Disclaimer: All rights go to the respective owners of DC Comics and Nickelodeon/Butch Hartman. The author of this story owns nothing. This story is for fun, not money or profit of any kind.
Chapter 14: Absolute Justice, Part 3
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Danny said, taken aback by the statement made by the Spectre. "You want me to be your human link? But, I'm a ghost!"
"Yes," the Spectre rasped in reply. "Your spirit, your very soul is human... And the fact that you're a ghost means you can withstand my powers better than a mere mortal ever could."
"I- I don't know," Danny said, unsure. Wonder Woman and Shazam stood nearby, saying nothing. They would leave the decision to Danny Phantom. "I don't like the idea of being overshadowed. I-"
"Please," Spectre begged. He lurched forward out of Shazam's grasp and grabbed Phantom's collar, clutching it to hold himself up. "Don't you understand, boy? I hold the powers of the universe itself, and I am dying! If you do not, then all is lost!"
"Alright, alright, I'll do it!" Danny said, frightened by the Spectre's words. He couldn't just stand by and let someone perish. Without another word the Spectre transformed into a green mist, pushing out a man with short reddish hair, wearing a suit with a beige overcoat. The man looked startled, and he was forcefully thrown out of the portal by the green mist. The mist then surrounded Danny Phantom...
As the mist began to clear, Shazam and Wonder Woman looked on with worry. The familiar cloak of the Spectre loomed before them, albeit slightly smaller than before. "Danny? Are you alright?" Diana asked.
"Danny Phantom is unharmed," came the slow reply after several moments. The voice that spoke, however, was very different than before. It echoed and reverberated with an eerie combination of the Spectre's deep rasp and Danny's voice. The shape of the Spectre slowly turned to face them, and Diana was startled by what she saw.
The tattered green cloak of the Spectre hung over Danny Phantom's shoulders, and he still wore the same jumpsuit, but the emblem was gone, and the suit was worn and tattered like the cloak and hung somewhat loosely on his frame. Danny looked significantly more skeletal than before. The hood covered his head, although some of Danny's stark white hair could be seen underneath. His skin had gone from a healthy color to a chalk white, and his face, while still recognizable, looked hollowed out, and his glowing green eyes now had an acidic yellow tinge to them.
"Whoa," Shazam said. "That's awesome!"
"And we have your word you'll release him when we get back?" Wonder Woman demanded, a glare in her eyes.
The Spectre nodded after a moment, glaring in return. "Come, there is much work to be done," Spectre said.
"And, uh, where are we going?" Shazam asked. "I mean, Wisdom of Solomon aside, this place looks like an empty abyss."
In answer, Spectre's eyes glowed brightly. His powers had evened themselves out, now that he had a stable host. "I can sense them," he said. He raised his arms, and the trio instantly appeared in a totally different place. Sort of.
This tear in reality was... odd. In one instance, it looked like space. The next, pure light. Then, pure dark. Different scenery, such as forests and deserts constantly changed and flowed around them, disappearing and reappearing at a rapid rate, as though they were moving at high speeds.
"This place is disorienting," Wonder Woman commented, placing a hand on her forehead. She was beginning to feel dizzy at the speed everything around them changed.
"We are close," Spectre mused.
A red and blue blur of wind and lightning blew past them, nearly knocking the heroes all down, except for Spectre. "Holy moley," Shazam said. "Didn't expect that."
The blur went by, again, and again, with seemingly no sense direction. "Flash," Spectre surmised.
"Why isn't he stopping?" Wonder Woman asked, as the blur sped past once more.
"He can't," Spectre said. "The Speedforce cannot be controlled in this place, so he is perpetually locked in a state of constant motion. Fascinating."
"I'm betting he doesn't think it's fascinating," Shazam said, frowning. "Hmm, I wonder..." Using the Speed of Mercury, he tried to run along side the speeding Flash. While not nearly as fast as a true speedster, he was still incredibly fast. As he ran alongside Flash, he tried to reach out and grab the speedster, but failed. He tried several more times, but simply wasn't fast enough. "Well, I'm open to suggestions," he panted, trying to catch his breath.
