Chapter 16: Second Impressions
"Will you relax already?"
The voice drifted upwards, echoing past the platforms. Soft chitters answered as it reached the roof, wings rustling as the cave's smaller residents fluttered away from the noise. The Boy Wonder beamed up at them, savouring the view through the mask.
It felt good. Even three days into patrols – mostly minor incidents, plus a slightly more major one that left Robin with bruised knuckles and Batman with a hole in his cape – the buzz refused to fade. Five weeks on the bench… he'd been all but crawling the walls by the time Bruce offered the suit and cape back. No amount of training or back-and-forward with Danny could compare to the feel of the streets. Not that he'd taken full advantage of his reinstated freedoms just yet. There were still a few more things to do. Places to go. People to see. Although what they'd think of his surprise… he stretched in anticipation, lacing hands behind his head with a sideways glance.
That same enthusiasm wasn't shared by his companion. Beside him Phantom shifted, eyeing the inactive Zeta tube with an expression that was far from turbed. Whether due to the transporter itself or where it would be taking them, Robin wasn't sure. A little from column A, a little from column B, he guessed; considering the ghost's history it wouldn't be a surprise if he took a while warming towards giant energy tunnels.
With a cough the spirit looked away, hand reaching to tug at a seam near his collar.
The Boy Wonder ran a critical eye over the stitching. "New suit's doing okay?"
The hand was deliberately lowered. "Uh… Yeah," Phantom ducked his head, flicking fingers through his fringe. "Yeah, it's fine. Just-"
"Itchy, right?" A faint grimace crossed the older boy's face. Robin nodded sympathetically, "Give it a couple more days." Even with non-stop wear it could take weeks before a uniform felt truly comfortable. Although in this case the discomfort was very necessary. Fenton jumpsuits might look similar enough to blend in but they'd clearly been designed for a different purpose. Ideally primed for field ectobiology and biohazards it might be, but against any normal weapon the original was about as protective as a wet napkin. The fact that Phantom needed to jury-rig straps for anything bigger than a wallet hadn't earned any points either. Sure, self-repairing ecto-fibres were a nice convenience but, after 2 years of growth and wear, they had been a sacrifice even Danny was willing to make.
Which couldn't be said for the other change.
Irritating as it was for their investigation, the Amity cover-up had done them at least one favour. In the eyes of the public ectoplasmic entities roomed comfortably between bigfoot and the jackalope. Phantom's powers might be distinctive for those who knew but, between Martians and the Green Lanterns, 'ghost' would hardly the first thought on the average civilian's mind. The Fenton's unexpectedly conservative suit style also played to their advantage. Which really only left one problem. The insignia. Everything else they could explain away, but the spirit's logo was unmistakably his. Large, distinctive, memorable - a practical homing beacon for anyone looking to confirm a sighting. A single photograph, an innocent comment from a bystander… Not to mention the obvious security risk. He may not use it anymore but the symbol - and outdated moniker it represented - were inescapably linked to Phantom's civilian identity. There weren't enough Daniels in the town's history to guarantee that someone else couldn't make the same logical leap Robin had.
Unfortunately, it was also the part Danny was most insistent on keeping. No matter how strong their counterarguments, no matter how well he understood their points, the condition remained. His old team's logo had to stay in some form or other. Finding an acceptable compromise had been a standoff worthy of their first nights in the lockup.
Phantom thumbed over the mark, glancing back towards the tube. He chewed his lip, brow furrowing as he turned to the Boy Wonder.
"Are you sure…?"
"P," Robin shot him a pointed look, "Seriously. Chill. You think Bats would okay this without clearing it first?"
White hair fluttered as the ghost exhaled. "I know, but-"
"-but nothing." The Bird cut him off, holding back a sigh. 'Buzzkill much?' Admittedly a justified buzzkill, but still… "Yes, it's a risk but we're prepared now. You've got the new suit - and yeah," he pre-empted the second frown, "it's a prototype but it's worked for all our sensors so far." Not perfectly, to be fair, but specially-tuned scanners at close range were a tough sell for any tech. There'd been no added interest in the Manor at least. "Besides," he offered the least impatient grin he could, "covert, remember? Avoiding the spotlight is kind of our whole deal. There's no way they'd be able to pick up anything inside the Mountain, and that's if they even knew where to look."
There was a pause. Phantom opened his mouth, then closed it, shaking his head. "Yeah." His boot scuffed against the floor. "Okay. Yes. You're right." He rolled his shoulders, arms dropping loosely to his sides. "You're right." A smile was hoisted onto his face.
One that was nowhere near relaxed enough to be convincing.
This time the detective sighed for real. "What else can we do?" He raised a hand, ticking off points on his fingers. "Gordon's already circulating the stills." None of the video footage had been great but it was a better lead than they often had to offer the Commissioner. Especially combined with a description. If Batman's suspicions were correct, their man was probably a third-party mercenary; moving between contracts depending on whose dirty work needed doing. With luck one of his next clients would land him with the police.
A second finger. "We're following as many ecto-connections as we can." Once they got past the so-called 'spiritualists', 'cryptid experts' and wannabe ghost hunters, the field of ecto-biology was gratifyingly small. Their main problem was obscurity; not many companies - or individuals - wanted to admit involvement with something so thoroughly derided by the mainstream. Plenty of cover stories, plenty of 'lost' data and vague descriptions. Ecto-tech' itself was identifiable, but without a firm starting point to determine who was in deep and connected enough be of interest…
The third finger he tapped with some reluctance. "Dr Spence's team is looking into the Cadmus records." Phantom deflated, face pinching contritely. "Don't apologise," the Boy Wonder waved him off, concealing a grimace of his own. "If we could get them back that easily you wouldn't have done your jobs." It was impressive, he'd admit. Self-deleting worms that keyword-searched and erased documents, facial recognition-based pixel scramblers, forcible resets, dozens of spyware variants… Tucker Foley could have been a serious threat if he wanted to. Which didn't make it any less frustrating. Their best lead, gone. Even with the culprit code on hand, recovery chances were slim. Worse still was how easily they could have had it. Just 10 minutes difference; earlier and they would have beaten the ghost to the computer, later and Phantom would have made his own copies. Instead they were chasing echoes - barcode photographs leading back to wiped files.
