Chapter 10: Social Commentary
"A 'Ghost Zone'?"
"Basically. It's like the flipside to our world – the human world. They live there."
"Another earth?"
"No. It's not like our side at all. It's chaotic. Has its own laws… and rules. Everything's sort of… fluid. Things change, move around a lot. It's easy to get lost. Dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."
"You've been there?"
"…Once or twice. Not a great place for humans."
"So there are ways to pass between them?"
"Not really. There are… natural portals, but there's no way of telling where the next one will open. Or when. So you can't really use them for travel."
"But that's not the only way."
"… Yeah. There are others, but they're either really complicated or dangerous or – well, there are a couple of ghosts who can open one, but getting them to work with you…"
"Is that how you started working with 'Phantom'?"
"I… Sort of. It's complicated."
"Then explain."
"I… I can't. At least, not yet."
So it had been for the past few nights.
If there was one thing Robin had learned early on it was that every answer usually came with a new question. On this case it was more like every answer came with three.
He looked up briefly, gaze wandering over the smooth stone walls. He was back at the mountain. Lying upside-down over a couch in the rec' room to be precise. Batman's orders – apparently he needed to take a day off. The fact that the Dark Knight was concerned about his social life would usually raise a few warning flags, but in this case the Boy Wonder was more than happy to ignore them. He flicked his fingers, staring at the screen on his wrist as he sorted through the information. It was definitely one of the stranger investigations he had taken on. He wasn't expecting to not be surprised by it anytime soon.
The timestamp on one of the older files caught his attention. Two days. It had been two days since their first encounter with 'Damien' at unit 4. Two days since the tracker went almost permanently offline. Two days since they had exacted a promise that the teen would be there for questioning. Not that their new lead was getting them very far on the main case. 'Phantom' – and by extension 'Damien' himself – remained largely a mystery. But the meetings were proving profitable in other ways. While talk of a certain ghost was off the table for the time being, ghosts in general were not. And after the unmitigated disaster that had been the 'Spectra' incident Robin was grateful for any information that wasn't third-hand.
Though in some cases ignorance might have been bliss. The idea that the Amity 'ghosts' were genuinely the spirits of the deceased wasn't exactly one he was comfortable with. In their line of work it was easier for the dead to be dead. For it to be over, the end. That there could be something more… it raised several personal, philosophical questions that Robin honestly wasn't prepared to deal with just yet. 'Okay, moving on.' Apparently there were categories of spirit. Not all ghosts had originally been alive and humans – or mortals of any description – only came back from beyond in rare circumstances. Something about emotion and obsession, though 'Damien' refused to go into detail. Undeath wasn't absolute. Which was probably a good thing. With an estimated 6.8 billion on Earth alone the afterlife would get very crowded if everyone passed over.
As for the rest of the myths... it quickly became apparent that, while correct on the 'undead' factor, the other details left a lot to be desired. Lucky charms, salt, silver and iron, fire, burial rites... a ghost would be amused at best. Automatically 'lost', 'vengeful' or purely 'evil'? Also a no. Short-tempered at times, and perhaps prone to overreaction, but there was a spectrum; spirits could be anything from benevolent to malevolent, from selfish to altruistic. Naturally the 'ghost hunters' claimed otherwise; but then again, a shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach hardly ever brought out the best in anyone. And having met 'Phantom' – however briefly – Robin was inclined to take 'Damien's' side. Even if the spirit was rumoured to have had his own moments of… questionable behaviour, the idea of a 'good' ghost was comforting. Given how powerful their species was, it was reassuring to know that there were at least a few who wouldn't attack on sight.
'Strength, flight, energy blasts, density shifting...' the Boy Wonder was grateful that ghosts chose to stay on their own side. A land of the dead – definitely not on his vacation list. The presence of other dimensional planes wasn't a new concept, but it did explain how the spirits had managed to exist for so long without major contact. And given that the portals allowing passage between the two worlds were liable to randomly strand a prospective traveller along the space-time continuum it was easy to see why most ghosts avoided the temptation to holiday in the land of the living. Amity Park was apparently an exception – a supposedly stable gateway used to give free access to both sides. Robin would be lying to say that he wasn't relieved. Close encounters of the dead kind might be less than turbing, but at least the natural rifts couldn't support the kind of trans-dimensional turf wars that had reportedly plagued the town.
