So here I am once again with a chapter! I'm sure ya'll will be happy to know this one is the longest one yet with just over 8,000 words. (Yeah I didn't to do a two parter) Please let me know if ya'll would prefer it in 2 installments though I wouldn't think so. Anyway, this is all in-between content so very little of the show events pop in here aside from the beginning. Plus if you're a fan of the Red Huntress... well I hope you like it.=^-^=
Ch. 21 - Infestation
War World - May 30
Despite the team making it to the hanger of the War World in one piece, hard feelings weren't lost between them. This was especially true of Bumble Bee when she called Arsenal out for screwing them all over to begin with. "The last thing I remember was you opening the airlock and dooming us all!"
"Hey! After eight years on ice there was no way I was getting grabbed again! And in case you didn't notice, my actions are what led to you being free now to complain! So how about a thank you!?" Arsenal responded in outrage.
Though Arsenal did have a valid point Nightwing knew what he had to do as the team's leader. He pulled Arsenal around by the shoulder and promptly thanked him before announcing his dismissal from the team. "Wait a minute." Tye cut in with a confused tone.
"If it wasn't for Arsenal, we wouldn't have saved anyone." Virgil cut in next.
"That may be, but this isn't the first time he's pulled this kind of stunt. Intentionally endangering the lives of his teammates to further his own agenda or guard against his own personal demons. It's unacceptable, so until you prove yourself a team player, you're off the team." He then walked past Arsenal and towards the bioship. "Now let's get out of here. We can discuss this further when we're not behind enemy lines."
Virgil and the others looked between themselves before turning back to the still silent Sam. She hadn't said a single word to anyone aside from a short, and silent exchange she had with Phantom on their way to the hanger. Sam quickly caught their intentions and stepped forward. "I see we've come to an impasse." She noted aloud as she stood in front of the teens.
"We have our own way of doing things." Virgil declared with a solemn expression that matched the others. "So we don't need to be part of your team."
"Yeah, so what do you say man? Wanna come with us?" Tye offered to Arsenal with a confident smile.
Arsenal looked pleased before seeing the cold expression of the hooded teen. "Sure, that sounds like a plan." He quickly saw her smile, but it was different than the others.
"Well then, welcome." She offered before whipping out a Father Box. "Home please." She ordered.
Nightwing barely registered what it was before they were gone in a flash. "Wait is that a-!" A short silence ensued as the others looked between themselves.
"Well that could have gone better." Danny commented breaking the silence.
Mt. Justice - May 31
It was a few minutes past three when Nightwing entered the briefing room to do some late night work. On a normal night he was the only one awake in the cave but, that was before Phantom joined the team. Now every once in awhile he'd run into the halfa who was awake at odd hours on occasion. This was the first time, however, that he had walked in on Danny since the halfa usually worked in his room. He stood in the hall for a moment watching Phantom work before approaching. "Thought I was the only one who worked this late." He commented nonchalantly.
"Huh? Oh Nightwing..." He typed a bit more before turning to him. "I didn't stay up, I just tend to wake up around three." He then turned back to the screen. "It's a good time to get things done though."
"What are you working on?" Nightwing asked curiously as he stood shoulder to shoulder with the halfa.
"I'm remotely scanning over a few of the oldest hot spots with the link Captain Atom set up on the Watch Tower."
"Looking for anything in particular?"
"Yeah, but I'm really hoping I don't find it." Danny brought up the scan over Amity Park which looked like the energy was being pushed to one side. "You remember the anti-ghost shield the GIW put up over Amity Park? Well that is causing the ectoplasmic energy to pool up around Lake Eerie. Considering the location, I'm going to assume that this is the first point Plasmius visited." He explained as Nightwing listened intently. "Normally the energy has more room to spread out, but with it being pushed aside it's become even denser than before."
The leader looked over the data which showed a slow darkening of the green ectoplasmic reading on the screen. "Why do I have a feeling this has something to do with why you missed the War World mission?" He asked with a wary tone.
"Because it does." Phantom responded in slight exasperation that seemed a bit out of place. "I was going to wait until tomorrow... or I suppose later today, but I suppose since you're already up..." Danny typed a few keys and pulled up an image. It depicted a lake shore, but just a few meters in sat a large green space distortion. It looked as if something had torn open the air into a inky green void.
"That... is that what I think it is?"
"Do you think it's a tear in space that leads to another dimension? If so then yes, it's exactly what you think it is."
Nightwing looked at the image in slight disbelief before turning back to the halfa. "This is because of whatever Plasmius did?" He asked with obvious worry as he crossed his arms.
"Well from what I can tell, yeah. I can't really say what he's doing, but it seems to be causing the space between our world and the ghost one to thin." Danny explained with a moderately confused expression.
"Is this what he wants to happen or is it just some side effect?" Nightwing wondered aloud but Danny could only shrug.