Robin breathed out sharply, shoving the thoughts aside. It was being handled. They'd made breakthroughs from worse. No need to be anything less than traught today. "Look," he smiled reassuringly, "our bases are covered. All we're doing is working on leads. And anyway," the Bird raised a challenging eyebrow, "what's the alternative? We keep you on lockdown until it wraps?" If Dick was going stir-crazy, Danny had to be a hundred times worse. At least he got to leave the Manor for school. The young detective glanced back toward the ceiling. Spacious by their standards. Even by an acrobat's. By for a flier? "You'll drive yourself nuts staying cooped up in here." If he wasn't already. Once Alfred pointed them out it was easy to see the signs. Increased restlessness, distractibility, silence. Brooding. Phantom needed to get out more, for his own sake as much as theirs.
"And-" a twitch caught the Boy Wonder's eye. He paused, taking in the ghost's stance, the self-conscious twist to his features… "And that's not what you're worried about, is it?"
Green tinted the spirit's ears. "What? No - I mean…" he pulled at his collar. "Okay," a serious gaze met the detective's own, "everything you just said? I'm worried about it. I should be worried about it. It's just…" he groaned, running both hands through his hair, palms briefly obscuring his eyes. "I'm going to mess this up somehow."
It was a struggle not to smirk but the acrobat managed it. "So?"
"'So?'" Phantom mimicked incredulously. "You realise you're all Justice League, right?"
"Well," the word was drawn out with an impish grin, "technically, we're the Team. Justice League Lite." Much as he hated it as a public image - they were protégés, not kindergarteners, thank you very much - there was a tiny bit of truth there. The League could be an intimidating wall of stiffs most days. Their covert squad; "They're basically the same as me and B' anyway-"
"Surprisingly, that doesn't help."
Robin laughed. "Okay, friendlier." He gave his arm an encouraging swat. "Seriously, they'll like you." Well, mostly. Kid Flash probably wouldn't but at this point Dick really owed Wally some answers himself. And maybe an apology gift. "Don't punch anyone or fall on your face and you'll do fine."
A snort took some of the tension from the ghost's shoulders. "Thanks for the tip."
A buzz from their comms ground the conversation to a halt. The Boy Wonder's heart leapt.
"Time's up. You ready?"
"Depends." Phantom pursed his lips. The corners twitched, "You want the truth or one of those white lies that makes it seem better?"
The Bird rolled his eyes at him. "You've got this. Try to stay whelmed." He took a step towards the tubes. "Follow on the signal?"
The spirit managed to look sarcastic. "I'll do my best."
Robin spared him a last, wide smile, half-running into the Zeta's light.
Footsteps echoed through the halls of Mount Justice. They trickled in, converging where Batman stood by the central Zeta console.
Wally flicked a glance across the Team. Good; he wasn't the only one in uniform. Apart from M'gann and Conner - whose uniform was basically civvies anyway, so it didn't count - all of them had suited up. No, wait… out of the corner of his eye he saw Miss Martian's clothes shift to match. The speedster wondered whether their supervisor would take the hint. He'd settle on a pity-mission if it meant getting back into the field. Although, going by the lack of a certain someone…
"So, where's Rob'?" At this point Kid Flash wasn't really expecting an answer. No matter who asked, or how often, the response was always the same. Yes, Robin was fine; No, he wouldn't be joining them; No, it wasn't serious. Repeat ad nauseum. Honestly it stung a little. At least Rocket had an excuse - interplanetary phone plans were hard to come by and there weren't many couriers willing to carry along a galactic arm. If it weren't for a handful of cryptic texts, Wally would be running to Gotham himself to check that he didn't need to avenge a murder.
"He'll join us shortly."
What? Excitement rippled across the group. Conner stood straighter. Kaldur stepped forward. Eager looks were exchanged. M'gann brought her hands together.
"Do you-"
"You have a mission for us?" The Martian smiled, biting her lip as the archer cut across. Not that she could really blame Artemis for jumping in. With Robin away and the League still wrapping up New Year's investigations they hadn't been given much beyond minor recon jobs and theory lessons. Thankfully most of them had other things to make it up. Individual work with their mentors; Flash and Wally patrolled Central, she'd spent a few days in Chicago with Uncle J'onn - even Superman stopped by once to visit Conner. But Green Arrow? He'd been… occupied. Between the awful news about Speedy, helping Red Arrow with the search and keeping up his League duties, the older archer had to be under a lot of stress. And, if she was fair, more than a little paranoid. The telepath could feel Artemis chafing at the restricted patrols, the flat ban on solo-work outside of 'safe' areas. Although she suspected her friend wasn't fully holding to the latter.
The Dark Knight's answer broke through her thoughts. "Not today, no."
Disappointment was palpable. Conner slouched, lip pushing into a pout. A disgruntled noise escaped the archer's throat, echoed by a groan from Wally. M'gann turned, sharing raised eyebrows with Zatanna.
"If not a mission, then…?" Aqualad asked the question on all their minds.
"A new member." Surprised murmuring was ignored, their supervisor's expression holding the flood of questions at bay. "Provisional. He's been assisting on a private case, but we think his abilities could be a good fit for the Team."
More glances were exchanged.
"Anyone we know?" The sorceress sounded as curious as the Martian felt.
"Some of you may have encountered him before," Batman's eyes paused few times as they swept the group, "but I don't expect so." Miss Martian frowned, wracking her brain. Whoever it was couldn't be too much older; they'd just join the League. So, who did that leave? She couldn't remember hearing about any new partners and almost no-one struck alone out at their age. Even fewer who would be allowed to work in Gotham.
"Any questions?"
Kaldur looked to the rest of them. A few heads shook. "None that we could not ask directly."
"Alright." The Dark Knight lifted a hand to his communicator.
A long moment passed before the Zeta tube whirred into motion. The person who emerged sported a familiar costume and even more familiar grin.
"Hey," it was like he'd barely been gone at all, "long time, no see."
"Robin!" The exclamation came from several mouths at once. His smile grew brighter as they ran toward him.
"It is-"
"How are-"
"What happen-"
"Dude!" Wally's voice rose above the rest. He caught the Boy Wonder's wrist, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "Where were you?"
Robin jostled him lightly, slipping out of the grip. "Good to see you too, KF. It's kind of a long story - catch you up later?"
The speedster considered him. "Deal. But," Kid Flash levelled a warning finger, "you so owe me."
The Bird chuckled. "Yeah, I figured." He leaned around the redhead. "Hey Zee."
Artemis smirked at the magician's laugh. "What, no hello for the rest of us?"
