It's Halloween, and Danny wanted to take a break from the mortal world. It was all Valerie's idea really, the GIW and his parents have really been coming down hard on him lately. Danny's had way too many close calls then he cares to admit in this month alone, much less, the last few months.
With each fight, the two sides have been getting more intense and creative with their traps, ambushes, and stakeouts. It is getting to the point that Red Huntress is a hair's breath away from gluing herself to Phantom's side the second he decides to make an appearance, whether it's for fun, patrol, or heroing.
Danny knows better than to test her. He knows full well that Red is being completely literal with her threats if Danny doesn't get his act together and find a way to shut down both his parents and the GIW.
But you honestly can't blame him, it's harder than it looks you know. Not only does he have to keep his parents and the GIW separate and away from each other at all costs, but he also has to find a way at stopping his parents without the Leagues help, shut down the GIW, which he would most likely need the League's help for, but can't do that until he stop's his parents, and he has to do all this without his parents finding out what, or rather who he is, without getting cornered by Sam and Tucker, who have now begun searching for both Danny and Phantom (They just. Can't. Take. A. Hint!), and while just avoiding his parents in general, because Danny is literally unable to have a restful, full, night of sleep, patrol aside, inside that house anymore.
He can't even tell you the amount of sleep overs he's had at both Jazz's and Val's places the last two months. He's even crashed at many of his pals' in the ghost zones. Ember's and Johnny's are for weekends only, God only knows that she will keep him up all night so they jam out together, or cruising out through the zone with Johnny and Shadow with their bike, and just hang out and catch up with either of them. Dora and Frostbite are fun to visit during the week days, but Danny doesn't with crash at their places all that often since they both have their own kingdom, Dora, and tribe, Frostbite, to worry about and look after. The person he usually goes to, whenever he's not at Val's or Jazz's, is Clockwork's tower.
By this point, the Master of Time as a bed a space set aside for the halfa in the room he watches all of time in, the screening room you could call it. The dim lights of the Clockworks screens would act like a night light, the ticking of the tower his lullaby, and Clockwork's watchful eye that would routinely check on Danny was his comfort. With all that, Danny slept most peacefully at Clockwork's tower, which is why it's his usual go to.
Clockwork doesn't mind at all. He's not happy as to the 'why', but Clockwork is happy spending time with the young halfa. Asleep or not, it's nice to have company that comes regularly, practically daily.
Like clockwork (Lol I'm sorry-not-sorry X'D).
This night, however, Danny was over at Dorathea's castle. It's been a while since he's last visited her, and he thought she'd need the break and have the most fun watching scary movies with while gorging on Halloween candy.
Honestly, it's just to make Danny feel better about how scared he gets with horror movies. Johnny and Shadow purposefully scare him even more than necessary, Ember teases him relentlessly, Frostbite would be too confused about everything that's going on that Danny would just miss the movie explaining it all to him, and Clockwork is fun to watch movies with, but after a while, the Master of Time just can't himself, Clockwork would keep telling Danny spoilers. But with Dora, they can just be scared together as they drown their fear in candy and junk food, taking the occasional break, or a 'cool down movie' they called it, with happy, or not as scary, movies to watch like 'Nightmare before Christmas', 'It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown', 'Monster House', 'Corpse Bride', and a really old one Danny always like, 'The Halloween that Almost Wasn't'. A favorite he and Jazz would always watch at Halloween every time they get back from trick or treating.
The perfect Halloween in Danny's opinion. He'd have to remember to thank Valerie for the idea later. Probably in the next joint patrol, which is on the day after the next.
Currently, they were watching their third movie, which is one of their 'cool down movies'. So, the two were relaxed as they ate either Popcorn or Candy. Dora's movie room is exactly like your normal day to day living room, except with a ginormous flat screen TV. One of the few, if not only, modern rooms/places/objects in the kingdom. Curtesy of Danny and some of the other ghosts that come to visit Dora and her subjects.
It was near the end of the movie when Danny got a call on his communicator.
"Awww...", Danny groaned throwing his back to rest at the head of the couch, "Today is my day off~. Why does a world ending crisis has to happen now~?"
Dora just shook her head with a small, barely concealed giggle.
With one last over-the-top-non-needed-groan, Danny flipped open the communicator and answered.
"Phantom here.", Danny greeted the usual no-nonsense face of Batman along with... a demon? Alien? Maybe even a ghost, he wouldn't be all that surprised really.
Hey, he doesn't know all the ghosts in the ghost zone, just those that had frequently attacked both him and Amity Park.
"Who's your friend?", Danny asks as he peers, as closely as he can, at the new face on the screen.
"He's called Etrigan, a demon bonded with a man named Jason Blood.", Batman explained.
