Here we go with another one of these bad boys. I figured I would try to write a more action-packed chapter. I haven't written too many of these, I could use the practice.

If you're a returning reader, you probably saw that I changed the title. Windmaker was a misnomer to begin with (it was going to be a bit of a gag), but a good pal of mine thought of something that thematically fit a little better. Thus Wattson Wraith.

Wes couldn't sit still.

It was Wednesday afternoon, and Wes was seated at his desk, waiting for his last class of the day to end. His chin was cupped in his hand, and his leg bounced with an intensity that belied his sheer boredom.

He missed basketball. He hadn't attended practice all week. He'd told his coach on Monday that he had been attacked by a ghost, and needed some time to recuperate. She'd been understanding about the matter, and allowed him to sit out training. It left him a lot of time for homework, which was nice, don't get him wrong. He was thankful to have the time off. But at the same time, he was bored out of his mind. Not being able to run around like he used to, it was almost agonizing.

So he decided. Today, he was going back to practice. He was certain he had healed enough. After only five days, his scab was starting to peel away in flakes. That meant he had to be doing better, right? As long as he didn't twist wrong and pull at his wounds, he would be fine. He was sure of it.

Five minutes before class ended, Wes was practically vibrating in his seat. When the bell finally rang, he was the first one out the door, making a dash for the gym. If he hurried, maybe he would have enough time to convince Ms. Tetslaff that he was perfectly healthy and ready to play.

The jock gasped and skidded to a stop as the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end. He groaned, then looked this way and that, searching for a good place to hide. He spotted an empty classroom, darting into it and pressing himself flush against the wall, out of view from the doorway. He wasn't intent on running head-first into danger, thank you very much.

Seconds later, Danny also threw himself into the room, transforming the second the door had shut behind him. He only then seemed to notice he wasn't alone, yelping and instinctively covering his face. But he quickly realized who he was sharing a room with, and his shoulders slumped, brows furrowing with irritation. "What are you doing in here?"

"Uh, hiding?" Wes replied, quirking a brow. "Who's out there, anyway? Did you see who it was?"

"Pretty sure I caught a glimpse of Shadow," Danny growled, "meaning Johnny is around here somewhere causing trouble. And I don't intend to let him stick around long enough to find out what he has planned."

The Halfa turned to fly out of the classroom, but Wes grabbed his wrist. "Take me with you."

"What?!"

Danny wasn't the only one shocked. Wes couldn't believe he'd suggested it, either. He didn't know who Shadow and Johnny were, but one ghost was terrifying enough. Two was unthinkable. His hands shook just thinking about it.

...But it wasn't a totally unappealing idea, either. He had ghost powers now, so it stood to reason that he would be able to hold his own, didn't it? Besides, he could use the exercise, and this was the perfect opportunity to get back into practice.

"Are you crazy?!" Danny shouted, wrenching his hand away. "You're nowhere near ready for something like this! You still don't have any offensive powers, and I know you haven't fully healed yet."

"I can totally handle it," Wes argued, frowning. "You said there were two of them, right? What if I took one and you took the other?"

Danny pursed his lips. He didn't like this, not one bit. But he could tell Wes wasn't going to back down. No matter what he did, the guy was going to just follow him anyway. He was stubborn like that. But maybe, just maybe, he could get Shadow and Johnny separated; Shadow was the bigger threat, so if he had that busy, Wes could take on the weaker ghost. All of this, of course, was assuming he couldn't get everything taken care of before Wes got there.

Finally, the Halfa wiped both hands down his face, the motion dragging at his eyelids. "Ugh, fine. If you can keep up with me, you can come. But stay out of sight, and don't take either of them on unless I'm in trouble, got it?"

"Yes!" Wes cheered, pumping both fists and transforming with a flash of light. Danny groaned, slipping out of the room as a wisp of spectral smoke. Wes trailed after him, going invisible and running straight through the wall. He shivered at the bizarre feeling of passing through drywall, but he pressed on, booking it down the hallway after Danny. The more experienced ghost clearly wasn't bothering to slow down for him, but Wes was undeterred, taking to the air and hovering as fast as he could with his shaky control, an exhilarated grin on his face. He was doing this, actually doing this.

