Becoming Phantom Again

Chapter Seven

Danny's POV

     People stare at us as we walk to the park. Some make comments about "the ghost boy." Sam glances at me after every one, but I just shake them off. We make it to the park and find a cluster of trees to sit under. Tucker reads us the response he got to his resignation letter. They call him irresponsible and childish. He responds saying he is a child.

     I watch everyone at the park. There are the little kids who run around the playground. Their parents (mostly moms) chat on the benches surrounding the playground. I spot Dash and the rest of the football team playing a game in the big field. The popular girls sit in two groups, voting for the mini-teams. Several other students are scattered throughout the park, enjoying the freedom we have on the weekends. A few elderly people enjoy feeding the ducks in various spots of the park. Some young couples lie in spots they think are concealed and act overly affectionate. I enjoy the peace that seems to settle in the atmosphere.

     Sam and Tucker are debating some pointless topic when my ghost sense goes off. I try to get their attention, "Guys?"

   "What?" Sam snaps at me. I jump a little. "Sorry..."

     "It's fine, just shocked me. Anyway, there's a ghost. My ghost sense just went off. Team Phantom?" I ask. They smile really wide and grab the weapons they were concealing in their backpacks. I shout, "Going ghost!"

     Just as my transformation completes, the Box Ghost appears. Offended, I look at Sam and Tucker. This is my first enemy out of retirement. This is just insulting. The Box Ghost seems to have changed, though. He's not as chubby and has a little bit of muscle. He starts to build box soldiers that are inhibited by ghosts. From my covered location, I shoot every soldier. The Box Ghost looks surprised.

     "Who dares to take on the mighty Box Ghost? My powers have improved since my last visit to your measly town," he states. I cut out of the trees but return quickly, resulting in just a black and white blur. "I see you in the trees. Come out and face my wrath. Beware!"

     He shoots boxes in my general direction, but none of them hit me. I fly out and hover in front of the Box Ghost. "Missed me?" I taunt.

     "You! I thought you were gone. What are you doing coming back?" he asks in shock.

     "Well, I've been thinking about it. This town needs a real protector from ghosts. Now, I'm going to ask you kindly first. Will you please go back to the Ghost Zone? I won't suck you into the Fenton Thermos. I won't attack you. I'll just escort you to the portal and we can both go our merry ways. How does that sound?"I ask, hoping he'll accept the offer.

     "I can't do that Ghost Boy. I'm just one of the three ghosts who have returned to your town. We must get going on our plan," he responds.

     "I didn't want to do this," I mutter as I shoot him with a ghost ray. It knocks him back a bit but doesn't do any real damage. He sends several boxes my way. I either dodge them or shoot them. I shoot ice crystals at both of his hands. While he struggles to break his hands out of ice blocks, Sam sucks him into the Fenton Thermos. I land next to my friends. "So one down, and two more to find. If I knew which ones were joining the box ghost, I would know where to look."

     "I think we should forget about the ghosts for now. We have a bunch of people coming this way," Sam whispers. I look around and see people starting to circle. They start shouting at me, but I ignore anything they say. I grab my friends' hands, turn us invisible, and fly away. I don't become visible until we get to my house. I phase us into my room and land. As soon as I let go of their hands, I fall onto my bed and turn back to human.

     "This ghost thing is exhausting. I guess it kinda hurts not using your powers in years, huh? Causes one to be out of shape," I get out breathlessly and give a little chuckle. Sam and Tucker look at me like I'm nuts. "I am not a loon, so why are you looking at me like I am?"

     "You seem a little...loopy, I guess? Did you get hit in the head at all?" Sam asks.

     "No, I'm just beat, and we have two more ghosts to fight. I'm gonna take a little nap. Can you guys try to locate the other ghosts?" I say while yawning. I hear them say yes before I doze off.