A/N: Hallie: Chapter 9 has arrived! This means that there is one more chapter left. The final chapter is going to a have a lot of shit go down. [To me at least.]

I do not own Young Justice.

I do own Joshua Logan, Ren Logan, Creatonia, and the Ost.

Feedback is always appreciated. Enjoy! :)


Chapter 9

He was becoming stronger.

More independent.

More trusting.

Happier.

He would ruin everything if he kept down this path.

Something would have to be done to ensure his place.

Everything would work out accordingly.

It always did.


Josh was sitting on the couch watching a nine-month-old Ren crawl around on the floor. He couldn't believe how fast she was growing. It had become very apparent that she had inherited the stubbornness of both of her parents (though Joshua was more well known for it).

The biggest change they had noticed was how their daughter responded to music. Josh would often play classic rock and when he did, Ren would starting bouncing and dancing with a smile plastered on her face. He and Marie predicted her creative outlet would end up being something musical.

The Creatonian reached over to the radio and flicked it to the oldies station. The baby froze, and he head turned towards the music. The song "Sha-Boom" filled the room, bringing a grin to Ren's face. Josh reached down and scooped up his daughter and began to waltz her around the room.

He kept a strong grip on her so that she wouldn't fall. The little girl was shrieking with laughter, joy radiating off from her. Marie poked her head out from the bedroom to see what was going on. The Myopic had to stifle her giggles at the sight. Ren had certainly become her father's Princess, as it should be.

Josh saw his wife watching them and flashed her a smile, "Join us!"

Marie chuckled, "No, no. You two look fine on your own."

He shook his head as he moved Ren to one arm and grabbed Marie with the other, pulling her close. She rolled her eyes in amusement, allowing Josh to spin her around.

Marie was one of the only people who got to see this side of Josh. He had become a bit more open since becoming a hero, but he was still locked away to most people. She was honestly amazed at how open Josh was to Bruce (and vice-versa from what she had learned about the billionaire).

She did silently hope that Ren ended up being more outgoing than her father. And from the smile on her daughter's face, she didn't think she'd have to worry about that too much.


Since the Appellaxian attacks, the public had been asking more about the eight heroes who had saved them. They had heard about them before, but since a cameraman had caught them meeting on the Empire State Building, questions concerning whether or not they were a team had arisen.

The eight of them met once again to discuss how to address the issues. Superman suggested by confirming the rumors by forming an actual team. Most of them were on board (Batman took some convincing), but in the end the Justice League of America was formed.

Josh felt a bit uncomfortable with the publicity he had gained as Image since then. Most of the U.S. now knew who he was.

A hero.

'A freak.'

On top of it all, the Ost has become vocal once more.

His powers made him different, by that didn't make him a freak. Or at least: being a freak wasn't a bad thing.

Not to himself anymore.

A concern that had Josh at a standstill with what to do was the appearance of Ren's powers. A Creatonian's abilities usually showed up around six months old, as they did with his daughter. It was shown by little-colored fuzzballs that would appear around the baby. For some reason, that is what babies thought about.

The colored fuzzballs were surrounding Ren in masses, which told him that she had much more mental energy than he did.

That wasn't always a good thing.

In Creatonia, children began school at a very young age, which taught them how to control their powers. The teachers had to go through intense training themselves to become certified. Josh was not a certified teacher and teaching a Creatonian to control their powers (especially when their mental energy was higher) could be very dangerous.

Ren would need a secure place to train, and the safest place he could think of would be the League's headquarters.

Recognized, Image. 05.

The Creatonian entered the League's new mountain headquarters in Happy Harbor. The inside was still under construction, but it was usable for the basics. In the main room of the H.Q. stood Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter. The four were discussing intel that suggested that a villain organization may also be in formation.

Superman turned to the newcomer with a smile, "Image, you are just in time."

Since Josh was supposed to be working as a team with the other heroes on occasion, he pushed himself out of his comfort zone and tried to get to know them. There were some who were more open than others, which he could understand. Superman, Flash, and Manhunter seemed to be the ones he got along with best.

[Excluding Bats- whom he already knew.]

"On time for what?"

Wonder Woman spoke up, "Have you seen any sign of new crime groups in New York City?"

"There is always a new organized crime in New York."

"Ones with superpowers."

Josh's eyes widened, "Powers? As in a supervillain group?"

Manhunter nodded, "We are suspected the formation of one."

The Creatonian sighed, "Just what we needed. There's been something I've meant to ask you all."

The four sets of eyes all turned on him, awaiting his query.

"My daughter has inherited my powers but on a stronger level. The issue with Creatonian powers is that they take an extensive amount of training to control. I am not going to be the most qualified trainer so somethings may get… out of hand. What I am trying to ask is: May I have permission to bring her to the League headquarters, wherever that might be, when she gets old enough? I will make sure she knows the rules and not to say anything, and she will only be here for a limited amount of time for training purposes only and-"

"Image. Breathe. You're rambling," Superman cut him off.

Batman glanced at the others, "I don't see any reason she shouldn't be allowed to train here, as long as she stays safe and follows the rules we lay down for her. And with her parents, that shouldn't be an issue."

Wonder Woman nodded, "Agreed."

"What they said," Superman added.

Manhunter cocked his head slightly, "Your powers are mentally based, correct?"

Josh nodded.

"As are mine. When she comes of age, I could also assist you in the mental-control training if you would like."

A look of surprise crossed the Creatonian's face, "Seriously? That would be incredible. Thank you."

With four out of the remaining seven Leaguers, the other three wouldn't be hard to convince.


