Danny whispered to the ghost beside him. "Go up and get ready. Juukka is here... and if he attacks..."

"That traitor won't stand a chance," Technus vowed before he dissolved into energy and darted away.

While his father had told him to stay hidden, Danny knew the only way to draw out the ghost was to make himself known.

"Father... It's Juukka," he whispered after he pressed on the communication device in his ear.

"Do not engage him. Skulker and I are on our way."

Danny didn't reply and just disconnected the audio. He hesitated before he turned visible.

"Juukka... I know you are here. But it's me... It's Danny," the Prince said softly as he took two steps in the direction he could sense the ghost was hiding.

"I... I don't know why you left us or why you tried to hurt Skulker and my father, but... I know you. You're not a traitor... You're my friend. And... I don't want to see you get hurt; so please... whatever happened, I can help you. I promise... I promise I'll protect you."

Juukka's eyes flashed green, and for a moment he had a memory of himself and the Prince at a forest of some sort... The Prince had been younger... But they had always enjoyed playing at the forest...

"Juukka, please..."

The ghost wolf shook his head and let out a growl. No, he had a new pup now. And he needed him. His master needed him. The Prince and King were the enemy...

With a flash of green, the ghost wolf split into six.

He watched as the Prince immediately tensed. Clearly, he had lost track of his signature now that his splitting had weakened it significantly.

Juukka ignored the ghost boy as he called his name again in worry, and quickly flew up invisibly until he was up on a tall building.

Juukka's copies followed him up; but the ghost wolf ignored them and instead glanced around as the lights in the area flickered. That ghost... what was his name? Oh, yes, Technus... He was around. Still searching for Juukka, but remaining close enough to protect the Prince should someone try to attack him.

Juukka was a powerful ghost; but Technus' ability to expand his power into anything electrical meant it would be too easy for the tech ghost to sneak up and attack him if he caught sight of Juukka. And... it would be too easy to alert every ghost scouting the area of his location. Juukka knew it would not end well for him.

A direct fight was not on the agenda tonight.

Juukka raised his armored arm and pressed a button on the device wrapped around it.

"What do you have for me?" Tom's voice answered.

Juukka couldn't communicate verbally so instead he proceeded to send the Hunter the coordinates of where the Ghost Prince was with a quick written message.

"Good. And the target?"

Juukka glanced over as the flickering lights spread further away from him. No... Technus would not be an ideal target. He would have to find one though...

His lack of response was enough response for the Hunter as he said, "Get me a target."

He disconnected.

Juukka quietly growled before his eyes flashed a brighter red, and his six copies suddenly dispersed to assure his ghost signature could not be tracked.

He would find the Hunter the target he wanted. All he had to do was wait... Technus and the Prince would eventually have to regroup with whoever else was out here with them...

They would lead him to his potential target...

Fortunately for the ghost wolf, he didn't have to wait long...

Juukka's eyes narrowed as he watched the telltale signs of Technus heading away, leaving the Prince on his own. And he was sure the tech ghost would not do so without a powerful reason.

Mentally communicating with his copies, Juukka quickly followed after Technus...

Few minutes earlier...

"He's gone..." Danny muttered before he called back his father. "Father..."

"Daniel, Skulker and I are on our way. If Juukka..."

"He's gone. I can't sense him anymore."

"That does not mean he will not show up again, Daniel. He's dangerous!"

"Father—"

"No, this plan is over. You are all returning home; then, Skulker and I will return to take care of Juukka."

"My King," Danny said more firmly this time. "Please, wait. If you show up now, we will lose our chance at the reason for coming out here in the first place! Juukka is not the target tonight. But his presence tells me Chrome got our message, and he's going to make a move. Please, wait!"

Danny frowned deeper when he heard no response for a moment. He was about to ask if his father had heard him when he finally replied.

"Alright... We will stay outside of Madison. But if Juukka shows up again, I am putting an end to this."

"Understood," Danny muttered before he disconnected. He sighed before looking up at the flickering streetlights. He walked over to the nearest light post and wrapped his hand around it. It briefly lit with blue energy.

Within seconds, a green mist exited the light post and Technus materialized.

"Anything?" Danny asked.

"No sight of him," Technus answered.

"Go on ahead to find the others and let them know about Juukka. I am going to take a quick look around the area just to make sure he's truly gone. I'll be right behind you..."

Technus hesitated, not wanting to leave the Prince alone even for a moment. But the tech ghost knew he could get to the others faster traveling through the electrical grid than flying back with the Prince. And right now, they all needed to be on high alert with Juukka around.

"Stay vigilant, my Prince."

Danny didn't answer and the ghost disappeared again.

Phantom closed his eyes and briefly focused on his ghost sense. It wasn't something that he could really use back home. But the lack of energy in the Human World made it much easier to detect ecto-signatures. Unfortunately, no matter how much he concentrated, he found no further trace of Juukka's signature.

Clearly, Juukka had left, and it seemed he had not come out here to attack him; or he would have the moment he had detected his presence. But whatever he was doing, Danny was sure it was under Agent C's orders...

"What are you waiting for, you monster?" the Prince thought darkly. Why hadn't that hunter taken his bait? What was he waiting for?

Danny was about to fly up to head back to his friends and Technus when he heard the rumble of an engine. It was quiet. So, it was definitely not a car. And it didn't sound like a motorcycle, either.

Danny went invisible, and quickly flew towards the noise. He made sure to stay close to the tall buildings around him in case he needed to take cover and make a quick retreat...

Perhaps Chrome had dared to bring in a group of his team into Wisconsin, after all... It would be foolish for him to do so when he would have absolutely no backup here...It sure did not seem likely... He hated to admit it but that hunter had enough brains to know he would be walking into a trap...

So, who else could it be?

Danny kept close to the building beside him, his hand hovering over the communicator in his ear in case he needed to alert his father... But then, suddenly, the sound of the motor came to a stop.

Danny's eyes narrowed as he slowly turned the corner to see who was there...

And who he saw instantly filled him with an array of mixed emotions. But as he stared at Sam getting off her moped about a yard away, his teeth clenched with anger and his hands dropped into fists at his sides.

