The Star's Ghost

Chapter 4

Jake was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. He could hear his family's muffled voices coming from downstairs.

They were most likely discussing Hartley, but Jake didn't want a part in whatever plan they were cooking up.

His mind was too preoccupied with his debut at ColossaCon to come up with anything worth saying anyway.

He was nervous, to say the least. He'd never spoken to anyone other than Starling as Ghost before.

Jake sat up. It would do him no good to worry about it. He slowly moved around his room, grabbing things he would need for school later.

He made his way downstairs to grab breakfast before leaving for school.

-+-

Jake walked through the school with Amy before class started. He stopped short when he approached the hallway with his locker in it. "Is that... Dad?" Jake asked, he pointed to the guy sitting with his back to them.

"Hell if I know." Amy wandered over to their dad. "What are you doing here?"

Vic turned around, "Hello children! I'm the new substitute science teacher."

Jake nodded slowly, that wasn't a bad idea at all. Well... barring the fact that he was a villain being left unsupervised in a room full of children. But that was currently irrelevant, Jake's dad having a job meant people wouldn't get suspicious of his jobless parents.

"I'm assuming you made good use of the photocopier?" Jake asked.

Vic turned to his son, "How did you know?"

"Oh please," Jake rolled his eyes, "There's no way you're an actually qualified teacher."

"Well, you wouldn't be wrong." Vic let his eyes linger on Jake a moment longer, before he switched his attention to Amy. "I'm also here to make sure you do your job."

"I don't need a babysitter! I can do just fine on my own." Amy groused.

Vic nodded, "Yes well, your mother isn't convinced. So now I'm here, to watch you, and to get a break from her."

Amy groaned, "What about Jake?! He's here, don't you want to get away from him too??"

Jake arched a brow, he thought it was infinitely hilarious that his family thought so little of him, while he was fooling them all. A small part of him might also be sad, but he would deny that.

"I'm going to class." Jake excused himself. He had no reason to see his sisters blackmailing attempts, nor did he want to be around his father any longer.

He turned on his heel and made his way to his first class. He figured if he ignored his sister and father's blackmailing plans, everything would somehow end up resolving itself, and if absolutely needed, he would intervene.

-+-

Luckily, Hartley resolved the blackmailing issue all on her own. So, no need for Jake to do anything but sit back, relax, and watch the show.

And watch he did, or rather his eyes did, his mind was elsewhere. He would have to make some updates to Ghost's voice modulator, based on the chance that someone who knows him ends up at ColossaCon. He knew Amy was most likely going to want to go the second she learns Starling will be there.

Anything Amy could possibly come up with as a form of revenge would be pointless though, as the Ghost wouldn't let anything happen to his Star.

Had he not met Starling when he did, it was likely he wouldn't've run away with his family at all, but rather stayed with his master and the last remaining member of his team, Oculon.