Bruised

Chapter Four

Information

Information is how we survive.

Nightwing looked over the controls of the jet as Alfred planned out the route to where Batman and Robin were.

Hopefully Danny was there with them and they could rescue the teenager.

Nightwing hoped that they weren't too late. Red Robin comfirmed the location and they took off.

They weren't too far away. But they realized the area as a League of Shadows hideaway.

Batman slowly walked down the corridor as Robin followed closely. Batman had felt the anger from the child over letting the monsters in Danny live but Bruce couldn't allow Danny to suffer for the sins of whatever was controlling him.

They had to find a way out.

The beings within Danny stopped at the close off. Batman looked around trying to figure out a way though when suddenly Danny's hands turned green as his eyes glowed brighter.

A beam of energy was shot though the rocks, and Batman had a moment to realize that would cause the rest of structure to collapse, but before he could say anything, the energy turned blue and ice formed along the walls to provide support.

Batman looked at Danny with confusion. It was a lot of fire power and he worried that whatever was inside him would burn him up.

"How long can he hold you in there?" Batman asked watching closely. The beings seemed to not want to hurt Danny, but he wasn't going to trust them. He needed more information.

"The Savior has far more power than you think. He can hold us for however long is needed," the beings answered as they continued to walk along the path. Robin was glaring at the back of Danny's head waiting for a moment to strike.

"And Danny?" Batman asked. "How will his mind handle this? Everyone else in the Pit came back mad. What's the guarantee that he'll be able to handle this?"

The beings laughed lightly.

"Our Savior is one of us," the beings answered. "His mind will be fine."

"You killed my mother," Robin growled out. The beings stopped and turned to the boy.

"Your mother was a threat to our Savior. For he is still partly human," the beings said as they watched the boy carefully. "You are only alive because we believe you will protect those who cannot protect themselves. You have earned a right in the eyes to show your colors the same as your father." Robin blinked unfamiliar with someone he didn't know having trust in him to do the right thing.

Batman looked towards Robin as well, he hid his emotions well, but he could tell that what the beings had said surprised him some.

"The League of Shadowed Assassins have harmed not only this world, but ours as well. And we've been on the sidelines for so long in our inability to help. With us going home, we can protect the springs the way we were meant to," the beings explained as they charged up another blast when they came back up to the end. Green was fired from their hands and the cave vibrated before the energy turned blue and ice formed to stabilize it all.

"This won't really end here," Robin said as he looked up at Danny's face. The beings stared at him for a moment. "Others will try to take up the mantle when they find out that my grandfather had fallen."

"No, but we have faith in our Savior," they said.

"Why do you call him the Savior?" Batman asked knowing that this may help him figure out the kid a little more. It'd been bothering him, but the beings seemed to not have a problem answering any of their questions so far.

"He saved the entirety of the Ghost Realm and the Human World when Pariah Dark was released once more," the beings answered. "He risked everything he was to save everyone. Both humans and ghosts alike." Batman and Robin looked at each other for a moment before realizing that maybe what was happening in Amity Park wasn't a bunch of crazy crackpots claiming ghosts.

"The Ghost Realm?"

"Today it is referred to as the Ghost Zone. Our young savior here is from both worlds. Every power we use, are powers that he has already developed and mastered," the beings said as the green energy lit up in their hands. "He is still young, but one day, he will bring peace to our worlds and bring them together in a way that has never happened before."

The green burst from his hands and an opening to the outside world was opened. The energy once more turned blue to stabilize it as they walked out. The Bat plane was waiting for them as Nightwing and Red Robin ran up to them.

"Is everyone…" Nightwing started but stopped when he seen the white-haired teenager who looked a lot like Danny.

"Uh, who is this?" Red asked noting the bright green eyes. Similar to the ones that haunt his nightmares from the time Jason tried to kill him.

"This is Danny," Batman said as he looked at them. "He's possessed by ghosts from the Pit. I don't understand everything, but that's what we got so far."

"We must go to Amity Park," the beings said making Nightwing blanch a little at the echo of voices coming from one person. "There is where the Savior said we can use a portal to go home."

"Savior?" Nightwing asked making Batman shake his head.

"We'll explain on the way."

"So whatever was in the Pit that made people crazy is currently possessing Danny who apparently saved an entire Realm and the world?" Nightwing asked. "And these beings basically ended the League of Assassins?"

"Pretty much," Batman said as they hovered over Fentonworks. The house was dark, as was the sign. It'd been that way since they had left to work with the Guys in White. No one had heard from them since. Batman landed the plane.

They followed the beings into Fentonworks and down to the lab where the Ghost Portal was locked up tightly.

"I don't think the Fentons set that up to allow ghosts access," Nightwing informed as the beings turned to him.

"The Portal is a Death Space," they said as a green lit hand waved towards it. The doors opened. "We won't be long, but stay here. Our savior will need you when we send him back though."

"Young One, for helping us, we wish to give you gifts for your continued jounery," the lady said as she wrapped a cloak around Phantom. Phantom looked up at her as the colors inverted, the outside was white as the inside turned black. "You shall always be the one to inspire hope to the hopeless."

"To protect you in a fight, we give you armor to protect you in battle," a few said as armor appeared on Phantom's form. Phantom looked over it in wonder as the colors matched that of his hazmat suit underneath.

"And information regarding the Pits and the League of Shadowed Assassins. The Protector of Gotham shall aid you in ensuring that the Ghost Zone will never again be used against those in the Human Realm."

"Thank you," Phantom said as he smiled at them.

"No, thank you, young prince," she said making Phantom stare at her before white took over his vision.

