(Ghost files part 1)

(Case One: The false Ghost.)

It was late the first night at Louie’s, the night sky was clear and besides the nocturnal animals on the island

A new creature moved through the brush until he reached a clearing, as Shade laid down and looked up at the night sky he smiled slightly as he closed his eyes, his lair was great to sleep in and loui’s hotel hut wasn’t bad but nothing compared to sleeping under the stars and since Rebecca and Baloo insisted on staying Shade figured it would be a great time to enjoy the night instead of working it. As he slept he found him self in what he could recall a training dojo in Panda’la the scene was from his past as he watched a younger version of himself being trained by his instructor, as he walked up and watched he ignored what was going on and looked at the teacher, he smiled softly as he looked at the female Panda. “Aunt Julia.” Shade said, as he looked at the woman. “You used to be the greatest warrior in Panda’la… well next to my mother. You were kind and loving you always played with me when I was sad, but were stern when it came to my training.” As Shade looked at this memory his fist started to clinch as he started to get annoyed, this was only opening old wombs that had scared badly, as he spun around he took control and his Ghost outfit covered him. “WHY HAVE YOU SHOWN ME THIS!!” Shade demanded as he glared into the Shadows wanted to know what had made this pain full memory haunt him.

“I only wish to know if you remember how to use what you had been taught so long ago.” with that Shade found himself looking at his father.

“You could have just asked.” with that Kouken nodded and walked up to Shade. “First rule of combat was to never show my full ability you taught me that father.”

“I also taught you to always practice your art.”

“I do.”

“Not just your fighting stiles and your weapons training Shade, I’m talking about the real Shadow skills, the ones that have been passed down for ages. The ones that you are one of the few true warriors of.”

“I know father, but I have not yet seen a reason to unleash them upon those that I am fighting right now, and to show my hand to soon will give future criminals a heads up.”

“And not practicing them at all will duel your skill.”

“I understand father.”

“Do you?” with that Kouken held out his hand and a staff appeared. “Do not consider this a punishment my little warrior, you need to re-master the Shadow skills, your fighting and weapons handling is good but there is always room for improvement, and that is why I am here, from this day forward every time you sleep you and I will train, not only in fighting stiles, and weapons skill, but also in your Shadow skills.” with that Shade nodded and got into a fighting stance. The two trained for what seemed like and forever, but when Shade woke up he found that the sun was just starting to come up, as he made his way back to Loui’s he smiled slightly, he had missed sparing with his father. When he made it back to the guest rooms he looked into the room he saw four important people in his life, he didn’t know how he had grown close to them, he always thought he was being so careful not to let it happen, but some how it had and he couldn’t loose them, not like the others. As he started to walk into the guest room he looked down at his new cloths, seeing that he didn’t want to remain as the Ghost any longer, and the fact that he just wanted to be left alone and not asked a lot of questions about his secret life he had opted to let Rebecca ask Louie if she could just grab a few cloths from the lost and found. She didn’t do to bad in Shade’s mind a nice pair of pants, some decent shoes, and a clean shirt, thought he had a hunch that she was being guided to the cloths from the same presence that was keeping him up at this late hour.

When time came to return to Cape Suzette, Rebecca smiled as she looked at Shade, he had spent the entire time with the family and she was sure that he would finally give up fighting crime, but as they started to approach the cliffs she walked into the cargo area and found him back in the Ghost cloths.

“Shade… didn’t you like this past week? I mean you got to act like a normal child and have fun, wouldn’t you like to have that from now on, I mean to be able to have a normal life?” Rebecca asked, as she walked up to Shade who looked at her and then turned his back to her as he put on his right glove.

“I would madam, but I can’t. In the city, in the darkness there is something that brings fear into the hearts of the criminals, something that makes the petty thugs think twice before they break the law and makes the crime bosses loose sleep, because they know that what is coming after them wont stop until they are captured, or until they are out of reach.” Rebecca listened to these words and grew concerned, worried that Shade might have been fighting crime for to long and had fallen into a dark place that no one could bring him back from. When they pulled into the dock of higher for hire, the group was shocked when several Police officer ran down the dock and stormed the Sea Duck putting everyone at gunpoint while 2 of the grabbed Shade.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?!” Rebecca demanded, as she glared at the police officers.

“We’re here to arrest the Ghost.” one of the officer responded as he held firm to Shade. “For the past two weeks the Ghost has been terrorizing the city, breaking criminals out of jail, bank robberies, jewelry stores robberies, muggings, and that’s just the start. We knew he worked for you so we waited for you to return so we could finally arrest him.” Deep down Rebecca knew she could let the cops take Shade, she knew that he would be detained and would no longer be able to put himself endanger, but at the same time she couldn’t let him be punished for something that he didn’t do. A brief moment past as her eyes locked with Shade’s and she knew what she would have to do.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SON YOU CLODS!” Rebecca yelled, as she looked at the officers. “Look at him he’s only a child, do you honestly think he’s the Ghost, he’s just dressed up as his hero.” Rebecca explained as she handed Molly over to Baloo and then walked up to Shade, who seemed slightly shocked by what was going on until he understood what Rebecca was doing.

“Mommy help me, their scarring me.” Shade cried out as he started to act like a scared child as Rebecca walked up and removed his mask.

“See he’s just a kid, so get your hands off of him, before I start making phone calls and getting your badges taken away for assaulting my son.” As the cops let Shade go he quickly wrapped his arms around Rebecca. “You see what you’ve done, he’s going to have nightmares for weeks thanks to you.”

“I’m sorry ma-am it’s just, we’ve been trying to catch the Ghost since last week, he’s been on a crime spree, when we saw your son… I’m sorry for disturbing you ma-am.” with that the cops started to back away and left the Sea Duck. As their squad cars rolled away Rebecca turned and looked at Shade, who had picked up his mask and was putting it back on his face.

“Shade, didn’t you hear them? The entire city is looking for the Ghost because of some one posing as you.” As Rebecca spoke Shade walked to the side door of the Sea Duck and stopped when Rebecca put her hand on his shoulder. “What are you going to do?” Shade turned his head slightly and looked at Rebecca’s hand before he removed it.

“I’m going to bring them to justice ma-am.” With those words Shade ran up the docks and vanished into the stormy night.

“SHADE!” As Rebecca looked out into the night tears started to form in her eyes, she felt she was so close to getting Shade to stop and keep him safe from his own self destructive ways until this latest turn of events happened.

“Don’t worry Miss Cunningham he’ll be alright.” Kit said, as he looked out at the night. “If anyone can handle him self Shade can.” An hour later a lone Police officer was running down a side ally being chassed by a group of street pirates.

“Your in the wrong part of town flat foot.” one of the pirates called out, as the cop turned a corner and found himself in a dead end. “Come on boy’s it’s time we have some fun.” the officer looked on in horror as a group of seven street pirates filled the ally and slowly made their way towards him.

“Back off or I’ll…” the officer stopped as he reached for his gun and found it missing.

“You’ll what flat foot, you dropped this a block back.” the leader of the group, a large bovine, said as he pointed the gun at the officer. “One less pig to get in are way boys.” As the hammer was cocked back on the gun the officer could almost see his life pass before his eyes as he looked down the barrel of his own gun. Just then in a flash the gun was knocked out of the bovine’s hand and the ally filled with smoke.

“Did you really think I would never return?” The Ghost voice filled the smoke, and was soon followed by the sounds of a struggle and the pirates screaming as if they had just seen their worst fears. After a few moments the smoke cleared and the officer was shocked to see the sight before him the street pirates all of them seemed almost terrified as they looked at The Ghost standing in the middle of the ally. “Did you really think I would let any of you get away with what you’ve done to my city?” Several pirates ran to get out of the ally but were taken down as Shade threw several sleeping darts hitting them in the back of the neck, he then turned to those that were still on the ground looking at him as if he was some new kind of monster. “Your going to turn your selves over to the officer now, or I swear every time your alone and you feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, ever time you think there is something watching your ever move, ever time you think you feel the cold hand of death gripping your throat, that will be me.”

“ENOUGH OF THIS!!” the Bovine yelled, as he got to his feet still visible shaking from something he had seen in the smoke. “I say we take him, he’s only one person.” with that Bovine charged as Shade only to have shade run right at him, drop down and slide between the bovine’s legs, only to stand up and run back at the grown pirate and deliver a flying side kick to his back, sending the bovine down to his knees, Shade then did a flip over the Bovine grabbing it’s horns before slamming it’s face into the pavement bouncing it’s head once before knocking it out.

“Anyone else want to try me tonight?” Shade asked, getting the other Pirates to run to the officer and holding their hands up to be cuffed. Shade stood and looked into the officer’s eyes and could see a look of bewilderment in them.

“This is detective Lupe to all units we have a spotting of the Ghost and his renegades on the corner of 64^th and 3^rd street, all unit’s respond.” The officer turned and pulled out his radio only to look back and find the Shade had already vanished. Moments later in a high speed chase five bickers roared down the street laughing with three squad cars close behind. “You better keep on them O’Hare, I refuse to loose track of this group again.” in front of the group the lead bicker was dressed in grey cloths with a grey mask on laughing as he looked back at the cops.

“GIVE IT UP DAME YOU’LL NEVER CATCH THE GHOST AND HIS RENEGADES!!” the figure gloated as he turned back around and saw at the end of a long street what looked like fog was starting to role in. “Perfect, FOLLOW ME BOYS!” as the bicker gang drove head long into the fog they couldn’t see anything in front of their faces. So when things started to appear on the road moments before they wrecked into them it started to become clear that they had ridden into a trap. After the leader of the gang was alone the fog seemed to clear and he found himself on an empty street all except for a lone figure standing at the end of it. “What’s going on?”

“The spirit of justice is calling the false specter to stand trial.” Shade said, as he looked at the person that had destroyed the Ghost reputation. Just then the lead squad car pulled out of the dense fog and came to a screeching stop.

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE…Ghost?” Detective Lupe’s driver looked at both figures, and then at the detective. “Ma-am what do we do, there’s two of them.”

“We take them both in O’Hare, one of them has to be the real Ghost.” Lupe said, as she got out of the squad car and pulled out her fire arm. “BOTH OF YOU ON THE GROUND HANDS ON YOUR HEADS!!”

“DON’T THINK SO BABE!” with that the false ghosts’ bike wheels squealed and started to head straight for Shade who was standing at the only open exit of the street. “GET OUT OF THE WAY OR BE ROAD KILL!” to his surprise Shade ran towards him, only prompting him to make his bike go faster, he didn’t care who this person in front of him was, he wasn’t going to jail, while at the same time both Lupe and O’Hare hesitated in shooting. As the two got closer Shade jumped up into the air, planted one foot on the handle bars while at the same time delivering a blow to the face of the false ghost knocking the imposter off his back and landing hard on the ground. As the imposter slowly got up rubbing his face he glared at Shade “Why you… I’ll kill you.” The false ghost pulled out two pistols only to have their barrels jammed by two metal spikes thrown by Shade.

“I wouldn’t pull those triggers if I was you.” in frustration the false ghost threw the guns to the ground and ran at Shade. In response Shade removed a chain from around his waist and throw it getting it to wrap around his attacker’s legs and causing the false ghost to fall to the ground. Shade stood before the man that had destroyed his reputation, he walked up, pulled out some twin, tied the man’s hands together before he knelt down, and made the man look him in the eyes. “You want to be the ghost fine, then look into my eyes, and see the things that scares you most.” As the man looked into Shade’s eyes they seem to grow darker, as the since of fear seem to over power him, his breath seem to turn shallow, and a cold sweat started to form on his forehead. as the imposter soon found himself looking into two black voids that use to be eyes. “Look into the shadows of my soul, and see that nothing you feared before compares to me, see that I am what the monsters fear.” As Shade got up he kept his eyes locked with the man that had destroyed his reputation. “Now tell everyone you know, tell them to spread the word that the night belongs to me, tell them to warn everyone that they meet that the ghost has returned, and that if I so much as see them steal candy from a baby that I will come after them like the demons from their darkest nightmares… Do you understand?” The man nodded several times, before Shade broke eye contact. As Shade turned to the officers that had joined Lupe, and O’Hare. They kept their guns drawn as they moved slowly towards him, but as they kept their eyes on him he kept his on them and as they got closer to one another Shade seem to vanish from sight, but in truth he was still they he had only clouded their minds into thinking he had vanished, Shade then walked past them. Later Shade walked around his lair, ensuring that his hideout wasn‘t found by the imposter. Once he was certain no one had been in the lair he closed his eyes and thought about the warning that his father had given him.

“Remember Shade you must use the shadow skills sparingly, to use them for to long of a time could destroy you.” The next day as Rebecca turned on the radio at higher for higher, she smiled slightly at an upbeat song being played across the radio.

