The following days proved to be quite fruitful for the vanguard of the scouting corps. From their report Phantom learned that the northern part of Boston was not only mostly safe from the radioactive storms, but was also in a pretty acceptable condition. Danny easily managed to convince the Council to let him go. It could be considered a vacation. He didn't need to work, only use the fists, what he did not do for quite a while, ever since all pretenders to his position were taken care of. The destroyed world, full of mutated creatures, presented a wonderful challenge for the generally bored monarch.

And speaking of creatures, Phantom had ordered to give the genetic material to Frostbite for a reason. Despite a tribal system, the FarFrozen were one of the most technologically advanced realms. And even if they were against helping, they would have to. But it never was like that and a genetic scan was made. Apparently, that creature was some kind of a mutated Jackson's chameleon. And the mutation seemed somewhat...artificial. Radiation couldn't be so direct in its intention to make such a perfect killing machine.

Danny was calm. He was the Ghost King for a reason, and some detestable mutants were not going to scare him. However, he put a mental note to collect more genetic samples. He could order the same task to the scouts, but he wanted to do everything himself, to make things more interesting. But they would have to collect plants as they went around Boston and map the locations, unnoticed by the humans living there. The project of reviving Human World required the creation of a stable ecosystem, so they had to know the strengths and weaknesses of new flora and fauna.

After a week of preparations, Phantom was ready to move out. He had decided to travel alone, with Cujo being an exception. His closest advisors protested, saying that a man of his importance couldn't go there alone. But Danny wasn't going to change his mind. Meanwhile an outpost was set in the Glowing Sea, which was pefect. No sane human would go into that radiation infested wasteland. Only ghosts and mutants could remain there. And that 'Children of Atom' weren't pestering the armed people. When their preachers came there, the ghosts just laughed at them, since they had gotten an education, and viewing the tiniest piece of matter as a God was amusing for them.

And here Danny was standing at the edge of the green fog.

"Ready to go, pal?" He asked the puppy.

Cujo barked and ran forward. Danny chuckled.

"That's why I am a dog person."

He walked a few meters and the fog was becoming thinner and thinner, until it fully dissappeared. Phantom couldn't help but smile at seeing the clean and bright blue sky. It was good to know that not the entire world was like that lifeless and dark place. Danny was snapped from his observations by a bark. He looked down and saw Cujo sitting near a broken tree, wagging his tail in anticipation.

"Wait a bit, boy," Phantom raised his hand. "Can't go around the world glowing like a light bulb."

Then a shining white ring appeared around the man's waist. It then split in two and traveled up and down. Danny's appearance changed. His stark hair became raven black, his neon green eyes changed their color to icy blue, and the skin became surprisingly paler. The clothes also changed, Phantom was now wearing a white and red T-shirt and sneakers, blue jeans. Never would anyone think that he was a ruler of the entire kingdom. Only several scars seen across his hands showed that he wasn't a simple young adult.

Phantom's eyes fell at the broken mirror conveniently lying nearby.

"I almost forgot how it feels to be a human," he mumbled, staring at his reflection.

It came in handy when he had to blend in. But with no need for that, he remained as a ghost for all those years. After Sam's death a brief, horrible thought crossed his mind for a brief second. But no, he wouldn't repeat the same mistake twice, he would have to keep his human half inside. Still, it was a painful reminder of the life he once had.

Another bark snapped Danny from eyeing his new appearance. Nodding more to himself than to Cujo, Phantom came to his dog and they continued their walk.

Two hundred years after the war seemed to be enough for the lush grass and even leaves on the trees to grow. But the peaceful atmosphere was ruined each time when Danny saw a crumbled house or skeletons lying where they died when the war began. No one ever cared to bury them. Even Cujo whined and didn't want to approach them, clinging to his master's leg. Phantom was also not eager to be a marauder, he didn't want to lower himself to such a low act. He had food and water, which he still needed as a half ghost, in a small bag hanging on his shoulder. But sometimes it would be required, he just wouldn't take anything from that skeletons.

On the distance Danny could see a city, he supposed it was Boston, with unusual skyscrapers still standing in their own district, smaller buildings surrounding them. Phantom never was to that city before, but it wasn't much different from the others in the 2076th year. He had an unusual perspective, actually. Not only he saw the prewar world, no, he saw the world at the beginning of the twenty first century, how it came to the humanity's culmination and doom.

Phantom decided to step from the dusty path. The green grass softly rustled under the man's feet as he went up the small hill. Then he heard a loud 'moo'. Raising his eyebrow, Danny made a shooing motion to Cujo, and the puppy lied on his belly, putting his head on the ground. Danny meanwhile peaked from behind a tree at the source of the sound.