"Heck if I know. Last time I fought with him he was still trying to rule the world not destroy it." Danny informed with an exasperated eye role. What's so great about world domination? "The worst part is if this keeps up, it'll get much worst much faster." He pointed to screen. "If this is any indication, this is what'll happen eventually at every one of the points once the density gets high enough."
"And that's only based on what we've seen." Nightwing added in with a serious expression. "Who's to say this is the extent?" He commented with a solemn tone that showed he was well aware of the situation.
"Exactly. I can only try and come up with something to stop it before any more of these pop up."
Nightwing turned to him with a raised brow. "You don't have anything to counter these tears in space? Didn't you say they happen naturally all the time?"
Danny turned to him with a nod. "Yeah, but they close up on their own, plus they're smaller. I can easily get rid of a portal around the size of a standard doorway, but not something that size."
The team leader rubbed his chin. "I guess this is why you insisted waiting until after we found the team. Even if this eventually caused a serious problem, you didn't have a solution."
"Yup, I figured one problem at a time was enough." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "And speaking of problems... How's the plan for Blue Beetle?"
Nightwing raised a brow at the subject change, but shrugged. "There's progress, but still plenty to do. Batgirl and Zatanna are working on it." He then glance to the halfa. "And speaking of progress, how's Will?"
Danny eyed the leader with an unimpressed grin. "Real subtle." He then dropped his arms. "Well he's better than he was at the start at least. If all those other kids really were fighting Black Beetle I'm a little impressed even if they outnumbered him. He's tough. I still can't really believe he went to the War World even if Dani talked him into it."
Nightwing chuckled. "I think you might be underestimating him Phantom."
"You think?" Danny asked with a raised brow. "Maybe..." He then shrugged. "I suppose that's a good thing though. Anyway, I'll check these levels again later so it's all yours." Danny then turned on his heel and let the older hero have access to the computer interface.
Nightwing watched him leave with a curious thought. An interdimensional tear in space was usually something that merited more alarm or worry. "Gotta remember to get more on that from him later." He told himself after the halfa disappeared around a corner.
Just as the halfa was about to go back into his room he noticed another night owl approaching his door. "Will? What are you doing up?" He raised a brow at the halfa in minor surprise.
"What are you talking about? You said I was fine earlier, and its already past three in the afternoon." He crossed his arms with a curious expression. "Actually... I'm surprised no one woke me up."
Danny looked at him with confused expression before suddenly realizing something. "Ah, okay I get it. Let me guess, you suddenly woke up and felt you just had to get up."
"Well yeah, I mean 15 hours is more than enough sleep isn't it?" Will countered not knowing what Phantom was getting at.
He shook his head with a slight smirk. "No you've been asleep for 4 hours." He corrected and pulled out his phone to show him. "It's 3:35 am not pm Will. Though now that I think about it, living in a cave can make it hard to keep track of night and day." He muttered a bit afterwards. Will didn't respond aside from narrowing his eyes at the time indicated on the phone's lock screen. "Confused?" The halfa asked as the younger one continued to scrutinize the phone even after it went dark.
"... 4 hours... but..."
Danny nodded after Will trailed off. "Yeah, well I guess I should have expected this."
"Expected what?" The younger teen asked with a minorly annoyed tone. "Being half ghost comes with a lot of side effects if you hadn't noticed." Danny started with a little sarcasm in his voice that was growing more serious. "One of them is that the ghost part of you eventually starts to mess with your natural internal clock. You remember how I told you that ghosts tend to be more active at night?"
Will nodded. "Well yeah, but only 4 hours? That's crazy." He countered with annoyance.
Danny shrugged with understanding. "It's annoying, but that wired feeling should ware off in an hour or so and you can go back to sleep. That's what I do anyway, and it won't happen every night... at least that's how it is with me. You might be different." He ended as he gestured to the other halfa.
Will stayed silent for a moment before responding with another question. "Why?"
That one caught Danny slightly off guard. "What do you mean?"
"Why would it be different? Aren't we both half ghost?" He'd been thinking of this one for awhile especially after meeting Danielle.
Danny laughed a bit as he raised a brow. "Well yeah, but that doesn't make us exactly the same. Just like people, ghosts come in all shapes and sizes, and just like people, they have different preferences and habits." He saw Will still seemed a little confused and sighed. "Remember what I told you before? Don't think so much into it."
Though he still seemed bothered he gave a nod and let out a sigh. "So what should I do for the next hour or so?" He asked considering how little there was to do this early in the morning.
Danny seemed curious about how quickly he accepted the explanation, and gestured up. "Well I don't know about you, but when I have nothing to do, I go flying. You can practice with some of your powers, and it should make you tired faster anyway." He then walked around him and to his door. "I won't make you though so it's up to you. I will tell you this much though, it's better not to try and force yourself to do something. The more you work against your powers the harder they'll be to control so don't try to sleep unless you feel tired." He gave a wave and was in his room without another word.
Will looked at the door a few more minutes contemplating the advice before activating his ghost form. "Might as well."