“That was ‘these tears aren’t for you, I’m just pealing onions.” your listening to broadcast Sally ladies and gentlemen, and now the news report, seems like the streets are haunted once more folks, only this time it’s by the real ghost, for the past two weeks the reports on the ghost going crooked was nothing more then some low life posing as are phantom of the night, but last night the real ghost came back, and he came back with a vengeance. Hitting the under world like a typhoon, not only taking down his imposter, but also striking a new fears into the hearts of the criminals of the city. Although it seems that not everyone is pleased by these events, and I’m not talking about the criminals folks, seems that there is a group of people that want the Ghost gone, and I have in my studio today the leader of this group a miss Roxanne Baker.”

“That is correct Sally, my group represents concerned citizens of Cape Suzette, that want to know what the police are doing about this Ghost person.”

“But surely in light of new information, that the person that had been terrorizing are city wasn’t the real ghost, makes most of your supporters think twice about where they stand?”

“And why should it Sally, this is a grown man dressing up and taking the law into his own hands, children are imitating him in their school yard games now. What would happen if they thought they could do the same, and got them selves hurt?”

“Would that not fall to the parents to talk with their children and tell them that they could get hurt, and shouldn’t be doing such things.”

“If the Ghost wasn’t doing these acts then the parents wouldn’t have to do it.”

“Alright say your correct on that, tell me do you honestly condemn all his action, I mean he had a very long list of things he’s done and their all good, I mean he’s saved lives, helped bring the crime rate down, and weeded out crooked cops in are own police department.”

“And that’s why my supporters are in such an uproar, what kind of city is are mayor running that we have to depend on a mask person that is just as much a criminal, as the people that he brings in.”

“Alright, well are time is about to run out, is there anything else you would like to say.”

“Yes, my group is making it their mission to find out who this ghost is, and bring him to justice. It’s time that he learns that he can’t take the law into his own hands. You hear me Ghost, ether stop what your doing or we‘ll stop you.” with that Rebecca nearly through a cup at the radio but stopped when kit came walking out of the kitchen with a glass of water.

“What’s wrong Miss Cunningham?” Rebecca forced a smile as she looked at Kit, still angry at what the lady had said on the radio.

“Nothing Kit… so what do you have planed for the day?”

“I was just going to run into town and meet a few friends.”

“That’s nice, just keep out of trouble.”

“I will.” Kit’s heart seem to jump slightly as a smile crossed his face, Rebecca was treating him more and more like a son now a days and it made him feel good, as he knew that soon he would finally have the family he had always wanted. As he made his way into town he kept pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket and looking at it for an address he had written down. Once he located a bakery he walked inside and looked up at the man behind the counter. “Hello my name is Kit Cloudkicker I heard you’re looking for a delivery boy.” the man behind the counter looked at kit for a few seconds and then at a gator standing in the corner dressed in a suit.

“Well that’s true we are looking for a delivery boy, but the thing is you look kind of scrawny.” the Gator said, as he walked up and looked down at Kit. “I mean if some one was to true and steel are goods from you, how are you going to protect them.”

“Hey I can handle my self, I can keep your goods safe.” Kit was rather insulted by what the gator said, getting the gator to take a step back. “Besides it’s bread, who’s going to steal bread.” with those words the Gator and the backer looked at one another then back at Kit.

“Alright kid will give you a trial run.” with that the Gator nodded once and the backer handed him a loaf of bread. “Take this to 125^th chestnut drive, don’t worry about payment they gave us the money yesterday just say this is from the baker and come back.” with that Kit nodded and took the loaf of bread. “You got an hour to get it to the house.”

“Yes sir.” with that Kit ran out of the store and down the street. He had made it within a block of the address when he ran into a group of people they seem to be protesting in front of a police station demanding that the police go after the ghost, anyone that past in front of them was handed a button that looked like a crude drawing of a ghost you would see hanging from doors during Halloween with a red slash over it. As Kit walked past, one person handed him a button, he looked at it the rest of the way to the address, he put the button into his pocket and smiled as he knocked on the door. After a few minutes a lizard opened the door and looked down at Kit.

“What do you want?”

“This is from the baker.” Kit responded and the Lizard looked at the loaf of bread in Kit’s hands and quickly grabbed it.

“Thanks kid here.” the lizard placed five dollar bill in Kit’s hand getting Kit’s eyes to open wide and a smile across his face.

“Thanks mister.” As Kit ran down the street the lizard shut the door and went into the back room of the apartment and tore open the bread to find inside of it a vile filled with a fine red powder.

“If everyone tips me like this I’ll be able to get Baloo and Rebecca’s wedding present in no time at all.” Kit said to him self, as he headed back to the bakery hopping there was more deliveries.

(Case Two: The Mad bomber)

It was a lovely evening, the stars were out the moon shined down on the streets of Capsuzette. Baloo and Rebecca was just coming out of a restraint smiling at one another. “I’m rather impressed Baloo, you behaved your self all night and didn’t embarrass me at all.”

“Hey you deserve it, after that rough time in Thembria, besides after spending time with the kids yesterday at the circus I figured it was time for the adults to have some time alone.” As the two walked side by side, as they moved closer together their lips met and seconds later the ground shook and an explosion could be heard in the distance. “Wow Beckers, that’s some kiss.” Baloo smiled slightly but then got pulled by Rebecca in the direction of the explosion.

“That wasn’t me silly, come on sounds like there was an explosion a few blocks down.” Rebecca said, as she kept tugging at Baloo.

“And we’re running towards it why?” Baloo kept looking at the back of Rebecca’s head as she kept trying to get to scene of the explosion and knew the answer to his question. Baloo smiled slightly and ran a little faster picking Rebecca up and making it to the scene of the explosion and finding that one car was destroyed and an apartment building was ablaze, people stood around looking up at the burning building. “See him yet?” Baloo asked Rebecca, as he stood her on the ground. Rebecca Blushed slightly knowing that Baloo had figured her out.

“I just.”

“You just wanted to make sure he’s doing alright.” Baloo finished what Rebecca was going to say getting her to blush a little more. “Me to Beckers.” Baloo gave Rebecca a slight peck on the cheek and looked around seeing if he could see anything around.

“MY BABY!!” a lioness yelled, as she tried to get past the fire crews only to be held back.

“Ma-am we’re doing everything we can, but the fire is just to hot we can’t get past the bottom floor.”

“But my baby, he’s in his crib on the top floor please let me go get him.”

“Ma-am I’m sorry but we can’t get to the top floor right now.” Baloo could feel Rebecca’s grip tightened and he knew what she was thinking, what would they do if they were in this ladies shoes.

“LOOK ON THE ROOF!!” another spectator yelled, as everyone looked up they could see a the ghost running across the roof tops and jumping onto the burning building.

“PLEASE SAVE MY BABY!!” the lady yelled up at the ghost who had vanished from sight, as everyone watched on holding their breaths as they watched the building burn, until the roof collapsed in and the rest of the building started to fall in on itself leaving only the outer walls standing. “NO!!!” As the woman fell to her knees crying a fire fighter knelt down to try and comfort her. “My poor baby (*Sob*) my poor little Tommy.”

“Baloo look.” Rebecca said, as she pointed towards the fire. As he looked Baloo could see something moving in the flames, after a few minutes he could hear a few of the spectators gasping in shock as Shade walked out covered in slightly burnt cloths holding something wrapped up in his trench coat.

“YEAH!!! THAT A BOY!!” Baloo yelled, as he looked at Shade. Shade paid Baloo no attention as he walked up to the sobbing woman who hadn’t seen him emerge from the fire.

“Madam.” as the woman looked up as Shade’s masked face, her mind took a moment to realize what was going on, but by the time she did she found her self holding her infant son in her arms. “You should take him to a hospital, to get him checked out.”

“I’ll take her.” the fire chief said, as he walked up and looked at Shade, then at the woman. “Come with me ma-am I’ll get you to the hospital in no time at all.” As the woman nodded she stood up and left with chief, as Shade put back on his trench coat he started to look at the scene before him, he noticed several scorch marks on the ground indicated that the explosion had come from the now destroyed car, but before he could get a sample of the scorched surface, he was hit in the head with a rock.

“THIS IS YOUR FAULT GHOST!!” a man yelled, as several other people started to throw items at Shade getting Shade to make a run for it. As the group started to give chase they were stopped by the spectators that had just witnessed Shade rescue the infant from the fire. As a commotion started to break out between the two groups Baloo took Rebecca away from the scene making sure that she didn’t get hurt.

“Can you believe those people, blaming him for that fire.” Rebecca said, as Baloo got her about a block away.

“Let it go Beckers, he got away.” Baloo could see that Rebecca was upset, and understood why, sort of. He didn’t know when it happened, or how it had happened all he knew was that he felt the same way Rebecca felt about Shade. He had done so much for them and for the city. He, like some people, liked Shade, but to know the truth, to know that the ghost was nothing more than a child, only made Baloo want to be more apart of Shade’s life, if not to protect him, to give him another shoulder to cry on, another ear to listen.

“He’s just a boy.” Rebecca said, as she looked at Baloo. “I never liked the fact that he did these kinds of things, but to have people blame him and throw rocks at him, that’s to much.”

“Becky this is his life, we have to let him make his own decision on this. He’s shown us that he can handle himself so we have to let him live his life, his way.” Rebecca looked up at Baloo, and was about to say something but stopped when she realized that Baloo was right, nether one of them had a right to tell Shade how to live his life. When they returned to Rebecca’s apartment they smiled when they found Kit and Molly sleeping on the couch. “Come on button nose, let ol’ papa bear put you to bed.” Baloo said, as he picked Molly up and carried her into her room, As Rebecca covered Kit up on the couch and tucked him in slightly.

“Sweet dreams my navigator.” Rebecca gave Kit a kiss on the forehead and then walked to Molly’s room and found Baloo tucking Molly in and kissing her goodnight before turning around and seeing Rebecca’s smiling face. “Time for you to get some sleep as well.”

“Yeah I’ll head on back to higher for hire and.” Before Baloo could say anything else Rebecca covered his mouth with her hand and smiled.

“I can make you a bed in my room, that way Kit can get a good night’s rest since he didn’t bring his ear muffs.”

“Yeah but what about you?” Rebecca smiled to hear the concern in Baloo’s voice. “Well since we are getting married soon I figured I would need a pair.” As they spoke Rebecca walked Baloo into her bedroom and pulled out a pair of pink ear muffs in her night stand. As Rebecca and Baloo got arranged for the night, else where Shade was sitting in his lair running the scene through his head over and over, understanding how the explosion happened, but he hadn’t figured out who would do it, the area wasn’t well to do, and to his knowledge no one in the area had a hit out on them, then again this was apart of town that he hardly ever had trouble with.

“It could have been a gang giving a wake up call, but that’s a bit much.” As Shade looked at a map of the city hanging up on a wall he marked the sight of the explosion with a red pin. “I’ll have to keep an eye out and make sure it doesn’t happen again.” The rest of the night was rather uneventful for Shade a few muggers and jewelry store break in stopped, but as he returned to his lair he turned on a police scanner, and a radio, then laid down and fell asleep. By evening Shade woke up in just enough time to hear a report on the radio from the police chief.

“It seems that the explosion last night, was not just a random attack, we have received a letter from the one responsible for the bomb last night, calling himself the bomber.” Shade listened close, but the chief didn’t give any information on what the letter said, even when the reporters kept asking. As Shade went out on patrol he looked down from his advantage of the roof tops and watched as the people seem to be moving with a since of urgency.

“He’s setting them on edge, more than normal.” As Shade observed the streets below he could see Kit running down a street holding a package. “Guess it’s a deliver from Higher for hire.” just then Shade noticed to cops standing near an ally. “Could be a good way to get some information.” After making his way down to the street Shade hid in the shadows and listened to the two officers talk.

“So around 8 that’s what the letter said?” one officer asked, as he looked at his partner.

“Yeah Phil, the chief is hopping around like a pogo stick.”

“Yeah I heard the city council is going to ask for his resignation if he doesn’t find the person responsible for these bombings.”

‘Bombings? There’s been more than one?’ Shade thought to himself as he kept listening in.

“The guy pulling these jobs must have it in for a lot of people.”

“He’s a real screw ball if you ask me, always sending letters to us before he strikes.”

“Yeah, have you noticed that all those letters end with I hate crowds?”

