Arc 1 Part 2 : Search for the Missing Phantom Protector
Disclaimer (forgot last time) : People, we're on fanfiction. It's in the name.
"So what happens now? I can't go back home and I know that I can't hide out here forever. If I do that they'll catch me eventually."
"That is correct. Which is why I have sought out a sanctuary, of sorts, for you. A remote place, with kind locals, a cool breeze, and..."
"..."
"In need of a protector."
"..."
"..."
"Where?"
"You know where..."
"This-this is..."
"It is."
"I-I haven't seen this since – but how?"
"Nothing is ever truly lost."
"..."
"..."
"Thank you."
"Take care of yourself, Daniel."
"I will, Clockwork."
~! #$%^&*()_+
THHOOOOM!
*Wally, on your left!*
*Got it, Miss M.!*
Out of the corner of his eye, Robin sees Kid Flash dodge the green, glowing bird that had tried to ram into him.
As Robin flips and throws a cluster his (modified) bombs at his own opponent, he attempts to figure out when it had gotten so bad.
He supposes it had started when a minor town hero (anti-hero? territorial villain who refused to share?) went missing. Of course, no one really noticed at first. After all, he was the same kind of creature as those who where attacking them, and they still had their human protectors. What difference is one less "spook" going to make?
The answer?
ALOT.
Within two weeks, the human "experts" had been overwhelmed (not whelmed, not whelmed at all) and these "Ghosts" had spilled out of the town borders.
Not even a day later, the League had taken over the operation of rounding them up and sending them home, the Team joining a week later.
It was a slow-going and never-ending job.
Example?
The talking ghost vultures in fez hats that just keep coming back!
They were always after something, whether it be stealing tech, attempted assassination, or anything in between. They always seemed to be out and about, and no one knows how they keep escaping.
They're an annoyance on a good day, however easy to catch. Well, by themselves at least.
Unfortunately, they weren't by themselves today.
They had four other animals with them today: a four-armed bear, a two-headed lynx, a mole that's eye was on a stalk above it's head, and a fiery wolf with six inch claws, making it hard to capture them all.
Thankfully, the entire team was there today, so hopefully they could get this done quickly.
*Hah!* Artemis' gleeful voice burst through the mind link. *Gotcha! That's the mole down guys!*
*Nice!* Rocket says. *Aqualad and I have almost got the bear.*
Somewhere to his right, there was loud pop and a vacuum sound.
*Wolf and I got the wolf.* Superboy reports.
*Great! I could use some help with the lynx.* Zatanna says.
Robin takes his capture capsule from his belt and sucks in the dazed ghost vulture he'd been chasing before it could recover.
*Vulture #2 is down,* he reports.
The Boy Wonder turns to look at Miss Martian and Kid Flash, who are finishing their own birds. Once they're caught, they make their way out of the building and to the bio-ship, where the rest of the Team is waiting, including Zatanna, looking a bit worse for wear, but okay.
~! #$%^&*()_+
"Come now, Daniel, we were having such fun. You're not going to let the arrival of a few bumbling oafs like the Guys in White and Jack Fenton stop our little play date, are you?"
"Forget it, Plasmius. You can play around with the Jerks in White if you want. I've got more important things to do. Like homework."
~! #$%^&*()_+
The Team was gathered in the Cave, watching as Batman pulled up pages on the holo-screen as he prepared to bring them up to date on the search for the missing Phantom of Amity Park.
"From what we were able to discover, the Phantom disappeared into the Ghost Zone after a particularly rough encounter with the Guys in White, the Fentons and the Wisconsin Ghost, and never returned. It has been decided that there will be an expedition into the Ghost Zone to search for him. The group will consist of the Fentons, two Guys in White agents, four League members, and two members of this team, that you are to decide amongst yourselves. They need to be chosen by Saturday, we will be leaving the Friday after."
With the briefing done, Batman leaves through the Zeta-tubes and the Team turns to each other.
"We should handle this choice logically," Kaldur says. "The same way we chose team leader. We will nominate the ones we think would be best for this mission, and then vote. That said, I will go first, by nominating Robin."
"Wait, really?" Robin can't help the large grin that spreads across his face. "Thanks!"
The Atlantian nods and looks to the rest. "A second for Robin?"
Wally pumps his fist. "Definitely, dude!"