June 2 - Lake Erie
The large spacial tear loomed high over the lake as the roar of a jet sled approached. Though the area was peaceful, its appearance would say otherwise. There were several craters and upturned trees visible as the huntress set down to investigate. "It's bigger than he made it out to be." She looked up in minor surprise before turning to the rest of the area. She'd been warned that ghosts could come out of the portal at any time though it was being guarded by someone. After spending a few minutes clearing the immediate area she reached for her neck for a button that took down her helmet. "He better not keep me waiting." She muttered to herself as she brought out her phone. She scrolled down her contacts despite the large crack on the screen. It rang twice before she got an answer.
"Hello? Valerie?" Phantom answered.
"Yeah, and I'm waiting at the lake. You better be on your way here Phantom."
"I am, but I got held up a bit. Give me a little more time. Anyway did you already find Polar?"
She looked around again but saw no ghost. He'd mentioned this Polar before and she could only assume he was a ghost. "No. I haven't seen anyone or anything." She responded with an icy tone Phantom expected.
"If he's not out by the shore trying looking for an igloo. It should be in the lake around the center on the other side of the rift."
She nodded though he couldn't see her. "Sure whatever. Just make sure you hurry up phantom." She then promptly hung up on him. Working with Danny Phantom was, of course, not anywhere near the top of her list of enjoyable activities, but she'd grown to tolerate it over the year. She may have been too proud to say it aloud, but Phantom was the best ghost hunter in Amity Park; probably in the country to be honest. He may have got on her nerves but, she wasn't foolish enough to let that stop her from doing what she could to protect what was left of Amity Park. Even when he'd called her suddenly that morning after not being seen in months she was ready to suit up. All that being said, however, she was still ready to blast him to goo if he even looked like he was going to be a threat to any humans. She lifted her arm scanner, but quickly put it down after realizing the distortion was putting off too much interference. She then turned to said anomaly and sighed.
She started to inspect the lake as she walked the bank, and it wasn't long before she noticed the quaint yet out of place ice house floating on a frozen section of the lake. It was a bit bizarre to say the least, but looking at that portal... well maybe it wasn't that weird after all. If anything, it was the odd reality that an igloo of all things was sitting on the water despite the already present summer heat.
Danny felt bad as he hung up the phone. Valerie had been helping with the city especially now that he couldn't enter it as a ghost. The least he could do was check in with her right? Wrong! The last thing he wanted was for someone else to get hurt because of him, but... He mentally sighed as checked to make sure the super cycle was still behind him. As soon as he mentioned going to check on the tear again Nightwing all but demanded he take back up. "Last time it turned out to be more than you expected and we couldn't even contact you. This time take back up. You need to start relying on the team more when you need help not just when I put you on a mission." Nightwing's words echoed in his mind, and despite his pride he agreed.
"Is that it?" Super Boy asked as the tear appeared in the horizon.
"Yeah no question about it." Danny responded as he brought his focus back to the problem ahead. "I know it looks quiet but don't let your guard down." He let his eyes drift to the reluctant Will who sat in the cycle's back seat next to Beast Boy. The unease in his expression was obvious even though he'd asked to come along. As they got in close Danny darted down to land first and took a quick look around. Something unsettled him when broke the tree line, and if he went by experience, that was never a good thing. "Valerie?" He called out in a moderate tone, and a guarded stance.
A moment later Conner landed the Super Cycle and jumped out. "Wasn't someone supposed to meet us?" He asked with a serious expression.
"Yeah..." He responded as he looked around. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but something had him on edge.
"Something doesn't feel right." Gar commented as he looked to the forest from the cycle's seat.
"What makes you say that?" Conner questioned with his own suspicions.
"My fur is standing on end." He responded in a tense tone not normal for the changeling. Something was definitely up, but Phantom couldn't quite figure out what. If a ghost was around he'd have sensed it, but he didn't. The only thing he felt now was like he was being watched almost.
"Does something smell burnt to anyone else?" Will asked as he lifted his snout to the air. Super Boy raised a curious brow and smelled for himself. Wolf growled in the direction of the tree line before jumping out ready for attack. Not even a second later and shot rang out from deep within.
"That friend of yours maybe the source of that. We should check it out." The kryptonian suggested, and Danny agreed with a nod before taking off.
He was going to scan from above but as soon as he got above the trees he found himself tangled in a translucent thread out of nowhere. "What the?" He pulled at it, but it only grew slack at the force only to tighten even more once he relaxed before pulling again. Every move seemed to tangle him more before he finally pulled down to get to the ground. He lit up his hands with ghost energy and in response a thick network of thin thread appeared in the sky above along with the hundreds now tangled around Phantom. Though it was only visible around him, the halfa could only assume there was much more, and it was thicker the higher he got.
He burned through most of what had him from above until he felt a pull on one of his legs. "Need a hand?" He heard just before being pulled away from the tangled trap. Super Boy had jumped up to pull him free as soon as he saw the thread become visible. They booth came down with a thud though Super Boy landed on his feet while the halfa wasn't so lucky. He landed face first and could barely catch himself with how tangled he still was.
