Laceration

Chapter Eleven

Jumping Ship

Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.

-Omar N. Bradley-

Robin landed on the hospital roof with Phantom landing right next him. Batman opened the roof access door and watched the two.

"What is it?" Robin asked seeing the upset line on Batman's face. Batman looked over to Phantom who tensed slightly. He never liked Batman's glare turned to him.

"Your mother added ectoplasm to the gas. Had Robin not put the mask on you," Batman trailed making Phantom swallow.

"I would have been affected," Phantom mumbled slightly disturbed. Robin was overprotective about him, and he often let Robin control missions just to give him a peace of mind. "There's something else too then isn't there?"

"Yes, we have to make another antidote for the Joker Gas. He's changed the formula so it would mix better," Batman said.

"You could try mixing your formula for the antidote with ectoplasm. Ectoplasm acts as opposites when added to real world elements," Phantom suggested as Batman pulled his computer up. Phantom looked over the components before smiling slightly. "Yours might not need as much adjusting as you think. We can look at it back in my lab since its closer."

"Robin, stay here. Update us if anything changes," Batman ordered before shooting his grapple and taking off towards Phantom's lab. Robin glared at him before turning to Phantom.

"I'll be fine," Phantom assured before kissing Robin and flying off.

"You better be," Robin mumbled before going to the door and entering the hospital.

"This should work," Danny said as he added the bit of ectoplasm to the little bit of Batman's antidote. It bubbled slightly before catching fire and ruining it. "Alright, maybe not. Chemistry wasn't my best subject to be honest."

"I know it well," Bruce said as he looked over what they had done. Something wasn't adding up. Danny was right about his antidote being easy to manipulate, but it shouldn't be smoking like that.

"Maybe I'm adding too much?" Danny guessed looking at Bruce confused. "I mean…"

"No, what you added was the same amount as the Joker had added to his. Theoretically it should do about the same unless the formula was changed entirely. Which when we looked at it," Bruce trailed off watching as Danny put it together.

"It hadn't been, but ectoplasm bonds differently to certain things and not all ectoplasm is the same," Danny smiled. "So maybe we just to figure where she got the ectoplasm? Find its opposite and see if that doesn't work."

"Alright," Bruce said as he pulled up the compound again and showed Danny the ectoplasm. "It looks like any other ectoplasm. Danny narrowed his eyes as they flashed green.

"It's not," Danny whispered trying to place where he had seen that type before. "It looks like processed ectoplasm. The type that the Guys in White use. It's highly refined. The glow isn't as strong as it should be. It's designed to hurt when used."

"What would be the opposite of that then?" Bruce asked watching Danny carefully. He knew Danny could see something that no one else could. Danny started searching though drawers as Bruce came up behind.

"Pure," Danny said as he pulled out a needle and syringe and held it out to Bruce. "And I only know one way to get it." Danny pulled the rings up and changed when Bruce took the items. Bruce looked down at them and then back up at Phantom who had pulled off a glove.

"I'm not taking ectoplasm from you," Bruce protested.

"It wouldn't be necessary if my portal was working," Phantom informed with a sad look in his eyes. "You said we were on a time constraint. It's the only form of pure ectoplasm I can think of. Besides, I trust you."

Bruce looked at the syringe and needle. Phantom held a valid point, but the last time they stuck a needle in the hybrid, it did not go well.

"Damian!" Bruce called as he held Phantom down on the table. Damian scrambled across the lab with a sedative. Phantom had gone into a panic attack when one of the blasters activated and shot him across the room.

"Hold on, Danny," Damian said as he pulled one of Phantom's arms away from him and carefully put the needle into his arm. Phantom screamed and pushed back both of them. Bruce and Damian both covered their ears as powerful waves came from Phantom. The entire lab shook before Phantom stopped and fell off the table. Bruce looked up and seen a light flash before everything became quiet.

"Danny?"

"The last time…" Bruce stopped seeing the worry in Phantom's eyes. Phantom was aware of his concern.