He tapped the screen, opening another file. Putting facts to the fiction was good but information on their major target might as well have been six feet under. Stories of 'Phantom' numbered into the hundreds, and while the details were interesting they didn't reveal much of use in tracking the ghost down. 'Damien' was their best chance on all fronts. Unfortunately, the live teen was almost more difficult to investigate than the dead one. 'Why can't I find this guy?' 'Phantom' had reportedly worked with humans from time to time but there was no solid evidence for a partner. Let alone one who knew ghosts as intimately as their source did.
More typical research methods were also throwing blanks. There'd been no significant matches in the missing persons reports for Amity Park or Illinois State. He'd even taken it as far as nation-wide, but still no result. With so many unknowns and variables it was difficult to find new places to start. Raw observation and speculation could only go so far – he needed details. A real name, a date of birth, even a hometown... somehow the teen had contrived to avoid almost all personal information in the nights of questioning. Not that they'd pressed too hard. Yet. Antagonising their only major lead would be the opposite of helpful – especially when the target could quite literally disappear off the face of the earth. Though he might need to re-check the definition of 'cooperation'. If the ghosts weren't enough of a mystery 'Damien' definitely was.
Needless to say both members of the Gotham duo knew how to profile a target. It was a necessity in their line of work. But there was a difference between analysing a criminal and a civilian. Villains had means, motives – they had endgames. As for 'Damien's' endgame... well, he wasn't sure. Everything contradicted. On one hand there was the unyielding determination they'd seen on the first night. Then the apparent change of heart, the shift to something more earnest, more compliant. The teen was working with them. Just not in the way they expected. Information was doled out slowly, the answers honest and precise… while at the same time telling them as little as possible. The boy seemed to consciously pull himself back – as though he had intended to say more, but reconsidered at the last minute. They were very carefully talking around the topic of 'Phantom', moving along the edges without ever truly breaching it. The kid could dodge questions with the best of them. No denying that he was cautious. Watching, waiting. Something was expected of them, Robin felt certain of that. There was a missing piece, final card that needed to be brought to the table before the truth could come forward. But what? If only he knew-
"Dude!" The exclamation jolted the Boy Wonder out of his thoughts. A flicker of motion caught the corner of his eye. Robin flinched, twisting and swiping to grab the soft, squashy something that came flying at his face. A couch cushion. He pulled it to his chest, narrowing his eyes at the offending individual. Kid Flash glared right back.
"Were you even listening?!" The speedster demanded. He shrugged, hiding his embarrassment with an impish smile. In truth he couldn't remember when Wally started talking. The redhead rolled his eyes, making a gesture of vast exasperation.
"Sheesh Rob', what is with you today? I know that Bats is your mentor and all but you've been doing the brooding thing for hours. Lighten up!"
"Someone's not feeling the aster."
Robin flicked his wrist, launching the pillow at Conner. "Hey!" the detective protested, hearing it connect with a satisfying 'puff', "That's my thing!"
"Well sorry," Artemis strolled in, hair damp from the showers, "but someone had to do your thing seeing as how you weren't." She dropped onto the sofa next to the speedster.
"Um, Robin?" the tentative question came from the kitchen. M'gann's red hair appeared behind the bench for a moment before she ducked back down. "Don't take this the wrong way but you haven't really been… yourself lately. Is everything alright?" The scent of vanilla filled the room as a baking tray clinked on the countertop. Wally almost cricked his neck as his head whipped towards the smell, earning a reproving elbow from the blonde.
He ran a hand down his face, reluctantly switching off the screen. "Sorry guys. I'm working on a case and it's driving me nuts."
"Really? We could not tell." Robin chuckled sheepishly at the Atlantean's wry comment. Had he honestly been that bad?
"Guys?" Another voice joined the conversation as Zatanna entered from the dorms, "I thought I heard voices. Is something going on?"
"The Boy Wonder's finally decided to join us," Artemis smirked, rolling her eyes at the team's youngest member.
She smiled. "Welcome back."
Robin smiled at the sorceress, feeling more than a little guilty. He hadn't been all that... there since the Portland mission. And after what had happened at New Year he probably should put in a bit more effort. Though whether or not they could actually be considered together... He stretched, ignoring the archer's knowing look as he raised his arms over his head, allowing his hands to rest on the floor.
"Okay, okay. I get it. You win. What's up?"
"The roof?" Wally was still a little sour. The assembled heroes groaned. Superboy threw the cushion at him.