“Yeah Frank, that’s the really unnerving part about them.” That was enough for Shade, as he made his way back to the roof tops and kept a close eye on the streets below. Time past and Shade did everything he could to keep and eye out, while taking down the minor criminals like muggers, and pick pockets. As it rolled around 8 he remained on the roofs to keep an eye on the streets he smiled as 8 came and passed. ‘Maybe with so many police around the bomber decided not to carry out his attack?’ Just as Shade finished his thought there was an explosion down the street sending people screaming. Once Shade arrived on the scene he only had a few moments to collect what information he could on the scene, as he looked around he found something odd laying a few feet away, a piece of red scrap, as he looked at it for a few seconds he turned it over and found a scorched cardboard backing. “Alright so your using TNT.” Shade could hear the fire trucks coming from down the street as well as the sound of police whistles closing in, by the time the police and fire department arrived on scene Shade was back on the roof top looking down at the scene. “Alright what do I know? The bomber is using TNT, which means he has away to get a hold of it. This attack is just one of many, again he has away to get a hold of TNT, and a good amount of it. He sends warning to the police, which shows that he’s arrogant, I can use that. He ends his letters with I hate crowds… maybe he hates being pushed around, which might mean he might have been pushed around most of his life, so he might me a lower level worker.” Shade’s mind raced about a million miles a minute as he thought about the situation at hand. The next morning it was clear that the city council was in an uproar as well as the citizens of Cape Suzette demanding the Mayor and the chief of police to answer why the mad bomber hadn’t been arrested yet. By the time the evening rolled around citizens filled a meeting hall, among them was Rebecca and Baloo who wanted to know that at least something was being done to help protect Molly, and Kit.

“WE DON’T WANT EXCUSES CHIEF WE WANT ACTION!” one citizen yelled, as the meeting was in full swing.

“This crazy man is making a fool of you chief!” Another voice called out from the crowd.

“JUST A MINUTE! As I have explained to you every available resource of the Police department has been directed to catching this mad man. Every cop we have is combing the city as we speak trying to capture this mad man before he strikes again, the problem is there is no pattern to these attacks, no one person has been singled out to be killed, no ransom note delivered, and no demands have been given. This is not an ordinary crime, we are not dealing with an ordinary criminal.” As the chief of Police spoke these words people scoffed at them.

“FIFTEEN PEOPLE DEAD, TWENTY INJURED, AND ALL YOU DO IS TALK! The city is in a panic while explosion go off around the city like confetti.” Rebecca looked at Baloo seeing that this wasn’t going anywhere fast.

“I’m sure the ghost could solve this with out even trying.” Unfortunately the person next to Rebecca heard what she said and smiled.

“HEY SHE JUST HAD A GOOD IDEA, WHY NOT CALL IN THE GHOST ON THIS ONE!” the man yelled, getting another commotion in the crowd to kick up the people wanted action, and they started to demand that the ghost get pulled in on the case.

“Now hold on, what makes you think this man calling himself the ghost, is interested in law and order?” the chief asked, as he looked out at the crowd.

“He’s caught plenty of criminals hasn’t he?”

“Yes he’s helped us out once and a while, but it might have been to get ride of rivals. We have no assurance that he himself isn’t a criminal.”

“Well a thief can catch and thief.”

“I DON’T RUN MY DEPARTMENT THAT WAY!”

“Your not running it at all, from the looks of it.”

“THAT’S A MATTER OF OPINION… We where called here to tell you what we were doing to catch this mad bomber, you people seem to think we work with the Ghost, as if we turn a blind eye to his own criminal acts, WE DON’T!” the chief waited to see if anyone had anything else to say on the matter, but no one spoke. “As for you reporters you can print this all over the front page, I challenge the Ghost to find one scrap of evidence my boys have over looked, I challenge him to bring this mad bomber to justice.”

“I Except your challenge chief.” a voice came across the sound system in the meeting hall rang out getting everyone in the hall to go quite. “I am already working on the case as we speak. People of the press it will not be necessary for you to print the chief’s challenge but I wish for you to print this, from the Ghost to the bomber, I will trap you and bring your rain of terror to an end, if you dare walk through the central arcade between five and six tomorrow night,… remember the central arcade between five and six tomorrow night, I dare you to come, to walk through the central arcade, I dare you to come and face me.” As the people in the meeting hall started to cheers and celebrate, Rebecca looked at Baloo with a concerned look on her face.

“What is he thinking?”

“Don’t worry Beckers he knows what he’s doing… I hope.” Baloo looked up at the chief and the mayor in just enough time for the chief to hold up a small device connected to the underside of the podium. “That little… ha ha I wonder if he’s not part fox.” The following day a paper boy called out the challenge of the Ghost to the Bomber, drawing the attention of everyone around, but more so for a raccoon who made his way to the paper boy, getting knocked back and forth several times, before he smiled at the paper boy.

“give me a paper boy.” the raccoon said, as he looked.

“That will be ten cents mister.”

“Here you go boy.” As the Raccoon handed the boy a dime the boy reached for the top paper in his stack. “No, no not that one on top, people… crowds have seen it.”

“But their all the same.”

“No, no, no give me the one underneath.”

“Alright, alright the customer is always right.” as the paper boy gave the raccoon his paper the man walked away and started to read the front page.

“Ha ha, ha central arcade today… so he’s challenging me this Ghost fellow. He knows I hate crowds, crowds, people pushing, and getting in my way. All the noise of people talking, and shouting. I hate them so much… but I’ll show them, I’ll show that ghost fellow as well. I’ll fool them, I’ll fool them all, I’ll except the ghost challenge, I’ll be their in the central arcade, and the ghost will know that I was there, the hole world will know.” As this mad man laughed to him self no one heard his mumbling as he walked down the street. Else where the police chief stood in his office pacing as he thought about what was coming later that evening. After a few minutes Detective Lupe ran into his office bringing a smile to the chief’s face.

“Your orders have been carried out chief.”

“Good, there better not be any slip ups.”

“200 patrolman are stationed in the neighborhood of the central arcade, 50 picked officers, and bomb squad members, in plain cloths will be going through the crowd, if there is a crowd.”

“They’ll be a mob after the publicity, if I could get my hands on the ghost I would ring his neck for this.” just then the phone started to ring and both adults looked at it.

“Do you want me to take that call sir?”

“No I’ve been waiting for this, and if it’s who I think it is.” As the Chief of police picked up the phone he couldn’t hear anything on the other end of the line. “HELLO!”

“Hello chief.” it was the ghost on the other end of the line and the chief’s grip tightened around the phone.

“Listen to me Ghost.”

“NO Chief you listen to me.” The voice was cold and harsh, with a faint growl behind it. It sent chills down the chiefs back and mad his hand start to shake slightly.

“I’m listening.” Lupe was surprised, she had never seen the chief back down before. “Quick Lupe trace this call.”

“That wont do you any good chief you can’t trace this call. I’ve tapped a line, just like I tapped the speaker system last night.”

“You’re a fool ghost, you’ve just sent hundreds of people to their deaths.”

“Nothing will happen as long as you do as I tell you.”

“I don’t take orders from you ghost, your not running the police department.”

“I’m not giving orders, but I need your help. Just do one thing for me and you, not the ghost, will get the credit for capturing this mad bomber.”

“Really?… Well what do you want?”

“Just keep the crowd moving through that narrow arcade, keep them moving, everything depends on that.”

“What are you trying to do ghost?”

“Trying to find a needle in a haystack.”

“You don’t have a chance, the maniac wont come.”

“You over look that a dare is a power physiological magnet, that no egotistical crazed mind can resist, just keep that crowd moving chief and you’ll get your credit.”

“Wait ghost.” before the chief could say anything else the line was dead, and after a few minutes he slammed the receiver down on the phone and turned to Lupe. “Alright, I don’t know what this nut is up to but he wants us to make sure that the crowd keeps moving, so that’s what we’re going to do, inform all the officers that they have to keep the crowd moving no matter what.” Later that evening around 5:58 the chief and Lupe stood at the entrance of the arcade to make sure the crowd kept moving through

“Well sir you where correct it’s a mob alright, but at least the time is almost up.” Lupe pointed out as she looked at the chief hopping that it would help calm his nerves slightly.

“Yes, 2 minutes to six… This has been the longest hour of my life.”

“Can you believe how many people flocked here on the off chance that they would see someone get blown to bits?… and all the while watching one another like a bunch of hawks. This mad man has turned are citizens into a bunch of savages.”

“Don’t speak so harshly detective, these people are scared, and when a person is scared they’ll do funny things.” just then a clock chimed and a smile crossed the Chiefs’ face.

“Well the time’s up chief.”

“Thank heavens.”

“Any orders sir?”

“Just keep the men on duty until this crowd thins out, I’ll be going home now.”

“CHIEF!” an officer yelled out as he ran up to the chief of police. “Sir look it’s from the bomber.” the officer reported as he held up a piece of paper.

“Where did you get this?”

“From inside the arcade sir the bomber must have dropped it.” As the chief took the piece of paper he opened it up and started to read the note inside.

“Tell the ghost that I’ll kill a lot more people a 11 o’clock night.” an hour later as Rebecca just finished putting Molly to bed she had a surprised visitor on her balcony. As she walked out and looked at Shade she could see him looking out at the city.

“Shade?” Shade turned his head and looked at Rebecca.

“I’ve come here to request that you don’t go out tonight, and to keep your loved ones close.” as Rebecca listen to Shade’s dire warning she nodded.

“So I take it you know who this mad bomber is.” Shade turned, and looked out at the city.

“I do.”

“Have you told the police yet?”

“Ma-am this man is unstable, if I notify the police and they bungle things half the city could go up in flames… This is something I have to do alone.”

“But Shade you just said he was unstable, you might fail, he might kill you.”

“I wont fail, I can’t. The people of this city put their trust in me to capture this mad man, and I can’t let them down. Besides if I should fail it’s better if only I die than more officers of the law.” Rebecca opened her mouth in protest but stopped as she realized why Shade had come that night.

“You don’t think you can beat him do you?” Shade lowered his head, and smiled as he turned it towards Rebecca.

“You can see right through me can’t you madam.”

“So then tell me why you’ve come. If you think I’m going to say go ahead, your sadly mistaken, because I’m not going to, in fact if it wasn’t for the fact that I think you might jump off this balcony I would run up and tackle you to make sure you couldn’t go.” Shade’s smile only brightened slightly, as he walked up towards Rebecca.

“I just wanted to see you for some reason, I really don’t know why, I just wanted to see you.” with that Shade smiled, and then locked eyes with Rebecca for a moment before he vanished from her sight.

“Shade where did you go?” Rebecca asked, as she started to look around, while Shade walked away from her. As the bell to the elevator sounded Rebecca ran to it in just enough time to see the doors shut with Shade inside. “Why did you come here?” Else where two officer patrolled the streets looking for anyone that looked out of the ordinary.

“Heads up Frank here comes the chiefs car.”

“Yeah he’s plenty worried about this mad man’s threat to blow up another batch of people at 11 tonight. Although they’ll have a heck of a time trying since the Chief set that curfew anyone on the streets right now we’re supposed to bring in unless they have a good excuse.” As the patrol car drove past the two officers waved. “Hey speaking of people out on the streets here comes a guy now.” As a Raccoon walked forward humming a little melody. “Hey you!”

“M-me?” the Raccoon turned and looked at the two officers.

“Yeah you, where do you think your going?”

“Me, why I’m going to work.”

“Yeah? What do you do?”

“I’m a night watchman, I have to go to work”

“Yeah, what do you watch? Where do you work?” The raccoon laughed slightly as he looked at the officer.

“I watch things in the ground, down there.” the officers turned to look at what the raccoon was pointing at, an entrance to a subway that was under construction.

“I get it Frank he’s the night watchman for that new subway that the city is building.”

“Well all right, get on with you get with your watching.”

“Thank you sir, Joe is waiting for me so he can go home.” as the raccoon waved goodbye he made his way down the subway stairs. As he reached his office the raccoon smiled as he patter a badger on the back and smile. “Time to go home Joe.”

“Alright, have a good night Oswald.”

“Thanks Joe.” As Joe went up the steps Oswald closed the door to the office and smiled slightly. “All those people up there, always pushing, pushing me. But I’ll show them, I’ll fix them good, I’ll kill them. That Ghost fellow I’ll show him as well.”

“Please do Oswald.” the voice came from all around and Oswald looked around trying to find where it came from.

“Who’s there?”

“Do you hear my voice Oswald?”

“Sure, sure I hear your voice, I always hear voices, up on the surface, in the dark, and down here where I work.”

“Yes but you’ve never heard my voice before have you.”

“No, no I can’t say that I have. What’s different about your voice?”

“I can be everywhere, and yet nowhere. I can be physical, or spiritual. I can be protective or horrifying. I am the ghost Oswald, and the people of this city have asked me to bring you to justice.” as Oswald listened he kept turning around trying to find anything that he could see.

“H-how did you know it was me?”

“I spotted you as you went through the crowd of the central arcade.”

“How did you know I was the one?”

“Your eyes showed my Oswald, I knew then how much you hate crowds.”

“My eyes showed you?”

“Yes Oswald, your eyes are the windows into your soul, and once I was able to look into your soul it all became very clear to me.”

“But how did you know where I worked.”

“Your soul is like a book Oswald, once I was able to read your soul I knew everything about you, even where you keep your explosives.” with that Oswald turned to his locker, as he walked up to it he grabbed the handle. “I wouldn’t open that door Oswald, your not going to like what you see.”