"Cool, the guy's name makes it sound like he's from Medieval times.", Danny comments casually.
"He was.", Etrigan growled, "He's cursed with me and eternal life."
"Oh...", Danny trails of awkwardly, not quite sure how to respond to that.
"He was one of the knights that had served King Arthur.", Batman answers Danny's unasked question, causing the halfa eyes to light up.
"Hey, that's close to your time Dora, heard of the name?", Danny asks curiously.
"Who?", Batman asks with a raised brow.
"Dorathea.", Danny answers as he scooches closer to the older female ghost so she could fit on the screen as well.
"Hello.", Dora greeted with a polite smile and wave.
"She's a ghost.", Danny explains, "A queen of the kingdom on her island in the ghost zone. Fun fact about her, she has an amulet that turns her into a dragon whenever she gets angry or in distress. Cool right?"
Dora held up said amulet, smiling proudly. Unable to help herself but preen at Danny's praise and small touch of gloating at the fact that he knows someone as 'cool' as her, as Danny puts it.
"Any relation to Morgan le Fay?", Batman asks (interrogates).
"Same one from the tales of King Arthur? 'Knights of the Round Table' Morgan le Fay?"
"There's only one witch with that name.", Etrigan hisses.
Sore topic.
Danny looks to Dora questionably, but she just shook her head.
"Nope.", Danny replies rather bluntly, "In fact, correct me if I'm not remembering correctly Dora, but the amulets have been passed down through her family for generations before it died out with her."
"Amulets? As in plural?", Batman eyes narrowed on the halfa, "We're not going to have to worry about flying angry ghost dragons, are we Phantom?"
When he puts like that, it does sound all kinds of crazy-wrong.
And exhausting to deal with.
"No, not anymore. There's one other that had belonged to Dora's tyrant older brother, Aragon.", Danny explains in quick summary of the full story, "We fought, over threw him, took his amulet away, and Dora became queen after banishing her brother. He wasn't a very nice ghost."
"Good.", Batman said, sounding satisfied with his answers, "Come to these coordinates, I'm sending them to you now. We have a problem."
"And I'm assuming it has something to do with Morgan le Fay.", Danny guessed.
"Yes.", Etrigan growls, Danny's pretty sure at this point that the demon just growls every time he speaks.
"You'd assume correctly.", Batman agrees.
"On my way."
"Oh, and Danny?"
Danny froze immediately, Batman rarely called his name unless it's important, "We need to have a chat about these ghosts of yours."
The halfa frowned and shook his head, "Sorry Bats, but just like how I protect the living from the dead, I also protect the dead from the living."
Batman frowned, but seemed to let it got, for now at least.
"Understood. See you soon.", Batman sounded reluctant, but the two both knew that he was not letting it go any time soon, just pushing it off to the side for now.
The Dark Knight is stubborn like that.
"Later.", Danny said in farewell before shutting the communicator to hang up.
Stuffing it in a hidden loop on his belt with a sigh, really not wanting to get up from his seat.
"Better go young Phantom.", Dora tells him good naturally, "We can always do this another time."
Danny just sighs, knowing she's right, "Yeah, I'll hold you to that. Sorry about that interrogation by the way."
Dora just waved it away, "All is forgiven. I can see it is from a place of care."
Danny raised a brow as he tries not to laugh, "Seriously? From Bats?"
"Yes, of course.", Dora replied, undeterred, "Why not?"
"It's not that I don't believe you, Batman is one of us that cares the most, despite how much he hides it.", Danny rambles a little, "He's just so hard to read, I can hardly believe you can tell anything from that brief conversation. I just recently figured out what I know now. And it took me months to get to it and understand it all."
"I've had to learn to read my brother in order to please him.", Dora explains casually, Danny tried not to stiffen at origin of the explanation, "He is a difficult person to read as well. It's how I got so good at it."
"I'll take your word for it then.", Danny says a little wryly, fidgeting uncomfortably now.
"You better, or else I'll make you watch the next horror film with Johnny and his Shadow.", Dora threatens.
Danny just stares at her, "Y'know, you can be very scary when you want to be."
Dora just smiles proudly, hardly bothered at all, "I know."
Danny just sighs, knowing it to be useless to argue with her.
"Now off you go young Halfa.", Dora shoos him off the couch, "Your team is waiting."
Danny takes off with a wave, "Happy Halloween Dora!"
He could just barely hear shout the same back before Danny was already out of the kingdom, flying through the zone. He checked the coordinates and was happy to see that one of the ghost doors, a natural portal, leads to an area not far from the coordinates.
So as quick as the light, Danny was off. He'd never thought he'd ever be on any medieval type adventure or quest outside of Dorathea and her people. It's kind of fun actually.