"I know, but it might be the only way," Phantom whispered with a small shrug. "I'm not panicking now either. I can keep it together, and we shouldn't need much anyway." Bruce gently reached for Phantom's arm and tapped the crease of his elbow.

"Alright," Bruce whispered as he gently slipped the needle into the skin. Green liquid slowly started to fill the syringe and Bruce looked up to check on Phantom who had turned away from him.

"Danny, talk to me," Bruce said as he stopped and slowly pulled the needle away.

"I'm alright, just a little light headed," Phantom smiled at him before tugging his glove back on and changing back. The needle mark was already healed and Danny took in a deep breath. "I'll be okay."

"Good," Bruce said as he looked at the glowing green liquid. There was a slight trace of red in it, and he was concerned that it would compromise the sample. "This does have blood in it."

"Really?" Danny asked looking it over. "I didn't think…I mean, my ghost half and human half don't mix…"

"It's separating here, so I should be able to use it," Bruce cut him off. Danny looked highly concerned about the fact that he had traces of blood in his ectoplasm. "Right now, let's worry about those people in the hospital."

"So, Valerie," Hood started as he watched her pace across the roof. "What's next since you seem pretty dead set on finding Masters?"

"Amanda gave me orders to find the two Guys in White bases here in Gotham," Valerie informed looking at him. "I mean, it's not much, but I have a feeling that Vlad might be here too."

"What makes you say that?" Hood asked before noticing the red in Valerie's eyes.

"He always has a backup plan," she growled before firing at him.

"I told you this would work," Heretic said as he watched the Red Huntress and Red Hood fight on the roof.

"You are only delaying them. We need to take him out, and then anyone who has been helping that freak," a female voice said over the speaker. Heretic growled lowly.

"And it will come in time, but we must be patient. You taught me that." He heard her take in a deep breath.

"Yes, but sometimes, my dear, we must move quickly."

"As long as they believe that Masters is behind this attack, then we will still have the element of surprise."

"Good."

"Phantom?" Robin asked seeing the ghost reserved and following behind Batman quietly. Phantom looked up at him with a small smile before getting a glimpse of the lightly glowing liquid in Batman's hands.

"Doctor," Batman greeted as the doctor from before came out of the room. He smiled at Batman before looking at the vial in his hand in confusion.

"Is that?" the doctor began to ask only for the Dark Knight to nod at him.

"Yes, we tested it and believe it should counteract the Joker Gas. It shouldn't take much," Batman said as he walked into one of the rooms. Robin grabbed Phantom to prevent him from following.

"What did he do to you?" Robin demanded quietly. He knew something was wrong with his boyfriend the moment he seen him.

"Nothing. I sorta did it to myself, but it was the only way," Phantom whispered looking away. "We needed pure ectoplasm, and…there was only one way to get it."

"Danny," Robin hissed quietly and pulled him to the side away from prying eyes. "What the hell did you do?"

"I'm the only source of pure ectoplasm until we get the portal up and running again," Phantom defended himself before wrapping his arms around Robin. "I'm okay. It wasn't really that…just what we found after."

"What?"

"Later, not here," Phantom whispered in his ear before kissing him. "It's a little weird."

"Fine," Robin surrendered knowing that Phantom would tell him eventually. Even if he had to tie him down to get what he wanted.

Hood jumped to the side before ducking under Valerie's board and pulling at a loose wire and causing the device to go down to the street. Valerie jumped off before shooting at him again. He ducked and jumped over the ledge and started heading towards Wayne Tower. He couldn't keep this up much longer, and he didn't want to hurt her.

Although it might be the only way to get her to slow down. Whatever it was the Masters did to her made her determined to hunt him now, and he wasn't going to let that go very easily.

The next time he seen that man, he was putting a bullet in his head.

Vlad compared the readings to that of what he had stolen from the Fentons. Everything was almost the same.

"This should work," Vlad mumbled as he turned to the portal when a shot came out of nowhere. He ducked down and hid behind his desk.

"Whatever it is that you think you're doing, it ends now. Waller says hi by the way," a voice called though the room. "Come out, come out, wherever you are, you piece of shit."

"I can pay you," Vlad offered. He had nothing till he got his powers.

