Finally back again with another chapter! Thank you to all who continue to read and support my stories! I appreciate you all, and love getting your messages and reviews. So! Hope everyone is having a good year. I cannot believe we are almost half way through 2024! Geesh!

Okay, quick recap. Although I suggest just re-reading the last chapter... or, all of them Hahaha!

After the discover of Gregor's existence and his alliance to the Guys-in-White, King Plasmius made the decision to eliminate the teenager, and in turn, the threat he posed to all ghost-kind.

However, the attempt against Gregor cost the Ghost King dearly. The ghost dragon realm immediately turned against the kingdom; and to avoid an internal wall with the Ghost World, Plasmius turned himself over to Aragon to pay for the crime of murdering Aragon's son.

But by some miracle or chance, Gregor barely survived the attack. And Thomas Chrome made the decision to allow his weapon to be taken from him in order to save the boy's life.

With his son secured but in a coma, Aragon released the Ghost King with the purpose of keeping Gregor's survivial a secret from the King and his kingdom.

But Vlad did not believe in the dragon's leader sudden mercy; and took his own steps to assure the safety of his son and his kingdom— even if it meant sending his son away to the Human World.

Six months later, the Ghost King appeared to have full reign of Amity Park and making way with completing his takeover of the Human World.

All the while, Thomas Chrome continued to plot the destruction of the Ghost King and his kingdom. His weapon might be out of reach, but his eyes were set on a different kind a weapon. Biological energy-seeking missiles, called 'Project A.I.M. was finally close to completion. He just needs a specific power-source to get it fully functional.

And luckily for him, Gregor has been exactly where Tom needed him to me to obtain said power-source. Even more fortunate, his weapon has finally woken from his six month coma. And while at first the teen was very confused and troubled at finding himself in the enemy's world, Gregor if anything at all, knows how to adapt and survive. So, while he did his best to pretend to be a 'ghost' in the dragon realm, he was still unaware of everything that was occuring back home.

But Gregor was not the only teenager living in a foreign world.

With no other choice, the Prince has adapted well to living as 'Daniel Masters'. But it seems even as human, he contiues to face the dilemma betweem loyalty to his kingdom and the ghost race and honoring a past friendship and his withering belief in humanity.

And Sam appears to be the personification of the Ghost Prince's internal struggle.

While, they might not have hit it off right away, Daniel has found common ground with Samantha Manson, and even, Valerie Gray. But their blossoming friendship is set to a halt as he is reminded again why they can only be enemies as long as this war continues.

Vlad Plasmius is also facing a dilemma of his own in the form of the Fentons. They continue to get in the way of his plans; and while he has been holding off eliminating them, out of respect for his son, he knows he is just delaying the inevitiable. And the Fentons with their little team are only becoming a larger problem as time passes.

Unfortunately, they are not his only problem. Although Gregor is 'supposed' to be dead, the King continues to search for the dragon ghost. And he is reminded of how deadly the 'White Hunter' and the 'Red Huntress' are when Valerie disrupts the peace in Wisconsin by killing the King's patrol guards.

After discussing the issues with his son, Vlad agrees to the Ghost Prince's plan of not only luring out the 'White Hunter'and 'Red Huntress', but also of making a statement to Thomas Chrome and his 'Guys-in-White' division. Danny single-handedly has placed a target on all ghost hunters' backs by offering a reward and protection for any human who turns in a hunter.

In retaliation, Thomas Chrome targets one of the most important people in Danny's life: His best friend, Ember. And it does not help matters that Ember had been under emotional and mental distress after Danny revealed his secret about being half-human, about being part of the very race that murdered her parents.

She was the easiest and the most perfect target.

But not even Thomas Chrome expected Daniel's vicious attack against the Red Huntress. And the Prince would have killed her if the most unlikely person had not stepped in to save her: the Ghost King himself.

With Ember's life on a thread, Vlad has some explaining to do...

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. However AU plot and OCs are my own. And Juukka belongs to my dear friend JH24.

Chapter 68: Lines in the Sand

Back in the Ghost World, it had been a long somber night—at least for those at the castle. It had felt like an eternity for the once-purple novas to slowly ebb to green to signal the first sign of dawn.

In his room, Danny stared down at the broken claws on his right hand. With everything that happened, he had not even thought about his own injuries until now. In fact, he had only just entered his room and remained in the same attire that was stained with his friend's ectoplasm...

Not wanting to linger on the images that immediately came to mind, Danny focused back on his claws when a small throb pulsed and shot pain all the way up his elbow. The injury was not as bad as it felt. After all, he had done worse damage to them before.

He inspected them further and could see that the dried ectoplasm around his claws, fingernails and hands had finally stanched the bleeding.

If only all of it was his own.

Danny sighed shakily when that gruesome picture of his best friend impaled by that hoverboard entered his mind yet again. But he knew that no matter how much he tried to think of anything else, it was pointless. His friend's condition was the reason why everyone who was aware of it, including himself, had spent the entire night waiting around the medical bay in the castle.

Ember's core had briefly stopped responding several times by the time they had managed to get her back home. It had been fortunate Danny's father always planned for 'worst case scenarios' and would ask Anĝela to stay at the castle whenever his father or him went on 'ventures' to the Human World.

And last night, Danny had been all the more thankful that the female doctor had been on alert.

He loved Anĝela like a mother. Her and Dora had been many times his only company and support; and he owed them both so much. But Anĝela especially had saved his and his father's life many times before.

And now…

He also owed her Ember's life.

Against all odds, his best friend was still alive. And yet… he couldn't be completely relieved because Ember was nowhere near out of danger yet. Her injury had been too close to her core. In fact, just a couple inches to the left, and Ember would have been killed instantly.

The ectoplasm loss was the worst of it. Anĝela had managed to control the bleeding but was currently keeping her core going with her powers in hopes that with medicine and time she would heal and pull through. But ultimately, they could only wait and see.

Danny had wanted to remain at his friend's side for as long as it took to see her open her eyes and be reassured that she would be alright. But his exhaustion had finally caught up with him.

But more than physically tired, he was emotionally spent after seeing yet another person he held dear get hurt.

Indeed he was tried… But he was also angry.

But no matter how angry he was, he still had to take care of his hand.

Danny headed over to his bathroom. He then reached for the facet, turned on the water, and began to carefully clean his hands and his claws so he could see the damage a bit better.

He ignored the stinging pain as his mind continued to go through everything that happened last night.

He thought of his other friends and the worried and scared looks on their faces last night. It had been a sight almost as bad as the sight of seeing Ember so hurt.

But he had not been able to say anything to them. But honestly, what could he have said when he knew he had let them down? He had promised they would be alright, that they would be safe… And he failed to keep that promise.

"I should have never told them to do this…," Danny thought miserably, before his mind drifted to the others...

But if anyone had looked worse, it was Skulker. He had been beside himself. He said nothing, not to him or his father. He would only speak to Anĝela.

He had looked angrier and more remorseful than Danny did.

Then, there was the King...

Danny's father naturally had been troubled; but he somehow seemed more worried about him than Ember.

It was probably because Danny had not spoken a word to him since they had got home, not even while they had waited all those hours in the hallways around the medical bay.

But while it had been clear the King wanted to say something about it, he kept his thoughts to himself, and at least had the decency to stay focused on supporting Anĝela and Skulker with whatever was needed to help Ember.

And yet… Danny wondered… Did his father even understand the gravity of what had just happened?

The Prince was naturally angry at those who had hurt his friend. He was angry with himself for not preventing it. But he was angriest at his father.

It was why he had kept quiet. With how upset he was last night, Danny knew he would have lashed out; but what was more important at the time was focusing solely on his friend's survival.

Eventually, when the Novas brightened and the temporary portal formation came to a halt, Danny had asked his other friends to go home. He had seen how they were exhausted, too; and their parents naturally would worry if they did not return home.

Besides, like Danny, there was not much they could do at this point. Ember, though stable, remained in a coma; and Anĝela did not think she would be waking any time soon.

His friends had reluctantly agreed to head home at the first sign of morning. And as soon as they left, Danny had also left the medical bay without a word or glance towards his father.

Skulker, of course, remained by his niece's bed and was probably still there.

Danny hissed when he accidentally pressed on one of his broken claws a bit too forcibly. Now that most of the dried blood was gone, he could see the jagged breaks; and they had started to bleed again.

The teen suddenly heard a whine, and he glanced down to see Cujo staring up at him. His companion knew something was wrong.

"I'm fine, Cujo," Danny whispered with a sad smile. "And… so is Ember. She'll pull through this. You'll see…"

The Prince turned his attention to his claws. He needed to clip them below the crack line so they would grow back correctly.

With his good hand, Danny pulled out a repair kit from a drawer under the bathroom sink.

He took everything out of the box and spread them on the counter before he pressed a cloth against his bleeding claws to clean the fresh ectoplasm. At least it wasn't bleeding too badly.

He hissed again before he picked up a jar of clear ointment among the items on the counter. He cringed this time with the sting of the medicine when he applied it to his hand.

It was definitely an inconvenience to have such sensitive and fragile claws. It was so much easier to injure them and much harder for them to heal.

He rarely used his claws in combat, and definitely should not have used them to tear open an anti-ghost glider or helmet; but… that huntress…

Danny's jaw tightened but he pushed away his emotions. He didn't want to think about her right now.

He soon retrieved another jar and scooped out some ointment which was white. He began to carefully coat his cracked claws and almost instantly felt the pain numb away.

He waited a full minute until he felt the numbing cream travel all the way down to his fingertip. He then picked up the clippers.

He stared at the tool for a moment.

"Snip-Snip, ghost..."

Danny's eyes narrowed slightly with the memory before he finally brought the clippers to his right hand and began to snip his claws below any visible crack lines. He cringed a bit because even with the numbing cream, it hurt a bit, like removing an ingrown nail.

"Do you need help with that?"

Danny paused on his next clip with the sound of his father's voice.

"No," he muttered before he continued to clip his remaining claws. He had only two left; so he finished it quickly before he turned back towards the sink and placed the cutters in the sink. He rinsed his hand again since his claws were bleeding freely now.

"I'm sorry, little Phantom," Vlad said with a sigh. "I know that—"

"Did you force Ember to go out there?" Danny cut him off as he turned off the facet. But instead of looking at his father, he turned to grab a nearby hand cloth and used it to dry his hands and apply pressure to his claws to slow the bleeding.

When his father did not answer, Danny shook his head. "You did, didn't you?"

"I do not want to argue right now, Daniel," Vlad replied instead. "I just wanted to make sure you are well… It is best we talk about this once we are both rested…"

Danny didn't answer, and instead, set the soiled towel aside and reached for an open container with some white powder in it. His claws were still bleeding a bit, but it had stopped enough for him to dip his claws into the powder one by one. As he did, the bleeding seemed to cease immediately.

Once done, he closed the jar. The Prince's claws slipped back into their slits as he finally turned to face his father.

It was of no surprise when Vlad saw the glare on his son's face. Danny's anger had been palpable from the moment the King had stopped him from killing the Red Huntress.

"What did you tell Ember?" the Prince demanded. "That I ordered her to go out there? That her Prince 'commanded it'?"

"I commanded it," Vlad answered soberly.

"Why?" the teen pressed.

"You needed her."

"I needed her?!" Danny repeated before he exploded. "What I needed was my friend to be SAFE! What I need is for her to be alive and well! I did not need her out there! And you had no right to force her!"

"I had no right? Really?" Vlad replied impatiently. "I am her King. I am your King. So, yes, I had ever right to command her to go out there with you."

Danny scoffed. "Oh, that's right. Forgive me, King Plasmius. I did not realize your subjects are expendable to you!"

This time, Vlad glared back. "I understand you are upset. But do not forget who you are speaking to, Prince Phantom."

"No!" Danny hissed back, and Vlad was clearly surprised. "You do not get to do that right now! I am only your son right now! And right now, you are only my father! So, tell me, Father… Why? Why did you purposely keep the truth about that huntress from me? You knew the risk I was taking; you knew the risks my friends were taking! And you still kept quiet about things that could have prevented what happened last night! So, why?!"

"I did not know Chrome would order the Red Huntress to target Ember…," Vlad answered quietly. "And you know me well enough to know I would never purposely put you, her, or any of your other friends in unnecessary danger. But, yes, I knew the risks. And you should know by now that what we do to ensure the safety of our home comes with risks."

"But you—!"

"You accepted this assignment," Vlad cut him off firmly this time. "You asked me to go out there, Daniel. You accepted your friends' help. You and they knew the risks, including Ember. And while I might have commanded her this time, she has been involved in this war long enough to understand the dangers. Therefore, I will not accept blame for something that I could not have predicted!"

Danny's glare melded into a sober look. He was quiet for a moment before he muttered, "You're right…. I accepted the risks. Ember… My friends. We all knew the risks…" His eyebrows furrowed with resentment again as he added, "But I also trusted that my father's main priority was protecting my friends and I. Instead, he forces my best friend to accept a venture against her will; and then protects a hunter who almost killed her—who for all we know might still succeed!"

"I did not protect—"

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME KILL HER?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WHO SHE WAS?!"

Vlad didn't reply this time; but his own frown remained firm on his face.

Danny's fierce glare turned icier; yet his eyes glazed with unshed tears of anger and disappointment.

"And you still won't tell me…" Danny looked away for a moment. "You don't trust me…"

"Of course, I trust you," Vlad answered right away as his eyebrows creased and his hard look softened a bit. "But I need you to trust that I have a powerful reason for not allowing you to kill Ms. Gray."

"I can't do that," Danny answered bitterly, looking back at him. "Not when my friend is on Death's door. The least you could do is give me a reason."

"Daniel, why does it matter? What happened to Ember has nothing to do with 'my reasons' for keeping Valerie Gray alive. I am sorry about forcing Ember to join you last night. Perhaps I underestimated how affected she was after learning your… secret. But for all we know, what happened out there had nothing to do with that either! Ember went against everything we—"

"Do not dare blame her," Danny cut him off coldly.

"I am not blaming anyone!" Vlad snapped back. "So why do you insist on blaming me for something I could not control?!"

Danny shook his head. "Then, I guess it's my fault. I should have never done this…"

"Daniel," Vlad replied firmly. "This is no one's fault but our enemies. And do not doubt your choices now. I will not allow it."

"My friend—!"

But Vlad immediately cut him off. "Do you know how many friends… warriors… fellow ghosts I have lost? …I have been losing those I care about longer than you have been alive! If you blame yourself for everyone's death or misfortune, you will drive yourself insane!"

"So, what do I do then? Just accept Ember's possible death as part of life and move on? Is that what you do?"

Vlad suddenly sighed. "This conversation is getting nowhere. I will return when you have had time to calm down…"

Vlad turned away and headed out of the bathroom; but Danny immediately followed him.

"If Ember dies, I will find that hunter, and I will kill her!" Danny vowed angrily.

Vlad immediately turned back around and glared. "You will do no such thing!"

"Ah, there it is!" Danny mocked angrily. "And yet, you expect me to not blame you when you clearly value the life of some hunter over my best friend—over someone who is supposed to be like a daughter to you!"

"Enough! I do not value a hunter over anyone of our kin, especially not Ember!" Vlad hissed back. "You know perfectly well that is not true!"

"Then, why?!"

"Because she does not deserve to die!" Vlad exploded. "Because it's not her fault she is who she is! It's mine!"

Danny's eyes widened and he was silent; but then he whispered nervously, "…Yours? Why yours?"

Vlad looked away for a moment before he glared back at his son. But then without another word, he turned away.

"No! You can't do this!" Danny exclaimed and flew around his father to block his path.

"Move, Daniel."

Danny shook his head. "What if it would have been me? What if she had targeted me?"

"I would have killed her myself," Vlad replied without hesitation.

Danny stared at him in disbelief. "You value my life more than…?"

"Yes," Vlad cut him off coolly. "You are my son. And you are the Ghost Prince. And while I do not believe anyone's life here is expendable, if you are asking me to compare their lives to yours, then yes. Everyone is expendable compared to you. And everyone here knows it. It's like I said, your friends knew the risk. But maybe you didn't… Perhaps I was wrong to think you have matured at all in these past months…"

Danny didn't answer as his father stepped around him and grabbed the door to open it.

"I have never believed you to be cruel, Father…"

Vlad scowled back at him. "Daniel, I am trying to be patient with you; but if you continue to insult me…"

"My position in our world might be more important," the teen cut him off, "but that does not make my life more significant than any other ghosts here. As I said, I made the mistake of trusting you knew that; but I guess I was wrong. And the truth is you don't trust me. Otherwise, you would not have led me to believe I had control over that mission when ultimately you were in control. And no matter what you say, we both know your true objective last night was to find out the truth about Gregor while making sure nothing happened to me; and that nothing happened to Valerie. That is why I blame you."

"But know this," Danny continued with a glare. "My friends are not expendable under any circumstance! And I will not accept 'death' and 'loss' as easily as you do. I would rather die if it meant saving a single one of our kin, no matter how 'expendable' you think they are compared to me. And if that makes me a child in your eyes, if that makes me unworthy to be the future King, then so be it. Maybe without my crown, my life will be as meaningless to you as Ember's…"

Vlad just stared with cold eyes. "As I said… You are upset. And it is the only reason why I do not punish you for your words. But know this: once you have calmed down, I expect an apology; and you can do it with or without 'your crown'!"

Vlad slammed the door close after him as he left.

Danny just sighed dejectedly before he went over to his bed and sat down. He pulled off his belt before reaching for the crystal necklace around his neck. As he pulled it off, its green glow disappeared and only the soft pink of his mother's lingering energy remained.

Danny cupped the crystal in his hands and stared sadly at it for a moment before sighing again.

He glanced at his closed door before whispering, "His fault… Why would Valerie being a ghost hunter be his fault…? It was what he meant, wasn't it?"

But Danny immediately tensed as he remembered something Valerie told him the day she and the Mansons visited them at the Wisconsin castle…

The girl shrugged. "I guess I'm just not used to yours and Sam's lifestyles."

"No? Not even when your father was in business with my father? I'm sorry, by the way, that he's… gone. He passed away… right?"

Valerie paused. "Yes, he did. When I was six. He was… murdered."

"I'm really sorry. That must have been hard."

"Your father didn't tell you? It was also all over the news…"

Danny's eyes widened. Had… Had his father killed Valerie's father when she had been a kid? But… why? Unless the man had been a ghost hunter? Maybe his father had been obligated to do so? Maybe that's why he had become business partners with Valerie's father…?

His father had targeted the man because he was a threat but…

"No, that's not right…" he thought. "If Valerie was six…. And I think she's around my age… No, the war had not started yet… Why would my father kill him?"

Danny might be upset with his father now, but he didn't believe for a moment his father would just murder a human for no reason—especially not before the war began. There was a difference between his father having to kill human hunters because they were a threat and they were at war than simply murdering a man for no reason.

"If he won't tell me, I will find out myself," Danny suddenly said as he stood up.

He headed to his bathroom for a quick shower and a change of clothes. As exhausted as he was, his sudden determination pushed it down. Still, he needed to clean up first.

About fifteen minutes later, he was back in the main room in his battle suit. He grabbed his mother's necklace he had left on his bed and put it back on. He then reached for his belt and pulled off the crystal before mentally calling for his hooded cape.

He placed it down on his bed for a moment as he reached for his energy armlets which were also on his bed. This time, though, he frowned with his sudden hesitation at realizing the armlets were completely drained of energy. It made sense with all the energy he expanded last night in the Human World…

Unfortunately, that meant he needed to give them time to recharge; preferably, he should take them to the nearest energy nova to charge faster. But he had no time for any of those options…

With a sigh, he tapped them against his belt to store them away. He would be fine without them. He wouldn't need the extra energy where he was going…

He quickly finished getting ready, and finally headed out of his room.

He considered his options as he walked down the halls. He really didn't want to just leave without saying anything. But he also didn't want to explain to his father why he was heading back to the Human World… alone.

Not that it really mattered. His father had practically left him alone out there for six months. Why would it suddenly be a problem for him to go out there again for an hour or so?

Danny huffed in annoyance because he could already imagine the argument with his father upon his return.

But then, he suddenly got an idea and changed directions to Dora's room.

Fortunately, just as he rounded the hall that led to the female dragon ghost's room, he spotted her.

"Dora!"

"My Prince," she answered with a sad smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Danny answered. "Is there any news of Ember's recovery?"

Dora frowned. "She is still unresponsive when I was with her about an hour ago… Anĝela thinks it might be a few days… at least."

The Prince lowered his gaze in sadness, but then looking back at the female dragon ghost, he said, "Dora…. I need a favor… Could you come with me to…run an errand… ?"

He paused and looked around before he continued more quietly, "—to the Human World? I would seek out my father to go with me, but… I'm sure he's busy. And I am in a bit of a hurry."

"But… It is only just dawn. And you have not eaten yet. Did you even get any sleep, Prince?" Dora replied as her motherly instincts kicked in.

Danny hesitated. "No… I mean, I can eat when I get… there. Besides, it won't take long."

Dora still looked unconvinced. "Prince, you know I would gladly go with you, however, I feel we should still try to alert your father... especially after what has happened."

Danny rubbed his neck this time. There was no way his father would agree for him to go back to Wisconsin without asking questions. And his father would definitely not be pleased with the answers anyway.

"The King is stressed with all that's happened…," Danny answered finally. "I rather not bother him right now with something that's really not important. And it will be quick! A couple hours at most! And it's not like he doesn't allow me to go there on my own, right?"

Dora's eyebrows creased; but then with a sigh, she nodded. "Very well. I shall meet you at the front gardens. Let me just get my covering."

Danny smiled. "Thank you, Dora."

"Of course, my Prince."

Gregor looked around with uncertainty as he followed Aragon down a long hallway. It was early morning, and the older male ghost had returned insisting on that 'stroll'.

The teen agreed only after being promised a breakfast he would enjoy after their walk.

But now that Gregor had left the room, he was starting to reconsider his decision.

The hall reminded him of a dungeon he had once seen in some movie. Sure, it was decorated; and instead of cells, they passed doors. But much like his room, the hall was dimly lit. Worse, it was lined with cold dark stone with no window in sight.

It was creepy as heck.

Not to mention, everything appeared oversized. It wasn't dragon-sized, no. But the width of the halls, and the height of the walls, even the doors… The size seemed off.

He remembered this one time going to the 'Fun-house' that was part of his Master's circus attractions. He remembered hating the place. And this reminded him too much of it.

"I didn't fall through a portal… I fell down a rabbit hole," he muttered to himself in dread.

"What was that?" Aragon asked two steps ahead of him.

Seeing the larger male glancing back at him, Gregor quickly shook his head and just stuffed his hands deeper into his pant pockets. The teen briefly noted that the older ghost was talking to him in Human Speech and not the usually Ghost Speech he usually insisted on conversing with.

Aragon turned his head forward again. There was only another second of silence before he spoke, "Thank you for coming with me. I am quite excited to show you the gardens. While we are heading to the indoor gardens, it is partially open to let in the fresh air. It will do you good."

Gregor resisted the urge to scoff. He couldn't imagine getting much 'fresh air' in such a dreary place.

They really needed to hire an interior decorator…

Just then, he noticed the end of the never-ending hallway. To his surprise, it quickly opened into a large circular foyer that led to multiple other halls and doors.

Still no windows.

Gregor said nothing as Aragon led them to a different hallway; but just as they neared, a ghost appeared from a door.

"Good morrow, Aragon," the female ghost greeted him in Ghost Speech. And then, she immediately glanced at Gregor.

"And I bid thee good morrow, too, young sir," she added in the same language with a smile.

"Thank you, Marilee. Is breakfast almost ready?"

"Indeed so. It shall be served at the dining room near to the gardens."

Aragon nodded before they continued on. Gregor's gaze lingered just a bit longer on the smiling female ghost. He could tell she was a dragon ghost just from the shape of her ears and the slight elongation of her pupil.

He momentarily touched his own pointed ears. He still was uncomfortable with how he now looked. The blue skin was the worst of it. But he realized there were more differences to his usual appearance than he first realized.

"Is everyone here dragon…ghosts?" Gregor suddenly asked.

Aragon glanced back at him again, and Gregor took note that he also had the slight elongation of his pupils. And then, he noticed the fangs as he smiled.

"Of course. We are in dragon territory, after all…"

Gregor shrugged. "Right…"

"Well," Aragon said as he turned his head forward again though he continued to smile. It was nice to hear his son making conversation.

"I suppose not everyone is a dragon ghost," he added. "Like any other place in the Ghost World, there are also primitive ghosts."

"What's the difference?" Gregor asked, unsure.

Aragon glanced at him again. "They are…less sentient," the male answered hesitantly, mostly because he was not sure how to explain it. But then he smiled again as he thought of a great example. "Like animals in the Human World. They are important to the living world but are not all self-aware or perhaps simply more instinctual beings."

Gregor didn't answer this time. He wasn't sure if he agreed any ghost being like animals. He liked animals. He hated all ghosts. If he had to compare ghosts to anything, it would be parasites. Some were more dangerous parasites than others, but all were parasites.