"Depends," Robin smirked right back, "you want one?"
A firm cough came from their supervisor.
"Right, right." The younger detective shared a look with his mentor. "Guess it'll have to wait." He appraised their circle. "You might want to back up a bit. Kinda looks like you're ready to arrest someone."
"What, we're not?" M'gann heard Conner mutter behind her. She giggled quietly, pushing him backward as the others moved.
The Zeta flared to life again.
Recognised: Phantom. B-10.
A new figure stepped from the tubes, blinking away the teleportation light. Green eyes darted around the room, touching on each of them before settling on the Dark Knight. He moved hesitantly, stopping a few feet out from the Boy Wonder.
"This is Phantom." Their supervisor moved straight into introductions. He turned to address the newcomer, "this is the Team. The League's partners for covert operations."
They got a small, unsure smile in return. "I'm… It's an honour. To meet you."
M'gann watched, curious. He… wasn't what she expected. Not that there'd been time to expect anything, but she'd imagined the Batman would bring in someone… Older? Taller? Darker? Then again, she probably wouldn't have guessed Robin either. There were some similarities; the suit padding, the design of the belt, the general shape and placement of the insignia - even if the silver-white, spiked 'P' was completed different from her younger teammate's. Still, the Dynamic Duo seemed to have a theme, and the bright white splashes, the snowy hair, the unmasked neon eyes… he didn't quite fit. Although it was pretty striking. She was fairly certain she'd remember meeting him before.
The newcomer shuffled, rolling his weight back in a strangely familiar motion. It reminded her almost of Superboy, somehow. She tilted her head, studying the closed shoulders, the tight pull of his mouth. An image came to mind; her and Conner surrounded by students on their first day at Happy Harbour. She'd been okay but… 'Hello Megan.' Of course.
She stepped forward brightly. "Hi! Welcome aboard." The telepath extended a hand, trying to keep her tone as friendly as possible. "I'm Miss Martian. Or M'gann, if you like."
Green eyes locked onto her, something flickering in their depths before he relaxed, accepting the grip with cold fingers. "Hey. Phantom. But, uh," embarrassment darted across his face as he let go, "you already knew that." Miss Martian held down a laugh.
There was movement at her back. "Oh," she twisted, gesturing to her boyfriend. "This is Superboy."
"Conner," the Kryptonian stayed where he was, brow furrowed. "Hi." Her smile quirked in fond exasperation - he was trying, she knew, but would it hurt to be just a little nicer?
Thankfully their leader moved forward to fill the silence. "Aqualad. Call me Kaldur." A knowing smile was reflected in Phantom's face as the newcomer returned the handshake. "It is good to meet you properly." Well, that answered one question.
The others followed his example. Wariness faded out of Artemis' expression as the archer raised a hand. Zatanna sidled from beside Robin with a grin that made the Boy Wonder flush.
Which left the last member of their group surprising silent. Wally stood stiffly, smile frozen, an almost wounded look in his narrowing eyes. M'gann followed his gaze, just in time to see Robin glance apologetically away. 'What…?'
"And, Kid Flash, right?" This time Phantom took the initiative. He offered the redhead a tentative grin. "Rob' told me about you."
"Of course he did," the answer was too accusatory to be wholly playful. M'gann could feel an edge to his smile, despite the easy bow it accompanied. "My reputation proceeds me, after all."
The archer quirked an eyebrow. "Depends on which reputation you mean." Miss Martian frowned, tuning out the speedster's offended noise. Something wasn't right. Had Wally met Phantom before? And, then, why be upset with Robin over it?
A gesture between Batman and the boy in question drew their attention back to the Dark Knight.
"So," Robin asked, "now that roll-call's over…?"
"Black Canary wants you for training in two hours." Batman regarded them levelly, "Until then the time is yours."
"Will you be staying?"
"For training? Yes. Right now, other work needs to be done." His eyes swept the Team. "Two hours."
Then he was gone.
Phantom's gaze wandered the Mission Room, settling on the hatch iris above the training circle.
"That's Red Tornado's apartment," the Martian supplied, pushing her concerns aside. The boys would sort it out. Until then…
"He's a surprisingly chill den-mother," Zatanna added. "You know, for an android."
The newcomer blinked at them. "Wait, Red Tornado actually lives here?"
M'gann stopped, surprised. "Yes. Didn't Robin tell you?"
"I knew about the supervision part. But," a suspicious note entered his voice, "I'm starting to think he left a few things out."
The Bird's grin was cheeky. "Wouldn't be fun if there were no surprises."
His aggrieved expression drew a laugh from her. "Well, why don't we take a tour? Help fill some of the blanks."
A few groans were hastily stifled. Eventually Artemis shrugged.
"Sure, why not? Not like there's much we can do."
"Sounds good," Phantom nodded. "Um, I mean," he rubbed his neck, "if you're okay with…"
"Of course." Miss Martian smiled, beckoning as she headed towards one of the corridors. Conner grumbled softly as he followed. 'Behave' she mouthed, nudging the Kryptonian in the ribs. "So, how much do you know about the Cave?"
"I know it was the original League base…"
"That's right. Superman and Mr. Jordan - the second Green Lantern - hollowed the whole place out back before the League went public." The others joined in as they walked, building a decent - if scattered - version of the Mountain's early days. Robin tugged Zatanna to the side, the two sharing a whispered conversation before he fished something from his belt and handed it to her. M'gann's lip twitched at the sorceress' theatrical blush. It was good to see them together again. Her friend had been settling in well enough but a lonely first Valentine's so soon after Dr Fate was not the magician's best day.
"But how did the Joker know to follow him in the first place?" Phantom's voice changed as they headed towards the library. She listened, only half paying attention to Kaldur's answer. Rather, it didn't. Everyone's voice echoed a little in the Mission Room - it was essentially a huge cave, after all. But while the rest of theirs had faded, Phantom's continued to resonate, reverberating quietly in the tunnel. The faint white glow she'd written off as a quirk of the holograms or Zeta-light also remained. Come to think of it, neon eyes weren't exactly normal either. Meta-human, maybe? Batman had mentioned 'abilities'. She supposed she could ask, but it might be intrusive to bring it up so soon…
The Boy Wonder's reappearance was a welcome distraction. "So," he caught the end of Conner's sentence, "how have you guys been? Really wasn't loving the whole forced-radio-silence bit."