“Well your not me.” with that Oswald flung the door of the locker open only to freeze after looking into Shade’s eyes.

“I warned you that you wouldn’t like what you saw.” Shade said, as he kept his eyes locked with Oswald. “Now listen very carefully Oswald, there is going to be a group of police officers at the end of the street ten minutes before 11, your going to walk up to them holding one of your bombs, do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good, now your going to remain in this position until 15 minutes to 11, is that understood?”

“Yes.”

“Only to the chief of police, and the mayor will you ever reveal what has transpired here tonight, understood?”

“Yes” with that Shade broke eye contact, and walked out of the office. When the time came Oswald did as he was commanded, at the end of the street a group of cops stood around a squad car looking around.

“So Chief what are we looking for?”

“Just keep looking, he… I mean I have a hunch.” with that the Chief looked past the officer and could see Oswald walking towards them holding something. “Who’s that, what are they caring?” As Oswald got closer the chief’s eyes widened as he could clearly see what the raccoon was holding in his arms. “DYNAMITE!! GRAB HIM!!” as the officers tackled Oswald and got the explosives away from him the Chief walked up and looked at the raccoon.

“Let go of me I have to get rid of the crowds, I have to destroy them, I have to blow them up.” Oswald ranted on as the officer put the cuffs on him and hauled him away.

“What in the world would make him think he could just walk right up to us?” an officer asked, as he looked at the Chief.

“I don’t know, but take this, and make sure that he doesn’t get away.” with that the chief handed the bomb to the officer and watched his man leave. Once he was sure he was alone the chief started to look around not able to see a “I know you’re here, some where.” the chief went around in circles in the street, leaving no stone unturned as he tried to find Shade.

“Looking for something chief?” as the chief turned around he looked up and saw Shade standing across the street.

“Rather risky move you played, care to fill me in on how he did it?”

“Oswald can fill you in on how he did it, but his weapon of choice was being provided by the city.”

“I see.” the Chief looked up at the night sky and then back at Shade. “You know a lot of people in this city want me to bring you in.”

“I know.”

“And you are breaking the law at certain times when you rough up some of the criminals your bring in.”

“I know that as well.”

“but the funny thing is, I can never catch you.”

“I’m not to sure about that part sir.” The chief smiled slightly as he looked at Shade.

“I love this city ghost, I grew up here and swore to do what ever it took to clean up the streets and make it safe enough that people could leave their doors unlocked, and not worry about people stealing their belonging. But becoming a cop I’ve found that very hard to do, my officers have become jokes to the underworld crime bosses, and most of them I don’t even know if I can trust them fully.”

“Because I brought down a few of them being paid under the table to turn the other way.”

“That’s right, but you’ve given the underworld something to be scared of, we’ve actually had a few people that was broken out of jail by your imposter turn their selves in when they heard you had returned and wasn’t playing around.”

“Chief as much as I admire your hard work in protecting this city, among several others in your office, I must cut this short there is still plenty of night left and I still need to make my rounds.”

“Alright I understand, but let me say this. I don’t like your methods Ghost, but they get the job done, keep it clean, take no lives, and I’ll hold my men back from coming after you. That’s the only kind of deal I can give you.”

“I’ll do my best to help clean up our city chief, but the streets are turning into a battle field, that break out let loose some of Cape Suzettes most dangerous criminal master minds, so it’s going to be hard going for a while.”

“I guess I don’t have to warn you about that then.”

“I do however require something from you.” The chief crossed his arms and looked at Shade with a smirk.

“And that would be?”

“I need a list of criminals from your maximum security section of the prison that the break out was at.”

“Plan to take down the heads of the new underworld?” Shade didn’t answer the question he just smiled and vanished from sight. “WAIT!” there was no response and the chief found him self standing in the street alone.

(Case 3: Special delivery.)

After the capture of Oswald the city seem to go back to normal after a few weeks it was like nothing changed, As people carried on their normal lives in the city at Higher for hire things seem to be busy like always. At the Cape Suzette airport a passenger plane landed, as guest started to come off the plane a Tigress walked off the plane, holding her daughter who was fast asleep.

“Sheila honey let me hold Tiffany.”

“Oh thank you Kevin.” as soon as the tigress handed her daughter over to her husband a man ran up dressed as a ground crew member and put a gun to the woman’s head.

“Alright no body move and the dame don’t get hurt, Tell Shere Kahn that if he wants to see his sister alive again, He’ll pay the ransom of three million dollars by noon tomorrow and *SWACK!* OW!!” the kidnapper dropped his gun when a small cog hit his hand, as he turned to see who threw it he couldn’t see anyone in the direction the cog came from. “WHO DID THAT!?!” the mans loud voice woke the sleeping child. As the little girl looked around, and saw her mother being hostage, she reached out to her not wanting to loose her.

“MOMMY!!” Sheila looked at her daughter’s scared little face and smiled bravely for her.

“Don’t worry sweetie Mommy is O.K. and we’ll be together soon enough.” the kidnapper’s now throbbing hand wrapped around the woman’s throat as he slowly started to back away.

“I’m warning who ever threw that junk at me, try anything else and I’ll break this woman’s neck.” just then a small dart stuck the man’s hand causing him to scream out as he pulled the small dart from it but soon found himself swooning. “You rotten punk where are you, come out here and fight like a man.” before the man could say anything else he fell to his knees still trying to hold onto the woman only to be kicked in the face by her. As she ran to her husband the family held each other close as the security members ran up and put the man in cuffs.

“LOOK OVER THERE!” someone yelled, getting everyone to turn and look in the direction they were pointing, only to see a figure standing on some shipping crates a few feet away. “IT’S HIM, IT’S THE GHOST!!” another spectator yelled, and the family looked on only to watch Shade vanish in a cloud of smoke.

“Ghost.” the sound of panic was clear in the little girl’s voice as Sheila took her back into her arms.

“Don’t worry honey that was a good ghost a really good ghost... This ghost is like Danger Woman.” with that the little girl looked up at her mother and sniffled a few times.

“Really?”

“Really, now come on let’s go give your uncle a big surprise.” with that the little girl smile lit up her face getting her mother to give her another hug. While her father watched as the kidnapper was put into the back of a squad car and he clinched his fist in anger. An hour later Shere Kahn sat at his desk looking over several reports when he heard the sound of his Elevator door opening, as he looked up he saw no one in the elevator.

“I must remember to get that checked.” Kahn said, as he turned around in his chair and started to read his reports again until he heard a faint giggling sound. As he turned back around he still saw no one in the room. “Who’s ever in here show your selves or I call security to find you.” Kahn warned as he stood up and walked out from behind his desk and started to walk towards the elevator. Just as he reached the doors of the Elevator a small figure ran out from the shadows and latched onto his right leg giggling. As Kahn looked down he saw a young tigress looking up at him smiling. “tiffany my dear child.” Kahn reached down and picked up the little girl and smiled as he tossed her into the air and caught her.

“Again uncy She-She again.” Kahn smiled at the little girl and watched at the elevator doors opened once more and saw his sister, and brother in law.

“Sheila, Anthony it’s been ages please come in and make your self at home.” Shere Kahn was a cold business man, but when it came to his sister and his niece he would give up the world to make them happy, they were the only two people aside from his own parents, and one other, that he cared about in the world and he would do anything for them.

“Can I play with your plants uncle She-She?”

“Tiffany what did I tell you about the plants.” Sheila scolded her daughter as she gave her a stern look.

“That their not play things, but their so much fun.” Shere Kahn smiled at his niece, she brought a ray sun shine into his cool business man heart. As Sheila looked at her brother she smiled warmly at him, as she walked up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Been to long little brother.” with that Shere Kahn set his niece on the floor and let her go play with him planets, he was rather amazed by how the plants reacted to his niece but smiled as it seemed the planets meant her no threat as they seem to play with Tiffany. “Let me tell you about our trip.” As Shere Kahn walked with his sister back to his desk he noticed the plants once again they seem to be looking at his brother in-law as if they were ready to strike at him. “So I’ve already got to seen your ghost.” Sheila said, as she looked at her brother.

“Is that so, how did you come to see him?” Shere Kahn asked, as he smiled at his sister.

“Well I nearly got kidnapped today.” these words got Shere Kahn’s head to snap at his sister with a mixture of surprise and hate. “Don’t worry little brother the ghost saved me, and my attacker has been arrested, he was just trying to get you to pay a three million dollar ransom.” Sheila could see that her brother was angry and smiled slightly as she patted his shoulder. “It’s alright little brother, I’m sure it wont happen again.”

“Your correct in that, I’ll have some of my best men following you everywhere you go, it most certainly won’t happen again.” At the prospect of being followed around Sheila scowled at her brother.

“You’ll do no such thing, I’m not some kitten that needs constant protection, and if I so much as think you sent person to follow me I’ll tie your tail into a knot.” Sheila warned as she waved a finger in Kahn’s face. Kahn nodded a few times and then looked into his sisters’ eyes and smiled.

“OW! You stupid over grown salad.” both Shere Kahn and Sheila Kahn turned and looked at Sheila’s husband.

“Kevin what is it?” Sheila asked, as she walked up and looked at her husband’s hand, that he was rubbing.

“Dumb plant, I just reached down to pick up Tiffany and it smacked my hand with one of it’s vines.” Kevin turn his attention to Shere Kahn. “You should get ride of these monstrous things, if they attack people like this they could be dangerous to people… I have half a mind to sue for this attack.” Kevin threatened as he looked at Kahn only to get his ear tugged by Sheila.

“Don’t be so dramatic Kevin it’s not even a flesh womb, just a little red.” with that Kevin nodded while Sheila kept tugging on his ear. “Now let’s head to are hotel, and get some rest.” Sheila released her husband and then turned back to her brother and smiled. “I wish we could have spent a little more time but we should be getting some rest.” with those words Sheila picked up her daughter who was holding onto one of the plant vines.

“Aaaahhh, but I want to play with the plant some more.” As Tiffany looked at her mom with big eyes and a quivering lower lip Shere Kahn put a hand on his sister’s shoulder and smiled.

“If Tiffany wishes to stay I don’t mind.” Sheila looked at her brother then back at her daughter and smiled softly.

“Alright young lady, if I let you stay here you have to listen to your uncle, and Shere if she miss behaves you have my permission to discipline her as you see fit.” with that Sheila handed her daughter over to Shere Kahn who only smiled at his niece.

“I’m sure I can handle my spirited little niece.”

“Don’t worry mommy I’ll be extra specially good for uncle She-she.” with that Sheila smiled and gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead and smiled.

“I’m sure you will honey.” As Sheila and Kevin left Shere Khan smiled at his niece as he watched her go back to play with the plants.

Else where in the city, at Higher for hire Rebecca smiled as she looked through several magazines and planners while at the same time crunching numbers, a wedding was something very special but it was also something very expensive. “I can’t believe this is happening.” Rebecca said, as big smile crossed her face.

“Mommy look.” Rebecca looked up at her daughter and smiled as the little girl sat on Baloo’s lap with several bits of streamers decorating her hair. “Don’t I look pretty?”

“You always do honey.” Rebecca said, as she looked at Molly while Baloo started to tickle her. “Oh it’s almost time.” Rebecca said as she looked at her watch.

“For danger woman?” Molly asked, as she watched her mother mess with the radio.

“No sweetie this is a different radio program.”

“But Becky it’s only 2 in the afternoon they don’t start airing radio programs until around 3.”

“This is a special one.”

“From the darkness he comes, the guardian of the night.” the announcer started the show and Baloo raised and eyebrow.

“I am the spirit of the city, and her people cry out for justice.” Baloo’s face went lax as he turned to Rebecca.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Baloo hush.”

“A man with no fear, and no name. A lone protector of the night sworn to uphold truth justice and the Usland way of life, he is the Wraith.” as the announcer finished, Baloo just shook his head again. As they listened to the radio program Baloo chuckled a few times on how wrong they had Shade pegged. When it was over he looked at Rebecca who had an almost amused look on her face.

“Wow they really have it all wrong if their trying to base that off Shade.” As they laughed slightly Baloo chuckled as he looked at Molly and started to tickle her.

“I like danger woman more.” Molly said, between laughs as she looked at Baloo.

“Me to pig tails.” Just then Kit walked in and smiled at the group. “Hey Li’l britches where you been?”

“Just around pa-pa bear.”

“Alright, hey how would you two like some Frosty pep.”

“Oh yes please daddy can we.” Molly said, as she looked up at Baloo getting the big bear to smile and give the little girl a hug.

“Yes you may.” Rebecca said, as she got up and walked over to Kit and gave him 5 dollars. “Keep and eye on your little sister Kit.”

“Yes ma-am.” Kit said proudly as he walked over to Baloo and let Molly jump on his back. “See you later.” Kit said, as he ran out of the office with Molly laughing on his back.

“Those two go together like peas in a pod.” Baloo said, as he walked up behind Rebecca and the two watched as the children went down the street heading for the ice cream shop.” Rebecca smiled as she looked up at Baloo, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “What was that for?”