It was no time at all before he lost sight of Phantom, but Wes pressed on. That irritating hum, that... ghost sense?... niggled at the back of his mind, alerting him to the presence of the threat. Rather than veering away, he sped towards it, knowing that was where Danny was headed, too. If worst came to worst, Wes knew that he could handle things well enough. They would be fine.

Soon he was barreling through the school doors, still invisible, skidding to a stop as he saw Danny facing off with... what just looked like another teen. The only things indicating he was a ghost were his unnaturally clammy skin, and a faint white glow. As far as ghosts went, he wasn't actually all that scary. Behind him was no less than a dozen girls, all looking shaken and scared out of their wits. Based on that, and the fact that Danny was giving the stranger a rather chilling glare, this guy was really bad news, even if he didn't look like it.

"What are you doing here, Johnny?" Danny was saying. "I thought I told you to leave this school alone."

"Relax, kid, I'm not here to hurt anyone," Johnny drawled. "I'm just looking to get myself a new girl. Things with Kitty... didn't really work out."

"Seriously? You guys separated again?" Danny gawked. "Man, maybe you guys should really look into couples therapy." He shook his head. "Either way, you need to leave. I've already warned you what would happen if you came back."

"And what are you going to do? Stop me?" Johnny whistled, and Shadow appeared at his side, and oh, that was why Wes inviting himself to fight ghosts was a bad idea. The thing was terrifying. It grinned at its partner in crime, holding Star in its sharp clutches. Johnny hummed, scrutinizing the horrified girl. "Hey, you're pretty cute. What do you think, Shadow? She the one?"

Danny somehow glared harder, his eyes glowing dangerously. "Let them go, Johnny."

"You know what?" The biker wrapped an arm around Star, tugging her close so that she was flush against his side. "I don't think I will. Get him, Shadow!" The specter growled menacingly, flashing a row of sharp teeth in a vicious grin as it threw itself at Phantom. While he was distracted, Johnny hopped onto his motorcycle, a screaming Star in tow as he skidded in the parking lot before taking off.

Wes gasped, totally at a loss for what to do, and looked at Danny. But he was too busy wrestling with Shadow, the pair barely anything more than a writhing mass of limbs and the occasional laser. Danny wasn't freeing himself from it, not any time soon. So it was up to Wes, then, to somehow catch up to a freaking motorcycle when he couldn't even top... 25 miles an hour? He sighed, then grit his teeth. At the very least, he had to try.

Wes sped off, making himself visible once more so he could focus his energy entirely on building as much speed as possible. Students leaped out of his way with confused shouts, but he didn't pay them any mind. He took to the streets, and oh no, this was such a terrible idea. He found himself swerving around cars in a panic, struggling not to get run over as Johnny pulled further and further ahead. Why did he think he could follow a freaking motorcycle again?

But luck seemed to be on his side. Star was not making herself an easy hostage. She screamed, slapped, and flailed, and it looked like it took Johnny everything in him to keep her on the bike. Wes could tell his focus wasn't entirely on riding, meaning he wasn't going at top speed. That meant there was a chance.

Redoubling his efforts, Wes shifted to the sidewalk, hoping to gain on Johnny while he was divided between Star and the road. But the ghost seemed to have similar ideas. He turned sharply, heading straight for a rather tall building. Wes's eyes widened in alarm, and for a split second he was terrified that Johnny was going to run right into it. But the biker dipped backwards into a wheelie, his front tire catching on the wall and pulling him up, scaling the skyscraper like it was a flat road. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me..."

No. No, he had this. He just needed to think of the tree. Yeah, he could do this. Ten feet, ten stories, twenty, what was the difference? If he couldn't fly, he could just do the next best thing instead.

Wes followed after Johnny, floating with everything he had. When he got close to the building, he screwed his eyes shut tight, touched down, and jumped with all his might. He tipped backwards, his feet made contact, and then he was running. He dared to open his eyes, and saw a stretch of glass and concrete in front of him, the cloudy sky reaching ahead. He was running. He was running up. An elated whoop escaped his lips, and his legs pumped with everything he had. He couldn't believe it. It was just like running on a track. Something like gravity wasn't going to stop him!

