Chapter 1
M'gann shifted uncomfortably as the chains on her cuffs rattled.
They had been in the transportation truck for a while now and the lack of mobility was starting to get to her. So far there wasn't much to report on yet. The only noises came from outside, where there was a helicopter and two cop cars escorting them to their destination. It did, however, bring her comfort that she could feel Bioship close by. For now she would just close her eyes a little and try to relax before the real part of the mission starts. Maybe some relaxing would help to calm her nerves about going undercover where at least a part of the population she and her team put there.
That was until Icicle Junior decided to speak up.
"Soooo, are the rumors true?" He said as he looked over to the guard. The man didn't react to the comment as he kept his gaze fixed on Mr. Freeze's special holding area. Unlike the guard, Conner did seem interested, maybe just to keep himself entertained for now. "Rumors?" He asked, trying to keep a believable southern accent.
Icicle seemed almost bored to answer as he shrugged. "You know, something about Belle Rêve being haunted." He waved his hand around dismissively as Connor raised an eyebrow in M'gann's direction. "Batman didn't say anything about it being haunted."
"Superboy, try to see if there is any merit to these rumors, they may have a connection to the mission." Aqualad's voice ordered over the mind link. For now it was just him and Red Tornado trailing the convoy. Take it as an extra security measure until it's time for M'gann and Connor to be extracted.
Connor focused back on Icicle, same raised eyebrow now directed to him. "Haunted you say?" Luckily for them it seemed like Icicle was just as desperate for some entertainment as he jumped right up from his slouch. "Yeah!" He almost yelled, "Some say it's a guard that died there like a year or so ago. Whole unfinished business and stuff. Some of the older guys even claim that after that incident, they heavily increased security. Those who have been in isolation even say the guard's dog roams the hallways. Though that is just from those who believe it." He tried to explain with as much movement as his own cuffs and chains allowed him. "How would a guard even die if we 'ave these things on?" Connor asked as he pulled at his collar a bit.
Icicle laughs as he leans forward and flexes his arms. "Man, it's not because we ain't got our superpowers that our muscles turn into noodles. Dude probably picked a fight with the wrong guy." His laughing was soon interrupted by the guard planting the butt of his gun in Icicle's head. "Shut up ice cube," he sneered, "You might be a big shot out there, but in here, we are the boss. Now stay quiet or next time will be harder." He threatened as he went to stand back in his position.
With his pride hurt, Icicle leaned back and crossed his arms as he looked away from the guard. He can't do much about it, not with those collars on, but at least he can still grouch a little.
"Do we investigate this? If a guard had died, I don't think Batman would have sent us in, would he?" M'gann asked concerned over the link. After a bit of silence, Aqualad could be heard. "Negative, the mission proceeds as planned. You already have enough to worry about. Best not get distracted by baseless rumors. They could have very well been made up to scare the new prisoners. Red Tornado agrees with this as Batman would not have taken the risk of sending the two of you in if it was true."
Conner huffed lightly as he fixed his gaze to a corner of the truck. M'gann shifted nervously as she could tell the comment didn't sit right with him, but she couldn't do much about it. She looked around again, hoping to catch a view of the outside world through the little slivers that act as windows. Instead she caught Icicle Jr winking at her and making kissy faces. She looked away in disgust and rather focused on her hands instead as she recounts the mission briefing by Batman.
"Dude." Icicle halfway whispers as he leans over to Connor, snapping both him and M'gann back to reality. "Dude! Your sister is sweet." He glances over to M'gann again as she in turn looks away in disgust, again. Icicle focused his attention back onto Conner as he continued. "How about you put in a good word for me?"
He wasn't given much time to receive an answer as the guard slammed his gun straight into Icicle's nose, resulting in an audible crack. He fell back into his seat as he cried out in pain. The guard however seemed a bit too amused with his reaction. "I told you to shut up, didn't I. Now stay down, we're here." He announced as the convoy finally arrived to the outer gates of the penitentiary.
"Welcome, to Belle Rêve."
Chapter 2
So far the mission was going mostly smooth. Outside of a fight Connor started, Aqualad almost ending the mission and a not so great therapy session, it was all going to plan. They know the break will happen soon so just to be on the safe side, the rest of the team had been called in as back up. Of course Batman wasn't too keen on having the whole team involved as it poses greater risk, but for the sake of the mission it was also necessary.
Right now it was lunch time. Conner made his way over to Icicle who was rather angrily munching away at his own food. Connor raised an eyebrow as the laughter from Icicle Senior's table bellowed through the mess hall. "So how come you ain't sittin' with your pa?" Jr. leaned forward with a scowl aimed straight for his father's table. "Because my pa is a self-centered jerk who only wants me around when he needs me." He looked back as his internal rage subsided. "I try not to live or die for his approval, you know?" The air became a bit heavy as Connor looked rather pensive over what Icicle just said. To try and lift the mood a bit, Icicle put on a smile again and changed the topic. "So, tell me about your sister."
Connor was stirred out of his own train of thoughts at the sudden request. "What? D-ah. S-she's a pain. Why?" He slightly stuttered, trying to find the right words without blowing their cover. Icicle seemed to become incredulous at the retort as he gave his cellmate a gentle shoulder bump. "Dude, she's hot. You can't see it because you're family. But I look at her and think: 'That chick gets me.' And really, that's all you need. Someone who sees the psycho that you are and likes you anyway." He shrugged as he continued to eat. Connor looked at him amazed before breaking out in to a smile. "Yeah, you're like an evil genius." "Word." Icicle agrees as they share a quick first bump.
Out of the corner of his eye, Connor spots something green in between some benches up ahead. "Dude, what is that?" He asks as he tries to follow it but soon loses it between the other inmate's legs. "What's what?" Icicle asks as he fails to see what his friend saw.
Connor scratched is head as he tried to subtly also tell M'gann via the link to show what he saw to the rest of the team. "Uh I don't know, something green was moving there." Jr. raised an eyebrow at his friend before he continued eating. "Dunno man, I for sure didn't see anything." Connor looked down at his own untouched plate. He was sure he saw something but what?
Just as he was about to finally start on his own meal, the furry little green and black head of a puppy poked through the table in between the two inmates. The two boys jumped back a little as the sudden appearance as the little puppy fully hopped onto the table. "Guys are you seeing this?"Conner practically yelled through the link, unsure what to do. The puppy was glowing green, with matching green fur. It's ears were floppy and black while it's eyes were a deep blood red color. It did have a spiked black collar but it didn't elude to either its name or its owner.
As his teammates confirmed he wasn't tripping on prison air, the puppy took a few steps closer to Connor. Unsure what to do, Conner stood still as the little green furball sniffed him. The sniffing halted as something caught it's attention. It quickly turned around and seemed to growl at the icy teen on the other side of the table. "What did I do?" Jr. whisper-yelled to the blond, hoping to not further agitate the pup. Without much time to react, it jumped to Conner's plate and grabbed the mystery meat.
"Hey, my food!" Connor yelled but as he tried to reach out, the little pup jumped off the table and went straight through the floor. "You know, maybe you should try and see if there is anything else weird going on there. There is nothing in Batman's files about a death of a guard or food stealing glowing dogs. I'll already send him what we have in the meantime." Robin said nonchalantly through the link as everybody was trying to process what just happened.
Connor looked at his food, or rather that sad bit of mashed potatoes that was left. Sighing as he sat down, he gave a confused look over to Icicle as the frosty teen also took his place again. They both sat confused until Mr. Freeze yelling behind them shocked them back to reality. Well, sort of reality as it all happened so fast. All they really understood was that Freeze was getting escorted out, and everybody else was ordered back to their cells.
As they calmly walked back, they passed by some guards pushing out the food trays. "Screw that kid and his dog I swear. Next time it goes dumpster diving in the kitchen I ain't cleaning it up. Hey, make sure I66 doesn't get his meal. His mutt, his responsibility."