“For being you.” with that Rebecca walked back to her desk leaving Baloo smiling as he rubbed his cheek.

“You do remember that in 3 weeks me and Molly have to be moved out of are apartment and into are new home right Baloo?” Baloo looked at Rebecca and slapped his forehead.

“Ah man, all that heavy lifting, my back is already hurting me.”

“Well it’s cheaper to own a home then to rent an apartment.”

“But why can’t we just live here, I mean it’s not like we don’t have the room.”

“Yes but we can’t really have Kit and Molly sharing a room as they get older, we need more room, and the house I found is perfect for are needs. Close to higher for hire, good neighborhood, and able to keep Kit in his school so he isn’t going to loose his friends. It’s just a little fixer upper.”

“Fixer upper? Wait how much work does this place need?”

“Not that much really, besides I can do a lot of it, I fixed this place up didn’t I.”

“Hey my place wasn’t that bad.” Rebecca looked at Baloo with a smirk on her face and he looked away whistling since he knew that higher for hire was in rather bad shape.

“Besides with the money that we made from the Thembrian trip we can afford it.”

“Yeah but if it wasn’t for Shade I don’t think we would be here talking about how we are going to spend that small fortune.” At the mention of Shade, Rebecca got a little quite as she started to think about the last time she and Baloo had seen the young hero.

“I wonder what he’s doing right now?” Rebecca asked, as she started to tap her pencil.

“Who knows with that kid, last thing we heard was when that bomber got captured, first the report was that the police captured him, then the chief of police came out and said that Shade helped with the capture.”

“I know, I just wish he would stop.”

“Yeah well it doesn’t help that the police turn to him, or the fact that a lot of the people in the city want the ghost to stay. Becky I hate to admit this but we’ve seen first hand that Shade can handle himself, maybe… maybe it’s in his nature to be like this, maybe this is his role in life.” Rebecca looked at Baloo in a mixture of shock and amazement.

“Baloo I never thought I would hear you say such a thing, we both know that this is no life for a child, and we know that if he doesn’t stop sooner or later he’s going to get himself killed.”

“I know Becky, and I would hate to see the kid get hurt, but we’ve tried to stop him, we tried to show him what it’s like to have a family, and we took him on that little vacation, but every time we try and take him away from that life something happens that pulls him back in, maybe he was meant to do this.” Rebecca looked at Baloo and shook her head.

“I wont believe that Baloo, I can’t believe that.” Baloo walked up to Rebecca seeing that this conversation was upsetting her as he knelt down next to her.

“You really care about that boy don’t you.” Rebecca lowered her head, and Baloo could see a few tears role down her face.

“He’s done so much for us, and the city. Now he’s facing worst things then before, and that group of people that are against him are slowly starting to get people to join them, they’re turning the city Shade is working so hard for against him, and I’m scared that when enough of the city turns against him that he’s going to get hurt and find himself alone in the dark.” Baloo put an arm around Rebecca and pulled her close.

“This isn’t really about Shade is it, it never has been. You still see Shade as Kit’s other half.” Rebecca looked at Baloo for a minute and then smiled slightly. “You told me on the first night that you thought Shade is what Kit might have turned out if he didn’t find us, and since then that’s what you’ve been seeing him as. All those times that you’ve looked at Shade you always saw are son and what he might have been if he didn’t come into are lives.” Rebecca nodded slightly and Baloo gave her a hug to calm her nerves. “Listen to me Beckers, Kit is safe and sound we’re going to be a family soon. We tried to help Shade we really did, but things just kept happening that kept getting him to fight, it’s just not meant for us to keep him from this, we just have to except that.” Rebecca closed her eyes on Baloo’s shoulder, for some reason she knew Baloo was right about this, but her heart kept wanting to try. Later that night, in another part of the city, three men stopped on the bridge just in front of Rebecca’s apartment complex, as they looked around to make sure no one was around, they then opened the truck of the car to a man weasel tied up and gagged. “Really shouldn’t have skimmed off the top Bruce, boss wasn’t to happy about it when he found out.” a hound dog said as he pulled the gage off the weasel.

“Come on Bruno it was only a few bucks let me talk with the boss again, please I swear I’ll never do it again.”

“Your right about that Bruce, after this you aren’t going to be doing a hole lot of anything.” with that Bruno reached for his gun only to find it missing. “What the?… Hey one of you two give me your guns, I must have left mine back at the office.” As Bruno watched the other two reach for their guns and come up empty handed, he felt a cold chill creep up his spin.

“Over been a bad boy Bruno.” a voice from nowhere said, as Bruno spun around and looked for who was speaking.

“WHO SAID THAT!?”

“Call me a concerned citizen.”

“Yeah well this has nothing concerning you, so why don’t you just mind your own business.” Just then two darts hit Bruno’s partners in the chest in plain site of Bruno, so that he could watch both of them fall to the ground asleep.

“When you pump poison into the streets of my fair city, you make it my business, the people cry out for justice as they watch their loved ones waist away in hospital beds thanks to your poisons.”

“Hey they made their choice it’s not my problem.”

“Wrong answer.” Bruno felt a sharp sting in his right knee bringing him to the ground as he looked down he found a sharpened cog sticking out of it. “You help push the poison, you teach your dealers to promise heaven on earth, but what you don’t tell them is the drug will cost them more than just their money, and today when I caught one of them pushing to little kids that was the final straw.”

“So what, get them hooked when their young, makes them clients for life.” Bruno hissed out as he pulled the cog out of his knee and threw away.

“Wrong answer.” this time Bruno felt the sharp pain in his back two separate times. “Let’s see you pull those at big man.”

“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!”

“Many people have tired, people a lot better then you.”

“SHOW YOUR SELF BLAST YOU!”

“Look up Bruno.” Bruno looked up and standing on top of the car was the ghost looking down on him.

“YOU!!… WHEN I GET AHOLD OF YOU…”

“Your going to kill me yes I know, but look in front of you Bruno your gun is sitting right in front of you.” Bruno looked in front of him and grabbed his gun laying on the ground emptying it towards the ghost only to watch as the bullets passed through him. “If you are quite finished, I want answers.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Improvable maybe, impossible not so much, at least not for a ghost, now for the answers I want.”

“I aint telling you anything.“ Shade walked down from the top of the car as if he was walking down invisible steps until he came to a stop in front of Bruno.

“That’s a real shame Bruno, I really wanted to show you some kind of compassion, you know that stuff you don’t show your victims, but since you want to do this the hard way I have no problem doing that ether.” with that Shade grabbed Bruno’s head and after a few minutes got Bruno to start screaming until he let go. “Thank you Bruno you’ve been most helpful with the information you had.” with that Shade vanished into nothingness. After a few minutes Bruno found himself waking up on the police station roof top, alone in the dark, as he started to look around, he checked his knee there was nothing there, no bandage, no mark what so ever, he checked his back again nothing. As he stood up he couldn’t figure out what had just happened, until he looked across the street to another roof top, Shade was looking at him. “Again thanks for the information Bruno, it will be very helpful even if it was very little. Now turn your self into the police.” the words echoed in his head and he found himself turning around and heading inside the police station, once he walked up to the front desk he started to confess every miss deed he had done, right in front of every cop in the station. While Shade went off on his own running along the roof tops. His shadow skill control was getting stronger, but he had to always remember to be careful of how he used it. It put allot of strain on a part of the mind that most people don’t use, and to use it for to long, or to often, could kill him, but since he had relearned how to use this art not only has it aided him in his goal to protect the people of Cape Suzette, it also put a deeper fear into the underworld. As the stories of the mental scenes, like the one he had just played out in Bruno’s mind, had been getting passed on. As he made his way to one roof top he smiled as he landed in front of the chief of police who was dressed in a trench coat waiting for him.

“I take it that you had something to do with that call I got on my radio.” the chief said, as he looked at Shade.

“I did.” Shade kept his distance and kept eye contact with the chief just incase, but mostly trusted the man.

“Alright, I got what you asked for, these are copies of the files on the people that escaped from that certain part of the jail, though I don’t know what your going to do against them, are informants tells us that their not in the city anymore.” Shade nodded, as he took a file from the chief, and turned to leave. “Hey.” Shade turned again, and looked at the chief. “Don’t think this is going to say I like having you working with us or anything, but take this.” with that the chief tossed Shade a box, inside of it was a watch. “State of the art, at least that’s what Kahn industries says, small two way radio, most of my detectives have them, this one was made special only talks to this one.” the chief said, as he showed a red version of the watch on his wrist. “If you find something that you think your going to need are help with you call us, and don’t you dare go rouge on me, remember we’re working together to clean up these street.”

“Understood chief, and the same thing goes for you, one of your agents get in to deep you call me and I’ll see what I can do to get them out of it.” the two looked at one another for several moments as if understand what each other was thinking but with out saying a word.

“Alright, better get back to the station before they start thinking I was shot.”

“Anything you say Baldwin.” with that Shade vanished in a cloud of smoke, but as the Chief turned to leave he stopped as he realized that Shade had just called him by his first name.

“Hold on… wait a minute… where are you? HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME!?” there was no answer to these questions as the Chief started to look around for Shade. An hour later Shade stood in his lair, and opened the file. As Shade looked over the file he started to tape the pictures of the criminals on a board.

“MacNee, Daring Dan Dawson, Heimlich Menudo, Owl Capone, Cold Hands Luke, Muffy and Buffy Vanderschmere, Ivan Bushkin, Nate Palm, and Savitar.” As Shade looked over the pictures he flipped through the files and read up on each criminal. “Alright from con artist to master minds, seems like an interesting group of rouges, Although this one is going to be my first target, if nothing else get’s in my way.” Shade took down a picture of a black cat and held up the person’s file. “Savitar, real name unknown, arrested in connection with several burgleries ranging from musiems to personal homes, master of manipulation. Little help that does me, to Manipulate something could mean manythings, but those eyes, something about those eyes tells me this one might be the one that gives me the most trouble out of this lot.” As Shade sat down and started to read up on his first target he kept his wrist watch radio close so that just incase something came up he would be able to respond.

The next day as Kit was delivering packages he smiled happily knowing that in a few more days at the job he would have enough money to buy Rebecca and Baloo the wedding gift he had been saving up for, As he started to think about what their reaction might be he didn’t notice the delivery biker heading right for him, by the time he did he was knocked to the ground and the loaf of bread went flying, hitting a set of steps breaking the package loaf open. As Kit ran up and looked at the package. Mr. Croc is going to fire me for sure.” As Kit picked up the broken loaf he noticed something sticking out from it, as he dug for the strange item he pulled out a small vile with a fine red powder inside of it. “Oh my gosh.” Kit quickly pocketed the vile and ran towards the police station. ’let see how Shade likes it when I’m the hero.’ As Kit made it into the police station he snuck past the front desk and made his way to the chief of police’s office. “Uh, sir?” As the chief looked up he looked at kit with a rather puzzled look on his face.

“How can I help you son?”

“Sir my name is Kit Cloudkicker, I’ve been working for this bakery for a while, delivering goods, but today I nearly got ran over and the loaf of bread I was holding broke, and inside I found this.” with that Kit pulled out the small vile getting the chief’s attention. As the chief took the vile he looked at it for a few seconds then smiled.

“Kiddo you just gave us the break we need in this drug case.” Kit smiled proudly as he knew he had just beaten Shade to punch. “Alright I’m going to need you to help with a little sting operation.”

“Anything you say sir.”

“Great… LUPE, O’HARE GET IN HERE!” After only a few seconds Lupe and her partner O’Hare was standing in the chiefs office and was getting briefed on a plan to bust the bakery. Later back at the bakery, one of the goons set the phone down and looked at their boss.

“Hey boss, I just got of the phone with the guy we sent the package to 2 hours ago, he says it hasn’t shown up yet.” Croc slammed his fist on the counter as he looked at the goon that informed him of this. “Little brat, he better not be trying anything funny.”

“But what if he is boss, what if he’s on to us?”

“Then we’ll make him sorry.” After a few more minutes Kit walked into the bakery and smiled.

“Hey guys anymore deliveries today?” Kit asked, as he walked up to Croc.

“Why don’t you tell us what you did with the last one.” Croc asked, as he motioned for Kit to come close.

“What are you talking about, I took it to the address you gave me.”

“Yeah then explain why we just got a call from them saying you never showed up.”

“I don’t know, maybe they’re trying to pull a fast one, and get you to send them more bread.” Kit responded and Croc leaned back in his chair slightly and nodded.