"I call those dumb ghosts," the teenager suddenly said with a small smirk. He might not be able to say what was really on his mind, but he saw no reason why he should completely mask his thoughts either.

This time, Aragon frowned at him but he said nothing else.

Gregor's smile widened once the older male looked away. He really wanted to know what could set this ghost off. He wasn't naturally this 'calm' or 'nice'. He had seen it when that idiot Taur had come to threaten him.

The way Aragon had looked at Taur…. No, this ghost was anything but 'nice'. He was dangerous and dominant.

And it was why Gregor could not understand why the ghost pretended otherwise with him.

Even when he spoke to his wife, Aragon held an underlying tone of 'do what I say, or there will be consequences.'

"Are you a King too?" Gregor suddenly asked. His curiosity was starting to get the better of him…

"A King?" Aragon repeated as he stopped walking completely to look at his son in surprise.

"Yeah… This is a castle, right? And everyone here does what you say?"

"I suppose those are true observations…"

"So, if I'm your kid, that makes me royalty? Do people bow down to us?" Gregor chuckled at that. "I knew I was meant for greatness…"

Aragon laughed this time. "Well, I will agree you are meant for greatness. However, I simply lead the dragon race. And we are against the monarchy. It has brought this world nothing but death."

"So, do you rule under a dictatorship, then?" Gregor asked curiously. "You do not seem the type to go for a democracy-type of government."

Aragon shook his head. "What you speak of are human constructs. I believe a group of individuals need a leader who holds their best interest at the core. Leadership is also needed for structure. But a wise leader should work with a council of honorable male ghosts. That is what we have here."

"So, a patriarchy, then," Gregor answered with a smirk. "Girls are from Venus and boys from Mars kind of thing, huh? You're the head honcho in a room full of testosterone? Man, that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!"

Gregor grinned wider. "You do know that through history, some of the strongest men have fallen and lost all their power and/or their life because they fell for a trick or trap set out by a woman, right? Like, women are a lot smarter than you seem to think…"

"Again, you speak of human history. We are ghosts," Aragon answered with a frown this time. "Humans are ignorant creatures at best."

"Ha!" Gregor answered. "Tell me you don't know people without telling me you don't know people!"

"Enough, Gregory. I will not argue with you over the humans," Aragon said firmly. "I am aware you are blinded to the truth of them; and I cannot blame you. It is not your fault you do not know better. Now, come along, my child. If we continue to delay, we will not have time to view the garden before breakfast is served."

Gregor didn't answer this time; but he had finally seen it. That brief spark of annoyance in Aragon's eyes.

So, that's it. That was the right button…

Gregor smirked to himself. He, of course, was not going to truly anger this ghost. It would not be in his best interest. But he always liked to know that his enemies had weaknesses…

They eventually made it to the garden's entrance. And Gregor was a bit perturbed that he was already lost. He was definitely going to have to do more 'exploring' if he was going to find a way out of here for when he made a break for it….

But it really wasn't an 'outside' at all, even when it gave him the impression of his being in a very wide open space because it was surrounded by very large glass windows. And he could see a large glass door at the far end of it that led to a forest in the distance. He glanced up, and even the ceiling was made of glass, only that its panels were arranged like a chessboard, so that the 'white' squares were solid and the 'black' ones were open to let in 'sunlight' and air.

It was still dark compared to the Human World; but it was nice to know there was an 'outside' from the dungeon-like castle.

"I wanted to show you our fruiting trees… come along."

Gregor followed along, and began to notice some of the flora kept either turning towards them or leaning closer as they went by. And it wasn't the air doing it either.

"Uh… Is it just me or are these plants… watching us?"

Aragon chuckled at that. "There are no plants in the Ghost World, Gregory. At least not in the human sense. Spectral flora can be considered part of those primitive ghosts. While they have no eyes, they can sense the world around them. These 'plants' are self-aware enough to sense the presence of other ghost energies. They even have cores, just not a centralize nervous system, like we do."

Gregor frowned at that as he glanced at the plants 'staring' at them as they continued through the garden.

"So, they're like jellyfish?" Gregor muttered after a moment.

Aragon paused this time. "What was that?"

"Jellyfish," Gregor said again. "They are found in the ocean. They are alive and I guess aware of their surroundings, but they don't have brains. But they still, you know, move around and stuff. Does that make ghosts pescatarian or cannibals? Since, you know, your plants are technically ghosts, too?"

Aragon looked thoroughly confused. His Human Speech was fairly good. In fact, he spoke three different delects considered 'Human Speech.' But there were still words and phrases he did not understand or know.

But knowing what the word 'cannibal' meant at least, he shook his head. "While there are some cannibalistic ghosts, we are not one of them. We consume what our world produces. For example…"

Aragon looked over at a bush with purple fruits that looked like a grape and a peach got married. He placed a glowing hand on the bush and suddenly the fruit fell off.

"Our plants feed off energy to stay alive. They obtain most of their energy from their surroundings, but they can also absorb it from other ghosts. I just gave this ghost plant some of my energy; and in return, it gifted me with one of its fruits…"

Aragon paused in thought before he added, "I suppose it is a similar relationship some insects in the Human World have with plants. They feed off the nectar and pollen and in exchange the plant is able to reproduce and flourish. Both parties benefit. It is the same with our spectral flora…"

Aragon then used one of his claws to slice the purple peach in half. He took out the glowing seed within, and offered it back to the bush.

Gregor's eyes widened as he saw the bush glow; and suddenly, the seed disappeared within the bush. Then, pulsing energy seemed to travel down the bush until the glow reached the ground and disappeared.

"What did…?" Gregor trailed off as he looked back to his supposed father and noticed he now had the cut fruit in his hand extended towards him.

"No, thanks," Gregor replied with a look of disgust.

"You have not tried it. How do you know you will not like it?"

"I do not eat glowing things," Gregor replied. But he knew it was a lie. He ate ghost cores, after all…

If Aragon was aware of the lie, he did not call it out. Instead, he answered, "All ghosts need spectral energy to stay alive, Gregory. You will find that when you consume it in its natural form, it is much healthier and pleasant."

Gregor didn't answer and still refused to take the fruit.

"You certainly are my son," Aragon remarked, amused by the teen's stubbornness. "How about we compromise? Try the fruit. If you do not like it, you do not have to finish it. And I will bring you whatever human food you want for lunch today…"

Gregor perked at that. "I just have to try it?"

"Yes," Aragon affirmed.

Gregor hesitated only a moment before he finally took half of the cut fruit. He stared at it in disgust before he closed his eyes, brought it close and took a bite.

He had been ready to spit it out, but as the fruit hit his taste buds, he froze.

It tasted like cotton candy.

Aragon smiled in triumph as Gregor both chewed what was in his mouth and stared down at the fruit in his hand in utter disbelief

"It is good, right?" Aragon said, using his son's words back at him in a warm teasing voice.

"There's… " Gregor swallowed what was in his mouth but just continued to stare at the fruit in his hand. "There's this candy in the Human World… This taste just like it… It's actually my favorite candy…"

"That is 'kotono frukto'. It was also your favorite."

Gregor stared up at Aragon with uncertainty.

But not wishing to upset him, Aragon took a bite of the other half of the fruit in his hand, before he said, "Let's head to breakfast. I have a few human foods for you if you are willing to try a few more ghost ones."

Gregor looked down at his fruit again, and asked quietly, "Are there more of these?"

Aragon smiled before he turned back to the kotono bush, which yielded two more of its fruits. "Now there is…"

Aragon tossed them in his direction; and even with his occupied hand, Gregor managed to catch both.

"Come along, child," Aragon then said as the headed back. "We can continue our walk after breakfast."

The moment the older ghost turned away, Gregor stuffed the rest of his uneaten fruit in his mouth and quickly followed after Aragon.

He held the two new fruits close to himself feeling somewhat excited to actually find something edible in this creepy, weird world.

He did his best to not think about what Aragon said regarding these fruits being his favorite as a child. Is that why he liked cotton candy in the first place?

Gregor immediately shook his head. No, the ghost was lying. And if he wasn't, it didn't matter; this wasn't his world. His world was back in the Human World with Tom and… and his master.

Needing to focus on something else, Gregor quickly asked, "Do you guys have any fruits that taste like soda? Or apples? Maybe a cheeseburger! Now, that would be cool!"

Aragon just chuckled at him.

Danny looked at Dora beside him as they stood just outside the man-made portal to Wisconsin.

"Would you mind heading back to the castle?" Danny suddenly asked. "I think I'm just going to stay the day and return tomorrow morning instead."

Dora's eyes widened slightly. "But my Prince, you said this would be quick! And your Father—!"

"It is because of my father that I need you to return," Danny cut her off. "I do not want him to think I've ran off and have him call in a search party. If he asks for me, let him know you accompanied me back to Wisconsin on my command."

"Will you be returning on your own?" she asked, still unsure.

"Do you and Angela still have that communicator my father gave you both?"

She nodded.

"I will contact you when I need to return. You can have Wulf come for me if you cannot," he compromised.

"My young Lord… Your father is not going to be happy about this," Dora said with a sigh.

"Perhaps, but… As I said, I am not going anywhere he has not already left me himself before. I will be safe here as Daniel Masters."

Danny leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Do not worry," he reassured her with a smile.

Dora smiled warmly. "Very well, my Prince. Be safe. I will await your call."

Danny nodded before he watched her fly off in the direction of the castle.

With a sigh, Danny turned towards the hidden portal and flew past the energy barrier. As usual, he approached the door, touched it, and it soon recognized his energy.

He took an unneeded breath before he stepped through the portal, and soon was staring at the bright walls of his father's underground lab.

Immediately, his father's hologram program came on.

"Hello, little Phantom. I was not expecting your return so soon. The lab is locked down. Would you like me to turn everything on?"

"Yes, please," Danny answered as he walked across the lab towards a cabinet on the back end.

"I need some information," he told the holographic image of his father.

"What information do you require?"

Danny pulled open the drawer and frowned at the Maximus device within. He pulled it out and briefly studied it for a moment before he turned towards the hologram.

"Does my father have any information on 'Mr. Gray'. He is the father of Valerie Gray."

The system generated image stared at him as it seemed to go through its database. Then, it blinked once and answered, "Yes, I see multiple files relating to a 'Damon Gray'. 'Axion Labs' and a 'Valerie Gray'. However, these files are restricted."

"Even to me?" Danny asked, displeased.

"Even to you, little Phantom," the Vlad-hologram answered with a small apologetic smile.

Danny's lips pursed as he pondered this. "And he says he trust me…"

But suddenly thinking of something, the teen's eyes brightened, and he asked, "Can you run a general internet search relating to any news article about Damon Gray?"

The Vlad-projection zoned out again, but it soon smiled and replied, "Yes, I can. There are no restrictions on browser settings. Pulling search request now…"

Danny smiled this time before he walked over to the many computer screens in the center of the lab.

He still held the Maximus in his hand and placed it on top of the desk as he sat down on a chair in front of a mouse and keyboard.

His knowledge of human-tech was confined to the things he had learned in the past few months. But at least he knew how to use a keyboard and mouse to scroll through internet content.

"A word of caution, little Phantom… Your father has access to restricted web databases, and some of the information on these articles relating to Damon Gray are a bit… graphic. They are not meant for public view. Would you like me to block these articles?"

Danny hesitated this time. But his uncertainty was not due to the possibility of seeing a gruesome picture, but because… he was afraid to discover what exactly his father was keeping from him.

A part of him didn't want to know. But he knew he needed to know.

"No restriction," Danny answered.

In an instant, several search responses came up on all four of the screens. The first news article that stood out to him contained a picture of a young Valerie Gray crying while being held by Thomas Chrome. The news article was titled 'The Ghost King murders Axion Laboratory owner, leaving orphaned six-year-old girl.'

Danny's eyebrows creased as he stared at the picture of Valerie and Chrome before he reached for the mouse and began to read through the article.

It didn't have much about the details relating to Mr. Gray's death. Most of it was how the public had been outraged; and the Guys-in-White had vowed to put an end to the 'ghost threat' once and for all.

It went on about the history of ghosts attacks back to Pariah. Danny knew most of it was misinformation with snips of truth. It was amazing how easily the media or… people like Thomas Chrome could change the narrative of a story to fit their agendas…

Danny clicked back to the main search screen when he had enough of that article. The fact that the world was accusing his father of murdering Damon Gray was of no surprise to Danny. Not when he knew the type of monster the humans depicted him and his kind to be.

What Danny was looking for was some glimpse of what really happened behind all the lies. He just wanted the truth.

To his surprise, the truth came from where he least expected it.

Danny stopped scrolling when he found a picture of Damon Gray. And he suddenly got a sense of deja-vu…

"I know this man…," he breathed out as he unconsciously leaned closer to the screen.

But where had he seen him before?

His eyes slowly raised back to a frontal shot of Mr. Gray. And as he stared at the dead man, something triggered in his mind…

A memory. As unwanted as many others before it. But it was there…

His father… His father had brought him into a prison cell. It had been cold and dark… And it had felt as wrong as it felt when he was in the Human World…

The prison cell… It had been a human cell.

His father had brought him to see a… man…

This man.

"Y-You're… alive… Oh, God. I thought they had…"

Suddenly desperate, the man tried to pull his weak body to his feet, only to fail. But he still pleaded, "Tell your father, little one. Tell him how I tried to stop them from hurting you!"

Danny unconsciously gripped his mother's necklace around his neck as his eyes grew larger with that haunting memory…

"No…" he gasped out before he reached forward and began to click through the pictures. This couldn't be the same man that…!

"Please—I have a daughter!"

Danny began to shake… that voice… God, that voice!

He had never seen the man with Tom that day… But he had heard him… He had remembered his voice just as suddenly as he remembered it now. And hearing that man's voice when his father had taken him to that prison cell had been enough to…

"N-No…. N-No, Daddy! I want to go! He'll hurt me! No! Don't let him hurt me!"

Damon fell into shocked silence at the Prince's negative reaction towards him.

"Daniel, it's alright. Do not be afraid, Son. This human will not harm you again. Come on. Look at me."

Danny, who had buried his face in his father's neck, slowly pulled away enough to stare back at the older hybrid with wet and scared eyes. "I-I don't want to be hurt again… Please, Daddy. Let's go."

"Trust me, Son. Alright?" Vlad whispered, though his voice was very serious.

Danny nodded, but he continued to shake.

"Look at him, Daniel," Vlad said, but this time he spoke in Human Speech; and when his son looked at Damon, the King further said, "I want you to understand something… I want you to understand why you have no reason to fear these pathetic creatures. These ignorant humans—like the one you see before you—believe that they are invincible because they can hide behind their weapons and numbers. But take away their twisted toys and their false-sense of invincibility and you are left with what you see before you: a sniveling wretch at our feet. They have no power here—this human has no power here. That is why he cannot harm you now. He is at our mercy now, Daniel…"

Danny stilled just as he unknowingly pulled up a restricted article; and with it, three different pictures… all of Damon Gray's dead corpse.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry, little one."

"Daniel, I'm detecting a flux in your core energy. Are you alright?" the Vlad-hologram asked.

But Danny didn't hear him.

"Oh… Dad…" he just whimpered, unable to take his eyes off the pictures… of the puncture wounds in the man's chest. He had seen enough in this war to recognize wounds caused by… claws.

"Daniel, I want you to wait outside with Walker and Bullet, alright? I will be out in a moment, and then we will go home…"

But Danny quickly shook his head, and his voice heightened as he whimpered back, "No, Daddy! Come with me, please! Let's go home—together."

"We will…. In a moment."

"Don't. Please. Don't… stay, Daddy." And not sure why, he added in a trembling voice, "You're good, Father. You're good."

Even as a child he had known what his father was going to do to that man.

But not a random man, or some hunter.

No, it had been Damon Gray. Valerie's father. A man that Danny now realized had been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Because she does not deserve to die! Because it's not her fault she is who she is! It's mine!"

Danny finally turned away from the computer's screens; and briefly glancing at the hologram of his father, he muttered, "I've seen enough."

In that moment, the computers shut down; but the hologram of his father continued to gaze at him.

"Daniel… your core. Perhaps…?"

"I know. I'm fine," he replied before looking back and grabbing the Maximus from the computer desk.

He contemplated if he should return home. He didn't think he would learn the truth so quickly; and now that he knew it, he wasn't sure what to do with the revelation.

He still wasn't sure if he agreed with everything his father had said to him in his room. He didn't know if he still felt upset with him; but one thing he knew was that his father was wrong about one thing at least:

What happened with that man was not his father's fault. It never had been...

Danny's sober look melded into a glare as he activated the Maxmius.

"It's my fault. Everything is… my fault," he said bitterly.

Tom was deeply annoyed as he walked down the Wisconsin hospital pediatric wing.

He had arrived very early today. And, of course, went straight to his sister's home.

Not only was his sister a nervous wreck, but he had to act like he had no idea why Valerie was out so late and ended up being attacked by ghosts.

After all, his sister had no idea Valerie was the Red Huntress.

Then, of course, he had to deal with his moody niece. He had not gotten a chance to really talk with her yet; but the quick conversation they had was anything but pleasant...

"I don't want to talk with you right now. Just when I think you cannot disappoint me any more…," Sam said angrily as she held her bedroom door firmly in place. Clearly, she did not want him to come in.

Tom just calmly pushed it open the rest of the way. He met little resistance since they both knew he was not going to take 'no' for an answer.

Sam all but closed her door shut behind her and crossed her arms as she watched her uncle sit down on her bed with a sigh.

"Phantom is too important to my plans to just let you shoot him dead, Samantha. And by the way, I am surprised you would."

"Of course, I would! He would have killed Valerie if his father had not stepped in!" Sam exclaimed, though it was clear she was keeping her voice under control.

"I didn't realize you and Valerie had become so close."

"She was Gregor's best friend!" Sam replied. "And, yeah, I consider her a friend, too. But even if we weren't friends, she's a human being! I wasn't about to let Phantom 'off' her! I thought you protected people, Uncle!"

"I do," Tom replied with a frown this time.

"You do until your plans become more important," she snapped back.

"Do not lecture me, Sam. I know where my priorities and morals lie," Tom answered, annoyed. "I didn't come to be scolded by you. I want to know what happened out there. There is no way the Ghost King let Valerie live. He must have had a reason to keep his son from killing her."

Sam shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I was all the way across town; so it's hard for me to tell you how all that happened except the part where Phantom looked and acted like he wanted Valerie dead; and would have killed her if either I didn't shoot him, or his father had not stopped him. Luckily for him and for you, his father stopped him first."

"I can't believe Valerie let herself get injured like that," Tom scoffed in disapproval.

"You are unbelievable!" Sam remarked angrily.

"Perhaps," Tom replied with a shrug. "I want to know everything you talked about with Phantom while you kept him distracted; but first, I need to go see how Valerie is doing."

"Not much to talk about," Sam muttered.

"I doubt that," Tom answered as he stood from the bed and walked towards his niece.

Sam, in turn, moved away from the door. "Fine, we can talk about that, if we can also talk about my return to Amity Park."

Tom just rolled his eyes and said nothing as he left his niece's room.

Thomas was definitely intrigued about what Sam and her ghost boy had talked about; but his priority was speaking with Valerie, especially after Pamela made mention of another interesting development…

"I don't know why she would risk being out there at night, especially after that horrible Ghost Prince made an appearance on television!" Pam said with distress.

"We thought she had been asleep with Samantha in her room," Jeremy added. "We have no idea how she got out. We did call the police as soon as we found out she was missing."

Pam sighed. "Poor Sammy. She was so worried about Valerie. They have gotten close in these past months. But even she did not see when or how Valerie left the house."

Jeremy nodded. "We called you as soon as the police found her at the Madison General Hospital; but the call went to voicemail…"

Tom finally spoke, "The hospital had already phoned her parents. In fact, it was her parents who first notified me."

He sighed. "With the madness happening in Amity, her parents were beside themselves as they cannot get out of the city with the lockdown. So, I took my private helicopter here as soon as I had clearance to do so. I'm sorry I didn't let you know I already knew sooner."

His sister sighed,too. "We thought about going to the hospital ourselves; but the hospital told us no one is allowed entry unless they are direct family," Pam muttered. "How will you get in?"

"Pam-Pam," Tom replied with a smile. "I'm the government. That won't be a problem."

Pam shook her head. "What a horrible night… And to think, we all had such a good time just the day before."

"It's truly a shame," Jeremy answered. "Oh, hun. I should probably call Vladimir to let him know. He would want to know about Valerie. And we should ask how he and his son are doing after that frightening message from the Ghost Prince!"

This time, Tom frowned deeply. "Wait… Are you talking about Vladimir Masters? Why do you need to call him about Valerie?"

"He's Valerie's benefactor," Pam replied. "I thought you knew."

"I do know, but that's like saying we need to call my accountant because I got hurt. I spoke to the hospital and Valerie is stable. So, why Masters?"

Jeremy answered this time. "I suppose you have a point; but I don't know. He seems to care about her more than just merely being the person who handles her inheritance. He did ask to see her specifically when he invited us over for lunch two days ago."

"Really?" Tom asked, raising an eyebrow.

Pam nodded. "Yes, he was very surprised when he heard she was staying with us. He seems genuinely concerned for her wellbeing. He mentioned he had a close relationship with the girl's father. I can't blame him. Valerie is such a dear. That poor girl. Oh, Tom. We're so worried about her!"

"Don't worry, Pam… I am heading to the hospital now," Tom assured her.

Tom's frown deepened. He supposed he shouldn't think too much about Vladimir's interest in Valerie; but it was the suddenness of it that didn't sit right with him.

What was that rich boy up to now?

Whatever it was, he couldn't have it interfere with his own plans with Valerie. More than ever, he needed the girl close. Gregor would be returning soon. And he needed the boy's little friend to keep him focused on their mission.

He soon made it to Valerie's room. And with a knock, he entered.

He immediately noticed her physical state. And it was no exaggeration to say Valerie had taken quite a beating. She had an arm in a full cast; both her legs were wrapped; he could see some wrapping around her chest peaking slightly from under her hospital gown; and she also had some cuts on her face.

"Agent C," she muttered as she reached for the TV control and turned off what she had been watching.

"Did you talk with your parents yet? They are very worried," Tom said as he took the seat next to her bed.

"I did. This morning," Valerie answered guiltily. "They wanted to come; but I told them it's too dangerous to try to get out of Amity Park right now."

"I told them the same. And I told them I would get you back home."

"You're taking me back to Amity?"

Tom nodded. "You are lucky you are not dead."

Valerie lowered her gaze. "I know."

But Tom's displeasure was not curbed in the slightest by Valerie's shame. And it resonated in his voice as he continued, "If you were not so injured and therefore forced to lay low, I would suspend you for revealing yourself when I told you to keep your head down while here. Instead, you have the brilliant idea of attacking some ghost guards at Madison! Now, the Prince has put a bounty on your head, and all this mess happened as a result! So, yes, you are returning to Amity Park until you heal. And you will not be ghost hunting until I say so, understood?"

Valerie sighed. "Yes, sir…"

Tom paused as he took in her injured appearance once more before he sighed and shook his head. "That being said… I must admit, you did good work out there last night. You either killed our target or severely injured it."

But Valerie did not react to the compliment; instead, she frowned and asked, "Who was she? Phantom went crazy. I have never seen him so… blood-thirsty." She paused. "He was determined to kill me… He would have killed me if it wasn't for… the Ghost King."

Her eyebrows creased even more as she asked out loud the same question she had been asking herself since last night. "Why would he save me?"

Tom ignored her initial question about who their target had been, and rather, replied to her more important one.

"Isn't it obvious?" he answered impatiently. "They are using you as an example. Why kill you in secret when they can turn you into a public execution? Or worse, have people do it for them. Like I said, they have put a bounty on your head, which means, you now have to watch your back, not just with ghosts but with people."

"No one is going to turn me in to the Ghost King," Valerie scoffed.

"Don't be naïve," Tom snapped back. "People can be more dangerous than ghosts under the right motivation. And fear is a great motivator. Luckily your identity was not compromised."

"Actually… it was," Valerie admitted with a grimace. "Phantom ripped off my helmet. He and the Ghost King know what I look like…"

Tom cursed.

"We need to get you out of Wisconsin as soon as possible. At least in Amity Park, the King won't expect you to be there. I need to speak to the doctor to see if they can authorize a release, or at the least a transfer to Amity's main hospital. The last thing I need is for you to end up like Gregor or… worse."

Valerie's eyebrows creased as she sat up a bit more. She grimaced again as the movement sent a sharp pain through her broken ribs.

"How is Gregor?"

Tom sighed. "I shouldn't say anything to you, especially after your little stunt… But…" The man smiled genuinely this time. "He finally woke from his coma."

"Really?!" Valerie gasped, her wide eyes gathering with unshed tears.

Tom shushed her and glanced at the closed door out of instinct; but then he looked back at the girl and nodded. "I wanted you to see him soon; but now…"

"I'm fine, Agent C! I am! Please let me see him! I need to see with my own eyes that he's alive, that he's okay!"