Connor glanced at Icicle to see if he was listening too. "What's I66?" He asked as they walked through the doors to their cellblock. "Not sure," Icicle shrugs, "The I block is where the social isolation cells are, but you really have to fuck up badly to land yourself some time in there."
Before he could as any more questions, Senior grabbed his son and pulled him off to the side.
Chapter 3
'Tommy sure be taking his time.' Icicle thought as 'Tommy' had been in the warden's office for a bit. Surely turning the collars back off couldn't be taking that long. He decided to open the door and look in. "How's it going?" He asks into the darkness as he sees 'Tommy' run back towards him.
"It's done!"
But behind his friend, he sees the glowing outline of a person, neon green eyes staring back at him. Something about those piercing green orbs made him feel super uncomfortable. "Um who is that behind you, Tommy?" He asks as he keeps standing in the door frame. Connor, who had already ran past him had to turn back to grab his frosty friend. "There ain't nobody there man. Now let's go break that wall."
True to his word, as Icicle looked back over his shoulder, the glowing figure had disappeared. Had he imagined it? Was the stress of the whole mission and impressing his father getting to him?
Not like he actually had any time to ponder on it, they still had a job to finish.
Conner went back to punching the wall at the split between the wings with Junior as Mammoth and Blockbuster stalked towards them. Conner yelled out one last time as he delivered an even harder punch than normal before turning to the mutants.
Freeze steps up behind them. I went back to the warden's office." He said, letting that catch the teens' attention. "Hook and Abra were taken out by ice before their collars reactivated. Your father and Cold were with me the whole time, so..." there's no need to finish the sentence as the tone and his glare show exactly what he wanted to say.
"What are you talking about?" Jr. countered, "We stopped the collars from turning back on. Oh, and you're welcome." He added sarcastically.
Freeze glared at the teen's snark but didn't say anything in retort.
"Don you get it?" Conner mumbles to Junior, then raises his volume just enough so Freeze can hear him. "You heard Freeze in the mess. This is 'is power play. He's takin' what belongs ta your pa." Freezes eyes widened as he got angrier at realization that he figured out Junior's true plan.
"Traitor!" Both Junior and Freeze yell at the same time, firing ice at the other. Conner is quick to jump to the side and out of the way. Ice collides in between the two of them, becoming a shattering crystalizing nebula of power.
Mammoth growls as he attempted to hit Conner, Blockbuster following close behind. Conner jumped back, quickly realizing that he was definitely running out of room before the wall. Mammoth came in with another huge hook that Conner ducked under, grabbed the mutant's wrist and throwed him into the wall. Blockbuster charged in after that. Looking over his shoulder at the noise, Conner saw just how close he was, taking Mammoth by the wrist again and swung him to hit Blockbuster and threw both of them at the wall.
Freeze overpowered Junior easily, putting the teen in the defense mode. "Amateur. You can't possibly hope to beat me at my own game." The Arkham inmate taunts. In all fairness, it is also Icicle's game, but he has far less experience that a vet like Freeze.
Conner looked over worriedly at Blockbuster and Mammoth as they stood back up. "How 'bout we trade dance partners?" He offered Junior. The ice teen looks over his shoulder while just barely holding Freeze back. "Deal." He agreed with pleasure.
Conner jumped high before Mammoth and Blockbuster could get to him. Freeze stopped firing his own attack in shock, looking up to see Conner delivered a downward punch. While Junior froze Mammoth and Blockbuster in place with a steady stream of ice.
As Freeze fell back, he realized his helmet's been shattered. Conner looked on as Freeze started to panic. "No. No. My suit is breached. Can't survive unless-" Freeze quickly shot himself in the face with the Ice gauntlet, freezing his head and shoulders, and the tops of his arms. He looks back at Junior who stops with his stream of ice to keep the shouting monsters back, as it solidifies, he looks to Conner. "I got mine, but I don't know if that ice will hold them."
"Jus' keep at it. Pile on the ice. I'll finish up." Conner said quickly before charging his shoulder straight into the wall, knocking what was left clear and through.
"Well, well, well, it's the brother." Frost mused. "Care to share Tuppy's fate?" Her eyes drag to the left, leading Conner's to the same.
All he could do is gasp at the suspended, frozen M'gann. Shock gave way to anger in a moment as he yelled in anguish while he charged. Devastation met him halfway, so he hit her straight in the face. Surprisingly, she tanked it and hit him back. The two exchanged a few more blows as Frost snaped a quick "Get out of the way" before huffing in annoyance, failing to get a clear shot at the raging teen. "Oh, fine, I'll ice you both."
Conner's quick reflexes led him to turn and catch Devastation in an arm hold, as she got hit head on with the ice. From there he moved quickly, charging at Frost where she barely had enough time to gasp and stop her ice before he threw Devastation at her. Both women hit the wall and fell limply to the ground.
"Dude, what are you thinking?" Junior questioned confused. Conner was slow to stand, but as he moved back towards his love, Junior realizes what he's looking at. "Oh. Aw, dude, I'm sorry." He offered genuinely, as Conner came to a stop before her, raising a hand to wipe away the fog so her face is no longer obscured. Conner's eyes close as he rests his head on the ice, hoping now that he made it here, she would be able to reach out to him. But he got no answer.
"And she was such the total babe too." Conner completely ignored Icicle's comment, stepping back with a large windup and an angry look on his face. Junior is quick to realize what he's going to do. "Dude, stop!" He exclaimed, stunning Conner enough with the fear in his own voice to get the bleach blonde to turn towards him. "You'll shatter her, if she's still alive in there at all." He mumbled the part lowly.
"M'gann, please don't leave me." Conner projects his thoughts one last time, hoping to get her to hear him.
Everything was quiet until the ice quaked and shattered itself. M'gann almost fell to the floor. Conner takes a moment to reach out to her, but he helps her up quickly. "Are you...?" He trailed, unsure how to finish the question. "It's pretty cold where I come from." She offered. Conner shifts his hold to her waist and her jaw. "I'll be al-" She's cut off as Conner kissed her passionately.
"Dude, that's your sister." Junior objects loudly, eyes wide.
M'gann shifted back to her Martian self, green skin, freckles, and auburn hair.
"What?" Junior looked to where she was frozen, then to Frost and Devastation. "Wait. Is she?" Realization hit him like a freight train. "And are you?" Now he knows exactly who they are. "Oh dad's gonna kill me." He whined as he rubbed his face in disbelief of how badly he messed up.
"Um, sorry to interrupt but would you mind going back to your cells?"
Chapter 4
"Um, sorry to interrupt but would you mind going back to your cells?" A strange voice echoed from where they had made the hole. The 3 teens are shocked out of their own little worlds as they didn't expect there to be an onlooker.
M'gann and Superboy share a glance. Neither of them know this person in front of them, yet they had an unsettling feeling of familiarity neither could place.
It looked to be a young boy, maybe around the age of 11 or 12? He was extremely skinny and looked only slightly better than skin and bones. The baggy prison gear did little to help conceal his frail frame. Strangely enough his suit was a bright blue instead of the usual prison orange. His black undershirt extended from under his collar and covered the bottom part of his face. He also had a rather sickly pale complex, and his shaggy white hair did little to make him look less like a walking corpse. They were slightly off put by the boy's neon green eyes and a strange glowing aura around him. If they didn't know better, they would have guessed it to be from a Green Lantern ring. Luckily that wasn't possible, even in Belle Rêve.
But that wasn't the most concerning part.
This frail boy in front of them was sporting not one, but five inhibitor collars. The standard one on his neck was clearly visible, but they were able to see the faint outlines and green lights of 4 others, each on one of his limbs.
They weren't prepared for this. Nothing in the report had said anything about somebody powerful enough to require 5 collars. Not even Shimmer or Mammoth needed that many. Just how powerful would this kid have to be to need that many. Or worse to know, what this young child had to have done to end up in Belle Rêve of all places.