"Yeah, sounds cool," the voice taunted before more shots flew though the air and Vlad closed his eyes.

"This wouldn't be happening if you had just done this sooner instead of trying to get Daniel to work for you, but noooo, you just wanted to be completely alive again," Plasmius taunted as he stood in front of Vlad and crossed his arms. Vlad closed his eyes.

He couldn't believe the monster he let himself turn into. He hurt a young boy and put him through hell. He lied and ruined a child's life for his own personal gain. He was a fool. Vlad looked around the corner and seen a man dressed in grey and red. He was wearing a mask and had guns attached to his arms. He was pointing them at the desk.

"Look, you work for Waller, I'll come in peacefully, just stop please," Vlad begged. He could his ghost half laugh at him.

What have I done? Vlad thought as he put his hands up and surrendered to the manic with the gun.

Hood ducked down and jumped over the ledge and caught himself on the fire escape before letting go and landing on the street. He looked up and sighed when he realized he lost her somewhere near Wayne Tower when he had hoped that Bruce or Damian or anyone was there to help him.

He looked around the corner and ducked back in when he watched Valerie storm down the street.

"Come out, come out, Red Hood," she called out as she looked around. Jason took his helmet off and flipped his jacket inside out before zipping it shut and letting his helmet shrink to fit in his pocket. He walked out and started walking towards her. He passed her and knew that she had no idea who he was. He let out a sigh as he walked on and headed towards Wayne Tower again. He needed back up and fast.

"It's working," Doctor said as he smiled at Batman. "Thank you. We have no idea how to deal with ectoplasm. It's such an odd thing to use for starters, but we're glad you knew."

"It was Phantom who did the most," Batman confessed with a slight smirk. "He knows more about it than anyone else."

"He is a ghost," Doctor agreed, but the look Batman shot him made him think that Phantom was so much more than that. Batman turned to Phantom and Robin who were still waiting outside the room.

"Let's go, we have some more work to do," Batman ordered as they started down the hallway. Robin grabbed Phantom's hand and held tightly.

"So, you're saying that your human half and ghost half are mixing?" Damian asked crossing his arms and looking over the screen in the lab.

"I think that it's always been like this, honestly. I just never looked too deep in it," Danny admitted before looking up at Damian. "I couldn't really look into it before since…"

"Since the lab," Damian finished for him before walking forward and pulling Danny into a hug. "You want to learn more now though, don't you?" Damian felt a small shiver run down Danny's spine.

"I…yeah, I want to know more. But…I'm not sure how well I could…hold up," Danny muttered into Damian's neck. Damian gently ran his fingers across the base of Danny's neck.

"I'll always be here next to you if you need me," Damian promised into Danny's ear. Danny smiled. "You don't have to worry about anything."

"Not with you," Danny whispered feeling safe. "I've always felt safe with you."

"Danny, are you awake?" Damian asked as he shook the hybrid. Danny blinked up at him with wide green eyes. "What's wrong?" Danny blinked again as his eyes faded back to blue.

"Just a nightmare," Danny whispered wrapping his arms around himself.

"The lab again?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Honestly, no, but there's some things you should know if we're going to continue whatever this is."

"Well, I don't plan on leaving anytime soon."

So, to answer a question on how old they are. Damian is about twenty in this story and Danny is nineteen. Sometimes they're the same age, so they're really close in age.

Also, sorry for the delay...Red life got in the way, and so did my muse. It kinda died as did the reviews. I have the ending of this typed out, but...it's not complete, however, I do still have a good chunk before I run into myself.

Also, why do adults have to act like children? Like I work with fifty year olds and they act like they're five.

Oh, she wearing a shirt that shows off her boobs though the shirt even though you can't really see them.

Like, grow the fuck up. Deal with it, stop being a bitch, show up, do your job, and go home. I don't give a fuck what's she wearing, it's hot, we're here to do the same job, get over yourself.

Rant over.

For now at the very least. There's so much drama, and it's more in the workplace than high school to be honest. it's annoying.

Read, Review, and have a wonderful afternoon, I'm going to bed.