"Calm down," Tom lightly scolded as the girl began to sob. "Remember no one can know he's alive for right now."

"I know," she choked out as she attempted to stop crying. "I just… I miss him so much!"

"He can't see you like this, Valerie," Tom answered soberly. "Both his mental and physical state is still delicate. If he sees you as injured as you are, he will freak out and panic. We can't risk that."

Valerie choked back a few more sobs, but she still nodded. The last thing she wanted was to slow down her friend's recovery.

"Look, focus on getting better," the hunter said more gently. "And once I think it's safe for both of you, I'll arrange your reunion."

Valerie nodded eagerly.

"Good," Tom answered before he changed subjects. "I want to know everything that happened last night; but first, I have another question for you…. Why did Masters want to see you?"

Valerie slightly tensed before she shook her head and wiped the tears off her face. "He just wanted to see how I was doing."

"Come on, Valerie," Tom scoffed. "The guy has barely crossed words with you in all these years, and suddenly he wants to act like he cares about you? Please tell me you didn't fall for that. Unless… there's more you haven't told me?"

Valerie's face grew hot, and she briefly looked away as she tried to think of what to answer. The last thing she wanted was for Tom to know about what Mr. Masters had really wanted to talk about. Even if they had not spoken much in these few years, the man seemed like a good guy. His concern had seemed genuine despite what Agent C said.

"Valerie," Tom suddenly called, and frowned deeply when the girl looked back at him. "This is important. A man like Masters… They can be very manipulative. You might work for me, but I told you, my interest in you is also personal. You are important to my son; and therefore, important to me. What did Masters want?"

Valerie sighed. The brief pause had helped her decide what she could say. At least she hoped it didn't cause more trouble.

Reaching over to the table next to her bed, she grabbed a small box, and then handed it to Tom.

Tom raised an eyebrow as he opened the box and found a ring inside.

"It was my father's wedding ring. He wore it even after my mom died," Valerie muttered. "Mr. Masters found it in the Axion wreckage. He wanted to give it to me…"

Tom just stared at the ring as it raised more questions than answers. But the main question in his mind was how in the world had Masters found this ring?

It… No, it couldn't have been on Gray when… No, that was not possible. So, then, had it really been at Axion? But finding a ring among all that wreckage that used to be Axion...

Something wasn't adding up.

"Agent C?" Valerie called in worry at the man's contemplative silent expression. "I know it seems weird, but Mr. Masters really did just want to make sure I was okay. He was friends with my dad. And, well, it's not like he hasn't been helping me out. Even if we haven't talked much in these years, he has protected my dad's work. And I can't say I've lacked anything. You know he sends my parents money, right?"

"Right," Tom answered. He studied the girl for a moment who was clearly nervous for some reason. Still, he decided to change subjects. "So, what happened last night? How did Phantom get the upper hand on you so badly?"

Valerie immediately scowled. "That spook just caught me off guard. I was fighting the target and some other ghost who had this weird power of making mirrors and portals. I had been about to smoke that second ghost when Phantom came out of nowhere. He slammed me so fast I don't know if he hit me with his wail or physically. He was vicious and relentless in his attacks. I didn't expect it. That spook is bad news, Agent C. He's as evil as they get. And worse, if given the chance, he's going to become more powerful than the Ghost King."

Tom almost smirked, but not at Valerie's concern, but at hearing Phantom's reaction. He had definitely picked the right target if he had hit a nerve that badly with the Ghost Prince. He only wished he could have been there to see it.

"He's gotten powerful," Tom muttered thoughtfully. "I heard his core was permanently injured after his little run in with me… But clearly it has not stopped him from developing his powers."

"Give me another round with him, and I promise you he won't look that impressive after I'm done with him."

Tom chuckled. "Got a score to settle now, huh?"

"Got that right," Valerie replied with a glare at nothing in particular. "Thanks to Phantom, the King almost killed Gregor. And now, he attacks me from behind and then lets me live just to humiliate me. Heck no! No way he's getting away with it."

"Don't worry. You'll get your chance at him again," Tom answered as he let his smirk slip into his face at last. "But while I know you want to rip him apart molecule by molecule, I do need him alive. You see, his core is unique."

"Yeah, he has that regenerative energy you gave Gregor to save his life."

"Right. And I don't know why, but it's partially compatible with human DNA, which is why it helped save Gregor. Not only can it be an endless power source, but it might even save human lives one day if we can harness it's property. I also need him alive because if I get him, the King loses. The Ghost King will do anything for his spawn."

"As much as I hate the idea of capturing Phantom and keeping him alive, that makes sense," Valerie answered reluctantly.

"So, since we have a couple hours before I can talk to the doctor about getting you out of here, tell me in detail about last night. Don't leave anything out."

Valerie frowned since she really did not want to recount the events that currently had her in the hospital with broken ribs, a broken arm, and burn marks.

But with no other choice, she started from the beginning when she first heard Phantom's speech on TV…

Back in the Ghost World, Vlad slept on his bed until a knock stirred him awake.

With how troubled and upset he was, the older hybrid had been sure sleep would be impossible to achieve. But even he had a limit, and he had already been awake for over 24 hours straight. So, the moment after he had gotten out of the shower and sat on his bed, his exhaustion hit him like a rock.

He did not realize when he had fallen asleep. But another knock reminded him his rest was over.

He groaned mostly in protest because he was still not ready to wake up. But the soft voice that accompanied a third knock forced him fully awake.

With a yawn, he sat up and pushed his hair back. And having recognized the voice, he called out in a rough voice, "Come in, Anĝela."

There was obvious hesitation, but the female ghost eventually opened the door and took a single step in.

"I'm sorry, my King…"

"Back to formalities?" Vlad asked, half amused and half confused.

Anĝela, who had been looking down, finally met the King's eyes with an unsure frown.

"I just… I apologize for waking you up and coming all the way in… here; but I cannot find Dora, and…"

"Something happened with Ember?" Vlad cut her off, getting out of the bed and standing.

Anĝela quickly shook her head when she saw Vlad's eyes light up with brief panic.

"No, No… She is stable. No improvement, but still stable. I just…"

"What is it, Anĝela?" Vlad asked as he walked closer to her.

"It's Skulker… He is still sitting in the room beside Ember," she finally said. "It's just past noon, Vlad. He refuses to eat or even sleep. He won't leave that room. I can't convince him to rest for even an hour! That is not healthy! I… Maybe you can convince him?"

Plasmius sighed deeply as his hand combed through his bed-mused hair.

"I fear I might be the last person he wants to see…"

"Why?" she asked, confused. She had not seen any altercations between the two male friends last night. Had something happened between them at the Human World she didn't know about?

"Never mind," Vlad muttered tiredly. "Is Daniel awake…?" And glancing at the Nova Clock on the wall, he added to himself, "I cannot believe it's already past noon…"

"I have not seen your son since he left for his room after his friends went home at dawn," Anĝela answered. "He is probably still sleeping… It was a hard night…"

Vlad nodded. "I'll be right out. Can you ask Dora to bring two spectral teas to the brunch nook near the gardens. Perhaps some dew cake, too."

"I can let George or one of the servers know. As I mentioned, I have not seen Dora all morning. She is not in her room; and George has not seen her since breakfast either."

"Oh, that's right," Vlad muttered, remembering the female doctor had mentioned the fact about Dora. "She's probably in the gardens. She goes out there when she's anxious or worried… I am sure she is as troubled by Ember's state as we all are."

Anĝela nodded. But then with a brief hesitation, she asked, "Did you find what you were looking for last night?"

Vlad shook his head. "No sign of Gregory… The whole thing was a disaster." He briefly glared at nothing at he added, "I should have never agreed to this. I should know better by now…"

"That dragon child is a danger to us all," his female advisor reminded him. "I think even Skulker agreed the risk was necessary… It is unfortunate things turned for the worst, but you cannot predict every possibility, Vlad."

The older hybrid scoffed. "My son seems to think otherwise."

Anĝela raised an eyebrow. "He blames you for Ember's accident?"

Vlad sighed deeply before he crossed his arms and lowered his eyes. He was quiet for a moment before he said, "You know… Aragon once said to me: 'As King, everything that happens in your kingdom… is your fault…'. I have learned over the years how true that is…"

"That is absolutely not true," Angela answered, rolling her eyes. "Just because you are King and the welfare of the kingdom is part of your responsibility does not mean you can control everything that does or does not happen."

"It makes no difference, Anĝela," he replied bitterly, looking back at her. "Everything does not need to be my fault for others to see everything as my fault. And yet…. What happened last night… Maybe I can also see why I am to blame this time."

"Oh, Vlad…," Anĝela replied with a sigh.

But the older hybrid cut her off. "I need to go freshen up. I'll see you shortly."

Anĝela frowned in worry but nodded. She turned away to head back out the door, but then paused.

"Vlad?"

The King, who had turned towards his bathroom, looked back at her.

"Your son loves you. No mistake will ever change that."

Before Vlad could answer, the female ghost finally left. Vlad just frowned sadly. "If you only knew…," he whispered before turning back towards his bathroom.

As Vlad left his room, he resisted the sudden urge to check on his son because of their recent argument. Instead, he headed to the medical bay.

When he got to the room where Ember was, he found Skulker right where he had left him last night.

"Skulker?" he called as he walked in and left the door ajar behind him.

The male ghost, who was hunched over and blankly staring at the floor, slowly looked up at the King.

"Plasmius…," he muttered tiredly.

Vlad hesitated, but then said, "Anĝela told me Ember remains stable…"

Skulker straightened up as he looked over at his unconscious niece. "Yes… I am just waiting for her to wake up."

"She needs rest to recover, Skulker," Vlad answered gently. "It's good that she remains asleep…"

Skulker didn't reply to him this time.

"Why don't you join me for brunch…? I have some things we need to discuss…"

"I cannot leave Ember alone," he answered right away, looking back at his friend with a frown.

"She won't be alone. I'll watch her!"

Skulker's eyes moved to the doorway and was not surprised to find Anĝela there.

He glared weakly at her. She had been bothering him all morning to go get some rest. As if he could sleep when his niece was in such a critical condition!

"It's important we talk, Skulker," Vlad jumped in before Skulker could snap at Anĝela.

"I suppose I cannot refuse a command," the hunter muttered bitterly.

Vlad visibly cringed. He couldn't help it. It reminded him too much of his argument with his son…

But before he could even think of what to say to that, Skulker stood from his chair at last. He then moved over to his niece and gently touched her forehead.

He frowned further but said nothing before he removed his hand and finally headed towards the door.

He passed right by Vlad. But as he got next to Anĝela, he told her pointedly, "I will return."

She just smiled and nodded.

Skulker grumbled in annoyance before heading out.

Vlad said nothing, and just glanced at Anĝela before he followed his friend out.

Vlad closed the door behind him just as Skulker spoke up.

"What is it?" he asked impatiently as he crossed his arms.

"I'm not speaking in the hallway. Let's go to the nook near the gardens."

"I'm not hungry."

"But I am," Vlad retorted with a challenging look this time.

Skulker sighed sharply but said nothing else as he followed his friend down the halls towards the breakfast nook.

Their surroundings brightened more and more the closer they got to the open area.

Skulker's softly thrumming headache since last night began to pound his brain all the more.

"Have you slept at all?" Vlad suddenly asked. Of course, he knew the answer.

Skulker scoffed. "My niece is critically injured. You expect me to sleep?"

"I understand you're worried, but—"

"I am not sleeping!" he snapped, cutting off the King.

Vlad ignored his tone of voice. He was not expecting a pleasant conversation with his friend as sleep-deprived and worried as he was. But Vlad certainly wondered if this conversation would end in a disaster like the one with his son…

They finally got to the nook where food and tea was already set out.

"Who thought it was a good idea to make a breakfast room completely out of glass?" Skulker suddenly grumbled. "It's so damn bright!"

Vlad smiled with bemusement. His friend was definitely sleep-deprived.

"It provides a nice view of the Novas and the gardens. Why not?" Vlad countered before he sat down.

Skulker stayed standing as he glared some more at the bright midday scenery.

"Skulker, honestly. At least sit down and have something warm to drink."

"You are not going to drug me, are you?" Skulker asked suspiciously.

"Keep refusing to sit down and I will," Vlad answered with a small glare this time.

Skulker rolled his eyes before he finally sat down. He reached forward and poured himself a cup of tea.

Satisfied for now, Vlad focused on serving himself a 'dew' cake and some fruits before he also poured himself hot tea.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Vlad paused with his eating and picked up his tea. He took a sip before setting it back down.

"… I'm sorry about Ember. I should not have—"

"No, do not apologize," Skulker cut him off soberly. "It was your right as King to order Ember to join the Prince last night. You were thinking of what was best for him and that mission… The fault is with me. I should have said 'no', even if it meant going against your wishes. Instead, I decided to be a better warrior than an uncle."

"This is not your fault…" Vlad muttered sadly.

Skulker set down his teacup hard enough for it to 'clink' against the saucer. "Did I mention she took off in the middle of the night the day before to her parents' home? She returned an emotional wreck and we argued! It is my fault, Plasmius! I knew she was not emotionally or mentally well, and I still let her go out there!"

Skulker paused and there was a thick silence.

"And I have allowed her to get involved in this war," he muttered with regret. "She's been in danger of getting hurt or killed the moment she was left in my care…"

"You've raised her as your own. You have done more than your best with her," Vlad insisted, troubled.

"My best is not good enough," he bitterly answered right away, though he was really responding to the echo of Ember's words. "I should have let someone else raise her. I should have kept her away, like I did with Dora."

"Stop it," Vlad answered with a deep frown. "These destructive thoughts will not do you or her any good. Ember is in the best hands, and your sister would be proud of how you have raised her!"

"Would she?!" Skulker asked bitterly and glared at his friend. "You think Lydia and Ghostwriter would be happy that their daughter is in the middle of a war, and that I have put her on the frontlines?! You think having her in the medical bay in a coma, near death, is what they wanted for her?!"

"You told me yourself no one can escape this war," Vlad answered firmly. "I tried to keep Daniel out of it; and look how that turned out."

"Maybe you were right… We should have kept them both out of this…"

"My friend…"

Vlad reached out and placed a hand on Skulker's fisted hand which had been on the table. And when he looked up at him, the older hybrid continued softly, "It was an accident. I understand your feeling of wishing you had made different choices; I feel the same. My son blames me for what happened to Ember. And while at first I didn't want to admit it, he is partly right. I should have asked you if Ember could join Daniel not 'commanded it' of you or her. I should have listened when you tried to tell me she was not well. Perhaps then, you would have felt you had a choice in the matter. I feel as guilty as you do, but that does not make us horrible parents. It was a mistake."

"A mistake that could cost my niece's life…," Skulker answered back as his self-anger melded into sorrow. "If she does not make it…"

"She will make it," Vlad cut him off with confidence. "Ember is resilient. And more stubborn than you or me. She will pull through this."

Skulker just nodded as he stared down at his friend's hand.

Vlad finally pulled away and returned to his brunch in silence.

It was Skulker who surprisingly broke the silence after a couple minutes.

"How upset is your son with you?"

The food in Vlad's mouth immediately soured with the question, and he forced himself to swallow. Suddenly no longer hungry, he pushed his plate away.

"That bad, huh?" Skulker answered, feeling slightly bad for ruining his friend's appetite.

"Apparently, I don't trust him and I'm an uncaring tyrannical King who cares for none of my loyal subjects," Vlad answered soberly.

Skulker stared back. "He said that?"

Vlad looked bitterly at his cup of tea. "It's what I heard… He… is furious about Valerie Gray…."

"Well, I cannot blame him there," Skulker grumbled as he reached over and grabbed a slice of cake. "That human whelp is lucky I was too preoccupied with my niece; or I would have taken her head for my trophy room…"

"Skulker…," Vlad warned.

"I know… She's valuable to your 'plans'. But honestly, what are you hoping to accomplish with sparing her life?" Skulker retorted. "She will never stop hating her father's killer. And she is almost as dangerous as Chrome. And don't get me started on the Fentons again…"

"Please do not…" Vlad answered with a sigh and roll of his eyes.

But Skulker was not amused at all and stared soberly at him. "You have delayed the inevitable long enough, Vlad. We are so close to winning this war. It's time to get rid of them all. You will never win if you do not."

Vlad sighed. "I know… But I first want Ms. Gray to learn the truth about Chrome. At least… about what really happened. If she still refuses to surrender, then she will join Chrome in his demise."

"And the Fentons?"

"As I told you before, once I know who their little helpers are, I will do what needs to be done."

"You know that—"

"Excuse me, sire?"

Skulker and Vlad immediately looked over to Dora as she entered the room.

"Dora, there you are. Anĝela's been asking for you…," Vlad said.

"Yes, I… I was out taking a stroll…," she muttered, wringing her hands.

Skulker noticed. "What's wrong?"

Dora immediately looked up at the hunter. She hesitated with his question; but then she cleared her throat and looked at the King.

"I have news from your son… I did not desire to wake you; so, I was waiting for you to…"

"My son?" Vlad asked, confused. "What? Is he so upset with me he is now sending you to relay his 'messages'? That's a bit extreme…"

"Not exactly, sire…," she replied nervously. "I meant… I did insist he tell you before he…"

"Dora, out with it, please," Vlad interrupted her.

Dora cringed before she quickly said, "He asked me to tell you that he will be staying in… Wisconsin for the rest of today; and that he shall return tomorrow…"

"Wait, what?" Vlad asked as he stood up. "He went alone to the Human World?!"

"Plasmius!" Skulker called in warning and gestured to their surroundings.

Remembering the risk of being overheard by others in the kingdom, Vlad immediately relaxed his posture, but still asked angrily, "Why did he leave? And by himself?!"

"Well… I did escort him," Dora answered nervously. And when Vlad glared at her, she added, "It was his command, sire! He said you would not care if he traveled back, being that he is there on his own all the time!"

"Touché'," Skulker answered.

Vlad turned his glare on his friend; but the hunter just shrugged.

"Blast that child!" Vlad muttered, slamming his hand on the table. And yet, he sat back down as he continued bitterly, "Of course, he left. He probably went digging for answers I wouldn't give."

"That explains why he said you don't trust him…," Skulker suddenly commented with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry, Vlad, but you seem to have set this one up on your own."

"He should not be out there on his own right now. Not after what happened…" Vlad answered, still annoyed.

"Sire…," Dora spoke up, worried.

"It's fine, Dora. I am not blaming you for my son's escapades. I'll pick him up myself tomorrow… Maybe sometime alone will help him rethink some of his words and actions as of late…"

Dora had no idea what the King was talking about. But she just nodded and excused herself.

Skulker said nothing as he watched his angry friend stab a piece of fruit on his plate.

The King shook his head before he scowled at the fruit as if his troubles were manifested on it. "Why does he always do this? It must be some form of revenge… He loves rebelling and running off when he doesn't get his way because he knows how angry it makes me!"

"What answers did you not give him?" Skulker asked, curious.

"All I ask is for some trust, Skulker," Vlad snapped in frustration as he looked at this friend. And yet, he clearly did not even hear his friend's question as he continued. "Why should I have to share everything with him for him to trust me? That's not trust at all… And he tells me 'I don't trust him'? Please!"

Skulker didn't say anymore. The storm cloud over his friend's head might as well have been real with how unhappy he was now.

"Maybe I expect too much of him…" Vlad continued to rant to himself. "If he wants to act like a child, then…"

"I think I'm going to return to Ember now. That is, if there wasn't anything else you wanted to talk about…"

Vlad paused mid-rant to look at his friend, who just raised an eyebrow back.

The King sighed sharply as he all but threw his fork with the uneaten fruit down. "I'm sorry… Daniel just…."

"I know… The joy of teenage whelps…," Skulker answered with a small suffering smile. "Do not forget I have one who decided to take a flight at night during portal formation… At least your son took off during the day and had enough sense to ask Dora to take him…"

Vlad scoffed. "Small miracles…"

Skulker chuckled but stood up.

Vlad just watched him leave; but just as the hunter got to the door, he called out to him.

"Skulker?"

"Hmm?" he responded, glancing back at his friend.

"I recommend you rest for at least two hours before going to Ember's side…"

"Vlad, I already said—"

"I gave Anĝela permission to knock you out with a sedative if you return to that room without sleep."

Skulker immediately glared at him. "You did not…"

Vlad smirked. "I absolutely did."

Skulker scoffed, annoyed. "You two are awful. You should marry her already. Maybe then these little ploys you two devise would be amusing."

Vlad's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what are you…?"

But Skulker just waved a hand dismissively and left for good.

Vlad stared at the empty doorway for a long moment before he shook his head.

He focused back on his tea and took a sip, only to cringe at realizing it was completely cold now.

He set it down with a frown as his thoughts returned to his son.

Had he learned the truth by now? It would not be hard for Daniel to find it with how many news articles existed regarding Axion lab and the owner's gruesome death.

He hated the thought that his son now knew he was a murderer; but he supposed that secret would come out sooner or later, especially with his son frequently staying in the Human World and interacting with their enemies.

He still didn't like the fact that Daniel had just left though. Did he even hesitate to go off willingly to the Human World? Had his son gotten that comfortable being there now?

Vlad sighed. He supposed it was a good thing. It meant it was easy now for his son to pretend to be human. Or, rather, take on his human side's role. And yet, with what had happened with Ember and his argument with Daniel, he once again was questioning if his future plans to take Daniel to Amity Park was a good idea…

Too bad his hesitation over the matter only got worse.

"My liege?"

The King looked up, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Fright Knight?"

Plasmius stood; and as they pressed a hand against each other's core in greeting, the King said, "While I am glad to see you, I am just as equally surprised. You should be overseeing Amity Park, my good warrior."

"Indeed, sire," Fright Knight replied as they lowered their hands. "Unfortunately, I bare grave news which required me to deliver it in person."

"Grave news?" Plasmius questioned back with a frown.

"Indeed so, King Plasmius… It is the Fentons, my liege… They are trying to take back Amity Park…. And I fear they might just succeed."

Gregor sat alone cross-legged on the stone floor of his room's balcony. He leaned forward as he tinkered with some weird ball Aragon had given him after the tour of the gardens and the castle. The castle had been boring; yet at the same time, he was somewhat amazed at how these ghosts lived. It really did feel like he had fallen into that 'rabbit hole' like the one from the storybook Valerie once got him to read.

"What the hell is this supposed to do?" Gregor grumbled as he slammed the ball against the ground; but the sphere remained intact, and its blue energy simply rippled within.

He tried to remember what Aragon had said about this thing when he gave it to him. The 'gift' had been quite unexpected. Aragon had casually led them into a room where there had been several of these spheres conspicuously sitting in a basket at the center of a table.

He had not been paying attention at first because he had been too busy staring at what else had been inside that room…

Gregor tensed as Aragon led them into a large room located at the farthest tower in the castle. But the reason he froze was because of the ten set of eyes that turned towards them with their arrival.

A classroom of little ghost kids probably around the age of eight and nine turned their attention to their visitors. Even their teacher at the front had paused with whatever lecture she had been giving.

"I apologize for the interruption," Aragon said. "I just wanted to borrow one of these orbs," he explained as he walked over to a table in the back and grabbed one of six glowing blue sphere from a basket.

"No apologies needed," the teacher said with a kind smile. "Please help yourself."

Aragon thanked her before he grabbed his tense son's arm and led them back out without a word.

"Are you alright?" the older dragon asked as soon as he had closed the door behind them.

Gregor didn't answer, though he did glance back to the room as Aragon led them away.

"We moved the youngling school into the castle after… Well, after what happened to you," Aragon answered the teen's unspoken question. "We all agreed it would be safer for their lessons to be here where someone is always on guard…"

Gregor still kept quiet. It felt weird and… uncomfortable to see ghost children. He supposed he was somewhat glad that Aragon's power kept them looking somewhat human, even if they all had weird skin colors. But it would have been too surreal to see a bunch of little dragons.

As a kid, he had, of course, seen other young ghosts; but he had been their age then. And even as a teenager, he ran into ghosts around his age, like Phantom. But this was the first time he had seen ghost kids that young… And not just any ghosts, but dragon ghosts—even if they didn't look like it at the moment.

He didn't want to even ponder why it bothered him so.

Aragon clearly noticed his son's anxiety and had to clear his throat to get his attention before saying, "There was a reason why I took the detour there… I had been meaning to obtain one of these for you…"

Gregor halted when Aragon did the same to show him the glowing blue sphere he had gotten from the classroom. Its energy within pulsed softly.

Gregor barely hesitated before he took the sphere. He was more than eager to get his mind off those… children. But the sphere wasn't that impressive. And it didn't feel like much either. Just a bit warm and buzzing with ecto-energy.

"What does it do?" Gregor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It is a game," Aragon said with a smile. He was glad his son was speaking again. "The sphere holds something inside. But to reveal this surprise, you must first discover how to unlock the sphere."