Kaldur dips his head in acknowledgment, " Any opposed?" No one does. " then Robin will be our first representative. Robin, please nominate our second."
Robin looks over his teammates, and tries to think about this logically, just like his leader said. As much as he liked her, M'gann was immediately out. It was proven fact that ghosts – and ectoplasm in general – fed on, manipulated, and super-charged emotions. She had been overwhelmed (heh) many times the last 2-and-half months. Robin really didn't want to know what would happen if she went into the Ghost Zone.
Superboy was out too. Two words. NO. SUN.
And as much as he enjoyed the entertainment it provided, if he chose Artemis or Wally, they would start arguing, and nothing would get done.
He also knew that Raquel's class was going on a field trip that she had been looking forward to, so she was out.
That left Kaldur and Zatanna. They both had pros going for them. They both had magic, which had been proven highly effective (pokemon reference for the win) against ghosts and they were both cool under pressure, which was good. But there were also the cons. Zatanna was limited by the fact she was still learning and hadn't mastered her magic yet. Kaldur, on the other hand, had mastered his magic but was limited by his need for water.
Hmm, Z or Kaldur?
Kaldur or Z?
Well, might as well return the favor.
"I'll go with you, Kaldur."
He looks surprised for a moment, then nods. "As you wish. Any seconds?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Robin spots Wally pouting at him while Raquel seconds for Kaldur.
"Any opposed?" Though some look disappointed, none do. "Then we are done here. I will see you tomorrow, my friends."
~! #$%^&*()_+
"Targets are splitting up. I repeat, targets are splitting."
"Let the Fentons have the Wisconsin Ghost. Catch the Ghost Boy!"
"Roger."
PEW! PEW, PEW, PEW!
PEW!
"Arhh!"
"He's been hit! Phantom is down, I repeat, Phantom is down!"
"What on Earth?!"
"That's the Fenton kid!"
"NO! Great, he phased into the ground. Now what?"
"We wait. We know who he is now. We'll capture him when he least expects it."
~! #$%^&*()_+
Dick Grayson, in full Robin uniform, sans mask, triple checks his equipment as he sorts through his bag and suit/belt contents in the Bat-Cave. The week and a half leading up to the expedition had passed quickly in the midst of last minute prep work, and now he and Batman were getting ready to leave Gotham in the capable hands of the rest of the Bat-Clan.
With his preparation done, the youngest Fledgling takes a deep breathe and turns to head to the Bat-Jet only to almost run into Terry and Tim, the only two of his brothers that can be in the same room as each other and act (relatively) civil.
Dick beams up at them. "Hey, guys!"
Tim returns the blinding smile – despite the almost black circles underneath his eyes – while Terry gives a small fond one.
Tim comes forward and ruffles the tiny acrobats hair. "Hey Baby Bird." Then continues onward.
I love you. Come home soon.
Terry bends over in front of Dick so they're at the same height, while slipping the mask the teen was about to put on out of his fingers and raising it to fit it over said teen's eyes.
Once he's sure the mask is secure, Terry straightens to his full height and ruffles Dick's hair as well. "Be good, Dicky-bird."
You are just as important as the rest of us. Be careful while you're gone, but don't worry about here.
I love you. Try not to give Bruce a heart attack with your antics, K?
Robin gives him a two fingered salute and brushes arms (well, shoulder to arm, at least) with him as he runs past, cackling. "Will do!"
No promises. I love you too. What's to worry about? You're strong.
~! #$%^&*()_+
I have to get away – they know – can't let them catch me – Clockwork! Clockwork will know what to do!
~! #$%^&*()_+
Robin stands off to the side of the crowded gray lab with Aqualad as they waited for the adult Fentons to finish last minute calibrations on their Fenton Spectral Speeder 2.0. Apparently, it was both bigger and sturdier then the first.
Robin studies those around him. There are a baker's dozen GiW agents, all hurrying about there tasks, with a glaring red head – the Fenton's 17 year old daughter Jazz – bearing down on them. The two agents coming with them, K & O, were standing at attention near the Speeder, impatiently waiting for their fellow hunters to finish up.
The League members going were Batman (obviously), Black Canary, Wonder Woman, and Doctor Fate, who - believe it or not - had been to the GZ before. Fate was going to guide them to an acquaintance who would most likely know where the Phantom was. The only problem was Fate had admitted to not knowing if said acquaintance would share that information.