M'gann's psyche was still a bit too fuzzy from being in the ice that she was struggling to get the mind link back up. Superboy knew that even with his full strength back, going one on one with the kid was a bad idea. They really needed that extra backup they had just for a situation like this. For now they could only hope that either their teammates will show up on time, or that this kid wouldn't try to fight them. They both were stuck in place, scared to make a wrong move. Even with the collars back on, they were sure to not underestimate him.
Their dear friend Icicle Jr., however, did not share the same sentiment. The young ice villain sighed heavily and rubbed his face theatrically. "Look kid," he lazily looked the young boy once over with a disinterested glance. "I'm really not having a good day, so if you think I would go back then you are out of luck. I'm getting out of this joint. Before my dad finds me." He muttered the last part to himself as he started making his way to the gaping hole in the wall.
The glowing boy moved a few steps to be blocking the much taller teen's way. "I'd really prefer if you don't. There is no way you are getting out of here, so again, I do advise you to go back to your cells. Ms. Waller would go a lot less harsh on you if you are back where you belong by the time the cops arrive. Plus I really don't want to fight any of you, so please just go."
Icicle paid no heed to the warning as he trudges forward, purposely bumping into the younger's shoulder. "I don't care what that bitch will do. I'm getting out. A little snowflake like you can't stop me, so leave me-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as he was suddenly flung over the younger's shoulder. Icicle came to a rolling stop as he angrily looked back up. "You little imp! I don't care what kind of stupid deal you have with the boss lady but she ain't here to protect you now!" He yelled out as he fired a few ice beams at the boy. They were all a miss as the stranger simply dodged all of them. He calmly stalked closer to the young ice villain as said boy was haphazardly shooting ice everywhere. He finally sent a one that looked like it would hit dead on target, the kid was too close to dodge it on time.
Icicle felt like he had shot himself as he froze. Instead of freezing over like he should have, the kid simply waved away the ice himself and sent it flying off to the left. The fabric over his masked scrunching a bit into a smirk. Never before has anybody been able to do anything like that. Not even any of the adult ice villains were able to control the beams once they had been shot. Jr stood still as the strange boy made his way over to him. The younger sighed deeply as he pulled out an inactive collar from his pocket. "Really, I didn't want to do this, but you left me no choice." The echo in his voice sent chills down the spines of all three teens. He aimed a finger gun at the icy teen as green energy glowed around his hand. "I'm sorry for this." He apologized as he fired a singular green beam at Icicle. The teen got hit right between the eyes and fell down. The hit had left him unconscious and thus safe to approach and put the extra collar on. With it clicked around the teen's neck, it buzzed to life. The red lights glowed brightly as it sent a precautionary shock through the teen's body. Not that he felt it.
Even with the verbalized unwillingness to fight, they went with their intuition as the boy clearly was ready for one. The couple got ready in a defensive stance as the boy now turned back to them. They feared the power he held, even with all of his collars still on.
The masked boy, however, did not take kindly to their readiness to fight him as well. He fell into a loose defensive stance that Canary would have yelled at. The boy gave the impression that he never really had combat training, but more used to street fights. No matter his seemingly wide open points, they waited for him to make the first move. M'gann was no match for hand to hand, especially with her powers still out of whack. Normally it should be fine by now, but she still felt a strange fuzziness clouding her mind. Superboy didn't have that issue, but if he had learned anything from their training, is that it's usually better to not rush in blindly. Icicle had been a prime example of what could happen. With him being the stronger one at the moment, he also felt responsible to protect M'gann from any direct attacks.
The strange boy lifted a curious eyebrow as he eyed the two teens. Clearly confused as to why they weren't attacking him. He slightly let his stance relax as he let one hand drop to his side. He slightly tried to hide his arm as they could see the slight glow form around it. Not willing to take the chance of either of them getting hit the same way Jr did, Superboy rushed in. He readied his own fist, aiming straight for the boy's arm. The younger dodged just in time, flipping backwards to create more space between them. Seeing this opening, Superboy tried to swipe at the younger's legs where he should have landed.
Key word being should.
Much to their shock, instead of landing on the floor where Superboy had aimed for, the boy hovered in the air a few feet above where he should have been. Only slightly shocked by the sudden levitation, Superboy didn't want to waste too much time. He couldn't give this kid an opening to attack M'gann until either the kid was down, he himself was out or backup finally made it here. He jumped up, attempting to go for another punch. The kid didn't dodge much, only slightly so he would be able to grab onto the Kryptonian teen. Using the momentum of the older boy, the strange child spun him around and threw him through the wall behind M'gann.
The Martian called out for her teammate as she tried to catch him or at least break his fall. Right before she could grab onto him, a glowing green mass pushed her to the floor herself. Both crash down to the floor of the female mess hall. They groaned as they tried to get up before the strange boy could get close enough to them for another attack.
Chapter 5
M'gann yelped as she was pushed down by the weight of a very big and very angry dog. The hound was easily double the size of her so she opted to lay still before she got her head ripped off. A singular paw was enough to push her down with enough force. Her movement caused it to let out a cautionary growl and it slightly increased the pressure on her chest.
Superboy looked at the massive beast. He had to do something, anything to get M'gann out from there. Without giving it much thought, he tackled the hound. Mission success, it wasn't on M'gann anymore. But now he was stuck fighting a massive, green glowing, hound. It squinted its blood red eyes as it growled at the Kryptonian.
Before it could pounce, a whistle echoed from above. The strange teen floated down towards the hound and Superboy. "Cujo, sta." He ordered in a strange language. The hound, Cujo apparently, growled a final time towards Superboy before it walked off. Each step it took closer to the boy, it shrunk in size until it was nothing more than an all too familiar small puppy.
"H-hey! That's that dog that stole my food earlier." Superboy breathed out half in shock and disbelief. He let out a sigh of relief as he was sure he was about to get horribly mauled by that dog. The strange kid let out a nervous chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, heh. That was yours? I'm really sorry about that, he was just trying to take care of me." He crouched down to give the puppy a few pets. Even though he could hear the kid muttering to the dog, Superboy didn't care much for listening in.
"No sweat." Superboy glanced wearily at M'gann who just shrugged, wiping off the sticky drool it left behind. They didn't do or say much else as the kid stood back up. The puppy seemed content with ignoring their existence for the time being as the boy started to approach them slowly. "Now, if you guys wouldn't mind." He pulled out one last collar from his pocket. "This is kind of the last one I have left, so big guy, this one is for you. It would really be nice if you guys could just go back to your cells. Miss Waller isn't going to be happy if there is an even bigger mess to clean up than there already is." He awkwardly laughed a little as he jabbed a thumb up to the hole upstairs.
They were honestly contemplating if they should reveal their secret ID's to this kid or not.
He checked off all the boxes of being an inmate here, weird outfit aside, yet all he was interested in was getting them to go back to their cells. Even his fighting was more defensive and quick, rather than just throwing fists to throw first like many of the other prisoners. Outside of his fighting, he did seem like a calm person, but did that make him trustworthy of their mission? He didn't seem to recognize M'gann, even with her green skin and outfit resembling her uncle's. They didn't want to think about how long he would have to have been locked up already to not know about Superboy. He already made a few accidental tv appearances in Metropolis. Pretty hard to miss. Granted it wasn't that long ago, but it still felt way longer than any child should spend in a prison. Let alone one specialized in violent meta criminals.
Plus they couldn't shake off the strange familiarity this boy had. They hadn't been in the field enough to have met him before. Hell, he likely was already in here before they joined the team. Yet somehow they felt like they knew him.
Their train of thought was interrupted as the puppy stopped scratching its ear. It growled as it grew in size again. Before they knew it, the hound was standing close to the strange boy, protecting him of whatever danger it sensed. The boy's eyebrows knotted in confusion as he placed a hand on the hound's front leg. "Cujo, ce s-a întâmplat?" The hound didn't change much as it looked around to a select few specific areas around them. The hairs on the beast were standing up and it growled threateningly as it tried to get even closer to the boy. Before any of the others there could react, an arrow whizzed past the strange boy's head. As it landed in between the two groups, it exploded in a cloud of smoke. They coughed as barely visible, M'gann disappear in a blur of yellow and red. He almost didn't noticed that the hound had set chase after the blur but didn't pay much heed to it. He let the tenseness in his shoulders relax as he realized his teammates had finally made it.