"Surprise? What kind of surprise?" Gregor pressed, though he was now tilting the ball this way and that in his hands.

Aragon chuckled. "It is not meant to be known until you open it, Child."

"Okay, but how do you open it? It's just a ball… that's glowing," Gregor grumbled as he continued to study the object.

Aragon smiled before reflexively smoothing a lock of Gregory's hair that had fallen close to his eyes.

The teen immediately tensed with the touch, and his eyes darted back towards the older ghost.

But the touch was so quick, Gregor did not have a chance to react further. And Aragon was as calm as ever as he said, "I have every confidence that you will unlock the sphere without my assistance. And you will have plenty of time to do so after our tour is complete… Come on, then. Keep up, Gregory."

Aragon turned away; and Gregor only hesitated briefly to follow again. He frowned mistrustfully at the older ghost before he glanced down at the sphere in his hand.

He really was too curious for his own good sometimes…

Gregor uncrossed his legs and lay back onto the ground. As he propped his knees up, he raised the sphere above him.

He tried moving it around to see if he could get the light from the Novas high above to hit the sphere just right.

Maybe he could catch a glimpse of what could be in it. Was it food? No, Aragon said it was a game. Maybe it was like that game he once won from an arcade. A Rubik's cube…

Inspired by his idea, Gregor grabbed the sphere with both hands, and tried to turn both hemispheres of the ball in opposite directions.

It did not turn, but the bottom part of the sphere suddenly turned green.

Gregor instantly sat up, all the more intrigued now.

He repeated the motion; but this time, it did not react.

"Ugh, this makes no sense!" Gregor exclaimed, dropping the sphere down on the ground and watching it roll forward a couple inches before it stopped. The sphere immediately turned all blue again.

"Mrpp?"

Gregor jolted and twisted towards the sudden sound behind him.

"Dog!" he exclaimed as he saw Juukka sitting calmly on top of the balcony's cobble barrier.

"I told you, pup. Juukka is not this 'Dog' you speak of," the creature mentally replied with amusement.

But Gregor did not return the sentiment and just turned away from him. "I thought I told you to go away."

Gregor tensed when the ghost wolf abruptly teleported to the other side of the balcony directly in his line of sight.

The teen immediately reached forward for the sphere and pulled it back against him. He glared at Juukka, daring him to take this sphere like his last one…

Juukka tilted his head curiously at the object in the teen's hold. But realizing it was a mere toy, he focused his attention back on the teenager.

"How are you feeling, my pup? I know Juukka made you very angry last time; but Juukka only wants to help… In fact…"

The older ghost reached for a compartment on his arm and pulled out a small bag.

He then offered it to the teenager.

"I brought a peace offering…"

"What is it?" Gregor asked suspiciously; but made no effort to grab the offering.

"Our Master has sent you a gift."

"Our Master?" Gregor repeated as the glare on his face melded into uncertainty. He had not even thought about his Master since Juukka had left.

The ghost wolf nodded, his claws still extending the bag to him.

Gregor finally stood up and walked over to grab the 'gift'.

He looked into the bag before pulling out a box the size of an apple.

But when he opened the box, he was surprised to find a stuffed brown bear compressed inside it.

The moment it came out of the box, it seemed to expand like memory foam.

"He said you might enjoy this… "

Gregor placed down the sphere in his other hand before he gently touched the plush animal… It was soft, but he barely noticed it. Not when…

"It feels like my master…"

Juukka purred; and Gregor could have sworn he could feel it echo right in his core.

"He does not want you to forget how much you need him, pup. He is eager to have you home again. He wants things to go back how they were before, before that hunter… He will never let anyone take you away from him again."

Gregor's eyes flashed a brighter red as he stared at the bear.

But then his peripheral vision caught sight of the sphere he had set on the ground. He focused back on it and his eyes darkened back to their normal red tone. He blinked a couple times before he sat back down. He then put the stuffed bear beside him and grabbed the sphere again.

He made the motion of turning both hemispheres in opposite direction again. And while the sphere didn't physically turn, the bottom part became green again. He did it once more, but pressed into it, this time. Unfortunately, the color stayed the same.

Gregor frowned.

"Pup?"

The teen looked up at Juukka. "What?"

"Did you understand what I said?" Juukka asked, confused. The pup should be happy with the news and his gift, which held more of their master's power!

Gregor just rolled his eyes before focusing back on the puzzle. He was going to figure this out, damn it!

His annoyance unconsciously triggering his energy in his hands, he 'turned' it again

Now the top part turned green to match the bottom part.

"Ha! Did you see that?!"

Juukka just watched him, confused, before he replied, "Yes… It is an energy sphere. It reacts to changes in energy."

Gregor looked back at the wolf dog and scowled. "I knew that! I mean, I was about to know that! Way to spoil it! … Damn dog… I really should just eat you…"

He had grumbled the last part of his comment. But with the new piece of information, Gregor returned to the sphere. And increasing the energy in his hand, he turned the sphere again. Immediately, the bottom hemisphere turned pink.

Understanding what he needed to do, he focused his energy, making sure he increased it a bit more with every 'rotation' he made on the sphere.

As he worked on building the energy inside the sphere and watching it turn different colors as he went, Gregor suddenly asked, "So, when am I going back?"

Juukka was clearly unsure about Gregor's demeanor and apparent lack of interest in the topic of their master. But at hearing his question, the wolf ghost perked up a bit. "Tonight. But you will first go to the Hunter. He has asked to see you urgently."

This time, Gregor immediately looked at Juukka in surprise, so much so that he lost his focus on the game, and the sphere turned blue again.

"Tom wants me back tonight?"

Juukka nodded.

Gregor glanced back at his sphere before asking, "Won't the ghosts here wonder where I've ran off to?"

"Juukka will make sure everyone in the castle is asleep before I open a portal back to the Human World."

"So… I won't be coming back?"

"Juukka does not know the Hunter's plans. And Master has not said more either."

Gregor didn't answer at first, clearly thinking deeply about something. Then, suddenly, he shrugged.

"It's getting boring here, anyways. Go away now. I'm playing a game… or something."

Juukka blinked a few times before he said, "Pup… Are you well?"

Gregor scowled at him. "Are you well? I said go away. I got it. Vacation is over, and the flight back to reality takes off tonight. Yay! Awesome! Now, shoo!"

Juukka's eyes kept flashing red as if unable to find an appropriate response to the boy's behavior. And not finding anything to say or do, he finally just vanished back into a portal.

Gregor shook his head. "I don't know why all my Master's helpers are brain dead and useless… "

But those words led to another thought. While Juukka was under his Master's power, it had been Tom who had sent him over.

"Make sure to make him your pet."

"Oh, right…" Gregor muttered, rolling his eyes at the memory of Tom's note. "Probably should do that before seeing Tommy tonight…" He smirked. "Wanna-be-dad probably misses me. I bet he's cried himself to sleep all these months…."

He narrowed his eyes as he focused back on his sphere, yet muttered, "Serves him right… When I see him again, I'm going to knock out his teeth for putting me through this crap…"

Gregor smirked at that, clearly not all that angry. He knew he should be more excited with the news of going home, and going back to Tom and his Master; but he had been feeling pretty good today. He definitely wanted to go home, but he supposed it wasn't too bad here either.

He worked on the sphere again. And this time, he easily manipulated his energy over the sphere. The ball changed colors so quick, the colors almost blended at times. Then as it became bright red, there was a click.

The ball suddenly opened like a flower, and a globule of blue energy emerged.

"Eww…What is this…?" Gregor asked, grossed out as the goo just levitated all on its own.

He hesitated as he set down the remnants of the sphere before he poked at the floating malleable energy.

It immediately rippled with his touch.

Gregor's eyebrows creased. But then his eyes suddenly flashed yellow. And just as unexpectedly, he knew what to do next.

He reached for the globule once more and thought of something…

And what he thought about was his stuffed dragonfly back home.

Immediately, the goo morphed before his eyes and became an exact replica of his dragonfly, except that it had a blue glow around it.

Gregor smiled wide before he reached out to his childhood toy and took it in his arms.

"Hey, you… Welcome back," he told the 'toy'. He then pulled it back at arm's length, and his eyes flashed red this time as he further said mischievously, "I missed you, Elliott…"

Plasmius entered his lab in Wisconsin around two in the afternoon. While he had not planned to come here until tomorrow morning, that had changed the moment Fright Knight had brought him the news about the Fentons.

Time was up. He needed to head to Amity Park as soon as possible; and to do so, he had much to prepare. But just as important, he needed to have a serious conversation with his son.

The Ghost King didn't even bother to turn human and just flew up to his private lounge, which was just above him.

As he emerged, he finally became human and went to an antique armoire to change into a business suit. After all, if his staff was here, he needed to play his part of 'returning from a business trip'.

He eventually left his private lounge which connected to his study and headed down the hall straight towards his son's room.

He was not sure if he would be there; but he might as well check there first.

He lightly knocked on the door; and not waiting for a response, he walked in. He was still somewhat upset with his son, but there were more important matters right now.

Fortunately, his son was indeed in his room. But too bad he was asleep.

Vlad sighed when he could clearly see that Daniel must not have meant to fall asleep since he was still fully dressed and above the covers. Still, he walked over to the bed and sat down next to him.

His son was facing him, and Vlad was surprised he had not woken up by his sitting down beside him.

For a moment, Vlad watched him. The thoughts of his troubles with the Fentons and Amity Park and even his frustration with his son melded away.

Instead, a sadness bloomed in his heart as he stared at his only reason for living.

"You think Lydia and Ghostwriter would be happy that their daughter is in the middle of a war, and that I have put her in the frontline?! You think having her in the medical bay in a coma, near death, is what they wanted for her?!"

Skulker's words troubled him more than he had let on. His friend was right, after all. This was not the future neither of them had envisioned for Ember or Daniel. It hurt so much to think back to better days, when the two had been infants. And when Desiree, Lydia, Ghostwriter, Skulker and himself had laughed as they talked about the two infants' futures during Daniel's coronation.

Reaching forward, Vladimir pushed away his son's hair from his face before lightly stroking his hairline with his fingers.

His son just sighed but did not stir.

"What would your mother think if she could see you now, little badger?" he whispered sadly. "She wanted such a different life for you… We both did… Now look at you… Look at us… Why does it always feel that no matter what I do, I'm destined to lose you, too?"

Vlad sighed deeply before he shook his head, and then finally stood back up.

He lingered another moment; but eventually, he turned away and headed out of the room.

He would let his son sleep for now. He had to be tired after everything that happened last night. Besides, this gave Vlad a moment to get his next plan in order and gather his thoughts on what he wanted to tell his son…

But, first, he headed down the stairs in search of Carl or Hobson. They should be around since he had not dismissed them from the last time Daniel and he had been here at the castle.

As expected, he found Hobson in the kitchen prepping for dinner; and Carl was there keeping him company.

The two were in the middle of a conversation about cars, it seemed, when he interrupted.

"Good afternoon," Vladimir said as he walked in further into the main part of the kitchen.

Carl jumped. "Sir!"

"Mr. Masters! What a surprise!" Hobson then said with a smile. "I was already surprised to see the young sir arrive this morning. He did not mention you would be arriving today, too…"

"Not that we don't want you here! We're super glad!" Carl added nervously.

Vladimir chuckled. "It's alright. I apologize for not sending you both a message as I usually do prior to our arrival. Daniel also had not expected I would be returning so soon either."

"Did you return using the new hover copter? Did it operate as you expected?" Carl asked curiously.

"Yes, and it was surprisingly smooth to operate. Perhaps you might enjoy taking it for a test flight one of these days, Carl…"

Carl's face lit up and he nodded excitedly.

"Well, the good news is the cleaners came yesterday," Hobson said, "So, the beds are set, and the clothing should all be back in their proper closets."

Vlad nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate that. I just wanted to come by and let you both know I am home. I do have a lot of work to get done; so I will be in my private study and lounge until dinner."

Hobson answered, "Certainly. I believe your son is resting. He was very exhausted when I saw him."

"Yes, I'm sure it's the jetlag from the many trips we've taken this week," Vladimir excused causally. "If he wakes up before dinner, can you let him know I am home? However, outside of Daniel, I want no interruptions today."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you. I will see you both a bit later then. Ta."

Hobson nodded. "We'll see you later, sir."

"No interruptions. Got it!" Carl answered.

Vlad didn't say anymore, and returned first to his private study, then his lounge. He immediately grabbed his ghostly clothing and other items he had earlier left here and draped them over one of his arms. Turning intangible, he slipped down to his underground lab.

He indeed had work to do.

But first things first.

"Activate all programs and databases."

His look-alike hologram immediately appeared, and smiled. "Welcome back. I was wondering when you would return after Daniel's arrival."

Vlad resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He briefly questioned why in the world he thought creating a holographic smart computer version of himself had been a good idea. But then he answered himself: he did it to help his son whenever he had been here all alone.

"Open all files or web searches Daniel accessed since his arrival this morning," he commanded.

"As you wish," the hologram replied; and within seconds, it brought up the requested data.

Vlad didn't need more than a quick glance or two at the webpages and pictures to know his son was indeed aware of what had happened to Damon Gray.

The older hybrid signed before he said, "That's enough. Open up my file titled 'Amity Park'. Specifically, I need to see my map of the area…"

Temporarily ignoring the hologram's response, Vlad headed to where a safe was imbedded in the wall. He quickly unlocked it, grabbed his ghostly items, and neatly placed all but his belt in.

He set the belt inside the safe just as energy formed around his hands. He then touched the belt; and in a flash, a bag appeared out from the belt. He opened the bag and pulled the Ring of Fire and Crown of Rage out of it.

He sneered slightly at the powerful relics. He had originally intended to return them to Pariah's Keep but he never got the chance to. He had not expected to return to the Human World again so soon. And with the situation in Amity Park, he was not sure how long it would be before he returned to the Ghost World.

He was still hesitant about leaving these relics in the Ghost World when he still had no idea if Aragon was plotting something. For now, they would be safe in his castle here in Wisconsin. No one would think of him hiding them here.

But it really did bother him how quiet Aragon had become after he had abruptly released him and spared his life at Elliot's request just over six months ago.

Vlad still didn't buy it. And even if he had no proof that Gregor was still alive, he was convinced the boy was somewhere. There was absolutely no way Aragon would have let him live if Gregor was truly dead.

So, no matter how much Skulker reassured him or how 'it seemed' the child was gone, Vlad could not believe it.

But where would that child be? And how did Aragon know what Vlad did not?

What if… Aragon made a deal with Chrome? Would he do that? In order to save his son?

Vlad frowned when he immediately knew the answer. After all, didn't he, too, set up a fake alliance with Tom in order to protect him and his son as well as get intel on that hunter's doings?

"I must get to the bottom of what really happened with that child one way or another…," Vlad muttered with slight annoyance.

He sighed before he put the relics back in the bag. They still sent an unpleasant feeling through his body; and he hated having them near because the cursed items tended to… worm their way into his mind at times. He hated those whispers.

But he would have to endure it until they headed to Amity Park.

Putting the bag inside the safe, Vlad caught sight of another certain precious item.

With a slight frowned, Vlad pulled out Desiree's amulet that had been resting on top of Daniel's own ghost suit.

He placed the gem on his open palm and lightly traced it. Even in human form, he could feel his wife's energy still embedded in the gem. But he also knew the Gem of Life was hidden inside.

After all, he had commanded it to remain locked inside the crystal necklace to keep it safe. The Gem of Life could not reveal itself to anyone but Daniel. This assured the gem's power remain unattainable to anyone who could wield the Gem's power—namely himself and anyone with Aragon's energy-line.

Thinking of the gem, the older hybrid raised it to eye level and he muttered, "What to do with you? I am not sure if taking you along is wise; but is it more dangerous to leave you here, possibly unprotected?"

Daniel certainly could not wear this around in human form, which is why his son removed it each time he came here.

"No one will find it here. They would have to find this lab first," his AI system suddenly reminded him.

Vlad glanced back at the hologram and noted it had been watching him this entire time.

The older hybrid cleared his throat and simply nodded. The AI was right. Just like the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire, the amulet would be secured here in the safe.

Without further thought, he put Desiree's royal necklace back inside the safe before focusing on why he was in the lab.

"Let's see that map…," he told his AI as he walked back over to his mainframes. "I need to figure out how the Fentons and their helpers are getting in and out of Amity Park without detection…"

"The answer must be at their home… We both know it has a basement they built after that incident with the first portal," the hologram pointed out. "What if they built an underground passage that heads outside of the city?"

"Hmmm...," Vlad began as he inspected the city's map. "Even with their innovation, that tunnel would have to extend several miles outside the city's boundaries to keep its exit hidden. Not to mention that it would be too complicated and expensive to build...Unless..."

"Unless?" the hologram repeated.

Vladimir narrowed his eyes as he stared at these red dots all around the city map. They seemed insignificant but they were far from that…

"Didn't Amity Park construct emergency hideouts for potential ghost attacks?" Vlad asked.

AI program nodded. "Yes, they are public knowledge on the city maps…"

"Do I have any layout or construction details of these hideouts?" Vlad asked, glancing at his look-alike.

The AI program froze as it searched the database for the request. It then, suddenly, blinked and answered, "I do not see a map or layout; but there is some mention of their locations and emergency protocol for reaching these shelters on the city hall's public records…."

The records immediately came up on one of the screens. The hologram looked at the older hybrid, and asked, "What are you thinking…?"

Vlad stared at the data in front of him before he said, "I remember Chrome mentioning once what a pain it was to keep these hideouts in working order… That tells me there has to be a general access point in order to do said maintenance…"

Vladimir narrowed his eyes. "If the city built maintenance tunnels to access these hideouts, the Fentons wouldn't need to built their own tunnels… They would just have needed to connect their own bunker to the nearest access point…"

"Clever hunters…," the hologram muttered, somewhat impressed.

"Too clever," Vlad said, annoyed.

Danny jolted awake from a nightmare that included Chrome, his father and Damon Gray.

With a sigh, he sat up and passed his hand through his messy black hair. The two men's angry shouts still echoed incoherently from his dream, while the image of his father in his ghost-form covered in blood was at the forefront of his mind.

The teen lowered his hand and frowned at nothing in particular before he suddenly pushed off the bed and headed to his bathroom.

He turned on the sink and splashed cold water on his face, which he hoped would wash away the images and feelings about his nightmare. The chill woke him up further, and after a quick bathroom break, he returned to his bedroom.

He briefly looked down at his wrinkled shirt. He had not meant to fall asleep; but he had been exhausted.

Danny headed over to his closest and changed into a light blue button-up shirt that was short enough to leave untucked from his dark blue jeans.

His stomach suddenly grumbled and he made his way to the kitchen.

He glanced at his smart watch and saw it was really close to dinner time. Hopefully, Hobson had made some kind of appetizer he could snack on before dinner…

Forgetting all about his nightmare, Danny continued down the hall until he reached the main staircase.

He had just descended on the last step when he jolted in surprise as the loud ring of the front doorbell echoed through the foyer.

The teen immediately raised an eyebrow at this unexpected event. Who could it be? They rarely got visitors, let alone unplanned visitors when his father was not present.

Perhaps it was a package from the mail carrier?

Curious, Danny walked over to the door, and opened it just as Carl rounded the nearest hall.

"Wait, Kid! Let me…"

"Hello, can…?"

Whatever Daniel was going to say died in his throat as he stared wide-eyed at the visitor in front of him.

He didn't even notice when Carl rushed up behind him.

At the same time, Thomas Chrome raised his eyebrows in surprise at who had greeted him; but his expression quickly melded into a smirk.

"Well, Well… If it isn't the rich boy's son…We meet at last… Daniel, right?"

Unfortunately, Danny could not speak or move. All his training and preparing went out the window as he stood before his worst nightmare. A single thought raced through his head at that moment.

"He knows… He knows!"

"Hey, are you alright, kid?" Chrome asked in a teasing and confused tone of voice. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

The hunter chuckled at his own joke before adding smugly. "Don't worry, you're safe with me… Is your dad home? I need to talk with him."

Danny mentally jolted with the question and… with the familiarity in which the hunter asked for his father.

Daniel's face hardened as he quietly demanded, "What do you want with my father?"

Tom blinked at the sudden hostility from the teenager. But right then, Carl finally stepped in.

Opening the door wider, Carl then gently placed a hand on the teen's shoulder and smiled pleasantly at their visitor.

"Agent Thomas Chrome… What a surprise. I assume you are here to see Mr. Masters…?"

Tom was now frowning down at Danny upon realizing his reaction was not normal. But hearing the helper's question, the hunter turned his attention to him.

"Yes. It's important I speak with him," Tom answered calmly.

"He's not here," Daniel snapped. "Leave!"

But Tom immediately held the door before Danny could even attempt to slam it shut.

This time, he raised an eyebrow at the teenager, and asked seriously, "I'm sorry… Have I offended you in some way?"

Carl cleared his throat. "What he means is that Mr. Masters just returned from a business trip. And he has given strict orders not to be disturbed today. He is extremely busy. Perhaps you can give him a call and schedule your visit?"

Danny quickly looked at Carl in surprise before he stared back at Chrome. What was happening? How did this monster even know Vladimir Masters? Why did he keep talking about his father as if they had any relation? Why was Carl talking as if it was normal for this jerk to even speak to his father? And why was this hunter here if it wasn't because they had been discovered?!

Tom now looked annoyed. "I get Masters has 'rich boy' responsibilities; but what I have to tell him is important. It will not take more than a few minutes. At least tell him I'm here. I'm sure once he knows it's me, he will make an exception from his very busy schedule."

All the more confused and defensive, Danny opened his mouth to respond with something unpleasant; but Carl cut him off.

"As you wish, sir," Carl answered. "Please…"

Danny tensed even more when Carl gestured for the hunter to come in; but he then felt the hand on his shoulder tighten.

Carl was warning him.

The chauffeur might not know what was going on, but he was perceptive enough to know they needed to tread carefully.

Danny forced himself to reign in his emotions and stepped back.

"Carl, please offer our guest a beverage. I will let my father know he has a visitor…," Daniel muttered in a cool but calm voice.

Danny felt Chrome's eyes on his back as he went up the stairs. It wasn't until the teen turned the corner that he stopped and leaned against the wall, fearing his knees would buckle under him at any moment.

He closed his eyes and took shaky breaths as he told himself that 'No, Chrome had not discovered his or his dad's secret'. There was no way. Clearly, the man was here to see Vladimir Masters and nothing else. Everything was fine…

But suddenly, Danny shook his head at that last thought and he stood upright. No, everything was not fine.

His father had some explaining to do.

Just as he was about to continue to look for his father, who was likely in his study, Vlad turned the corner of the next hallway.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" Vlad asked immediately, a hand against his chest.

Danny tensed, and quickly looked down at his own chest, fearing his symbol was…

"You're fine…," Vladimir reassured him before his son could panic. He approached him as he added, "Your core's dormant, but I still felt…"

"Why is Thomas Chrome here for Vladimir Masters?" Danny cut him off in a quiet demanding voice.

Vlad's eyes widened slightly before he frowned deeply. "Daniel…," he began.

"Are you in business with my mother's killer?" Daniel asked in a fearful whisper.

Vladimir immediately moved forward and grabbed his son by his shoulders. "Little badger… I need you to trust me right now. I will explain, I promise. But right now… You need to trust me."

Daniel stared back at him, a mixture of anger and fear and distress on his face; but then his shoulders sagged, and he just nodded.

"Go to your room…"

"No," Danny replied right away, looking up at his father. "I'm not leaving you alone with that monster."

Vladimir smiled weakly. "I can handle Chrome. It will be fine."

"He's going to be suspicious if I just go hide, especially when I might not have reacted… well to his sudden visit," Daniel admitted.

Vlad hesitated this time. But then he sighed, and replied, "Wait about five minutes, then come down. Just treat him like you would treat any other of my business partners. And follow my lead, understand?"

Danny nodded.

Vlad hesitated another moment, clearly worried with having his son and Chrome under the same roof. But then without saying anything more, he finally let go of his son's shoulders and left.

The man mentally cursed at his luck. Why the blazes was Chrome here?! How did the hunter even know he was currently in Wisconsin?

But then, Vlad mentally paused.

"Oh, right… Valerie Gray and the Mansons," he muttered, annoyed.

Vlad headed down the main stairs and to his closest tearoom, which is where Carl typically took guests to wait.

As expected, he found Carl and Thomas in the room.

"I said I am fine. I don't need anything," Tom said, annoyed, just before he noticed Vlad's entrance.

The hunter immediately smiled and stood from his chair.

"There you are. I was beginning to wonder whether that kid of yours was going to go get you."

Vlad extended his hand; and as Tom shook it, he replied, "Forgive, Daniel. He hates when I do business at the house. Speaking of which, I don't recall us having any pending appointments? Why are you here, Agent C?"

Lowering his hand, Thomas shrugged. "I heard you were in town… Actually I heard a lot more than that…"

"Ah…," Vlad just answered. He then looked at Carl, and asked, "Can you have Hobson bring us tea…? Then again, it's almost dinner time, isn't it?"