Especially since it has to do with the legendary story of King Arthur, his Knights of the Round Table, Merlin, and Camelot.
...
Danny was the last one to arrive, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, and Flash arrived only a couple of minutes before he did in the League's quinjet.
The minute he arrived and made himself known, Etrigan didn't beat around the bush, telling them everything. It's a little disturbing how far a powerful woman, such as le Fay, is willing to go to get her brat of a son what he wants.
"You say you've been trailing le Fay for centuries?", Wonder Woman asked curiously.
"In an unending game of cat and mouse.", Etrigan confirmed.
"Oof, I know the feeling.", Danny winces.
Yeah Danny knew the game of cat and mouse well, he was just at the other side than Etrigan is.
Etrigan nodded at the halfa, but spoke nothing of the casual comment, not even the other Leaguers realized that Danny was the mouse in his current game of chase.
"For the past generation she has hidden from me.", Etrigan tells the group, frustration clear in his grating echo voice, "But I'll never rest until her soul burns in the eternal pit!"
Flash raised a brow, looking a little unnerved by Etrigan's small rant.
"And I thought Bats was creepy.", Flash commented dryly.
But the childish man was quickly silenced but a harsh kick in the shin, courtesy of Danny. The only indignation of the speedster's pain was a quick wince, but that was gone almost as soon as it came.
Etrigan didn't notice the small exchange, snarling in Flash's face for the comment, refusing to back away. Despite his short-hunched stature, the only person the demon is taller than in the group is Danny, but even then, you can't tell because the teen was flying at everyone else's eye level, Etrigan is still very intimidating.
Flash was not wrong about the demon being creepy. Danny actually thinks that both Etrigan and Batman would give Fear Knight a run for his money on who can be scarier.
It took a minute of harsh deadly glaring, but Etrigan finally backed off, Batman stepped up next to him.
"How has she eluded you for so long?", Batman asks.
"The witch has an amulet which can sense when I'm drawing near.", Etrigan answered bluntly.
"With that stench, who needs an amulet?", Flash jibes quietly.
No sooner were the words out of the speedster's mouth, Etrigan was already holding him up in, about, a foot in the air by the collar of his suit.
"What?", the demon growled threatenly.
"Nothing.", Flash wisely said, for once keeping his mouth shut.
"Perhaps you should consider another approach.", J'onn stepped up peacefully.
Etrigan tossed Flash roughly to the ground before whirling to J'onn challengingly.
"And what do you suggest?", he demanded.
"I could try to locate her...", J'onn volunteered, "... telepathically."
Danny didn't like the idea of that, it felt wrong.
"Are you sure J'onn?", Danny piped up before the Martian could try, "I don't think that's a really could idea. She's a mistress of all magic, wouldn't be safe to say telepathic and mental type magic would be part of that as well?"
J'onn stared deeply into Danny's glowing toxic green eyes, thinking over what the halfa said.
"I understand the risks, but it is the best idea we have.", J'onn said reassuringly.
J'onn placed a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder, "I am grateful for your concern, but let me try."
Danny opened and closed his mouth for a second, like a fish, before nodding his head and floating back to give J'onn the space he may need. J'onn sent Danny a miniscule smile before closing his eyes in concentration, then opening them as they glowed brightly.
But barely a minute passed before J'onn suddenly screamed grabbing his head in pain as he collapsed, his eyes no longer glowing before following shut.
"J'onn!", Batman calls out worriedly as the whole group raced forward to the fallen Martian's side.
"Is he okay?", Flash asks.
"If I had to guess, it looks like some sort of psychic attack.", Batman answered grimly.
"The witch.", Etrigan snarls.
"Is there anything we can do?", Diana asks, her hands rubbing J'onn's back.
Danny wasn't sure if it was for her comfort, J'onn's comfort, or to try and wake them. He wouldn't be all that surprised if it turned out to be all three.
Batman scowl was answer enough to Wonder Woman's question.
"I think I can do something."
The four adults looked up to see Danny flying closely above looking nervous. The Leaguers haven't seen him this nervous since he was yelled at by the giant ghost of Pandora after she brought him back from the Ghost Zone.
"What do you mean?", Etrigan snarls, tilting his head in question, sounding... as curious as he probably will ever sound.
"I... call it Overshadowing.", Danny explains hesitantly, "But it's more commonly known as possession. When I do it, which I rarely do for the record, I have the ability to delve into the person I'm Overshadowing's mind. I can block it out, push it away and not look, but the option is there."
Danny paused, waiting for some sort of reaction. But there is none, they all just stared at him expectantly.
'Well?", Etrigan asked impatiently.