Artemis had set herself safe up in the hole created by Superboy. Wally had already gotten M'gann out of the danger zone and brought her to a far corner of the room. "M'gann!" Aqualad called out as he rushed forward. "Can you link us up?!" He used his water bearers to create a wall between Superboy and the other two. With the wall in place, it also helped dissipate the smoke faster.
M'gann shook her head, finally ridding her psyche of the haze that had it clouded. "Everybody there?" She tested the link to be sure everything was still right as something still felt off.
"Can somebody get this thing off of me?" Wally called out as he was basically running circles being chased by a massive hound.
"I've tried!" Artemis called out from her safe spot. "The damn thing just runs through the nets like they don't even touch it!"
"Superboy get out of there! We will cover your retreat." Aqualad ordered the extremely confused clone.
"Right, right." He said as he jogged his way over to M'gann.
"Who is this kid anyway? There was nothing in Batman's files about a small kid being here?" Robin questioned from his spot atop one of the light fixtures. He readied a dull batarang, as he aimed for the back of the kid's head. Quick knockout so they can get out after dealing with that dog.
"Um, rude! I'm not a small kid, I'm almost 14!" The strange boy yelled out as he looked directly at where Robin was hiding. Robin released his batarang but it barely landed at the kid's feet as he was too shocked. Pretty much everybody in the room froze up, resulting in the gloriously chaotic fall of Wally. His rolling was brought to a stop as the hound jumped on him and aggressively barked in his face.
"What?" Artemis questioned over the link utterly confused. They didn't say anything out loud. And there was no way the kid could have heard their psychic conversation. Right?
Chaos soon erupted over the link as people were trying to figure out what just happened as Wally screamed in the background. They were arguing whether or not the kid might be a psychic or if M'gann somehow messed up the link. Because blaming M'gann always went over so well with the lovely anger management issues of a certain clone. The poor Martian could barely defend herself as the others couldn't possibly understand that she only reached out to the minds that felt familiar to her.
Amid all of chaos, it went unnoticed the two youngest in the room were quiet. Robin and the strange boy were locked in a stare. Each desperately trying to recognize why the other was so familiar. Realization hit them both like a freight train. The boy staggered back in shock, frantic hands shot up to where his face was covered as they traced the upper edge of the fabric. Robin had lost his balance from his perch. The bat in training barely managed to react on time to save his fall and he grabbed onto the light fixture. Dangling off the light he watched the boy nervously stare at each of his teammates before looking back at him. With a few, hesitating steps backwards, he turned and started running through the tables towards the hound and Wally.
"Cujo, veni!" He ordered as he patted his chest. He hound got off of the speedster as it ran towards the boy, rapidly shrinking back to the size of a puppy. They met about half way as the now small dog jumped into the boys arms. With a final hesitant look at the dangling bird, the boy rapidly took off into the air and disappeared through the ceiling.
"Robin!" M'gann yelled out in panic as she took notice of the dangling bird. With extreme caution and both Superboy and Aqualad ready to catch if necessary, she levitated the younger down to the floor. They barely spoke a word, all of them stuck on the same thought. What the hell just happened.
Well, all except for Wally who was complaining about the river of sticky glowing drool that covered him.
But one thing was for sure on everybody's mind. They were not looking forward to debriefing Batman.
Chapter 6
Could you imagine what it would be like to lose your family at the ripe old age of 9?
Being separated from your only living relative, only to lose contact because they got too busy with friends, school and extracurriculars and you didn't want to be a burden?
Only to then almost die in an accident a mere 2 years after ?
Not only that but to then also lose your new family, friends and more than half of your town to your psychotic future self just a few months later?
Well, Danny didn't have to imagine that, frankly he'd rather not.
But he couldn't.
Simply because it's his life and there is no changing that.
And before you ask, yes, he did try but Clockwork refused.
He was 9 when he watched his parents fall to their deaths. The sickening cracks of their bones breaking still haunted his nightmares. His brother and him were put in juvey for a while. The government didn't want Pop Hayley to take care of them.
"The circus isn't a place to raise children." They said, because juvey was such a better option.
But they didn't actually care. They were just two little gypsyboys with no family. As long as nobody had to look at them, nobody cared. That was until Bruce Wayne tried to take them in. Of course this didn't work. Who in their right mind would let some orphaned gypsy kids stay with a billionaire playboy. God how he hated being called that. He hated how is heritage was used against them, to degrade them. As if it somehow excused treating them as lesser. Although, there is a certain man in history that would agree with those people.
Anyway, the child service workers decided it was a good idea to see how it goes. After Bruce threatened to sue, of course. But they only let his brother go. "He is more civilized." They said. "He'll fit in easier." He hated being looked down on, even more so when compared to his identical twin. It wasn't his fault that he was a bit more clumsy and didn't like biting his tongue to dickheads. No matter how much he hated it, he still encouraged his brother to take the opportunity. Only older by a few minutes, he still felt the responsibility to protect his brother. Especially now that he was the only one he had left.
Of course he did try to break out a few times, but it didn't work out. His brother was only given limited times to visit him. Mostly because they didn't want Danny to 'influence' his brother. But it didn't matter.
By some miracle, there was a family who had came to visit him once. It was a family of 3. They had a daughter that looked like the split image of the mother. The dad was a big bear of a man, but an absolute idiot. Of course Danny did make sure to let them know this. Hoping that it would deter them from taking him away from his brother, he put on quite an attitude with them. It didn't work though. The man laughed with every jab he sent out, and the daughter excused most of his behavior. Some smart people talk about the effects of trauma and PTSD on a child. Before he even knew it, he was being signed out of juvey and put in a camper on his way to Illinois.
He hated being so far from his brother. They didn't get to see each other much as they each had school and their own messes to handle. His brother had become rather famous after he was officially grated the status of ward to Bruce Wayne. The media was flooded with articles about him and reopened the wounds about their parents' deaths. Only this time, Danny was conveniently left out of the story. They had no use for a kid that wasn't under the care of the Bruce Wayne. With the spotlight on him every time he left the house, visits were nearly impossible. They did try to stay in contact and hang out during vacations, but they both had school and friends as well. Not to mention his brother's extracurriculars.
Of course he knew about his secret identity. He might not be able to talk to his twin as much as he would prefer, but that didn't mean he couldn't keep tabs on him and on Gotham. Obviously he also told his brother he knew. At first it was quite big of a deal. Lots of apologizing and promises of secrecy being made.
But Danny didn't care too much.
Sure he was worried sick his brother was going to get hurt, or worse, but he couldn't stop him even if he tried. His brother was handling everything way worse than Danny was. Partially because he was still in the same city as where everything happened, living with a man who drinks and parties his way through his own grief. He couldn't blame him for going out there and hunting down that crook that caused the accident. On the contrary, he was glad the man got caught. Just sucks that he himself couldn't do anything about it. He wasn't as smart as his brother, academically, but he was sure he could handle the hero-bizz just as well. He just needed some training.
Danny had honestly thought about it. He could follow his brother's example and go with his nickname raven. He never liked being too much in the spotlight anyway so he'd fit right in with Gotham's mismatched Dynamic Duo. A miniature Mr. doom and gloom so to say, but with the agility and energy of the walking traffic light.
Eventually their contact started to lessen as his brother was extremely busy with his new life. The string of excuses or times he forgot about their hang out time really hurt Danny, but he never let it be known. He wasn't the ward of a billionaire with a reputation to keep up and social gatherings to attend. He wasn't a secret nighttime hero. He was barely even an average student in class, compared to his top of the class brother. He had no right to complain about the lack of time spent together. Their lives just forced them apart.
