Broken Phantom

Director Walker

The room was sterile, lit by harsh fluorescent lights that cast long shadows on the cold metal walls. Monitors lined the far end of the room, each displaying live feeds from their Earth-based surveillance systems.

The images flickered occasionally with static, a constant reminder of the challenges of monitoring activity related to Amity Park and the Ghost Zone.

I folded my arms, staring at the largest screen. It showed a live feed of the Fenton household, their equipment humming with ectoplasmic energy. The Fentons had been a problem for years—too curious, too meddlesome. But their son—or rather, what their son had become—was the real issue.

A marvelous creature who could have been the solution to countless human issues and even held the key to the ultimate prize that his superiors had been salivating about after finding out about him.

Phantom had been an amazing subject. A half-human-half ghost, how that was even possible was a mystery.

A being that existed between the natural order of life and death.

A being that could exist as both living and dead.

They had studied Phantom while he had been in their custody and had thought they had gotten all they could, but after he was gone they had tried countless times to create something similar to him but alas the results were unsatisfactory.

Phantom had been gone two years, leaving us with nothing but unanswered questions and a nagging sense of failure.

"Status report," I barked, turning to Agent K, who stood beside a console.

"The infiltration units are ready, sir," Agent K replied, his tone sharp. "All containment equipment has been calibrated. We've upgraded the destabilizers to ensure their effectiveness against any ectoplasmic entities. Even without Phantom's direct presence, this operation will be critical."

True. Phantom had been the true threat to the GIW since the beginning of the GIW's mission since their first arrival in Amity Park.

"Good," I said, nodding. "The Fentons have skirted accountability for too long. Their portal remains a threat to national security. Without it, the Ghost Zone becomes far less accessible to any rogue entities."

But while that was true. It wasn't the real objectives his superiors were after.

The lack of Ghosts to operate on, and the dwindling ectoplasm was becoming an issue for them.

It was known to the upper echelon that ecto was useful in different fields and that discovery had been the motivation behind the government continuos support in the GIW.

The endless energy source was not something they would let go of just like that.

Agent O approached, holding a tablet. "Director, our operatives have confirmed that the Ghost Zone's activity is reaching its biannual peak. The Fentons' recent field trip aligns perfectly with this phenomenon. If we're going to act, the window is now."

Getting this information from a lesser ghost had been easy. Apparently, they held a sort of festival around this time of year and a lot of ghosts were going to be there.

Apparently, it was something Phantom had started before he was killed. Or at least that is what we hoped.

"And the son?" I asked, my tone icy. "Is there any indication he's resurfaced?".

There were some rumors that he had heard from some of the smaller ghosts earlier years ago but were never confirmed.

That phantom was still Alive.

"None, sir," Agent O admitted. "Our assumption is that he's either deep within the Ghost Zone or... no longer a factor."

My jaw tightened. Phantom had always been a thorn in our side, slipping through our grasp time and time again. His destruction was something that had been celebrated, But if he was still around, that would really be bad news.

They needed to make sure everything went well and make sure that these beings knew their place and that this operation would secure that status quo permanently.

He would make sure it did.

Stealing himself he started to give his orders.

Agent K

The Director's confidence was unshakable, but I couldn't help the unease gnawing at me. The Ghost Zone wasn't like any other place we'd dealt with. It was unpredictable, its very fabric alive in ways our instruments could barely measure. And even if Phantom hadn't been seen in years, the Zone's growing activity left me wary.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral.

The Director's gaze snapped to me, sharp as a blade. "Go ahead, Agent K."

"The Ghost Zone's recent energy spikes are unprecedented," I began cautiously. "Our instruments can't fully account for what might happen if we tamper with its equilibrium. If we miscalculate—"

"We won't," the Director interrupted, his tone as cold as the room. "That's precisely why our new destabilizers were designed to neutralize even the most extreme fluctuations. The Zone's energy will stabilize under our control."

I nodded, though the unease in my chest didn't abate. We had the tools and the plan, but something about this felt... wrong. The Ghost Zone's activity wasn't just an anomaly; it felt intentional as if the Zone itself were responding to something we couldn't see.

Agent O

Planning Room

The holographic map of Amity Park hovered above the center of the table, its streets and landmarks glowing faintly in the dim room. Around it, agents studied data streams, each one focused on their assigned task. The air buzzed with quiet efficiency, but there was an undercurrent of tension that no one dared voice.

"The Fenton Works lab remains our primary target," I said, pointing to the glowing marker on the map. "Their portal provides the only consistent gateway to the Ghost Zone. Disabling it will cut off any access to Earth and prevent further contamination."

"What about the family?" an agent asked, his voice hesitant.

"They're secondary objectives," I replied. "The parents are useful for their knowledge, but expendable if necessary. The sister… her involvement with Phantom makes her a valuable asset. Capture if possible."

There was a murmur of agreement around the table, but I noticed a few agents exchange uneasy glances. The Fentons were civilians, after all, and not everyone here was comfortable with the methods we employed. But hesitation had no place in this operation.

"And Phantom himself?" another voice asked.

"If he's alive, we neutralize him," I said firmly. "If not, we ensure he never returns. Either way, this operation ends his legacy."

The room fell silent, the weight of those words settling over everyone. For years, Phantom had been a specter in more ways than one, a reminder of the Ghost Zone's encroachment on our world. This operation was our chance to change that, to take control.

As the agents dispersed to finalize their preparations, I lingered by the map, my eyes fixed on the glowing marker over the Fenton household. Whatever happened next, one thing was certain: the balance between our world and theirs was about to shift.

Director Walker

Back in my office, I reviewed the final report, my fingers drumming against the desk. Everything was in place. The destabilizers, the infiltration units, and the backup protocols. This was the culmination of years of research and planning, a chance to finally bring order to the chaos the Ghost Zone represented.

Yet, a small part of me couldn't shake the uncertainty. Phantom hadn't been sighted in two years, and his absence left a vacuum. Without him, the Ghost Zone's hierarchy had likely shifted, but how? And what would it mean for our plans?

But what if he's Alive? I couldn't help but think before shaking the thought out of my head. Focus.

I glanced at the clock. The Fentons were scheduled to return from their field trip within the next 48 hours. By then, our operation would be in full swing. We'd neutralize the portal, capture those we can, Get a foothold into the ghost zone, and ensure that Phantom's name was nothing but a memory.

Leaning back in my chair, I allowed myself a rare moment of satisfaction.

Today, we'd remind these creatures who held the power.

Looking at the screen with my men working. They did not need to know that what the upper echelon wanted was not to close the portals but rather control it and with it the resources that came with it.

Soon, Very soon everything will be within their grasp.