"Well, if we want to know, even help J'onn. There's a chance if I Overshadowed him and looked into his mind, I can see what's wrong and help.", Danny finished quickly, barely even taking a breath as he spoke.
Luckily he doesn't need to breath as Phantom.
The four adults shared a look. Etrigan, surprisingly, being the first to nod his head in approval, then Flash nodded, and, finally, Wonder Woman nodded in agreement as well. She was the one who looked the most hesitant out of the adults. But she is still willing, so that's at least something.
"Do it.", Batman ordered firmly, leaving no room for arguments.
With a deep breath, trying to psych himself up, Dany turned intangible and flew into Martian Manhunter.
Suddenly J'onn's eyes flew open and he stood up to his feet, his sudden movement caused the group to back up in surprise. The moment he was on his feet, J'onn stood still, not moving a single muscle. As if he were a statue.
"J'onn?", Wonder Woman calls out hesitantly.
"Nope.", J'onn voiced cliptly, popping the 'p' as he did so.
Flash and Wonder Woman shared an unsure glance, the former shrugging as they did so, while Batman stared at the Martian stoically, and Etrigan's eyes narrowed as he studied J'onn carefully.
But J'onn kept his back to them, staring out into space, brows furrowed in concentration, and lips twisted into a frown as a sign of strain. The clearly shown emotions on the Martians face were startling to see on their usually stoic teammate. They all circled around until they were facing him to see J'onn's eyes glowing a familiar toxic green.
"Danny?", Flash asks, sounding awed and not as hesitant as Wonder Woman.
Martian Manhunter hummed in confirmation, his eyebrows furrowing even more.
"Can't talk.", Danny said, using J'onn's voice, "Can't tell if it's him or her. But I need to push a little more too-!"
Without being able to finish, J'onn's body suddenly crumpled once more, only this time, Wonder Woman was just barely able to catch him.
"He's found it.", Etrigan announces, almost sounding surprised, "You have a resourceful little imp."
The demon didn't let anyone comment on what he called Danny. Instead, he swiftly scooped up the unconscious Martian from Wonder Woman's arms and marched over to the Javelin, with J'onn slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Come. The witch most likely knows where we are now.", Etrigan said in all seriousness, leaving no room for argument, "We must leave. Now."
…...
Opened his eyes with a groan as he slowly stood up and took in his surroundings. Holding a hand to his pounding head, a side effect after pushing through strong mental barriers that shielded J'onn's mind.
He knows he's inside of J'onn's mind. Inside whatever cruel illusion Morgan le Fay has given the poor Martian.
Danny turned to see what looked like a tall female Martian, in her natural form, standing behind J'onn who was looking up at their landscape in both shock and awe. It wasn't long before Danny was able to deduce that they were on Mars before they were attacked by the Invaders.
"J'onn!", Danny called out, quickly gaining the Martian's attention.
"Danny...?", J'onn called back questionable, neither males noticed the female Martian's frown behind him.
Danny quickly flew over, halting in front of the two Martians, despite the short distance, the halfa felt out of breath. It felt like he ran a Marathon. He could faintly feel a small force, growing stronger by the second, try to pull him out. But Danny struggled and fought back.
He can't leave! He has to help J'onn!
"J'onn the others are worried. You just screamed then collapsed.", Danny explained in a rush.
"The others?", J'onn was about to turn to face Danny, but the woman was quick to regain the older male's attention.
The female Martian walked in front of J'onn, wrapping her arms around his neck lovingly.
"I missed you, my husband.", the female Martian said happily, "And so have the children."
Oh, this is going to hurt.
J'onn removed himself from his wife's grasp, backing up slowly, looking visibly shaken.
"They're alive too?", he asks in disbelief.
"J'onn, no.", Danny placed his hand on J'onn's shoulder in hopes to both comfort and ground the still grieving Martian, "We're in your mind. We're stuck in your mind. You know this, deep down, you know this is all an illusion."
"It's not."
They both turned to the female, she held out a hand.
"Come...", she smiles gently at the duo, "... see for yourself."
"J'onn no.", Danny hissed, "It's not real. You must know this."
J'onn barely heard the halfa, taking his wife's hand in his own. But they didn't leave just yet. Instead, J'onn's wife turned to Danny with a welcoming warm smile.
"You can come too.", she invited, her smile inviting and warm.
It reminded him of Jazz whenever she managed to get the two of them out of the house and do something Danny's age at the time. Like go to the park, go out for ice cream, or even out to the movies, if she manages to get enough money for it.
The female Martian's smile was of that of a mother.
And it surprised Danny so much, took him completely off guard, that he didn't even fight back when J'onn took his arm and lead the floating boy to his home with his wife.
