Ignite the Soul Chapter 06 (Early Preview) (Patreon)

Chapter 06: Game On!

Later

Danny followed Zoey through sliding glass doors into what she had casually described as "just an arcade." The others walked in soon after.

"Whoa," Danny breathed, turning in a slow circle. Five stories of gaming machines stretched upward, connected by escalators glowing with underglow.

The five-story arcade loomed before them. Rainbow lights spilled onto the sidewalk. Digital characters danced across massive screens while K-pop music thumped from inside.

"This is an arcade?" Danny stopped in his tracks, staring up. 

Zoey grinned at his reaction. "Not like Gravitron Games back home, right?"

"The one back home is just a dingy room at the mall with like, twenty machines." Danny laughed.

Zoey grinned and tugged his arm. "Welcome to Seoul gaming culture. This place has everything."

"And we mean everything," Mira added, adjusting her cap and sunglasses. "Five floors of gaming heaven."

Rumi bounced on her toes, her pink hair bobbing with the movement. "We should start with the rhythm games. I want to see if you guys have any moves."

"I think we need to get game cards first." Mira pointed toward a counter where teens were loading digital cards with credit. 

There, Zoey insisted on treating everyone despite Danny's protests. The attendant barely glanced up, too focused on her phone to recognize the three members of Huntr/x in their casual clothes and face masks.

Danny beamed as they walked through the first floor. "This is insane. Look at these machines. We don't have anything like this back home." The air smelled faintly of cotton candy and energy drinks. 

Rows of claw machines lined the walls, filled with plushies and figurines. Teens clustered around racing simulators while others battled on fighting games. 

"Where first?" Jazz asked.

"Second floor," Zoey decided. "They have this amazing co-op rhythm game called Pulse that's basically impossible to find in the States."

The escalator carried them past rows of crane games filled with plushies and figurines. The second floor opened into a section dominated by dance and rhythm platforms, many occupied by players.

"There!" Zoey pointed to an open machine with five platforms arranged in a semicircle around a massive screen. "Perfect timing."

They stepped onto the individual platforms, and Danny noted the pressure sensors beneath his feet. This was definitely not like the DDR machine back home.

"Fair warning." Mira selected a song on the touchscreen. "We do this professionally."

The music started, a K-pop song Danny vaguely recognized from Zoey's playlists. The screen displayed footwork patterns that curved rather than the rigid arrows he was used to. 

Danny stumbled through the first thirty seconds while the three Huntr/x members effortlessly hit every beat.

He was more used to fighting than dancing. Whereas Huntr/x essentially perfected the combination of dancing and fighting.

"You're thinking too hard," Zoey called over the music. "Feel it instead!"

Danny tried to loosen up, watching Jazz, who had surprisingly found her rhythm. By the end of the song, he'd improved from abysmal to decent, earning good-natured laughter from the group.

"Not everyone can be a natural," Rumi patted his shoulder as their scores flashed on screen. Her perfect score dwarfed his points.

When the next song started, Danny surprised himself by hitting more than half the steps correctly. Zoey moved beside him, occasionally reaching over to guide. "Not terrible for a first-timer."

"I think the word you're looking for is 'awful,'" Danny replied, wiping his forehead. "But it was fun." 

“You’re lucky that we didn’t choose our own songs. You would have looked like a flailing baby in comparison.” 

Danny groaned dramatically. "I'm going to need to practice if I want to keep any dignity intact."

Jazz rolled her eyes. “I have my doubts.”

"Alright, next game," Danny suggested quickly. "Preferably something that I have a chance of winning."

When they moved to another floor, Zoey gestured toward a row of racing cabinets with their plastic steering wheels and bucket seats. "Maybe you'll have better luck with these?"

Rumi slid into one of the seats. "Fair warning, I’m not half bad at these." In truth, part of their training included fighting while operating a motor vehicle.

"Is that so?" Danny grinned as he took the seat next to her. 

They selected their vehicles on screen, the countdown began, and to everyone's surprise, both Danny and Jazz shot ahead of the pack. 

Their virtual cars drifted around corners smoothly which left Zoey's mouth hanging open. Even Rumi looked shocked as Danny overtook her on a particularly difficult hairpin turn.

Zoey gripped the steering wheel, her eyes narrowed in concentration. The digital speedometer climbed as she navigated a sharp turn, only to watch her car spin out and crash into a barrier.

