Chapter Twenty-Eight: Divide & Conquer
The team split into three teams to deal with their different missions. Two would stay in separate sections of Amity to watch out for ghosts, mystics, and Guys In White agents. The last would travel to the Ghost Zone to get Phantom's daughter. That last one was still daunting for the team. Most were still trying to process the information.
The team staying in the area around headquarters was , Nightwing, Cyborg, and Guardian. The team on the other side of town would be Red Arrow, Bumblebee, Impulse, Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, and Robin. The team going into the Ghost Zone with Phantom and Siren would be Aqualad, Superboy, and Tempest. Jazz would stay at the security cam controls while Red Huntress did her usual patrol route around town.
"You two got everything you need," Dick asked, fussing over the twins.
"You are such a big brother at heart, aren't you," Danny smirked.
"I'd have no reason to if you two would stop getting into life or death situations every other day," Dick playfully glared at them.
"This is the Ghost Zone," White reminded. "Even if there are still spirits that hate us, there are a lot more that don't."
"But I swear, if Box Ghost makes one appearance, I'm locking him in the dungeons for the rest of his… uh… afterlife," Danny said.
"We've had enough of him to last us five lifetimes," White shook his head. "And yes, I am still aware of the fact that we will stop aging at some point."
"So, when is this portal going to open," Garth asked.
Phantom's eyes flashed a brighter green. His breath also let out a small blue mist.
"I think our ride's here now," he smirked.
Siren seemed to catch on to who he was talking about.
"Oh, it's been so long since I've seen him," he smiled, floating up in excitement.
"Who are you…" Robin was interrupted.
A trio of claws appeared right out of thin air. They sliced through the air, leaving behind a patch in the sir almost like when animal claws would scratch a person's clothes. Or when Wolverine ever attacks anyone, but that's in another realm. Inside of the claw marks was a swirling vortex of green and black energy. Anyone that easily got dizzy definitely would have if they looked at that portal for too long.
"That would be him," Danny chuckled.
Out of the portal came their closest ghost friend, and the only one that still couldn't speak proper English, Wulf. Wulf resembles a large, muscular werewolf or anthropomorphic wolf. Wulf wore a worn green sweatshirt, with a hood that he usually keeps down, and tattered green pants.
"Wow," most of the team gasped, a few taking a step back.
"Everyone, this is Wulf," Danny introduced. "He was probably the first nice ghost that we had ever met."
"Salutojn, amikoj de miaj amikoj," Wulf says.
"He also can not speak English, just Esperanto," White informs them. "He says 'hi."
"Wulf is one of the first-ever mystics to become a ghost," Jazz explains. "He is a werewolf ghost but is stuck in his wolf form forever now."
"Wow," Gar gasped.
"My reaction exactly when I first met him," Valerie snickered. "Wulf's main power, other than his enhanced wolf senses, is that he can use his claws to literally rip the air, creating a portal to anywhere he wants."
"That is awesome," Cyborg celebrated, making the younger team members laugh at his enthusiasm.
"Nice to see you, Wulf," Danny greets him.
"Gaja mi povas helpi, princo fantomo," Wulf said. Translation: Glad I can help, Prince Phantom.
"Wulf, you don't have to call me 'Prince' or 'Lord' or anything other than my name," Danny says.
"Brother, that's like trying to get Frostbite to stop calling you 'Great One," White chuckles. "It's a lost battle."
"You said the same thing about Skylar calling you 'Lord," Danny reminded. "Now look at that horse. He's calling you by your first name."
"Yeah, but I am not using the spray bottle method on a ghost werewolf or a ghost yeti, thank you very much," White crossed his arms.
"La portalo kun vi kondukas frostan paron, miaj amikoj," Wulf tells the twins. Translation: The portal will take you to Frostbite's lair.
"Thanks again, Wulf," Danny says, patting the ghost's back.
"Kompreneble, princo-spektro," Wulf said. Translation: Of course, Prince Phantom.
"Man do I hate being called that," Danny shook his head.
"At least we can blame that on Pariah Dark," White commented.
"Don't forget the fruitloop," Danny said. "He was the one that let psycho king out of his sarcophagus in the first place."
"Remind me why we never took Melinda's offer to have her vanquish him," White raised an eyebrow.
"Because, sadly, Vlad was still half-human and that would have been considered murder," Danny reminded.
"I'd like to see a human jail cell try and hold her," White snickered.
"Let's just go, already," Danny had to basically push his snickering brother through the portal.
"You gotta love those two," Garth chuckled as he, Aqualad, and Superboy followed them through the portal.
"Adiaŭ, amikoj de miaj amikoj," Wulf says, jumping through the portal himself. Translation: Goodbye, friends of my friends.
"Raise your hand if you agree with the fact that those two know some strange people," Impulse raised his hand.