Ka-thunc.
The sound of the engine paneling latching into place drew everyone's attention to the Fentons, who were dusting themselves off as the stood.
"Alright, everybody!" Mrs. Fenton called. "Everything's all set!"
Mr. Fenton bounces beside her. "Yeah! Now we can go teach those ectoplasmic scum whose really in charge!" Mrs. Fenton raises an eyebrow at him. "A-and find the ghost boy, of course."
"Let's go everyone, to your places!" Mrs. F. shouts while clapping her hands.
Those going climb into the Speeder and buckle-up.
Once he's settled, Robin looks around. He and Kaldur are in the back seats, right in front of the tightly secured, but slightly hap-hazardous luggage pile.
In front of them are Black Canary and Wonder Woman, who are quietly exchanging words.
Before them, manning the side weapons control panels, are the two Guys in White, who seem to be muttering about procedures and protocols to themselves.
In front of them, was Batman and Doctor Fate. Fate because he would be guiding them, Batman because, well, no one would deny the Dark Knight.
At the very front, in the driver's seat and co-pilot's seats, were Mrs. and Mr. Fenton.
The Speeder itself was the same dull gray as the lab outside, with green lines flowing through the metal here and there, broken up only by small, round windows and the huge windshield up front.
"At this time," Doc. Fate stands to address all present, " I would like to remind you that under no circumstance are you to open fire on the residents of the Eternal Realms without them doing so first. Keep in mind that there, WE are the invaders, and no one enjoys their home being invaded. Thank you."
The GiW agents don't look happy about this announcement, and neither do the Fentons, but they acknowledge the Lord of Order's words.
"Alright." Mrs. F. says. "Let's begin. System check?"
"All systems are go." Mr. Fenton returns.
"Starting engine. Jazz, would you open the portal, please."
"Portal's open, Mom."
"Then begin countdown."
"10."
"9."
"8."
"7."
"6."
"5."
"4."
"3."
"2."
"1."
"Engage."
There is a subtle jerk from the craft, then they fly smoothly into the large circle of the neon green that is the portal.
Once through, they're world turns completely green.
Robin stares in awe of the dimension they have just entered. Everything's the same green that Robin had recently come to associate with ghosts and ectoplasm, small islandswith strangely colored vegetation and differently shaped purple doors floating through out.
"I know where we are," Fate says after a moment. "Continue straight for now."
Silence falls as they travel. Robin entertains himself by keeping his eyes fixed on the world around him, watching the ghosts around them go about their day surprisingly peacefully compared to the ones they'd encountered back on Earth.
Suddenly, the Speeder lurches, halting in it's path.
Robin turns to see what had stopped them.
A white ghost stands (floats?) in front of them, blocking the way. He looks like a sheriff wanna be, with his black western hat and boots, white suit and the fact that he is holding a thick book.
"A Real World item in the Ghost Zone," he says, "that's against the Rules."
"Allow Fate to handle this." The Lord of Order disappears from his seat in one of his signature Ankhs, reappearing between the ghost and the Speeder. "Hold yourself, Sheriff Walker. I, Doctor Fate, the Lord of Order, command it."
"Fate?" The ghost, Sheriff Walker, stiffens and pulls at his collar. "I-i must admit I am surprised. W-what are you doing here?"
"That does not matter. Let us pass."
"O-of course." With that, the Sheriff winks out of existence.
Another Ankh, and Fate was back inside.
"Fate has intervened. Let us continue."
~! #$%^&*()_+
The monastery. Why didn't I think of that. I'll have to repay him somehow, especially since he found the sword they gave me. I wonder if they still remember me from that crazy outing through time.
~! #$%^&*()_+
"We have arrived."
Robin looked at the tower Fate had indicated. It's a dark blue-gray and is structured like any other old clock tower, except for the facts that it's got bunch of gears sticking out of it and it's floating on a rock slab in the middle of green space.
As the Speeder stilled in front of the platform, the large double doors slowly open on eerily quiet hinges.
"We are expected. Come."
"Wait!" Mrs. F. shouts. "We don't know if the air here is breathable!"
"I assure you, it is safe." With that, Fate opens the Speeder's doorway and exits.
For a moment, everyone sits in shock, then the Fentons and the agents scramble after him.