"What is all that?" Gar asked as he jumped out to give him a hand.
Danny spit out some dirt as he sat up. "I couldn't tell you but it's everywhere."
"Why didn't we run into it while we were landing?" Super Boy asked as he eyed the sky with a glare. The threads were back to being invisible aside from the one's on Phantom.
The halfa quickly used his ghost ray to burn the obnoxious string before standing up. "Because they don't mind if we come in. They just don't want us to leave." He explained as the condensation left his lips.
"And who might that be?" Gar asked looking around. He still didn't like that creeping sensation he had when they landed, and this wasn't helping.
"Whatever made this... trap." Will cut in for lack of better words.
"You mean whatever ghost made this trap." Danny corrected as he held up one of the threads. His fingers glowed and it lit up like a neon sign. "Last time I was here I had to evict the lake's newest resident."
"Nightwing mentioned something about that." Conner recalled as he crossed his arms.
"Yeah, though I don't think I'll be dealing with something as easy as some would be lake monster." He headed back over to the Super Cycle and reached for the poles in the back.
"You act like you expected this." The older hero commented as he took a few from the halfa.
"Well no, but I'm not surprised. A portal that size is basically a big welcome sign. That's why I had Polar watching it though..." His raised a brow. "Now that I think about it... Where is he?"
"We should take a look around before setting these up Phantom. We'd be easy targets out here." He suggested though Danny kept grabbing the poles.
"I suppose, but if we were so easy they would have attacked us already. Besides, I wanted to come here to set these diffusers up. The faster I can get this portal contained the faster I can figure out how to get rid of it."
Conner seemed bothered the halfa's lack of urgency especially since his friend was nowhere in sight. At the same time, however, he knew Phantom was the expert in this situation. This wasn't a covert mission, and they had no plan but to set up the diffusers Phantom had. "Sure, if you say so Phantom." He took what he was handed, and the two of them went around the lake edge.
Beast Boy stood by the Super Cycle with the energy scanner Danny gave him. He was supposed to be watching the area of effect each diffuser had so they could space them out more efficiently. "So what exactly are these things supposed to do anyway?"
Gar shrugged. "Beats me, but they must do something about the tear in reality."
"Well yeah, but how? I mean it's a tear in reality." Will reiterated as if he was the only one taking it seriously.
Gar turned back to him with a furrowed brow. "Come on Quill, you knew what we were going to be doing when you said you didn't mind coming. You need to relax a bit."
Will slumped over the side and leaned on his hand. "I'll relax when I don't feel like a million eyes are watching me from the trees."
Gar shrugged again before looking back at the older boys. They still had quite a few of the poles to put down and he was beginning to feel a certain kind of urgency. "Uh, hey could you hold this a sec?" He turned in request of the tense halfa.
"Why? What's up?"
He gestured to the tree's with a sheepish expression. "Well, with this being so sudden I didn't think to go before we left if you know what I mean."
Will raised a brow and took the scanner. "Uh sure I guess..." He turned to the trees, and the dark shadows between. "But be careful Gar."
"No problem." Beast Boy responded before transforming into a large dog and dashing for the closest tree.
"I don't care how badly I had to go, I wouldn't go in there alone." He muttered to himself as he rubbed one of his arms where the spines were standing on end. Over the next minute he found himself looking back towards the trees for the changeling, and getting more and more paranoid every time.
When Danny and Connor finally finished placing the diffusers they both arrived back at the cycle only to find Wolf sitting alone with the scanner at his paws. "Uh... where'd they go?"
"Give you one guess." Conner responded as he looked towards the trees. Wolf confirmed it with a growl and bared his fangs at the suspicious wood.
"I swear if Phantom doesn't show up in the next five minutes, I'm gonna blast his head off first chance I get!" Valerie yelled as she blasted yet another mutated spider ghost making a leap at her. She had a run of them since the minute she entered the forest to investigate a strange reading on her scanner. She really shouldn't have been surprised it didn't read out correctly since that portal was messing up everything else, but it would have been nice if Phantom had showed up on time to help deal with it.
She turned sharply at the next rustle of leaves she heard though it was surprising when another spider didn't leap at her. "Finally backing off!?" She asked with an agitated tone, but the only response she got was another rustle. She quickly glanced at her back to make sure none of the previous ghosts were getting up before approaching the suspicious bush where the sound originated. "Get out here ghost before I drag you out!" She demanded as she powered up her blaster.
"A-alright..." She heard in shaky voice before two claws reached up from the foliage. The strange ghost was nothing like the spiders she'd seen so far, and the biggest difference was how terrified the spiny creature was. "P-please don't shoot me..." He barely stuttered out with his hands straight in the air.
Valerie raised a curious brow at the ghost's demeanor. "What's your game spook?" She asked rather angrily without budging her blaster's target.
"I'm just doing what you said!" He quickly responded as to not miss his chance.