It wasn't long before Danny managed to snap himself out of it, quick to shove the small sting and hurt away as he tried to whisper some sense into J'onn.
"J'onn you have to fight back.", Danny whispers urgently, "All of this? None of it is real. It's all in your head. You have to snap out of it."
"But it's Mars, Danny. Just like it was before the Invaders.", J'onn argues back, just as quietly, "It's all here. I'd know it all like the back of my hand. The smells, the sights, the sounds, all of it..."
J'onn slid his hand across the railing of the bridge the group were crossing to get to a specific tower, their destination, which is most likely J'onn's old home.
"... even the touch.", J'onn said softly, eyes glazed over with intense emotion, "I remember it all so well, despite the time that's past."
"Exactly, you remember it all.", Danny pushed, "Keyword 'remember', as in your memory, which is a part of your mind. Morgan le Fay is using it all against you J'onn."
"Danny, please understand, it's everything I've ever hoped for. Dreamed even.", J'onn was pleading now, "Let me live it."
"And that's my point exactly. Your hopes and dreams, le Fay is using it all against you!", Danny protested, hoping to talk some sense int the Martian.
He knew the moment J'onn's expression darkened and the pull on him strengthened, that he had failed. J'onn didn't like what he was hearing from Danny, not at all.
J'onn glared, "If you won't let me stay, then get out."
"Wha-!?"
"OUT!"
Danny suddenly felt as if every inch of his body is on fire, as he was sent careening back and out of J'onn's mind.
…
It wasn't even a couple minutes after the Javelin and its passengers have taken off, when J'onn began to suddenly glow a golden-green glow with electric-like sparks flashing and sparking from his body as his back arched from the chair he sat in.
They could hear a scream, but it wasn't J'onn and it sounded as if it was farther away, as if it were only down a corridor, but it soon got louder and closer.
Suddenly Danny was thrown from J'onn's body, incased in golden-green electricity. Danny screamed as he flew back from the Martian's body he was kicked out of, until he landed on his back. The golden-green electricity disappeared and the halfa slumped and was unconscious before anyone could say a word.
Batman and Etrigan were the first to react, hurrying over to Danny's unmoving form.
Automatically, Batman searched for a pulse on the teen's neck, but Etrigan grabbed his wrist with a raised brow.
"Why search for the imp's pulse when he has none?", Etrigan questions with narrowed eyes.
Batman stared back, unyielding, and gave no answer. Etrigan didn't need one anyway, he knew full well why. Most of the time, they forget what the imp truly is.
"The imp is fine.", Etrigan informs the group as he gets back to his feet, stalking towards J'onn, "He'll wake sooner than later."
He purposefully placed his hand at the Martian head, careful to keep his fingertips at all points of his temple, and began to work his magic. Literally.
…...
It wasn't all that long after when Danny woke back up with a groan, he felt sore all over. Like when he first started using his powers, or whenever he over does it with his ghostly wail.
Flash must have heard Danny's groan because in less than a second, the speedster was the halfa's side.
"Hey kid, welcome back.", Flash beamed then turned to the others, "Hey guys, look who's up as well!"
Danny shakily got back up on his feet, only to be swept off of them not even a second later, by none other than Wonder Woman, who held him in a tight hug.
If he weren't a ghost, he'd expect a few broken bones from how tight she held Danny.
"Danny.", Wonder Woman sighed before placing him back down on his feet.
"I told you the imp was fine.", Etrigan comments tightly.
Danny blinked at the demon from the... nickname? That doesn't sound like the rough demon at all. Why was he an imp actually?
"Yeah, speaking of, why're you calling Danny an imp?", Flash asks, the question's been bothering him for a while now.
"Because that what he is or, at least, what he feels like.", Etrigan replies simply, "He's an imp, a baby devil or demon."
Flash's grin widened while Wonder Woman attempted to hide her amused smile that perked up her lips as well.
"You hear that, Danny? You're a baby now.", Flash teased.
Danny just groans pitifully, "End me~."
He's really regrets wondering the 'why' now.
Flash shrugs, smile never faltering, "Too late for that bud."
Wonder Woman slaps Flash's shoulder, a little harder than necessary.
"Ow!", Flash shouts as he stumbles back, rubbing his now sore shoulder.
At this point, Flash seems to be the only one to understand that Danny is actually dead or, at least, he's dead as Phantom. Everyone knows that he's dead, but no one but Flash really acknowledges it. Flash is the only one to joke about Danny's death and the fact that he's a ghost with the halfa.
It's nice really.
For someone, besides his sister, to acknowledge the fact that Danny had, indeed, died at one point. It doesn't make Danny as uncomfortable in his own skin like he is at home or more so in the past. It still happens from time to time presently. But not as much anymore, thanks to Jazz, Flash, and his allies in the Ghost Zone.
