DP:Return of the Hero Chp 7

Once arriving at the Fenton household, Danny gathered everyone in the living room, everyone including Sam, and began to tell them of what he had learned about the Ghost Keeper.

"One of the ghosts I used to fight told me that the Ghost Keeper was a spirit with unimaginable powers," Danny explained. "He lived in a part of the realm where no ghost dared to tread, afraid that they would be the next to be sucked out of existence. He can hear the thoughts of ghosts, which is why he was able to hear mine when I was in ghost mode. He picks out his prey by their thoughts and their scent; if he smells courage, strength or fearlessness, he chooses them as worthy candidates."

"Courage, strength and fearlessness have smells?" Tucker muttered in confusion.

Danny shrugged. "I never understood it myself, but ghosts can sense things that others can't," he replied. He slapped his fist down against his palm. "We've got to find out weaknesses in order to defeat him," he went on. "In three days from now, he's going to come after me and suck my energy out. And everyone knows that Halfa energy is incredibly rich and strong."

"It is?" Jack wondered aloud.

Jazz slapped her forehead while Danny rolled his eyes. "Yes, Dad," he replied. "That's why all of those ghosts tried to kill me."

"Really?" Maddie said. "I thought it was because you tried to send them back into the ghost zone."

Danny groaned and passed a hand over his face. "That's not the point, Mom," he said. "The point is that in about 72 hours, I'm going to be a dead man… literally. So we need to do as much research on this Ghost Keeper as we can and find some way to keep him from killing me and destroying Amity Park."

Sam had her legs crossed and her arms behind her head. "Sounds like a plan to me," she said. "What should we do, Danny?"

"Split into research groups," Danny replied. "I need everything we can find out about this guy, and if it means visiting a few old friends, then I'm up for it." He pointed at Tucker. "You and Jazz do the internet research, Tuck," he instructed. "Use the Ghost Wide Web to do it."

"Ghost Wide Web?" Tucker echoed in confusion. "I didn't even know the Ghost Zone had PCs!"

"It's just like a library to them, Tucker, like a giant book!" Danny explained irritatingly. "I've been shown some of them before!" He dug into his pocket, pulled out a pager and tossed it at his best friend. "Here; I uploaded it onto this a while back. Just plug it into the computer and you'll be wired in no time."

Tucker caught the pager and stared at it as a grin passed over his lips. "Sah-weet!" he said.

"We'll get right on it, Danny," Jazz replied as she and Tucker dashed off.

"What about us, Danny?" Maddie asked eagerly. "What can we do to help?"

Danny pointed at them. "I'm gonna need you and Dad downstairs," he said. "We need to open the ghost portal so that I can go visit someone."

"You can't just take a ship out through the shield you put over the town?" Jack wondered.

"It would be safer if I don't, Dad," Danny replied. "I can't risk opening that thing while the Ghost Keeper is out there somewhere." He pointed to the stairs. "That's why I need to go through the portal."

"What about Sam, Danny?" Maddie asked, pointing at the young woman.

Danny fell silent and looked at his best friend. Sam stared back at him before grinning a little.

"Uh, I'll need a co-pilot," Danny said, trying to cover the blush that was shaping. "We'll take the Fenton Speeder into the portal."

Jack jumped to his feet. "Goodie! Then let's do this thing!" He dashed off, followed closely by his wife.

Danny watched them leave and then looked at Sam as the woman rose to her feet with a sigh. Danny took this opportunity to clear his throat and walk up to her.

Sam looked at him when he stopped next to her.

Danny placed his hands behind his back nervously. "Uh, so you're not… um, mad at me anymore… r-right?" he asked worriedly. "Because I had no idea about… y-you know…"

Sam blinked once and then smiled. "It's impossible for anyone to stay mad at you for too long anyway, Danny," she replied with a shrug. "Besides…" She leaned towards him and grabbed his shirt collar, taking him by surprise. "You're kind of cute when you're an idiot."

Danny swallowed before his cheeks turned dark red and a timid yet wry smile fell over his lips. "I am?" he said meekly.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "But if you ever go cocky like that again without asking good questions," she said. She paused for a moment and pressed her nose against Danny's as she smiled slyly. "I'll just have to punch your face in."

Danny widened his eyes and bared his teeth nervously. "Uh, heheh," he laughed anxiously. "Y-you got it, Sam."

Sam smiled a little more and let him go before turning and walking towards the basement. "So; are we gonna go visit the Ghost Zone or what?"

*****

Jack and Maddie were readying the speeder when Danny and Sam reached the bottom of the stairs.

Danny stared at the vehicle and stopped in his tracks. "Whoa-hoa-hoa!" he said in awe, staring at the sleek speeder. "Did you and Dad upgrade it, Mom?!"

Maddie looked at him over her shoulder and grinned. "Of course we did, Danny," she replied. "We couldn't let your friends catch ghosts with the lamo speeder we had ages ago, could we?"

"We did it while you were gone," Jack replied, twisting a wrench around his finger. "Just in case you decided to hunt ghosts again."

Danny passed a hand through his hair and laughed. "I'll say one thing," he said: "When you guys upgrade, you sure do upgrade!"

"They did have a lot of time on their hands while you were gone, Danny," Sam agreed, jumping into the driver's seat of the speeder. She buckled in. "So, which friend of yours are we going to see? The Box Ghost? The dragon princess?"

Danny caught the thermos that his mom tossed at him and fastened it around his waist. "Actually, I was thinking along the lines of Skulker," he replied.

At these words, Jack dropped his wrench to the floor, Maddie accidentally pulled the trigger on her ray gun and shot the floor, and Sam's arm slipped and fell against the horn of the speeder, causing it to beep loudly in the lab.

"Who?!" all three of them exclaimed, staring at Danny in horror.

Danny shuddered at the shouts and then smiled back. "I know it sounds stupid, but I need to see him," he replied. "He's got all the best information about ghosts like these."

"Are you crazy, Danny?!" Sam scolded. "That guy's been trying to hang you on his wall for years! And you're going to see him for help?!" She bared her teeth and pulled up her sleeve. "What did I tell you about punching your face in, Danny Fenton?!"

Danny frowned back and crossed his arms. "Have any better idea?!" he shouted. "If I'm right, Jazz and Tucker won't find much of anything on the GWW because all ghosts are too freaked out to go anywhere near the Ghost Keeper's realm. So I need to go personally talk to the best bounty hunter in that Zone. If anyone's got answers, it's Skulker."

The halo of light appeared around his waist and passed over his entire body until he had fully transformed into the ghost hero he had been since the age of fourteen.

He pushed his hair out of the way and smiled boldly. "And if anyone's got enough guts to face that guy again, it's me," he said, pointing at himself. He looked at his parents. "Mom, Dad; you guys are in charge of communications. Close the portal as soon as we're through or else ghost keeper might break in. Communications should still work."

"Are you sure about this, Danny?" Maddie asked worriedly. "What if you get hurt?"

"I need to find answers somehow, Mom," Danny replied as the doors to the portal opened. He crouched down and stared at the gateway. "Don't worry; I'll be back before bedtime." With that, he flew into the portal at incredible speed, Sam right behind him in the speeder.

*****