"Uh-huh, and I suppose I'm just supposed to let you go because to did what I asked?" She almost laughed at the end before their stand-off was suddenly interrupted by, of all things, a green antelope. She jumped back and fired first at the ghostly arachnid clinging to the creature's back before it stumbled over a downed tree. She dashed over hastily to inspect the creature, and that's when the bazaar color truly hit her. "What the... it's green?" She questioned with her blaster at the ready.
"Beast Boy!" Will called as he approached as well while keeping his distance from the armed hunter. Valerie looked at the cowardly ghost and then to the injured animal.
It was attempting to push itself up before one of its forelegs slid back down and it failed. It was then to her great surprise that the animal changed into a more humanoid form. "Uhhhh... I can't feel my arm..." Gar grumbled as he pushed himself up with the other one.
"Are you okay?" Will asked from a fair distance.
He turned to the halfa and held his numb right arm. "Yeah, but my whole right arm is completely numb."
"Did that spider ghost bite you or something?" Will asked rather fearfully as he looked around for more. He still felt like a million eyes were watching him, and was making him anxious.
Gar looked at his arm and shook his head. "I don't think so... it drooled on me or something..." He smelled his arm where he remembered feeling it hit him and quickly curled his nose. "Ugh... gross!" Will agreed with a cringe before the whine of two blasters interrupted them.
"Alright ghosts, your both gonna tell me what's going on here before I blast you to ectoplasmic paste." She looked like she was ready fire at the first word she heard though Gar had already been in dire situations like this before.
"Hold on there... Uh, I'm not a ghost first of all." He started to point out before a blast grazed right by his ear.
"That's going to be your only warning spook. I don't appreciate lies especially not from ghosts." She growled out with Vlad's laugh echoing in her mind. She could still hear him laughing at her after that incident with Danielle.
"But I'm not-"
Will could see her ready to fire, and before he could think of anything else he blurted out his own response. "I'm I ghost, but he's not!" He had his hands up again, but he'd made several more steps in his friend's direction. "P-please d-d-don't shoot... either o-of us." Gar could tell he was barely able to talk and could blindly panic at any moment. He couldn't really blame him though since he was beginning to feel it too.
"I already know you're a ghost, and covering for your friend here won't change anything."
"But he's not!" Gar countered with his good hand raised cautiously. "I swear I'm not a ghost, and my friend here is only half ghost."
Valerie's eyes instantly narrowed. A half ghost? Like Vlad or Danielle? What would be the odds of running across another one? She looked over the spiny ghost again in contemplation. She had no problem blasting a ghost, but she didn't want any part in hurting a person... "Show me." She calmly demanded with her blaster still raised.
"W-what?" Will asked with fear and confusion.
"If you're really half ghost then you can show me can't you? Turn human." She demanded confidently as she emphasized her command with her gun.
"But I.."
"If you can't then you're lying." She interrupted more angrily.
"He's not supposed to." Gar cut in for his anxious friend.
Valerie turned back to the changeling. "Not supposed to? And I should care? As far as I'm concerned that's just an excuse because he can't prove it." Her blaster charged with a whine which got Will shaking in terror.
Gar quickly noticed his friend's response and there was really only one way they could get out of this without injury if this girl was as serious as she looked. "Just show him Quill..." He encouraged with a worried expression.
Will turned to him with a panicked expression. "But Phantom said-"
"Phantom?" Valerie suddenly cut in with a curious tone. "Are you two here with Phantom?" She powered her blaster down much to the boy's relief.
"Yeah we are." Gar informed as he lowered his arm to hold the numb one. "He's the one who told Quill to not change on a mission."
Will nodded nervously as he remembered what the halfa had told him only hours before. "If you're going then you have to change into your ghost form and stay that way. With the exception of certain situations, your human form is way more vulnerable than your ghost one, an if we're dealing with a ghost... Let's just say you're better off not making that mistake at all. Unless I tell you to, do not change back, understand?" If he could have saved himself just now by changing back, why didn't he? He then remembered the halfa's deadly serious expression, and knew what stopped him.
"So if you're here with Phantom, he's probably around here somewhere right?" She deduced while still analyzing the fearful expression of the self proclaimed half ghost.
"Yeah, he and Super Boy are putting out these diffusers around the lake near that portal." Gar explained now feeling more comfortable since he was no longer under threat.
Valerie looked over one of her arm interfaces and pressed a few buttons. "Well it looks like they're working a little." She revealed with a smirk. "I'm getting less interference though I still can't get a fix on any of the ghosts in here." She then turned to the boys and became deadly serious again. "For the moment, I'll consider us allies, but I'll tell you exactly what I told Phantom. If I even think you're going to try anything ghost I'll blast you until nothing but a green stain is left." That sent chills down both boys' necks as they nodded. She then turned back towards where she was initially head. "Now, I kept getting an intermittent signal from this way. Follow me." She directed while pulling her blaster back out. A mounted shoulder gun also rose up and aimed higher while she walked. It was either there to watch her back or watch the boys, but neither of them wanted to risk testing it.