"What happened?", Danny asks, deciding to bring everything back on track.
"When you 'Overshadowed' the Martian and went into his mind, the witch was trying to kick you out the entire time, which is why it was so hard to get in and, I'm guessing, to stay.", Etrigan explains, "But when the Martian wanted you out as well, it was just what the witch needed to kick out all the way."
"You flew out of J'onn as if you were thrown by a giant sling shot or something.", Flash pipes in, still rubbing his sore shoulder.
"There were some nasty side effects from your departure.", Batman adds on, "You were unconscious practically the moment you landed on the floor."
"Is J'onn okay?", Danny asks, "Where is he?"
The group turned to the front of the jet where Martian Manhunter stood silently, having not moved, or said a word, the entire time since Danny has awoken.
"J'onn?", Danny calls out, but was ignored.
"Did you locate le Fay?", Batman asks after a pause in silence.
J'onn turned and looked almost as if nothing happened.
"No, but I did sense she hasn't found the stone yet.", Martian manhunter replies monotonously.
"Thank Hera for that.", Diana says in relief.
"Before she lashed out at me, I heard the words 'archeologists' and 'castle'.", Martian Manhunter informs them.
Batman looked down, seemingly in deep thought, before raising his head in determination.
"It's a start.", Batman says going to the controls of the jet.
Danny bit his lip as he rested his chin on one hand which was supported by resting his elbow on his other arm that was crossed over his stomach.
When an idea hit him, he could see the light bulb appearing above his head the moment it hit him.
"Hey the castle we were just at, that's where the Stone's supposed to be, right?"
Batman stared at Danny intently with a nod.
"And a couple of archeologists have to have found it.", Danny continues his thought process, "If the stone wasn't here like it was supposed to be, what if one of the archeologists took the Stone, and kept it for themselves. If not then, at the very least, le Fay must believe that one of them did, which is why she thought the word archeologists."
Batman raised a brow, but a small smile was all Danny needed to see to know that Batman liked what Danny said.
"Good thinking.", high praise from Batman, "Now we have a lead."
...
Danny flew in through the open doors that lead to the study where Etrigan, Batman, and Martian Manhunter were already there. He got distracted by a call from his parents, as they left for Henry Moss's mansion.
His parents, apparently, couldn't find a certain ghost they trapped a couple days ago, who was apparently free. Most likely rescued by his other evil ghostly friends, they had told him. Apparently, it was a miracle that the house and lab weren't destroyed when the abomination was freed.
Unbeknownst to his parents, he actually freed the ghost, helped him through the portal and flew the ghost back to his home in the ghost zone. The only thing destroyed in the entire house from the occurrence was the notes his parents had from their research on the ghost that was all destroyed by Danny.
He's actually lucky they didn't notice. Or if they did, they must have just chalked it up to the fact that Jack had lost them or accidently put them in the trash.
It's honestly has happened before. You'd be surprised by how often that actually happens.
Long story short, Jack and Maddie just called to tell him that the ghost escaped and wanted to know if he knew or saw anything about it, but just didn't get the chance to tell them.
No surprise, Danny lied and hung up after they informed him they were going ghost hunting for the rest of the night. Both hoping that Phantom, Danny, would be out that night and that they'd be able to catch him again.
Danny heavily sighs, the phone feeling heavy in his hand as it hung limply at his side. With deep calming breath, Danny flipped the phone close and stuffed in in a hidden pocket on his suit.
He was quick to fly in the archeologists, admittedly impressive, study, only to falter in mid-flight, coming to a halt at the sight of Martian Manhunter, Batman, and Etrigan kneeling next to an unconscious body of Henry Moss.
"What happened? Did we get here too late?", Danny asked hurriedly as he swiftly floated to their side, looking over the old man worriedly.
"No, it was Etrigan.", Batman explained curtly.
"He's in shock.", J'onn informed the group, "But he'll recover."
"Why bother with him? He'll pass on in a few years anyway.", Etrigan comments uncaringly, not even looking a little apologetic.
It honestly unnerved Danny a little by the blunt statement. And Danny does what Danny does best when he feels uncomfortable, he jokes.
"Well I don't know about the status of the above and below, but the Ghost Zone has enough people. I say let's try to keep as many people out of them as possible.", Danny chimes lightly, his voice wavered a little as he spoke, "At least, that's my personal opinion."
Thanks to the waver when he spoke, everyone knew how much the talk of death and the like actually bothered the halfa. But thankfully, no one commented about it, not even Etrigan.
But Danny wouldn't be surprised f he brought it up later.
J'onn placed a hand to Henry Moss's forehead, eyes glowing as he read his mind.