"In a word?" Artemis threw her head back, directing a sigh to the roof. "Bored. I could kill for a mission right now."
Corridors gave way to bookshelves as they passed through the door.
Robin stepped around a study table. "That bad?"
"Well, not entirely." The words felt hollow even as M'gann said them. "Um…" they really hadn't been doing a lot, "Zatanna's started at Happy Harbour with Conner and me."
"It's not a big deal," the magician interjected. "I mean, everyone's nice, and it's good not to be in uniform all the time but," she shrugged, "school's school."
Miss Martian flashed her an apologetic look; sensitive subject, she should have remembered. What else, what else? Their stakeouts? No; hours spent watching thugs and empty warehouses weren't exactly interesting. Captain Atom had tried to take them through another case study. Emphasis on tried. Other than that, there wasn't much. Except… Oh. She bobbed excitedly, glancing over at Aqualad. Batman might have already told him, but - "Kaldur?"
Their leader offered her a patient smile. "I have news from Atlantis." The younger boy perked up, watching Aqualad intently as he continued, "Queen Mera's child was born last month. They have a son."
"Wow," Robin's grin seemed slightly stunned. "That's great. Uh, congratulations?"
"How is Aquababy doing, anyway?" Kid Flash spoke for the first time since Phantom's introduction.
"Prince Artur," Aqualad corrected with gentle amusement, "is well. I do not see him often - he is only four weeks old - but my king and Prince Orm are happy to report." He hummed quietly. "They seem very proud."
Zatanna laughed. "That's adorable. Can we get pictures? I feel like we need pictures."
The Atlantean chuckled, leading them into the passage on the other side.
"That's wonderful news, Kaldur," M'gann beamed. "Can you give them the best from us?"
"Of course."
Artemis puffed out a breath. "I'm still trying to get my head around the idea of Aquaman being a father. I mean, wow but, weird."
"Oh god," the sorceress covered her mouth with her fingers, expression far too amused to seem sympathetic. "Kaldur, you're going to have to deal with so many dad jokes."
Aqualad's eyebrow lifted. "Do I not already?"
M'gann muffled a snort behind her hand, mirth spreading across the Team. The absence of a familiar cackle made her glance around. Robin had vanished again. 'Where…?' She turned, eyes flicking back to the library door. There. He'd fallen in step beside Kid Flash, the pair slowing to trail behind the group. Quiet words passed between them, their faces serious. Miss Martian's mouth tugged down as she watched the Boy Wonder shake his head. Whatever the problem was, she hoped they solved it soon. Some of the sourness had gone from Wally's scowl, at least. Maybe she could help somehow? It was too far away for her to hear, but perhaps Superboy…
The Kryptonian was still frowning.
Her own frown deepened. She reached out with her mind, brushing against the hard edges of her boyfriend's thoughts.
"Conner?"
"M'gann?" His question echoed across the link.
"You seem…" she paused, "is everything okay?"
"I don't-" confusion swirled. "Something's not right."
The Martian followed his eyes to the white-haired boy. "With Phantom?" His mind flicked in a vague affirmative. She chewed her lip, taking in the glow, the echo. "I think he's a meta. Maybe it has something to do with his powers?"
"Maybe," Conner repeated doubtfully. "I don't know. It feels…" his thoughts shifted, "wrong, somehow. Flash and Canary were never like this."
"Metas aren't exactly consistent," the telepath countered softly. She hummed, thinking. "He's… different, I'll give you that. But," comforting fingers wrapped around his arm, "not necessarily in a bad way. Besides, Batman would have warned us if there was any danger involved. Right?"
An unconvinced huff. "If you say so."
"I'm sure it'll be fine." She gave the arm a reassuring pat, pulling away from the mind-link, "We can always ask later if we need to."
"What about you, Boy Wonder?" The archer's voice snapped them back to attention. The boys broke apart, conversation aborted as they hurried to catch up. "Any stories on your end?"
Robin's face was a mix of glum and embarrassed. "Hate to be the bearer of boring news but it sounds like you had more to do than us."
Artemis made a disbelieving noise. "So that huge gang bust in the Narrows last week had nothing to do with you?"
He snorted. "I wish. Batman might've been in on it, but," embarrassment seemed to be winning out, "I was, uh, kind of… benched for a bit."
"Wait," the archer sounded halfway between shock and indignation. "Batman took you out of the game?" A half-nod and grimace were her answer.
Several voices started talking at once.
"What? Why?"
"Were you hurt?" Their supervisor might be overly strict at times, but he was rarely unfair. He wouldn't just pull Robin from the field. Not unless…
"Are you alright?"
"What happened-?"
"Guys!" The Boy Wonder held up his hands. "It's not like that." He made a placating motion. "I'm fine, I just…"
"…shredded most of the rule book tracking me down?" Phantom offered a tiny, wry smile. With a jolt M'gann noticed he'd fallen back, hovering awkwardly near the edge of their group.
The Bird clicked his fingers. "Yeah. That."
"So, how did you two end up working together?" Miss Martian jumped at the opportunity, trying to draw the newcomer into the conversation.
"If we're asking," Artemis' focus moved from the Boy Wonder to Phantom, "I'd love to know how he found you after that disappearing act." M'gann blinked. 'Artemis too?' And Kaldur, and maybe Wally. Did everyone else know? She glanced at Zatanna, who shrugged, nonplussed. Well, at least they weren't the only ones left out.
A look passed between the Bird and their newest member. Robin gestured encouragingly.
"Um," Phantom turned to her, "it's kind of a long story, but the short version is we ran into each other during the mess in Portland. And, uh," his gaze skated over the archer and Atlantean to land on the speedster, "another time before that. Anyway, I knew some things he and Batman wanted, they followed me to the next city and yeah, sort of went from there."
"As for how," the Boy Wonder's grin was not at all helpful. "Kinda comes with the whole detective thing."
"Really? I thought it came with the whole micro-tracer thing."
Robin glowered playfully in his direction.
"You normally work out of Portland?" She mightn't be as good with accents as some of the others, but she wouldn't have picked Phantom as West Coast.
"No," the white-haired teen shook his head. "No. Illinois originally" - that made more sense - "but the last year I've been… moving around, depending on where I need to be." Another glance at the detective. "I guess Gotham now."
"Working with The Batman himself," Zatanna mused. "What's that like?"
Phantom chuckled awkwardly. "You know, you're probably better off asking Rob'." They rounded a corner. "I don't exactly patrol or anything - Gotham's complicated enough without my stuff in the mix."