"I think the diffusers are finally kicking in." Phantom commented as he, Conner and Wolf made their way through the trees. Wolf was sniffing around though he seemed hard pressed to find a trail.
"What makes you say that? Because we haven't been attacked?" Super Boy questioned as he kept close watch on his surroundings.
Danny pushed a branch out of the way as he continued. "No, because I'm starting to get a better sense of where the ghosts are... at least ones nearby."
Super Boy turned to him. "Your ghost sense right?"
"Yeah."
"So how many can you sense nearby?"
Danny looked around a moment before he responded. "Well to be blunt... we're surrounded. Probably have been since we entered the forest."
His calm tone bothered the kryptonian though at least he knew he wasn't being paranoid. "So we really are being watched..."
"Yup, though I can't tell by what yet aside from it being ghosts. What surprises me though is that they haven't attacked."
Super Boy looked around as he followed the halfa and the canine. "I suppose they could still be laying their trap."
"Yeah, but we've been following Wolf's nose. Does that just happen to be where they want us to go?"
"It's possble. Wolf is tracking Beast Boy and Will. They may have been attacked already." He proposed as he took note of a far off sound.
"Hear something?" Danny wondered as he noticed both Conner and Wolf become alert. It was times like these he wished he had super hearing though that probably came with more bad than good in his case.
"Yeah... like a zapping sound... or a crackle..." He tried to describe though he was clearly not used to that sound. Wolf growled as he slowly approached the source. Both heroes followed cautiously.
After a few minutes Danny recognized something carved into a tree. "Territory marking... they must be taking advantage of the empty space." He remarked.
"The ghosts?" It didn't make sense to the kryptonian that they'd mark so deep in the forest if they're trap went over the lake anyway.
"Yeah, this place used to belong to a friend of mine. He's looking after someone now as a favor."
"So I suppose that's what you meant then? Another ghost moved in?"
Danny nodded. "Or several, but I still can't clearly tell. The fact that I'm getting signals from all around us makes me think the latter." He then suddenly lit up his palm with green energy, and eyes could be seen all over the place. A low chittering began through the trees, and all three of them stood in defensive poses. "I think you should get those gloves ready Super Boy." Danny suggested as his other hand began to glow. Conner slipped on the metallic gloves Phantom had handed him before going into the forest, and pounded his fists together. A green spark bounced off expressing they were active just as Phantom instructed. According to the halfa they would give him the ability to touch a ghost even if they tried to phase away which was an idea Conner was all too eager to get behind.
Valerie blasted around a dozen more of those obnoxious spider ghosts as the boys trailed behind. Both were more than grateful by this point to have run into her despite the rocky start. Will was now helping Beast Boy along since he started to slow down too much to keep up. "You doing okay Gar?"
The changeling nodded with a pant. "Y-yeah... mostly. I think the numbness is spreading." He revealed trying not to trip in his steps. "My right leg is starting to go numb too..."
Will was worried over the prospect. "Can you still move it?"
Gar nodded. "Yeah, but my arm..." He hadn't been able to move it for awhile, and Will could tell it scared him.
"It had to of been that spider thing." Will deduced as he pulled the numb arm over his shoulders.
"I paralytic poison huh?" The changeling chuckled. "Perfect..." Gar had a surprisingly worried tone despite his attempt at sarcasm.
"It's gonna be fine Gar, I mean Phantom probably has something... What?"
Gar smirked at him. "You're doing it again."
Will furrowed his brow. "Doing what?"
The changeling chuckled. "You're acting like you have faith in Danny even though you think he's mean or scary."
Will frowned at his accusation. "That's not it... he..-"
"Shh!" The ghost hunter ordered as she kneeled down behind a bush. Both boys followed her lead and got down. "I think we're getting close to the middle of whatever this is." She turned to them. "Can I count on either of you if this get's messy?"
Will and gar traded glances. "Uh I can still move pretty good." The changeling expressed as he held his limp arm. "But I don't know for how much longer."
"I-I can cover him." Will suddenly announced rather boldly.
Valerie seemed skeptical. "You don't look very tough ghost kid, but I guess neither does Phantom." She chuckled thinking back on some of their old fights. It amused and annoyed her how he'd never gotten serious on her. "Keep your eyes peeled." She then pressed a button on her helmet. "I've already got half a dozen signals up ahead."
"Yeah I think two of them are on that tree with the torn branch." Will pointed out as he crouched behind her.
"Man I wish I had night vision goggles or something. I can't see anything but the shadows of trees." Gar muttered as he squinted.
"Why don't you turn into an animal with night vision?" Will proposed in minor confusion.
Gar froze a moment before wearing a sheepish expression. "Oh... right..." He then morphed into a tiger though it was pretty inconvenient as he dragged one paw.
"You might want to reconsider an animal with four legs.." Will suggested thinking on how quickly Gar would be able to move.