Wonder Woman pulled out her lasso of truth, and with her finally honed eyes, she tracked the blur as best as she could. She timed it perfectly, and used all her strength to hurl her lasso into Flash's path, managing to rope the speedster. Unfortunately, it did nothing to slow him down, and Wonder Woman was using every ounce of her strength to hold on, her feet digging into the ground. At least, they would be, if there actually were any ground.
She snarled, as she tried to reign in the Crimson Comet. Shazam joined her in grabbing the lasso, pulling with everything he had. Slowly, but surely, the Flash began to slow down. The Spectre seized the opportunity, and raised his glowing hands. The Flash began to glow green. Eventually, the Flash came to an abrupt halt, and fell down, rolling to a stop. Wonder Woman undid her lasso from around the man as the two ran over to help.
"Gugh," Flash grunted, as he panted harshly, forcing himself into a sitting position. He removed his signature winged kettle helmet, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The man looked to be in his mid fifties, with curly brown hair that was beginning to gray. He wore blue trousers, and a long sleeved bright red shirt with a large yellow lightning bolt running up it's front. He looked up with bleary eyes at his saviors. "Thank you," he huffed. "Thought I was going to be running forever. Whoo, that was intense."
"No problem," Shazam grinned. He offered a hand to help the older hero to his feet.
"Thanks," Flash repeated, gratefully taking the offered hand. "I don't believe we've met, son. I'm Jay Garrick. But people call me-"
"The Flash," Wonder Woman finished, smiling. "We know all about you, Mr Garrick."
"Is that so?" Jay said, slightly confused. In all his years in the hero business, he'd never seen these two. "Well, it seems you have me at a disadvantage, miss. I'm fairly certain we've never met, before. I certainly would have remembered meeting a lady as lovely as you." He placed his helmet back on his head, and tipped the brim in a gentlemanly way. "Then again, I am getting older."
Diana smiled once more. This Flash was certainly kind. A trait that, sadly, not many possessed these days. "I'm Wonder Woman, of Paradise Island," she introduced herself. She gestured to Shazam. "This is Shazam. We're honored to meet you, but I must ask; do you know how long you've been here?" The knowledge of how long he had been in this place might be startling.
Jay rubbed his chin in thought. "Uh, well, let's see," he said. "We were fighting Eclipso... I remember Green Lantern pulled me out of some lava in the knick of time... Spectre yelling something, a blinding light, and then I was here, but I couldn't stop moving. Couldn't control my speed like I usually could, so I just kept running. That couldn't have been more than a few minutes ago."
Diana and Shazam exchanged a sad glance. "I'm afraid it's been a little bit longer than a few minutes," Shazam said slowly.
"Really?" Jay asked. "How long?"
"Decades," came the voice of the Spectre.
Jay turned to see the Spectre, but didn't recognize him right away. "Spectre? Is that you?" he asked. "You look... different."
"It's complicated," Spectre said.
"Talk about an understatement- OW!" Shazam muttered, as Wonder Woman jabbed him in the side with her elbow.
"Huh," Jay said, taking in Spectre's new visage. His eyes then widened as Spectre's words sunk in. "Wait a second, decades? Did you just say decades?!"
"Yes," Spectre confirmed, his/Danny's eyes showing sadness. "It is the year 2016. You and the others have been trapped in this bubble of anti-reality since that night. I... I'm sorry. But we must hurry. The others are still trapped. And the longer we all remain here, the greater the possibility will be that we will each become affected by the energy here. We will all fall into a state like the members of the JSA; forever living out a single moment for eternity."
Jay looked stunned at the information. Diana put a hand on his shoulder. "Do you need a moment, Flash?" she asked, concerned.
Flash took a steadying breath and shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "There's time for that later. I'll be fine."
Spectre raised his arms, and they once more were teleported to the next member that Spectre could sense...
They reappeared in a dark, misty swamp-like setting. They were totally surrounded by vegetation, even overhead. The vibe of the place made Shazam shiver. "This place gives me the creeps," he commented. "Something bad always happens in swamps! Have you ever seen basically any scary movie?"