Vladimir looked back at Tom, and asked, "Do you care for dinner? My butler always makes extra in case of unexpected visitors…"

But Tom just shook his head. "I'm fine. I would hate to make you play host longer than necessary…"

Vladimir just smiled back. "It's no trouble at all; but if that's your preference..."

Vlad briefly nodded at Carl, who quickly took his leave.

Taking a seat at one of the chairs around the medium size round table, Vladimir gestured for Tom to sit back down.

As he did, Vlad asked, "So, what exactly did you hear that has you at my humble home this evening?"

"Well, I'm sure you saw what happened last night with the Ghost Prince..."

"Who didn't?" Vladimir retorted with a scoff. "The Ghost Prince's message was broadcasted all through Wisconsin… and by now, I'm sure all around the world. What of it?"

"What of it?" Tom repeated back in disbelief. "Are you not remotely concerned for your safety? Your son's?"

Vladimir raised an eyebrow. "You should know by now that I make it my business to not attract the enemy's attention. That is why I purposely live here in a state entirely controlled by the Ghost King. I can't afford all that drama. And so, why should I be concerned?"

But before Tom could answer, Vladimir added, "But I would wager you cannot say the same… There is obviously a target on your back, Agent C. Honestly, I am surprised you would risk coming to Wisconsin… Isn't it dangerous for you to be here? And thinking of it further… Maybe I should be concerned; but rather, be concerned with your presence. After all, the last thing I want is for the Ghost King to know I have any association with the Guys-in-White…"

"Relax, Masters," Tom replied in a sarcastic voice. "I'm sure the Ghost King is too busy taking down governments and enslaving cities and entire countries to worry about what some rich boy is doing in a castle located in the middle of cow pastures and dairy farms in the backcountry of Wisconsin."

Vlad slightly narrowed his eyes.

"Look, if I am here at all, it's because of Valerie Gray. Did you know she is in the hospital…?"

"Why is she—?"

"Father?"

Tom and Vladimir turned their attention to Daniel as he entered the room.

"Oh, so you found your guest…," Danny said with a slight hint of sarcasm.

"Daniel… behave," Vladimir scolded lightly before he waved him over.

"Agent Chrome, I take it you have met my son, Daniel…"

The hunter smirked. "Sure did. Are you in a better mood, kid?"

"Not by much," Daniel answered, narrowing his eyes slightly in challenge.

Thomas' smile grew before he looked at Vlad and said, "He might not look much like you, but he sure has your quirks, Masters…"

"As I said, Daniel hates when I bring business home," Vlad answered calmly. He then glanced at his son, and said, "I am sure dinner is almost done. Why don't you go see what we're having, Son? Agent C and I won't be too long here… "

"Of course… Should I let Hobson know we will be having a guest for dinner?" Daniel asked calmly, still watching the hunter.

"Agent Chrome will not be staying for dinner… Unless he has changed his mind?"

Vlad glanced at the other man.

"Places to be, son," Agent C replied with a smirk at Danny. "Maybe next time."

"Shame…" Danny answered with fake charm before he added, "And it's 'Daniel'. Only my father gets to call me 'son'."

Agent Chrome laughed. "Noted."

"Daniel…," Vlad spoke up.

The teen just raised his hands up in surrender before he turned and left.

There was a brief moment of silence before Tom remarked, "Want to know something funny?"

Vlad looked at the other man.

"The Ghost Prince's name is 'Danny'."

"Why is that funny?" Vladimir asked, confused.

"Just find it ironic your son's name is also 'Danny'."

"His name is 'Daniel'," Vlad corrected, "And so what? It's a common name. Besides, I thought the Ghost Prince went by 'Phantom'."

"Apparently ghosts give their kings and future kings different names than their formation name," Thomas answered with a shrug.

"Such an odd thing for you to take an interest in," Vlad replied. "You hardly seem the type to care for your enemy's traditions and culture…"

"Everything having to do with 'Danny-boy' interests me, Masters," Chrome answered with a smile, yet his eyes were focused on something unseen.

Vladimir looked at him with a frown this time. "Danny-boy?"

Agent Chrome finally focused back on the other man and chuckled, "Term of endearment."

Vlad just stared back without an ounce of emotion; but then clearing his throat, he said calmly, "Speaking of 'sons'… I have not gotten a chance to give you my condolences about yours… Such a tragic loss. Hard to believe someone so young is… gone."

Chrome's expression immediately melded into a deep frown. "My son's death won't be in vain, Masters… Once I have the King's spawn's bleeding core in my hand, it will all be worth it…"

Vladimir's eyebrows creased inward; but before he could say anything, the hunter continued, "About why I am here… Just what is your interest in Valerie Gray?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow again. He internally wondered if Valerie had mentioned their discussion to the hunter even when he had asked for her discretion. It was a possibility. But then again, Chrome probably would not be as 'pleasant' at the moment if he knew Vlad was trying to turn the girl against him.

"At the moment?" the billionaire answered, "I would like to know why she's in the hospital….?"

"What do you want with her?" Tom asked again, ignoring his request.

This time, Vlad frowned. "…You know perfectly well what is my interest in that girl: I'm her benefactor… And in part thanks to you, no less. You were the one who shared with me the girl's tragic fate after the death of her father. Thanks to that, I was able to intervene in time to keep Gray's investors from taking all his assets."

"Right, right…," Tom replied waving his hand dismissively before he added in a bored tone of voice, "Gray's death struck a chord in your heart because you had close business dealings with him, enough that you so happened to be listed as Valerie's primary custodian until she's eighteen."

He then huffed and added, "Quite a lucky outcome for you, as that gave you complete access to what remained of Axion Labs and Gray's other patents once you secured them away from Gray's investors' greedy hands…"

Vladimir shrugged, undisturbed. "I'm a businessman. If you are expecting me to deny the benefits of this arrangement, you would be sorely mistaken."

"No, I wouldn't expect that," Tom answered, "Quite the opposite, which is why I want to know why you are so interested in her. Pamela mentioned you invited them over, and specifically wanted to see Valerie. You have never shown any interest in her aside from the monetary value associated with her. So, what's going on?"

Vladimir studied the man. He could see the possessiveness just hidden behind his cold eyes. Of course, the hunter would question anything relating to what he believed belonged to him. And, unfortunately for the girl, Valerie was Gregor's 'favorite toy.' And so, Chrome was making sure no one took that away from his 'son'.

Vlad more than ever was convinced Gregor was still alive.

"I take it Ms. Gray mentioned our conversation?" Vlad asked carefully.

"Not really. In fact, she seemed hesitant to talk with me about you at all… I've known her long enough to know when she's keeping something from me. But instead of speculating, I figured I would just ask you…"

"And yet, it seems you have been speculating," Vlad replied with a scoff. "If you must know, I wanted to see her to give her something that was found in the lab's wreckage."

"Her father's wedding ring. I saw it… Just how in the world did you find that in that disaster, Masters?"

Vladimir laughed this time. "That little spiel from the Ghost Prince last night must have really shaken you up if you are this paranoid! I sure enough did not find the ring, Chrome. There are people who specialize in sorting through disaster zones—if you did not know. Go ask them how they found some ring. Honestly!"

Tom fell quiet before he muttered, "I don't think I ask for much, Masters. We share common interests. We benefit from each other. But you, being a businessman, should know better than to get in the way of another man's business…"

Tom narrowed his eyes this time.

But Vladimir just rolled his eyes. "And you should know better than to take me for a fool."

The older hybrid suddenly matched his hard look as he said, "You think I do not know your interest in Valerie Gray? What you have done? Or did you forget you introduced your son to me as the 'White Hunter'? I know who Valerie Gray is. And I know that you are deliberately endangering her by having her be one of your little soldiers. Forgive me for being concerned that the 'Red Huntress' ends up like your son."

Vlad suddenly stood as he continued with a glare. "You might think that girl is just 'business', but you are wrong! If I had known sooner what your intentions were, I would have fought for complete guardianship! Unfortunately, it is too late for that. So, the least I can do for Damon Gray is look out for his daughter and hope you do not get her killed! And by the fact that she's in the hospital, I would say my concern is very valid!"

Tom stood, too. But unlike his partner, he acted calm and collected as he straightened his white suit jacket. He then further remarked off-handedly, "The Red Huntress is well trained; and I never forced her to work for me. She believes in my cause."

"Sounds like your son. Look where that got him," Vladimir answered back coldly.

"Don't upset me, rich boy," Tom warned with a glare this time. "I won't let you talk ill of my dead son."

Right then, Carl returned with tea, and right behind him was Daniel with a plate of cheese and crackers.

The two men glanced at their audience before focusing back on each other.

Carl cleared his throat with the obvious tension in the room. "Tea, sir?"

Daniel just watched with a deep frown; but his father ignored him and Carl completely.

Vlad finally spoke. "Forgive me, Agent C. My remark was out of line," he answered, more calmly. "However, that does not change how I feel about this matter."

"You can feel however you want," Tom answered firmly. "And if checking up on Gray's daughter from time-to-time puts you at ease, go for it; but do not interfere in my business with her. She is important to me, Masters. Now more than ever. And as long as you understand that, we can remain on good terms…Clear?"

"Completely," Vlad answered coolly.

"Good."

The hunter raised a hand as a peace offering, and Vlad shook it in return.

"I'll be seeing you soon, I'm sure. Maybe one of these days we can all have dinner at Pam and Jeremy's home. Wouldn't that be fun?" Tom said with a sarcastic laugh.

"I Look forward to it," Vlad answered calmly as they lowered their hands.

Daniel's eyes widened at the mention of Sam's parents; but before he could even process that, Tom turned towards him and Carl. And then he locked eyes with him.

"You know… I've heard and read a lot of good things about you… Such a bright boy with a bright future…" Tom glanced at Vladimir before looking back at Daniel and adding, "If you ever get bored of the 'rich boy' life, call me up… There's always room for one more in my division… eh, son?"

Vladimir's eyes hardened as Chrome glanced at him once more with the unspoken threat.

"Over my dead body," Vlad answered in a calm but angry voice.

Tom scoffed in amusement. "Why does that sound familiar?"

The man just laughed at his own inside joke before he suddenly waved. "Later, Masters… Kid…"

Daniel tensed when the man unexpectedly reached for him and ruffled his hair.

But it was quick, and then he was gone.

"Carl, see him out," Vlad ordered in a quiet voice.

The chauffeur looked highly concerned, but just placed the tea tray down and followed after Chrome.

"Bastard," Vladimir breathed out, his hands fisting at his sides. It had taken everything in him not to wring that hunter's neck for daring to threaten harm to his son just to make sure he stayed away from Valerie.

Danny's eyebrows heightened. He had never heard his father curse. Not like this anyways.

Setting down the tray in his hands, Daniel then approached him, and grabbed one of his shaking arms.

Vladimir finally looked down at him. Then with a deep sigh, the man let go of the tension in his body.

"Forgive me, Daniel…"

Danny frowned back sadly. "It's alright… I am sorry, too…"

Danny realized with his father's reaction to Tom that it was just as hard for him to be anywhere near the hunter. And if his father was having any interaction with that monster, it had to be for a powerful reason.

"And… I'm sorry about what I said back home…," Danny added, looking away. "Most of it, anyways… I was going to head back as soon as I knew why you… "

He shook his head. "I didn't know what to say; so, I stayed here to think… But honestly… I still don't know what to say, except that I understand now. I don't exactly agree, but I understand."

Vlad stared at him in surprise before he reached for his son and brought him into a hug.

The older hybrid said nothing for a moment. While he appreciated his son's apology, Vlad's thoughts were too focused on Chrome to think about their fight this morning. He hated even the thought of his son being anywhere near that monster. It brought to the front of his mind all Chrome had done to him. It reminded him of the fear he hid in his core at the thought of it happening all over again.

The worst of it was that Vlad could see the bastard's twisted thoughts and feelings aimed at his son whenever he talked about 'Phantom'. He could just imagine him taunting his six-year-old son with some twisted pet name. 'Danny-boy'… How dare he? That vile son-of-a—!

"Dad?" Danny asked when his father's grip on him tightened, and he could almost feel his father's core burning to come out.

"You did well with Chrome," Vlad finally muttered, pushing away his dark thoughts. "I'm proud of you for how you handled this overall. I know it wasn't easy to see that hunter so unexpectedly…"

"For a moment I thought he… knew," Danny whispered as his emotions over everything that had upset him since last night were suddenly not as important as hugging his father back.

He was so glad his father had come after him. He wasn't sure what he would have done if he had been forced to face Chrome while alone at this castle.

"That's not possible, Daniel," Vladimir reassured his son as he rubbed his back. "What we are is an impossibility even in that hunter's mind. We're safe here. You are safe from him."

Danny sighed and nodded before he finally pulled away.

But Vlad kept his hand on the teen's shoulder as he then said, "We need to talk further; but not here… Come…"

The two left the tearoom and headed back towards the foyer.

They soon ran into Carl.

"Sir… Hobson advised dinner is ready."

"Oh, yes…" Vlad muttered.

"Carl, give us about half hour and we'll be down…" Danny answered; and looking at his dad, he added, "If that's okay with you, Father?"

Vlad nodded. While he knew they were both hungry, their conversation took precedence right now. And Daniel clearly agreed.

"Of course," Carl said and turned to leave.

"Wait, Carl?"

The chauffeur looked back at the teen.

"Thank you…," Danny said quietly.

Carl just smiled knowingly and nodded before he left.

Danny watched him go for a moment. He was so grateful for Carl's quick thinking, and bold approach of taking over the conversation when Agent Chrome arrived at the castle. If it wasn't for him, Danny might have not been able to pull himself out of his shocked horror, and might have done something to jeopardize his and his father's cover.

It was moments like this that he believed that just maybe there was hope for humanity.

"Daniel?" his father called.

"Yes, coming," the boy said, pushing away his thoughts.

He followed his father up the stairs and to the man's private study.

Once they got there, Vladimir locked the door before he opened the secret passage that led to his private lounge.

He gestured for Danny to sit down, as he closed the door behind them.

Daniel briefly looked around the lounge. He had only come here less than a handful of times.

He paid more attention to his father when the man sat beside him on the couch.

"I wish you would have stayed at our home… You know how much it upsets me when you take off anywhere without telling me."

Daniel lowered his gaze. "I just… After our argument. I had to know..."

Vlad didn't reply.

Danny looked back sadly. "What happened with Damon Gray… It wasn't your fault. You didn't know."

"I have come to terms with the blood on my hands, Daniel. Damon Gray is just one of many."

"But it's different with him," the teen insisted.

Vlad frowned. "Is it? I told you when you decided to join me, war is nothing but death and destruction. An evil, no matter how necessary."

Danny shook his head before he leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. Staring down at his own hands, he realized they were also metaphorically stained. While he had only killed a handful of people directly, he had ordered the execution of many more since he got involved in this war.

But still…

"I don't believe you," Danny finally said, "About Damon Gray. You wouldn't have kept it from me if his death had no importance to you."

"I never said it doesn't hold importance to me. I do try to follow some moral compass," Vlad answered, his eyebrows creasing. "Whatever might be left at this point anyways."

And Danny frowned deeper at that because he hated the idea that his father was anything but moral and good.

"It's not killing Damon Gray that I regret, per say," Vlad continued. "But rather, that in doing so, I condemned a young girl to death. Human or not, Valerie Gray does not deserve her fate. Much like Gregor… Much like… you didn't deserve the things you have endured…"

Danny knew his father was looking at him, but he couldn't bring himself to look up. Yet, the man's forlorn voice said it all.

"I know I am delaying the inevitable by sparing her life," Vladimir admitted with a sigh, "but I suppose it's the least I can do… In any case, I cannot have you be the one who kills her… I will finish what I started when the time comes. And I have come to terms with that, too."

Danny finally met his father's eyes. The teen felt all the more guilty after hearing about his father's burdens. And he couldn't help but stress again how much he regretted their fight in the morning…

"I mean it, Dad. I am sorry about what I said to you this morning about you being cruel and not caring about those in your Kingdom… I was just so angry and afraid… I don't want to lose my best friend."

"I know, little badger," Vlad answered with a sad smile.

"But…," Danny continued, "I still think you should have told me about Valerie. All I want is for you to be honest with me. You ask me to trust you, and I do; but… sometimes your actions make it seem like you do not. You are always keeping secrets, Father. And I don't understand why."

"Son, I trust no one more than you," he answered right away. "My reasons for keeping certain things from you has nothing to do with trust…"

The older hybrid paused before he said almost helplessly, "I suppose in my mind and core, I still wish I could keep you from all this…"

He reached for his son's chest before lightly pressing his hand against it, as if he hoped he could still feel his core even when it was dormant at the moment.

"You know if it was up to me, I wouldn't allow you to be part of this war," he muttered. "I promised your mother I would keep you from the evils around us… that I would keep you safe..."

Danny didn't need to feel his father's core to sense the pain in his words.

He quickly reached up to hold his father's hand against his chest "You do keep me safe, Dad," he reassured him softly. "I couldn't ask for a better father. And my mother… If she was here, she would tell you the same. You've kept your promise to her all these years… even when I made it hard for you… even when I…"

Danny lowered his gaze as he thought about his deliberate disobedience that cost his mother her life…

Danny sighed softly before looking back up at the older hybrid. "But I am no longer that defenseless little boy you saved from those hunters the day mom died," he told him soberly. "I don't want to be."

His hand tightened around his father's own as he added, "And I don't want to lose you, Dad. Each time you're away somewhere, it's all I can think about. And sitting around being 'safe' when I know you are risking your life, when our kin are risking their own…It's maddening. I told you: I want to help you end this war so that our world can be safe again; so that you and I can be safe again…"

Daniel lowered their hands down to his lap, and his eyes followed the movement as he muttered, "But it is really hard to help you or even understand your decisions when you keep important things from me, like… this with Valerie… And now this with that hunter…. How long has Vladimir Masters been working with Agent Chrome?"

When Danny looked back at him with the question, Vlad slowly pulled away his hand and lowered his eyes. He hesitated before he replied, "A year after your mother died; after… we returned home…."

Danny took in a sharp breath in response.

The man's eyebrows creased even more as he thought about that time. He had been completely beside himself; so much so, that he had been about to shoot Tom right at his headquarters, knowing it would have meant that he would be killed, too.

He would have left his seven-year-old son all alone… But his sorrow and feeling of loss for his soulmate had been so all encompassing he had not thought about anything else but killing his wife's murderer. And he still felt guilty about that. He felt horrible that he had thought, even for a moment, of abandoning Daniel like that…

"Father?" Danny asked, not liking the look in the other hybrid's eyes or the silence.

But at the sound of his son's concern, Vlad seemed to snap out of his thoughts of the past; and he finally looked at Danny again. The older hybrid's eyebrows were still creased as he said soberly, "There was no other way. I needed to be able to infiltrate the Guys-in-White and U.S. government's inner workings. The only way I could do that was giving them what they wanted most."

"What's that…?"

"Money, Daniel. Money to fund the development of their weapons and other anti-ghost projects. Vladco and DALV remain the Guys-in-White's top private contributor…"

Danny's eyes widened in horror. "Dad… How can…? They use those weapons against us! To kill ghosts! Why would you do that?!"

Vlad didn't react to his son's outburst and just soberly answered, "Imagine how many more ghosts would be killed if I was not privy to what those hunters have in their arsenal. I was able to implant a virus directly into the GiW database to pull the details on the Amity Park ghost shield and their anti-ghost protection protocols. I have located many details about the U.S government's allies and other ghost hunters around the world; and that intel has assisted me in bringing down entire countries overnight. Do you understand now?" he asked.

"My alliance with Chrome has contributed to my success in this takeover," he continued, "It has kept me one step ahead of my enemies on many occasions… In fact, how did you think I learned about Gregor's identity? And why I was able to put two and two together after Skulker told me the truth regarding Aragon's son's fate? How do you think I knew about who the White and Red Hunters are? Or, that when I asked you to come here without me, that I knew you would be safe, because I knew Chrome was states away. It had to be done, Daniel."

Danny stayed quiet as he looked away. Of course, he understood now. But he still didn't like it. It was such a dangerous ruse; like playing a game of Russian roulette. Eventually, you would pay the price.

"… What if he finds out…?" Danny asked quietly and fearfully. He had to voice his concern.

"What if he gets suspicious and then discovers what you are doing?" the teen continued as he met his father's eyes again. "Actually, no; it's not even an 'if' but when, when he finds out. Just look at the way he talked to you just now… Dad, he threatened you, when you're supposed to be his ally! Imagine what he would do to you when he learns the truth!"

"I will admit," Vlad muttered. "I am pushing the limits by trying to turn Valerie against him… But I have to try, Daniel; both for her sake and for the sake of this war. The White and Red hunters are too dangerous in the hands of that monster. It is why I had the Mansons over. I needed a moment to speak with her alone. If I can get her to see who Thomas Chrome really is, then maybe…"

"Maybe you can save her…?" Danny finished for him. But he then shook his head. "Dad, even if you could get her to renounce Thomas Chrome and his division, she hates us. She hates ghosts because she's convinced we destroyed her life. She will never stop being a hunter."

"I know," Vlad answered soberly. "But at least the day I kill her, I can say I did all I could to prevent her demise. Besides, it's not just about Ms. Gray. Taking the Red Huntress from Chrome will be a big blow to him, much like it was with Gregor… Although I'm not convinced that he is truly gone."

Danny just sighed. He couldn't fault his father for trying to save Valerie. After all, wasn't that his hope with Sam and Tuck?

"Alright, I'll trust you on this. And will try to stay away from Valerie as Phantom. I cannot promise I won't deal with her permanantly if she… does something like what she did with Ember again… But I'll stay away the best I can. Just promise me something?"

"What, little badger?"

"No more secrets." Danny stared worriedly at him. "I know you want to protect me; but you cannot continue to keep me in the dark about things like this. So, promise me right now there's nothing else I should know…"

Vlad just stared at him; and he realized he hesitated too long when he saw his son tense again.

"There's more… isn't there…? Dad, I can handle it. Please just tell me."

"There are some things better left unsaid, Daniel," Vlad answered soberly. But when the teen looked away with disappointment, the man quickly reached forward and grabbed his chin to get him to look back at him.

"What I can promise you is that if there is anything you need to know, if the time comes, I will tell you."

It wasn't really what the teen wanted to hear, but at least it was something. So, Danny just nodded.

As his father lowered his hand, Danny said, "Speaking of things I should know, how does Agent Chrome know Sam's parents?"

"Sam?" Vlad asked, confused.

"Samantha Manson," Danny quickly clarified.

"Oh… right. That's easy, dear boy. Pamela Manson is Chrome's sister. Samantha is his niece."

Danny's eyes widened in horror.

"What?" Vlad asked, confused by the radical change of his son's face. Sure, the news would be surprising but his son's reaction was a bit too much.

"Daniel, are you alright?"

"I…" Danny began to breathe a bit erratically.

"Daniel?" Vlad asked, concerned, and grabbed one of his son's arms. "What's the matter?" The man paused as he replayed in his mind the brief conversation that had led to his son's sudden panic. "Samantha? Is something going on with that girl?"

Danny shook his head a bit too wildly. "No, I just…" He took a steadying breath. "I think I used a lot of energy in that fight last night. I came here without the energy bands… And, well, I haven't slept well, or much, with what happened with Ember… I think my foggy brain is causing me to overreact to things…"

Vlad just stared back, unconvinced.

Danny blushed this time as he looked back at his father. "I was so close to blowing my cover when Agent C appeared… I've been tense about it. Do you think he suspected something?"

The older hybrid hesitated to reply because his son was so blatantly changing the conversation. "I doubt it," he answered slowly. "Especially after I excused your reaction for your dislike of my bringing business home."

Danny nodded and lowered his gaze. "That's a relief…"

"You know…," his father said after a brief silence between them. "Your desire for better communication between us goes both ways… So, it is my turn to ask you: Is there something I should know, Daniel…? You can talk to me, too."

Danny stared back at his father, unsure. He wanted to tell his dad about Sam and Tucker… He did. But his father was in search of the teen hunters that worked with the Fentons to eliminate them. If he told his father about how he met Sam in the past, then he would have to tell him how he ended up running into her again, which in turn, meant revealing she was a hunter.

Maybe his father would understand, like he did with Valerie. Maybe he would spare her. But there was also a strong chance he would show her no mercy.

Danny lowered his gaze as he tried a half-truth that his father might believe…

"After meeting Samantha and Valerie… Well, they seemed pleasant. Tolerable, for humans. It's a bit disappointing to learn one is a ghost hunter. And the other… the niece of my mother's murderer," he finished in a whisper.

"You took a liking to them," Vladimir concluded, trying not to frown.

"I know I shouldn't have," Danny began, glancing at his father to measure his reaction. "But being here these past months, and interacting with so many humans, most who are either simply unpleasant or self-absorbed, it is a relief when I get to interact with the few that are different. Like… Carl. And Hobson. And, well, they seemed different too: Sam.. and Valerie, I mean."