The League members exchange stares, before Batman nods.
"Aqualad, remain here with Black Canary and Wonder Woman. Robin, with me."
The inside of the tower is filled with gears and strange circular mirrors, all in the dark colors of blue-gray and green. It's a bit hard to see in here, but Robin is used to Gothem, which is way worse, so he'll manage.
He and his mentor catch up with the others, who are standing in the center of the room.
"Welcome."
As one, the expedition members whirl around and reach for their weapons, except Fate, who calmly turns to face there host.
"Greetings, Clockwork. May the eternal Hand of Time keep you in It's favor."
"And may the Ancient Ones smile on our meeting. Greetings to you as well, Fate, and thank you. It has been some time since I have heard, more so used, the Olde Greetings." The ghost comes into the light, revealing himself to be a middle aged adult dressed in a tunic with a glass case in his chest where a clock and pendulum are displayed, and a darker purple hooded cloak. Before their eyes, he de-ages to a five-year-old, then re-ages to a frail old man with a waist length beard, and de-ages again back into the form of a middle aged man. "And greetings to you all, Batman, Robin, Madeline, Jackson, Orion, and Keven. I am Clockwork, the Master of Time. And before you ask, I know your names because I know everything."
"Including why we are here." Fate sounds tiredly amused.
"Well, yes, of course," Clockwork smirks wickedly. "But it is better to ask then to simply receive."
"Of course." Fate heaves a put upon sigh. "We seek the Phantom of Amity Park. Will you tell us his location?"
"I will not."
That answer caused a cacophony...
"What?!"
"- can't not tell us, you -"
"- Sector 10, Dash 4, Paragraph 2 states -"
"-ter coming all this way, ghost scu-"
"But why?"
...until Batman raises his hand.
"Why," the Dark Knight demands harshly.
"For one," the ghost turns from them to study one of the mirrors, "Phantom is my charge. Much in the same way you humans foster children not your own, have I taken the Ghost Child under my protection. And I know that some here - " he glares out of the corner of his eye atthe GiW agents " - wish him harm. For the second, you have already found him. Or, more specifically," he disappears suddenly, only for Robin to stiffen at the cold hands now resting on his shoulders, "your young sidekicks – forgive me, partners have." He leans over Robin's right shoulder and the teen finds himself meeting a glowing ruby red gaze (one of his eyes is scarred, Robin notes vaguely) as the Master of Time's breathe (?!) caresses his ear. "He has improved greatly with his teleportation and overall control, has he not. After all, it takes great strength to transport an object without touching it, and awe-inspiring control to super-charge ectoplasm and force it into a shape, much more so a moving shape such as a dragon, and even more to empower it with his Ice Core. Truly impressive, would you not agree?"
All throughout his whispered speech, Robin's eyes had widen. Clockwork – he-he meant... Oh wow. How had none of them figured it out?...
Robin peripherally noticed that the ghost had moved back to his screens and was watching the Boy Wonder with a small smile. Suddenly, Robin realizes that it is far to quiet in the room and turns to see everyone – from Batman to the Fentons – frozen in place. He whirls back the ghost.
"Such a request as yours would come best from a known hero near his own age, don't you think?"
"I-uh, yeah."
"Then TIME IN!"
Everyone unfreezes, all but the Doctor* reaching for their weapons before seeing that Robin was alone.
And he was. Clockwork had vanished into the depths of his tower after restarting time.
"Robin," Batman growls as he stands from the crouch he had taken. "Status report."
"I'm fine." Robin can't stop the grin from forming as he lets out his signature cackle. "I'm better then fine. I know where he is! Come on!"
~! #$%^&*()_+
It takes three hours to get to the Fenton's portal. Once there, Robin leaves everyone in the dust as he sends the signal for Bat-Jet. Not even Batman is fast enough to stop him from grappling up to the cockpit and entering the co-ordinates for the monastery that the Team had found themselves in two months, two weeks, and three days ago.
The ride goes by quickly and Robin soon finds himself running through the feudal era based village, lit by torches and what little sun is left at twilight.
He stops in front of the middle building, where the man he remembers as the Elder is sitting talking to a black haired teen. They both turn to Robin (who notes the boy looks more American then Japanese) with questioning expressions.
