The Rising King

Chapter V: A Greek Holiday

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Jesus, Dash, shut up!" Sam moaned, "We've heard you bitching for two hours already! Give it a rest."

"You are supposed to be an athlete," Tucker raised an eyebrow. Even he wasn't that tired yet, what did he have to complain about?

"Would you look at that," Danny suddenly appeared between the two, putting hands on their shoulders, "Looks like we still agree on Dash being a little brat," he whispered nostalgically and turned to Tucker. "Brings back memories. Remember that one time you were called Bad-luck Tuck? To think it was Johnny 13 all along. Although, you did end up here on your own volition, so...you kinda are."

"One more word from you..."

"Or what Sam? You gonna slap me, spew at me? Either way you are going to miss, so to speak."

A punch came his way, but, as expected, it just hit thin air.

"Yo, Phantom, why are you constantly hanging with these losers?" Kwan of the football teem asked.

"These are not losers, pal, these are professional hunters and killers. One of which can break a couple of your bones."

Despite hating them with passion, he still had it in himself to note their abilities.

"We didn't kill anyone."

"Oh, are you sure, Sammy? After all," Danny leaned into Sam's ear, "I am yet to show that I am still part-human."

The feeling of dread washed over her, leaving Phantom with a satisfied expression.

"To answer your question, a jock unknown to me, we go way back with these two. After all, I taught them all they know. And let's just say...the knowledge was used not necessarily to my advantage. Hence our strained relationship with this little amorous couple. Jeez, this ship is as disgusting as it sounds," Danny coughed and floated away from the two.

So far he was only partially entertained. He didn't know any precise ways of slowly tormenting the people, lack of experience and all. Phantom knew perfectly well that to them the scolding looks from the A-listers were insignificant at best. But his own knowledge about his lifetime friends was perfect for such task. It did concern the ghost that the endgame of his was not entirely thought through. But maybe he could make the hunters talk and make some use of it. Phantom grinned evilly.

"Tell me, my good people. What urged y'all to come here?"

"It seemed cool."

And that seemed like a general tendency judging from the answers of the rest. Phantom was beginning to lose his faith in humanity. Or, at least, what had remained of it. And the people he wanted to respond kept quiet for obvious reasons, so the question only made everything worse. Rubbing his temples, Danny sighed.

"Well, I cannot deny that this is a very...enlightening experience, despite the situation we find ourselves in. So...yeah. The 'cool' criterium is met," Danny mumbled mostly to himself. "Oh, would you look at that, a signpost, those are rare."

He pointed at a floating stone poll with multiple pointy signs. It presented a phantasmagoric mess with arrows in all directions. And the words on it were but a chicken scratch for humans. However Danny seemed to understand it.

"This thing is ridiculous," Maddie mumbled, "How is anyone supposed to make out what this thing shows."

"As I said, those are rare. This world has a strange sense of direction. Rendering signposts pretty much useless."