The archer's eyebrows pulled together. "So, what do you do, then?"
"I, uh…" the newcomer's smile shifted from awkward to uncomfortable, "usually casework. We had a…" he hesitated, eyes moving briefly to the roof, "different kind of energy, I suppose, back home, and some specialised tech that worked with it. Mostly I help sort intel and leads that could be connected." A shrug. "Some prototyping work too."
That was… odd. The way Phantom described things sounded almost more support consultant than standard League duties. M'gann's lips pursed as she steered them towards the elevator. But why would that be a 'good fit' for the Team?
"Is that the way you worked before Gotham?"
"Not really. I mean, the tech part sure but…" he fiddled distractedly with his collar, "Portland's closer to my usual gig. Not normally that hard though," he added at Kaldur's concerned look. "Most aren't as strong - or smart - as her. It's pretty routine: G-uh," Phantom stuttered, coughing to clear his throat, "they attack, start causing trouble, I track them down and capture them before things get worse. Standard stuff, you know?"
"Ah. That makes sense." The answering smile was a still little tight for the Martian's liking.
A chime from the elevator put the conversation on hold. They piled in, eight bodies manoeuvring in attempt not to step on each other. Wally seemed to have made it his mission to stand as far away from the newcomer as the space would allow. Judging by his position, her boyfriend had a similar idea.
She flicked his mind gently. "Conner…"
"What?"
The telepath sighed, shaking her head as she pressed the button.
"So, Illinois." Hopefully she'd picked a more comfortable topic. "Did you ever spend time in Chicago?"
Phantom's shoulders loosened slightly. "A little. Passed through a few times but we kind of kept to the south. That's…" a questioning glance came her way, "Martian Manhunter works there, doesn't he?" M'gann nodded. "Isn't there, like, a rule against hanging around League cities uninvited?"
She could definitely see how Batman might give that impression. "I think they like the warning but not officially, no." The doors slid open. "Manhunter's pretty relaxed about it. Where else have you been?" She led the way onto the hangar platform.
"Sort of everywhere. It wasn't exactly a planned- woah." He stopped. Wide eyes swept the high stone ceiling, the long stretch of water to the bay doors.
Miss Martian smiled at his stunned expression. "This would be the hangar. And this," they approached the curled red shape, "is the Bioship."
At touch from her mind it stirred, wings extending above them as it stretched out of resting form.
Phantom's eyes roved the ship with unrestrained fascination. "Bio?" His feet left the floor, rising through the air to press an experimental hand against a ridge. The telepath did a double take. "It's organic?"
"She is…" M'gann recovered quickly. "Actually, most Martian ships are."
Green eyes blinked down at her. "Wait, 'she'? As in, sentient?"
"That's right."
White-gloved fingers were hastily withdrawn. "Impressive." He dropped back to the ground.
The others were staring.
"So," Zatanna found her voice first, "I guess you can fly."
The newcomer turned sheepish. "Oh. Yeah," he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Probably should have warned you about that. Sorry."
"That's okay. We were just… surprised, is all." Something in his posture told the Martian than an interrogation about his powers wouldn't go over very well. "We'd go for a ride, but I don't think we have time." Subtle curiosity still burned in a few faces. She caught Kaldur's eye, discretely shaking her head.
"Perhaps later," the Atlantean took the hint. "After training. Right now we should continue," he gestured to the stairs, "there is… still a lot to show you."
From the looks on their faces, the rest of them didn't buy it. Still, they complied, allowing Aqualad to lead them off the platform with only a few rolled eyes. Robin and Kid Flash linked up again, the Boy Wonder's shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Phantom's eyes stayed fixed on the landing pad, watching as the ship shrank to rest again.
Artemis peered at the newcomer's back.
"Hey, Phantom?" Her voice echoed down the side of the cave.
He paused. "Yeah?"
"Um, what exactly are those?" The blonde flicked a hand toward the shiny, black-and-green tubes hanging across his spine.
Phantom seemed startled. "The Thermoses?"
Well, okay then.
A snort erupted from the speedster. "So, what - you defeat criminals with the power of hot soup?"
The white-haired boy groaned, odd green blotches creeping into his ears as he ran a hand down his face. "They're not actually…" He reached backward, unhooking a device from its strap. The name wasn't wrong; it really did look a lot like one, if smaller and sleeker. "Okay, look, the people who invented these used a thermos for the prototype casing. Name just kinda stuck." With a twist he unscrewed the cap, revealing the mechanism at its base. "It's a containment device."
"For…?" The archer ran a speculative eye along the gauge on its side.
Phantom's expression fell back into the same uncomfortable lines. Still too soon, then. "That's… kind of hard to explain." His focus dropped to the Thermos, ears tinting darker as he fidgeted the lid into place. "You know what I was saying before, about energy? Basically, they were designed to trap anything made of it."
"Then," comprehension dawned on Kaldur's face, his words carrying over Wally's sceptical noise, "in Portland. They were…?"
The newcomer nodded, clipping the device back into place.
A small, strange smile was playing about Zatanna's mouth.
Cautious neon eyes flickered the sorceress' way. "Everything okay?"
"Of course. I just…" she tilted her head, a teasing edge entering her tone, "guess I thought you'd go for something more purple."
Phantom stared at her. Then he snorted, tension draining away as he shook his head. "Yeah, pass. I have enough PR problems as it is. Besides," he offered a crooked grin of his own, "pretty sure 'Walker's already taken." The magician laughed softly.
Their conversation had carried them to centre of the lower floor.
"The hangar is easiest way out of the Cave without Zeta-ing." M'gann resumed her tour-guide role, gesturing around the space. "There's the bay door - obviously - but you can also get to the forest side through the front entrance," she indicated the corridor beside the landing platform. "There's an exit to the beach too, but it's a bit further along. Come on, I'll show you," the Martian headed towards the remaining tunnel.
A familiar whirring greeted them halfway down the hall. Metal plates clinked on the concrete as Sphere trundled up from the far end to investigate.
"Hey, girl." A purring hum joined the whir as it brushed past Superboy.
Miss Martian reached out to give the casing a friendly pat. "She must have heard us coming."
The alien ball made a circuit around the group, nudging Robin before zeroing in on the newcomer. Its whirring rose to an inquisitive pitch, faceplate stopping inches from Phantom's nose. Lights flashed intently.