The Fledgling quickly bows. "Forgive me for disturbing you at this time, respected Elder, but I must speak with your protector. It is of utmost importance."
"Yes, of course." The Elder stands with the help of his adolescent companion, " I am sorry, Danï-kun*, we will have to continue this conversation another time." The other teen, Danï, gives a small bow before walking off. "Come, young hero, this way."
The Elder leads Robin through the main building and out to the back where there is another long set of stairs to halt at the base.
"At the end of this staircase is the Dragon's shrine. When you reach the top, before entering, announce yourself loudly and clearly and request entrance. If there is no reaction from inside, you may continue. If he does not wish to speak with you, well," he lets out a raspy chuckle, "you will know." With that, the Elder heads back down the path.
"Arigatō gozaimashita*!" Robin calls after him.
He had to hurry. The League, the GiW, and the Fentons could arrive at any time!
Within minutes the Boy Wonder is gazing up at the shrine. It's the size of a large hut, red with gold edging, and has little dragon statues guarding it.
He stops about three yards – give or take a foot or two – away and takes a deep breathe.
"Dragon-sama*, I am Robin, the apprentice to the feared Dark Knight of Gotham, the Batman, and I have come to request on audience on the suggestion of Clockwork, the Master of Time. Please grant me this, Dragon-sama!"
It feels like an eternity as he waits for any sign of movement inside. When none comes, Robin cautiously pokes his head in.
Despite there being no evidence of it outside, the inside is back-lit by torches and small braziers of radioactive green fire, highlighting the black clad figure sitting criss-cross about three inches of the ground, his white aura fluttering gently around him.
He tilts his head up so that his hat stops hiding his face. Except for the fact his green eyes are more embers compared to the burning furnaces they were last time, he looks pretty much the same. "Why did my Guardian send you here, Robin of the Justice League?"
Robin stepped forward, then copied Phantom's sitting pose, a little startled at the English he uses – though, the Fledgling acknowledges he shouldn't be. After all, Phantom had been living (er, existing?) in America before this.
"We need your help, Phantom." He straightens at the name. "The ghosts you fought have trampled over the Amity's border and have been running the League into the ground. We need you."
The Ghost boy turns his head, shadowing his eyes again.
"I can't."
Robin leans forward, trying to catch his eye. "But why?"
He takes a shuddering breathe (Seriously?! What is it with ghosts breathing?!) and lets it out in a sigh. "The Guys in White... discovered, something about me. No matter how much I wanted to, no matter that Amity Park was – is – my Haunt, it isn't safe for me, much less anyone else, for me to be there."
"The League can offer you protection, and if they won't, or can't, the Team will."
A single green eye peeks at him.
"Team?"
Robin smiles. Now he was getting somewhere.
"Yeah. It's basically a covert ops team made up of Justice League partners and apprentices under the age of eighteen."
Phantom faces him in surprise. "You would go against your mentors for someone you've only met once?!"
A slight cackle escapes his mouth. " Dude, the Team was formed because we disobeyed a direct order and the adults took the 'we-can-only-prepare-them' approach."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"..."
"..."
"I want to, I really do." Phantom looks away again, this timebehind Robin and out the cracked door. "But I can't just leave these people. They've taken such good care of me. I've never met anyone so excepting of the supernatural. Most have a tendency to shoot first ask questions after they're on the dissection table." A – slightly bitter – laugh softens the blow of those words. "Anyway, I do want to go with you. H-how would you handle this?"
Robin taps a finger to his chin. "You can teleport, right?" At the affirmative, he continues. "I would give them a way to contact me, then whenever they need me, teleport over and kick butt. We can talk it over with Batman. They've probably caught up with me by now." He rubs his neck in embarrassment. "I kinda ran off when we got back from the Ghost Zone. Clockwork told me to talk to you by myself, so, yeah." He shrugs.
"Heh, yeah, the old stopwatch can be hard to resist." The ghost teen stands, feet actually on the ground, and offers Robin a cold hand up, which he accepts. "Come on, let's go meet your mentor."
They walk out of the shrine together, side by side, and down the flight of stairs. When they get closer, they pick up the sound of yelling.
Phantom sighs. "The Fentons sure have good sets of lungs, don't they?"
Robin cackles quietly. "Yep!"