He didn't know who he was angrier with: himself, for not thinking how possible it was for her to show up tonight. Or Sam, for showing up.

But he couldn't be distracted by her right now. Not when Juukka was on the loose. And Danny was sure Chrome was up to something.

Remaining invisible, Danny took a step away and turned away to—

"Danny?"

The ghost boy looked back at the girl and tensed as he watched her glance down at some device in her hand.

Was she tracking him?

"Danny, I know you're here..."

Danny considered his choices. Confront her; or leave. But if she was somehow tracking him, that meant she might track him back to his friends. She could easily become a threat to his plans tonight if he left her to her own devices. And the last thing he needed was a repeat of his almost-capture in Amity Park...

But... if he left her out here... She would be at risk of being spotted by those with him tonight... and killed.

Frustrated, Danny's fists tightened further at his sides because he knew he could not just leave now. Instead, he needed her to leave before she... complicated things.

Making sure there was no one else around, Danny moved away from the building and finally became visible.

"Of course, you would be out here...," Danny muttered in displeasure.

The girl, who was wearing some kind of face cover and looking at the device in her hand, immediately tensed and looked up at him.

But at seeing Phantom just several feet from her, Sam's hand instantly went to the gun at her side and she brought it up.

"Stop!" she commanded firmly with his approach.

Danny halted, but his eyes narrowed even further.

"Danny...," Sam breathed out, feeling like her heart was going to come out of her chest as an overwhelming feeling of hope... and fear gripped her.

After her uncle's instructions, she had almost wished her uncle was wrong; that Danny wouldn't reveal himself the moment he saw her. But... he had. And even with her uncle's little plan looming over them, she had originally come out here with the hope of finding Danny before Valerie would. She still needed to talk with him.

"You clearly do not learn, do you?" the Prince asked in a sneer.

"...We need to talk," she muttered back, but didn't lower her gun.

Danny's fisted hands began to glow with energy. "Talk? With the enemy? Are you sure you rather not shoot me?" He scoffed. "Well, you can try anyways..."

"I am not here to fight you," Sam replied with a frown. "I know what you think of me, but—"

"Think?" Danny cut her off. "I do not have to 'think' anything of you when I can see you, hunter!"

Sam hesitated as she finally noticed that while he was glaring at her, his gaze was cast slightly down at the gun in her hand.

She lowered it slightly, and then removed her face cover to appear less threatening.

"Danny... Please, can we just... talk? You don't want to hurt me anymore than I want to hurt you."

"Is that what you think?"

But while his response was as cold as steel, Danny knew she was right. He didn't want to hurt her again. But he also didn't want her out here when he was supposed to be getting back to his friends; when Juukka or Gregor could attack at any moment; or worse, when his father could show up!

Danny knew his father would kill her on the spot, and he would not be able to do a thing about it!

Curse her! Why did she have to complicate things?!

"You would have already attacked," she finally answered with a frown.

"That is a dangerous assumption. Make no mistake, I will kill you, human," Danny replied darkly. "And believe me, I won't fail a second time."

Sam's eyebrows creased. "What do I have to do to convince you that I don't want to be your enemy?"

Danny's angry expression revealed nothing. Yet, he didn't answer right away this time.

But, suddenly, he glanced directly at the gun in her hand, and replied, "Drop the weapon... Turn around and go home."

Sam swallowed. "How do I know you won't attack me the moment I let go of my gun?"

"You don't..."

This time, Sam glared. "You already tried to kill me once! I'm not stupid, either!"

"I must disagree...," Phantom replied with a sneer. "Only a stupid human would dare disobey the King's commands; and then show her face to the Ghost Prince while brandishing a hunter's gun! You are clearly foolish! A foolish human girl with a death wish! Drop the gun and go home!"

Sam scowled but then she huffed. She was going to regret this...

"Fine...," she muttered before lowering the gun on the ground and then kicking it slightly away.

Danny blinked in surprise this time. Sure, she had partly done what he asked, but... he knew Sam enough to know she wouldn't surrender this easily without a reason.

The Prince immediately stared back suspiciously. Something wasn't right here... For all he knew, she had another weapon hidden somewhere and was trying to get him to drop his guard.

And the question remained: How had she even found him? He might have revealed over the news he was in Wisconsin. And maybe she had recognized he was specifically in Madison. But that broadcast was less than two hours ago. How had she found him? How had she tracked him?

"I'm unarmed, Danny. All I want is for you to listen to me, just for a moment, okay?"

Danny didn't answer as another thought came to his mind: What if she was working with Agent Chrome? What if she was trying to distract him? Trap him? But...he had seen her in Amity Park. She had been working with the Fentons. And from what his father had told him, the Fentons and the Guys-in-White did not work together...

No, he didn't buy it. She wasn't out here just 'to talk'.

Danny took a step back. He needed to leave. Now.

"No, wait!" Sam said, raising her hand. "Wait, Danny... Please, just... just answer me something: Do you... remember me? Do you remember when we met?"

Sam, of course, knew he remembered her; but she was hoping the mention of when they first met would trigger some kind of reaction from him...

And she was right.

Danny's glare melded into an uncertain look. But then shaking his head, he took another step back as he whispered, "You need to go home, Sam... While you still can..."

"You do remember," she answered with some hope, especially after hearing how his tone of voice had softened. She took a few steps closer. "At least you remember my name. And Tucker...? Do you remember him?"

Danny glanced away when he saw some tall light poles flicker some distance away. Technus was returning... He was probably worried about why he had not followed after him like they agreed...

"Danny?"

"What do you want?!" Danny hissed, glaring back at her.

"To tell you it doesn't have to be this way," Sam answered sadly. "You might be the Ghost Prince, but... you're still the same Danny I met a long time ago. I know you are."

"Who you met was a child who did not know better," the Prince answered bitterly. "I know better now."

"You know better than to befriend a human?" she countered, taking another step closer. "Why? Why is that so... terrible to consider? What if a human was... willing to be a friend, and not an...enemy?"