"Um," the white-haired teen leaned away, "…hi?"
Sphere hummed out another purr, circling them again before heading off towards the hangar.
He watched it go. "Okay…?"
"That's Sphere." Conner's explanation was less than helpful.
Aqualad made a better attempt. "The New Genesphere is a living machine. Alien Technology. Superboy… adopted her after one of our missions."
"Good thing they let you keep her, huh Supey?" Wally was apparently getting over his aversion to talking. "Pet bike comes in handy."
Angry beeping echoed down the tunnel.
"I think she heard you."
"Living technology. That's…" Phantom took a moment to process. "How do you even find something like her?"
"Alien-tech' smugglers," Robin shrugged easily. "She was part of their cargo."
"Pretty sure she was their main cargo," Artemis corrected. "Considering Psimon tried to brain blast us for just getting near her."
A disgusted noise escaped Superboy. "For interrupting his experiments, you mean."
Glowing eyes darted between them, confused. "Think I might be missing something here. What happened?"
M'gann let the others take charge, Kaldur leading the way as her teammates ran the newcomer through the events of Bialya. First Conner, now Sphere, Phantom's own vagueness when it came to his powers… meta-human was feeling like less and less of a fit. The green around his ears before was probably a blush. But what other beings had that blood colour? Martians, yes - at least when not shapeshifting. As far as she knew they were the only ones close to Earth. And Batman would definitely have told Uncle J'onn if another of their people had arrived on-world. The telepath tugged a strand of hair, unable to help a faint stab of pique; it would be nice if their supervisor was a bit less cryptic. Still, she supposed, this was different. None-one else had needed to introduce their abilities. If Manhunter hadn't come before… if their new teammate's powers were as 'complicated' as it seemed, she could understand his caution about sharing. Especially with people he'd known for less than an hour. M'gann nodded to herself. Alright. For now, best to wait until Phantom felt comfortable bringing it up on his own. If he hadn't said anything by training time she'd consider asking.
Conversation swirled around her. Discussions of Psimon led to Queen Bee and her 'government'. Robin and Kaldur talked Bialyan-Quraci border conflicts - Miss Martian chiming in with enthusiasm as it turned to the Logan Animal Sanctuary. Slowly the newcomer relaxed into the group; questions and answers coming more freely, a few unprompted opinions slipped into the gaps left by the others. Wally thawed a little more too, even if he still avoided speaking directly to the white-haired teen as much as possible. From the Sanctuary they moved to international travel. Phantom had apparently worked a mission in Europe, though he couldn't give them many details. Cross-country pursuit of a destructive target tended to do that. Fortunately, the others had plenty to share.
They were leaving the workout room by the time one of the telepath's earlier questions was answered.
"Kind of all over the place," Phantom's reply addressed her and Aqualad. "Like I said, it wasn't exactly a planned trip." A shrug. "We were up and down the East Coast a lot."
"Any sights you wanna share?" The archer's voice landed somewhere between dry and curious.
The newcomer's lip jutted in thought. "Can't really call it a vacation but…" for a moment he brightened, "I got a few extra days in Florida. Cape Canaveral's pretty cool." Then another shrug. "Spent a couple of weeks in New York, I guess."
"Oh?" Zatanna perked up. "Where'd you stay?"
"Mostly we hung around Brooklyn."
The sorceress nodded her understanding. "Were you there for the summer parade?"
Phantom shook his head.
"What about D.C.?" There was something pointed in Kid Flash's question as they neared the rec' room. The newcomer's smile froze. "You did go to the Capital, right?"
"Well… yeah," Phantom swallowed, "but just for a job. We were there for what - five days? And it's not like we stuck around once we were done." He rubbed his left shoulder, uneasy eyes flicking away from the speedster. The smile that returned didn't quite manage to be flippant. "No holiday snaps, sorry."
A silence followed. As they crowded into the lounge, M'gann saw Robin dig an elbow into Wally's ribs. She chewed her lip. Washington must have been their first encounter. Probably before the Team, then; Conner didn't know Phantom, and she didn't think the others had been back without him since. It wasn't like Batman and Flash hadn't worked joint cases before their group came together.
Kaldur's voice broke through the quiet. He indicated the couches. "Perhaps this would be a good place for a break."
Miss Martian glanced toward the clock in the kitchen. Still a while until training - they'd made faster progress around the cave than she'd expected. And with only a few important things left to show… "We do have time."
Conner stepped around her, dropping into his favourite spot with a noise of assent.
"Sounds good." Zatanna settled at the end of the sofa, Artemis balancing on the arm beside her. Kid Flash and Robin claimed the back, the Boy Wonder tilting like he had half a mind to flop down beside the sorceress. Wally tugged his shoulder to keep him upright.
For a moment Phantom dithered, scanning their group before moving to lean against an empty chair.
"Speaking of travel," the archer picked back up on the conversation, "how'd you get from the East Coast to Portland anyway?"
"Um, well…" the white-haired teen shifted, repositioning himself on the arm, "it's not like we only stuck to the east. I mean, we ended up there a lot but mostly we moved to wherever was…" fingers tugged absently at the hem of his glove, "necessary, I guess. I was already heading that way."
Artemis' eyebrow lifted. "So you were, like, tracking them or something?"
An embarrassed tinge crept into Phantom's expression. "Not really. Portland was just a stop-over."
"That does explain how you were in the same city." Aqualad mused. "But," he watched him thoughtfully, "not how you were able to find us."
The newcomer ducked his head. "That's, uh… I can sort of sense when," another split-second pause, "things like them are around. Usually I go check, just in case, you know," he gestured, lip curving wryly, "that."
It wasn't just the archer who leaned forward. "Sense?" Her voice was sharp with interest. "You mean, with your powers?"
Eager looks were met with caution as Phantom nodded.
M'gann saw her chance. "Actually, I was wondering-"
A soft, whining growl cut her off.
Heavy footfalls announced Wolf's arrival. His ears were pricked, eyes pinned to the new arrival as the white-haired teen pushed himself off the chair. Phantom stiffened, gaze fixed on the Kobra-enhanced canine as he padded forward. Another half-growl slipped between Wolf's teeth, fur lifting around his neck.
The newcomer broke contact long enough to glance at them. "Who's this?"
"That's Wolf," Conner rose to his feet too, eyeing his pet carefully.
