1. Foggy
This was exactly what Skulker wanted. The pup couldn’t see him at all through this haze. But with his equipment, the hunter could definitely spot him. This time there would be no escape.
2. Agony
Phantom screamed when the ghost landed that hit, writhing in pain. Skulker expected to feel victorious, overjoyed. Instead he felt a cold worry wash over him as the boy continued to howl.
3. Cursed
“I wasn’t always like this, you know. You really need to be careful around here. Even the most experienced of us can run into something… unexpected,” Really, Phantom was lucky that the effects of the ruby were temporary and relatively benign. Having red skin wasn’t that bad, was it?
4. Desperate
Skulker had never heard the whelp so genuine is his request to be left alone today… He looked more tired than usual and as though he’d been crying. As much as he wanted to hunt today, the ghost couldn’t ignore his plea, it was obvious the boy was desperate.
5. Fire
Danny ran a his gloved hand through the flames that adorned the top of Skulker’s helmet, “It’s still so weird I can do this.” And the hero wasn’t sure if he meant running his hand through flames or getting this close to the hunter without getting skewered.
6. Arch
The hunter quirked an eyebrow at the whelp’s odd behavior, “Why are you doing that? You’re not calling another gorilla, are you?”
7. Everyday
It was routine. Every night at one o'clock the hunter showed up without fail… Except for this one apparently. Was Skulker trying to throw him off? Was this some new hunting tactic? Or was Skulker in trouble? The teen cursed his hero complex that wouldn’t let him sleep ‘til he knew the answer.
8. Box
The ghost was so startled and confused by what he was seeing he forgot to shout his usual warnings. The hunter and the hero… who would have guessed?
9. Cat
“I don’t have time to deal with you right now, Whelp!” Of all the lousy times to catch the ghost child’s attention… He was already on a hunt for something that was far more important and if he didn’t find her soon, Plasmius would have his head for it.
10. Fried
The teen grimaced at the smoke billowing out of the robotic armor. Yeah, that suit was toast. Hopefully the jellybean inside it wasn’t.
11. Constant
His prey should have been here by now. Had some other ghost caused him trouble and made him late for his patrol of this sector? He knew the boy’s patterns well enough by now (having a pattern when you’re being hunted is a terrible idea) to go find out what was interfering with his hunt.
12. Steel
The metal clanged as it hit the concrete, but the suit was undented with barely a scuff, “What’s this new suit of yours made of of, metalhead?” The hunter just chuckled and lunged for the quipping halfa.
13. Snow
The hunter paused when the white flake drifted into his field of vision followed by several of its fellows. Maybe he should call the hunt off tonight… it looked like it was shaping up to be quite a blizzard.
14. Always
“I will always hunt you until the day I catch you.” Turns out there was no such thing as always.
15. Cannon
The sound of the weapon firing rang out, followed by screams, both human and ghost.
16. Caregiver
Skulker was uncertain what to do with the child, he was a lone hunter, not a family ghost. With a sigh, he heaved the unconscious ghost boy up. He did if he left the ghost here, the young one definitely wouldn’t survive. So he supposed, for now, he’d take care of him.
17. Volume
Skulker briefly wondered if the child even knew how to be quiet. Didn’t he know how obviously he was broadcasting his postition? I never occured to him that it might be his prey’s intention…
18. Equipment
“Are you equipped for something like that?” Danny had expected a flustered sputtering for Skulker. What he got instead was a feral grin, “Would you like to find out?” Maybe teasing the ghost wasn’t such a good idea.
19. Shackle
The irony here is astounding. He and Phantom bound together by the Huntress. Clearly the concept of Karma was at work today.
20. Crypt
“I was buried here,” The ghost remarked idylly as he looked to the boy. The hero looked shocked. Was Skulker really opening up to him? Why? What had he done to suddenly warrant such closeness?
21. Tactical
On the battlefield, his tactics couldn’t be matched. Romance tactics however… he still needed to work on those.
22. Adult
He didn’t notice at first and when he did, he wondered what had changed. The pup wasn’t a pup anymore. Well, really he’d been an adult for a long time, but Skulker had always thought of him as a child…
23. Homocidal
Rage coursed through the hunter’s body. How could this be?! Who would dare lay a hand on HIS prey?
24. Climax
This was the part of the hunt he craved. The point where he either succeeded or when the prey, through sheer force of will (and sometimes admittedly clever tactics), escaped. He watched the child’s struggles finally cease and grinned.
25. Dead
It was an accident! But that didn’t change the fact that Phantom was dead by the hunter’s hand, his corpse buried in the rubble beneath the mech’s boots. And there was no sense of victory here. Not when the hero’s death wasn’t his intention.
(Haha! I was me all along! Merry Christmas!)