Flash glanced at Shazam. "Don't believe everything you see in the movies, kid," he said. Jay then looked around cautiously. "Then again, this place does remind me of Grundy's old swamp..."
"Flash, is that you?" came a call from not too far away.
"Lantern?" Flash said, recognizing the voice. "Over here!"
They heard rustling nearby, and a blonde man wearing a billowing purple cape with a high collar stepped out of the foliage. A green glow appeared on his left hand, and the man was illuminated with a green glow, revealing none other than the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott! The man looked to be about the same age as Jay Garrick. "Flash! It is you," he exclaimed. He quickly made his way to the group. "I never thought I'd see you again. Come to think of it, I never thought I'd see anyone, again!"
The Flash and Green Lantern clasped hands. "I've been stuck wandering around this swamp for hours," Alan said. "It's like a maze. How did you find me? And who are these people?" He gestured towards Wonder Woman and Shazam, as well as Spectre in Danny Phantom's form.
"Uh," Jay said, uncertainly rubbing his forehead beneath his helmet. "This is Wonder Woman and Shazam. They helped me out a little bit ago. And, of course, you remember Spectre."
Green Lantern gazed over at the others, before leveling his gaze at Spectre/Phantom. "Spectre," he said. "Something seems off about you."
The Spirit of Vengeance said nothing, no longer wishing to speak about his new form. "It is good to see you, again, old friend," he growled in his echoing voice. "It's been too long."
"Too long?" Lantern repeated. "I don't understand. I've only been here a few hours. I haven't been able to escape from this swamp because my ring is useless against vegetation; I couldn't do anything except hoof it on foot."
Shazam had to keep himself from laughing. "Wow," he said. "That's some weakness. I could take you down with a pencil!" He then fell silent when he saw everyone glaring at him harshly. "Sorry," he said, sheepishly looking at the ground. "That was rude."
"Anyway, Alan," Jay said. "It's a bit difficult to explain. You might have a hard time believing it, so we'll wait until we get home. In short, after our fight with Eclipso, we were all trapped inside a pocket of time and space. It took Spectre and his new allies to get us out, and now we need to find the others."
Before Green Lantern could respond, Spectre raised his hands once more, and the universe shifted around them...
Soon, they had recovered the other members of the JSA, though, not without some difficulty. Spectre had surmised that each of the JSA were trapped within their own respective weaknesses and/or fears; Flash was trapped in his own speed without control, Green Lantern was trapped in a swamp where his ring had no effect. Dr Midnite had been trapped in a realm of eternal light; as he could not see in anything short of absolute darkness.
Sandman was trapped within one of his prophetic visions, and the Star-Spangled Kid was locked in a battle trying to control his cosmic staff. Hour Man was trapped in his greatest fear of overdosing on his special drug, the Miraclo pill, which gave him powers for an hour, leaving him trapped in a hospital setting, but all alone; no doctors, nurses or other patients. Mister Terrific was locked in an insane asylum wearing a straight jacket. His greatest fear was being locked away and being labeled as crazy for running around in a mask.
Flash explained that, in their day, there were a lot of people that thought the masked vigilantes in the JSA were lunatics and should be locked up, despite their heroic deeds. Mister Terrific, in particular, was worried the JSA would be arrested, if the government saw them as too dangerous. Masked vigilantes and people with powers were something of an anomaly at that time, and were usually met with suspicion and mistrust. This wasn't too much of an issue for someone like Dr Fate or the Spectre, who dealt with more supernatural forces rather than street-level crime. But the fear and uncertainty was still there for the others.
Spectre raised his hands, and the now large group of reassembled heroes were standing before the portal home. "Home is right through there," Shazam said. "Dr Fate and the Wizard and Phantom Stranger are on the other side holding the portal home open. This was so awesome! It's not often I get to go to other realities, let alone save legends like you guys!"
"Flash, who is this guy, again?" Sandman asked, still a little uncertain of what was going on.
"He's eccentric," Flash replied. "Now, let's go home. I think Spectre, here, has quite a story to tell."