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that it? You want to be friends? You, me, and Tucker? Are we going to go play at the park, too? Play in the sand again?"

The Prince laughed mockingly before he glowered. "No, you are not foolish... You are delusional, human."

"You called me a traitor when you first saw me again," Sam muttered soberly, ignoring his insults.

"Because you are!" Danny snapped back and took a step away again when he finally noticed her proximity. "And do not dare come any closer!"

"An enemy cannot betray an enemy. But a friend can," Sam countered as she paused in her approach. "That tells me you thought of me as a friend... Even after all this time. It's why you attacked me. You are angry because I'm a hunter."

"You are a killer," he answered bitterly.

"And what are you, Danny?" she questioned back as her expression melded into a heavy frown. "What are you when you and your King have left nothing but devastation in your wake? When you have destroyed homes? Destroyed lives?"

"I do not have to explain myself to you," Danny replied coldly. But in his mind, he was shouting at himself to leave!

"No... Why would you? You are the Ghost Prince... Who am I but another human too beneath you to even consider worthy of standing in front of you, right? You want me to bow? Is that it?"

Danny barred his fangs. "If this is your idea of winning me over...?"

"What do you want, Danny?" she cut him off. "Were any of your words of peace tonight true? What do I need to do to get you to stop... this? You must know deep down that enslaving an entire race is wrong!"

The Prince scoffed and briefly glanced towards another flickering light in the distance. If Technus returned and saw Sam...

But her words reminded him too much of her conversation with 'Daniel Masters'. And he couldn't bring himself to leave... He couldn't stop the desire inside that still wished for her to understand...

"Enslavement?" Danny finally replied, and he suddenly took several steps forward. "Last time I checked, the King allows you humans to do as you please... Do you not still go outside? Take a walk? Go to your little schools and jobs? No, Sam... the King's rule is far from enslavement. Or perhaps... you wish for us to be like you humans, and simply seek out the extinction of an entire race. Perhaps we should do that, instead?"

"You have no right to take control—"

"Why not?" Danny growled back. "Why? When your race is a danger to itself and my kind? Someone has to take control in order for this war to end. And your human leaders have already proven they are incapable of upholding any treaty of peace. At least my King's rule is just..."

"Just?" she asked, this time glaring. "Killing thousands of humans is just?!"

"Because you are foolish! All you have to do is surrender!" Danny snapped back yet there was a hint of despair in his voice. "None of you have to die if you would just stop fighting back!"

"Like I said, you want everyone to bow. How is that not enslavement?"

A mist abruptly curled out of the Prince's mouth before he could answer. And then, the lights around them began to flicker rapidly enough that it even caught Sam's attention.

But before the Prince could panic, the flickering stopped just as quickly as it had started.

Danny tensed as he focused his ghost sense, and realized the tech-ghost's energy signature was moving away.

Something was wrong.

And then the girl's phone rang.

Sam tensed and glanced down at it.

But Danny knew immediately when she looked back at him with fear...and guilt that his suspicions were right.

She was purposely distracting him.

Danny's teeth clenched before he sneered, "Your options are simple, human: Bow. Or fall... The next time I see you, you will make your choice."

And then he vanished.

Sam sighed sharply before she grabbed her phone and called Valerie back.

"Sam! Where the heck are you?!"

"I'm at the train station..."

"WHAT?! Why are you all the way out there?! Look, Agent C called me back with the target's coordinates. I have eyes on it as we speak! I'm going after it!"

"Wait, Valerie!" Sam said nervously as she jumped back on her moped, and quickly took off. "Don't attack those ghosts on your own! Wait for me!"

"No time! Just hurry!"

"Valerie?!" Sam yelled; but the girl had already hung up.

With a curse, Sam took off as quickly as she could towards where she had last left her friend.

Fifteen minute earlier...

This is lame, Kitty...," Johnny moaned. "We have been out here for almost two hours! I was expecting some action by now!"

"Are you joking? Do you want hunters shooting at us? Would that be 'fun' to you?" Kitty asked, annoyed.

Johnny shrugged. "Better to die in battle than of boredom, right?"

"Ugh, I can't with you!"

"Hey, wait, where are you going?" Johhny asked when Kitty flew off the building they were currently on.

"Let's re-group. Maybe the others have some news," she hurriedly yelled back.

Johnny grumbled something but still followed his girlfriend.

But just as they flew over the next building, the lights nearby began to flicker. Then, the power grid sparked, and Technus materialized in front of them.

"The others?" Technus asked impatiently.

"As you can see...Not here, old geezer," Johnny replied mockingly.

Technus glowered at the older teenager. "Consider yourself lucky I am too busy to teach you some manners, whelp!" He then added more seriously, "Keep an eye out. That traitor, Juukka, is in the vicinity. If you see him, call me using the nearest energy conductor."

"Huh?"

"The energy poles, Johnny," Kitty answered for Technus with a sigh. "Anything with electricity... Technus can spread his energy through them and can also sense energies through them. Like our energy."

"Whatever. As if I'd be interested in his creepy powers," Johnny dismissed.

Technus glowered at him for a moment before he disappeared into the closest power pole. He knew the other whelps were not too far since they had agreed they would spread out but stay within the agreed vicinity. As he surfed through the currents, he used his other senses to search for sounds or vibrations or energies that could help him locate them faster.

And, luckily, the chatty teens did not take too long to find...

"What a downer...," Sydney complained while he laid on his back, spread eagle, in the middle of a high building.

Amorpho's eyes flashed a brighter red behind his visors. "You're supposed to be helping me keep watch," he replied with slight annoyance. "I vouched for you, Sydney. The least you can do is help."

"I am helping," he answered with a roll of his eyes, though he didn't move from his position.

"How are you...?"

"Technus is coming," Sydney cut him off.

Amorpho looked at his friend in disbelief; but before he could ask how he even knew that, Technus abruptly shot out of the nearest telephone pole.

"Whelps! There's trouble!" Technus announced. "Juukka is in the area."

Sydney sat up. "Not in this area. I've been watching this whole time."

Technus frowned. "What are you talking about, whelp? There is no way you could be sure of that... and certainly not by lying there!"