Luckily for him, he at least managed to make 2 amazing friends. Tucker was his best guy friend, about as close as a brother from another mother could be. He was very tech savvy and seriously saved Danny's ass on multiple occasions by getting him up to speed with technology. With that came those sweet sweet games where he could forget about everything that bothered him. And of course release some of the pent up frustrations he had.
His other friend was Sam. She was a really chill girl that could stand up for herself, which he really liked. A lot of the people first thought he was his brother, here to relax and get away from the cameras. Sam's parents were part of those people. But they quickly learned he was, in fact, NOTBruce Wayne's ward. Once that news spread, he was dropped from everybody's social graces and even became the target of a lot of bullying. But not Sam. Even though her parents thought the worst of him, much like those lovely Gothamites he got to know, she stuck by him.
School was about as bad as it could be for him. He had to get a lot of extra tutoring from Sam and Tucker as he wasn't particularly used to a regular school system. He improved rather quickly with a few hiccups here and there, but he never felt the need to go all the way. He was happy being an average B student. The things he was more interested in weren't tested at schools. As fate would have it, he really fell in love with the inventing his foster parents were into. Sure their designs were made for ghost hunting, but it spiked his interests none the less. He sneakily learned a lot from their designs and weapons. Occasionally he would even try to help fix minor issues that they were looking over. Of course they didn't really like a child messing with their tech, but they always listened anyway.
Of course, that also lead to the incredible downfall of his life. One simple mistake and then everything just started going really wrong really, really fast.
Chapter 7
It was just a few months after his 12th birthday when he messed up big time.
Life hadn't been that great but it also didn't get much worse. Sure, puberty was right around the corner. He was the main target of pretty much every single bully at school, much by his own doing. Quite a strong 'rather me than others' mentality made sure of that. And of course he barely ever still talked to his brother.
It's not like he didn't want to, he just felt like a bother, is all. He didn't have much to do except hang with his friends and tinker away at the invention of the week. His brother had so much on his plate already that he didn't want to add onto it. They both do try to reach out every now and then, but mostly it just faded over the 2 years since he really started to get into the hero thing. He caused a whole bunch of kids to follow into his footsteps and become a hero as well.
Oh how he would love to meet all of them one day. Not just because he aspired to be like them one day, even though that seems like a far off dream by now. No, he also just wanted to meet the friends that helped his brother through a lot of the hardships that he wasn't there for. Gotham was only an hour ahead of him, but it still made it difficult for both of them as there was only a small window between school, dinner and his nightly activities for them to talk. And Danny can't hold it against him that he might not always be the first choice to spend that little time with.
It wasn't all bad however. Because of all the free time he has, he had become very close with his two best, and only, friends. And when they didn't have time, he worked on the inventions. He had gotten really good at the tech part, with much thanks going to Tucker for teaching him a lot about computers and some arguably legal ways of using them. Not that it mattered much, he lived in the middle of nowhere, in a town nobody but the townsfolk know about. Well them and the paranormal tourists they get. How the 'most haunted town of America' wasn't more well known was beyond him. Best guess would be the rumors of it all being a fake.
But that wouldn't be for long anymore.
His foster parents had been working on their biggest invention as of yet. They were working on a doorway between our world and their hypothetical spirit realm. He hadn't thought much about it, really. He had always thought that if ghost were real, then they would simply exist on a different level than them within the same dimension. Much like in a way that 2D objects couldn't perceive 3D objects, humans couldn't perceive ghosts as they simply existed on a different level. Still, he had about as much proof for his theory as they had for theirs so it was an even playing field really.
It was hard not to get excited as well when it finally came time to the testing phase. Their child like excitement for this project was rubbing off on him as it would be a massive scientific breakthrough were it to work. Sadly, outside of a few sparks within the dark tunnel of metal and wires, nothing happened. Disappointment quickly washed over all of them. The impressive hunk of technology and ingenuity was nothing more than a bunch of wires and metal scrap. His foster parents has left the lab, even ignoring their own rule of not leaving the kids unattended there. Their grief over their failed project hitting them hard.
Danny felt really bad for them. Sure, he may not fully support their theory but he did really wish for it to work. He called up his friends and asked them to come over. He needed Tucker as a second opinion. If he was going to try and see if he could do something about this, a second brain would be handy. Sam was mostly there to make sure they didn't kill themselves by not being cautious enough.
Oh the sweet irony of that.
They had indeed worked on the ghost portal, as his foster parents liked to call it. They had managed to decipher the mess of a blueprint and made a few adjustments. Some of the wiring wasn't hooked up right and the flow of energy was disrupted in a few places. Likely the explanation to the sparks he saw when they first tried to power it up. However it had yet to turn on even with it being reconnected to the power grid. After a few more hours of painstakingly breaking their brains over the issue, the boys were about ready to give up. They took a small break to let their brains relax as Sam decided to have a go at it. There wasn't much she understood from the mess of scribbles. Except for one little detail.
"Um, guys? Why does this point to an ON button?" Both the two boys halted their conversation mid sentence as they rushed over to the blueprint. Just as Sam had said, there was in fact an on button. They groaned in unison as they let their heads fall to the desk. Had they really been that absorbed in the big picture that all four of them had looked over the massive design flaw? Tucker sighed as he walked over to the tube but didn't see any buttons on the outside. It was just pure smooth metal. "Did they forget to install it or something? I don't see any buttons."
Danny facepalmed as he got up and grabbed a flash light. Surely, these two geniuses wouldn't have made such a massive mistake, right? Sure enough, as he peered into the tube from the outside edge, he could see a faint glimmer of red deep inside. He gave in to his intrusive thoughts again as he slammed his head into the outer casing. "Nope. It's there. On the inside." Both his friends perked up at that and rushed over to see for themselves. "Dude, for a pair of geniuses they really are idiots. There is no way to fix this without ripping the whole thing apart and reinstalling it on the outside. All the hours we wasted on this. Damn. We could have gotten past that one level in Doom!" Tucker complained as he started to pack his stuff up. They weren't supposed to be there, so better not leave any proof of it.
"Why don't you just press it?" Sam asked innocently. "The button is right there. All you need to do is push it and it should work right?" The boys shared a glance. She was right. Success was so close, their work wouldn't have been for nothing if it does work. Why would they let a little button stop them?
Except that was exactly the issue.
The button was so deep inside it would already be quite a parkour to get to it, let alone get out again. If anything would go wrong, Danny wouldn't be able to forgive himself. He couldn't let his friends, his new family, get hurt. "I mean, you have a point. But I don't think we should. Besides, Jack and Maddie would kill me if they found out what we have been doing here." He tried to de-escalate his friend, but he could see the taunting smirk grown on her face. "What's wrong, Dann-o? You scared of a little button?"
Danny rubbed his face trying to calm his nerves. Yes, he was scared. Scared of them getting hurt and losing them just like he lost everybody else he held dear before. But it's not like he would admit that to them. "No, Sam, I'm not. It's just that we aren't even supposed to be here, let alone meddle with their inventions. They wouldn't even let me work on a basic blaster without being supervised. Maybe when we are older they'll let me, but right now is not the time." He tried, really. He tried to change her mind, but the goth girl continued her teasing.
"Oh no, Danny boy. I did not sit here for hours watching you two geek about boring ass tech that I don't understand without anything to show for it. Hell, if you won't then I will." She walked over to the closet where they safety gear was kept and pulled out a protective jumpsuit. Danny had cold sweat going down his back. He knew damn well if she went in, and something went wrong in there, she wouldn't make it out fast enough. She might have been the most athletic of the three, but she lost all the advantages she had over them when she panicked. And she would for sure panic if it wasn't just pressing a button. Tucker would be even worse as he can barely jog for half a minute, let alone if he panicked. He pretty much turned into a defenseless flamingo when he did.