The older hybrid sighed. "Daniel, I understand that our human side, well… It's natural to want to connect with other humans. Maybe in a perfect world, that would be possible. We would be able to connect with others to satisfy both our halves; but that is not this world, little badger. I do not want you to get confused, or suffer these sorts of disappointments over and over again. It's not good for the heart or core. While, yes, I agree, there are some humans that are much more pleasant than others, you must understand they will never be 'friends'. These bonds we pretend to form within human society are not real. They are a means to an end. Do you understand?"

Danny stared back sadly at his father and nodded. "I do."

Vlad hesitated, but then said, "There is another topic we need to discuss. It's about Amity Park. We might need to head there sooner rather than later."

"Why? And.. you're really letting me go with you?"

"As human, yes," Vlad answered. He frowned suddenly. "I had hoped to keep you away from that place, but it seems the Fentons have played a card I was not prepared for."

Danny frowned in worry. "What happened?"

"They have raised another ghost shield."

Danny's eyebrows rose with surprise; but then, he lightly huffed. "That's inconvenient, sure. But I'll just tear it down again. We just need to…"

There are no towers powering it, Daniel," Vlad interrupted. "You destroyed the last shield by focusing your wail on a few of the towers. Once they destabilized, the whole system destabilized. This new shield's power source is hidden."

Danny then asked, "But how could they have possibly built a shield that size without towers distributing power around it? Amity Park might be small compared to most cities in the states, but it's still a city that can generate loads of power! And a shield that protects the whole city would need a very large power source!"

"That's just it. The shield is not as vast as before. Nowhere near that size, per Fright Knight's description. It seems the power source is coming from within FentonWorks and they have expanded it to approximately a six-mile diameter. It's just a fraction of Amity Park. The largest structures within the current shield are city hall and a school. The rest are resident homes."

Danny frowned. He now saw his father's dilemma. Even if this new shield was much smaller than the previous one that had covered all Amity Park and had been powered by the towers, it was still too big for his wail. In fact, he would pass out before he could even hope to destroy it. And so, all that was important for them right now was to find that hidden power source—and then, of course, quickly take it down.

Vlad's eyes narrowed angrily as he continued, "But even if the shield was protecting a single tree, I cannot allow it! The rebellion there will never end if I do not have complete control. And to do so, I must eliminate the Fentons' little pack of hunters! Curse them all! Just when I think I have managed to send them running, they return to ruin my plans!"

Daniel nodded in agreement. "So, the power source is inside the Fenton's home. Or, FentonWorks… Whatever they call it."

Vlad sighed to push away his frustration before he answered, "Yes. If we can figure out what the source is, we can either destroy it physically or perhaps even implant a virus in their systems to bring down the mainframe or database."

"Makes sense. But… how are you going to get into FentonWorks? With the shield, going as ghosts is out of the question. But how would we as humans…? Unless Vladimir Masters… Wait…"

Danny paused at the look on his father's face. "You have a relationship with the Fentons, too, like Chrome?"

Vladimir nodded. "I do. It's different though. But, yes… I know them enough where a 'visit' will not be too suspicious."

Danny just looked at him for a moment, still perturbed and astonished.

"So, let me make sure I understand…," the teen said slowly. "We are just going to go up to their front door, and they will invite us in, and… then what? Give you a tour of their lab and reveal to you the source of their newest shield?"

"Perhaps."

Danny blinked. "What exactly is your relationship with those hunter?"

Even if his father was 'business partners' with the Fentons, like Chrome, no associate was going to reveal their inner workings, especially when their lives and plans against their enemies depended on keeping their work a secret!

Vladimir opened his mouth to reply 'business' but then paused. His son had just asked him to be honest with him. And if they were going to eventually go to Fentonworks, it was likely his son would learn the truth about his relationship with those hunters anyways...

He would be learning a lot more…

Vlad sighed again. "A friendship… a distant friendship, but one none the less…"

Daniel opened his mouth to question that, but his father cut him off.

"I know that seems…strange," Vlad admitted. "But you see, my relationship with the Fenton stems back over twenty years… When I… Well, after my uncle's royal relics cursed me and I became part human, I was very sick. Dying even… The Ghost World was no place for a human, let alone an ailing one. So, Skulker and your mother had no choice but to bring me to the Human World. I was in the hospital for many months."

"I had no idea…," Danny said in surprise. "You rarely talk about your past; and mother never really did either."

"I know. You were young, and my past is not entirely a pleasant one," Vlad answered with a deep frown. "But I think you should know this if we are to go to Amity Park… So, as I was explaining, after I got out of the hospital, my core was so weak I could not transform. I was stuck as a human at first. It took a few more months to gather the strength to finally morph and go home. But my brief time there with the humans, led to an idea… I realized there was a positive way I could use what I had believed to be a… curse."

He paused but soon said, "My humanity was a way to live among our enemies, to keep an eye on their inner workings, and try to prevent our home from possible invasion. So, while King Plasmius worked to rebuild the devastation King Dark left in our home, Vladimir Masters was born by overshadowing the right influential people. But I also needed a paper trail and to learn how to function in human society. The easiest way to do that was going to school and interacting with the humans. I eventually signed up for college in Wisconsin, and it's where I met Madeline and Jack Fenton. Well, they were not married yet, but they worked together in the labs. And, of course, they were studying ghost biology and ecto-mechanics. It didn't take long to realize how brilliant they were. And I knew then, I needed to keep them close in case they became a threat to our home. So, I picked up their major on the side, and developed a pseudo friendship. They, at least, were convinced we were all good friends."

Danny was staring back in pure interest and disbelief.

"I did not stay long, of course," Vlad continued, his eyes distant as he dove deeper into his past. "When I first took the throne, I had no interest in interacting with the Human World more than needed. My intention was to simply stay close enough to this world to prevent possible threats to our own. I learned what I needed to learn in school and human society to create my human persona. And then I left. I said my 'good-bye' to the Fentons with a promise of 'keeping in touch'; and I did not see them again for many years after that."

Vladimir paused again; but this time, he looked soberly at his son. "And then they built that cursed man-made portal. I did not want to get involved at first. I had Skulker and Fright Knight watching them. By now, of course, they were living in Amity Park, married with a family. After Skulker and Fright Knight confirmed what I had been dreading, I had no choice but to step in as Vladimir Masters. I showed up at their door after almost five years, and I offered financial assistance with the intent of getting close to their portal project and figuring out how to put an end to it. To my surprise and misfortune, they declined my sponsorship because they were already working for the Guys-in-White."

"So," Vladimir muttered. "It was then I knew I would have to put an end to their attempts by force, as King Plasmius… And I did; but at a cost… You, see…there was an accident…"

Danny's eyebrows creased. "Accident?"

Vlad fell quiet. He really did not want to share this next part because it was too close to home, too close to the truth. If it wasn't for the circumstances, he would have never told any of this to his son. But Vlad knew it was better Daniel heard the story from him, then have the Fentons bring it up and tell the story in their own twisted version.

"One night…," Vlad reluctantly continued, "I infiltrated Fenton Works with Skulker, Fright Knight, and Wulf. My only goal was to permanently disable the portal by destroying its power source: concentrated ectoplasmic energy stolen from the bodies and cores of ghosts."

Danny cringed at that, but still asked, "Couldn't they have just gathered… more?"

"As King, one of my first decrees for the Kingdom was to ban any venture to the Human World, as you might recall. Furthermore, your mother sealed the major portals with her power and using the Infinity Map. It also reduced the wild formations of portals. In short, a hunter getting their hands on enough ghosts at that time would have been near impossible and take years at best. I knew if we destroyed that power source, I could stop them from completing that portal."

"But something went wrong," Danny replied, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"We had expected everyone to be asleep," Vlad muttered. "I had disabled their shield and ghost detectors as a human, so there had been nothing to alert them of our presence. We would get in, take the power source and destroy it later, and leave without conflict. But it was not as simple. By some unfortunate luck, Madeline Fenton woke up. I still had hoped to go through with my plan without minimal struggle; but Madeline fought back. Jack soon was alerted of our presence. And, then things escalated into a fight. They got hold of their weapons, and one thing led to another. Before anyone could even react, a stray blast from a ghost gun destabilized the portal… It all happened so quickly… We had just minutes to react before the portal exploded… It destroyed FentonWorks in an instant."

Danny's eyes were wide as he muttered, "But they survived… and their… kid?"

"Kids…," Vladimir corrected soberly. "The daughter survived. Their month-old son did not."

Danny covered his mouth.

There was a notable silence. But the teen didn't even know what to say. And his father had his eyes downcast. And yet, his expression looked pained and remorseful. Even with Valerie's story, he didn't look this troubled.

His father suddenly looked at him with a fear Danny didn't understand. Why would his father be afraid?

"Little badger…," he muttered. "I need you to know, if I would have known that child was in that lab that night, I would have at least attempted to save him. You must know that. Even a human child starts as an innocent being. I would never…"

Danny reached forward and placed his hand on his father's fisted hands on his lap.

"I know, Dad," he reassured him quietly.

Danny had so many questions after his father's confession, like why in the world was a baby in a lab that night? But he had never seen his father like this. He was completely terrified, and the teen did not understand why. But right now, he didn't care to. He just wanted to wipe away the haunted look on his father's face.

"I know who you are," Daniel continued with a warm smile. "And I know sometimes bad things just happen... We cannot plan for everything."

Danny sighed and frowned as he briefly noted his father's hands were shaking. "But that explains their obsession with killing ghosts… and their hatred towards the Ghost King. They blame you, right?"

Vladimir just nodded as he quietly stared at his son's hand on his own. Had he said too much? What if Daniel figured it out? What if the Fentons said something that would unravel the truth? Would his son question the fact that the Fentons' son's name was Daniel, too?

Maybe this was a mistake. He could lose his son before this war was over.

No. He just had to make sure his version of this story was complete, so if the Fentons mentioned anything about their lost son, Daniel would never even question it.

"What are you going to do about them, Dad?" Danny asked as he pulled his hand away when his father seemed to calm down with whatever he had been thinking.

Vlad hesitated again before he looked more intensely at his son and asked, "You know how you said you have taken a liking to certain humans in your time here…? Well…The Fentons are not…unpleasant people. I know they are murderers; and they also tried to hurt you to hurt me; but like with Ms. Gray, I had hoped they would surrender after seeing their home under my dominion."

He glared suddenly. "But clearly, that was not the case. I have given them enough chances to surrender, Daniel. They refuse to yield; so I will deal with them like I deal with any other ghost hunter. I will make an example of them. Then, they will die; they and all their little helpers. And you will help me put an end to them."

Danny tensed, and luckily his father didn't notice.

"I will get us into FentonWorks," his father continued with sudden resolve. "And while I work on a way to take down their latest shield, you will befriend their daughter: Jasmine Fenton. She most certainly will be our connection to the rest of those brats that call themselves 'Team Fenton.' I will enroll you into Casper High, if I need to. We will do what needs to be done to put an end to them. Understand?"

Danny swallowed as he immediately thought of Sam and Tucker again.

"I understand," he answered.

Vlad sighed tiredly. "We will need a reason to move to Amity Park. And luckily, I already have the right connection to do that without an issue."

Danny raised an eyebrow in question.

"I think tomorrow will be a good day to go visit my business partner of Manson and Masters Enterprise… After all, they did provide an open invitation the last time they were here," Vladimir said with a small smirk.

But it was enough for Daniel to understand his father already had a plan in motion.

It was noon the next day at the Manson Estate. The sun was bright and the temperature pleasant. Even when it was a great day for outdoor activities, like gardening, most people in Wisconsin kept greenhouses to protect their plants from the harsh winters and brutal summers. And the youngest member of the Mansons particularly cherished the greenhouse on her family's estate. Not only was gardening one of Sam's favorite pastimes, but it also was her refuge. There was no where else she would rather be than among such tranquil surroundings when she wanted to be alone or needed a quiet place to think.

Unfortunately, today, she had company. And said company had just ruined her mood. Then again, it seemed her uncle had a knack for either making her very angry or disappointed…

"Sammy, please. I don't want you to be upset with me, especially when this is the first time we see each other in months!"

Ignoring her uncle, Sam said nothing and just angrily plucked strawberries and put them into her basket.

"Sam," Tom called with a frustrated sigh this time. "What do you want me to do? You act like I'm purposely out to hurt you!"

"Aren't you?!" she finally snapped back as she all but tossed her basket on a nearby table. "You constantly force me to do things I don't want! You use me! You don't keep your promises! And oh, yeah! You blackmail me with my own grandmother! You know how much I care about her!"

Tom frowned as his niece's eyes swelled with angry, unshed tears.

"I wouldn't have to if you would just listen to me…," he began soberly.

"Listen to you? I am listening to you! It's all I do! I… " She stopped when her voice wavered. But then she shook her head and looked away. There was a brief silence before she all but whispered, "I used to look up to you, Uncle Tom. I used to look forward to seeing you when you came to visit.. And now when you do, I dread it. And I hate that. I hate that sometimes I… "

She stared back at him with resentment but didn't finish.

Tom didn't reply at first. He honestly seemed troubled with her words and… unspoken ones.

"Sammy… I love you, darling. You know I do."

"No, I don't know," she answered right away, her eyebrows creasing with concern. "I want to think you do, but maybe I'm lying to myself. And maybe you are, too."

"I do love you," he said more firmly. "You and your mother. You're all the family I have. But my job; it's important, Sam. I told you, I'm…"

"A ghost hunter first. I know," Sam replied bitterly. "I got that. I just hope it's worth it in the end."

"You think it's not? You think I should put my own feelings and wants, or your feelings and wants, over the entire human race?" Tom asked, this time almost angrily, but there was some hurt in his voice, too.

"No…," Sam answered.

"Then, what do you want me to do?" Tom asked again, suddenly grabbing her by the arms and pulling her a bit closer. "You get angry at me every time I make a decision that you don't like, that doesn't convenience you! And you are wrong! I don't do it out of spite or to upset you! I do it because it's what need to be done! Damn it, Samantha! All this time, and you still don't get it!"

Tom suddenly let her go and turned away.

"You are just like Gregor… Why do you always make me choose…?" he muttered bitterly.

But then, Tom sighed deeply to regain control of his emotions. He turned back around to look at Sam, who seemed a bit surprised and confused by his comment.

"I cannot let you go back to Amity Park. Not yet," he said firmly. "Especially not when the Fentons seem to be poking at the demon nest by their bright idea of raising up that temporary ghost shield!"

"That's all the more reason I need to go back!" Sam argued. "I could—"

"No," Tom cut her off angrily. "I don't care how many ways you put it, the answer is 'no'. That shield won't last a week. It's stupid for them to even try it! And the last thing I want is for you to be caught by the Ghost King standing alongside those idiots and their little gang of misfits! You will end up dead, like they will be soon!"

"That's not true!" Sam growled back. "The Fentons are more resourceful and smarter than you give them credit for! If they put up the shield and brought attention to themselves, it's with a good reason!"

"I guess we'll see," Tom said with an indifferent shrug.

Sam was instantly gripped by despair. Against her better judgment, she moved closer. And grabbing one of her uncle's arms, she earnestly begged, "Please, take me to Amity Park with you and Valerie. I can help! I'll do whatever you want! Just please! I-I don't want anything to happen to the Fentons or my friends! I need to help them! I can't just sit here anymore! Please!"

This time, Sam's tears slid down her cheeks. Too bad they did not sway her uncle.

"No," he muttered soberly.

Sam let out a half-shout, half-sob as she let him go and hissed, "God, I hate you! I hate you!"

Tom suddenly grabbed her arm, and his other hand fisted with his immediate fury. "What did you say?! Repeat what you—?!"

"Uh, Sam?"

Slightly panicked, Tom let go of his niece. He briefly glared at her because he told her to lock the damn door!

But he then turned towards the person who had interrupted them and blinked in surprise.

Sam was also just as surprised and voiced it.

"Daniel? What-What are you doing here?" But realizing how this looked, she quickly wiped her face and pushed past her uncle.

The boy hesitated for the briefest moment before he answered, "My father needed to talk to yours about their business in Amity Park… And I tagged along, and well… your parents said you were in the greenhouse… Are you alright?"

Daniel's look hardened a bit as he looked over at Tom.

The man suddenly seemed to get his bearings as he replied, "Why wouldn't she be?" Tom then walked closer to his niece and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just some family drama… Don't tell me you've never argued with your father?"

"I don't recall making my father cry, no," Daniel answered sarcastically without skipping a beat.

Tom chuckled. "You got a sharp tongue on you, kid… I still can't decide if I like it or not."

"My father taught me proper manners, otherwise I might tell you which I've decided about you," Daniel answered with a smirk.

Sam raised an eyebrow at the other teen's boldness this time. She couldn't figure out if he was being passive aggressive towards her uncle on her behalf or for some other reason. But his obvious dislike for her uncle seemed a bit too much for simply 'making her cry'.

Tom let go of Sam and walked closer to Daniel. The boy made no movement to show he was bothered by the proximity.

"Why don't you tell me anyways? Daddy's not here. I won't tell on you. Scout's honor," Tom mocked, though there was an odd gleam in his eyes.

"Well… truthfully, I don't like you," Daniel answered calmly. But then he added with a shrug, "But between us, I don't like any of my father's 'business partners', except maybe Mr. Manson. I just pretend I do for the public eye…"

He looked around and mockingly said, "There's no public here. I guess there is no need to pretend…"

Tom's eyebrows shot up; but then, he suddenly broke into a loud laugh.

"I guess I walked into that one, huh?" Tom grinned back at the male teenager before glancing at his niece, who still didn't seem to know how to react with what she was witnessing.

"I can't blame you for not liking me, kid," the hunter said with another chuckle, and crossed his arms. "You don't have any reason to believe that I'm any different than your dad's other business partners. Most are useless human beings with more money than they know what to do with. But you should know…" He leaned closer to the teenage boy and added, "I am nothing like anyone you've met."

"I can't say I'm impressed with what I've seen so far, Agent Chrome…," Danny replied indifferently and took a step back because the guy really was a creep.

Danny glanced at Sam as he added, "I will say, though, I was surprised to learn you were related to Samantha. Such a small world, it seems…"

"Ah, so it's my niece you find impressive, then?" the hunter teased. "Is that why you are acting all big and bad? Playing the hero for Sammy's sake?"

This time, Daniel raised an eyebrow as he focused back on Tom. "What are you implying, sir?"

Tom 'tsked' at the boy this time. "Please don't tell me Master's kid is this dense… Obviously, I'm wondering if you and my niece are simply friends… or something more. Do you have feelings for her, kid...? You see, that would then make things personal… wouldn't it? Fair warning, I'm a jealous uncle."

Daniel's calm demeanor faltered, and this time he blushed. "What? No…I…"

Tom interrupted him with a chuckle. "Is that a blush?"

"Stop it, Uncle Tom," Sam finally interrupted, but there was an embarrassed blush creeping into her cheeks, too. "We're just friends."

"I should hope so, because I would have to kill him, otherwise," Tom answered with a grin.

He looked back at Danny, who frowned this time.

But the hunter just smirked back as he continued, "That would be a shame, because I kinda like you, kid. You're still a rich boy's son; but hey, we could work on that. Like I said, I got a spot open for you if you want to join my team. I will open your eyes to an entirely different perspective and world."

Daniel scoffed this time. "Thanks for the offer, but, no, thank you. And you threatening to kill me just before your offer definitely does not make me any more inclined."

Tom laughed again. "I'm just joking with you, Dan!"

"It's Daniel," Danny corrected him, annoyed.

"Not to mention," the hunter continued as if the boy had never spoken, "Masters would murder me if I turned you into a ghost hunter! He'd probably even learn to use a gun at last just for it!"

Tom laughed louder at his own joke before he looked back at his niece, "Listen, Sam. Let me scope out the place, and maybe… I'll reconsider after I can see for myself what's going on over there, okay?"

Sam just nodded.

Tom smiled and walked over to his niece. He then pulled her into a hug and kissed her head. "Good. I gotta get going… " He pulled away with a smirk and said with a wink, "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone… Just behave yourselves."

Sam rolled her eyes, "We're not lovebirds."

Danny was briefly confused with why Tom would call them 'lovebirds'. He was aware they were a type of parakeet, but why call them that? It had to be some human reference he did not know; but when the man turned to him, he kept his face neutral.

"I hope I see you around, little Masters. I think with time, I might just change your mind about me," Tom winked at him and then finally left.

There was a brief silence as both Danny and Sam looked at the slightly opened door before looking at each other.

"Are you alright?" Danny asked quietly and troubled.

Sam paused at the look on his face. It reminded her of that warm look he had given her when they had first met–and before they had argued.

"Yeah, like my uncle said, family drama," Sam muttered as she briefly looked away. "He's my uncle though. We always figure it out in the end…"

Danny didn't answer, and Sam quickly looked back at him.

"How did you even find me? You've never been to my house," Sam asked, confused, but also trying to change subjects.

Danny lightly shrugged. "One of your staff… They gave me directions. They wanted to escort me, but a greenhouse is not hard to find."

That was only partly true, though. Danny had followed his enhanced senses; and almost immediately, he had heard her despairing, angry voice. He had heard that monster's too. The door had been locked, but it took barely any energy; and Sam had sounded like she was in trouble; so he had done what he did…

But if he was honest with himself, he would admit he acted impulsively. After all, what could he possibly have done if she had really been in trouble? Chrome was her uncle. How exactly do you save someone from their own relatives?

For a moment, when he had seen the man's fisted hand on his side and the way he was holding onto Sam, Danny had believed that hunter had been about to hit her…. But maybe he was jumping to conclusion simply because he hated that man. Maybe it was as Sam had said: Family drama…

"Well, anyways," Sam said, clearing her throat when they both got quiet again. "I guess it's my turn to show you around."

But Danny's eyebrows creased further down, and he looked troubled again.

"Sam… Your uncle…"

"Danny…" She began but paused at the name she used when she saw the boy's eyes widened slightly. She corrected herself, "Daniel, I don't want to talk about it, alright? I'm fine. I promise."

Danny just nodded and put his hands into his pockets as he said with a small smile, "Lead the way."

Sam smiled back before she gestured around them and said, "This is my greenhouse."

The teenage boy pretended to look around before he replied, "It's nice."

"Not as nice as your dad's," Sam replied sheepishly before she turned and went back to get her basket with berries.

"My father is eccentric. Everything he does is always over the top," Daniel replied with a smirk.

"I mean… that's not always a bad thing, when put to good use."

"And creating an over-the-top greenhouse is 'good use'?" Danny challenged.

"Sure," Sam replied before offering the boy the strawberries in her basket.

But Daniel politely shook his head. "So… you like to star-gaze, take pictures, draw, and have a green-thumb. You are just full of talents, aren't you?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd make fun of me…"

This time, Danny frowned. "I'm not. I like learning more about you."

Sam's eyes widened; and Danny seemed to realize his words came out wrong.

"I-I mean," he stuttered and blushed. "We're friends now, right? Isn't that what friends do?"

Sam slowly nodded. "Yeah…." She then smiled. "Friends."

The girl suddenly grinned, "I got something else you might like… It's actually in the greenhouse, too."

"Alright…," Danny answered with his own smile.

He followed the girl further into the greenhouse. And they soon made it to the end, where there was a second door.

They walked through the door, and immediately, they were greeted by a Japanese water garden with a koi pond in the center.

"Wow…"

Sam grinned. "Right? What's ironic is that I was initially against my parents building the pond. I don't like seeing any animal contained in an unnatural space for our enjoyment; but… after my mom made this garden and got the koi, well… It became one of my favorite places in the house."

Sam sighed. "I guess it's one of the few things my mom and I have in common anymore…"

Sam walked further in before Danny could say anything. The teenage boy just followed until they went over to the indoor semi-raised pond and sat at the edge.

The seven large koi immediately came over to them and moved around in anticipation.

"Hold on, let me go grab their food," Sam said as she stood and walked over to a nearby cabinet.

Danny ignored her and smiled at the creatures in the pond. He reached in and glided his hand under their gulping mouths.

A red and white koi immediately moved closer and suddenly seemed to almost stop moving as it allowed Danny to gingerly hold it.

"How are you doing that?" Sam suddenly asked in surprise.

She knew that the koi were friendly, especially when they wanted food; but

they were skittish at best. They never let anyone hold them.

"My mom taught me that all living things have a language," he muttered thoughtfully. "We might not understand it, but it's there. In fact, if you're willing to learn, they will talk back."

Sam sat next to Danny and watched him lower his hand deeper into the water. The koi, however, didn't swim off, as she expected, but they instead seemed to play coyly with the movement.

"I like that… Your mom sounds like she was a wise person," Sam answered warmly. She was aware from her parents Daniel's mother had passed away when he was a kid. Some kind of accident. Apparently, Vladimir Masters didn't talk much about it…

"She was the best person I knew," Daniel answered soberly as he continued to move his hand around the water with the koi still following him.

Sam opened the fish food container and tossed some pellets in.