"No," she groaned, slumping back in the seat. “Again!”

#

Danny crossed the finish line with a triumphant whoop. "First place again."

Jazz, at the cabinet on his other side, finished a close second. She brushed her long red hair from her face and grinned. "Almost had you that time."

Mira leaned against Zoey's cabinet, watching the results screen with a frown. "That's four races in a row. You two are monsters at this game."

Rumi nodded, tapping her fingers against her soda cup. "Okay, where did that come from? Seriously. I thought I was good until today."

Danny shrugged, his casual smile brightening his face. "We've had a lot of practice."

"What kind of practice makes you drive like that?" Zoey asked, finally releasing her death grip on the wheel.

Jazz and Danny exchanged a quick glance before Jazz answered. "Our parents build vehicles for their research. We test them sometimes."

"Both stick and automatic," Danny added, spinning the plastic wheel. "When your dad builds something new and yells 'Kids, come try this out,' you learn fast.Dad believes everyone should know how to handle any type of transmission in case of ghost emergency."

Zoey raised an eyebrow. "Your ghost-hunting parents build race cars?"

"Not race cars exactly," Jazz clarified. "Just... specialized transportation."

Rumi slid into the vacant cabinet. "One more round. I refuse to be embarrassed like this."

As they selected their cars, Danny casually mentioned, "Just so you know, I have a motorcycle back home that I race sometimes on the abandoned tracks outside town."

Zoey's head snapped toward him. "Wait, what? I knew you got a motorcycle, but you race it?"

"Just friendly competitions." Danny’s eyes were fixed on the screen. "Nothing professional."

"Since when are you into racing?" Zoey pressed.

"It's a recent thing," Danny replied. "This guy Johnny challenged me a few years back, and it kind of became a regular weekend activity."

Jazz rolled her eyes. "Danny always needs an adrenaline fix."

"You're full of surprises, Fenton," Mira slid into the seat beside him. "But don't get cocky.

"Bring it on," Danny replied, gripping the wheel. "I've got a few tricks of my own."

"Three, two, one," the game announced.

Their conversation paused as engines roared. Zoey bit her lip in concentration, determined not to finish last again. She glanced quickly at Danny, wondering what other secrets her old friend might be keeping besides his mysterious racing hobby.

#

They moved to another floor, and Rumi pointed toward the row of rail shooter games.

Mira groaned. "I'm terrible at those. The targeting never works for me."

"Come on." Zoey was already walking toward the machines. "They're fun even if you miss everything."

The group gathered around two adjacent cabinets featuring zombies and mutant creatures. Danny grabbed one of the plastic pistols, testing its weight with a familiarity that made Jazz smirk.

"Two players per machine?" Jazz asked, picking up the second gun at Danny's station.

"You're going down, Fentons." Zoey took a neighboring cabinet. Rumi joined her while Mira stood back to watch.

The games started simultaneously, with characters automatically moving through dark corridors while players aimed at targets that popped out from behind corners. The rapid-fire sound effects mixed with electronic music as their scores climbed.

"Whoa, look at you three go," Mira commented as she watched the point counters racing upward. Danny and Jazz moved in perfect sync, covering different sections of the screen without needing to communicate. Meanwhile, Zoey hit targets before Rumi could finish her side.

"Left corner, Jazz." Danny took down three zombies on the right side of the screen.

"Got it." Jazz’s shots found their marks.

When the final scores appeared, Zoey had the highest individual score, with Danny and Jazz close behind. Their combined team score outpaced Zoey and Rumi's by a significant margin.

"That was impressive." Rumi replaced her gun in its holster. "You guys must play these a lot."

Zoey twirled her plastic gun before setting it down. It helped that she was a master of her throwing knives and ranged combat.

"Our parents build Anti-ghost weapons," Jazz explained with a casual shrug.

"They make us practice at their home range," Danny added. "Safety training, they call it."

Mira raised an eyebrow. "Ghost weapons? That's a thing?" 

He shrugged. “Kinda. It’s hit or miss if it works the first time.”

In the back of Huntr/x’s minds they wondered if it was possible to slay demons with modern technology. From what celenie told them, mundane weapons dispersed a demon and allowed them to reform in the Demon Realm later. Their spiritual weapons prevented that, keeping them dead.

Saving those thoughts for later and getting over the loss, Rumi suggested they move on. "Third floor next. Photo booths."

The third floor was quieter, lined with curtained booths where groups emerged giggling, comparing small printed photos.