“You got a point kid, alright just sit at the counter for now we might have something come up later.” with that Croc stood up and headed for the back room, after a few minutes he came back and clapped a hand on Kit’s shoulder. “You really shouldn’t have lied to me kid.” with that Croc grabbed on of Kit’s arms and pulled him into the back room where kit was able to see inside the bakers over was two white hot pokers. “Those goons I sent you to have been working for me for years, and they aren’t dumb enough o try and pull a fast one like you suggest, what I’m betting is that you found that vile inside the bread and stole it, so now your going to tell me where it is… Frank hold the brat.” with that Croc tossed kit to the baker who held both his arms and waited for Croc to grab one of the hot pokers. “Alright kid start talking or I start drawing on your flesh with this.” Kit eyes where fixed on the poker, and gulped slightly knowing that if he told Croc the truth that he was as good as dead. Just then the back door was kicked in by the chief of police his gun drawn and pointed to the goons.

“Drop it Croc, harm one hair on that boys head and I’ll pump you full of lead.” with that Croc dropped the iron and raised his hands. “You let the kid go.” Frank released Kit, and raised his hands.

“Come on chief I’m sure we can come to some sort of understanding.” Croc said, as he stepped beside Frank.

“I understand that your going up the river for a long time Croc.”

“Sorry to hear that chief.” The lights go out in the room a single shot is fired, followed by something hitting the floor with a faint thud, by the time Lupe, and O’Hare, make it into the room and turn on the lights. Kit stood over the Chief’s body a gun nearby and no one else was in the room.

“They shot him, Croc and frank shot the chief of police.” Kit exclaimed as he looked at Lupe, who moved over to the chief and checked for a pulse.

“O’Hare call for an ambulance.” with that O’Hare nodded and quickly ran out of the room. “Don’t worry kid, he’s going to be alright, the chief is to stubborn to die. When the ambulance arrived Lupe sent O’Hare with Kit and the chief to the hospital to get Kit checked out while another officer helped her with bagging evedance. A few hours later Kit sat in the chiefs hospital room, looking at him laying in the bed motionless.

“H-how does he do it?” Kit asked, as he thought back to how his heart was racing as that hot poker came close to burning him. “How does Shade do it.” just then Lupe walked into the room and pulled a chair up close to Kit and O’Hare stood next to the door preventing anyone from entering, or leaving.

“Kid I need to ask you some questions on what happened.” Lupe said, as she seemed to be having trouble with her words, something was bothering her and Kit could tell. “From the top what happened in that room?”

“I was being held by Frank, one of Croc’s goons, Croc was about to burn me with a hot poker unless I told him where that vile I gave you was, I can still feel the heat from that thing, But just before Croc could burn me, the Chief kicked in the door and ordered Croc and Frank to let me go, Croc tried to bribe the chief and when he refused the lights went out, a shot was fired and after a few minutes you two came in, Croc and Frank where long gone.” Kit was still visibly shaken by the hole ordeal. “He stepped in to help me, and now the docs are saying that his chances aren’t good.” Lupe looked at Kit for a few minutes and then turned to O’Hare.

“Kit there was a gun at the crime scene, it had one empty shell and was recently fired. I need you to think carefully the shot that was fired what direction did it come from.”

“It sounded pretty close to me ma-am.”

“Alright, now think careful Kit this is very important, did you have anything in your hands at the time the shot was fired, did anyone force anything into your hands.” Kit thought carefully for a few minutes.

“When the lights went out, it seemed like somebody did put something in my hand.” with that Lupe nodded a few times and then looked at O’Hare.

“Kit we have a problem.” with that Lupe pulled a gun out wrapped in a plastic bag. “This is the only firearm found at the scene, and it only has one set of finger prints on it, and those belong to you.”

“ME!?”

“And as you said it only took me and O’Hare a few minutes to get into the room which didn’t give anyone enough time to get out of the room, Kit you where the only one in that room with the chief.” the shock hit Kit like a ton of bricks, he didn’t know what transpired next his head was nothing more then a haze, the only thing he knew was that when his head cleared enough he was in a small room at the police station, he could hear voices behind the door. As the door was unlocked and opened the first one to come in was Rebecca who ran up and hugged Kit, followed by Baloo.

“Kit sweetie I’m so happy your alright, when detective Lupe called us and told us what happened we rushed over here as fast as he could.” just then the door shut and the 3 turned and looked at Lupe who sat down and looked at them.

“I’m sorry to say that I have to be present for this, because of legal reasons, I’m also sad to inform you that we’ll be transferring Kit to a juvinal detention center in a few hours until his case can be heard before a judge.”

“Lupe what’s going on, please tell me.” Rebecca asked, as she looked at the detective.

“A lot of evidence is pointing towards Kit as being the shooter of the chief, but I’ll be honest with you, I still don’t think he did it.”

“Darn right my boy didn’t do it.” Baloo said, as he looked at Kit. “He’s a good kid.”

“But what I don’t understand is how did you ever get mixed up with those thugs?” Rebecca asked, as she looked at Kit.

“I was trying to earn some extra money, so I could get you two something.” Kit explained as he looked at Rebecca and tears started to form. “But now, everything is falling apart.” As Kit started to let his emotions get the better of him, Rebecca held him close and Baloo knelt down next to them and held them close.

“As I said, I don’t think Kit’s did this, and right now I’m hopping that I’m proven right, but until we bring Croc in, there is no way to prove his innocents.” with that Baloo looked at Lupe with a very determined look on his face.

“Then give me a picture of this jerk, I’ll bring him in and make him talk.” with that Lupe stood up and put a calm hand on Baloo’s shoulder.

“Listen this is a police matter, and I want you to leave it to the police to solve this case, I’ll do everything I can to help Kit but I need you to stay out of trouble, if this should go before a judge before we can catch Croc it‘ll help Kit‘s case if you two stay out of trouble.” Lupe looked at Kit and then patted him on the head. “Listen kiddo we’ll get to the bottom of this I promise.” with that Kit nodded and spent the rest of the time talking with Rebecca, and Baloo. His hopes remained high as they talked with him and told him of all the things that was going. When time came to leave Lupe looked the other way as they spent a little more time saying goodbye. As they drove off Kit watched as Rebecca held onto Baloo and waved as she started to cry, and Baloo held her close, As he lowered his head felling guilty for putting them through this Lupe looked at him and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry kid we already called ahead.”

“What they’re holding a room for me?” Kit asked, as he looked at Lupe who smirked slightly.

“No, but your also not going to juvie, if I know Croc he’s already planning on trying to take you out there, so I’m putting you in protective custody.” Kit smiled slightly as he looked at Lupe.

“So I’m going to like a safe house?”

“No… you see kiddo only the police knew about this operation, and it wasn’t known long enough for it to leak out to the news and them to print it, so that means we have a mole in are station, the only people that knows about this is me, and the person that’s going to be watching over you.” As Lupe turned the corner she looked at a dead end and smiled as she saw a figure walking out from the shadows.

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.” Kit said, as he looked at Shade dressed as the ghost. “He’s going to be keeping me safe.”

“Don’t knock it kid, this person has done a lot for this city, he’s helped us on a few bust, as well as catching that mad bomber.” Kit rubbed his hand on his face in frustration, before stepping out and walking up to Shade. “Ghost this is Kit he’s are only link to the drug lord Croc, as well as the attempt on the chiefs life.”

“You briefed me before Officer Lupe, and as I promised I’ll keep him safe.”

“Alright Ghost, but if anything should happen to him are case are shot and I’ll be coming after you.” Lupe warned and Shade nodded before stepping to one side and opening a man hole.

“Climb down.” Shade said, as he looked at Kit, who one looked down the sewer opening.

“What for?”

“To get you to a safe place, I’m not about to try and carry you there, nor do I trust to revile the secret location of my lair.” with that Kit looked at Shade and then did as he was told, only because Lupe was still standing close by. “I’ll keep him out of trouble Lupe, but I’m still going to be working on this case.” With that Shade jumped into the opening and Lupe closed the lid, once in the sewer Shade held out a blind fold to Kit.

“Not going to happen.”

“It’s ether this or I drug you, and drag you to my lair.” with that Kit looked at Shade and could tell that he was fully loaded with all his gadgets and tricks.

“Fine.” with that Kit put the blind fold on and Shade took his hand and started to lead him. The two walked for hours taking turns and climbing through things, at times Kit could almost swear he was hearing old stone passages opening and closing from movies. Until finally they came to a stop and Shade removed the blind fold.

“Make your self at home while I prepare.” Kit looked around the large area, 2 stories tall with connecting rooms.

“What is this place?”

“My lair.”

“Your lair, I meant what is this place supposed to be?”

“From what I can gather, it was meant to be a fall out shelter during the great war, or to be more persise it was meant to be a civilization rebuild shelter, it has everything needed to rebuild the city should it be destroyed, and it runs into the nearby mountains and into several other shelters, as well as a few other places.” Kit looked around the main room until he noticed what looked like a barber’s area, for some reason something was pulling him towards the area, his curiosity was slightly peaked, but as he got closer he could see what it truly was, inside a small jar with what he assumed was alcohol was small metal instruments, near that was a small metal bowl fill with bloody bandages. As Kit turned back to Shade he could see him sitting at another desk working on something, As Kit started to walk around he couldn’t shake the image of Shade being in this place alone doctoring him self.

“So what do we do now just sit here and wait?” Kit asked, as he looked at Shade, who strapped the device he was working to his wrist.

“At this point and time, it’s all we can do unless you are willing to let me see what you’ve seen.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s one of the tricks of the Shadow skills.”

“Shadow skills?”

“It’s a very ancient art of mental control, it has been handed down from shadow warrior to shadow warrior for countless ages, only a select few people of my home land where trained in the Shadow skills, once learned has many aplications, it can hipnotize, cloud one‘s mind so to confuse them and get them to do what you want, or in this case allow me to see what you‘ve seen in the forms of memory echos.” with that Kit nodded and then took a few steps forward.

“Alright I guess if this will help clear my name, but you promise all your going to be looking at are those memories.”

“You have my word, the only people I force memories from are the ones that are withholding information on cases.” with that Kit knelt down in front of Shade, and found him self looking into Shade’s eyes.

“Now I want you to think about the first day you went to work for these people.” Kit did as he was told, and after a few minutes he found himself back in the bakery with Shade standing beside him.

“This is amazing, alright let’s go look for some clues.” with that Kit ran for the door heading into the back only to slam into it a fall to the ground. “Hey what gives?”

“Not that door, this is only a memory Kit, we can only see what you saw then we can’t add or take away from it, which means the only thing we can see right now is what you saw then.” with that Kit nodded and stood up, then punched Shade in the arm.

“You couldn’t have told me that before?”

“Not really I didn’t know how much you knew of this place then. Now that I know that you only got into the front room it tells me we need to fast forward a little. We’re going to have to go through every day you worked there just so we can put this puzzle together.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well with each memory we might be able to add something to this place, like what’s behind the bar, what is Crocs dementions anything really, you see your mind noticed things that you might not have noticed even if just for a split second it would have recorded that information and that’s what we’re trying to gather.”

“Alright so let’s get started.” for half an hour the two boys worked together putting things together, piece by piece, and close to the end the front room was nearly completed. “Alright so that’s pretty much everything I know about this part of the building.”

“Alright, now let’s.” the bakery shook slightly as things started to turn a slight shade of red. “Alright we have to go now.”

“What? Why? We’re nearly done.”

“Yes but I can’t hold this for much longer I need to break the hold.” with that both boys found them selves back in the lair and Kit looked at Shade for only a few seconds before Shade fell over, blood was dripping from his eyes and nose.

“Shade what happened?” Kit asked, as he straightened Shade out and looked at him.

“To use the Shadow skills to much, causes damage, I need rest before we try again.” Shade said weakly, as he started to get up, only to stumble, and get caught by Kit.

“But why?” Kit asked, as he took Shade over to a nearby cot and put a blanket over him.

“Because if I try to soon, it’ll only make things worst.” Kit looked at Shade and then knelt down next to him.

“I meant why are you doing this for me?” Shade looked at Kit weakly, and smiled.

“Because,… because out of all the people in the city, I count you as a friend.” with that Shade placed a hand on Kit’s shoulder and smiled. “Besides if I let you get taken away for a crime you didn’t commit I’ll never earn my crime fighters license.” Kit looked at Shade, smiled slightly at the joke, and then watched as Shade closed his eyes. “Don’t leave the lair, Croc and his goon will be looking to keep you quite.” As Shade drifted off to sleep Kit started to walk around the lair, as his mind started to race with questions.