No, if somebody had to go in, it would be him. "Hold it, Sam. I'll do it. You wouldn't fit in those suits anyway, they'd be too big on you." He desperately tried to cover his shaking hands by quickly snatching the gear out of her hands. It was somewhat true that she wouldn't fit, mostly because the smallest sizes were designed with Danny in mind. They were for emergencies, of course, but at least they were prepared.
"Dude, are you sure? You really don't have to, especially if it's only because Sam is pushing it." Tucker sent a pointed glare at the girl as she shrugged her shoulders. He knew the dangers of going in, just like Danny did. Maybe to a lesser extent but he was aware of the risks. Danny frightened a smirk as he tilted his head to his friend. "Don't worry Tuck. She's right, it's just pressing a button. In and out. Plus, imagine if it actually worked. Maybe I could score some better grades because of this." Danny joked but couldn't look Tucker in the eye. The boy didn't dare to question his friend either, even with how obvious it was that he was lying. He knew Danny was scared but refused to admit it. "Fine," he sighed, "but I'm taking a damn picture of this before she tried to call you a scary cat next time something happens."
Danny let out a genuine chuckle as he got fully dressed in the suit. He was about to go in when Sam made him pause. "Wait! Before Tuck gets that picture of you," she ripped off the ugly sticker of his foster father's face from his chest," this thing does not need to be in it."
Now with the proof for ever lasting glory, if he makes it out, acquired, Danny walked in. He remembered roughly where he saw the button as he made his way to the back of the tube. He had failed to factor in that him being in there would be blocking out most of the light in there.
It was pitch black inside.
There were cables all over the place. He did his best to be careful, but cursed be his lack of night vision as he stumbled over a cable he hadn't spotted before. He stumbled a little as he placed a hand on the walls to prevent himself from falling. Of course, with his oh so amazing luck, he just so happened to put his hand on the button. Danny screamed out in pain as he got electrocuted with who knows how many volts. The pain was so intense he could barely hear himself screaming. Every cell in his body felt like it was set on fire, ripped apart or exploded.
Sam and Tucker stood in shock as they watched their friend be surrounded by green electricity. They swore they heard multiple voices scream out until all they heard was Danny's tortured screams. Tucker finally snapped out of his shock as Sam started sobbing next to him. He quickly ran over to the main power cable and ripped it out. The portal shut down and Danny's screaming stopped. They couldn't see him as there was a lot of smoke coming out of the tunnel. Much to their shock, and admittedly horror, Danny stumbled out. He looked extremely confused and out of it. He barely set a foot without the support of the tube before his vision went black.
Chapter 8
After the accident, Danny found out he had not died quite yet. Turned out he had only partially died. Somehow, his broken DNA from the voltage had been replaced with ectoplasm. This granted him both life and some nifty extras. Including having ghost powers.
It had been a few months since then and he had both learned to control it, and had been actively using them. His dream of becoming a superhero had finally come true. At least for the most part. He had the powers and ability to help others now, but most of the towns till thought of him as a villain. It really didn't help he was fighting other ghosts. And some of those new 'friends' of his liked to get him blamed for their actions. Or he did actually do them, but that was under mind control so that shouldn't really count.
Danny had become quite good at the fighting but his grades has suffered horrendously. He barely slept from how active all the ghosts were and had a hard time keeping up with the new amount of energy his body required and expended. It had taken them an embarrassing amount of time to figure out that there is a delicate balance he has to keep. He had to eat enough to fuel his powers, but he also had to use his powers to keep them from acting up in his human form and basically burning through his own tissue. Yeah, once they noticed him dropping weight rapidly, they immediately adapted a habit of at least once a day fast food. With it being the most greasy and popular place in the town, the Nasty Burger was an easy place for them to make sure Danny ate enough without raising suspicions.
He had gotten in trouble on numerous occasions because of the toll of the ghost fighting and secret identity. But if he had to be honest, he would do it all over again. The few ghostly friends he had made along the way really helped make all of this worth it for him. No matter the villains and their crazy plots, knowing he now had more friends than before the accident really made it worth it. Although he saw some less than others, they were all very dear to him.
He had scheduled training with Clockwork at least once a week. The old fart really helped him understand and control his powers. He had pretty much perfect control over his flying, invisibility and intangibility. He had absolutely no control issues over the ectobeams and blasts, but still had a bit of a struggle with the further manipulation of his ecto-energy. Shields were a breeze to make but keeping them up, especially when under attack was still a bit of a weak spot. It required a lot of energy to constantly be poured into it, otherwise it will collapse. He had been experimenting with creating simple shapes.
Whenever the he was free, Wulf would stop by and hang with them. Tucker had given both Danny and Sam a crash course on Esperanto so they would be able to communicate with their furry friend without a translator. No matter their communication struggles, there was always lots of fun when their furry friend was around. Danny had asked if it was possible for him to learn how to create portals. Maybe if he could control that, he would be able to hang out with his brother again. But that would also require him to actually tell said brother of his new powers and superhero identity. He felt like absolute trash for not letting him know. They finally had something in common that would get them to talk again. He would finally be able to understand what his brother has been going through for years now. Though it does suck that he would be Danny's veteran, even though they are the exact same age. He would gladly learn the ropes from him, even if that would be the only time they get to spend together. At this point, anything would be better than nothing.
But atlas, Wulf had to explain that it was very unlikely that he would ever be able to learn. Not only is it a dangerous power to control, as ghost portals can go anywhere, any time. But also because the learning itself can be dangerous. He would essentially have to learn how to rip a hole into the dimensional fabric of space and time. Except for those who were created with the power, and thus already possessed the knowledge, there wasn't a single case of a ghost learning the ability later on. Although this bothered him, he still did his best to enjoy his time with his friend and learn what he could from the wolf ghost.
Sam and Tucker had been doing their best to take over some of Danny's responsibilities so he could get some sleep during all of this. But they also had to force him to study like his life and after life depended on it.
Because it actually did.
You see, they were in their last year of middle school, and with the year almost being over, they had some important exams coming up. Depending on how they did on these tests would determine their academic level in high school. Danny had set his heart on the AP science classes, but there was no way he would be allowed to sign into those without the grades to back him up. There was a way to retake the tests at the beginning of the schoolyear, but those were only for extremely special cases. "I couldn't study because I was fighting ghosts." Was not one of them. The solution seemed easy, except it really wasn't.
When was it ever for a direct contradiction to the law of life.
But, as per usual with his life, Danny was not allowed to have it easy. He truly did try to study when he could, but there is only so much you can do when you are stuck battling a time traveling, evil older version of yourself. He tried to get Clockwork to help him out, to at least help him have a fighting chance. But there wasn't much even he could do. Dan had become an entity on himself. Not bound to any specific point in time, much life himself. Danny begged the old time ghost to find a way. Maybe throw Dan into another timeline, one he couldn't escape from. Clockwork refused the desperate pleas as he couldn't bring himself to curse one timeline to save another. That was neither how he worked, nor how he was allowed to work from the Watchers.
Clockwork was bound by the rules, as all has to be as it should be.
Chapter 9
"All is as it should be."
Yeah, that ended up being everything having been taken away from Danny yet again.
He wasn't in time to stop the Nasty Burger from exploding.
Nor was he fast enough to save everybody.
Sam, Tucker, his foster family, and so many others. Even his cute little clone he only just met.
They were all gone.
The explosion was horrific. He doesn't know how he survived. Maybe an instinctual shield, but he didn't feel like he deserved it. Even with how far the burger joint was removed from the city center, it still took half of it down. The surrounding buildings that did make it through looked like they were ready to collapse. The schools were gone. His house was gone. His family was gone.
Again.
If there was anything he would be grateful for, is that the explosion took Dan with it.
There was still chaos all around him as he regained consciousness somewhere in the night. He laid there lifelessly as he stared up at the stars. Not like he could move much anyway, he had a few too many broken bones for that.
All of this was his fault.
His older self.
His powers.
His decisions.
Had he not gone into that portal, not even bothered to try and fix it, then this wouldn't have happened.