They squeezed into a booth designed for four people. Zoey was practically sitting on Danny's lap while Jazz perched on the edge.

Rumi tapped the screen. "We can add filters, stickers, everything."

They posed through several flashes, making peace signs and silly faces. When it came time to edit, Mira took control, adding cat ears to Danny and star effects around Jazz.

"Now we decorate them." The machine spat out the printed sheets. Zoey pulled out markers from her purse, and they huddled around a small table, adding doodles and notes to the margins.

“One more!” cheered Jazz.

#

On the next floor, Zoey's smile brightened. "Let's hit the claw machines next. I want to see if we can win one of those plushies for my collection."

Danny paused in front of a row of crane machines filled with colorful plush toys. “"I'm going to win something for each of you.”

"These things are such a scam." Mira tapped the glass of one machine filled with cartoon characters.

Danny examined the closest machine, eyes narrowing as he studied the arrangement of prizes. "They're designed that way, but there are workarounds."

Rumi raised an eyebrow. "You sound suspiciously confident."

"My best friend Tucker figured out the math. These machines are programmed with payout ratios just like slot machines." Danny circled one of the machines, peering at it from different angles. "The claw only applies full grip strength on certain attempts."

Jazz rolled her eyes. "Here we go. Danny's about to show off."

"I've spent way too many quarters figuring this out," Danny admitted. He pointed to a teddy bear positioned near the chute. "See how that one's sitting? You don't need to lift it completely."

He swiped his card and took the controls. He positioned the claw. Instead of trying to grab the bear, he aimed slightly off-center. The claw descended, nudged the bear, and caused it to tumble sideways into the prize hole.

Rumi's eyes widened as Danny handed her the teddy bear. "Impressive."

"Beginner's luck," Mira challenged.

Danny grinned. "Pick a prize."

Mira pointed to a polar bear in the back corner of another machine. "That one."

Danny studied the setup before swiping his card. This time, he maneuvered the claw differently, positioning it so the prongs closed around the polar bear's head. When the claw began to rise, its grip loosened as expected, but the bear's ear remained caught on one prong. It dangled precariously all the way to the drop zone.

"No way," Mira whispered as the polar bear fell into the prize chute. She accepted it with genuine surprise. "Okay, nice."

Jazz stepped forward. "My turn to choose."

She pointed to a fluffy white cat on top of a pile. Danny took longer with this one, studying the pile formation before making his move. He positioned the claw directly above, then jolted the joystick at the last second so the claw swung slightly. When it closed, it caught just enough of the cat's tag to drag it off the pile. The cat slid down, knocking several other plushies aside before dropping into the hole.

"You've gotten better at this." Jazz hugged her new cat plush.

Danny turned to Zoey. "Your pick."

Zoey scanned the machines until her eyes landed on a large turtle plush in the corner machine. "That one, but it's huge. Probably impossible."

"Challenge accepted." Danny cracked his knuckles dramatically.

This machine was clearly the most difficult, with the turtle wedged between other prizes. Danny spent a full minute examining it from every angle. He moved the claw with careful precision. Instead of going directly for the turtle, he targeted a smaller toy beside it. The claw grabbed the smaller toy, dragged it slightly, then dropped it. The movement created a chain reaction that shifted the turtle closer to the edge.

"One more try." This time, he positioned the claw directly over the turtle's shell. The claw descended, gripped, and lifted. Everyone held their breath as the turtle rose a few inches before the claw loosened. But Danny had positioned it perfectly, and the turtle's round shape caused it to roll toward the chute, teetering on the edge before finally dropping in.

Zoey clapped her hands. "That was amazing!"

Danny retrieved the large turtle and presented it to her with a small bow. "For you."

Zoey hugged the giant, fluffy turtle plush to her chest, burying her blushing face in its soft fur. “Danny, you didn’t have to.”

"How did you get so good at these?" Rumi clutched her teddy bear.

"Lots of practice," Danny replied. "Plus a stubborn streak that my parents say I inherited from both sides."

Zoey hugged her turtle plush. "I'm naming him Shelldon."

"That's terrible," Mira groaned.

"I think it's perfect." Danny smiled at Zoey.

Later

After a few hours of gaming, the energy that had fueled their arcade competition began to wane. Rumi checked her phone and yawned. "It's getting late. Anyone else starving?"

"Now that you mention it," Danny replied, absently patting his stomach. "I could definitely eat."

