Aqualad pushed down the guard he'd knocked unconscious and scanned the room breathlessly. He spotted Danny and Danielle by the experimentation table. Miss Martian had informed them that Danny had broken the connection to the mind link. She had sounded a little shaky when it happened. Superboy had attacked the scientist and was now being bombarded by guards. The scientist had escaped. Rocket was trying to help Superboy but the guards had caught on to their tactic and shot at her almost as much as they fired at the others. Although despite the guards' efforts, Rocket had managed to keep Danny safe while he freed Danielle.

Aqualad looked to the door and gulped. The guard count had doubled since the last time he looked.

"Robin, can you do anything? We're going to be overwhelmed," Aqualad requested and ducked under an attack fired in his direction.

"I'm trying Kaldur. But they're responding to a priority alarm. The others are trying to get inside but the guards outside are holding them off for now. I'd help but we're trapped in here too. But once you guys get out of there, you'll have no opposition until you get outside," Robin informed the leader.

"Any luck reconnecting Danny?" Aqualad inquired.

"No. He's completely blocked off. I could reach him if I forced him to drop his mental barriers but that would break the rest of the mind link and I don't know how that would affect Danny," Miss Martian answered.

Aqualad frowned as he understood. He made his way over to Danny. He should have never agreed to let Danny come with them. Danielle and Danny were holding their own using their ghost rays but they were pinned down. Aqualad reached them eventually.

"Danny! We need to get out of here. You need to use one of those tricks you mentioned," Aqualad shouted over the fighting. Danielle glanced at the Atlantean.

"I can only think of one. Right Danny?" Danielle remarked. Danny paused in his attacks and glanced at Danielle. She was right. Ice was way too dangerous to use. He was terrified and his ice was always extra powerful when he was scared. Duplication would even up the numbers but not nearly enough. Telekinesis would require too much concentration. The only option was his ghostly wail.

Danny took a steadying breath as he tried to push down the memories connected to that power. He nodded.

"Colorado," he muttered. Danielle nodded in agreement. She turned to Aqualad.

"Cover your ears and keep behind Danny. Be ready to run. I'll grab Danny," Danielle ordered. Aqualad blinked in surprise. But he didn't argue. Instead he relayed the message to Rocket and Superboy over the mind link. Danny widened his stance and braced himself. His most powerful attack. The one that had earned him hours of torture just as a punishment. He took a deep breath and held it. He hesitated. He shook his head and pushed down his fear even further and pushed onwards. He took a second deep breath and let it out.

Aqualad, Superboy and Rocket were shocked by the scream. It sounded terrible but its power was aweing. The guards were blown back and many were knocked unconscious. The equipment was damaged, some beyond repair. As the shout petered off, Danny slumped forwards, Danielle caught him. Using her own ghostly strength she held him up and began to run out of the lab. It took a second for Aqualad, Superboy and Rocket to gather themselves enough to follow.

They raced out of the base. Danielle didn't stop for anything. Danny, while weakened, remained in his ghost form. But he might as well have passed out for all the aid he could give. They burst out of the base. Robin, Miss Martian and Artemis joined them as the ghost shield fell.

"You can thank me later," Robin remarked with a cocky smirk. The two groups fled and fought off their attackers. Miss Martian called her Bioship and they boarded within seconds. With everyone plus Danielle on board, they flew away.

"Can we ever pull off a rescue mission without being chased away?" Wally commented, hoping to lighten the mood.

Danny sat tiredly in his seat, remaining in ghost form and trying to keep his thoughts on anything but the memories that were trying to remind him of what he'd been through. Of what Danielle had nearly been put through. His hands were shaking despite being clenched into tight, painful fists. His knees felt like jelly and he was struggling to keep his ice core under control.

Danielle glanced at her cousin beside her, worry shining in her neon green eyes. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder but he didn't seem to notice. She'd heard the rumours but she hadn't believed them until now. Danny was strong. There was no way the Guys in White, more like idiots in white in her opinion, could catch the infamous Danny Phantom. But the proof was staring her in the face. He hadn't said a word to her other than "Colorado". Even that had seemed to be an effort for him. He'd hesitated in using his ghostly wail. And it wasn't because he knew it weakened him. She could feel the waves of terrified icy air radiating off the halfa.

"Lex Luthor was in the building," Robin whispered to Kaldur. Kaldur turned to the boy wonder.

"Why?" the Atlantean asked. Robin shrugged.

"I don't know. But he was talking to a bunch of scientists before the alarms were tripped. I lost sight of him during the chaos," Robin answered. Lex Luthor was a tough subject for Conner since they had a complicated history. But they couldn't ignore that Luthor was part of the Light. And if the Light was interested in the Guys in White, that could only be a bad thing.

Oooh! Lex Luthor and the Light have made an appearance! What will that mean for our heroes!?

But they saved Danielle… although will Danny be okay?

Will Batman find out? How will he react?

Let me know what theories you might have. I love hearing them.

Until the next chapter.