"He knows nothing of the Stone.", J'onn reported, "The relic is not here."
Etrigan swiped his hand at Moss's desk, smashing a lamp and breaking many other things on the floor in his fit of rage.
"Blast!", the demon snarled, "But if Moss doesn't have it. Then maybe Hickman does."
"So, what's the plan then?", Danny asks, sitting criss-cross in the air, hands in his lap with his elbows on his knees, "Do we go join the others? Or stay here and hope to slow Morgan le Fay down?"
"Why slow her down when we can just take her out?", Etrigan asks, punching a fist to his open palm for emphasis.
Danny tilted his head, not answering right away so he could choose the right words that would not anger the hot-tempered demon.
"You are the expert when it comes to le Fay, I have the feeling it won't be that easy.", Danny hypothesized with a shrug, "If anything, we annoy her for a bit, she'd know the Stone is not here, then she'd leave for Rickman."
Etrigan just growled stomping over to the fire place. Because he didn't shoot back a retort, the others knew he silently agreed with what Danny was saying.
"So that means we have two choices.", J'onn says contemplatively, "Either we slow her down here, or let her search for the stone."
"Either way, it ends with her leaving for Rickman.", Danny comments helpfully.
"So the question is, which will take longer?", Batman hums, holding his chin with his pointer finger and thumb.
...
Danny, Etrigan, and Batman all stood, or floated in Danny's case, at the Bell Tower that overlooked Moss's mansion, Batman using binoculars in order to see Moss sitting peacefully in his chair by the fire place with a hot drink, as if nothing had happened.
"Le Fay may not know that Moss doesn't have the stone. If she comes, we'll be waiting.", Batman informed the other two as he calmly raised the binoculars to his eyes.
"I still don't trust that Martian.", Etrigan speaks plainly, "He's damaged goods."
Danny turns to the demon with a raised brow. This was the first he was hearing of it. But apparently, it wasn't a first for Batman.
"I trust J'onn with my life.", Batman tells Etrigan firmly, leaving no room for doubt.
"I'll send flowers.", was all Etrigan said in return.
The two would've turned away if Danny didn't speak up.
"None of us should be here. We shouldn't trust each other so much.", Danny speaks with a monotonous tone, face blank, toxic green eyes glowing brighter in the night than usual, the echo that was always there when the spoke sounded more pronounced, louder, more noticeable.
Danny acted absolutely emotionless. It was haunting.
The two adults looked at the floating Halfa who didn't look at either of them once, glowing eyes focused on the mansion.
"Why say that imp?", Etrigan finally asks, sounding more curious than hurt by the halfa's words.
Danny's answer was immediate.
"Because we're all, as you say, 'damaged goods'."
Batman smirked while Etrigan still looked confused.
"Explain.", he demanded.
Finally, his expression lightened, his eyes and his voice dulled and quieted, Danny went back to normal, but held a serious expression on his face as he turned to Etrigan, looking deep into the demon's eyes.
"Because following by your logic, being hurt like we all constantly are, including you, makes us untrustworthy and unable to do our jobs as heroes. Unworthy even.", Danny explains to the silent demon, "You can never get out over something like this unscathed. I literally died to get where I am today. Diana is unable to return to her home. And J'onn lost everything before he came here to warn us of the Invaders. All that are not things you can just easily get over. Even you have your own scars, it's why you are the way you are. It's why your always so angry... especially when it comes to le Fay."
Once again, Etrigan remained silent, having nothing to say to deny Danny's words. He turned back to the mansion with a huff.
"So don't be too quick to judge any of us.", Danny finished with finality as he too turned back to the mansion.
Only to turn over to Batman who had a hand on Danny's shoulder, a small smirk on his lips. Danny swore he even looked proud. Nevertheless, Danny returned the smile with a small bright one of his own before the two turned back to the mission at hand.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the windows, Batman lowered the binoculars with a scowl.
"She's here.", Etrigan growls before leaping off the tower.
Batman sighs before grappling behind them, and Danny flew behind the two. Etrigan crashed through the top large window, landing nimbly on his feet, Batman not too far behind, while Danny stayed in the air. All heading for woman and a boy that stood int the middle of the room.
The woman can be none other than le Fay.
Led Fay is a tall woman with a beautiful magenta dress that showed her curves, with a golden chest plate-like armor. A emerald jewel in the center of the chest, her raven hair is stacked high on her head, and Danny couldn't see her face at all, for she wore a golden mask that concealed it, along with a golden choker that took up her entire neck, and a golden headdress.
The boy had to be Danny's age when he first became Phantom and had died, he wore royal purple noble clothing from medieval times, along with a cap, he had blond hair that reached his jaw and framed his sharp face, and ice blue eyes, almost exactly like Danny's when he's human except the boy's eyes are a shade darker.