Nearly everyone raised their hands in agreement. Only Nightwing, Jazz, and Red Arrow did not. Jazz actually got her hand out to start slapping the back of heads.
"Fun time is over, guys," Dicks tells them, in leader mode. "Danny and White are sure that a ghost or mystic will appear at some point. We need to be ready."
"I'll keep watch here," Jazz says. "I have the most experience working these cameras and my brothers' system."
"Gotcha, Jazz," Roy said.
The rest of the team soon split up. and Jazz combined their telepathy again to get a bigger range for the team to communicate.
"You know, this town could use a visit from Poison Ivy," Robin says, trying to joke.
"We have met the literal lord of nature and the first person that comes to comes to mind when a place needs plants is that ego terrorist," Karen raises an eyebrow.
"Ivy has actually cooled down quite a bit since she helped Harley escape the Joker once and for all," Dick says.
"Gotham City is so weird," Mal said.
"Hey," Dick and Robin protest.
"You two can't really deny it," Roy said.
"Won't stop us from trying," Robin says.
"I find it funny that this is what I hear the first time I am on this link," Valerie stated.
"I'm with Valerie on this one, even if this is my second time on this link," Jazz said.
"Your brothers are the ones that brought them," Valerie reminded. "I guess that crazy attracts crazy."
"I'd protest, but even I know that most of us are not completely sane," Jaime says. "This is coming from the teen with an alien insect on his back."
"Normally I'd protest that I am completely sane, but I am currently only three inches tall," Karen giggled. "Not the size someone wants to be when saying that they're in the right state of mind."
"I know I'm not completely sane," Impulse sounded way too happy. "No need to hide it. hahaha."
"I'm green, pretty much all that I need to say," Beast Boy shrugged, the entire team laughing at how nonchalant he sounded.
"What in the name of the gods have I gotten myself into," Valerie shook her head.
"Can't say that my brothers know anyone boring," Jazz giggled.
"I learned that pretty much the first time I met Dani," Valerie says.
"Girls, I have actually been meaning to ask you two something," Dick said. "Since you two have known Danny and White longer than us."
"What is it," Jazz asked.
"The two had a bit of an episode a few weeks ago," Dick explained. "They seemed to go into a headspace where they were somewhere else fighting… someone. They wouldn't tell us who."
"Did something trigger them," Jazz immediately questioned. "Was a specific spot on them hit or blasted? Did someone say something or do something?"
"I can't remember a fight where they would react so seriously," Valerie says. "Maybe Pariah Dark, but neither of them was really traumatized by that fight. I know I was badly hurt by him and Fright Knight, but I was fine after I got all healed up."
"I can think of one," Jazz sounded sad.
"One of the Justice League members mentioned something," Robin told them. "I can't remember the specifics, but it was something along the lines of them facing the inevitable."
There was a sudden shriek over the link, like what happens when a record is scratched. Most of the team had to cover their ears as it was almost like Siren's shriek. It seems that Jazz was not very happy to hear that phrase either.
"Yeah, that was would probably do it," Jazz said when she calmed down.
"Krinos said something very similar," Cyborg says. "What happened to them? Is there any way we can help."
"I wish I could tell you, but Danny and White would never forgive me if I told you without them knowing," Jazz tells them. "What happened was… the most horrible thing that could ever happen to someone. To lose everything, and not even have hope for the future."
"Jazz," Valerie has caught on and stopped her from saying anything further.
"Danny and White have always said that I need someone to tell me when to shut up," Jazz says.
"Well, now you have me," Valerie said.
Jazz was about to make a comeback when something flashed on one of her screens. It was something zooming past one of the cameras really fast. It then happened on a second camera. They were both in the same area of town.
"I got a live one," Jazz announced, typing on her keyboard. "Or a dead one. You know what I mean."
"Mystic or ghost," Valerie asked, zooming around on her hoverboard.
"Can't tell," Jazz admitted. "It's moving too fast. All I see is a flash of black on the screen for less than a second."
"If it's one of the furies, I swear to the gods," Valerie sneered.
"The dog-faced women from hell," Mal raised an eyebrow. "They're real too?"
"You seriously thought they wouldn't be with a siren on our team," Roy asked.
"As if I'd ever be able to remember every single monster from Greek mythology," Mal said.
"I'm telling Danny you called White a monster," you could practically hear Roy's smirk.
"You do that and I'm telling White you ate that last piece of the cheesecake White made and was saving for Danny," Mal had on his own smirk.
"You people are weird," Valerie stated. "I like it."
"Where was the camera, Jazz," Dick asked.
"Whatever that was passed by two cameras," the redhead says. "Both of them are in the area around the mall. That's where Red Arrow's team is."
"This landfill of a town has a mall," Karen raised an eyebrow.
"Don't even ask," Valerie says. "I'm on my way."
Jazz was typing, trying to get a better angle on whatever was near the mall. She had another screen going, trying to slow down the footage she already had into a viewable image. But then she saw something on another screen. This one showing something in the area for Nightwing's team.
