Bruised

Chapter Nineteen

Amity Park's Heroes

Heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary.

~Gerard Way

Danny knew going back to Amity would be hard, but Bruce promised that he would only be a Zeta away from now on.

The address of the zeta tube burned in his pocket.

It was in the ally right next to his house. Danny smiled knowing he was only a call away from help now.

He wasn't alone anymore.

He had a communicator now that was directly tied to the WatchTower and he was able to keep it hidden in his ghost form.

Batman was helping him with modifying his suit to hold important weapons and supplies without also showing up on his human side.

Batman even showed him his belt and the hidden candy he kept in it for the children he'd meet on the streets.

By far, Batman was right now his favorite superhero. It was the little things he had done to help.

Although Danny was very much annoyed with Superman. The man could've gotten him killed. Batman did stick up a little for the alien, and Danny decided that harmless little annoyance for the rest of his life would have to work.

Batman had ripped Superman a new one and Phantom had been calling him Clark every time he was on the WatchTower.

It pissed the alien off to the point where he started hiding in Metropolis to avoid both the Ghost and Bat.

Maybe that'll teach him.

He looked over to his dad who was asleep on the plane. Ember invisibility between them. She had stolen his phone and was watching something and he had been asleep too for a bit.

But thoughts were swirling in his head.

Sam and Tucker were both wanting to get their hands on Superman for blowing Danny's secret to his parents.

Even if Danny did get the guts to tell his dad after all.

His mother was a whole other story. His dad wanted him to tell her, but even Danny could tell that his dad was unsure of the reaction it'd get.

Then there was Vlad who hadn't said or done anything since.

It sent Danny into a whole new crisis. There was no way the older man didn't know he was the King at least.

He'd retaliate in some way, and Danny was afraid he'd try to do the whole challenge thing.

Which could ruin his plans to keep the peace if he's got the fruitloop plotting.

He felt an elbow in his side and he looked over to Ember show him something on the screen.

It was a board cast from Amity Park how Master's Blasters managed to clear ghosts from the city and stop them.

Danny rolled his eyes. The truth was that he did that with the truce.

Ghosts took truces very seriously.

Vlad should be wary of trying anything with that knowledge. Ghosts were likely to turn on him if he wasn't careful, and Danny wasn't planning on bailing the man out either. He could handle the consequences of his own actions.

But then did he even know about the Christmas Truce?

Danny grinned. He'd have to be informed of such matters so he could properly know how deep of shit he's about to step in.

After all, he's a half ghost and therefore falls under the authority of the Ghost King.

Vlad didn't know what was coming to him, and Danny may have actually felt good about getting one up on the billionaire.

Vlad paced his study after hearing how some big shot reporters from Metropolis were heading here.

Lois Lane.

The one reporter Vlad had actively tried to avoid due to her connections to the Big Man.

He really had tried to stay off the Justice Leagues radar.

But of course, Daniel had jumped right in feet first without looking at the consequences of what those actions would do. The consequences of him putting himself in the limelight of heroes who would do anything if they believed themselves to be right.

Vlad looked and knew that the brat was heading home.

Maddie was also on her way here and would arrive in roughly an hour. Vlad grinned and planned to inform her of her son's death.

How sad.

He just grinned and knew that would at the very least get him some time, and if everything worked out well, it'd be just the wedge between her and Jack. Maybe he wouldn't even have to kill the man to get what he's always wanted.

Breaking Jack's heart sounded so much better.

Maddie walked into her darkened house with the feeling of being watched.

She did not like this. Something was wrong, and she knew that someone was in her house.

She grabbed her ecto-gun that was at her waist.

It didn't feel like a ghost.

A knock on the door startled her. She jumped and aimed at the door. She took in breath and closed her eyes to calm herself.

Told herself it was nothing.

She opened the door to see Sam and Tucker standing there with crossed arms and angry looks.

She blinked.

"Mrs. Fenton, we have a bone to pick with you," Sam growled out as she shoved her way into the house. Tucker followed.

Maddie dropped her head for a moment before turning to the two teenagers who seemed upset with her.

"Danny's not here. He's coming back early if you didn't know," Maddie explained making both teens look at each other before turning to her.

"We know that. Danny called us before he boarded the plane," Tucker said as he typed on his PDA. "But, he said you and Jack had tried to separate the GHOST ZONE FROM OUR WORLD!"

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Sam yelled throwing her arms up making Maddie blinked before she narrowed her eyes.

"We were trying to find a way to stop ghosts," she defended herself only getting even angrier looks from the teens.

"Why? I thought you were interested in research, not destroying an entire world just because you were bias," Sam growled put before walking up to the mother and pointing a finger her face. "Who gave you the right to play God and damn a whole group due to the acts of few?"

Maddie swallowed as she tried to figure out how to get away from the teens when someone else knocked on the door.

Sam glared at the door as she crossed her arms and Tucker looked back at her for a moment before showing her something on his PDA.

She held in a grin at that information.

Superman wouldn't know what hit him when they were done with him.

Maddie opened the door and Sam lost her smile immediately when Vlad smiled at Maddie before frowning at the two teens.

He seemed to be two steps behind at every turn and it was getting very old very quickly.

"I was unaware you had company," he said making Maddie glare at him.

"They were on their way out," she spat glaring at the two.

She just wanted to be home for a little while and try to get her mind under control. Vlad smirked again as Sam and Tucker walked to the door. Vlad looked at them smugly. Maddie just continued to glare at him.