Jazz nodded in agreement. "Jet lag is starting to catch up with me too."

"We should get food before taking you two back to your hotel," Zoey suggested, still clutching her turtle plush against her chest. "There's a great place nearby that won't be too crowded this time of night."

Mira gathered her polar bear under one arm. "The one with those steamed buns you like?"

"Exactly." Zoey grinned. 

Twenty minutes later, they were seated around a low table in a cozy restaurant with warm lighting and the comforting aroma of various dishes, much like lunchtime.

The conversation flowed easily as they ate, jumping between topics from differences in America and Korea to funny stories about Danny and Jazz growing up in Amity Park.

Zoey leaned forward. "You never told me about that."

"There are a lot of stories I haven't told you yet," Danny replied with a small smile.

As their meal wound down, Rumi checked the time. "We should probably get you two to your hotel. You must be exhausted."

"A bit," Jazz admitted. "Though I'm trying to stay awake until a normal bedtime to beat the jet lag."

They paid for dinner and drove toward the hotel district.

When Rumi pulled the SUV up to the entrance of Danny and Jazz's hotel, there was a brief awkward shuffle as everyone extricated themselves and their bags from the vehicle.

"Thanks for showing us around today." Jazz gave each of the girls a quick hug. "This was so much better than sitting in our hotel room."

Danny stretched, his back popping audibly. "This has been… amazing. Seriously, guys. Thank you for everything today."

"It was our pleasure." Rumi nodded. 

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" Danny turned to Zoey. "If you're not too busy, I mean."

"We actually have a schedule cleared," Zoey replied. "Maybe we can show you some of the real Seoul, not just the tourist spots."

"I'd like that." Danny smiled, standing with his hands in his pockets.

"Get some rest," Mira advised. "Text us when you wake up."

"We'll pick you up tomorrow around ten. We can visit the Gwangjang Market. You'll love it."

"Sounds like a plan," Jazz agreed, grabbing her suitcase.

Zoey hugged Jazz first, then turned to Danny. It was a quicker hug this time. "Get some sleep, okay?"

"Will do. See you tomorrow, Zoe."

They said their final goodbyes, and Huntrix piled back into the car, watching as the Fenton siblings disappeared through the hotel's revolving doors.

As soon as they were out of sight, Mira slumped in her seat. "Okay, I'm exhausted after today. Can we go home now?"

Rumi was about to pull away from the curb when all three women sat up straight. The Honmoon barrier, normally invisible to everyone but them, was fluctuating in a distinct ripple of magenta like the surface of a disturbed pond.

Zoey's eyes narrowed. "Seriously? We’re on our break!"

"Demons don't take vacation days." Rumi’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. She glanced at the others. “Let’s get to it, girls!”

It was time to hunt.

Meanwhile

Inside the hotel lobby, Danny and Jazz were at the front desk. As the concierge checked their reservation, a sharp, icy coldness shot down Danny's spine. A familiar blue mist escaped his lips, visible for only a second in the air-conditioned lobby. He flinched. The sensation was sharper and colder than usual.

He subtly nudged Jazz, who was looking over a brochure. "We've got an unwanted visitor nearby."

Jazz didn't even look up from the brochure. She simply reached into her purse and pulled out a familiar silver and green thermos. She passed it to him discreetly. "First international one, huh."

Danny took the Fenton Thermos and gave his sister a quick nod, then turned. "I’ll call you when I’m done."

He walked into the men's room, checked that the stalls were empty, and ducked into the last one, locking the door. He grinned. “Going ghost.” A moment later, two brilliant rings of light washed over him, transforming his clothes into his black and white jumpsuit. His hair turned snow-white, his eyes a glowing, ghostly green.

Before flying out, Danny hesitated. It wouldn't do any good if "Danny Phantom" were spotted in Korea of all places. He concentrated, recalling a skill he'd perfected years ago during that adventure in ancient Japan. With a thought, his ghostly form shifted, and his classic black and white jumpsuit with its subtle modifications over the years transformed. The material shifted and flowed like liquid, rearranging into a stylized Korean hanbok in the same black-and-white color scheme. A traditional black hat materialized atop his white hair, and a matching face covering concealed the lower half of his face, leaving only his glowing green eyes visible. He was glad to learn this over the years. 

Danny then went intangible, flying silently up through the ceiling and out through the hotel walls and in the same general direction as Huntr/x.