Third person POV(and let it stay this way)

"Everyone alright?" Sam called for the moaning group of people. In response she received even louder moans.

"I broke my nail!" A shout was heard.

And Sam even knew who was just fine as of right now. "Well, since you have the strength to complain, then everything is alright."

"What was that?" Valerie asked, getting back on her feet.

"We crash landed," Tucker explained bluntly, "In the middle of nowhere, mind you."

"The engines don't blow up easily, kids," Maddie butted in, taking a pistol in her hand. "Something shot us down and is probably near."

"Everyone! Sit here while Jack Fenton deals with that piece of ectoplasmic slime! Banzai!"

With that Jack lunged out of the transport, looking around anxiously, but seeing nothing. The rest soon followed. Jazz, on the other hand, preferred to stay inside. Besides, the door was locked behind them, so that left her no choice. Even the windows were now covered by a sheet of metal. She damned Danny for not warning her of how the descent was going to happen.

As they exited, Sam and Tucker looked at each other.

"This landing was..."

"Surprisingly soft for a plunge without engines," Sam finished.

"Well, we did activate the safety measures," Maddy shrugged.

"I am afraid that for that I will be the one to take the credit."

Silence. Followed by slowly turning around and staring right atop of the machine. There, laying on the roof, was the one who they had never expected to see again, the one with whom the most unpleasant memories of all were connected. Phantom in the flesh, or rather ectoplasm, was right in front of them, radiating the same smug energy as always, multiplied by ten. Dressed in his usual jumpsuit, he created a strange feeling within all, albeit for different reasons. Nobody even shot at him, that's how far the shock went.

"What a marvellous surprise! I haven't had visitors for so long!" Danny said loudly and jumped down, then opening his arms wide.

That was when a torrent of blasts was unleashed right into the spot where he was, even abstracting the view for a few seconds. Valerie didn't even have the time to process what was happening while they all shot and left the scorched marks on an already lifeless ground.

"Did we kill it?" Jack asked.

"I think you still are a lousy shooter, Jack," a whisper came into his ear and the giant of a man jumped aside out of surprise.

Phantom laughed, floating in the air and grabbing his stomach. Sam approached him, shaking and trembling, but the pistol was now pointed right into the teen's chin. That was when Danny quieted down, smiling at her, piercing the girl with the green eyes. And underneath the mischief she saw it. The hatred burning right under his mask and ready to get out.

"You were supposed...to be dead!" Sam yelled.

"I am quite hard to kill, Sammy," Danny whispered, "You of all people would know it, correct?"

The girl almost dropped the gun altogether, as the adrenaline pumped into her veins was making it so hard. He knew her buttons.

"Go on, shoot your only chance of getting out of this place. I will laugh from oblivion at how you all will be torn apart."

"What do you mean, ghost?" Maddie spat, still aiming at his head.

"Simple, really," Danny moved Sam's weapon away from him with only one finger. He hadn't expected her to be so weak, "You don't know your way around here. I am well aware about these two's...limited knowledge of directions. They don't know where Vlad's portal is, do they?" Phantom smirked and crossed his hands, "Thus, your only hope is floating right in front of you."

"Why would you help us?" Tucker asked shakily.

Danny suddenly materialised near him, putting both hands on his shoulders from behind, "Because, dearest geek," his voice was full of quiet venom, "Seeing how you all suffer just now made me want to see even more of it. Knowing that you can't properly shoot me and are completely at my mercy!" He laughed madly, to the degree that left everyone terrified. "That I can just leave you to die whenever I want... and you won't do anything because I am the best chance you've got! Despite everything, you have no choice but to follow."

"We'd rather go alone, ghost," Valerie stepped forward, her stance unshaken and confident, "Phantom, you seem to be...unhinged."

"Am I really?" Danny calmed down, "Still, what I offer is better. Because I am sure as hell not giving you any maps."

"You are ready to put the lives of everyone on this ship just out of your pettiness?!" Exclaimed Valerie.

"Oh, so I am the one that brought them into this world? Suddenly I am to blame?!" Phantom yelled in response, his white hair igniting.

Valerie subconsciously made a step back. Something seemed...different about the Ghost Boy. And not in a good way. Before he was ready to sacrifice everything for the sake others. Something was different now.

"That's what you always did, Gray, was it not?" Danny whispered, "Blaming me for every mishap? Go ahead, die in this wasteland, be eaten, shot, vaporised, the widest variety of tools for passing away is at your disposal."

"Why are you announcing your plans so openly?"

"What? Did you honestly expect to see me giving flowers to you of all the degenerates?" Phantom asked his mother, "Is it not obvious that I wish for nothing but your ultimate demise? I see no purpose in hiding the fact. You step on my turf, lady. A bold, but foolish move. Now, rest assured. The passengers shall be delivered to their homes safe and sound. Go call them out, Val, would you?"

Albeit begrudgingly, Valerie went to do just that. Something in the tone of the ghost forced her to comply. That's when the look of the ghost lost any semblance of any cheerful emotion.

"After one whole year we meet again. My neglectful parents, the people I used to call friends. And who didn't even have the courage to look into my eyes during that accursed month. And who refuse to do so even now," he noted, seeing Sam and Tucker stare anywhere but him. "It will be interesting to recollect everything on our trip that would take a couple of days. Have you brought the food and water?"

In response he received nothing. Which in itself was an answer enough.

"You..." Danny hissed, "You worthless pieces of..."