"GRAHHH!" The silence was cut with roar complimented with the sound of a falling tree. Valerie quickly leaped out to aim her blaster on the ghostly spiders she saw. She took down the two just in time to see a third blasted with an ice spike. A large woolly monster stampeded through another tree angrily. He first shot out another ice spike from his hand at a fourth spider before turning to the huntress with a glare. Valerie quickly aimed two blasters at him and he, of course, retaliated by rushing her. Whether she could see he was having trouble moving or not, she took advantage of every opening he gave her to fire.
Gar jumped in next despite his handicap to tackle the beast to the ground. Will, however, simply looked on frozen at the sight. He was scared, he admitted that to himself rather quickly, but something else bothered him. He watched as the hairy monster lashed out at Valerie and then towards his newest opponent even though it looked to be struggling to move. "The monster's on the inside not the outside." He suddenly remembered back when he was with Phantom and the Jersey Devil. "Don't attack unless he attacks first..." He muttered thinking back on who it was. It was definitely Valerie who attacked first. He took a deep breath before jumping out into the fray though his target was Gar. He grabbed the green tiger by the red collar. "Hold on Gar!" He protested to the confusion of the changeling.
He then turned to Valerie in time to get in front of her next shot. "You have two seconds to move ghost boy or I'll blast you." She warned with a venomous tone.
"P-please! I don't think... I ... I think its..." He struggled to get out through the pressure of the situation that was making it impossible for him to keep his words straight.
"If you do not wish to come to harm, I suggest you leave this area at once!" A loud voice boomed from behind. All eyes were now on the woolly ghost still struggling on the ground.
It was safe to say none of them expect him to talk though Valerie was still aiming her guns. "I'm gonna ask you one more time kid, then Ill blast you half ghost or not. Move!"
He lifted his hands defensively as he stepped back from her. "Just... why don't we... I mean he can talk so..." Valerie was getting tire of the kid and so she finally pulled the trigger on him. A split second later a green wall sparked from the impact as Phantom intervened.
"Danny!" Two voices called out with relief though Will wasn't one of them. He was too busy falling to his knees from nearly being shot.
"Hold on Valerie!"
"Phantom!" She growled as she lowered her gun a bit. "Damn it! What took you so long!?"
Danny lowered his barrier as his feet hit the ground. "I told you I got held up." One of the spiders them came flying through the air between them only to hit a tree with a sickening smack. "More than a little." He finished as Conner came out from the trees with Wolf.
"Finally." The kryptonian stated as he headed over to Beast Boy in relief. "What were you two thinking leaving the cycle?" He asked in irritation as he noticed the changeling nursing his arm. "What happened?"
"He appears to have been poisoned by the spiders in this forest." Polar deduced as he struggled to get up.
"You too?" Danny asked as he crouched down beside him.
"No... I'm not sure what it is, but their venom only appears to effect humans."
Danny watched as his arms refused to cooperate as if they were tangled. "Hold on..." He held up his hand with a green glow, and the obstructing spider webs became visible. "Thought so... You must've run through some of those invisible threads like I did before."
Polar looked at them in disgust before pulling at them to no avail. "They're like iron, and tangle like mere thread." He expressed in frustration.
Danny grabbed some and it easily burned in his ghost energy. "Yeah I know." He then helped to remove all of what was holding the FarFrozen down.
"So now we've found everyone who was missing." Conner declared as he crossed his arms. "What now?"
"Now we should do away with this infestation before more humans fall victim. I have found a couple humans in the nest, and was able to free them before getting tangled up." Polar announced as he rubbed his newly freed limbs.
"And I take it we're near that nest?" Danny asked though he already had a good idea he was right.
"Yes Danny, and now that you have arrived I am sure we can deal with these creatures." He then turned to his former attacker. "Though I must confirm whether this hunter is indeed your ally. She attacked me with no provocation."
Valerie raised her blaster at the remark. "A ghost coming at me is the only reason I need ghost!" She spat in disgust.
Danny quickly stood in front of the blaster with a calm air about him. "Put it down Valerie, Polar isn't your enemy. I told you he was here guarding that portal remember?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Yeah well maybe if you'd showed up on time we wouldn't have had this little misunderstanding."
Phantom sighed at her defense though he didn't look worried at all with the blaster aim at his face. "Well I suppose I could have found you earlier if I hadn't insisted we put the diffusers out first, but I just figured you could handle yourself in here until I finished." He praised slyly knowing that would get her.
"You're damn right!"
He then took a step towards her. "Of course, and now that we're all aware of who's on who's side, why don't we just calm down, and let it go?" He asked as he looked between Polar and Valerie. The huntress glared at the large ghost though she did lower her weapon.
"I agree Danny." The FarFrozen commented though he still glared at the girl.
"Whatever Phantom, as long as you and your ghost pals don't try anything." She remarked to Danny's relief.
"Good."
"The nest is that way." She gestured after checking on her scanner.
"I know." Danny revealed as he turned to the ominous direction. "But we should get a better idea of what's there if we wait a little more."
"Won't they just try and attack again?" Conner pointed out with his arms crossed.
"Probably, but staying here, and walking into a trap there... which one sounds worse?" He suggested.