“What am I going to do if this doesn’t work? I’ll never be able to see my family, I’ll never be able to get my pilots license, and if the chief dies I might never get out of jail, my entire life is going down the toilet and the only one that can help me is Shade.” Kit stopped as he turned to Shade and looked at the sleeping child before him. “But that’s how it’s been hasn’t it, since he’s come into are lives things keep happening, trouble keeps coming up and it’s always Shade to the rescue, Molly get’s kidnapped you save her before me and Baloo could. I get drugged, you lead my parents to that island, and take some stupid test to get the cure for me risking your own life. You’ve shot down enemy planes helped keep me and Molly safe, Rebecca and Baloo love you and yet you keep trying to push them away, Rebecca would adopt you at the drop of a hat right now, heck she pretended to be your mother when those cops were about to arrest you on the Sea Duck, and it took me nearly a year to get to that point. It took me nearly a year what took you less then a few months to pull off, heck not even that. You fly a plane like an ace, Baloo wont even let me fly unless I promise only to keep the plane steady, first sign of the little rain and he takes the controls back. Everything I’ve ever wanted my entire life you’ve already got, or you could have it.” Kit said, as he turned his back on Shade, and started to walk away from the cot. “Your just a child and your better then me at everything.” Kit started to rack his brains and then turned to Shade’s workbench, then back at the sleeping pup. “If he can do it so can I.”

Kit walked over to the bench and started to look at all spare parts laying around. “Alright you can put this stuff together and make things, then I bet I can do the same, maybe even make better things.” As Kit sat down in a chair, and pulled it closer to the bench, his foot hit something under it. As he looked under the bench he found an old foot locker tucked away in the back. “I wonder what that is?” As Kit pulled the locker out he opened it up to find a bomber jacket given to Shade by the Night Witches, next to that was a black bladed sword, under these items where three books, one was about rare planets on the Cundarian Island the second was filled with rough sketched blue prints for devices that Kit had seen, or heard of, Shade using as the ghost. The final book was what caught Kit’s attention, as he picked it up it looked like some one had added pages to the book, and bound it in a red string. As Kit undid the string he opened up to the first page. As he started to read the first line Kit smirked slightly, he knew he shouldn’t be reading the book after the first line, but he couldn’t truly help himself, inside this book was the answers to Kit’s questions, to know just how Shade got to where he was now. Each page told him a little more, the years he spent in Panda-la, the take over of Wan-lo. The time he spent with the Night Witches, the things they taught him, and the day they parishes, he then read about the time Shade spent with professor Tino Insana and how the professor had taught him that knowledge was power.

As Kit read on he realized that Shade had lost everyone he cared about, how to keep their memories alive he kept doing what they had spent time teaching him. As Kit looked up at Shade still asleep he realized that all this time he thought Shade was lucky, when in fact between them he was the lucky one, he knew what it was like to grow up with out parents, and felt very lucky to find Baloo and Rebecca. He remembered what he felt like when he thought he had lost them to save their lives in pirate island, but at least they were alive. For Shade he had not only lost his parents, but had lost so many more people, and knowing that he would never be able to see them again made Kit realize just how much more painful it would have been if Baloo, Rebecca and Molly didn't make it off the island that faithful day. As Kit kept reading he was no longer looking for answers, at least not the ones he was trying to find before, now he was trying to find some way some how to help Shade. As he kept reading the book he didn’t even notice the time passing bye until he heard Shade yawn. Quickly Kit tucked the book into his pocket and pushed the foot locker under the bench. “Hey Shade, you rested up?” Shade walked up to Kit and smiled slightly.

“Yeah, hey what you doing over here?”

“Oh I thought saw something run under your bench.” Kit hated to lie to Shade, but at the same time he didn’t really know how he could tell Shade that he had been reading his journal.

“Oh, might have just been a roach, they get in once and a while through the sewer nothing to worry about.” After Shade and Kit ate some C rations the two sat down once more and entered into Kit’s memory, this time reaching the final day. “Alright so this is the room that the shooting took place.”

“Yeah.”

“Good, now let’s see what your mind saw but you didn’t.” with that Kit and Shade walked around the room looking at everything. “I think I found out how the lights got turned off.” Shade said, as he knelt down and pointed to a bulge in the carpet. “I’m going to assume that there is a switch here and is connected to the lights.”

“That’s a big if.”

“Right now it’s the if’s we have to hope for, now let’s fast forwards a little more at the point and time the light’s went out.” as the scene played out before them the second the light’s went out Shade ran over to a section of the room where there was very little light coming through. “Alright this is where they got out at.”

“What? But that’s just the light hitting the floor.”

“I would agree with you on that Kit, but look around the room it’s sealed off there is no light coming into this room. The only light coming through is at this point here, so there must be a passage in this area.”

“But how did the cops miss it?”

“We missed it as well when we looked before, the light is so faint that no one would have noticed it unless their eyes where adjusted to the dark like us right now, your mind was able to see this when you looked around in a panic like the chief did, but you didn’t notice it because your eyes where still trying to adjust. Now let’s take it very slowly forward and see at the point and time the gun fired.” As Kit nodded the two boys watched careful as if moving frame by frame on a film, when the flash from the gun happened it was only a split second, but it was all that was needed, the scene they saw was Croc holding a gun by a glove forcing it into Kit’s hand, while his partner fired a similar gun right next to Kit’s hand.

“I don’t get it, Lupe said the gun that was found only had my finger prints on it.”

“Which it does, the gun your holding is the one they have.” the gun that shot the chief is still with Croc and his goon.”

“How can you be so sure they still have it.”

“Because Croc is smart, he would hold onto the evidence that could clear you, until you where taken away just to make sure the true weapon of the crime didn’t find it’s way into police hands, then at that point he would most likely just throw it into the bay.”

“But why not just do it right away, I don’t think anyone would be looking for it.”

“He knows someone would.”

“Who?” with that Shade looked at Kit and smiled, as both boys found them selves back in Shade’s lair. Kit just looked at Shade. “What are you smiling about.”

“Croc made a big mistake.”

“What was that?”

“Gun’s none of them are perfect, they all leave clues, and the other thing guns always leave are grooves on the bullets, each gun makes different markings, their as good as finger prints and that alone is going to clear you of the shooting.”

“So I’m in the clear?”

“No, it’ll clear you of the shooting not of being in cahoots with Croc, and his thug. At this point and time your still looking at, at least two year in the detention center.”

“Oh that’s just great.”

“It will be when I’m done, but for right now sit tight while I go talk with Detective Lupe.” Kit watched and waited as Shade got dressed and left the lair, once he was sure Shade was gone Kit pulled the book out of his pocket and went to put it back in the foot locker, but stopped as he looked at it.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to find out how this book ends.” Kit said, as he flipped open the book and found the page that he had left off on. A few hours later Detective Lupe was standing in the back room of the bakery.

“Alright I’m here.” Lupe said, as she looked around only to have the lights go off. “AAAHHHH!!!!” As the lights came back on Lupe had her gun drawn and was looking around only to find Shade standing in the middle of the room. “Ghost… DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT!?”

“To show you how the lights got turned off when no one was standing by the light switch, yes.” Lupe grumble slightly as she holstered her gun.

“Could have at least warned me first.”

“True, but this was more entertaining, now for how Croc and his goon got away.” Shade walked over to where the trap door was and opened it. “this building was made during the great war, so I’m assuming that this was supposed to be away to get to a bomb shelter, or at least low enough so that the people would be protected should bombs start dropping.” Lupe walked up and looked down the hole leading into the sewer system.

“Alright so we just go down and.” Before Lupe could finished what she was saying Shade let the door shut as he looked at her.

“That wont do any good, this leads into the sewer system, to try and track them down at this point and time would be hard, and you have to stay with the chief to ensure that they don’t try and finish the job.”

“Alright, but if we can’t track them down, the kid is still in trouble, the gun still has his finger prints on it.”

“True but does the bullet match the gun, I’m going to need you to fire that gun and give me that bullet, as well as the one that was taken from the chief.” Lupe looked at Shade, she didn’t know if she could trust him with such evidence, but so far she had trusted him to this point, to catch the people that had put her chief, and friend, in the hospital fighting for his life, she had to ask her self if she was willing to trust Shade further.

“I can’t let you have the bullet removed from the chief, but I can bring it to you.”

“That will do, but I’ll still need that other bullet, to show you what I’m talking about.”

“No problem… You really think we can clear the kids name?” Shade smiled, as he looked at Lupe.

“Once I show you the evidence on those bullets, those finger prints will mean nothing, but we’ll still have to get Croc or his goon to admit to the crime.”

“So we clear the kid of attempted murder, but he’s still facing time unless we get a confession from one of those two.”

“Leave that to me.” Shade turned to the trap door but was stopped as Lupe grabbed his arm.

“Hold on, the chief has filled me in on this little deal you and him have going.” Shade pulled his arm from Lupe and smirked slightly at her.

“Oh I don’t need to kill anyone to get the confession detective, but then again there is always things far worst than death that I can inflict upon them.” before Lupe could react to Shade’s statement he opened jumped down the trap door and landed in the sewer system where he found a set of tire tracks. “Oh I just love it when they help me catch them.” As Shade followed the tracks he ran as fast as he could hopping that Croc and his goon was still close the where they might have ditched the vehicle. After an hour of following the tracks he came to a car. As he climbed up to the street he made his was along the buildings in the local area, look inside the windows, until he found the pair he was looking for.

“I have to say boss getting the kid’s hand prints on that gun was the cleverest idea you’ve come up with, what better evidence could there be?” Croc goon said, as he smiled at his boss as he stacked several bills.

“None! Absolutely none, and we can rest easy now, get a load of this. According to the hospital wounded police chief was admitted yesterday, chances on survival grim reports doctors end is near. The bullet from gun fired by 12 year old Kit Cloudkicker is cause. This is perfect it finishes off that flat foot and are worries about the brat, even if he started screaming he was innocent no one would listen, and no one will even lift a finger to help him.”

“Yeah the brat should of kept his mouth shut, good thing your informant in the police station gave you that call.”

“Yeah, but it’s to bad that we got to find a new base of operation.” Just then the window shut causing both men to jump slightly. “You idiot why didn’t you tell me the window was open, what if some one heard us?” with that the Goon ran to the window and looked outside seeing no one.

“It’s O.K. boss no one’s out there.” with that the goon turned back around and looked at the Croc and smiled.

“You know Croc, your man is looking at you kind of funny.” Croc looked around and didn’t see anyone around him but the voice he heard it was so clear.

“Who said that?”

“Who said what boss?”

“A voice, some one else’s voice.”

“But boss there isn’t anyone else in this room except you and me? Maybe it’s just your nerves.” with that Croc nodded a few times and sat back down in his chair.

“Yeah your right, that’s all it was my nerves I’ve been stressing about this brat for to long.” Croc leaned back and closed his eyes to try and take a nap.

“Or maybe it’s your instincts trying to warn you Croc, trying to warn you about the threat in this very room.” Again Croc jumped from his chair and started to look around the room not seeing anyone.

“ALRIGHT THIS ISN’T FUNNY NOW SHOW YOUR SELF BEFORE I FILL YOU FULL OF LEAD!!” Croc warned as he pulled out his gun and started to look around the room again.

“Boss, Boss calm down there isn’t anyone else here except you and me.” Croc looked at his partner and then nodded as he sat back down. “Just relax I’ll go get you a drink, maybe you just need a good beer.” with that the goon left.

“Yeah all you need is a good beer laced with the very drug you were pushing on the streets, he’s trying to get you addicted to the very drug your trying to sell, he might even try and get you to over dose, the perfect crime, a drug dealer over doses on the very drug he was selling, who would waist the time to investigate that Croc.” Croc tried to ignore the voice, he tried to block it out knowing that no one was in the room. When the goon walked back in holding an open bottle of bear Croc looked at it for a few minutes and then pushed it away.

“No I’ll be fine you go ahead and have it.”

“Alright boss if you insist.” with that the goon started to drink the beer down and smiled as he finished it off, until he fell face first on the floor.

“Well, not really what I had planed.” Shade said, as he looked at Croc, and Croc looked at him. “Good night Croc.” with that Shade stabbed a dart into Croc shoulder getting him to scream out before he blacked out. Shade looked at both Croc and his goon then smiled and reached for his radio watch. “Detective Lupe.”

“Ghost?”

“I’ve found Croc and his goon, but to get a confession from ether of them we’re going to need to work together.” For several minutes there was no sound, and Shade knew why, Lupe was thinking about the offer.”

“Alright Ghost, but remember your promise to the chief.”

“I will detective,… I’ll need a few things, first off five phone books.” As Shade started to give his list to Lupe he kept a close eye on his captives. An hour later Croc woke up and found him self sitting in a dark room with bright lights shinning down on his face, keeping a good part of the room shrouded in shadows. His body was wrapped in chains with several pad locks holding them in place. “Good you’ve woken up, now I can get started.” Shade said, from the shadows.

“When I get out of this I’m going to bit off your head and floss my teeth with your spine.” There only came a faint laugh from all around Croc.

“Please Croc, you’re a smart person, smart enough to frame a kid for your dirty work. I must say I am rather impressed on your delivery system, getting your goods to your buyers right under the police noses, Be honest the kid told me how many times he ran past the police station delivering that bread, most of the time he could have taken a quicker route and avoided the cop station, but I’m guessing you sent him that way as a little inside joke.”