"No one is going anywhere," a massive voice rumbled from everywhere at once. The world around them all morphed into a fire filled volcano, as if they had suddenly been swallowed by Hell itself. Before them, a huge entity unlike anything they had ever seen sat upon a demonic throne. The being had horns, bright red skin, long white hair, and four burning eyes on his head.
"Your souls now belong to Trigon!" the being bellowed. "And no one leaves Trigon's domain!" The heroes turned to see a group of demon-like creatures blocking the portal home, wielding dangerous looking spears and axes.
"Trigon the Terrible," Spectre growled, his voice like acid and showing no fear. "I thought I recognized your stench of sins in this realm. I should have guessed this was your domain. Fitting, that loathsome despot such as you would reside in an empty, worthless hole, like this."
Spectre's comment caused Trigon to sneer. "I know of you, Spectre," Trigon growled. "But I sense weakness in you. Without that vessel, you are nothing here! And you will regret showing me the path to your world."
Wonder Woman stepped up, recognizing a challenge. "We will never regret doing what is right, demon," she said, pulling her sword from her belt.
Trigon ignored her comment, for to him, the Amazon was as a gnat to an elephant. "Spectre," he growled, rising from his throne. "You will make an excellent trophy. You are no match for my raw power!"
A dark smirk crossed the Spectre's face at the challenge. "Is that a threat, demon?" he asked. "I do not respond well to threats from the kind I generally target as victims."
Trigon snarled at the jab. "You dare think of me as a victim?" he bellowed. "I am Trigon! I am the destroyer of ten thousand worlds!" The demon raised his arms, and an army of demons rose around them.
"Way to go, Spectre," Hourman said. "You've made them mad."
"We don't have time for this," Wonder Woman insisted. "We must return home, and I don't think we're a match for this creature in his own domain."
Unfortunately, the demons had already reached the group of heroes, and the battle had commenced. These demon-like entities were numerous, and dangerous. Wonder Woman, having been trained from a young age about combating dark magic, could almost smell the unholy energy wafting off of them. These... things did not possess a soul, and no matter how many she cut down, there seemed to be an infinite number to replace them.
She looked over to see Shazam hurling lightning and powerful punches. His magic seemed to protect him to an extent. Surprisingly, Green Lantern Alan Scott also seemed to be fairing quite well. Perhaps his ring was different than the Green Lantern she knew? The Flash's speed seemed to throw the demons off guard, as he sped through the horde. Flash and Lantern were working to keep the creatures off the JSA members without powers.
Spectre had nothing to fear, of course. He raised his hands, and the demons around them collapsed into ashes. "Trigon, it was you," he accused. The Spirit of Vengeance/Danny Phantom's form then grew in size to match Trigon's massive frame. "It was you who gave Eclipso such power on that night."
"Ah, yes," Trigon acknowledged. "The imp. Such a waste of power. His rotten soul now hangs in my trophy room. The only useful thing he managed was bringing these ones here for my amusement."
"We aren't your toys," Green Lantern spat. "Now, Flash!"
Flash quickly used his speed to grab Sandman and Dr Midnite, and toss them through the portal! He was planning to use his speed to grab them all and get them home. "NO!" Trigon bellowed. He charged the group, startling them with his speed for his size. Spectre grabbed the demon king and the two titans grappled, dark power raging from them like an unholy hurricane of black and white lightning.
Seizing the opportunity, Flash grabbed Hourman and Shazam, repeating the process, followed by Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. The Crimson Comet was heading back for Mr Terrific and Star-Spangled Kid, when the Spectre and Trigon's powers crashed in a titanic blast, sending the two flying back, stunning both combatants. Spectre's now large frame crashed in between Flash and the two heroes.
Spectre seemed dazed, and shrunk back down to his normal size. The three JSA members quickly helped pick the ghost up, and they headed for the portal, glancing back to see Trigon in a similar state as the Spectre. As they reached the way home, several skeletal hands reached up from the ground! Flash and Star-Spangled Kid managed to unceremoniously toss Spectre through the portal several feet away, but they heard a scream for help, and turned around to see Mr Terrific being drug down into the ground!