"But what's the point of waiting?" Gar wondered.
"Did Danny not mention putting out the diffusers young one? The more time we give them, the more easily we will be able to detect them." The FarFrozen explained confidently.
"Yeah they'll break down the spectral energy coming out of the portal so the density beyond the diffusers should decrease. That's what was messing up my ghost sense, and probably Valerie's sensors too."
"I figured as much." The huntress commented with obvious irritation. She hated the fact he actually made the smartest move while she'd impulsively gone into the woods. She relied on her sensors too much, which she realized quickly when she actually had to aim fighting the spiders. It wasn't that she didn't have confidence in her own skill though, it was more the fact Phantom always fought that way. She was far too proud to admit she admired his abilities even if he was a ghost.
Once they had a full grasp of the situation and numbers, the spiders were easily dealt with. Danny was able to get the entire nest in his thermos, and the webs around the area disappeared once the ghosts were taken care of. "Worry not Beast Boy, the poison will lose its effect soon enough. From what I saw, it only stops its victims movements so that they may be captured more easily." The FarFrozen explained as he looked over the changeling who Will was helping to walk right.
"Noted, and a relief." He stated as he tried to get into the Super Cycle.
"That's good since I doubt we had an anti-venom for ghost spiders." The kryptonian remarked with a near smile.
"True though I could try using some ecto-foamer when we get back to the cave." Danny suggested as he looked at his scanning device. "The diffusers are doing good so the tear shouldn't be getting any bigger for awhile." He then handed it to Polar.
"That is good news. I am sure Lord Frostbite would be pleased to hear of your progress with the portals."
Danny frowned as he reached for the back of his neck. "Not really progress Polar, but a patch job. I still don't know what I'm going to do about closing it."
Polar didn't seem put off by the admission at all. "I am not worried Danny. You will surely come to a solution in time. I will also relay this 'patch job' of yours to Lord Frostbite to see if he comes up with anything."
Danny nodded. "Sure, whatever he can figure out would be great." He then turned to Valerie. "Also, I called Valerie here to see if she might be able to help."
The huntress approached with an irritated expression. "So long as it keeps my world safe." She stipulated. "But don't expect to be friends got it ghost."
Polar didn't like her tone one little bit, but Danny cut in before he could say anything. "Friends or no, he does have a name Valerie."
"Fine, Polar." She corrected with a grumble.
"Yes Ms. Valerie though I do prefer Polaris since we are not, how you say, friends." The FarFrozen countered with equal annoyance. He struck his chest in reverence for Danny before floating up a few inches and over the water.
"I'm so glad you were the bigger person here Valerie." The halfa teased with a sarcastic tone.
"I'm the only person Phantom so yeah, I am the bigger one. I already told you how this works, and what'll happen if you cross the line." She held up one of her blasters to express the point.
"Yeah, you did. Thanks for not shooting me." His teasing tone annoyed her, but she wasn't going to let him get to her. She took off seconds later before her self control ran out.
"So... she really likes pointing guns at people huh?" Will asked trying not to think about being at gun point again.
"Yeah, but she used to worse. She used to shoot first and ask questions never. Now she asks a question and shoots you if she doesn't like the answer." He joked as he looked at the younger halfa. "Good job by the way. I imagine it took a lot of guts to get between her blaster and Polar before. I'm glad you took the time to think before you acted." He expressed sincerely as he pointed to the cycle. "Now let's get back."
"I'm sure Nightwing is eager to get this report." Conner commented as he took the cycle up.
"Yeah well if he says 'I told you so' I'm ditching the debrief." The halfa responded just thinking of the their leader with that victorious smirk.
So that's the end of that crazy long one huh? This chapter was supposed to do two things for those who may not have caught it. First, it was a sneak peek on what will happen should more of these tears open up. Could you imagine one in a populated area? Second, it was suppose to establish the dynamic I've set for Valerie and Danny to this point. She doesn't really like, but doesn't hate him. She's also still anti-ghost which was how she was in the show anyway. Her attitude towards Danny though, is more competitive than dislike. She's got more of a problem with how much better he is than her, and her pride is what messes her up here. (Though Danny has a similar problem when it comes for asking for help I suppose.) That being said though, she and Dani are pretty tight which is the biggest reason she works with him. (I'll go over this part later)
Another thing that wasn't as big would be the growing dynamic of Danny and Will. You may have noticed how I've been giving Will chances to act on the lessons Danny gives him. This is going to go a long way with improving not only my OC, but Danny as well since he's slowly starting to see how Will changes due to his mentorship. (So yes, Nightwing called it)
Last thing ugh! Super Boy was difficult here! I really hope I didn't totally screw up his character! I was trying to stay out of the anger issues part of him and well... Did I ruin him?
As always please comment, criticize (gently) or ask questions below. Also, If you'd rather have shorter chapters in hopes I update more frequently let me know. (That means instead of 1 chapter that's 8,000 in around 4 months, you'll get 2 4,000 chapters in the same span of time.) =^-^=