He wondered if that cursed thing even survived. He knew the basement acted as a bunker as well so the chances it is still somewhat protected were high. Danny made a mental note to go check on it later. First he had to set his broken bones back before they healed wrong. If he had learned one thing over the few months he had his powers, it's that his new healing speed is not something to underestimate. Though he did have to be somewhat thankful for it. He honestly didn't know how he would have been able to hide all the bruises and injuries from the fighting without it.
He laid there until the sun had started to rise. He wasn't sure whether it was a curse or a blessing, but his bones had healed enough for him to move again. He tested out his stiff muscles by stretching out. Loud cracks and pops echoed between the crumbled buildings. Reluctantly he got up and groaned at the pain that shot through his entire body. He tried to force his transformation, but outside of a spark or two nothing happened. Focusing on his core, he could feel that the fight and the healing took more out of him than he thought. Cursing his luck, he set out to what remained of the building.
Most of it was gone. Pieces of it were scattered around and mixed in with the other buildings. The ops center that was on top of the building was nothing more than scrap metal. He sighed softly as he climbed through the rubble. Most of the family's stuff was either gone or out of sight. Though the loss was hurting him deeply, at least he didn't have to be confronted by family pictures and the smiling faces of the dead. Death that he had caused.
Danny found some of the outer traces of the basement's protective casing. He mustered up all the energy he could as he felt himself pass through the debris. He fell through the ceiling as he barely managed to break his fall with a roll. The lab had only taken slight damage as far as he could tell. The back up generators were still powering the portal, but cracks had formed in the supporting structure. Most of the emergency rations were still untouched. Danny made sure to force down a portion or two before he set to work. He really didn't want to eat. Had he not already taken more than enough from the family that had so graciously taken him in when nobody else wanted him? Had he not caused enough hurt?
Still, he knew he had to. Pushing through the guilt was better than continuing to let his body devour itself. Once he had finished a sizable amount of food, he started packing up the lab. He knew he couldn't let it be there unguarded. He put everything together in boxes or bags. Anything that would keep the vials and weapons together. He labeled them and started loading them all in the Specter Speeder. It had taken a few hours to load up everything. Between the packing, tedious real life Tetris and a few breakdowns, he had managed to get everything to fit. All the weapons, blueprints, chemicals and other equipment that had survived the shock wave.
After a final check of the emptied out lab, Danny started up the speeder and entered the Ghost Zone. He made his way to the Clocktower and prayed to Satan that the time master would be there. He didn't even bother to knock as he flew right through the door. Oh the sweet benefits of being human in the Ghost Zone, no need for powers when you are the ghost there. He put the speeder in park in the main clock hall. Already dreading the conversation, he got out and walked over to the time mirrors. The three main mirrors were all showing different time lines of the same thing.
The center one was identical to what the town looked like right now. A massive crater and damaged buildings were all that was left.
On the left one, it showed the Nasty Burger. While it did look like it had exploded, it was no where near the damage he experienced. Off to the side he could see that version of him and his friends hugging and crying. Guess in that one he managed to save them.
Danny quickly looked away from it as he felt tears well up in his eyes. Why wasn't he allowed to be happy? Why did his time line have to be so messy? He only needed a short glance at the right one to see it was Dan's original time. The town looked pretty much intact and nothing much had changed from when he got stuck there with his friends. He doubted that the citizens rebuild the old town back to what it used to be.
After such trauma, it's better to move on.
Right?
Could it be that whatever happened to him, actually changed Dan's past? Sure he did get that stupid new power, but was that really enough? Dan said he got it about 10 years too early, so what happened? Why did he have to get the worse end of the line?
"Come out, Stopwatch. I know you're here." Danny called out as he would rather leave as soon as possible. The longer he stayed here, the less he trusted his own mind. He was already not in the best spot right now. Seeing what could have been really did not help him one bit. He turned around as he felt the older ghost materialize behind him. "Daniel. Pleasure to see you here."
Danny glared at his mentor. "We both know it isn't. Look, I'm not here for small talk. And no, I'm not even going to try and ask you to fix things. Absolutely no need for your wise 'time and space' talk." He halfway growled. Really, he was extremely mad and hurt that the Master of time refused to help him. The faster he gets this done with, the faster he can leave. He tossed the keys to the speeder at the older, but it missed horribly as the time ghost shifted to his smaller, child form. He watched as the keys fell down again, facepalming as they hit the floor. He dragged his hand over his face as he felt whatever life was left in him drain out.
Clockwork raised a quizzing eyebrow at the half ghost. Danny weakly lifted his head as his shoulders slumped. "Aight, I'm only here to drop this stuff off. The least you can do for me is keep all of it safe. I know you'll be able to hide it somewhere or something so nobody will get to it and use it for the wrong stuff. After I'm done here, I'm shutting down the portal so there won't be any need for ghost hunter stuff to fall into the wrong hands. It's the least you could do for me." He didn't want to look his now ex-mentor in the eyes. He couldn't bring himself to. He trusted this man to help him and to keep him and his friends safe. That is the main reason he had begged the older ghost to help him with his training. He couldn't let his friends get hurt because he didn't have enough control.
Yet that is exactly what happened.
"Are you sure, Daniel? Wouldn't you prefer this to be in different hands?" The time keeper asked as he shifted to his young adult form. Danny didn't care though. It had long since stopped amazing him how the older shifted forms so easily. "I know what you're trying to do, old man. It's not gonna work."
Clockwork hummed amusedly, but even with a quick glance anybody would he able to tell he felt not a single ounce of the amusement he portrayed. "Oh? And what would that be then?" Danny sighed as he felt rage bubbling up. He knew being in the Ghost Zone would help him regain his energy faster, but that didn't help with staying calm. He felt his eyes burn with rage as he felt the familiar feeling of electricity race though him. That damn talking clock knew what he meant. He knew everything. He just wanted to hear Danny say it. Had he not ruined enough lives yet? Did he really need to go out of his way to get others involved in his mess? Yeah, because that worked out so well last time.
He had to quickly blink away the anger filled tears that had started to brim on his waterline. "I am not going to them. They have their own lives and don't need me to come fuck it up for them. They'll be better off without me, just like it has been for the past years! I don't care what you think, but leave them out of this. Keep the equipment safe and leave it be. That's all you have to do for now."
Not wanting to wait for a reply, Danny let the all too familiar crackling of energy pass over his body as he transformed. He took off flying and shot out random blasts around him. The less control he had over his emotions, the more energy the Zone would pump into him. At least he left safe enough to let all that extra energy go as well as the Zone would simply redisperse it. He kept going for a while, shooting of blasts and screaming his lungs out as he finally let himself feel everything he had been trying to bottle up.
Chapter 10
Danny didn't know how long he spent in the Ghost Zone, frankly he didn't care much either. All he knew was that he pushed himself to the point of emotional numbness. He still blamed himself for everything that happened, but at least he regained some mental stability.
Clockwork's words still repeated in his mind. Ever since the accident, and finally becoming a hero, the old ghost had been pushing him to go to his brother. Danny always refused of course. He had training, school, a whole town to protect and so much time that went into his new extracurriculars.
They both knew those were just excuses though. It was true for the first month or two, but after the whole wishing mess and having to redo the accident? He didn't tell anybody, but he felt so much stronger after that. Not really in his powers persé, but in his capabilities as a hero. His friends, mostly Sam, had done so much to help him handle everything. They were more than capable of taking over while he would be gone. They had proven that more than he could, or should, have asked for right before everything went wrong.
Now that everybody was gone, though, Danny felt alone. He felt like that same little boy that watched his parents fall to their deaths. Only that time he still had his brother. Now, he felt like he had no right to suddenly intrude on his life. Danny knew his brother had a bright future ahead. He was smart and kind, top of his class in everything. Being the ward of Bruce Wayne also meant there was a big chance he would take over the company one day. Of course, his little hobby also meant that he would likely become one of the next leaders of the Justice League as well. Who was he to pop up and risk ruining that future. If anything it felt like it would be better if he stayed as far away as possible.