"That's what I said!" Amorpho jumped in.

"Ugh, you dummies! Does anyone pay attention?!" Sydney asked as he stood up and his green eyes flashed white. "This whole place has windows and reflective surfaces everywhere! I can spread my power to look through them, and even travel through them if I wanted! I explained that to you, Amorpho!"

"Right, but when you said you could use reflective surfaces to..."

"Enough, whelps! What do you see?" Technus asked the freckled-faced ghost teen impatiently.

"I told you. There's nothing out here! No movement! No ghosts except us!"

Technus didn't reply at first; but then asked, "Either of you seen Skulker's niece?"

"Yup!" Sydney replied, suddenly a bit happier at the chance to prove even further how helpful he could be. "She's sulking a few miles that way! On some blue building."

Technus glanced in the direction before looking over to where he had last seen the Prince. He said he would be right behind him. It had to be a good ten minutes now... He should have been here by now.

Technus growled in his throat before looking at the two younger ghosts. "Can you pass along the news to her? The Ghost Prince should be on his way here... I'm going to go look for him to make sure."

"Sure thing, bub!" Sydney answered, puffing out his chest and smirking.

Technus glared back. "Do any whelps have respect nowadays?"

And with that, he vanished again.

Syndey snickered at the annoyed old ghost. But he then grinned over at his friend. "I told you I was helping!"

Amorpho's eyes softened and the white veil over his face curved enough to show he was smiling behind it.

"Sorry for underestimating you. You'll have to show me—"

"Hold that thought!" Syndey cut him off as his eyes flashed white. "I... I see him! Juukka! I see him!"

"Where?!" Amorpho asked nervously as he looked all around them in fear.

"Oh-oh. Ember!" Sydney exclaimed when he realized the ghost was closest to her location.

Amorpho's eyes widened. "Come on!" he said before he took off towards where his friend was alone.

Sydney followed; but his eyes kept flashing white as he attempted to get another glimpse of Juukka. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep 'eyes' on him while he was also flying. And it appeared the wolf ghost was moving fast because he couldn't spot him now...

It was strange... the wolf ghost had not been anywhere around here this whole time. And then, suddenly, just after Technus shows up, the wolf ghost shows up.

Maybe Juukka had been following Technus?

"Darn it! I told her to stay close to us!" Amorpho muttered nervously as the minutes dragged out. Why had Ember gone off so far?!

"Let me see if I can reach her faster!" Sydney replied.

And before Amorpho could say anything his male friend vanished in a puff of green smoke.

Amorpho caught his friend's reflection on the nearest glass panel before he continued to travel through the reflective surfaces around them.

Amorpho then remembered Technus, and he quickly flew towards the closest light panel and let his energy travel through it to alert the ghost of trouble.

He then continued forward. He could now see the blue building in the distance that Sydney had to have been referring to.

He picked up speed; but just when he was a few yards out, Sydney appeared in front of him.

"Whoa!" Amorpho yelped almost smashing headfirst into his friend.

"Crap! He's here!"

"Who? Juukka?!"

Sydney nodded but by the rapid flashing of his eyes it was obvious he was searching. "He... No... There! No! Ugh! What is he DOING?!"

"Syndey!" Amorpho exclaimed, grabbing his arms. "Stop for a moment! I need you to listen to me, would ya?!"

Sydney's eyes turned green again as he focused on his friend.

"Juukka can create portals at will. He's probably jumping through them to keep us from tracking him. Look, let's get to Ember so we can tell her what's going on. Then regroup with the others. I already—"

"Whelps! Why did you call me back?!" Technus asked, annoyed. But he was also distressed because he had not caught sight of the Ghost Prince. And... He should have been here by now!

"Because Juukka is in the area!" Sydney exclaimed. "But he keeps disappearing... And..."

"He's duplicated...," Amorpho finished with a gulp and abruptly pointed at the three Juukkas that had now appeared around them.

Technus sneered. "You! When the King gets his hands on you...!"

Juukka abruptly shot a bolt of electrical energy at Technus throwing him into the nearest buildings.

"Mrmp?" the wolf-ghost chirped as his eyes focused on the remaining two teens.

"I take it back. The boring lookout job wasn't so bad!" Sydney squeaked before the two teens scattered as green electrical bolts came at them.

Sydney dove into the nearest reflective surface he could find, while Amorpho flew up, and immediately duplicated. He created several versions of himself all around him and Juukka.

The creature only briefly looked at all the clones but then his eyes locked on the real teen, and he lunged forward.

Amorpho was too stunned to realize the wolf ghost could clearly see right through his tricks.

However, right then, a mirror appeared behind Amorpho; and just as quickly, Sydney appeared in it and pulled his friend into the mirror. They disappeared before Juukka could get his claws on them.

The mirror reappeared right above another building a block down.

Syndey and Amorpho fell straight out of it. But Sydney floated back to his feet and quickly moved to the edge of the building to look out in the distance where they had left Juukka.

"What's happening?! My EYES!" Amorpho cried out, gripping his face while he curled forward.

Sydney glanced at him. "Oh, right! Sorry. Side effects of traveling through reflective surfaces. See, when energy particles penetrate a mirror's surface it—"

"Why is everything black and white!" Amorpho cried out, cutting him off.

Sydney rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to explain..." But thinking better of it, he shook his head, and said instead, "Forget it. And chill, you square. It will wear off in a minute or so. Come on. We gotta keep moving or Juukka might find us again."

"What about Technus? And Ember?!" Amorpho asked as he finally stood, rubbing at his eyes. He was glad to see his sight was returning to normal.

"Hmmm...," Sydney muttered as his eyes flashed rapidly. "Oh, I see Technus! Oh, boy! He's chasing after Juukka! I think it's time to gather the gang!"

"Agreed," Amorpho answered. "Go find Kitty and Johnny. I'll go find Ember. And we'll meet back here."

But Sydney shook his head. "No, I can travel faster with my powers, and Ember's the farthest. I'll get her. You go get the others. They are over at that building where the prince gave his speech... Speaking of, where is Prince Phantom?"

