Chapter 42

The streets of Washington were a chaotic mess, with food debris raining down like a culinary apocalypse. Danny, standing on the glowing frame of his bike, tried to open another portal to the Ghost Zone, but the Chef Lady surprised him by slipping through his ectoplasmic chains. Her body shifted and reformed, her soul twisting into strange shapes to evade capture.

"You can do that?" Danny muttered, genuinely caught off guard. He had never seen a ghost manipulate their essence like that before.

Before he could act, the Chef Lady unleashed her wrath. Food items from nearby shops—fruits, vegetables, meat, and even entire ovens—came to life, swirling with ghostly energy. The possessed objects hurled themselves at the trio, forcing Danny to go intangible.

Tony Stark, hovering nearby in his Iron Man suit, had no such luxury. "Are you kidding me?!" he shouted, blasting refrigerators and flying pots out of the air with repulsor beams.

Peter Parker, clad in his black symbiote-enhanced suit, adapted quickly, forming blade-like appendages with his arms. "This is ridiculous!" he quipped, slicing through a flying steak and dodging a barrage of knives. "I'm all for food fights, but this is next level!"

Danny left his allies to manage the chaos and dove toward Chef Lady. "This is far from enough to stop me!" he shouted, his confidence unwavering. "You're not getting a pass for this. Equality for everyone—that's what I stand for!"

He delivered a powerful kick aimed at the ghost, but instead of landing the blow, his leg sank into a sticky, gelatinous substance. Before he could react, the substance morphed into a massive jelly that swallowed him whole.

Inside the gelatinous mass, Danny struggled, realizing that the Chef Lady had fused with the essence of food itself. "She can manipulate the energy of all dishes?" he thought, his mind racing. This wasn't just about her skill as a chef—she was practically a living manifestation of cuisine.

Her abilities reminded Danny of Technus, the ghost of technology, who could merge with machines. Unlike Technus, however, her ethereal body wasn't directly visible, making it harder to pinpoint and attack her true form. Worse, her ghostly energy was interfering with his powers, preventing him from going intangible.

"At least I'm learning this now instead of during a fight to the death," Danny thought wryly. Focusing his energy, he channeled it into his hands, building up a concentrated shockwave.

"Take this!"

With a loud boom, the energy detonated, sending the jelly exploding outward in a sticky mess. Danny was launched out of the trap, his protective ectoplasmic shield absorbing most of the impact. He landed on his feet, his outfit slightly singed but his determination intact.

"Seriously, are we really doing this?" Danny asked, brushing himself off. His voice carried a calm yet commanding tone. "Just give up already and submit. This is pointless, and you know it. You have zero chance of beating me."

The Chef Lady's ghostly form floated before him, her expression a mix of frustration and defiance. "I want to learn more," she said firmly. "This is non-negotiable!"

Danny sighed, recognizing that the fight would drag on indefinitely if he didn't change his approach. He thought for a moment before offering her a surprising proposition.

"Fine," he said, crossing his arms. "I'll let you stay—if you stop all this madness and agree to serve me. Your abilities might actually be useful, and I could use someone with your skills on my side."

The Chef Lady froze, her spectral eyes widening as she looked Danny over. For the first time, she truly observed him—not just as an opponent, but as a potential leader. Dressed in his striking black-and-white Phantom suit, exuding confidence and a regal air, Danny seemed larger than life.

To her, he radiated the kind of authority that even the Ghost Emperor hadn't matched. Bowing to one knee, she lowered her head in reverence.

"My Emperor," she said, her voice filled with respect and devotion. "I am willing to serve."

Danny blinked, stunned by the sudden shift in her demeanor. "What just happened?" he thought, utterly confused by the dramatic turn of events. But he wasn't one to question good fortune.

"Okay," he said, regaining his composure. "Stop all of this and come to my side."

The Chef Lady rose gracefully, snapping her fingers. Instantly, the chaos ceased. Food items fell lifelessly to the ground, and the streets of Washington returned to peace.

Tony and Peter regrouped with Danny, both of them looking baffled.