Better only his life that is a mess than two, right?
Plus, there is no way he would be able to stay in Gotham anyway. Not only would it be dangerous if he wouldn't be able to release his energy often enough, but that would for sure put him on Batman's radar. Everybody know how much he hated metas in his city. Being half ghost practically made him one, so he would probably be kicked out. But what was arguably worse, was that he looked so much like his brother, people would for sure mix them up. Even existing in the city would risk ruining his brother's reputation. Let alone if he ends up being an idiotic klutz in front of the cameras. No, he couldn't risk doing that to his brother. He had a good life and a good future ahead of him.
Danny however…
He rather not think about it, but how could he not.
He either gets hunted down by the GIW. Whatever they learn from him, they would use to destroy every ghost out there. No matter how annoying Boxy is, or how crazy Skulker got, he wouldn't want to be the cause of even more suffering. Not like how Dan did. That was his other scenario. The look on his face when his older self proclaimed his inevitability. The thought of it alone sent shivers down his spine.
Danny shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. Right now he didn't have time for that. He had to make sure the portal got shut down before anything could come though it. As he arrived back at the lab, he thanked his friends for reminding him to suggest an outer control pad to his foster parents. They had shut down the portal a month ago to do some maintenance. The original design was very dated, so now that they had it functional, it was also a good moment to modernize it. Though they didn't particularly like Danny messing with the portal, they did appreciate the suggestion. He was, after all, the one that got it working in the first place. With a bit of help from Tucker, they had secretly installed their own access codes and safeties into the system.
It didn't take long for Danny to get it shut down. Just for extra safeties, he did fully disconnect it from the generators as well. He made sure the lab's own security was up and running before he braved the outside world again.
Cautiously he peeked his head out from between the rubble. Though he did have his invisibility going, being extra sure wouldn't hurt anybody. With the coast clear, he fully popped out. The beautiful night sky glistened above him as the moonlight illuminated the area. The young halfa sighed.
It's already been a day huh.
He adjusted the small bag on his shoulder before making his way out of the rubble. He didn't really know for how long he would be out on his own, so it would be for the better to take some extra rations with him. He had also found a black hoodie he had changed into. The weight and coverage of the fabric bringing some sense of comfort to him as he pulled the hood over his head.
He wandered the area for a while. Being here hurt him deeply, but he felt the need to just see and take it all in. It's the least he owed to those he didn't save. Burn this into his mind so it will never happen again. He would make sure of that.
Danny froze as a whisp of cold air forced its way out his mouth. He thought he had been on time to close the portal, but apparently at least one ghost had made it through. He didn't dare transform, not wanting to alert whoever was around of his presence. He sneaked around a bit. Off in the distance he could hear some noises. As he got closer to the source he recognized it as scratching or digging. He spotted a faint green glow and quickly rushed to hide behind a pile of debris. He was silently hoping it wasn't anything big he had to deal with as he had no way of sending it back now. All he had was a single thermos in case of emergency, namely him going rogue.
Taking a deep breath, he peered over the pile to where he had last seen the glow. It was still there, so he decided to quietly walk over, only slightly relying on levitation to stay as quiet as he could. As he got closer, he finally got a decent look at his unexpected visitor.
"Cujo?"
The little puppy looked up at the sudden noise. It lunged forward as it grew into a massive hound and trapped Danny under it's heavy paws. Cujo growled at the ghost boy as it snapped at his face. "Cujo, calm! It's me! Remember me?" Danny pulled out one arm to scratch the monster sized hound much like the first time they met. Cujo seemed to relax a little but still didn't release the boy from under him. "Boy, you really aren't a light weight are you? Heh, should have called Peza instead." He joked, not expecting the ghost dog to sneer at him. If he didn't hit his head when he got jumped, he would have sworn Cujo looked insulted.
Danny raised an eyebrow. Had he actually lost his mind, or did a dog just understood him? It wouldn't be too far of a reach right? He would talk to Wulf so who knows. It's not like anybody could see him embarrass himself right now. "Memoru min?" Danny flashed his eyes green for a brief second. Maybe he simply didn't recognize his human half.
Cujo almost instantly jumped off him and shrunk back to his small size. Jumping around the ghost boy, Cujo yapped at him excitedly. Danny laughed at the little pup as he gave him as many pets as he could with him bouncing around. He grabbed the puppy so it would be still for long enough. "What are you doing here, boy? I thought you had your toy already." Cujo's tail stopped wagging as the pup went intangible to escape Danny's grasp. He walked over to the big pile of rubble where he had been moments before. He scratched lightly at the broken bricks and whined softly. Danny walked over to the pup. He hadn't really thought of where he had wandered to but he felt the dread set in as he realized. He looked around the rubble as he started noticing more and more identifying pieces of what once stood here.
Axion Labs.
It had been where Cujo was raised before he died. Where he was trained to be a guard dog. And where Danny had first helped him out to get his beloved toy back. From time to time he had to come back here during patrols. Cujo loved roaming the grounds. When he could, Danny would play with the pup before sending him back. Sometime he would go willingly, showing Danny he wasn't there to cause trouble. It had been a while since any of them had seen Cujo. Seeing him here now, his favorite haunt destroyed, tugged at his heartstrings.
Danny sat down next to the little ghost dog as he gave soft head pats. "I'm sorry, Cujo. This is all my fault. I couldn't protect anything. Even with most of the town gone, I still manage to hurt others." Danny cried softly as he truly did feel responsible. He never thought about what his regulars from the Zone would think if they saw the town now. Quite a few of their favorite haunts were gone now. All because of him.
As Danny cried, Cujo nestled into his lap. Both enjoyed each other's company as neither really wanted to be alone.
Danny wiped away his tears as he looked at the pup in his lap. They both didn't have anybody anymore. Danny had practically cut himself off of everybody, at least of those who were still in some form of alive. He didn't really know who Cujo might have had outside of himself and his friends, but with the portal closed, he doesn't really have anywhere to go. He chuckled as he rubbed the soft black fur on Cujo's ear. "How about we stick together, hm? Just you and me. Kune."
Cujo looked up. Tears still glistened in Danny's eyes, but the boy had a small but genuine smile on his face. He stood up as much as he could, placing his front paws on the boy's chest to reach higher. He licked Danny's cheek and wagged his tail lightly. Danny chuckled at the happy confirmation as he gave Cujo a tight hug.
He looked at the pup, his smile wavering a little. "If you don't mind, there is something I would like to do before we go." Cujo looked confused but didn't protest as Danny took the Axion tag off of Cujo's collar. Danny scooted a bit backwards, making sure to have an arm wrapped around Cujo so he wouldn't fall. He started to dig a little hole where he had just been sitting. The ghost pup seemed to realize what Danny's plan was as he too helped dig. Once their hole was deep enough for their liking, Danny held the tag out for Cujo. The little puppy rubbed into the tag, as a form of goodbye, before taking it and placing it in the hole. Danny covered it up with dirt again, careful to not pat down the top of it. He motioned for Cujo to step on it. Unsure as to why, Cujo placed a paw onto the loose dirt and pulled it away again. Right on top of his buried tag was now a print left behind.
They sat in silence for just a little while. When Danny finally decided to get up, he dusted off his clothes and grabbed his bag from where it had been abandoned. Cujo got up as well, looking rather exhausted. Danny chuckled lightly as he watched Cujo struggle to stay upright. He picked up the pup, thankful he wasn't in his big form. "You can take a nap if you want." Cujo let out a big yawn and he stretched out. It was a clear enough sign that he will, in fact, take that nap.
Danny took off his hood and let Cujo get into it. They had quite a ways to walk, so he'd rather keep his hands free for the time being. Cujo didn't seem to mind as he nestled into the soft fabric and breathed softly. Danny looked up to the night sky before he started walking again. "Sweet dreams Cujo, we'll both need it."