They pick up the pace, reaching the monastery and heading through the main building to find those who were on the expedition – plus a few extra GiW agents – trying to convince the Elder and four spear wielding younger men to let them pass.
Robin cackles again, this time much louder, to get their attention.
"ROBIN!" The League females shout together.
"GHOST!" The ghost hunters shout instead.
The Boy Wonder ignores them and continues to laugh. "You guys are a bit late. Phantom and I have already come to an agreement. He'll come back to Amity in exchange for a pair of communication devices so the village here can call him if they need his help, and protection..." pause for dramatic effect "from the Guys in White."
The reaction is immediate.
The agents are once again shouting procedures and policies and rules and regulations while the Fentons just seem to be yelling random stuff to hear their own voices. Meanwhile, Batman looks thoughtful (not that anyone but Robin can tell) as do the rest of the heroes present.
"Very well," the deep gravel of the Bat's voice breaks through the ruckus, "agreed." The hunters turn to him in shock. "We will get you communicators both for between you and the village and for you to call the Justice League. We will negotiate the details later in private. For now, your town needs you." Phantom bows his head in ascent. "Then we will return to our transports. You have thirty minutes to get your affairs in order.
"Robin."
The human teen jumps off the wooden steps before turning and flashing the Ghost Kid a peace sign. "See you once I'm no longer grounded, dude."
Phantom smiles. "See you."
~! #$%^&*()_+
Three weeks later, Robin is finally off the bench and catching up on some quality time with the Team in the Cave.
According to the National News that's playing on the TV, the Phantom of Amity Park had returned, stopping ghosts and protecting his Haunt from any trouble that might come.
"I'm really glad he's back," M'gann says as she places a plate of cookies on the counter.
Floosh!
Suddenly, Wally's there, stuffing the sweets in his mouth. "Me foo," he says, then swallows his mouthful. "Now that we don't have to wake in the middle of the night for a ghost attack, I can finally get some sleep!"
As he's about to eat the next one, Artemis snatches it from his hand, ignoring his indignant "Hey!".
"Save some for the rest of us, Kid Mouth. And be nice. Everyone needs a break, even centuries old ghosts."
The TV abruptly shuts off as the pda system crackles.
"Team," Batman's voice comes through, "report to the briefing room."
The teens exchange looks,then run to the main cave to line up before the Dark Knight.
"Team," he says, motioning next to him where a familiar black clad form fades into sight. "Meet Phantom, your new teammate."
~! #$%^&*()_+
(AN)
FILL FREE TO SKIP, BUT IMPORTANT EXPLANATION / HEADCANNONS BELOW!
First things first, thank you all so much. I loved reading all your comments.
Going Ghost: I'm sorry. I have no idea what you mean by samurai Jack. Do you mean Jack as in Danny's dad, Jack as in Jack Frost from RotG, or Jack as in Jack Long from AD:JL? Please specify which fandom.
good: thank you for spotting that. It was one of five mistakes that my "Editors" pointed out after reading it online. It will be fixed as soon as my head stops spinning from the website's instructions.
Speaking my "Editors", a BIG shout out and hug thank you for proof reading this chapter for me!
Headcannon time.
The Ghost speak headcannon floating around played a part in this story, just with my own spin on it. Instead of people not being able to understand ghostly language, this time it's all about belief. In the first half, Robin and Ra's could understand Danny because they believed Danny was speaking Japanese while the rest of the Team couldn't for the same reason. Here in part two, everyone could understand because they believed Clockwork was speaking English. It can be learned by non-ghosts (IE Doctor Fate) but it takes a lot of work and having a natural affinity for the supernatural already.
Timeline wise this takes place right after season 1 for Young Justice and after DP's entire run minus PP, which never happened.
Also, if I get enough reviews of people interested in it, I'll turn this into a drabble series for this universe. You'll have to give me ideas and make requests, though, cause I'm not sure how to continue.
* Doctor Who reference for the win!
*Danï is the Japanese pronunciation of Danny according to Google Translate. -Kun is used to address men younger or the same as the speaker.
*Arigatō gozaimashita – Thank you in Japanese, again Google Translate.
*-Sama a more respective version of -san, which basically means Mr., Mrs., or Miss. (I don't know if you can tell, but I've been reading a lot of Manga and watching anime lately.)
Again, thank all so much for reading and giving me feedback! I'm really glad you enjoyed!