Amorpho wondered the same. Technus said he was on his way, but...

"Who knows," the shapeshifter answered, shaking his head. "We need to hurry. Technus needs help."

Sydney nodded before he vanished inside a mirror.

As Amorpho then took off towards Kitty and Johnny's location, he muttered nervously, "Somehow... I don't think any of this was part of the plan..."

Fifteen minutes earlier...

Ember sat at the edge of a blue building closest to Madison's central park. She had her guitar out, and she silently plucked at the strings. It made no sound, but she could still hear the music in her mind.

It was the only thing that really calmed her. As a child, she had loved hearing her father play his piano. She would fall asleep to the sound.

It was why she had gone back to her old home yesterday. She wanted to hear it again. But her piano skills were nowhere near what her father's had been. Nevertheless, it had been nice to find the instrument still there, even if it had been covered in a layer of dust...

At first, her uncle had maintained her old home. But every time they would go there, the memories returned. And they were painful. Ember knew they were painful for the both of them.

Ember didn't blame her uncle when he eventually stopped taking them, and her parents' house deteriorated. After she got older, she would visit the old home on her own from time-to-time. But at one point she had been forced to accept she could not live in the past. She could not feed the memories of her dead parents which continued to haunt her.

So, she had stopped going there. She had wanted to move on because she knew her parents would have wanted that. But then... Gregor appeared. Then, all her uncle's lies and secrets came to light. She understood why he kept all he had from her; but it didn't make it hurt any less.

And then finding out about Danny just a day ago... Finding out what he was... It was too much. Her uncle and Danny had been what kept her shaky life together. They meant everything to her; and to know they had both lied to her. That her best friend was not who she thought he was...

How was she supposed to comprehend something of this magnitude? Her friend was human. He was part of the very creatures they fought against; the very creatures largely responsible for her parents' death and for her life being turned upside down.

She felt utterly devastated with the news. And yet... she knew deep down she still loved her friend. She would always love Danny.

She just didn't know how to move on from this. How to continue supporting him and being his friend after this.

Ember sighed heavily as she glared out at the quiet night. When her uncle told her of Danny and the King's plan, she had scoffed at it.

Even if by some miracle Gregor was alive, he would have to be an absolute idiot to show his face—knowing that the King was out to kill him.

Hell, if Ember saw that bastard, she would re-kill him even if it meant facing the King's wrath for her disobedience.

But Ember really doubted that dragon ghost was still around. And that hunter that killed Danny's mom would not risk coming out here when he had no real leverage anymore. But then again, that human was obsessed enough with getting his hands on her friend that he probably would take the risk.

Ember almost wished someone would show up so she could unleash her pent-up anger on them...

But it had been almost two hours now, and it was still quiet.

Of course, she spoke too soon...

"I found you...," a voice purred in Ghost Speech within her mind.

Ember jolted just before a familiar ghost materialized near her.

Ember quickly got to her feet and floated back. She brought her guitar forward while her wide eyes stared back at the ghost who had almost killed her uncle.

"Juukka...," she said warily. This was not good. She was no match for this ghost if he chose to attack her!

She immediately regretted separating from her friends...

But the wolf ghost just chirped back, his head tilting as he seemed to study her for a moment. She didn't know Juukka was currently searching his mind for memories of her...

And with those memories, Juukka was certain... this ghost girl meant everything to the Prince...

Juukka pressed a button on his communicator; and quickly typed to Agent Chrome.

'I have your target.'

And then Juukka vanished.

Ember took a step back, looking around her, expecting the ghost to sneak attack her.

"What the heck?" she whispered when a minute went by and... nothing.

Ember hesitated for several minutes, her fingers tense against her glowing guitar. Something was wrong. She needed to get back to the others, but she was afraid the moment she tried to retreat she would get attacked by Juukkka.

But as a couple more minutes slowly dragged by, she made her choice.

The ghost girl took off away from the building she had been on; she kept glancing back and around her, fearing an attack at any time.

But even when she was on full alert, she barely had time to react when a high pitch whistling caught her attention. Ember gasped and jolted to a halt when she spotted a missile coming right at her.

She barely reacted in time but managed to dart to her right to avoid a direct hit. But the missile still hit something behind her, and the force of the explosion threw her forward with a shout of alarm.

Ember quickly got her bearings, and flew up high away from the smoke while her glowing guitar materialized in her hands once more.

Suddenly, another unexpected blast hit her in the chest and threw her back before she could even see who had shot it. The force sent her slamming into another building below her.

Ember grunted in pain as she pushed herself up to her feet. But hearing the hum of a weapon, she finally got a look at her attacker. The ghost girl barred her fangs at the Red Huntress.

And yet, Valerie was hardly intimidated.

"Guess wishes do come true," Ember muttered darkly before she evaded another attack and darted up to meet the hunter head on.

"I was hoping one of you idiots would show up tonight!" Ember said with a smirk before she slammed down on her guitar chords, releasing a fiery wave of green energy at the Red Huntress.

Valerie easily evaded the attack, and flew at the ghost girl, firing more shots. The huntress knew she needed to finish this quickly before the ghost girl's backup showed up.

At least, that was her order.

She didn't know why Agent C was targeting this ghost; but she didn't care.

A ghost was a ghost. And it was her job to get rid of them permanently.

A vortex of pink energy suddenly engulfed the blue-haired ghost, and Valerie's next attack just bounced off that energy.

Ember's eyes glowed brighter as she expanded her energy around her and then released it in all directions.

Valerie gasped this time and she had to dive off her board to escape the deadly power. In turn, her hover board was thrown clear across the sky with the hit.

The ghost hunter grunted as she harshly landed in a roll on the top of a building. It had been a fall of a few feet, so it had been anything but pleasant. Fortunately, her suit absorbed most of the impact.

The problem now was she was a sitting duck on the building.

Ember smiled smugly, well aware of now having the advantage. She flew down towards her enemy as her fingers threaded through her sparkling guitar's chords.

The ghost fired, and Valerie darted out of the way while pulling out a new gun.