There was a strange being. It looked like a cow, but it had two heads, along with the red skin. It also seemed ill, but then again, radiation does just that. Phantom also noticed that the cow was carrying multiple chests and boxes on its back. So it was a burden animal. Near it were fifteen armed men, most of whom were wearing the green pre-war battle armors, with the images of white skulls on them. Danny started to listen.

"Look, Wes, why do we even need to barge into that damn vault?"

One of the men, who was walking ahead, looked back. The man was quite tall, with a tanned skin shade. He had auburn hair in a Mohawk style and the thick mustache above his mouth.

"BECAUSE we need a base here. We never were this far to the South."

"But why the vault? It must be full of armed people. And we have only fifteen. If they are anything like the dwellers of the eighty first..."

"Please, Vault 95 is full of junkies. Read this in one of the Vault-tech terminals. They aren't going to be much of a trouble, if they haven't died by now."

At hearing the name of the corporation, Danny's expression became unreadable. Suddenly he heard a small growl behind him.

"Cujo, what's wrong?" Phantom whispered, looking at the puppy. His eyes widened in surprise.

The ghost dog was actually growling at the cocroach, which was three times bigger than him. The insect in response emitted own low sounds, shaking its antennas threateningly. Before Danny could stop the creature, it leaped in the air. But then it was shot down and the cocroach fell right under the half ghost's feet. Danny's head snapped in the direction where the killing bullet flew from. The guy he now knew as Wes was pointing a rusty orange pistol at them.

"Well, well, what do we have here...what are you doing here, boy?"

"Depends on who is asking," Danny calmly leaned against the tree, crossing his hands.

"Uhm, boss, he is unarmed."

"What?!" Wes looked up and down at the half ghost. "I can't decide if you are brave or foolish to walk around the Commonwealth without any weapon."

Phantom shrugged. "I have Cujo."

He whistled and the puppy jumped from the grass, letting out a bark. The men looked at each other and whistled, someone moved a finger around the temple.

"Anyways," Danny clapped his hands and approached them, not showing any sign of worry. "Do you guys have a map? I really could use one."

"Hm...maybe," Wes said thoughtfully. "But you have to say a magic word."

"Please?"

"Caps, kid. Do you know who we are?"

"Uhm, collectors of junk?"

Why else would they need caps of all things?

"No, we are the Gunners, kid. You'll hear this name a lot if you live long enough. And we don't do anything for free."

"Oh, I see. I can also see that I have left my wallet at home. But I think there is something I can do for you."

"Really?"

Danny smirked. "You want to get into the Vault. Do you know that there is one big and thick door?"

There was a silence. One of the men stepped closer to Wes.

"Eh, boss, is he speaking the truth?" He asked.

The commander's lips thinned. "I only heard they are quite tough. Keep talking, kid."

"I can get you in, in exchange I want the map."

Wes hummed. "Fine. But try to trick us and you are dead. Moving out, boys."

What charming fellows they were. Danny saw their kind before. Gunners were a typical bunch of people ready to sell out their own parents for gain. But Phantom wasn't usually the one to blend in, he was talking with that sort from the supreme position when they faced his judgement. There wasn't much he did, most of the time Danny was silent, keeping an easy going smile on his face, like he was among his long time friends, not mercenaries to whom he hadn't payed.

Phantom was not an idiot, he knew that they would betray him at the second's notice. But yet again, poor fellows didn't know who walked near them. Cujo was nearby, sniffing the air constantly. The raven haired man scooped the puppy in his arms and started petting him.

"What's with your dog, anyway?" One of the Gunners asked.

"Oh, Cujo? He was like that as long as I remember. Nevermind his color, he is very healthy, right boy?"

Cujo barked and panted in his dog way. Danny stroked his buddy's chin in response. Cujo whined in joy. When one of the Gunners reached for him, too, the dog growled.

"Jeez, a green dog, now I saw everything," someone mumbled.

Soon the group got to the tall rocky hill. There was nothing out of ordinary, but Wes for some reason seemed confident, walking to the cave entrance. After looking inside, the man returned to the group.

"Jimbo, you guard the brahmin, others, follow me. You too, kid."

"I'm Danny," Phantom said.

No one listened, causing the king in disguise to mutter something under his nose. Cujo covered his ears with his paws. He had heard everything. They entered the cave, and in its end was a metal construction, which had a gear-shape. Danny smirked, it was just as he remembered. Wes looked at him.