And then he looked down. He was high up. Really high up. His foot slipped, and then refused to catch on the concrete surface. And suddenly he was falling, the rooftop that had been close, so close, stretching further and further away. Too fast. His limbs flailed to find purchase, but he was too far, he couldn't reach. He couldn't fly. He couldn't fly. And he was falling, he was...

And then he wasn't. Arms hooked themselves beneath him, one under his armpits and the other under the crook of his knees. Wes opened his violet eyes, not realizing he had closed them, and found himself looking up at Phantom, his stony scowl focused skyward. They were flying up, up at speeds that brought tears to Wes's eyes. They could do it. They were going to catch up.

But Shadow was right behind them, and gaining quickly. It hissed angrily, and Danny looked back, then down at Wes. Shadow was at their ankles. Making up his mind, Danny threw Wes upwards, tangling with the dark specter once more. "Get to Star!"

The younger Halfa squealed with fright, but this time his feet found a window, stumbling as he regained his lost traction. This time he didn't dare to look anywhere but straight ahead. Or straight up. Or... He didn't think about it. He could see the edge of the roof, that was all he needed.

And then he was up and over, and he had never been so happy to have flat, solid, horizontal ground beneath him. He took a second to catch his breath, then looked up. Johnny had pulled over on the roof, and looked to be trying to talk Star into committing. "Come on, don't you wanna be my girl? I've got a cool bike, good looks, and I swear I'm a great kisser. What more could you want in a guy?"

"Can't you tell she isn't interested?" Wes called out, hoping his glare was at least a little frightening.

Johnny looked up in surprise. It didn't seem like he'd realized he was being followed. "Huh? Who the heck are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am," Wes replied, taking a step closer. "Now let her go, and I won't have to hurt you."

"You know, you're really not good at threats," Johnny deadpanned. Star gave another token struggle, but the biker simply held her tight again, revving the engine and driving straight off of the roof.

Wes scrabbled for the edge of the rooftop, arm extended, but then he saw the bike fly away. He stared after it, then let his arm drop to his side. Great... "He drove off the roof!" he called to Phantom on the opposite side.

Danny rose up, at the moment struggling to wrestle Shadow off of his back. "So fly after him!"

"He drove off the roof!"

"I'm sorry, did you want to trade?" Wes opened his mouth, then closed it again, giving Shadow a timid look. "Then you better learn to fly really dang quick!"

"Oh boy..." Wes looked over the edge, watching in dismay as Johnny sped away. And seriously, who came up with a flying motorcycle? That didn't even make sense! No, he needed to focus. Flight. It couldn't be that different from hovering, could it? And if he could run up a freaking skyscraper, then he should be able to hover over open air. Piece of cake.

At least he knew that Phantom could catch him if he messed up.

Letting out a puff of air, Wes backed up, shaking his hands out as he mentally braced himself. He didn't let himself think. He ran, sprinting for the far edge. And then, like an idiot, he jumped.

Okay. Okay okay okay, the ground was coming in fast. Really, really fast. He just needed that speed to go straight ahead, and not straight down. How did Phantom do it? This was terrifying! This was a huge mistake, he should have let Danny handle it. But if he thought Wes could do it, then the answer couldn't have been that hard, could it? What was he missing? The tail? Was it the tail? How did he sprout a tail? God, it was worth a shot. It was the only shot he had, really.

Wes closed his eyes yet again, willing himself to forget for just a moment that he was falling to his death. He focused with all his might, hoping beyond hope that when he opened his eyes, he would have some wispy thing in place of his legs. His hands balled into fists at his sides, bracing for impact with the ground.

But he never collided. He dared to crack an eye open, and found himself floating a good four stories above the busy street. Beneath him twisted a long tail, a black ribbon fringed with the same shade of orange as his hair. It almost reminded him of some sort of eel. He shook his head. It wasn't the time to marvel. He needed to get to Star, and quickly, before Johnny did... whatever he planned to do to her.