"So," Artemis leaned forward curiously, "what's this case you're on anyway? Mind telling us?"
The Boy Wonder frowned, weighing his options. Batman had some fairly explicit rules about bringing the team onto private missions. But in truth, this wasn't really the Dark Knight's case. He had opened the investigation, had done most of the research… he had brought his mentor on board. And, like it or not, the team was half-involved already. Wally, Kaldur and Artemis had all seen 'the Phantom' with their own eyes. Though, given the redhead's chronic scepticism, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to bring up the more 'ghostly' elements of the story.
"We're… having some trouble with an informant."
"So?" Kid Flash seemed amused by the idea, "Throw in a couple of glares and hang him off a roof as usual. Problem solved."
Robin snorted, rolling his eyes. Wally was never going to let him live that down. "He's a civilian KF. Besides..." he trailed off with a frustrated sigh. The case felt impossible at times, even for him.
"A civilian?" M'gann joined her friends in the lounge, bringing a fresh batch of cookies with her. "That's..."
"...Weird," Artemis finished, snagging a sweet as the plate passed by. She held it teasingly out of the speedster's reach. "So, what's going on?"
Robin adjusted his glasses, stalling for time. It was difficult enough to explain the teen for himself, and that was after spending two nights in a locker with the kid. Describing the situation to someone else – even Bats might find it a challenge. The detective mentally catalogued the information, shifting on the chair until he was seated sideways.
"Batman and I are trying to track someone down. We've found a guy who might have a lead – a connection – to the person we're after but…"
"He doesn't want to talk to you?" Zatanna guessed. He shook his head.
"See, that's the thing. I think he wants to but he just won't for some reason. He's already agreed to help."
"I'm not getting it." The Boy Wonder couldn't help but privately share the young clone's sentiment.
"Could be a diversion," offered the archer. "You know, stall you long enough to tip the other guy off?"
"I thought about that, but I don't think so..."
"Oh?" the Martian tilted her head, "Why not?"
"We've been talking to him for days and the other guy's great at disappearing acts." That was putting it mildly. He was still trying to figure out how a ghost could disable the tracer. "If he was going to skip town he would have done it by now. And like I said, it feels like he wants to talk – something's just getting in the way."
"Perhaps he fears retribution?" Kaldur suggested, "Traitors are not well-accepted in most circles." It was a reasonable conclusion. But 'Damien' clearly saw 'Phantom' as a comrade, a friend rather than a master.
"That's not it either. He's protecting the other guy, not afraid of him."
"Protecting?" It was Wally's turn to be confused. "From what? Wait… just how bad is the other guy?"
"He's not."
"Okay dude, you've lost me."
"He's not a criminal." The detective attempted to explain, "He's... I don't know, on our side I guess. But he's in hiding."
"And you're after him because...?" The redhead's eyebrow rose to meet his fringe.
"Information. He knows something important."
"But then," M'gann's face pulled into a concerned frown, "why's your... informant protecting him? I'm mean, if I was in trouble the League would be the first people I'd go to. They're the good guys. We're the good guys." Robin let out a tired sigh, nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, I know. It's like he's waiting for something but I don't know what. We've offered protection, information – I'm drawing blanks here."
Zatanna rubbed at her neck, "Maybe you need a fresh set of eyes on this?" The Boy Wonder reluctantly shook his head. Another perspective would definitely be nice, but he doubted 'Damien' would tolerate more new faces.
"Thanks for the offer, but no. Bats and I can barely get near him as is. He'd bolt if we brought in someone else."
"We could always help from here," Miss Martian gently pointed out, "Can you tell us about him?" She hesitated, "If that's okay?"
"It's complicated..." he paused, trying to sum up the situation in a way that made sense, "It's like he's taking note of everything we say... evaluating all of our questions, all our answers. Half the time we'll ask something and get a question back instead. Once he knows why we want the information and what we're doing with it he's usually fine, but he's definitely avoiding something. He keeps editing, telling half-truths. Knows a whole lot more than he's letting on. Not just about his partner – whatever it is, it's big. He tries to hide it but I see flashes sometimes, or it's like we're missing some inside joke." Robin made a frustrated gesture, "I don't know... it feels like he's playing a game, leaving hints. He wants something from us, needs us to bring whatever it is before he can talk, but he never asks for anything. I can't figure out what else we have to bargain with."
