Danny Fenton Football Captain and the East Coast Vampire

Chapter 6: The Most Dangerous Game

Danny left the locker room after a second hug and he made sure Dash wasn't going to stay in there all night. The sun was starting to set, dyeing the sky a deep blood orange. It was almost time, there was a rustling from the leaves at the tree line and Danny made a b-line to the school. The doors were still open for the track team to do their laps around the school, and let the cheerleaders do their practice in the gym.

Adjusting his letterman Danny felt the rose poke his side. He was going to ask Paulina to the ball. She seemed like the best choice. She was the head cheerleader and he was the football captain. And he did like her. She was pretty and kind and she was always up to pull a prank. But would that be fair to Dash?

"Hey Danny!" Valerie waved to him as she ran through the halls. Danny watched her run past him, her form was like a goddess running on the water... Danny ran after her.

"Wait! Val! Val! I have a question to ask you!" He yelled.

Valerie slowed to a jog. "What's up? I'm busy with track practice?"

"Um.. well.. willyougotothehalloweenballwithme!?" Danny held the rose to her.

"Uhh... can you say that but slower?"

"Will you go to the Halloween ball with me?" Danny squeezed his eyes shut. The sounds of her footsteps stopped. The sounds of other girls ran past them, their sneakers squeaking against the floor, summoning the butterflies in his stomach.

"Danny, open your eyes," Valerie stood before him, her arms crossed and lips pressed. His gut dropped. She burst out laughing. "Don't make that face! Of course I'll go to the ball with you!"

"Really!"

"Yes! Ah, thank you!" She took the rose from his hand.

"I still have practice but I'll see you tomorrow," she winked at him.

"Y-yeah I'll see you tomorrow."

. . .

The Elm Street playground was built decades ago and the wooden jungle gym was massive, with five slides, two sets of monkey bars, and three castle-like towers. The wood was aged and parts were turning black and smelly. The area around it was covered in small smooth pebbles. Danny flew down on the pebbles, the rocks making a soft crunch sound with each step he took.

"Where are you Skulker? I know you're here?" Danny yelled.

THUD! Skulker landed behind him. Large metal wings folded into his back, disappearing from sight.

"I have been watching you Pup, and this ends here," Skulker said.

"You're right about one thing. This will end here, but not for me," Danny blasted Skulker and then booked it to the playground. Skulker dodged the blast and pulled out his own gun and began shooting. The shots grazed Danny's check, the bullets flying close before he could duck and roll into the bottom of the tower. Kwan shot up with a large rifle, the silver and neon green barrel was clicked to life before he shot it at Skulker. The kickback sent Kwan backwards but the bullet landed on Skulker's hip, tripping him head over heels.

"Star! Now" Kwan yelled, the top half of his body hanging over the rails.

Star jumped from the bush and pulled a pin and threw a grenade at Skulker. Instead of exploding the small orb, popped open and a net expanded covering Skulker and shocked him. The large man twisted in pain and tried to grab the net.

"Danny now!" Star yelled.

Danny flew back on the scene with his thermos, "Take this junk head!"

Skulker stood up and grabbed Danny by the throat. Removing the net from his body.

"Take this, junk head." Skulker threw Danny at Star. His body crashed into her and landed them both in the mud.

"Star! Danny!" Kwan pulled himself up and grabbed the gun, he began shooting at Skulker, most of his shots missing. Skulker started shooting back the cross fire lighting up the night sky. Star pushed Danny off him and grabbed a small neon green pistol from the bag with a little key chain of Danny's fathers face on it. And she began to fire at Skulker. Danny scrambled for the bag and pulled out a disc like item. He threw like a frisbee and it landed not far from Skulker, a small light on it started beeping. Shaking his head Danny grabbed the next thing out of the bag. It was small and cylinder shaped. Taking a look at it, he realized it was a tube of lipstick.

"Are you serious?" He said. He pulled the cap off to double check and a laser shot into the sky, burning the leaves. "What the fuck Mom!" Danny cursed, fumbling with the lipstick to get it's cap back on.

Skulker threw a grenade at Kwan, the teen stared at the round object for a moment, and watched the smoke come out of it before he jumped into action and threw himself off the tower. Covering his head as the bomb went off, scattering wood chips everywhere. Skulker turned around and began firing at Star. She took cover behind a nearby tree.

"Kwan!" Danny flew across the field, Skulker went to grab him, but hand opened the lipstick and the laser sliced the man's arm into two! Sulker cursed at him. Danny phased through the wood, grabbing his friend and returning them to Star.

"Kwan are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine!"

"What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know!'

Skulker took a step forward. BANG! The bottom half of his body separated from the top, each part flying in different directions. His top half crashed into the wooden playground, his flaming mohawk quickly set the thing ablaze. Skulker began to scream for help, his metal voice changing volume as the fire melted his throat. Danny realized that the frisbee thing he threw earlier... was a landmine.

"Aw man, I think I'm gonna be sick," Kwan said.

There was a pop and then a high pitch noise like a firework flying into the air. Two metal pieces flew high into the sky. One sprouted wings like a bat and flew off, and the second landed at their feet. It was Skulker's head. The metal was glowing a hot red, with pieces deflating on itself. His glass eyes had melted and were running down his face like tears. The front of the skull popped open like the door to a spaceship and a green blob the size of their palms jumped out and started rolling on the ground. The flames on his body were put out by the dirt. Danny and Kwan quickly brandished their weapons, pointing the massive muzzles at his tiny face. Danny's ghost sense went off, sending chills up his spine and his breath became visible.

"You can't do this to me! I am Skulker! The greatest hunter in the Ghost Zone!" Skulker screamed, his voice was like a wind up toy.

"Sorry pal, it looks like you got out hunted!" Danny turned on the thermos and Skulker was dragged into the metal can cursing like a sailor.

"We did it!"

"Yeah!" The tree high fived each other.

"What do we do now?" Star asked. The sound of sirens began to approach them as the fire on the playground turned from blue to red.

"I think we should leave," Danny said.

"Yeah, hey can you fly us out?" Kwan grabbed the weapons and began to shove them into the bag.

"I think both of you would be too heavy-"

"Ahhh man."

"But I can make you invisible. Just grab my hand and don't let go,"

"Sweet!" Star grabbed Danny's left hand and Kean grabbed the right, and together the three ran from the fire.