"You picked the wrong ghost to mess with tonight, human," Ember said darkly. "Where's your partner, huh? Where's that damn murderer?" she demanded.

Valerie glared and fired her gun at the floating ghost.

But the swirling barrier still around Ember merely absorbed Valerie's attack.

"Is he dead?" Ember asked with a growl. "I hope he is. I hope he died slowly and painfully. I hope he felt every second of it. I hope he was terrified..."

Valerie's eyes widened a fraction before they filled with fury. She knew this monster was talking about Gregor. About her friend. Her brother.

"You're about to hope for a quick death!" Valerie sneered and fired a different gun.

Ember hissed as a bomb exploded in her line of vision, and green smoke engulfed her.

The ghost girl flew up in the hope of getting above the gas; but before she could, a missile came at her; and this time, not even her energy shield could protect her.

Ember cried out in pain as her spinning shield shattered and she was thrown several yards out until she smashed through the windows of another building.

Valerie took the opportunity to jump back on her glider now that the auto-retrieve had finally activated after the hit the glider had taken.

The huntress flew towards where the ghost girl was only just recovering. She had taken a good hit, judging by how she clutched at a burning wound on her side while she struggled to her feet.

But Valerie was not giving her the chance to recover.

"Good-bye, ghost!" she hissed as she aimed one of her more powerful weapons at the ghost girl.

Ember could only yelp and cover her face when the human fired. But instead of feeling pain, Ember heard the huntress scream.

Ember opened her eyes in time to see Valerie being thrown back. A mirror had suddenly appeared in front of the ghost girl and had deflected the force back to the huntress.

"Whoo! Close call, huh?" Sydney said as he appeared through the mirror.

Ember grinned. "Man, I'm happy to see you. Come on! Let's finish this!"

Sydney gasped as Ember shot away from him and went after the ghost hunter.

"Ember, wait!" Sydney shouted as he flew after her. "We're not supposed to pick a fight tonight! We gotta get back to the others!"

But Ember ignored him, and she flew right at Valerie, who had been caught from her fall by her hoverboard. But the hit from her own gun had clearly damaged the hunter's suit because her chest plate was sparking.

Ember didn't care, and lunged at the huntress, this time with extended claws.

Valerie had no time to pull out a gun or even evade the incoming attack. So, she did the only thing she could.

Valerie lunged forward, too, the sharp blades at the front of her glider impaling the ghost girl before Ember could run her through with her claws.

Ember choked on a gasp, ectoplasm rising into her mouth as she gripped at the large blades that had pierced her right through.

Valerie glared darkly at the ghost girl as the memory of her friend gasping for breath after being run through came to her.

"This is for Gregor," she whispered before she activated the electrical output on her board.

"NO!" Sydney screamed as Ember's screeches of pain echoed all around them.

He tried to get to the suffering ghost girl to aid her; but Valerie spotted him, and she flew up higher with Ember still embedded on her board. She didn't let up on the electrical attack and turned her gun towards Sydney.

Sydney jolted to a stop, realizing in his panic he had left himself wide open for an attack. But just as the huntress was going to fire, a wail with the force of a wave shattered the building windows around them and hurled them back.

Valerie barely managed to stay on her board as she darted up, away from the chaos.

Or, she tried to.

Valerie didn't even know what hit her. All she saw was a puff of green smoke that blinded her before something suddenly grabbed her off her board and slammed her down so hard, she lost her breath.

But if that was not terrifying enough, the fact that she was now free-falling from the height of a twelve-story building froze the blood in her veins .

And her glider was nowhere in sight.

Valerie grappled with her belt in a panic, trying to get hold of something to save her life. And finding a familiar chord, she yanked it forward.

Instantly, a parachute expanded, jolting her up painfully by the attachment on her belt. But being in such proximity of buildings and other structures, the parachute could not fully extend, and it ended up getting tangled on some stone décor on a side of a building.

The combination of gravity and leverage of a tangled parachute was enough to slam her into that same building with such force that not even her suit could fully protect her.

She heard more than felt several bones break before she fell unconscious. Her body hung limp from her parachute's strings just four feet from the concrete street below...

Meanwhile, Sydney had recovered from his painful fall. He had been lucky the force of the wail had pushed him away, or that huntress would have blasted a hole through him!

But he had no time to think about that, and he quickly looked up to try to find Ember or...

Sydney gasped as he saw the Ghost Prince land beside him with Ember still attached to the hoverboard.

"Prince... I... I tried... Oh, my gosh!" Sydney wailed at seeing up close the extent of what had just happened to the ghost girl.

Danny didn't reply as used his claws to rip out the glider's circuitry, ignoring the sparks and pain it caused him. The cursed device had still been shocking his friend even after he had thrown the Red Huntress off it. But he had finally damaged it enough to disable it... Or so he thought.

"No!" he hissed nervously when he realized he couldn't phase his friend off the glider's sharp ends.

"Ember?" Danny whispered softly, his hands shaking as he sat her down as gently as he could. There was ectoplasm everywhere!

He knelt beside her and grabbed her head as it rolled back.

"Hey... no, look at me. Ember, look at me, please," Danny begged her.

But the girl didn't respond and just stared at him with unfocused green eyes. Tears were gathered in her dimming eyes.

But the Prince's own tears fell first. "Ember...," he choked out as he stared down where the board was still attached to his friend.

He reached with his other hand to the communicator in his ear.

"Dad, Dad where are you?" the younger hybrid asked desperately. "Ember's hurt. You need to get here. We need to take her back home!"

"I have a lock on your location. We're a few minutes away—"

"She doesn't have a few minutes!" Danny shouted back at him.

"Daniel..."

Danny disconnected the call and focused back on Ember.

"Ember...?"

"We have to get that thing off her!" Sydney exclaimed, his hands clutching his hair in a panic.

"We can't. I can't phase it off! And I will kill her if I just pull it out!" Danny hissed back.

"Ember, look at me," Danny muttered, pulling her face towards him and holding her up against his chest. "Just hang on. My father and your uncle will get here soon; and Anĝela will know how to fix this, okay? Just... hang on."