Batman watched as the beings walked into the portal. It didn't take long for Danny to walk out. He stumbled and fell, but Nightwing and Red Robin caught him before he fell to the ground.

"Next time I decide to try to save ghosts trapped in a weird glowing pit, remind me to not," Danny mumbled before passing out. Nightwing shook his head with a smile. They carried Danny out of the lab and laid him down on the couch. Batman watched, and when he turned back to the portal, the doors were closed and the lab was once again dark.

Nightwing carried Danny to the couch in the living room and gently set him down. The teen groaned slightly before opening his eyes.

"Hey, kiddo," Nightwing whispered watching as Danny squited to try to make out who was in front of him. "You with us?"

"Little bit," Danny grumbled as he tried to shake his head slightly. Bits and pieces were slowly coming together in his head as he looked up at the hero. Information he didn't have before poking around from the ghosts that had been in his head. "Dick?" Nightwing straightened up in shock. He'd never been close to Danny as Nightwing, and he was way too out of it now for him to reconigize him.

"Hey, you hit your head…" Nightwing trailed when green eyes met his. Nightwing blinked back slightly knowing that glowing green eyes from someone who had been in the Pit wasn't good.

"No, I had beings in my head info dumping stuff," Danny responded as he slowly sat up. Nightwing watched him carefully wondering what he meant by info dumping. "Damnit, my head hurts."

"Information about what exactly?" Nightwing asked crossing his arms. Danny looked at him with a smile. Nightwing noticed that his eyes were once more blue.

"A lot of things, haven't quite put everything together, but I know who you are. Who the League of Assassins are, and a bunch of other stuff. My heads still a little cloudly, but I'm pretty sure that they gave me that information for a reason."

"So the beings that were inside of you gave you the identity of us?" he asked wondering how they came upon the knowledge.

"Yeah, apparently when Ra's was using the Pits to extend his life, they would pull the information from him. It's really weird, and I'm way too confused right now to think about," Danny said as he watched his guardian take off his mask. "But at least now I know why Batman was in the Manor."

"And what exactly do you plan to do with this information," Dick asked a little harsher than Danny thought was necessary. Danny smiled at him.

"Considering we just went on an adventure where I somehow ended up possessed, you really think I'm going to tell anyone?" Danny asked a little hurt. He covered it up, but he was very use to hiding things. This would just add to the list. He just wished that they would trust him.

"Yeah, but its not everyday you learn who's behind the cowl," Dick said.

"It's not everyday you come across a teenager with unimaginable powers and the ability to hold mass amounts of powerful beings inside their body without worry," Danny countered him making Dick look him over. "Afterall, ghosts are real, and I'm half of one. Oh, and my existence breaks the law. Which in lays another problem."

Dick just stared a little in horror at Danny who was now looking at him though his fingers as he rubbed his face.

"You look like you seen a ghost," Danny grinned. He needed humor to survive, and puns were easy. Dick blinked before shaking his head. As serious as it was that Danny now knew who they were, they also knew what Danny was.

Well, sorta. They still weren't entirely sure if what he was saying was completely correct.

Batman looked over the lab as he stuck one of his USB drives into a nearby computer. His symbol popped up, but was immediately blocked by something else in the systems.

A stylized D spun around before a voice came though.

"I was told to protect these computers until the young whipper snapper was back in action."

"Who are you?" Batman asked looking around waiting for an attack.

"Is he okay?"

"Is who okay?" Batman was starting to get frustated with this conversation and situation. He hated not knowing things, and this kept getting more and more complicated.

"The ghost child. As much as we loved to torment him, we still care for him. Even if he does stop our plans for world domination."

"Are you talking about Danny?" Batman asked as he studied the symbol on the screen now that he's placed it.

"Are you dense? Of course I'm talking about Danny Phantom. The kid's a mence, but he's always been loyal brat."

"Phantom?" Batman asked. There was a long sigh, and Batman could tell that whoever was talking to him was getting annoyed.

"Yes, the ghost child. Hero of Amity Park? Honestly, from my research about you, I'd assume you were smarter than that." Batman felt his eye twitch.

"Danny is fine if a little out of it," Batman answered as the symbol stopped spinning.

"Good, tell him we are waiting for him when's he ready." The screen went dark and Batman was really getting annoyed at not knowing what was going on.

He needed to talk to Danny before this got any worse.

Batman watched as Danny rubbed his face. Dick had his mask off and had just told him that the beings that were inside Danny gave him their identities.

And that Danny confirmed he was in fact a meta.

Which was a problem cause Bruce was not a fan of metas being in Gotham as they tended to rely on their powers a lot.

Maybe he could train Danny well enough that he wouldn't have to use his.

"Danny, what do you know of Phantom?" Batman asked as the teen tensed up.

"Where'd you hear that?" Danny asked guarded. Batman narrowed his eyes as he tried to put some of the pieces together. He had a pretty good idea that Phantom probably refered to Danny, but he wanted comfirmation first.

And to see if Danny would lie.

"I was trying to get information from the Fenton's computer system when I was stopped by a voice saying that they were protecting the computer until Phantom arrives," Batman informed as the teen seemed to look around him towards the lab.

"Oh," Danny whispered before standing up and walking to the kitchen. He was going to go down to the lab, but he really didn't want to be there right now. "Phantom is the hero of Amity Park. He hasn't been seen in a while since the GIW and Mayor Masters sent some team of ghost hunters into the works. Rumor is that they are hunting Phantom and he's laying low."

None of that was a lie, and Batman was impressed. He was also extremely worried that this kid was being hunted. Especially if what he suspected was true.

Bad news...I tested positive

Good news...I now have time to write since I'm stuck in my room