"What do you want?" She hissed not letting him in.

He looked at her sadly before motioning inside.

"It's about your son. I have some bad news I recently found out," he said trying to show empathy.

It worked.

Maddie let him in.

Sam and Tucker watched from a distance before booking it to the local hotel.

They were gonna need some muscle and Danny was out of reach.

Someone else wasn't.

Their revenge plan would unfortunately not come to pass though.

Clark did not want to be here, but he got stuck when Lois wanted to go to Amity and get the story.

So, she dragged him along much to his disappointment.

He did not want another meeting with the upset King.

Batman had already told him that the kid was terrified of his own parents finding out.

And Superman had told his parents exactly the thing the kid wanted to keep from them until he felt safe enough to tell on his own terms.

Clark knew that he had to apologize. He'd have to.

Phantom was going to be part of the League sooner or later just to help keep the peace between the worlds.

The UN followed and recognized the Ghost Zone as their own entity.

They asked him about an ambassador and Phantom shrugged before saying he'd try to find someone he trusted enough to do it.

Unfortunately, everyone he did was a minor.

So, for now, the JL would run interference until he could figure something out.

Clark sighed as he laid down. Lois had left to get food and look into a lead.

A knock on the door made him get up.

He answered seeing two teenagers. One was Gothic and the other was still staring at his PDA.

"Can I help you?" He asked as the Gothic one slapped the back of the head of the other.

"Yeah, we have a problem and could use some muscle," she said staring at him with narrowed eyes.

"Uh, what kind of muscle?" He asked very confused.

"What Sam's saying is Vlad may be trying something and Danny is still out of reach until his flight lands," the boy said as he shoved the PDA into his pocket.

"What?" Clark asked still very confused. Sam crossed her arms.

"Follow us, and buck up," Sam said as she turned and started heading down the hall.

"We don't know what Vlad's plan it, we could use back up," Tucker said as he motioned for Clark to follow.

He didn't know why, but he followed the two teens knowing he could help.

But he was unsettled with them.

"No," Maddie whispered as her mind went a mile a minute.

Her son couldn't be dead.

Vlad looked down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize how far Phantom had taken it. I thought he wouldn't truly risk your son's life for his own gains," Vlad explained hiding his smirk. "Truly I'm so sorry."

Maddie felt tears run down her face.

Her baby boy.

"How long…how long have you known?" Maddie asked wiping her tears away. She could mourn later.

Right now, she was going to get justice for her son. She'd destroy Phantom if it was the last thing she ever did.

"I found out two days ago, and I wanted to make sure I had the right data before I took it to you," Vlad said sadly. "I know it hurts, but I believe Phantom's planning something. I just don't know what." He slowly worked closely to her and wrapped an arm around her. "But we can stop him together."

Maddie nodded as she tried her best to collect herself.

"Do you know where his body is?" She asked wanting to properly bury her boy.

"I can find out," Vlad smiled as his plan folded nicely here. He just had to ensure that she attacked him and set off the rest of his plan. Soon she'd come running into his arms as Jack would have betrayed her for Phantom.

It truly was such a simple solution and he should have thought of it sooner.

"Uh, what are we doing?" Clark asked he looked across the street. Fentonworks was lit up and he wondered exactly what was going on.

And did Phantom tell these guys about who he was?

"Look, Masters is inside doing…something with Mrs. Fenton," Tucker said looking at him.

"We know who you are, plus the zeta is next door," Sam informed glaring at him. Clark wanted to talk, but she cut him off before he could say anything. "Like I said, we needed muscle backup cause if Plasmius catches us, he'll kill us. Everything just blew up in his face spectacularly." Clark narrowed his eyes.

"We know Danny is Phantom. Yes, he told us, he tells us everything cause he's out friend and we're in this mess together," Tucker explained as he pulled out his PDA. "Can you hear what's going on in there?"

Clark sighed before narrowing his eyes and looking inside. Masters was holding onto Mrs. Fenton while she cried. He blinked.

"She's crying and he's holding her," Clark reported making both teens look at him with worry.

"This can't be good," Sam whispered.

"What did he tell her?" Tucker asked feeling like they had been too late to do damage control.

"We have to warn Danny," Sam said as she pulled out her phone.

Danny's plane would land in about 30 minutes.

It'd only take about fifteen for them to get though airport security and then another fifteen for him to get back home.

Not a whole of time, but hopefully they could figure out what was going on.

"Can you help keep an eye on them?" Sam asked looking at Clark. "I have to go, Tucker is going to stay, but my parents will ground me if I'm not back for dinner tonight... they're having friends over."

"Yeah, let me call Lois real fast," Clark sighed.

These kids were way over their heads, and they knew it.

All he could do was hope he could help.

And maybe tell Phantom not to tell them things.

Although if they knew about Phantom, then chances are they were working as a team.

Chapter count is final as I'm currently writing the end! I'm so happy as this is my most read story! You guys have been great and I love all of you.
I recently posted Grave as well which is a continuation of my Engrave series, but they're in the Injustice universe!
I just really wanted to write Phantom in injustice! And then the idea wouldn't leave me alone.
I'm also going to work on the twins and Criminal. Still unsure which one I'm actually going to do.
Once I have the ending finished, I'll post as a finish chapter for the other ones I'm writing...I have five docs opened on my computer!
I'm also doing Phic Phight this year and I'm excited!

My Phics will only be on AO3 as it's easier for me to deal with.