Right then, Amorpho and the rest of Danny's friends arrived. They all gasped in horror.

Then, Kitty screamed; but soon began to wail against Johnny's shoulder.

"No, no, no!" Amorpho gasped out as he dropped down beside Danny and Ember.

The shapeshifter's white mask disappeared, and tears fell down his cheeks as he reached out to the ghost girl without touching her in fear of hurting her more somehow.

"Oh, no...," Technus muttered as he also appeared, and spotted the dying ghost girl. He walked over as he said urgently, "We have to get this out of her..."

Danny looked up at him in despair. "I already tried... Intangibility doesn't work."

Technus didn't answer and looked at the other devastated teenagers.

"You two!" he snapped at Johnny and Kitty. "Get a hold of yourselves and go keep an eye out! The last thing we need is for Juukka or a hunter to sneak up on us! Go!"

The two jerked back and quickly did as they were told.

Technus then knelt beside the glider and his eyes flashed a brighter green as he touched the exposed circuitry. His hands began to spark as he let his energy invade the glider.

"Ember, no... no, stay awake," Amorpho begged, grabbing one of her hands on the ground this time.

Danny lowered his head closer to her friend's as he begged her. "Please... Please don't die. Don't leave me. I... I'm sorry. Do you hear me? I'm so sorry..."

"Try now," Technus suddenly said.

Danny looked up at him in fear before grabbing Ember under one of her arms. He only glanced at Amorpho, and the two immediately turned the girl intangible.

She made a soft pained noise as her body was pulled away from the blades at last.

"Shadow!" Johnny suddenly called; while he was keeping an eye out, he and Kitty were close enough to see what was going on.

The shadow creature immediately flew over to Ember and wrapped itself around the girl's body like a tourniquet.

"We need to get her home," Kitty moaned.

Technus answered, "Skulker and the King are almost here. I can sense their electrical pulses approaching. They..."

"No, Ember!" Amorpho suddenly shouted when the ghost girl suddenly and completely went limp.

Danny shook his head before he placed his hand against her chest. Her core...

Her core...

"Is she...?" Kitty whimpered.

Danny suddenly pulled away from Ember as he looked down at her unmoving form. But then his eyes focused on the glider...

"Prince...," Technus began warily as they watched his features darken.

"Kid... wait... No!" Johnny shouted after.

But Danny ignored their protests, and he shot off the building, flying straight down to find that... that...

Phantom yelled in fury as he spotted her on the ground.

She was barely moving, but she was clearly alive.

Alive. But not for long.

After having regained conciousness and freeing herself from the tangled parachute, Valerie could not get to her feet no matter how much she tried. The pain was horrible; and each time she moved, she felt like she was getting sucker punched.

But while she had already called for help, she knew she was a sitting duck until Sam or someone came to her aid.

But when she heard the sound of feet landing in front of her, Valerie knew that help was now a little too late...

She tensed as she stared back at the Ghost Prince.

"Stay...," she began as she tried to reach for one of her guns.

But she didn't get the chance.

Phantom flew right up to her and grabbed her by the throat. He snarled at her, his sharp fangs inches from her face. And then he grabbed at her helmet with extended claws.

Valerie cried in fear as the tip of his claws somehow penetrated her helmet. It was not deep enough to touch her, but the helmet cracked with the pressure... pressure he was quickly increasing.

"L-Let me go!" she choked out; but his other hand wrapped around her throat only tightened as he raised her high enough to where her feet were no longer touching the ground.

She cried out again, more of a choke this time, as her helmet cracked some more with the pressure around it and his claws slipped in just a bit more.

Oh, God. He was going to crush her head or snap her neck at any moment!

"Prince Phantom!"

Valerie only heard the deeper voice echo in her foggy mind. But having heard it before, she knew it was the Ghost King.

She was so dead.

"Lasu in iri![1]" he commanded soberly.

Danny immediately glared at his father's command. "No... She dies tonight," he growled back in Ghost Speech.

Phantom turned his eyes back to the hunter at his mercy, and tore his claws from her helmet, not even flinching as he left behind pieces of them still embedded in the helmet. But the force was also enough to tear off the glass visor from the metal.

And...enough to... reveal the face behind it.

"Prince Phantom... Let her go," the older hybrid whispered back in their language.

Danny didn't even look at his father this time. Instead, he just stared back at Valerie with a mixture of shock, hate, anger, and... hurt...

Suddenly, he let her go.

Valerie could only gasp as she attempted to draw in air; but her broken ribs barely allowed her to.

She just stayed there, staring up at the Prince and King, and waiting for death.

But it never came.

Suddenly, the Ghost Prince turned away from her.

Danny didn't even look at his father and just flew up towards where he had left his friends.

Plasmius didn't follow right away. Instead, he just looked at the girl with a frown.

Valerie could only glare back in a mixture of defiance and fear.

But then with an angry sigh, Plasmius vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Valerie's eyes widened in disbelief. Wait... why didn't they kill her?

And to further cement that they had let her live, she saw a flash of green from a portal formation high above her.

They were gone.

"Valerie?"

The girl immediately looked over at the voice.

Sam knew something awful had happened when Phantom's wails echoed through the sky.

She was speeding down the streets of Madison, trying to get some visual of what was happening; but they were too high up.

Still, she continued forward, hoping that... She didn't know. She did not know what she was hoping for!

She didn't want Valerie to get hurt; but she also didn't want Danny to get killed!

She quickly dialed her uncle's number, and he picked up.

"Where is she, Uncle?!"

"Her suit's GPS reads somewhere on Monroe Street," Tom replied. "But something is wrong... most of her suit's functions are offline. And she is not responding to my calls."

Sam didn't answer and she continued to speed down until she heard another scream.

Danny's again.

She caught a blur of white and black and she immediately stopped.

"What do you see?!" Tom asked impatiently.

"Hold on," she replied as she got off the moped and ran closer to the commotion.

She tensed as she now heard Valerie's cries of fear and pain.

Sam immediately pulled out her gun and used the building and parked cars to cover her approach as she crept closer and closer until...