"She loved nature," the teenage boy continued. "Back home, she would make it her mission to care of the lands around us… care for the people... and wildlife. She was an empath. She knew the desires of people's hearts and did everything she could to make others smile. She respected life… no matter the species."

Daniel pulled his hand out of the water as he said more quietly, "She was taken from us by someone who did not."

"I'm sorry," Sam replied sadly. "I am."

Danny raised his eyes towards her, and he seemed to really look at her. And then he asked, "Do you, Sam?"

The girl's eyebrows creased. "Do I what?"

"Respect life?" he elaborated. He looked back at the koi fish and said, "When you look at these creatures, what do you see? A fish? A pet? Something less than human?"

The girl replied, "I see a living being. It's a living being with its own feelings…and language."

Sam shook her head and raised an eyebrow with sudden bemusement. "Are you sure you're not vegan?"

Danny focused back on her, and he seemed to brighten up a bit. "I had steak last night, so I'm pretty sure I'm not," he replied with a smirk.

Sam made a face. "You should feel sorry for that cow."

Daniel chuckled. "I can respect a cow and still eat it, you know. Death is part of life, Sam. If I were to get eaten by a bear tomorrow, I wouldn't hold it against the bear. Do I want to get eaten by a bear? Absolutely not. But here, we are all part of the food chain. The difference is that as a human being, I can make the conscious effort of giving my meal a quick death. My father has enough money to only source our food from ethical, family-owned farms. But not everyone has the money to do that. Some people don't know what they will even eat tomorrow. So, they get their food however they can."

Sam smiled. "I can't say I agree with all you said, but it's not the worst argument I've heard. When I talk with Tucker about it, his response is 'But it tastes good!'

Danny genuinely grinned. "Tuck's a big meat eater, huh?"

"Ugh, it's so gross! I…," Sam paused. "Wait, what did you call him?"

"Tuck?" Danny asked hesitantly. "I… Sorry, I figured it was short for Tucker."

"It is… It's just… Nevermind," Sam said with a shake of her head.

"You miss them?"

"Who?"

"Your friends," Daniel elaborated. "I mean, I assume you have more than just Tucker, and I heard part of your argument with your uncle. You want to go back to Amity Park?"

Sam glanced at the koi that were now swimming around after being fed. "My parents refuse to go back. I was hoping my uncle would convince them or take me with him."

"He's going to Amity?"

Sam nodded. "There was news from Amity Park yesterday. The Fentons, a group of ghost hunters that live there, managed to take back control of a small part of the city. It's not much. But it definitely is going to draw the King's attention to them… I'm sure my uncle will try to use that to his advantage."

Danny had a hard time keeping the disdain from showing on his face; but instead, he continued. Maybe befriending Sam as Daniel Masters could have more benefits than he originally thought…

Maybe she could get from her the names of her other friends, the ones who hunted ghosts with the Fentons, like she and Tuck did.

"And… why do you want to go there?"

"I'm just worried about my friends…. I also know the Fentons and their daughter, Jazz. We kinda grew up together," Sam replied with a small shrug.

Danny paused as he picked his next words carefully. "Do you think that's smart? To… associate with ghost hunters?"

Sam frowned at his words. "My parents don't think it's smart at all."

"Maybe… they are right, Sam."

The girl huffed. "They're my friends, Daniel. I'm not going to stop being their friends just because they are hunters."

"So, your friends are ghost hunters, too? Is… Tucker?"

Sam's eyes widened. "What? No! I meant Jazz and the Fentons. They're my friends, too."

"Ah, right…" Danny looked away. Of course he knew she was lying. "And you… Would you do it?"

"What?" Sam asked, confused.

"Ghost hunt. Become a hunter… like your uncle?"

Danny hoped she would bite this time. More than getting information of her friends, he needed to understand the extent of her relationship with Agent Chrome. It wasn't her choice to be related to that monster, but did she work for him? Did she aid him? Have they killed his kind together?

Danny felt conflicted with the possibility of Sam associating with that monster in his mission to kill ghost kind…

"I want this war to end," Sam answered, looking at him seriously. "At this point, I would do whatever if it meant I could help it end."

Danny didn't meet her gaze and instead reached back into the pond. The koi that had been freely swimming drew to him again.

Her answer disappointed him so. He wanted to be angry, but all he felt was sadness. How could someone who seemed to cherish life and the diversity in it be a hunter? How could she support him?

"They are living beings, too, you know?" he suddenly said. Why didn't she understand?

"Ghosts… They also have language and feelings."

But there was no hesitation as she immediately answered, "They are also like humans in that they can choose to do good or evil."

But the girl paused as she realized, "Is that why you are pro-surrender? You empathize with ghosts? But not humans?"

Daniel sighed. The question should alarm him, but it's not like there were not other 'pro-surrender' humans. It didn't mean they 'emphasis' with ghosts.

"No, I'm just tired of this war, too," he replied, almost glaring at the koi who immediately drew away from him. "And unlike you, I do not believe meeting the King's advances with violence is the answer."

"But—!"

"Sam," Danny cut her off, moving his hand out of the water and looking at her with a frustrated frown. But then he paused as he stared at those vivid purple eyes. She was on the defensive. Her body was taut and her eyes seem to glow with a need to fight and protect what she felt was right.

He realized at that moment that Daniel Masters would never convince her of her errors.

"Let's change topics," he said seriously. "Last time we talked about this, it didn't turn out well… I don't want to argue."

The girl seemed to deflate, and she realized how defensive she instinctively became at the mention of ghosts. She had either been fighting in this war too long, or her uncle's hate for ghosts was rubbing off..

But, no. That wasn't an excuse.

"I'm sorry," Sam finally replied with a sigh.

Danny shook his head and smiled at her. "If you like… I can try to get a message to your friends? My father and I are heading to Amity Park in a few days."

No matter how he felt about Sam, he still needed to do what was best for his kind. And while his father might not know it, Danny did know Sam was the key to resolving the issues at Amity Park. She might even be the key to taking down Thomas Chrome.

The man was a monster, but he seemed to have some genuine care for his own blood.

"You are?" Sam asked, eyes wide.

"There's a problem with some equipment at your father's factory in Amity Park. I do not know the full details," Daniel explained without missing a beat. "But that is why my father is here. He needed to discuss with your father the best course of action. Whatever it is, will require we head there."

"But isn't your dad worried about the ongoing war at Amity?"

Daniel's smile widened. "Believe it or not, my father is good friends with the Fentons, too. He is going to reach out to ask for their protection while we're there."

Sam's smile widened. "Y-Yeah! That would be great if you could send them a message for me! Heck, I'd love to even go with you if it got me to Amity Park!"

Danny chuckled and suddenly rubbed his neck. "Well, I doubt we would be able to convince your parents to let you go, no matter how good a business partner my father may be to yours… But I can certainly be your delivery boy."

Sam nodded eagerly. "I'll write up a letter to Jazz before you guys leave today."

"Speaking of this… Jazz… What's she like? And her parents?" Danny asked casually, sliding a bit closer to the girl. "It's just that… I've never met them, and I suppose I want to know what to expect? I can't help but be… curious because, well, my father calls them friends… Thing is… my father rarely calls anyone that. That alone makes me interested…."

Sam smiled at that. "I know why your dad considers them friends. They are amazing people. They care so much about others. Sometimes too much! Like, Mr. Fenton is a hugger! Just to warn you! And then Mrs. Fenton, she's a genius. Oh, and she makes the best cookies! She even goes out of her way to make me vegan cookies! And Jazz! She's like the older sister I never had! She acts like she's way older than she is, and can get bossy at times, but she means well… And wait until you see their house…!"

Danny just watched her. He had not expected the girl to become so animated as she spoke about the Fentons. And he immediately realized… she loved these people. And her next words confirmed it.

"Sorry, didn't mean to over-share," she said with a blush when she realized the boy had become quiet.

But he shook his head. "You don't need to apologize. You care about them…"

"They are family," Sam answered quietly, looking to the side at some unseen memory. "They… have always been there for me. And the fact that they never stop fighting, that they never give up, it gives me hope…I've never looked up to anyone more. You'll see… When you meet them how special they are."

Daniel was not sure what to say to that. He couldn't say he agreed with her when his last memories of the Fentons were their pointing weapons at him just before they sucked him in that… ghost trap.

It made him a bit anxious just thinking of it now.

And yet, if it were any other circumstance, Daniel would have believed her. She spoke about these hunters with such care it was almost contagious.

"Well, if you like them this much, they must be worth knowing," Danny finally replied. "At least it puts me more at ease about meeting them. Most of the people my father knows are, well, you know…"

This time, Sam smiled with sympathy. She knew all too well what he meant. It's why she hated going to business parties with her parents, too. It got tiring to be around people that were so disconnected from reality. And worse, to be asked to share in that delusion.

Sam could definitely talk for hours about how much she disliked her parents' social circle, but she rather not.

Instead, she got up and asked, "Want the inside tour? All we have is gardens and a tennis court."

"Tennis court?" Daniel repeated, confused. He quickly searched his mind on what 'tennis' was, and realized he didn't know. It didn't matter how many books he read or how many people he interacted with, there was still so much he didn't know. It would be fine except that, it made him nervous when he didn't know because he had no way of knowing if it's something he should know…

"My father plays," Sam answered with a shrug. "I know. It's super random."

Danny immediately realized it was some sort of game, and he jumped on that.

"And do you play?"

Sam shook her head. "Well… Sometimes. When I was younger I would play with him, but not so much anymore."

But then she paused, and asked, "Have you ever played?"

Danny shook his head. "No. I think the only sport my father is remotely interested in is football. He even has a stadium. But I think it's more for show."

Sam's eyebrows crease. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're not your dad, you know? You don't have to like and dislike everything he does… What do you like to do, Daniel?"

Danny blinked. She made it sound like he talked about his father too much… Did he?"

And seeing the look on his face, Sam quickly added, "I really meant no offense by that. It's just that I know so little about you. I know you like the stars…"

"I never said I did," Danny countered, a bit guarded now.

"No, but if anything was real about our conversation on that ship, it was your talk of the stars," Sam countered, raising an eyebrow.

Daniel suddenly stood and gestured for her to lead them to the next place in their tour.

Sam hesitated; but then she just headed out of the Japanese garden and back towards the entrance of the greenhouse.

They were quiet for a moment as they walked; but then, Daniel suddenly spoke up.

"I like swimming… "

"In general?" Sam asked in hopes of having him continue.

"I suppose, yes… Back home I would swim in the… sea almost every day. There were these underground caves near my house. I would explore them all the time as a kid."

"I didn't take you for the adventurous type," Sam replied as her eyebrow raised with her curiosity. "Weren't you afraid of drowning or encountering something dangerous, like sharks? I'm surprise your father let you!"

Daniel smiled, more at ease now. "I guess it was a bit dangerous in retrospect; but I don't know… I never thought about that. I'd go sometimes with my father, too. However, most of the time I would go with my friends or alone. I guess it just became normal to go exploring after school."

"What's the coolest thing you've seen on your undersea excursions?" Sam asked.

"Buried treasure," Daniel replied with a smile. "We'd explore the caves just to try to find something new or mysterious."

"What's the deepest you've been?"

Danny fell quiet as he thought about her question.

He answered slowly. "I honestly have not recorded my… dives. Perhaps a bit over thirty meters…"

"Impressive," Sam answered.

Danny blushed a bit. "You think so?"

"Sure. I don't know of a lot of teenagers who can deep dive. I would love to learn someday, too."

Daniel hesitated before he said, "Maybe some day I can teach you."

Sam grinned. "That would be awesome."

But when the boy just stared back without saying anything else, Sam blushed and then coughed, "So, what do you want to see first? There's rooms and living rooms, and a kitchen… Super exciting stuff."

Daniel chuckled and shrugged. "Whatever you want."

Sam nodded, and just led them into the house.

As they got closer to the stairs, they heard the muffled voices of Sam's uncle and mom.

Daniel's face immediately darkened, and Sam noticed.

"You really don't like him, do you?" Sam suddenly asked as they headed up the main stairs in her house.

Daniel tensed and looked at her. Had he been glaring? He had not even realized it. But then again, the sound of that monster's voice…

"I met him yesterday," Danny easily said. He was so used to thinking on the spot by now with how many of his father's business 'friends' he had to meet and parties he's had to attend. Covering his slip-ups has become a bit too easy for him lately.

"I didn't like the way he spoke to my father," Daniel simply replied.

But taking Sam's questioning as an opportunity to breach the topic of Chrome again, he added, "I also did not like the way he was talking to and… holding you. That isn't how a caring uncle should act…"

Sam fell quiet as they passed by rooms without really even discussing what the rooms were. Clearly, she suddenly forgot she was supposed to be giving him a tour of the house.

"My uncle is passionate about his work…," she began.

"You are going to excuse him?" Daniel cut her off with her a frown.

"No, but—"

"Sam," Danny cut her off again, and suddenly grabbed her hand to stop her from walking further.

Sam immediately looked at him with uncertainty.

Daniel hesitated again. There was so much he wanted to say, and he could not. Unfortunately, the conversation he wanted to have with her… they couldn't have it if he was Daniel Masters.

But he decided in that moment that he needed to talk to her.

As Phantom.

Daniel slowly let go of her hand, and said, "I do not mean to pry. And I really should not. But please, even if he is family… you should tell your parents if he ever grabs you like that again."

Sam just nodded, and she looked highly embarrassed.

"I know what it looked like, but believe me, everything is fine." Sam then smiled, "And… I appreciate your concern… Glad to know you're not an actual jerk after all."

Daniel grinned. "Glad to know you're not just a spoiled silly girl…"

Sam playfully glared at him. "This spoiled silly girl can still kick your butt."

Daniel raised his hands in mock surrender. "Oh, I remember, yes…

"In fact… I think I feel like kicking your butt right now," Sam added with a smug grin.

Daniel suddenly looked a bit unsure. Was she serious?

"Wanna go play some video games?" Sam asked with a challenging grin.

Daniel stared at her. "Video games?"

Sam's eyes widened in disbelief. "No way. You've never played a video game before?!"

Daniel blushed and suddenly rubbed the back of his neck. "I've never really had time—"

"Oh, we are totally playing now! Come on!"

Danny jolted when Sam suddenly grabbed one of his wrists and almost dragged him down the hall.

The boy could do nothing but keep up, and hope these 'video games' were not too hard to learn.

"Are you sure about this?" Jermey asked his business partner as they sat in his private office.

Vladimir resisted the urge to glare. He had been through this with this man three times already. And his patience was even more short-fused with the fact that Agent Chrome was lurking around here while his son was out of his sight.

He had been sure that the hunter would have left Wisconsin with Ms. Gray the same day he had arrived.

It was tempting to just reach out to Skulker and have him pay a surprise visit to Wisconsin and make an example out of Chrome…

He still yearned for the day when he could finally rip that monster to shreds…

"Masters?"

Vladimir pushed away from his murderous thoughts.

"Are you alright?" Manson asked.

Vladimir slowly nodded. "I was just… thinking… And while I understand your concern for me, Thurston, you must also understand that I did not make this decision lightly. Heading with my son to a city actively going through a takeover is not something I would do if there was any other choice. We need to have those reactors turned off and replaced with a safer power convertor in case our processing plant suffers any major damage. If a fire starts near those reactors, it could level at least three blocks around it. With the amount of death and devastation, Masters and Manson Enterprise would be forever ruined."

"That makes sense, but why do you need to go? We can just call the contractors to…"

"No," Vlad cut him off with finality. "There is no guarantee it will get done right with how afraid everyone is to be within Amity Park. We can't risk someone cutting corners. One of us has to go there to monitor the work. And I do not dare ask you to go. I have friends there who can keep Daniel and I safe."

"I am honestly surprised you are taking him," Jeremy muttered.

Vlad paused. "It was not my initial desire, but with the sudden threat to Wisconsin after the Ghost Prince showed up, I will feel better to have him with me than to worry over him being here alone."

The other man sighed. "Alright, I cannot stop you. And I understand why this is necessary. Just… please be careful," Jeremy replied with worry. "I know we do not see each other often, but I like to think we have come to mutually care for and respect one another after so many years of working together. I do not wish you or your son harm, even if it's for the good of our company."

"I appreciate it. And you know the sentiment is reciprocated on my end as well," Vlad answered with a small smile.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Vladimir already knew who it was by the beat of his enemy's heart.

"Jeremy? Can I come in?" Tom asked from behind the door.

The head of the Mansons glanced questionably at his guest, who waved back uncaringly.

"Sure, Tom. Come on in," Jeremy answered.

Thomas walked in and smiled at both men before focusing on his brother-in-law.

"I'm heading out. I was wondering if you had seen Samantha. I last saw her with… Daniel at the greenhouse, but they are no longer there."

Tom suddenly smirked as he glanced at Vladimir and added, "They seem to have hit it off so well. Pam seems happy about the fact at least…. They wouldn't have gone to her room, now, would they?"

Jeremey frowned with uncertainty and a bit of embarrassment.

But it was Vladimir who answered, "Even if they had, it does not concern me. I trust my son." He then stood, and added to Manson, "I should get going, too. I have other things to get done today."

Jeremy got up from his chair, and the three men silently headed out of the Manson office.

"Are you going to be in Wisconsin for much longer?" Vlad suddenly asked Tom.

"I'm leaving today."

"That sounds wise, considering the Ghost King has a target on you and your team's back."

But Thomas shrugged. "There's always a target on my back, Masters. It comes with what I do."

Thomas is also heading to Amity Park," Jeremy suddenly spoke up. "Maybe he can also offer some protection."

"Also?" Tom questioned, and frowned at Masters.

"We should be fine," Vlad answered dismissively to his business partner as they arrived at the main foyer.

"Why are you heading to Amity?" Tom asked, confused and… suspicious.

"Business matters," Vlad replied shortly; but then he added, "Did I need your permission? Honestly, Agent C, your questioning of my actions as of late is starting to test my patience."

Thomas frowned this time, and Jeremy looked a bit uncomfortable with the obvious tension in the room.

Tom could tell the man was just about fed up with him. He was obviously still upset with his indirect threats from yesterday. As annoying as it was to learn the man was getting in the way of his business with Valerie, Tom also was not interested in losing Masters as an ally.

"Let's go find those teenagers," Tom suddenly told Vladimir before glancing at his brother-in-law. "Do you mind, Jeremy?"

The other man shook his head. Clearly, the other two had something to discuss privately.

"I'll go find, Pam," Jeremy said. "Let me know if you are not able to find Samantha and Daniel," he added before he left without any further words.

"Come on, rich boy," Tom said with a teasing smile; but for once, there was no malice behind the name.

Vladimir didn't react to the man's pet name, and just followed him up the stairs.

But noting the man's left turn at the stairs, Vlad immediately asked, "Where are we going? I hope you do not honestly believe my son is in Samantha's bedroom. I have taught him better than that."

"The library and game room are on this wing. My guess is they are in one of those rooms," Tom answered calmly.

But when Vlad said nothing, the hunter finally said, "Look, maybe I overreacted yesterday. I shouldn't have come at you so strongly."

"Or threatened me," Vladimir added coldly.

"Yes, that, too. I didn't mean it, in any case," Tom answered. "We've known each other long enough to know we'd never purposely sabotage or harm each other. We work too well together to lose our allegiance over trivialities."

Tom then smirked at the younger man and added, "You know you are my favorite rich boy, Masters. I wouldn't dream of losing you as a business partner."

"Hmmm," Vladimir just answered. "I suppose we can let bygones be bygones."

"Agreed," Tom answered as he patted the other man on the back.

They soon arrived at the library, and found no one there.

Vladimir was tempted to sense out his son through their link but with the hunter beside him, he didn't want to risk using any sort of ghostly ability.

"Do you know if your son and my niece are…?" Tom suddenly asked, unsure this time.

Sure, he had been teasing Sam and Daniel about being lovebirds. But with how much Pam seemed to be excited with 'Daniel's visit', Tom was starting to wonder if there was some truth to that.

He didn't like it. Mainly because if Gregor found out, that might cause him to lose focus again.

"They barely know each other," Vladimir said dismissively. But as they headed further down the hall, they heard laughter.

Tom raised an eyebrow at the other man. "Sure about that?"

Vladimir just rolled his eyes at him, and moved ahead, following the voices.

As they turned the corner, he found the 'game room'.

"Ha! Did you see that?!" Daniel's voice asked with excitement. "I completely destroyed that zombie!"

"Pfft, that's nothing. Check out this combo move…!"

"What the…? Wait, how did you do that? Show me!"

"You didn't say please!" Sam teased.

Vladimir cleared his throat and knocked lightly on the open door.

The teenagers jolted and before they could react, the zombie invasion on the screen tackled their characters and devoured them.

Daniel glanced at the 'game over' sign in disappointment.

"Daniel, it's time to go," Vlad said calmly.

Danny was going to reply but then finally noticed Tom just behind his father.

He frowned lightly before he glanced at Sam. He then smiled weakly. "I must go."

Sam nodded. "Good game."

Daniel's smile widened. "Thanks for showing me."

"Sure," she replied before she reached over to a sealed envelope which contained a recently written letter on a coffee table.

As she handed Danny the letter, she added with a smirk, "It would be a crime to let you continue your teenage life without playing a single video game."

Danny grinned. "Well—"

"Daniel," Vlad said, this time with a bit of firmness.

The boy jolted, and quickly said one last goodbye to the girl. He slipped the envelope in his pocket as he headed over to his father.

Vlad noticed it but said nothing as he glanced at the teenage girl. "Samantha. Always a pleasure, child." Then looking at the hunter, he further said, "Agent Chrome… Until next time."

Tom nodded before looking at his business partner's son. "Bye, Daniel. Hope we get to chat again soon."

Danny just rolled his eyes at the teasing in the man's voice, and didn't reply.

But then realizing he was leaving Sam alone with Tom, he hesitated. Unfortunately, there was not much else he could do because his father placed a hand on his back and escorted him down the hall.

Lowering his hand once his son was keeping up, Vlad asked calmly. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yeah," Danny replied distractingly.

"Yes," Vlad corrected him.

"What?" Danny asked, confused.

"I think what you meant to say is 'yes'," Vladimir replied, doing his best to stay calm. Something was starting to itch in the back of his mind, and he didn't like it.

"Oh, I didn't even realize I…," Danny just shook his head, and said nothing else.

They eventually made it back to the foyer, and said their farewell to the elder Mansons.

Carl was waiting for them in the limousine as they got in.

There was a really odd silence, and Daniel did not understand it at all. His father seemed upset about something.

Thinking of something to talk about, Danny said, "I was surprised to see Agent Chrome here."

"I told you of his relationship to the Mansons," Vlad replied off-handedly while he seemed to look through emails or messages on his smart watch.

"I mean, you would think he would not risk staying longer than necessary after the Ghost Prince's threat."

"He is leaving today. He is also transferring Ms. Grey to Amity Park."

"It appears Amity Park is the place to go," Danny said with a scoff.

This time, Vladimir lowered his hand and focused on his son. "Why do you say that?"

Danny blushed with the sudden look on his father's face. What was going on with him?

"Are you alright?" Danny asked, unsure.

"What did you mean by your comment?" Vlad pressed, ignoring his question.

"Nothing, just that we are going there, too. And, well, Sam mentioned also wanting to head back."

"Why would Ms. Manson want to return to Amity?" Vlad asked without missing a beat. "And why did she give you a letter, which is all I can assume is in that envelope?"

"Because she grew up there?" Danny answered, still confused by the look on his father's face. "And the letter is for a friend she has in Amity Park. And since I know you will ask, her best friend knows the Fenton's daughter. They go to the same school; and she hasn't seen him for a long time. You also know how hard it is to communicate out of Amity Park right now. I was just being nice."

"Of course you were," Vlad muttered.

Danny blinked, but then frowned deeply. "I'm sorry… Why are you being...?"

"I do not want you to get confused, that's all," Vladimir answered seriously.

"About what?"

Vlad paused with his son's irritated look.

Suddenly, the older hybrid pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply.

"Forgive me, Daniel… That hunter has been getting under my skin since yesterday," he muttered as he lowered his hand and frowned in worry at his son. "He made some remarks about you and Samantha to me and her father; and the last thing I need is for that scum-of-a-man to target you simply because he obsesses over whatever he deems is 'his'. If he reacted the way he did over Ms. Gray, now imagine his niece."

Danny replied, "I understand. But by the way, from what I witnessed today, Sam doesn't exactly have the best relationship with him."

"And you do not have the best relationship with your aunt either," Vlad reminded him. "It makes no difference. They are still family."

Danny nodded, but then lightly shrugged before saying, "Well, I probably won't be seeing her in a while, so you can be at ease."

The teen ignored the stab of guilt he felt with knowing he was lying to his father; but it was better for him to focus on the fact that his father had finally seemed to relax when he suddenly started talking about their upcoming travel plans…

It was almost one in the morning the next day as Danny sat on his bed watching the clock on his bedroom wall. He had not been able to sleep. Not that he had planned to anyways.