"Did… did she just pledge allegiance to you?" Tony asked, his helmet retracting to reveal his incredulous expression.

Peter folded his arms, his mask shifting to reveal a smirk. "I guess even ghosts recognize when someone's got main character energy."

Danny shrugged, trying to play it cool. "What can I say? I've got a way with people."

Tony stood beside Danny on the rooftop, still processing the turn of events. "Wow, just wow, man. I never thought recruiting an enemy mid-battle was even a thing. That was... something else."

Danny smirked as he watched Tony's bemused expression. "She wasn't really an enemy—just someone frustrated and venting in the wrong way. Plus, I had full control of the situation. It's not like this could happen every time. But hey, feel free to try."

Tony chuckled as Peter swung in, landing nearby. "Speaking of recruiting, you were talking about Spidey joining your team. Why not take it a step further? How about registering all heroes and making it official?"

"With who? The government?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly," Tony replied confidently.

Danny's face immediately turned serious. "Not happening. I'd never trust any government to prioritize the right thing for people. But your idea isn't entirely bad—we could establish a headquarters for all heroes. A place where they can train, rest, and get some level of protection from their enemies. But that's a separate thing from my personal team."

He turned to Peter. "What do you say, Spidey? Are you in?"

Peter hesitated, the idea tempting but the source uncertain. "I don't know. You seem solid, but how do I know you're not just some other guy looking to use people?"

Danny smiled knowingly. "If I wanted to make you my puppet, it wouldn't be hard." He raised his hand, and from his shadow emerged a dark, ghostly wolf with glowing blue eyes. "This is a werewolf I defeated and enslaved. But I don't need puppets—I need allies."

Peter instinctively tensed, but the wolf simply sat beside Danny, its glowing gaze fixed on nothing in particular.

Before Peter could respond, Tony interrupted, "Look, Phantom, you might have your pitch, but what benefits can you actually offer him? I don't think you've got the resources I do."

Danny smirked. "You're a weapons manufacturer. How do you even fit into this conversation?"

Tony crossed his arms. "That was the old me. Stark Industries has shifted focus—medical tech is the future. I've been reviving my great-grandfather's research to improve life expectancy and health worldwide. What's your plan, huh? How will you support him with your lack of resources?"

Danny's expression turned cold, his voice steady. "You underestimate me, Stark. I have knowledge that spans thousands of years beyond what this world understands. Resources? I can create them. My knowledge, however, is irreplaceable. Did I not cure every known type of cancer already? The government refuses to approve it because pharmaceutical companies are boycotting it. They're either trying to replicate it or waiting for cancer to mutate beyond the medicine's reach."

The words hung in the air like a thunderclap. Peter's eyes widened in shock. "What?! That's... groundbreaking!"

Tony, stunned, quickly opened his holographic interface to verify Danny's claims. His face hardened as the data began to confirm the truth. "Okay, you've got me. But can't we just work together on this?"

"Of course," Danny replied smoothly. "But if we're going to collaborate, you'll need to drop the blind nationalism and push this through, no matter who stands in the way."

Tony sighed, clearly reluctant but seeing no other option. "Fine. I'll draft an agreement and talk to your guy. You've got yourself a deal."

"Glad to hear it," Danny said, tossing Tony a glowing, round gem.

"What's this?" Tony asked, catching it and holding it up to the light.

"Solid energy. Think of it as a little preview of what I'm capable of."

Tony's eyes lit up as the implications clicked. "Oh, you bastard. I get it now. You'll definitely get something interesting in return for this." He rocketed off into the distance, his excitement palpable.

Peter watched him leave, then turned back to Danny. "Alright, I'll give it a shot."

Danny nodded, holding out a small, glowing orb. "Here. Let Venom absorb this."

The symbiote reacted instantly, forming a choker around Peter's throat where the orb embedded itself.

"This will allow you to harm ghosts. It's powered by my energy, but you'll need to recharge it when it's running low—it'll turn red to warn you. Use it wisely. And when you deal with Goblin, use this thermos to trap him." He handed Peter a compact device. "Deliver it to Sebastian Crowley—he'll contact you as Peter Parker and give you the details."