"No...,"

Danny was in the middle of the street holding Valerie by the neck while his other hand's claws were partially extended and gripping at the front plate of her helmet.

His green eyes were darkened with hate and fury. His long white hair moved as wildly as trees caught in a blizzard. And his fangs... they were so extended she could see the glow of venom dripping down their lengths.

"He's going to kill her," Sam whispered.

"What? Samantha, what is happening?!"

Sam crept closer, and then raised her gun. She had a clean shot from here. Danny would not see it coming. Would have no time to react.

He was going to kill Valerie unless...

Sam's hand shook. "I have a shot...," she told her uncle soberly.

"A shot? At who?"

"Phantom... He's going to kill her unless I kill him first," she answered.

"Wait. Sam, I need that demon alive. Do not kill him!"

Sam's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Danny..."

"Sam! I need him!"

"Prince Phantom!"

Sam gasped and immediately slid down against a parked car when the Ghost King appeared out of nowhere.

She gripped her gun tighter before daring to look around the car. They were arguing in Ghost Speech.

But they were too far for her to really try and make out any words. Not that she knew many.

Sam cringed when Danny tore off Valerie's faceplate. And something happened at that moment that she did not understand.

She had no idea what to think of the expression on the Prince's face, let alone, when he suddenly let Valerie go. And then... he just left.

The Ghost King took another moment; but he also left, too.

They... didn't kill her.

Sam didn't realize she had stopped breathing until she saw a flash of green high above.

"They're gone...," Sam muttered in disbelief. But then gasped, "Valerie!"

Sam abandoned her hiding spot and ran over to the girl.

"Val!"

"Oh, my gosh, Sam," Valerie groaned when the girl grabbed her arm. "Don't... Everything hurts right now."

Sam looked her over in worry. She was clutching her sides. Probably broken ribs. She definitely had broken her left arm from the way it was bent, and she wasn't using it. She could also see cuts on her cheek, but with her suit, it was hard to know if she had any other injuries.

"Can you stand up?" Sam asked, softly.

"Help me," she answered, raising her good arm, only to cry out and clutch her side again. "My ribs are broken... I'm having a hard time breathing."

Sam frowned and pressed the communicator. "Uncle, Valerie's badly hurt. You need to send help."

"Have you forgotten Wisconsin is owned by the Ghost King?" he answered annoyed. "There's nothing I can do!"

"She needs to go to the hospital!"

"Then get her there; but she can't go with that ghost hunting suit! In case you forgot, she's turned herself into a target thanks to her stupidity!"

"What's he saying? Let me guess; he's ticked off," Valerie grumbled.

Sam ignored her as her eyes swelled with ire. "You're the one who risked her coming out here! You knew this was a trap! I swear, if she—!"

"Sam, Sam," Valerie called, suddenly tired. "Let it go. Come on, just help me up."

Sam stared back at the other girl; but then with a sharp sigh, she hung up on her uncle and turned her focus to her friend.

"Hold on; let me go get my moped."

Valerie watched the girl run off towards a street before she closed her eyes against the pain. And yet... what came to mind was what had happened with Phantom.

She knew the ghost was dangerous, but the way he had attacked her... He had been vicious. She wasn't sure she had ever seen a ghost attack in such a way.

She should be dead...

Why didn't he finish her off? Had the King told him to spare her? But why would he do that?

"Come on."

Valerie opened her eyes to look at Sam who had returned. With a shaky sigh, she braced herself for the agony. And boy, was she in agony!

She was choking back sobs by the time Sam got her on the moped.

"We gotta get you to the hospital."

"And tell them what?" she hissed. "That I was just in a ghost fight? That I'm the one who the Ghost Prince was talking about on the news? What are you going to tell your parents? Heck, what will I say to them after they find out I took you ghost hunting?!"

"It doesn't matter..."

"No, Sam," Valerie said firmly. "Let's go home. I just need to rest..."

"You have broken bones! Probably internal bleeding!"

Valerie silenced though she breathed heavily for a moment; but then with a frown, she asked, "Where did you go? You just disappeared!"

"I...," Sam hesitated; but the guilt was still in her eyes.

But seeing it, Valerie sighed. "Forget it. It doesn't matter right now." She paused a moment before she suddenly pressed a button. Her suit disappeared and she was now in her regular clothes.

Sam gasped at the blood caked on her shirt and jeans, and back of her head.

"Valerie..."

"I know... And okay; take me to the hospital. I'll make something up. But you... go home."

"No."

"Sam, I'm not getting you in trouble, too! Just get me to the hospital, and then go home! Agent C will be here tomorrow. We'll figure out the rest then."

Sam sighed but nodded. She then carefully sat in front of the injured girl, and soon she headed towards the nearest hospital.

But Sam's thoughts turned back to Danny. What had happened to get him to act... that way?

"Valerie, who was the target?"

The girl was quiet for a moment before she muttered, "I don't know. Some ghost girl. She had to be important though..."

"What makes you say that?"

"Besides the fact that Phantom went berserk?" Valerie paused. "He was crying."

Sam's eyes widened. "So you...?"

"Tom ordered me to kill her. So, I did," Valerie answered indifferently. "One less ghost to worry about."

Sam's grip on the handlebars tightened; but she said nothing else.

As the hospital finally came into view, Valerie said, "Stop here. I can walk over."

"Are you sure?"

"Manson, let it go already! I'll be fine," Valerie said, annoyed. But she then hissed in pain as she began to get off the moped.

Sam immediately helped her. The two girls looked at each other with concern.

But Valerie then smiled weakly. "I'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow. Now, go before your parents ground you for life, or ship you off to Europe."

Sam sighed shakily before she nodded. With one last look at her friend, she turned her moped and headed home.

Sam felt her phone go off; but glancing down to see who it was, she glowered at the picture of her uncle on the caller ID.

She ignored it.

She wondered about the ghost girl Valerie mentioned. Had she been Danny's friend? Or maybe his girlfriend? Whoever she was, she meant something to Danny. And...

And she in one way or another had contributed to her death.

[1] "Let her go!"

Hope you enjoyed this crazy chapter! Things should only get more interesting from here. Ta!

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