Phantom's mouth twitched. "Good name." He chanced a step forward, offering a hand for the huge animal to sniff. The rest of them tensed; Wolf wasn't the jumpy type but he had more than enough muscle for things to get ugly if he took offense. "Hey Wolf," his voice was soft, "didn't mean to scare you." The canine poked his nose forward, skin pulling back over his fangs. Phantom's throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Okay," a faint pleading note entered his tone, "I don't know where you've been, and you don't know where I've been, so if you could not bite me that would be great. What do you think? Sound good?"
Wolf considered the hand for a moment. He snuffled again, nose twitching. Then he huffed, butting it with his muzzle before pushing past, newcomer disregarded in favour of collapsing in the corner.
"Nice to meet you too…?" The teen stared after him, befuddled.
He wasn't the only one.
"What was that?" Superboy voiced all their confusion. "I don't…"
"He's never done that before," M'gann peered at the mound of fur with concern. Wolf rarely responded to anyone. Not to Zatanna, not to Rocket. Not even to Tornado or Uncle J'onn. So, why…?
Robin sent a quizzical look Phantom's way. "I thought you said animals were fine?"
"Most are." The newcomer seemed only slightly less wrong-footed than the rest of them. "I get that with cats and dogs sometimes, but unless I'm actually trying…" He squinted at the exposed muscle on their pet's leg. "Guessing he's not a normal wolf, though."
Curiosity finally burned through Miss Martian's restraint. "So, what are your powers?"
Phantom's attention snapped back to her. "Oh. It's…" he stalled, eyes travelling between their faces as he rubbed the back of his neck. The Boy Wonder gave a faint nod. He took a breath, forcing tension down from his shoulders. "It's complicated, and weird, and probably going to sound crazy, but basically I'm," the last words came in a rush, "kind of a ghost?"
You could have heard a pin drop.
"I- I'm sorry," Artemis' mouth worked a few times before she found her tongue, "but did you just say…?"
"Ghost? Yeah." The white-haired teen's nod was halfway towards a cringe.
She blinked. "Right. Ghost. Okay."
M'gann flicked a glance around the group. Conner's forehead creased, a bizarre mix of confusion and realisation warring on his features. The archer's hand had dropped to Zatanna's shoulder, grey and blue eyes fixed on the newcomer as they traded murmurs. The magician gave a minute headshake. Kaldur's expression was carefully blank. An odd almost-smirk was twisting Wally's face. Only Robin remained nonchalant, shrugging as Phantom shot him a look halfway between a plea and an I-told-you-so.
'Ghost...' It certainly would explain a few things. Even if those explanations raised more questions. Until now the telepath had never really understood humans' obsession with the concept. Martians did have their own stories, but they were mostly about the living; remembrance, healing the holes in a shared psyche, cautionary tales against using telepathy to sustain a mind whose body had failed. Earth-ghosts had always seemed like another kind of fiction; silly legends told around campfires and dark horror movies that she made a point of skipping past on TV. Phantom's bold, solid colours certainly didn't fit with those fading spirits and vengeful spectres. Not that she'd heard many stories. Or that they were very consistent. Although - her throat tightened - they were all fairly insistent about one grim detail.
"If you're a… how did you…?" Morbid curiosity brought the question to the surface.
For a second he stared blankly. Then a faint grimace chased comprehension from his face.
"Oh no," Miss Martian clapped a stricken hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean," stupid, stupid. What was she thinking - of course he wouldn't want to talk about it. "I shouldn't have… you don't have to answer that."
Phantom's expression softened a little. "It's alright." He sighed, focus shifting to the distance, "Well okay, no, not really - it's not exactly something you ask - but you're not the first." An awkward pause followed. Then, "It was an accident. A few years back. I was messing about in a lab and well," he gave an offhanded shrug, "you know what they say about curiosity and cats..."
The telepath wasn't the only one who winced.
"I'm sorry," a mortified whispered slipped between her fingers.
The ghost - he was really a ghost - offered her a weak smile, running a hand through his fringe. "Look, just… Forget it, okay? You couldn't know. Although," his brow quirked upwards, "you might want to be careful about that question. Some of them take it kind of personally." The smile relaxed slightly, "Or worse they'll get flattered and, trust me, you do not want to hear a whole life-story."
M'gann's cheeks burned. "Right." She turned her eyes to the others. Most were still focussed on the spirit. Kid Flash's smirk was growing, eyebrows almost disappearing into his mask as he sent a sly - and very much one-sided - glance toward the Boy Wonder.
"So," her attention was pulled back to the magician's thoughtful frown, "are all ghosts, you know," Zatanna gestured at Phantom, "like you?"
A quiet scoff interrupted whatever answer the newcomer was about to give.
"Alright," the speedster brought his hands together in a slow clap, "very funny. You punked us. Good job. But, c'mon," he gave the Bird an indulgent smile, "don't you think you're letting the joke drag a bit?"
Robin's expression was resigned. "Not a joke, KF."
The smile soured. "Ghosts?"
"Yes Wally," the detective gave a sigh of bored patience. "Ghosts." The redhead spluttered.
Artemis sent the magician a sidelong glance. "Three, two…"
Wally spared her a dirty look before turning back to the Boy Wonder. "Ghosts aren't real."
"Well apparently they are."
He rolled his eyes. "And so is Bigfoot. Dude, really, the undead? You expect me to believe that?"
"Not really." For a moment the speedster brightened. "But," his face fell at Robin's grin, "seeing as you've been hanging out with one for more than an hour now..."
"Oh ho, funny." Phantom fidgeted, chewing his lip as Kid Flash glowered at the Bird. "But ghosts aren't real. They can't be. It's impossible."
"Just like magic?" the archer asked innocently.
"Not the point!" The redhead threw up his hands. "Magic might -" he pointed a warning finger at the blonde, "and I emphasise the might - conceivably work somehow but it's not physically possible to 'wake the dead'. Medical science has been trying and failing for years. It can't. be. done." An emphatic finger-jab punctuated the final words.
"Then what of Ra's al Ghul?" Aqualad had no desire to aggravate the situation, but he couldn't help pointing out the obvious exception to Wally's reasoning.
"Oh please," the speedster made a sound of vast impatience, "Ra's never dies dies. The body and brain stay viable for a while after you flatline - get to someone in that window and you can jump-start them, happens all the time. Besides, the guy's an assassin – he'd know all the tricks for seeming dead when you're not. But once you're actually gone?" He gestured in strong negation. "Can't happen. It's not scientifically possible."