The mental abilities of Martian Manhunter intrigued Josh. The two spent the rest of that day discussing their powers and homeworlds. When Josh hesitantly mentioned the Dreamscape, MM said that he had also heard of such a place.

Apparently, Martians with stronger telekinetic powers could also enter the Dreamscape.

"You can call me by my true name, J'onn J'onzz."

The Creatonian smiled, he felt that he could trust him. "My legal name is Joshua Logan. I go by Josh."

'You are trusting random beings? Are you an idiot. What if they hurt your daughter?'

J'onn's face contracted in confusion; something felt off.

Not with Josh.

But with his mind.

The Martian still felt that he could trust the Creatonian, but something was seriously wrong. "Josh, have you ever entered the Dreamscape?"

He nodded, "A few times. Why?"

"No particular reason. I was simply wondering."


Martian Manhunter voiced his concerns for Josh to Batman, whose interest peaked when hearing this. He made a note to keep an eye on his friend.


Josh lied in bed next to Marie.

His eyes were wide as he stared at the ceiling.

It wouldn't shut up.

It

just

kept

talking.

He couldn't sleep, no matter what he did. No sleep meant his mental energy couldn't be restored.

It meant no powers.

But, that was the least of his problems.

He would be okay.

Josh just needed to close his eyes and sleep.

'You are nothing.'

Green eyes opened once more.

Stop it.

'Nothing.'

Stop.

'Worthless.'

Shut up.

'Freak.'

The Creatonian shot up in his bed, fingers clawing at his hair. His thoughts were begging the Ost to be silent. Begging it to allow him to get to sleep.

'Powerless.'

Josh held back a frustrated groan, falling back on his pillow and trying not to cry.

He just wanted sleep.

Was that too much to ask?


Josh stumbled into Mount Justice after work the following day. He hadn't been able to drift off, so he got up earlier than normal to take care of Ren until Marie woke up.

To say he was exhausted would be an understatement.

The Creatonian kept his head high and went through the day, hoping that the following night would go smoother. The silver-tinted glasses he wore as Image kept the other Leaguers from seeing the dark circles under his eyes. Batman did take notice of the slowed-down pace he walked with and how whenever he was standing upright, he was leaning up against something.

Josh grew anxious when Flash asked him if he could imagine him a protein bar since he was for. His mental energy was running dangerously low.

A simple protein bar would be too difficult, right?

His fellow Leaguers stared in shock as Josh crumped to the floor, the protein bar skidding to the Flash's feet. Wonder Woman quickly knelt down and felt for a pulse, "He is alive, but his pulse is faint."

It didn't take long for the Creatonian to be rushed to the medical wing of the Cave with his teammates left unsure of what had just occurred.


His Dreamscape gained new features the more time he spent in it. The Ost did allow Josh a certain amount of control, mostly to decorate. Thick green grass covered the ground, and lush trees could be seen speckled about. Stars were freckles across the indigo sky, creating a very peaceful atmosphere.

Josh could be seen passed out under one of the rees, unable to regain consciousness for the time being.

A dark mist enveloped him as the Ost grew closer.

'Things will go back to the way they were intended to be.'


Four days passed since Josh had collapsed. He was stable and mostly healthy, just physically and mentally exhausted. The League decided it was best for Josh to stay in the Cave until he awoke.

Marie was frantic when Bruce told her what happened. She had a vague idea of why but needed to see him to be positive. The League, while hesitant to allow a civilian into Mount Justice, did understand having a worried significant other. Marie left Ren in the care of Alicia and was escorted to the Cave.

She was sworn to secrecy due to her knowledge of the Cave's location.

Marie entered Josh's room and immediately took his hand. Batman stood a few feet behind her, "He's stable. We think he'll be alright."

The Myopic glanced back at him, "Oh, he will be. By the sound of it, he simply ran too low on mental energy. When a Creatonian's mental energy gets too low, they collapse. Sleep is the only thing that will replenish it. The dangerous thing happens when it gets too low too fast. When that happens, the results can be fatal."

The Dark Knight didn't reply. His eyes were locked on his unconscious friend.

Fatal.

That word rang through his mind.

Marie's voice brought him back to reality, "What's odd, though, is that Josh allowed his energy to get this low. It is very unlike him to let that happen."

Batman narrowed his eyes; maybe Martian Manhunter was on to something when he said there was something to be concerned about.


Green orbs flickered open to be greeted by the now familiar starry indigo sky.

He felt refreshed.

The last thing he could recall was the Flash asking for a protein bar. Then: nothing.

He must have blacked out.

His mental energy had been extremely low… All because the Ost had kept him awake.

The Creatonian stood and began to scan the layout of his Dreamscape. It didn't take him ling to spit the black mist creeping along the ground.

'You have awoken Joshua.'

"What are you doing to me? What do you want?"

'You ask too many questions.'

"You don't give detailed enough answers."

The Ost went silent as it began to increase in size. The dark figure loomed over the Creatonian.

Josh froze, unable to react.

'You need to remember one thing and one thing only. I control your Dreamscape. I am more powerful. I am in charge.'

He narrowed his eyes. For the past eight years, he had been taunted and negatively influenced by this deity. Enough was enough. "You do not control me, though. I will never believe or listen to you again."

'I shall control you one day. I am not one to give up.'

"Neither am I."

Josh had all but declared a mental war with the Ostentiferous.

The Ost was silently infuriated. Joshua had grown and become more independent. It would still fight to regain its control, but its primary focus had to turn to somebody new.

Ren.

The Ost knew that Josh wouldn't think his daughter could be affected by it. He would never know until the child told him, and if everything went according to plan, by then, it would be too late.

It would take longer than initially planned, but with the help of its Little Dreamer, everything could still go the Ost's way.