He was interrupted by a loud squeal. In no time he was almost smothered by the Latina girl who hugged him tightly.

"Ghost Boy! I knew you were alive!" Paulina exclaimed.

Danny's face showed that he didn't enjoy the company in the least.

"I am dead, girl. Stop indulging in necrophilia," Phantom sighed and phased out of her grip. Then he grinned brightly and clasped his hands, "Hello, good people!" He called out the humans, "I know that you must have a lot of questions about me but I can assure you — none will be answered. I figured that you would need a proper chaperone for your trip. Because, who else would know more about the place than a ghost, huh? I certainly know more than these doofuses combined."

What an interesting twist of irony for Danny to laugh along with the A-listers. Well, they might be annoying, but relatively harmless.

"Uhm...Mrs. Fenton, are you sure this is a good idea?" Mr. Lancer asked.

"No, it is a horrible idea," Danny answered instead, "But it is the best you've got!" He smiled, "Come now. I hold a high enough status among my kin so you won't be attacked while I am at it."

"What do you mean by status?" Tucker asked.

"I guess we should start our lecture right now? Very well, let us get under way and I'll tell y'all. Onwards!"

And thus he left the people no choice. The hunters huddled together to discuss the situation. They were armed to teeth, but Phantom was free to gloat because of his position. He was their guide, the one that admitted that the sheep were led to the slaughter. When the opportune moment comes, they would attack him. He won't get out again. Not anymore. With that they followed the rest, only being able to listen to what the smug teen had to say.

"So, where do I begin? Our society, if you call it that, is pretty disorganised. One would call it an anarchy, but some petty fiefdoms exist, so go figure. For matters that call for intervention, one could ask the King. He or she is the centre of this world. If the royalty is killed not by a ghost...it would trouble us all and humans in addition."

"Why would humans be harmed?" Dash asked.

"Simple really. Try cutting off one of the sides of the coin. You can't. Without taking out the other side. That's how the universal balance works and if one was to upset it like the GIW tried one day...it would get nasty. Where was I? Ah, yes. The presence of the king implies the presence of the court and certain nobility. If a human king dies and becomes a ghost, he would be treated as someone accepted, but nobody of importance. The ghosts can have offsprings, usually it ends with the maximum of two children. And that's the nobles who have the real power. We didn't have any since Pariah perished for the first time, now, with the new king, the new nobility comes. I am proud to be the dead human that has the honour of being among them. So, here you have it," Danny turned around, "I am a lord among other things."

"It's so cool!" His main female adorer squealed again. "My beloved hero is also an aristocrat!"

Phantom rolled his eyes, "Alright, folks. That's how it is going to be. Your lovely organisers have not considered the chance of being stranded. So, we will need to make a pitstop first. The lands around here are barren, so not even berries are available. Hence, today we will have to cover a lot of ground or we will stay hungry and thirsty for a longer while. Objections? No? Very well. Also...dear hunters, shoot my fellows once and we dump you."

He could almost hear their teeth screeching in exasperation. But he was holding the reigns now. With this abrupt stop done with, the journey continued. Phantom just casually floated by, as if lying on his back, answering the questions that might arise. It was ought to be an interesting debate.

"Where are we going exactly?" Lancer asked.

"To one of my friends. Poetic, our little Odyssey takes us to the land for whom this poem is guidelines."

"You've read Homer, Mr. Phantom?" The teacher asked in surprise. "That's...interesting."

"What? I am a man of culture, sir. I'm doing what I've been abruptly deprived of by my, well, death."

"Why are you so chill about it?" Dash asked, "Way to keep the high spirits."

Danny actually snorted. Maybe his taste in puns became so bad, or Dash actually managed to come up with something decent.

"Don't get me wrong, I was scared the hell out when I realised that my heart had stopped. I just had some time to cope. It would have been much easier if there wasn't a target drawn on my chest."

There was a strange emphasis placed on the 'chest' part few understood. The fact that he drew a 'Y' with his thumb only helped the assumption.

"And how did you die?"

Phantom stopped. Something unkind flashed in his eyes, but it quickly evaporated. He glanced at the hunters.

"Simple really...let's just say I walked where I wasn't supposed to and died because of it. Not without the incompetence of some and the urging of others, but still. Guess we should go over the basic rules of politeness, lest you insult someone while I am not close enough. First! Do not ask about how a person died, you just insulted me, Miss Gray. Gravely so. Second! Obsession too is a no-no topic. Besides, it is usually obvious, so I don't see why you would ask it. That would be all for the category that would end with you being dead, so my job here is done. Let's move on to other questions," Phantom floated forward, now sitting cross-legged.

"Aren't you the touchy ones," Maddie mumbled.

"I heard it, Madeline. If after traumas humans suffer from PTSD, try to imagine what would happen if one recalls their death. See here? I am being polite, considering the...story behind us. You should try it."

"What story?"

"I told you, guys, I am not answering the questions that are too personal. What matters is that the sides involved understand everything. Moving on, everyone. We have to walk for six more hours."

"Six hours?!" Paulina exclaimed, "I won't be able to handle it, ghost boy!"

"Then take off the high heels," Danny tilted his head, "What in the world compelled you to put them on?"

"Take them off? The ground is...dirty!"

"And the water is wet," Responded Phantom grumpily, "Either this or calluses. Pick your poison."

In response he heard a loud moan. To be honest, he did feel somewhat satisfied with this degree of suffering.

And boy, was it only the beginning...