Peter looked at the thermos and the card Danny handed him, feeling the weight of the moment. "Thanks, I guess. This... all seems too good to be true."

"It's just an advanced payment," Danny said with a faint smile. "Enjoy the week off while the lab gets set up. Life's about to get a lot easier for you."

With that, Danny and the Ghost Chef vanished into thin air, leaving Peter standing on the rooftop. He stared at the card in his hand, a mix of relief and disbelief washing over him.

"Life moves in mysterious ways," Peter murmured, tucking the card away as he leaped off the rooftop into the city below. For the first time in a long while, the future felt just a little bit brighter.

Paulina stood in the grand living room of her family's estate, surrounded by the warmth of opulence and love that had been the cornerstone of her upbringing. Her father, a tall, robust man with a kind smile and eyes that sparkled with pride, pulled her into a tight hug. His cologne was familiar, comforting, and reminded her of countless moments spent basking in his undivided attention.

"My little princess, where have you been these days? Your father has been feeling so lonely," he said, his voice tinged with mock sorrow and playful affection.

Paulina felt a pang of guilt, mixed with gratitude, as she rested her head against his chest. Unlike Sam, who had grown up with strict and distant affection, or Star, whose parents' love was nonexistent, Paulina had been blessed with a family that cherished her. But there was one exception—her older brother, who was the black sheep of her life, a complete bastard who cared little for her well-being.

Naruto's words from their conversation lingered in her mind, cutting deeper than she'd anticipated. He wasn't wrong about her father. Though he loved her dearly, he didn't trust her with responsibilities or anything of real importance. It wasn't until Naruto pointed it out that Paulina began to see the signs.

The realization hit her like a storm—she was her father's princess, but not his heir. Her older brother, despite his faults, was the one being groomed for the mantle of leadership. Meanwhile, she was allowed to drift aimlessly, enjoying the luxury of her life but never preparing to take control of it. She had been coasting, content to let her father dote on her and give her everything she wanted without question.

Now, being held in his arms, she felt both happy and heartbroken. Star's tragedy, the void of love in her life, made Paulina appreciate her parents more deeply. She realized how much she had taken them for granted—their nosy, overprotective ways, their insistence that she learn and grow properly.

"Papa," Paulina said softly, looking up at him. "I've been studying properly these days."

Her father's eyes widened in surprise, his expression lighting up with pride. "Really? You don't have to punish yourself just to get an increase in pocket money, my little princess. Father will give you anything you want."

Before Paulina could respond, a soft yet commanding voice spoke from behind. "Dear," her mother said.

Paulina's father stiffened, his playful demeanor faltering as he turned to face the woman who had silently approached them. Her mother was a striking figure, tall and elegant, with an air of deadly grace that belied her past as a highly skilled agent. Her beauty was matched only by the steely determination in her eyes. Though her smile was warm, there was an edge to it that could unnerve even the most steadfast of men.

"Oh yes, great work, my daughter," her father quickly corrected himself, his tone more serious now. "Keep improving, and father will give you even better rewards."

Paulina couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her powerful father cowed by her mother's presence. It was an amusing reminder of the balance of power in their household. She stepped forward and hugged them both, surprising them with the sudden display of affection.

"Thank you, Papa, Mama. I love you both so much," Paulina said, her voice filled with sincerity.

Her mother's expression softened, and she returned the hug, her keen eyes studying her daughter closely. "Is Danny being good to you?" she asked.

"Yes, Mama. He's very good to me," Paulina replied, her cheeks flushing slightly at the mention of Danny.

Her mother's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. "Good," she said simply, though her mind was already analyzing every piece of information she had about the boy who had managed to influence her daughter.

Paulina could sense the wheels turning in her mother's mind. It was rare for anyone to escape her scrutiny, and Danny was no exception. She only hoped her mother would see what she saw in him—a kind, courageous boy who made her feel special in a way no one else ever had.