"Sounds like the Riddler's got competition," Wally noted, words somewhat muffled by a mouthful of shortbread. Artemis rolled her eyes again, 'reminding' the speedster of his manners as she rescued the plate from his grasp.
"Are you sure you're not overthinking this?" M'gann toyed with her hair as she thought, "I mean, it doesn't really sound like he's trying to negotiate. Maybe he's just trying to get a feel for you – find out if he can work with you?"
Kaldur nodded his agreement, "He may simply be assessing whether you are people his friend would be willing to accept."
"Or maybe..." Zatanna frowned contemplatively, "is your informant part of a group? Or is he doing this solo?"
"Solo. Definitely solo. He's a bit of a loner."
Kid Flash snorted, "You're playing games with a lonely old guy now?"
Robin coughed back a laugh at the thought, "He's actually pretty young for this gig." The realisation sobered him. Fifteen, soon to be sixteen... He looked over the familiar faces of his friends. 'Damien' was same age as they were. It was so easy to forget sometimes.
"Oh, so Captain Marvel then?" The speedster was still joking.
"Not that young KF. Anyway, what are you thinking Zee?"
"I'm not sure but... what if he wants something you can't bargain for? I mean, if he's used to doing things on his own... and whatever this information – or this secret – is, if his friend is in hiding over it then it must be big. Maybe he's trying to work out if you can be trusted. People might have tried to play him for it before."
"So... just give him time? That's it?"
"It would make sense," the Atlantean mused, "If the secret is as important as it seems, both could stand to lose much if their trust was misplaced. Perhaps as he adjusts to you – comes to know you – he will confide more."
The detective toyed with his watch, considering. It would fit with the teen's behaviour. They definitely seemed be working up to the bigger topics.
"But why wouldn't he trust you in the first place?" M'gann seemed troubled, "You're heroes."
"He may have learned not to rely on what others say," Aqualad reasoned. "After all, there are many who would also consider Lex Luthor a 'hero'." The explanation was met with an irate snort from the Kryptonian.
"Apologies friend."
"It's fine..." Conner huffed, glowering slightly at the mention of his 'other father'.
Robin frowned, only half-listening. Years on stakeout had proven the value of patience, but the idea of doing nothing grated at him. Staying still in order to move forward... he definitely preferred a more proactive strategy. Especially when their quarry was also pursued by other, less friendly, parties. He and Batman might have been the first to find the ghost's partner, but there was no guarantee that 'Damien' would remain undetected for however many nights they needed to get the full story.
"Something wrong?" Zatanna noticed his preoccupation.
"Time mightn't be on our side here..."
"I'm sure you'll work something out. After all," the sorceress' smiled turned teasing, "it's what you do."
The Boy Wonder felt his mouth pull into a familiar cheeky grin – he'd heard that before. "I'll try to stay whelmed." She winked, earning a small laugh. Wally gave the detective a conspiratorial look, waggling his eyebrows slyly. Ironic seeing that the speedster been trying and failing to catch the eye of a certain pretty blonde archer all day. And he thought things had been bad before New Year's.
"Hey," speak of the devil. Artemis leaned around her would-be boyfriend, expression serious, "did you ever find anything on our mystery guy?"
"Which one?" Robin lowered his voice, discomfort prickling across the back of his neck. With the mission he was on he could only think of one person. 'Please let her be talking about someone else.'
"You know. From Portland." The archer's voice dropped to match his. He shifted, suddenly uneasy. From the corner of his eye he saw Kaldur sit up, leaning discretely towards them.
"Wait, Portland? What guy? What even happened there?" At least Wally kept the questions quiet. And was that a touch of jealousy in his tone? Robin's lip twitched but the small amusement did nothing to alleviate the growing awkwardness of the situation. They had come to a mutual consensus to avoid talk of that particular mission. There were too many personal issues, too many hidden demons for anyone to feel comfortable opening up about it. Although it was a bit too much to ask for the speedster to ignore a conversation he was sitting right in the middle of.
Artemis explained in a whisper, "There was a new super. A kid – white hair, green eyes, bunch of powers. Helped us out, then ditched as soon as we were done. Tell anyone and we'll deny it." She smirked slightly, "Too bad you weren't there Baywatch, you could have helped catch him." Robin swore silently as recognition dawned on Kid Flash's face. Of course Wally was going to remember. It had been their first proper mission together – he had bugged him about it for weeks afterwards. The speedster's head whipped towards him.