“Yeah, it was, to be honest I didn’t know what was funnier, the fact that I kept having the kid run past that building, or the fact that he never knew what was going on, but I’m sure nether one of them will compare to how much I’ll be laughing when I get my hands on your throat. You know what happens when you start strangling some one Ghost.”

“They make a funny little noise, I’ve read dickens Croc. Your not going to frighten me by sounding like a far better killer, and please don’t insult me with that kind of trick again, it’s far beneath a man of your intelligence. To rig up that room, to set up that trap door, and to have that car waiting for you in the sewer. These are not just minor things Croc. These are the signs of great mind, a very cleaver mind. In fact I dare say you might be the smartest person I have ever had to match wits with.” A smile crossed Crocs face as shade said these words. “Don’t get cocky… That’s not saying much, with the mindless idiots that work the under world, of this city.” The smile vanished from Crocs face, as he squinted and tried to see who was talking to him. “I’ve taken the liberty of examining your goods Croc, and I must say it’s rather interesting. I’ve also seen the effects of it, also very interesting. In fact if it didn’t come from a person that was able to trick the entire police force, into thinking that a 12 year old boy shot the chief of police, with a gun that hadn’t been fired for two hours, I would dare say that you weren’t the real master mind behind this drug, and that you are nothing more then a slightly smarter pawn.”

“Hey!” the reaction was almost automatic and it was Shades turn to smile.

“But then again, it came from you. As I said, from a smart person like your self this might have only taken you a few hours to create.” there came no response from Croc. “What not talking now?… oh of course, where are my manors your in my lair and I’ve been so rude not to offer you anything to eat, now let me remember what did your file say about you… Oh yes, you had a love of fine dinning, I bet you love mushroom soup.” Croc lips quivered slightly. “Your body betrays your Croc, I saw your lips quiver, in fact I think I see the edges of your mouth watering.”

“Yeah so what, so I like mushrooms.”

“Alright then, seems we can carry on a conversation, just not on empty belly.” with that a door was heard opening, and closing. After half an hour under the hot lights the door opened again and shade walked out of the Shadows with a bowl of mushroom soup. “Alright Croc now before I start to feed you, I’m going to point something out. The keys to the pad locks are in the other room, the place that your at is sound proof. Try and bit me, and you’ll starve to death, and no amount of information you give me, no amount of pleading or begging will get me to feed you again, understand.” Croc’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Shade.

“Alright Ghost, just give me the soup.” with that Shade stepped forward and lifted the bowl to Croc’s mouth and poured the soup in slowly only to stop ever so often when Croc mad low grunt. “You seem to like my cooking Croc.

“Oh yeah, that’s the best soup I’ve had in ages, never tasted anything like it, and I’ve eaten a lot of Mushroom soup before but nothing like this it’s so good. What kind of mushrooms did you use.” Shade smiled slightly as he looked at Croc.

“Well Croc I just finely diced up some Psilocin and the broth is an old family recipe.”

“You should can it, that’s the best stuff I had in my entire life, give me some more.” with that Shade poured more soup down Croc’s open mouth, until finally it was all gone. When it was finished Shade smiled as he looked at Croc. “Alright Croc, let’s get serious now.” Shade said, as his tone turned stern. “So far you’ve been here for about of an hour, had a bit to eat, and admitted that Kit had really no idea what he was delivering, as well as had nothing to do with the shooting of the chief of police.

“Yeah, so what? It’s not like you can just go and tell the cops that, and even if you force me to sign a piece of paper stating that it can’t be used in a court of law.”

“True, if I forced you to admit those things the evidence would be thrown out.”

“Yeah, so your right I framed the brat, but even your word isn’t worth enough to get the kid off the hook.” Shade smiled as he looked at Croc.

“Again true, Croc.” with that the hot lights went out and the room lights came on, revealing to Croc that he was sitting in a police interrogation room. “That nice little device hanging just above the light is a microphone, and just behind that mirror is an officer is working a talking picture camera, I’m pretty sure your filmed confession, will have leave a very good impression, on a jury of your pears.”

“YOU DIRTY RAT I’LL KILL YOU!!” As Croc started to threaten Shade he walked out of the room and smiled as he was joined by Detective Lupe..

“Alright, with that filmed confession Kit’s as good as free, and since we’ve taken down the mastermind behind the drugs in this city we should see a drop in crime.” Lupe stated, as she walked beside Shade.

“Not likely Detective, Croc isn’t the mastermind behind the drugs.”

“But he just.”

“He claimed to be the mastermind, but two clear signs that told me otherwise. One his reaction when I told him that if he didn’t come up with the drug that he wasn’t as smart as I built up his ego before that point, it came to quick as if he was insulted by the statement if he was the creator of the drug his ego would have only been boosted more and he would have remained silent.” As Lupe, and Shade, walked into her office, where five phone books sat back to back on her desk.

“I hope your other reason is more convincing.” Lupe said, as she looked at Shade. Who handed her a gun that was sitting on her desk. “What? His gun is your other reason?”

“No, I want you to fire a round into those phone books and compare it to the round removed the from Chief.”

“Alright, but before I do that, what was your other reason?”

“Easy, If he was the maker of the drug then he would have known that the mushroom that I told him I made his soup with was the same kind of mushroom that is found inside of his drug.”

“But, how do you know that?”

“The same why I know the chiefs real name.”

“And that is?”

“You know your record keeper sleeps about 18 hours a day.” Lupe signed and shook her head as she covered her eyes with her hands knowing what Shade was getting at.

“Yeah, he kept falling asleep on post, he has about three more weeks until he retires.” with that Lupe smiled, and then looked at Shade with a stern face. “You’ve been going through are records?”

“Your’s and the hospitals, I needed information to see if I could come up with a cure for the drug, unfortunately if the reports are correct then the cure is almost as worst as the drug it self, the people using it are going to go through a lot of pain, as their bodies try and break the addiction, and no kind of pain killer is going to help.”

“I see,… That still doesn’t give you the right to go through police, or medical records.”

“I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

“You better or next time, helpful or not, I’ll lock you up.” with that Lupe turned her back to Shade, and fired the gun, Then turned around only to find that Shade was long gone. “Ghost?” Lupe looked around the office her office and under her desk, just before several officers ran into her office.

“Ma-am is everything alright?”

“No, I swear one day I’m going to nail his feet to the ground, just so we can finish a conversation.” Shade smirked slightly at the threat, as he made his way along a ledge of the police station, and then slid down a drain pipe. After making his way back to his lair he smiled as he walked in and walked Kit sleeping by tomorrow morning he would be cleared of all charges and he would be able to return him, where he belonged. As he walked up to sleeping he smiled slightly knowing that at least one of them would be able to enjoy a family once more, but his work wasn’t finished, not by a long shot Croc didn’t know what was in the Drug cocktail that was being pushed on the streets, and Shade knew that the mushrooms that could be found in the drug could only be found in dark moist environments, as well as the mushrooms would of needed only a certain amount of water, to much they would die, to little and they would wilt making their natural toxins less potent meaning that they where being cultivated, and since the cops hadn’t found a drug lab in their ongoing investigation only meant that the drugs had been getting into the city, which left a large gap of how it was possible.

“Land, sea, and air.” Shade said to himself as he sat down at his work bench and started to work on another gadget. “No the docks are cut off, the cops have been searching them stringently, meaning only land and air, and the only landing strip inside the city is ran by Kahn industries, which means ether Kahn is working with the drug lord, one of his workers are, or he him self is the drug lord. Planes that land on the bay are searched at the docks, so that leaves them off my list, but then again the drugs could be coming in by vehicle.” Shade stopped working for a minutes and started to tap a screwdriver on his desk. “Transportation can wait, first I need to figure out the work force, there have been no reported kidnappings, and my homeless friends haven’t been filling me in on any of their pals vanishing,… so ether the work force in voluntary, or it’s being supplied another way. Then we get down to how the drugs are packaged, are they done at the work sight or brought in… no if it was done at the work sight then a red flag would have caught the chiefs eye for how many glass vials being ordered, even but then again if Kahn industries is running the show then that would fit a lot easier, but it would fit to easy, granted Kahn industries as the resources to pull this off, it would make no since for him to do it, the company alone is making millions hand over foot… Solved one case, and now I’m swamped with 20 more. what did Dad always use to say? Chip the damn cause a flood.” As Shade stopped tapping his screwdriver he focused his attention on the task at hand. “Who ever is behind this, I’m going to need to be ready for anything they can throw at me, which means finishing up the work on my latest invention.” as Shade started to work again, he didn’t notice Kit’s eyes opening up and looking at him half asleep.

‘Always fighting, always wanting to be the best, always pushing himself to help others, but ignoring his own wants and desires.’ Kit thought to him self as his eyes drifted down to the foot locker under Shade’s desk, the book had been returned but now Kit knew the truth behind Shade, he knew why Shade kept fighting, kept wanting to fight for others while ignoring his own desires, he had seen it in Shade’s eyes many times before. Shade wanted a family but he pushed people away that got to close, he feared of a curse that was only in his head. He fought for anyone, and everyone that needed his help, because he thought he needed to regain something he never lost. Kit closed his eyes knowing that he would need to get his rest for what he was going to do in the morning. The next morning Kit found Shade in what looked to be a make shift target range shooting a bow and arrow at targets that he had drawn on old crates. “Hey Shade.” Shade stopped shooting and kept facing the direction of the targets. “Listen Shade, it’s about this, all of this really. Don’t get me wrong, helping people is a great thing, and you’ve been doing a great job at it, but don’t you think it’s about time you quite? I mean you’ve been lucky so far, and you’ve done a lot of good for the city, but isn’t it about time you just step aside and let the cops handle the crime in the city?”

“The cops, yeah the corrupt government foot soldiers that let their power go to their head, and spent more time lining their pockets then defending the people of this city.” Shade’s words sent a chill down Kit’s spine, and cause him to take a step back from Shade wondering if maybe it was to late to reach him.

“Shade listen to me, you have to stop this, you have to stop fighting before it’s to late, before you become the very thing your fighting against.” There was only the sound of tin hitting the ground after Shade tossed something over his shoulder. Kit looked down and saw the button that the protesters had given him days before, he had forgotten that it was in his pocket.

“It fell out of your shirt last night as you tossed and turned. Dreaming about your loved ones, fearing that I was still trying to replace you. Rest assured Kit I never had those intentions, if I did I would have never bothered in helping you.” Kit picked up the button and felt like kicking himself for not throwing the button away when he first got it.

“Shade I.” Kit stopped when Shade raised his hand.

“You don’t have to say anything Kit, Your very choice to hate me is something I fight for on the streets. Your case was solved last night, I was able to track down Croc and his goon, and got him to admit you knew nothing about the drugs you had been delivering. You can return home Kit, back to your family.” Kit looked at Shade’s back he thought about telling Shade that he had read the book under his workbench, but thought it better not to do it right then, not knowing how angry Shade might already be, or what Shade might do at that moment with the bow and arrow. As Shade got back to his target practice Kit looked at him and turned away leaving through the only door he knew in the place and having to try and find his way through the maze of the sewer. Around noon Kit arrived at Higher for Hire, as he walked inside he saw Detective Lupe sitting on the other side of the desk from Rebecca and Baloo. In a flash both parental figures jumped up and ran towards Kit and embraced him, followed only moments later when Molly came out of the kitchen and ran up giggling hugging her big brother to be.

“Well it seems that you all need some time together.” Lupe said, as she stood up and smiled at the family. “Don’t worry Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham, with the evidence that was obtained your son has been cleared of all charges, and Croc is going to prison for a long time.”

“Not long enough if you ask me.” Baloo said, as he looked at Lupe.

“Agreed, as for you young man.” Lupe turns her attention to Kit who looked at her with a bit of puzzlement. “Before you go getting jobs your should talk with your folks about it, other wise you might end up in the same kind of trouble.”

“Yes ma-am.” When Lupe left the four made their way into the kitchen, and started to talk about the events of the past few days. Kit told Baloo and Rebecca about Shade’s lair, but left out the part about the book he had found.

“I’m just glade your home and safe, and when Lupe called me this morning I knew we would have to celebrate, that’s why I bought us 4 tickets to a magic show this week.” Rebecca said, as she smiled at Kit who looked at the tickets but didn’t seem all that happy about it. “Kit what’s wrong I thought you enjoyed magic?” Rebecca asked, sounding almost hurt that Kit wasn’t as happy as she thought he would be.

“I do, but…”

“But what kiddo?” Baloo asked, as he pulled Kit close wondering if his son was alright.

“I’m kind of worried about Shade.” with that Rebecca nodded a few times and then kissed Kit on the forehead, proud to know that the recent events hadn’t changed his kind heart.

*****************************************************

Alright i know it's been a while, but i've been stuck on the next chapter for a while and decided to make this into a multi part story. What i can tell you about the next installment is that some one is going to die. stay tune for Ghost files part 2 to find out who.

P.s. no i'm not going to tell anyone if it's one of the higher for hire members or not, that would be giving away to much.