Wes sped off, his tail crackling behind him as he tried to catch up with Johnny. He only wished he could go faster, but beggars couldn't be choosers. He'd already done way more than he thought he was capable of.

Behind him, Danny was finally gaining, Shadow nowhere in sight. He caught up to Wes in the blink of an eye, staying just a hair ahead of him. "How you holding up?"

"God, uh... I guess fine?" Wes laughed, bordering on manic. It took everything in him to keep flying straight, to keep the rapid movement of his own tail from throwing him off course. "How the heck did you lose that thing?"

"Somehow it completely slipped my mind that it's weak to light," Danny replied. "But it'll be back if we don't hurry. My guess is that Johnny is trying to take Star to some portal somewhere. We need to get her away from him before he finds one. Come on!" He grabbed Wes's hand, and suddenly they had doubled, no, tripled their previous speed. Wes couldn't even see through the tears he was trying to blink away.

And then they were practically right on top of Johnny. Danny released Wes, who nearly sailed past the bike, so that he could focus his ectoplasmic energy in both hands. He fired, knocking Johnny off of the motorcycle. With no one to drive it, it lost momentum, and then altitude, Star falling down screaming along with it.

Wes didn't even think. He dove down, pushing himself as fast as he could go. But Star wasn't very far to begin with, and he caught her by hooking his arms under hers, the bike falling uselessly to the street below. "Don't worry, I've got you!"

Above them, Danny had pulled out the Fenton Thermos, diving after Johnny. He made quick work of sucking the biker inside, the motorcycle disappearing a moment later. He touched down on the sidewalk, Wes setting down Star right after. She stared at the Halfas uncertainly, then offered them both a smile, if a bit shaky, before running back towards the school.

Phantom crossed his arms, a proud smirk on his face. "Congratulations. You just made your first rescue. How do you feel?"

"That was amazing. Let's never do it again." Wes swayed on his feet, and Danny caught him before he collapsed, dragging him into a nearby alley right as he shifted back. The poor guy was clearly exhausted. He had only ever used the most basic of powers, practicing for moments at a time, and today he'd spent a good fifteen minutes chasing a hostile ghost all over town. Danny was genuinely amazed Wes had lasted as long as he did.

He sighed to himself, taking to the air with the barely conscious teen in his arms. He might as well take the guy home. It had been a long day.

({O})

Danny saw Wes in the hall the next day, staring at the daily paper in awe. The shorter teen strode closer, peeking at the headline.

Casper's New Friendly Ghost?

An unknown ghost was spotted just yesterday at the famed Casper High. When a hostage and kidnapping situation occurred at the school, the newcomer took hot pursuit alongside Amity Park's own hero, Phantom. Local eyewitness reports tell us that the hostage was recovered only two miles from Casper High, safe and uninjured. Who is this new spectral entity? Are they a new ally to our town hero? Only time will tell, as we will be watching this stranger's career with great interest.

"Wow, good publicity on your first outing," Danny said dryly. "It took me months to get a good story."

Wes gaped at the article, tiny as it was. Then, he frowned when he caught a glimpse of the photograph. It looked to be a submission a student had taken on their phone. It wasn't too shabby, either, the buildings in the background in crisp high definition. While Phantom and Shadow were the focus of the piece, Wes himself was at the edge of the photograph, just beginning his chase. He was just as clear as the rest of the photo, save for his face, which was barely more than a fuzzy smear. "Pfft. Figures they couldn't have taken a good one."

"Are you kidding? A blurry picture is basically the mark of a true cryptid," Danny joked. And it was almost funny, how quickly Wes's face lit up at the notion.

Danny went on his merry way, smirking as Wes's annoyance morphed into pure glee. He really hadn't done too bad for a ghost with almost no powers in his first battle.

Jazz was right. He really was a quick learner.

So in the end, I wound up making this one a combination of action and lesson. It also ended up being the longest chapter thus far. This was a pretty fun chapter to do, even if it did turn out to be more of an obstacle course than an actual fight, haha.

The next one is probably going to be a proper flight chapter. Adrenaline does wonders in a pinch, but it's hardly a reliable teaching method. So stay tuned!