"No, Terry!" Star-Spangled Kid yelled in shock. He pulled out his Cosmic Rod, and held it out for the other hero to grab onto, but it was too late, and he and Flash watched in horror as Mr Terrific was swallowed by the ground. Gasping in anger and shock, Star-Spangled Kid used his Cosmic Rod to blast at the ground where Mr Terrific was swallowed by.
"Sylvester, it's too late!" Jay insisted, putting a hand on Star-Spangled Kid's shoulder. "We have to go now! Look!" The portal was beginning to falter and sputter, and a deep growl behind them alerted them that Trigon was stirring.
The two ran over to the portal, when Star-Spangled Kid let out a yell. He was caught by more of the hands! He handed Flash one end of his Cosmic Rod, and Flash tugged at it, trying desperately to save his comrade. It was not enough, unfortunately, as more demons grabbed onto Star-Spangled Kid, causing him to let go of his Cosmic Rod!
The resulting jolt caused Flash to tumble backwards through the portal with the Rod. Landing with a thud, Jay looked up to see the portal wink out of existence. Blinking in shock, he turned around to see everyone else standing or sitting nearby. Dr Fate, Phantom Stranger and the Wizard all gasped, and looked utterly exhausted at the effort of holding open the portal for so long.
"What happened to Terry and Sylvester?" Green Lantern Alan Scott asked his old friend as he helped Jay to his feet.
Somberly, Jay looked down at the Cosmic Rod in his hand and took off his helmet. "They didn't make it," he said quietly, tears in his eyes. Everyone else all looked down, sharing the sorrow. Spectre, in particular, looked vexed at the loss. The mission had been a success, but they had lost two of their own to get home.
"I am so sorry," the Wizard said, before fading away. The Phantom Stranger had similarly vanished. Shazam bade farewell, as well, leaving the heroes alone on the Rock of Eternity to contemplate what had happened.
Soon, the Spectre had teleported himself, Wonder Woman, and the surviving JSA members back to the old Brownstone. Once there, they were greeted by the rest of the Justice League. Jay Garrick and Alan Scott were surprised to learn that there was a new Flash and Green Lantern. Hawkman and Hawkgirl were overjoyed at seeing their old friends, but were also saddened over the loss of Star-Spangled Kid and Mr Terrific.
From there, Dr Fate informed the JSA of what had happened, and how long they had been gone. It was... not an easy pill to swallow for the older heroes. Even harder, after losing two of their members so suddenly. Dr Midnite asked why they couldn't simply open another portal to save Star-Spangled Kid and Mr Terrific, but Dr Fate sadly informed him that the energy required to open another portal was too great. Plus, it was too dangerous, now that they knew that a demon called Trigon would be waiting for them on the other side.
The Spectre hung in the air nearby, dour and gloomy as usual. The Justice League members were shocked to see the startling combination of Danny Phantom and the Spectre, and Wonder Woman to confront the Spirit of Vengeance. "Spectre, you said that you would release Danny Phantom once the crisis had past," she accused. "We expect you to keep your word."
Spectre cast a glare at her through Danny's eyes. "No," he answered with a growl. "Danny Phantom's body is paranormal in origin, which makes him the perfect candidate as a permanent vessel." This revelation surprised the Justice League, who quickly readied for a fight. Even the Justice Society members were shocked at Spectre's words.
"So you're just gonna keep his body, and take away his choice in the matter?" Green Lantern Hal Jordan said, leveling his power ring at the Spectre. "Uh-uh. Not gonna happen."
"Spectre, you cannot take away the boy's free will," Dr Fate insisted. "Even you are not that cruel."
"Spectre," came the voice of Jim Corrigan; Spectre's original host. "We had a deal. I was supposed to be your host. The task of Vengeance is my burden to bare, not his."
Spectre cast his gaze over the assembled heroes. Sighing, he said, "So be it." A cloud of green mist surrounded him and Jim Corrigan. Once the mist cleared, Danny Phantom was sitting on the floor dazed, and Jim Corrigan had once more donned the mantle of the Spectre.
Danny looked around in slight confusion. "What happened?" he asked. "Did we win?"
