Danny was in his room in his ghost form. He was sitting on the floor with a number of objects scattered around for him to practice his ghostly telekinesis. It was Thursday and Danielle was in her normal extra school lesson and Garfield had offered to take Cujo for a walk, using the specialised thread Danny brought from home as a lead. Cujo was still nervous of the others but as Garfield could now change into a number of animals including a dog and had shown he was friends with Danny, Cujo trusted the boy. Wolf and Cujo were still uneasy with each other but it was understandable. Wolf was an alpha and was very protective of his new pack, the team. He accepted Danny but Cujo, unable to hear the wolf's warnings, hadn't been accepted yet.
Danny's hearing had been growing steadily clearer but he wasn't sure if it was him getting used to being deaf and learning to read lips, or if his hearing was healing. His right ear was still deaf but his left could pick up noises at normal levels now. Not actual words, but he could tell that someone was talking now without them shouting. He didn't always get what people said from lip reading and he could only do it when the other person talked slowly.
Danny sighed his frustration away and lifted a hand up and pointed it at the spare thermos he put in front of himself. His green energy spread out from his hand and encased the device. Slowly and with complete concentration, he lifted the thermos into the air. He then tried to hold it there for as long as possible but after ten minutes his concentration wavered, the energy flickered and the thermos dropped a few inches. Knowing he was going to drop it soon anyway, Danny lowered the device to the ground and growled in annoyance. He noticed his tension and took a calming breath to relax himself.
He glanced at the letters from his loved ones that he'd gotten yesterday. They'd all expressed their sympathy for his hearing disability but also informed him that ghost attacks had reduced significantly. They couldn't explain it but Danny sensed it was because Skulker had done as he requested. The hunter had passed on his threat to the other ghosts and they listened. They daren't attack Amity Park in case Danny Phantom sought them out and punished them. It wouldn't be long before the ghosts took their chance though, but at least it gave his family and friends some respite. The ghost attacks had gotten so bad that, without Danny to take the brunt of the ghost fighting, Tucker and Sam were in danger of flunking school.
Danny sighed and turned to a sack of sugar he pilfered from the kitchen. It was about the same weight as the thermos. Danny lifted his arm and sent his energy out to the sack of sugar and slowly lifted it. Deciding to be a little daring, he raised his other arm and levitated the thermos at the same time. He struggled to split his focus evenly and he was finding it a lot harder than duplicating. Duplicates just needed a little energy and a mental connection to him to stay functioning. Levitating required his complete and undivided attention to send his energy through the air and encase the object. It was a lot easier in the Ghost Zone as his energy was encouraged and supported by the atmosphere there. But in the Real World, it wasn't. The air fought against it.
Suddenly the door opened and Black Canary poked her head in. As he was facing the door, his focus was completely broken as he saw her and both the sugar and thermos dropped the few feet to the ground. The thermos was fine. It was built to last. But the sugar burst open and sprayed sugar everywhere.
"Darn it!" Danny growled. Black Canary bit her lip, realising that her intrusion had caused the accident. She knelt beside him and tapped his shoulder, ignoring the tingly cold that always emitted from his ghost half. He looked to her.
"Sorry Danny. I did knock, but I guess that didn't really help," Black Canary apologised. Danny followed her lips and nodded.
"Nah, it's fine Black Canary. I was being a little daring. I can't hold the thermos for more than ten minutes by itself. Trying two things at the same time was asking for trouble. What's up?" Danny replied.
"I'm sure that we could help if you'd let us," Black Canary offered. Danny followed her lips again before smiling.
"I prefer to figure things out myself if I can. I'm sure I'll get this sooner or later. It took me months to duplicate, but I can now. I mightn't be as good as other ghosts I know, but I can do it," Danny retorted. Black Canary smiled to him and nodded.
"Do you want help cleaning up?" Black Canary asked. Danny turned to the mess before sighing.
"I've got a broom in here. I was kind of expecting this, hoped it wouldn't happen, but I was prepared. Thanks for the offer though Black Canary. But you haven't answered my question, why did you come in here?" Danny answered as he floated in the air and unfolded his legs. He walked over to the broom in the corner and turned to Black Canary waiting for her to answer.
"I came to take you to a meeting. Some of the other Justice League members want to meet you. But it can wait until after you're done here," Black Canary informed him. Danny nodded before frowning in confusion.
"Meet me? Am I in trouble or something?" he asked. Black Canary smiled and shook her head.
"No Danny. You're not. They just want to meet you. By the way, are you comfortable with them knowing your secret? Batman and I haven't told anyone about your half-ghost status and we won't if you don't want us to," Black Canary inquired. Danny frowned as he watched her lips before blinking in surprise.
"Oh um… who am I meeting?" Danny retorted. Black Canary watched him sweep up the sugar and pick up the damaged sugar pack. He turned to her.
"Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Batman will be there and myself, Superman, Flash, Icon, Doctor Fate, but I doubt he'll be interested too much in your secret, Aquaman and Red Tornado," Black Canary listed. Danny nodded before grabbing a plastic bag he'd brought to contain the remaining sugar and split sugar pack.
"Okay, I'd like to meet them first if that's alright. I don't have a problem with Icon knowing, I thought he already knew since he was protecting my family," Danny replied. He looked up to her, waiting to be enlightened on why he didn't know.
"Batman only informed them that your loved ones were in danger due to a connection to someone in protection. They knew you were rescued and in protection but they didn't know the specifics of why," Black Canary explained. Danny nodded and turned to grab a dustpan and swept the loose sugar into it before dumping it into a bin in his room.
Hmm… a meeting with a number of Justice League members…
Any ideas what this little meeting might be?
Until the next chapter.