"That sounds like… dude, is that the same guy? The one from C-"
"Maybe," He cut his friend off before he could continue. The others were starting to give them curious looks. If Superboy heard the word 'Cadmus' there would be no stopping the team from getting involved. He couldn't afford that. Much as he appreciated their advice, he couldn't compromise the investigation. Not when they had so little control over it to begin with. He took a deep breath, turning back to the archer and speedster.
"I've done some digging," they had to lean forward to catch the quick, quiet answer, "but there wasn't much to find. It's all rumours - the guy basically doesn't exist. Bats and I are still looking but there's not a lot to tell. You already know most of it from last time. I'll keep you posted, but I've gotta focus on this other case right now okay?" Robin swallowed a small pang of guilt at the deception. It was necessary, he reminded himself. He'd find a way to make it up to Wally later.
Fortunately a Martian intervened before any more questions could be asked. "What are you three up to? Is something wrong?"
"Nah, we're good Miss M," He smiled a huge, devilish smile at his best friend, "Just planning the engagement party." Kid Flash spluttered. Artemis choked. Both turned scarlet, the speedster nearly falling off the sofa as they scrabbled apart. The Boy Wonder cackled, receiving a matched set of furious glares. He'd have to watch his back for the next few days. But the look on Wally's face... it was totally worth it.
"So, I was thinking," M'gann fought down a fit of giggles at her friends' predicament, "the Happy Harbour Cinema is having a marathon special this weekend. Does anyone want to come? School isn't too busy yet and it sounds like they've got some good ones on."
"Sounds nice," agreed Zatanna, "it's been a while since we've had some normal fun." She laughed, "I've actually kind of missed it. What are they showing?"
The green-skinned girl practically beamed at the sorceress. "I'll get the program." She darted out of the room, returning with a flyer. The others quickly picked out their favourites, conversation rapidly dissolving into comparisons of plots, actors and bickering over different remakes. Artemis began to summarise a major series for Conner and Kaldur, cheeks still slightly pink. Robin bit back a snicker.
The detective slouched comfortably into the chair as his friends conferred. He absently studied the metal whorls on the ceiling, mind drifting back to the case. To their earlier discussion. Caution, adjustment... was the answer really that simple? He'd need more time to know for sure. But it did fit. 'Someone who wants to trust... but isn't sure that it's safe to.' It would explain the contrary behaviour. In fact, it was probably one of the better theories. He yawned, sliding fingers deftly beneath the glasses to rub at his eyes. The question was, how to act on it? Trust was a hard market to barter in. As Zatanna had said, it wasn't exactly something they could negotiate. 'Actually...' there might be a way. But the cost of doing so...
He shook his head, re-joining the conversation. They had decided to put it to a vote. He glanced quickly down at the options on the poster, raising a hand with the others as M'gann called out the titles. Chances were it was never going to happen. Knowing their luck a mission would come up as soon as they planned something. But it was still fun to go through the motions.
All in all it had been a productive afternoon. A few laughs, a soon-to-be movie night and a possible new lead. Robin grinned.
Bruce had been right – a day off was exactly what he needed.
Looks like the gang's all here! The rest of the team needed some love. So many distinct characters... and I'm going to have to write them chapter after chapter once the main story starts. Sufferin' spooks, what have I gotten myself into?
Please review! I really need the feedback. Did I get everyone down right? Do you like the story progression? Did you manage to stay awake through Robin's psychoanalytical musings at the start of the chapter?
Also, digital cookies for anyone who picks the episode Rob' and Zee are talking about.
Long and painful as this instalment may have been it was also tonnes of fun. Even if I rewrote it THREE TIMES before I was happy.
A fourteen-year-old troll paired with an archer and speedster who are still in the awkward not-quite-official relationship stage. Really, what else was going to happen?
Because his character has finally appeared, I thought would share a fun fact. The name 'Conner' originated in Ireland and derives from the Gaelic 'Conchobhar'. Why is this interesting? Because it translates to 'one who loves hounds/wolves'. Which means that either the YJ writers deserve a medal or that life is very well written.
(For those who are interested: Richard = 'brave power', Wallace = 'stranger', Artemis = 'huntress', Megan = 'pearl', and Daniel = 'god is my judge'.)
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, read, review and I'll see you in the next one!
-3WD