Diana offered Danny a hand, helping him to his feet. "Yes, we did," she replied. "But, at a cost."
"Oh," Danny said, looking sad. Danny looked over at the JSA. "Uh, sorry," he said. "It's great to meet you guys. I'm Danny Phantom."
"Thanks for your help, son," Jay Garrick said, tipping the brim of his helmet.
Superman and Batman walked over to the JSA members. "It's an honor to meet you all," Superman said. "And we're sorry for your loss. I'm Superman, and this is Batman. We, along with Wonder Woman, are the leading members of the Justice League of America. Um, I hope you don't mind us using your name as inspiration."
"Not at all," Sandman said. "It's good to know there are still folks out there willing to fight the good fight."
"Will you be returning to active duty?" Batman asked.
The members of the JSA looked at each other for a moment. "I don't know," sighed Dr Midnite. "There's so much to take in. What have we missed?"
Jay Garrick sighed, and looked over at Star-Spangled Kid's Cosmic Rod, which was resting on the roundtable. "We've all lost a lot," he said. "A lot of time. A lot of loved ones, I'm sure."
"Take your time," Batman said. "It's enough that your back."
Alan Scott nodded. "So," he said. "You've been using the old Brownstone as a base, huh?"
"Temporarily," Danny Phantom replied, giving a lopsided grin. "Yeah, we're kind of a group of homeless heroes, here."
"But not any longer," Batman said, startling everyone. "As you may or may not know, we've been gaining a lot of support from the public. And a generous donation from a billionaire in Gotham named Bruce Wayne has been given to us recently. We now have the resources to build our own HQ. Now, we just need to decide on a location."
"How thoughtful of Mr Wayne," Superman said, smirking knowingly. "We'll have to be sure to give him our thanks."
"Hmm," Green Lantern Hal Jordan said. "You know, I do know another Green Lantern named John Stewart. He's an architect. I bet he'd be glad to help us build it."
"Just how many Green Lanterns are there?" Alan Scott asked.
Hal chuckled as he put a hand on Alan's shoulder. "You've got a lot to catch up on, old timer."
Jay walked over to Barry Allen. "So, a new Flash, huh?" he said, taking in Barry's red suit. "Where are you based at, kid?"
"Central City," Flash responded with a grin. "You?"
"Keystone," Jay responded with a smirk. Central City and Keystone were right across the river from one another.
"You know, I've got some friends I'd like you to meet, back home," Flash said. "We could help you get back on your feet."
"I appreciate that," Jay replied. "Let's see what your made of, Flash." The two speedsters shook hands.
Soon, the members of the Justice League had said farewell, and excused themselves, allowing the Justice Society time to absorb everything. It would be a lot to catch up on, and it would take some serious time. Hawkman and Hawkgirl chose to stay behind to spend time with their long lost friends and help them adjust. Jay Garrick had went with the Flash, and the two speedsters headed for Central City. Hal Jordan had offered to take Alan Scott to Oa, home of the Green Lantern Corps, but Alan declined. He wanted to find what had become of his family.
The other members of the Justice League each headed home. Danny headed back to Amity Park. He was exhausted. He couldn't remember anything that had happened in that other reality. Thinking of being possessed by the Spectre made him shudder. That was something he did not want to go through again. Danny was sad that Mr Terrrific and Star-Spangled Kid didn't make it. Maybe it was for the best he didn't remember.
As he flew over Amity Park, he didn't notice a figure in a dark purple cloak watching him. The person in the purple cloak watched as Danny Phantom as he arrived at his house, phasing through the roof of the absurd building. She had no expression on her pale face as she pulled her cloak tighter around her. A deep trembling of supernatural energy had lured her to this small city. A purple aura surrounded her as she flew into the night, deep in thought.
Trigon the Terrible sat upon his throne, deep in thought. He had been close. So very close to reaching her. Soon. Soon he would be able to open the breach himself. The foolish heroes had no clue what they had done. In opening that breach between realities, they had given him a way back to that planet he had been locked away from for so long. Those blasted witches of Azarath had sealed him away from Earth long ago. Soon, he would have his daughter, and the rest of that world would burn!