"Well, go ahead, boy. And remember, fail us..."

"Yeah, yeah, I don't want to look like a bowl for noodles," Phantom rolled his eyes and approached a small remote control. He started fiddling with buttons.

"What exactly are you doing?" Wes asked.

"Simple, these blast doors can usually be opened using special keys. They were put in Pip-boys, if my memory doesn't fail me. Age has own disadvantages."

"Shorter."

Apparently, they missed the latter remark.

"Oh, yeah," Danny moved away the metal wall below the console, looking at the wires. "Anyways, there is nothing unusual about the mechanism, the only complicated thing here is the alloy the door is made of. Dunno what it is. it was something I didn't care about much. I made all preparations, now I need to replace the key with something. Do you have something long and made of electrolyte?"

"A what?"

"Sorry, forgot where I am for a second."

The grips on the weapons tightened. "What is that supposed to mean?" Wes asked.

"Do you have schools around? No? That's the thing. Give me that table lamp. It should do."

His command was done without delays. Danny nonchalantly hit the ground with the lamp and broke it without even looking there. He then took out a wire and tied one end to the wires within the console. Another end was in his hand. Phantom then plugged it inside a small hole in the special place where the key should have been. Nothing happened at first. Knowing what the problem was, Danny looked behind the Gunners.

"What's that?" He asked.

Like idiots, they fell for it. A brief second before they understood the trick was enough for Phantom to send a small ectoplasmic zap to the wires, jumpstarting the torn console again. The mercenaries looked back and the machine was working already. Danny grinned sheepishly.

"Oops, I really thought that there was a Manbearpig. Nevermind, I got this working."

He then pressed a big, square and red button. The door groaned loudly, before being pushed forward and rolling to the side in a gear motion. While Danny watched the door being opened, Wes was talking with one of his men. They didn't know that the ghosts had a very good hearing.

"Shall we kill him?" He asked.

"The kid may be annoying, but let's wait a bit."

Danny smirked. If he stayed nearby, the half ghost could get something more valuable than just a map. But just to keep an appearance...

"So, where is my map?" He asked.

"You know what, kid? You can stick around."

"Boss, do you really want to share the loot with him?"

"Depends on what he finds. All best spoils go to us, got it, kid?"

Danny nodded.

The group went inside the vault. The entrance was empty, and it was strange that there was nobody to meet them. But there was an electricity. Danny started to slowly recall the advertisements of the vaults. They were being built back then, in the last days of him living among humans. Vault-tec used to make exhibitions of their achievements, including the generators, which, by their words, could work for a very long amount of time. Well, they didn't lie.

But there were still rotting corpses on the ground. Danny saw one of the Gunners nudge his comrade.

"Don't do drugs, Jimmy."

"Very funny," the other one muttered. "It seems that the boss was right."

"I don't get it," Danny put in. "Did they ALL die from the drugs?"

"Yep," Wes put in. "I don't know what they thought by filling the entire vault with addicts."

"And where did you find this information?" The half ghost asked.

"Mostly rumors. Believing junkies whose dream is to visit this place, I find it too stupid. But there was one terminal which told about shipments of tons of different drugs: psycho, jet, whatever your soul may wish."

Danny then noticed the path splitting in two parts. The Gunners preferred to go right, but the half ghost decided to go left. Wes noticed this, and put one of his men at the entrance. He didn't want Phantom to get out with anything of value. Danny continued going through the corridors. The walls were painted in blue and yellow, with the signs of wearing off. Cujo kept close, sniffing the air continuously. He whined again.

"What is it, boy?" Danny asked.

Cujo ran to one of the doors and rubbed it with his paw. Phantom listemed to his pet and was about to press a button to open the door, but then noticed that it was sparkling with electricity. Someone had already tried to pry it open, a corpse beneath it was a sign that he wasn't so successful. Danny simply shrugged and went through the door. Phantom whistled. He never saw so many needles in one place. The rumors seemed to be correct, when two rows of shelves were filled to the brim with the chests full of some strange syringes. On the chests were also written the names, mainly 'psycho'.

Danny wondered what should he do with that. He wasn't going to distribute that, of course, rather burn them down. Suddenly a thought occured in his mind. Phantom could later help the addicts by synthesizing the 'antidote'. He recalled something like that existing before the war, but Danny didn't have such things in his disposure. The raven haired man picked up one of the syringes and stuffed it in his bag, along with some red plastic jar, a toy like thingy which smelled weirdly, and a syringe filled with some purple liquid.