"… actually, it is." Phantom's voice was stilted with discomfort but otherwise surprisingly calm. At the very least he didn't seem angry. The Atlantean wouldn't be surprised if Robin had warned him that this could happen.
"Is that so?" Kid Flash's voice was acerbic. "Enlighten me – I'm dying to work this out."
The white-haired teen shuffled under the glare. "Okay, look," he pressed his hands together, "I'm not gonna pretend to be a researcher or anything, but the most popular theory is that the... EMPs in the brain when a creature dies – if they're strong enough, they... imprint on the ambient ectoplasm that's around and – if there's enough of it – it starts building on the pattern to create a new entity. So, a ghost."
For a few short seconds Kaldur thought he might believe him.
"Seriously?" Wally snorted. Loudly. "Imprinting? Ectoplasm? Dude, are even listening to yourself?"
Phantom grimaced. "Yeah, I know. Sounds nuts right? But it's the best we've got and – like it or not – I'm here, so there has to be an explanation, right?" He scratched his neck, eyes entreating. "Even if no-one's found it yet."
"Look," the speedster's voice was heavy with exasperation. "I'll concede that maybe you aren't human, but there's no way you're a ghost. A few campfire stories and some half-baked," he waved a hand in the newcomer's direction, "whatever-that-was isn't going to make it any less impossible. The science isn't there. Drop the act already."
The spirit's mouth pulled flat. "I'd love to. Except I'm not acting. Okay, I get it," he ran a tired hand down his face, "it's hard to believe. But that doesn't mean it's not real. Besides," his expression turned pointed, "wouldn't a good scientist check the evidence before dismissing it?"
Wally bridled. "What's that supposed-"
"Enough." The Atlantean cut across before they could go any further. "This is not something that can be settled now. And even if it could, it will not be done by fighting." Shock he could understand. He would need a while to process the implications himself. But for now… He turned to the newcomer. "If this is the best explanation you are able to give for your nature and powers, then I am willing to accept it." Something almost guilty flashed across Phantom's face as he nodded.
"Oh come on, Kaldur. You can't be-"
"Kid, please." Aqualad closed his eyes, striving keep his tone patient. "I understand that this is not the most easy situation to comprehend. But after everything we have seen and done, I do not think it would be wise to dismiss the possibility out of hand." A touch of steel entered his voice. "In any case we are a team. Petty arguments do not aid our cause." The speedster's expression remained mutinous. He sighed. "Perhaps in this case the two of you can agree to disagree."
The ghost threw him a grateful look. "Fine by me."
Wally glowered for a moment before acquiescing with a short, sharp huff. "Okay. Yeah. Whatever." Tension poured out of the watching Team members at the words.
"Good," Kaldur smiled. Crisis averted for now. He glanced at the clock. "Perhaps we should continue." His gaze moved back to the speedster, "I do not believe we seen the mission souvenirs yet." Kid Flash rolled his eyes at the ploy but brightened anyway, accepting the olive branch with decent - if grouchy - grace.
"Great!" M'gann clapped her hands, practically radiating relief. "So, the souvenir room is this way." The others peeled themselves from the couches as she moved towards the door. "We'll need to go past the dorms to get there." She twisted to look at Zatanna and Conner. "Do you want to stop by your rooms?"
Conner shrugged.
"I'm fine with either," the sorceress still had half an eye on the newcomer.
Phantom looked between the three of them. "How many of you actually live here?"
"Well, Superboy, Zatanna and I are here full-time. There are also spare rooms, in case anyone needs to overnight on long missions…"
The group broke into clusters as they walked. Zatanna joined Miss Martian and Phantom near the front, Artemis tagging along a little further out. Robin lagged slightly, torn between joining them and walking with his best friend.
From his place a few feet behind, Kid Flash made a face at the ghost's retreating back.
A quiet sigh sounded as Superboy joined Kaldur at the rear.
"He's not going to drop it, is he?"
Their leader's lip twitched.
"Not a chance."
What's this? I'm not dead?
That's right. I'm back and Arc 2 is now on the go. I do apologise - 2 years is a frankly unreasonable and unfair amount of time to leave you all hanging. In my defence, this chapter has been the hardest write-up so far (nine drafts... nine). Also the longest. Lots of important information, not a whole lot of intense plot moments to carry it. Rest assured the coming chapters have more meat on their bones.
On the good side, we now have the whole team in play (minus Rocket - I'm sorry, I love her too, but I just didn't have enough reference material to feel confident writing her properly). On the downside, that means I now have to wrangle all of them on the regular. Yikes...
Again, I would love to hear constructive criticism. Taking on the whole cast while shaking off a year-and-a-bit of rust was mildly nerve-wracking - I would be eternally grateful if you would let me know how you think I did. (I am also eternally grateful to anyone who's stuck with this fic over its 2 obscene hiatuses.)
Chapter 15 Reference Game:
Thank you to everyone who has been playing find-the-reference in the reviews. Sharp spotting from Oceantears2, The Mishmosh Bird, Bananarock509, Synaps, Neeko96 and Shining Moon in Shadow who called the lines "'To Sleep Perchance'" and 'that was the question' as references to the famous monologue from Hamlet, Act 3, Scene I.
Other references include the Chapter title, copied from Chapter 18 of Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind (go read it, it's good), and Alfred's 'life goes on' line, quoted from Robert Frost.
If you want to come chat with me between chapters I now have a tumblr (threewaysdivided). My ask box is always open so feel free to drop by with any story questions, or just to yell at me for my heinous lack of anything resembling a release schedule (it has been more than a year). I'll also be posting YJ:DW-related writing updates, fan-art and bits of non-story analysis under their own dedicated tag if that kind of thing interests you.
As always, thanks for reading and please review. I will happily answer any and all PMs so feel free to do that too.
See you in the next one,
-3WD
(Quick note: As of this chapter's release I haven't seen the new season of YJ. For the sake of myself and other non-US fans I'd appreciate it if we could keep the reviews as Season-3-free as possible to avoid potential spoilers. Any references, jokes, similarities etc. are purely coincidental.)
Reading key in case of confusion:
"Quotation Marks" = Speech
'Italicised Inverted Commas' = Private thoughts
"Italicised Quotation Marks" = Telepathic Speech
Italicised Chapters/Blocks of Text = Flashbacks or Memories
(Italicisation of thoughts/telepathy/emphasis inverts during flashbacks)