Not even his father's warning about Sam on the drive home had changed his mind on what he had already decided to do since he saw the girl.

He needed to talk to her. Phantom needed to talk to her.

With the plans to go to Amity Park, it was only a matter of time that his father learned the identities of the those that were helping the Fentons. His father would learn about Sam and Tuck. And either he would find out on his own, or Danny would be forced to tell him everything.

He should tell him. But darn it all, he couldn't do it! He didn't want them to die!

"Why do I care so much about two humans I've only met a handful of times?" Danny asked himself with frustration. "I owe them nothing! Even if they tried to save my mother and me that day, they were kids! Now, they would have helped Chrome kill us both!"

He leaned forward, gripping at his hair. "Why?! Why do I care about her?!"

That was the truth, wasn't it? He cared. He still dreamt of when they were kids and she had touched his core. He still remembered that amazing feeling. A feeling he did not understand but had stuck with him.

And then when they saw each other again. Just for a moment, before he had realized she was a hunter, he had felt his core swell at the sight of her, at the sight of his friend. As stupid as it was, his core and heart had convinced themselves they were friends.

Then, they had met again on the yacht. For a moment, he had forgotten about her betrayal or that fact that he had almost killed her. For a moment, standing out there on that boat with her, he was able to imagine they were friends, sharing a simple conversation and a fascination for the stars.

He had even flirted with her at some point.

He paused. Did he just 'flirt' with her because it was not uncommon for 'Daniel Masters' to flatter any female human these past months? He bit his lower lip. He had even told Sam that it was just part of the whole act. But…had he really been pretending with her, too?

No, not completely at least.

Danny honestly had never thought of humans in that way. He might be part human, but he didn't see himself as one of them. So, thinking of a female human in any sort of way besides untrustworthy creatures that he had to pretend to 'like' to fit into their society was as far as it went.

Danny honestly was not sure why he had flirted with Sam at all. But as he thought about it, he could not deny that he was drawn to her in some way. Maybe it was shared trauma; or feelings of melancholy since she was part of a time in his life when things had been good—when his mother had been alive.

But that did not explain the flirting on the yacht. That did not explain their interactions in these past days…

Danny sighed. Alright, so maybe he wasn't entirely blind either. Even if he had never thought of human females with any romantic interest, he could appreciate the beauty in things, right? He didn't belong to the human world, but he admired the beauty here. And, well, Sam was beautiful. At least he had met enough human girls to think so.

Her eyes alone were so alluring. But it wasn't just her appearance, but also that… passion in her eyes. It was the feeling of her soul. It was beautiful, too.

When they could pretend to be friends, like today at the water garden or playing some silly game, he remembered why he found her so endearing, and alluring.

She was the side of humanity that he wanted to get to know.

When she smiled at him, like truly smiled, it was the most captivating thing.

And suddenly he wondered what would it be like to touch her again, now that they were older? What would it be like to…?

"No," he suddenly said to himself as he stood off his bed. "Stop it, Phantom. That's…" He shook his head. "That's the last thing I should even be thinking about. Besides, she's human. And related to that… monster."

He groaned in despair. "What should I do?"

But the truth is he knew what he wanted to do, and what he was going to do. This had to end one way or another. He didn't want for Sam or Tucker to die; but if he was forced to choose between them and his loved ones—his father, his friends, his kingdom—it was no longer a choice.

So, that's what he needed to focus on. But like his father with Valerie, he had to at least attempt one last time to save her.

Danny looked at his clock again, and it read one-thirty-six in the morning.

His father had to be asleep by now, especially when the man had been as tired as he was with all that was going on. The house was quiet, too, so the help had to be in bed as well…

Danny walked over to his large window and stared out at the castle's backyard and forests beyond it. They lived in a secluded place, so there was no streetlights or other houses to be seen.

"My father is going to kill me if he finds out about this," he said with a suffering sigh before he turned away and headed out of his room.

He stayed human, knowing that changing into ghost form would likely trigger his father's ghost sense.

Being that his room was in the same wing as his father's, it was a bit nerve-wracking to pass by it.

He only paused a moment to make sure he couldn't hear any noises that would hint at someone being awake.

Satisfied as he ever would be, he continued until he made it to his father's private study. From there, it was a clear path down the staircases that lead to the underground lab.

The lab was completely shut down, and he made sure it stayed that way. The last thing he needed was his father's AI program alerting of his escapade.

He went over to the vaults, and quickly opened the one containing his ghost belt and battle suit.

Nervous, he quickly changed into his ghost suit and slipped on his belt, before he stuffed his regular clothes and shoes in the vault and closed it.

He needed no assistance to morph into Phantom, and he did so with ease.

Instinctively, he checked for his energy armlets and frowned at the memory. They were still not charged since he left the Ghost World without doing so. He was used to having them on, and this would be the first time he went without them in the Human World.

It made him nervous; but there was nothing he could do about it but trust his training over the years had strengthened his core enough to not falter on him.

At least his ghostly signature was not as strong without the energy bands. Not that it mattered too much. The good thing about the lab is that it kept ecto energy suppressed within its walls. That meant, his father would not sense his energy in here.

But if he wanted to sneak out of the house, he would need to make sure to stay out of the rest of the house.

Solution: Intangibility.

With a moment's hesitation, he turned intangible and dove under the lab, appearing in some kind of bunker he had never seen. He was briefly surprised but with no time to wonder what it was, he shot to his left until all he saw was darkness.

He was literally under the earth. And while it was really scary especially when it would be easy to lose his orientation, he swallowed back his claustrophobia and just flew straight for a few yards until the sight of enormous tree roots indicated he had passed the castle's foundations. He immediately shot up, ignoring the panic whisper in his mind telling him he could be going the wrong way.

But it took a matter of seconds and he was back above ground.

He had no time to sigh in relief and shot off trying to put as much distance from the castle, namely his father's ghost sense.

As he reached the main dark road in the countryside, he paused and glanced back. His paranoia was sure he would see his father show up at any moment and demand what he was doing.

"I'm sorry, Dad. But I need to see her," Danny muttered with a guilty look.

He then took off heading higher until everything below looked tiny. He knew there was some inherent risk to what he was doing; but it was ultimately minimal. Wisconsin was owned by the Ghost King. There had not been any real rebellion here in years with the exception of the Red Huntress' appearance in these past weeks.

But he knew Valerie was out of commission for now; and Tom clearly was not risking a fight on soil under the Ghost King's banner.

He would be fine. He would return back home in an hour, tops.

Danny almost grimaced at those 'famous last words'. Maybe his father was right when he said maybe Danny had not done that much maturing in these past six months after all. Maybe that was why he was doing something so stupid now.

But even as he bashed himself, he kept going. Eventually, his mind focused on getting to where he needed to go. He easily retraced his way back to the Manson's house once he got to Madison.

And yet, Danny hesitated as he hovered just above Sam's home. Supposedly Thomas Chrome had left Wisconsin by now, and he had taken Valerie with him…

Supposedly.

He knew he was taking a risk; but Phantom needed to talk with Sam. At least one last time.

Remaining invisible, Danny moved closer to the home and slowly circled around the windows. He enhanced his hearing in hopes of making out any noises that might indicate human activity. As a ghost, his hearing was so keen he could hear human heartbeats if he wanted. But that took effort; and with all the nighttime noises, he did not want to risk getting overwhelmed with so much noise.

Shaking his head, he continued to scout out the home from the outside until he was satisfied there were no sounds indicating anyone was awake.

He then turned intangible and phased through.

Silently, he landed in a hall on the east wing of the second story. Sam had not exactly given him the full tour, but he had seen enough to know the mansion's bedrooms were mainly on this second floor. He decided to start walking towards the opposite wing which led to the entertainment room they had used to play video games... He imagined Sam would have her room around there...

Danny enhanced his hearing a bit more this time, and with the walls muting a good amount of the outside noises, it was easier this time to search for those heartbeats.

He soon located two. Very close to each other. He was sure those were Sam's parents.

"Knowing Sam… she would have her room as far from her parents' as possible; so I must be going the right way," he mused.

Danny turned and entered the hall with the entertainment room. He slowly flew this time, head turned towards the multiple closed doors as he went by each one.

But then, he felt something…

And it wasn't human.

Danny slowed to a halt and walked over to a closed door. There was an… energy coming from the room. In fact, it captured his attention so much he didn't even notice the heartbeat also echoing from the same room…

The energy felt more like a trace of an old ecto-signature; but it was so faint he had no idea what it was or where exactly it was coming.

All he knew was that it was present.

Danny…

The boy tensed with the soft whisper. No, it… wasn't a voice. The call had come from within him. Maybe telepathic? No, it didn't seem like that either. It was more of a feeling… A vibration in his core.

It felt familiar, yet he couldn't understand why.

"What are you?" he thought with uncertainty.

Needing to know what it was, Danny turned intangible and stepped inside the closed room.

It was pitch black, yet it was no issue for his nocturnal vision. He looked around, trying to understand what that energy was… why it called to him.

"Danny," the pseudo voice echoed deep in his core.

The Prince reached for his chest, uncertain and confused. But as his eyes scanned the room, they finally caught sight of the large bed at the center, and… on the form sleeping on it.

The strange energy in the room seemed to fade away, and he listened to the recognizable sound of a heartbeat.

Sam's heartbeat.

Pushing aside the weird occurrence from a moment ago, Danny moved closer to the bed until he was right beside his purpose for coming here.

The girl continued to sleep soundly on her side. The covers were just below her shoulders, while her hands pressed under her head and cheek.

He could see her chest rising and falling softly with each breath she took. Her semi long hair was down and mused all around her pillow. Pale cheeks and lips were dusted pink from the warm blood flowing through her human veins.

Danny had always found it fascinating how different blood and ectoplasm could be; yet both still sustained life. A core and a heart were also vastly different but ultimately served the same function.

The truth was Sam's humanity had always captivated him. And as he looked at her now, he knew it still did…

He stepped back slightly when she suddenly yet momentarily shivered before she shifted deeper under her covers. But then, her cheeks and lips reddened as her body countered the coldness his own ectoplasm and energy was creating around her.

Silently, Danny reached forward and slowly placed his hand over her mouth.

As he expected, Sam's eyes snapped open. And as she instinctively gripped the wrist of the offending hand, she let out a muffled squeak; yet it was unclear if she had been trying to scream or gasp.

"Mmh!" Sam exclaimed even further as her wide eyes focused on him with fear and recognition. Her nails were digging into his arm by now. And yet… she wasn't really trying to get away. He wasn't exactly holding her down, so she technically could pull away if she wanted to.

The girl's muffle seemed more agitated this time as she pushed up with a bit more force, clearly telling him to get away from her

But Danny didn't reply or comply. Instead, he stared back at those alarmed purple eyes. They were beautiful even when full of fear and surprise. He was sure he had never seen a human with eyes like hers. In fact, before they had run into each other again as teens, Danny had often wondered if he had imagined her eye color as a child...

Finally, Sam seemed to get enough sense to push his hand away at full force, and she immediately scramble out of her bed and away from him.

"How did you….? What are you doing here?" she whispered nervously.

Phantom didn't reply, and instead walked closer to her.

Sam tensed and her eyes darted to the drawer that she knew she had an ecto-blade.

"Relax, you have no need of your ghost weapons tonight," Danny whispered when he stopped a few inches from her. "It is my turn to talk."

Sam's eyes widened slightly in surprise; but she then tensed even more when Danny reached forward and wrapped a hand around her waist to pull her closer.

"What are you doing?! Let go!" she weakly demanded, and her hands instinctively fisted up against his chest to push or fight away from his hold.

Danny tensed himself as his core reacted to her touch. He realized at that moment, she felt the same. She felt exactly the same as when he had met her.

But he couldn't focus on that right now.

"Hold on," he muttered before he turned them both intangible.

Sam could only gasp before he flew them up and out of her house.

He then landed on a flat part of her roof.

Still, she pushed away from him, and took several steps back to give them a wide breadth.

Phantom supposed she was wise to not trust him. He wouldn't trust someone who had tried to kill him either.

"I thought it would be safer to talk out here… Just watch your step. I wouldn't want you to fall off your own roof," he said seriously, watching her glance around in some attempt to come up with an escape route if needed.

"Why are you here?" Sam asked nervously. "How did you even find me?"

The Prince scoffed. "I could ask you the same thing from a few nights ago. The difference is I know how you found me, hunter…"

Sam just pursed her lips with his accusatory tone of voice.

But Danny suddenly sighed and said soberly. "The truth is, Sam, I am only here out of respect for our past… And it is only for that reason that I am going to give you one more chance to prove you are not an enemy… Tell me: Who do you work for?"

Sam's uncertainty over this sudden situation melded with a new wave of surprise. Her eyes only briefly widened before her face hardened.

"And why would I tell you that?" she answered defensively.

"Do you work for him? For Agent Chrome? Do you work for the man who murdered my mother?" Danny demanded, this time glaring at her.

Sam tensed and her lips drew into a thin line. "Not by choice."

"What does that mean?!" he hissed at her.

"It means… He's my uncle… and a powerful man… and I need to keep my family safe."

Danny's glare melded into uncertainty. "He is… threatening you?"

He knew it had not been his imagination when he had caught the girl and Chrome arguing. He had seen the way he had gripped her. He had wanted to strike her to remind her of her place. He had seen that type of look when Aragon had struck Elliott for helping him that one time. The way Chrome acted was like… Sam was a 'thing' he owned.

His comment about his being a 'jealous uncle' and 'jokingly' threatening to kill him now made even more sense. His father had been absolutely right in his assessment of Chrome's obsessive nature, and why he didn't want Danny to get close to Sam.

The man was an absolute monster, even towards his own niece. And while Daniel had managed to have a somewhat civilized conversation with him at the Manson's house, deep inside he had wanted to tear out his eyes. No. He had been itching to draw out his claws the entire time and then tear that beast to shreds.

There must have been something in his gaze because Sam suddenly looked away and took a step away.

"It doesn't matter," she muttered.

"Of course it matters!" Danny exclaimed almost desperately. "It means you are not ghost hunting by choice! It changes everything!"

Sam shook her head. "Danny… my uncle hasn't forced me to become a ghost hunter. He just takes advantage of it. I am what I am by choice. I do it because I can't sit around and let the human race be enslaved by your father!"

Her words were like a bucket of ice water, freezing the hope in his chest.

Danny bitterly replied, "But you can stand by and watch as your uncle and hunters like him murder and torture innocent beings."

He shook his head in despair. And it showed in his eyes as he slowly approached her. "Sam… He tortured and murdered my mother in front of me! He…"

But the ghost boy trailed off, and instead muttered, "He started this. My father wanted nothing to do with your world until your uncle targeted his family. Can't you see? You are fighting for the wrong side!"

"I'm sorry," Sam whispered sadly as she also took a few steps closer. "I'm sorry about what happened to you… and your mom. But, Danny? How is that any different than what your father does now? What he is doing to countless of other people? Two wrongs don't make a right!"

The Prince's features hardened. "My father does not torture people, Sam! He doesn't harm children or murder their parents in front of them!"

"Are you sure about that? He killed my uncle's son, Gregor!"

"Gregor was a ghost hunter! Like the Red Huntress, Valerie Gray!" Danny argued back.

"They are my friends, Danny!" she argued back. "And Valerie wouldn't be involved in this if it wasn't for your father! Valerie's father wasn't a hunter! He was an innocent man! And your father murdered him and left his remains in the light of day at Amity's public park!"

Danny tensed, but Sam pressed firmly. "Open your eyes, Danny! The Ghost King kills people who do not submit in front of cameras to use them as examples, to invoke fear! How is he any different than my uncle?!"

Danny shook his head in denial. "You're wrong…You don't know… But I do." He placed a hand on his core as he confidently said, "I know who my father is. I know what lies in his core and soul."

"Danny." Sam said his name in a plea; and this time, she moved close enough to grab his hands.

She stared down at their joined hands, and was surprised that the ghost boy gripped her back.

"I know what it's like to love someone and think you know them…," Sam whispered, her eyes still on their joined hands. "When I was younger I would try to justify my uncle's actions, too. I wanted to believe he was a good guy. He is my uncle, and I love him, but I had to eventually accept that how I feel about him doesn't change who he is inside. I was actually reminded of that today. And as hard as it is to accept, it is the truth."

Danny realized she was thinking of her conversation with Daniel. So, she had been listening. Maybe she would also listen to Phantom, too…

"And you think how your uncle is on the inside, is how my father is? Sam, they are nothing alike."

"You just don't want to see it," she said sadly, looking up at him.

Danny shook his head again. "I do not need to see it when I can feel it…"

The boy hesitated before he pulled one of his hands away and brought it up towards her heart.

Sam slightly tensed, but the boy hesitated enough again to show he meant no harm, to show she could stop him if she wanted.

Sam let the ghost boy place a hand against her heart. "Humans cannot feel like we do…I can't feel your emotions or thoughts when I touch you. But I can sense your soul, your spirit. I can sense what's hidden deep in a human's soul, and I can sense and feel a ghost core and soul in ways human words cannot express…"

He was quiet as if he was briefly lost in the feel of her soul…

But he then removed his hand and then placed it against his core. "I cannot intimately know a human's soul like I can with my own ghost kind, but I can feel enough to know what lies inside Thomas Chrome… Did he tell you how he got those scars?"

Sam nodded grimly. "It was you…"

"It was the least he deserved…" he answered soberly. "But just because you cannot see my scars does not mean he didn't do worse to me. I can still remember how it felt to be touched by him… That darkness that felt like it would swallow me whole… And the only reason it didn't, the only reason I survived was thanks to my father. And just like I know what lies within Thomas Chrome, I know what lies within my father. And it's how I know they are nothing alike. Perhaps… not all my father's actions are justifiable, but he has never taken pleasure in killing anyone…"

Sam reached forward, watching the ghost as she hovered a hand over his own on his chest, silently asking for permission like he had taught her as kids.

Danny immediately grabbed her hand and placed it on his core himself before he moved his other hand back against her heart.

He tensed slightly under her, and seemed to shudder but not in a way that he wanted to pull away.

Sam blushed at their proximity, and yet, she was more captivated than embarrassed. It was like she was suddenly transported to the day at the park when they first met as kids. She remembered how his symbol looked.

Too bad right now she could barely see it glowing behind the suit he wore. But the feeling was the same. That same cold yet electrifying feeling. It was stronger now though. Somehow it felt much more dominant and yet… there seemed to be something just as fragile.

"You are… a strange human," Danny whispered, resisting the urge to touch her more. But, no, 'strange' was not the right word to describe her. But he couldn't bring himself to say 'captivating'. She could destroy him if she wanted, and she had yet to realize it.

"What do you feel when you touch me, Danny? What does your core feel when I touch it?" Sam asked softly, drawing closer.

The Prince's eyebrows creased. He wished he could feel her thoughts and emotions. Clearly, there was a surge of them behind her wide purple eyes. He wished he could know her at the level he knew other ghosts close to him… But at the very least he knew Sam was nothing like her uncle. And it brought him some comfort in that truth.

"You feel like the same girl I met years ago… the same one who made me think that perhaps humans are not all… evil… The same one who tried to save me and my mother…" Phantom muttered softly.

Sam frowned sadly. "…I wish I could have."

He couldn't stop himself this time.

Danny moved his hand from her chest and then reached up and gently caressed her left cheek just below her eyes. He was quiet for a moment as he seemed to study her face, her bright eyes, as he had done as a child. But as a child, there had just been wonder… Now, there was something more. A glint of interest…

"You tried…," Phantom finally said as his hand lowered and he traced the contour of her face with his fingers. "And I will never forget that."

He drew closer and his eyebrows creased in sadness, "Please… If you won't trust my father's intentions, then trust mine…. Trust me, Sam. I don't want to be your enemy."

Sam sighed deeply as she briefly closed her eyes before she suddenly pulled away. She turned away from him to gaze out at the darkened sky. But it held no beauty for her now.

"I don't want us to be enemies, either," Sam admitted, folding her arms a bit too tightly against herself. "But even if everything you say is true… Even if your father is not evil, I cannot accept what he's doing to people…"

Phantom frowned in worry. "I meant what I said out there in front of those cameras," he answered, even when she still had her back to him. "I want things to change, too. I want to help you. To help this human world. I want to stop the violence and this war. But to do that, you have to help me. You have to accept my father's rule. Sam, if you just give him a chance…"

Sam shook her head. "No," she cut him off firmly.

Danny's expression melded into a deep frown, and he said seriously, "You cannot stop him."

"No… Maybe not," Sam agreed, dropping her hands and turning to face him. "But you can. And everyone knows that."

"What does that mean?" Danny asked with a small glare.

"It means Danny that everyone against your father wants you dead. It means they know if they can get to you, they can stop your father."

"Is that what you believe, too…?"

Sam frowned. "I believe you are the key to stopping your father, yeah. But not by killing you. You are the key because you hold the one thing no one else does:You hold his core. His love. You are his son, and it's obvious to even your enemies that there's nothing he won't do for you."

Danny didn't reply. He knew that, too. He could feel it.

Sam's eyebrows creased. "Can't you see, Danny? You are the only one who can stop him. You are the only one he will listen to. You can end this war. If you really believe your father is good, that he is not out to destroy humanity, then show him another way!"

"What other way, Sam? We tried staying away, and it didn't work!" Danny exclaimed in frustration.

"If you were able to see that not all humans are evil, why can't he?" Sam challenged.

Danny shook his head. "He knows that, too… It's just not that simple."

"You don't want it to be simple, Danny," she answered. "How could you possibly convince your dad that humanity is worth more than he believes, when you don't believe it yourself? You are condemning an entire race for what my uncle did to you and your mother. Your core is too full of hate to want there to be another way.

Danny looked away in disappointment; but as quick as it came, it was gone, and Phantom looked back at her with a coldness that he reserved for his enemies.

"I told you the next time we met you would make your choice…," Phantom said soberly. "Last chance… Lay down your weapon. If you won't surrender to my father, then surrender to me. I promise you, I will protect you and your family if you just accept my father's rule…"

But then his voice broke as he said, "Please, Sam."

Sam stared sadly at the pleading ghost boy and then she simply shook her head.

Danny's lips pursed as his face melded back into a sober, cold look.

"Good-bye, Sam," he said with finality.

And with that, the Prince vanished leaving her on her own rooftop.

Sam glanced towards where she knew a maintenance door connected to the roof was; but instead of trying to make her way over to it, she sat down and drew her knees against her chest.

"I'm sorry, Grandma… I tried," Sam whispered before she wrapped her arms against her legs and pressed her face against her arms, still feeling the lingering feel of the ghost boy's caress.

It was close to three in the morning when Tom finally got back to the small condo he was staying at the edge of Michigan.

He tiredly walked up the stairs, and unlocked the door of the single bedroom apartment. The place was not much to look at with its small kitchen and decent size living room. The view of the pond was nice, but that's really all it had going for it.

It didn't really matter though. As he locked the door behind him, and then pulled off his white jacket, he thought about how he barely stayed at this place for more than a few days. With all that was happening, he was often on the road or on a plane heading to D.C. or some other GiW location. In fact, had an international trip to France planned for next month to meet with the underground ghost hunting team over there.

If Tom was honest, he would admit how exhausted he was from all the travels. But it was necessary. He had to get project 'A.I.M' ready for deployment, and there was still so much to do.

Tom turned left to use the bathroom. Yet, continued lost in his thoughts.

Unfortunately, this latest development with the Ghost Prince turning everyone's eyes on him and his agency might prove to be a setback. He had been gaining ground while the King had been distracted with his takeover of Amity Park; but if the focus was now back on him, he would have to tread carefully. Not to mention, people could do stupid things, like betray their own kind, out of fear. As much as Tom hated to admit it, the Prince's move of putting a bounty on his head was a clever move on his part.

"Hopefully, with the Fentons latest stunt, the King and his brat will focus back on Amity and the Fentons long enough for me to finish securing that power source for project 'A.I.M'."

After alleviating himself and washing his hands, he tiredly headed to his kitchen. He needed a drink, then a shower. He was beyond ready for bed.

But as Tom flipped on the lights to the kitchen, he tensed in surprise at what, or who was there.

Sitting cross-legged in the middle of his kitchen island and a bowl of apples in front of him, Gregor finished eating what looked to be his fourth apple.

"Gregor," Tom whispered.

The teen sat down the apple pit next to the others on the counter beside him, and grabbed his fifth apple.

"Hey, Tommy, did you miss me?" he asked with a smirk before taking a bite of his apple. "Wait, before you answer that, we better be moving tomorrow because no way in hell I'm staying in this dump!"

A smile finally broke out on Tom's face. "You're back at last."

"Back at last," he repeated mockingly before biting into his apple again.

Whoo! Next chapter, Daniel Masters meets the Fentons...

I do apologize for the huge gaps in updates. It is hard for me to find time to write nowadays. But know if I ever abandon this story, I will annouce it. But no plans of that; so we will continue to chug forward, even if slowly!

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! And thank to all those who review and always reach out to me! I appreciate the support.

Ta for now!