After that Phantom phased through the door again. He then noticed Cujo playing with some rubber toy. Danny blinked.

"Where did you get this?" He asked.

The dog turned to another door, wagging his tail. There were living quarters, worn off and dirty beds, filled with junk and empty syringes.

"I start to lose my faith in humanity. C'mon, let's go."

Cujo nodded, still holding the toy in his mouth. The two went forward, before entering a big hall. There were two floors, and he was on the second floor. It was just as dirty as all other places. The Gunners were looking around below him. Danny smirked.

"How is it going?" He asked loudly.

The mercenaries looked up at him. Wes was among them. Phantom pointed behind him.

"I found the drugs. Is here anything except this?"

"Well, if you can open this door..." Wes pointed at one of the metal doors, which three men were trying to pull open.

Danny grinned and jumped over the railing. To everyone's shock, he was completely unscathed from falling from five meters. Phantom simply went to the door and told the mercenaries to step away. He closely examined it, noticing the hole they had been using and tried to expand. The button was broken there as well, but was also completely unrepairable. Danny briefly glanced at the armed men behind him, before invisibly smirking again. He grabbed the edge of the door and pulled it. The door whined deafeningly, but sprung inside the wall in a second. Phantom wiped his arms, noticing the Gunners' expression.

"What? I'm stronger than I look."

He then stepped inside, looking around. It was something like a living room. But something on the table caught his attention. There was a small figure of a blond guy with big head, dressed in a yellow and blue jumpsuit, smiling. It was also holding a minigun and stood on a pedestrial with the name 'Vault-tec' written on it. Danny picked it, and the figure's head shook. So it was a bobblehead. Nice.

"I think I'll keep it," Phantom said, putting the toy in his bag and walking out of the room.

"You said something about the drugs..."

"Oh, yeah, it's down the corridor in the corner of the second floor."

Suddenly he felt something pressing against his back. Wes clapped.

"Nice job, kid, but I am curious about what you have in that bag of yours."

"Dude, you could just ask. There is just food and water. I prefer traveling lightly."

One of the Gunners took off Danny's bag and was immediately pinned to the ground.

"That's what you are calling LIGHTLY?!" He exclaimed, before looking inside. "Oh, boss, he has drugs there."

"I suspected as much."

"WHAT?!" Danny exclaimed.

"What else is there?"

"Just what he says, there are army rations, but they look differently. Dog food...There are also water bottles...what's this?"

He then took out a phone and examined it.

"It's a phone. I have to be in touch."

"Hm, nice stuff," Wes snatched the phone from his subordinate. "Mind if I take it?"

"Yes, I do."

"Nevermind. No one is going to let you out. Now listen here, there is a shutdown security system here. You activate it, without focuses, make itserve us and we let you go."

Danny yawned, while Cujo growled loudly. "Sorry. I'm kind of bored."

"Last warning," Wes pointed a 10mm pistol at the half ghost's head.

"Go on, let's see if you manage to hit the right place."

Wes fired, but one of his own men cried in pain, before falling on the ground, as the blood leaked from his body.

"What happened?!"

Danny burst into laughter, which sent shivers down their spines.

"Here's the thing..." His eyes glowed with radioactive color, while he grinned, showing sharper than usual canines. "You can't kill the dead."

Phantom clenched his fist and the light bulbs burst and shut down, covering the entire room in darkness. No one could see a thing, but cries of terror filled the hall immediately. Multiple shots were made, someone even used laser rifles, but red rays hit nothing but walls. Wes retreated back, hearing his comrades' screaming. He finally touched the wall with his back, realizing that he had no place to run. Then everything fell silent. And it was even more terrific than screams. Suddenly his neck was grabbed as the commander was pinned to the metal wall, creating a large dent. He saw two green orbs staring at him. Then a green light appeared from Phantom's hand, litting them both.

"What...the hell...are you?!" Wes coughed.

"Someone you wouldn't like to meet again. Your friends are unconscious, and I'm giving you the same chance. Leave your job and start normal lives. If I learn that you are at your dirty business again, I'll find you. In my 297 years I had to kill several times, but nor you, nor me want that, right?"

"Y-yes!"

Danny dropped him on the ground. "What's your answer?"

"I will leave! Just spare us!"

"Good. Now, the map."

"We...we never had any...W-wait! There is a Diamond City. It's right to the North-East. It glows at night, you will surely see it!"

"Hmm, fine. Let's go, Cujo, we have a drug storage to blow up!"

With that Phantom dissappeared in the darkness again, leaving a mentally scarred mercenary alone.