"Oh great," she groaned. "Nightwing, your team also has incoming. Probably the only ghosts in the Ghost Zone that is not a threat at all. He's just annoying."
"Huh," most of his team 'duh'ed.
Around their team, boxes started floating up. Not even big and heavy metal or wooden boxes. They were cardboard boxes.
"Uh… isn't one of the ghosts that Danny always complains about called the Box Ghost," Cyborg asked.
"This is probably going to be as annoying as they said it would," Mal stated.
The Box Ghost appears as a short, somewhat round man with blue skin and short black hair. He wears gray overalls, a gray hat, light gray gloves, a light gray undershirt, and dark gray shoes.
"I am the Box Ghost," he tried, and failed, to sound scary. "Supreme Lord of all thing square and rectangular. Fear me and my boxes of DOOOOOOM!"
"This guy is all types of crazy," M'gann said.
"And what was that catchphrase the twins said he always used," Dick wondered.
"So… uh… BEWARE," Box Ghost shouted.
"There it is," Dick said.
"As I said, annoying," Mal repeated himself.
The four heroes were not used to just fighting an enemy they know that will be easy to defeat, but this was a unique situation. Just as the twins had told them, the Box Ghost is nothing more than the cockroach of spirits. The only time he had ever been a threat was when he had gone to the ancient Greek ghost area of the Ghost Zone and stole Pandora's Box right from Pandora's temple. She was not happy when that happened.
On the other side of town, the six other heroes were wondering around the dark mall and looking for whatever was coming this way.
"Hey, Jazz," Roy asks. "Got anything off the cameras?"
"Nothing," she responded. "But that does seem to make it clearer that whatever this is is a ghost. There aren't that many mystics that can turn invisible. Super fast, yes. Invisibility, not really. That's more for when witches or wizards use potions or enchanted clothing."
"I now want to see Melinda use one of those," Gar got excited.
"Can I adopt this kid as a younger brother," Jazz playfully asked.
"M'gann already beat you to that, Jazz," Robin tells her.
"Darn it," she snapped her fingers, making them laugh.
"The others on their way, Jazz," Jaime asked.
"Not yet," Jazz tells them. "They're doing some pest control. The Box Ghost is always annoying. Be it mystic or ghost, nobody likes him. His wanted poster literally had a three dollar bounty on it and instead of Wanted it says Not Wanted."
"Wow," Karen says. "That ghost must sure be annoying."
"You have no idea," Jazz slammed her head onto the keyboard in annoyance.
An explosion soon erupted on one end of the mall. Every hero turned to face the direction of where it happened. Blue Beetle and Bumblebee both flew into the air. Red Arrow notched an arrow and Robin took out his bo staff. Impulse got ready to run and Beast Boy turned into a tiger.
"Well, well, well," a deep male voice said. "What type of snack has come to satisfy my belly today?"
"That is just nasty," Karen cringed.
Out of the shadows came a very creepy-looking guy that was most definitely a ghost. Or a vampire that looked like a ghost.
"Oh no," Jazz saw him on the cameras. "Aragon."
As a humanoid ghost, Aragon has light blue skin, red eyes, long gray hair, and fangs. He wears a green crown with spikes, a green-and-gold ring on his left hand, and his Amulet of Aragon. His outfit consists of a long-sleeved purple shirt, a gray belt with a dagger encased in a black sheath on his hip, gray pants, and black boots. He also wears a cape, which is black on the outside and purple on the inside, that is fastened on his right shoulder by a light gray skull.
"Who are you," Roy demanded, aiming his bow at the former prince.
"Who am I? WHO AM I? I am Prince Aragon," the ghost boasted proudly. "Or, at least, I was until that darn Phantom menace showed up and helped my sister overthrow me. Filthy traitorous wench."
"Guys, be careful with him," Jazz warned.
"If Phantom helped overthrow you, then you were probably a terrible prince," Jaime taunted the ghost.
"You're allied with those two wannabe rulers," Aragon was not happy, a forked tongue showing when he hissed at them.
"Okay, that is gross," Impulse stated.
"I those two are very fond of you kids," Aragon growled at them. "Because you will not be breathing for much longer."
"You and what army," Impulse taunted.
"Oh, you really should not have said that," Jazz hit her head on the keyboard again.
Aragon hissed at them, his forked tongue showing. His eyes turned snake-like with lizard slits as his pupils as he began to grow. The team could only stare as a dragon soon formed before their eyes.
As a dragon, Aragon's body is black with a purple belly, wings, and flaming spine. He has red eyes, fangs, and a green forked tongue. He has green horns, claws, and spikes on the tips of his wings and tail, and wears his amulet around his neck.
"Oh my god," Karen swore.
"I tried to warn you," Jazz said.
"Okay, this one's on me," Impulse admitted.
