Bruised

Chapter Eight

Thirteen

A tale of a story for a book by an author for the masses.

Phantom was flying though Amity trying to get away from his sister. Jazz was being deeply annoying about her full ride to Sanford.

How they were interested in her thesis and wanted her to go there.

It was getting annoying since he knew he'd never be able to compare.

He wasn't in a good standing with his attendance the way it was even though his grades were good.

He shot over the school and glared at it before being tackled to the ground by a black blob.

Phantom pulled himself out of the crater and glared at the Shadow.

"Where's Johnny?" Phantom asked the silent shadow. It just grinned before diving at him again.

Phantom tried to dodge only to get clipped.

Phantom took off hoping to see if Johnny wouldn't pop out when his shadow got further away.

It wasn't until Phantom was nearly at the mall did they hear a boom.

Shadow vanished. Phantom blinked before searching.

The explosion was near the school.

Phantom realized Johnny hadn't left the area and took off for the school. He got there just in time to see Johnny pulling some kids from the rubble. His shadow floating around guarding him. Shadow stared at Phantom for a moment before white light blinded everyone.

"Freeze, ghost!" Agent K yelled as he fired at Johnny who had a child still.

Johnny took the shot, but K had fired multiple times. The building shook once before the wall collapsed.

Phantom darted forward to stop the wall from crushing Johnny and the kids near him. Phantom grunted as he felt heat on his back.

Shadow started fighting the agents. They quickly realized they were out matched when the kids started throwing rocks at them as well.

By the time Phantom let the wall fall, Johnny was gone and the kids were staring at him with horror in their eyes.

"They took him. He tried to save us…" one trailed off with tears in his eyes.

Phantom growled as he noted that Johnny's bike was near.

He hoped on it and took off for Fentonworks.

He hoped Kitty was still in the Ghost Zone. He'd need her help.

No one was gonna hurt the ghosts on his watch.

Phantom drove straight though the portal and revved it up heading towards Johnny's and Kitty's lair. He stopped at the door and Kitty came out looking ready to scream again when she noticed Phantom on the bike.

"Get on, I need your help to get Johnny back," Phantom said staring at her. Kitty didn't question it and hopped on behind him as he took off. Kitty held tightly.

"What happened?" She asked over the wind as Phantom drove straight through the portal again startling Jack who was just watched as Phantom glared at him before taking off again through the ceiling with the bike.

"GIW took him while he was helping some kids out of a bomb blast that was probably meant for me," Phantom informed as he accelerated on the road towards the GIW headquarters.

"Why help him?" Kitty asked feeling Phantom shifted the bike again.

"Cause he doesn't deserve whatever it is that they're going to do to him," Phantom said. Kitty growled and felt her anger borrow into her powers.

After all, the GIW were no longer under Phantom's protection. They were free game.

She knew what she was going to do to whoever hurt her boyfriend.

Phantom turned the bike in front of the GIW base before hopping off it.

The agency didn't think this would happen and they never put up a ghost shield.

Phantom wailed.

Kitty ran down the corridor before she seen Johnny…or at least what was left.

His core was visible as he was in the first signs of fading.

Kitty growled as she put her hand to her mouth and blew a kiss at the scientist that was staring at her.

He vanished.

She walked up to Johnny and gently helped him out.

The moment she touched him, she knew.

Shadow was already gone.

And there was no guarantee that Johnny would make it.

More explosions were happening throughout the complex. She hobbled though the rubble before getting Johnny on his bike. She held him up as she started it. Revving it to let Phantom know she was safe and took off for the portal.

Phantom collapsed half the building before glaring at the remaining down agents.

"Don't you ever come near them again," Phantom hissed as he aimed an ecto-blast at the computer. He glared as he moved slightly to avoid another shoot that was aimed at his head. He growled lowly.

He fired at the computer and froze the agent firing at him to the ground incasing nearly his entire body.

"Let this be a warning," Phantom growled before vanishing entirely.

He booked it back home and hoped that Kitty managed to get back into the Ghost Zone with Johnny.

Phantom flew through the portal surprised it was still open. He followed his pervious path toward Kitty and Johnny's lair. He stopped before knocking.

He took in a breath as the fear and anger slowly leeched put of him.

"Why are you here, Phantom?" Youngblood asked as he floated toward the half ghost. Phantom stared at him for a moment.

"Johnny was taken by the GIW. I got him out, but…" Phantom trailed off as the door opened. Kitty had tears in her eyes before engulfing Phantom in a hug.

"Thank you so much," she whispered in his ears. Phantom hugged her back.

"Of course. Johnny is trouble and I totally think you can do better, but I can't let him be double killed," Phantom said as he rubbed her back.

"How is he?" Youngblood asked looking inside the lair.

Kitty shook her head.

"I took him to the hospital."

"The Ghost Zone has a hospital?!" Phantom exclaimed suddenly pulling away. Kitty laughed before nodding.

"Of course, we do, silly. They're not sure he's gonna make it. His core is pretty damaged. His shadow is gone. That was a part of him, so he is out of balance," Kitty explained wiping her eyes some more. Phantom gently took her hand.

"I promise, I'll do something to stop them. I don't know what yet, but I'll figure it out," Phantom said making Kitty nod before she wrapped him in a hug.

"Thank you for saving him."

Phantom felt his core beam and hum. He blinked.

"Of course. I am the hero."

Present

Robin looked down at the computer. Phantom was trying to balance two worlds.

"The Guys in White launched a huge anti-Phantom campaign afterwards. We even heard some of it and we avoided coming here. The only reason some did was to ensure Phantom's safety," Technus explained. The Ghost floated over to the portal. "Sure, we like to fight the child a lot, but in the years that's he's been saving this ungrateful town, he never once tried to end us. He always returned us home."

"Are there any other half ghosts?" Robin asked staring at the computer. Technus paused for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, the other is the mayor of this town and has tortured Phantom many times," Technus said not holding anything back.

Robin broke the keyboard that was on his lap. Technus waited for a moment before fixing it.

"Must be careful of Plasmius, he's had his powers far longer than the Ghostboy." Robin nodded before sending out that warning to Batman.

And the hits just kept coming.

I"M SORRY

Words of encouragement may help me get another update in tomorrow!

Have a good weekend!