Le Fay thrust out her hands and a golden-green energy wave spread from them, aiming at the three heroes while J'onn slowly regained himself on the floor.
Both Batman and Etrigan dove out of the way, but Danny's eyes and hand glowed toxic green as he threw his hands up creating a ghost shield that the magic bounced off harmlessly and hit the floor instead. Quickly, not even a moment later, Danny dropped the shield and fire an ectoblast from both hands. But le Fay created a shield of her own, Danny's attack slamming into it without any trouble.
"Interesting...", mused le Fay as she regarded Danny.
But she didn't get to study him much longer because Etrigan shot hell fire at the incredibly old, but young looking, witch.
"Burn witch!", shouts Etrigan as he blasted his fire.
But just as she did with Danny, le Fay just created a shield that easily blocked the attack.
"Still so bitter my love?", le Fay asked mockingly, fireing a golden-green blast at Etrigan, it slammed into his chest before any of them could do anything.
Batman threw a batarang and Danny fired another, but stronger, ectoblast. Once again, le Fay blocked the two attacks with hardly any trouble at all.
At this point, both Etrigan and J'onn were now both back on their feet, ready to join, or rejoin in Etrigan's case, the fight.
"My'ria'h?", J'onn suddenly said, his eye glazed over as if he were seeing something else, "My'ria'h..."
He reached out to nothing while le Fay charge up a blast, aimed for the Dark Knight.
"J'onn snap out of it!", Batman shouts, but J'onn wasn't listening.
Morgan le Fay fired her magic blast, Danny tried to help Batman by throwing a ghost shield in front of him, but it was too fast for Danny to make a very strong one, and le Fay had all the time she needed to charge up a very strong blast.
It broke right through Danny's ghost shield, and hit Batman in the chest, sending him flying into Etrigan who flew back and the two crashed into the wall, creating a hole as they crashed right through the wall. Neither getting back up.
Danny turned only to see another golden-green flash heading right for him. Danny instinctively turned intangible just barely in time for the blast to pass right through him.
"Just what are you?", le Fay tilted her head curiously, "You are certainly no demon."
She fired another shot at the exact same time Danny fired his own stream of ectoplasm. The two beams met in the middle and fought viscously for dominance, both moving back and forth, until, suddenly, le Fay's eyes glowed brightly and sparked, causing her beam to widen and swiftly over taking Danny's beam and slamming right into the Halfa, who let out a shout from the impact as he flew over Etrigan and Batman's bodies, tumbling several feet away before skidding to a halt.
Black edge Danny's vision as he groggily watched Morgan le Fay and the boy, enter the hole Batman and Etrigan had created.
"Come.", le Fay tells her son, "What we seek is obviously not here."
Danny watched as the two were incased in a golden aura and flew away, Danny's vision falling dark as he watched the two get away.
He had honestly thought they'd be able to hold her off just a little longer. Obviously, that's not the case.
…...
"Wake up little Imp."
Danny groaned, as he opened his eyes, blinking them rapidly as he tried to wake completely up.
Etrigan was, apparently, not all that patient to wait for the young Halfa to regain his bearings. Roughly grabbing Danny by the back of his suit and carrying him over to where Batman and J'onn stood, the former putting back on his cape as they approached.
"I'm sorry Phantom, my inaction has caused both you and Batman to be injured.", the Martian apologized sincerely.
Danny blinked at J'onn, his core twisting in dread as he remembered what had happened.
"O-oh...", Danny stumbled over his words as he glanced over to Batman, who seemed to be in a dark mood, scowling at the floor, Etrigan wasn't much better.
And he still has yet to put Danny back down.
"That's alright J'onn, I-uh- I get it."
J'onn nodded hesitantly, not seemingly to believe Danny. And the thing that made Danny's core twist even more was the fact that he was sure if her believed himself either.
"We have to hurry, le Fay is attacking Hickson's manor as we speak.", Batman cuts in, voice sharp, "You two help the others with le Fay and the Stone, J'onn and I will stay here to set up it's containment."
Why does Danny feel like Batman doesn't want J'onn anywhere near le Fay and wants to keep a close eye on him for now?
Probably because it's most likely exactly that.
"Let's go then.", Danny nodded, making to fly off to the Javelin, only to be held fast, unable to go anywhere.
Etrigan is still holding Danny by the back of his suit.
"Uh, you can let me go now...?", Danny tells the demon, unsure, his statement sounding more like a question.
"No.", Etrigan just said bluntly, offering no other explanation before marching off to the Javelin with the Halfa in hand.
…...
The minute they landed, Danny could already see the manor in chaos, guests in costumes running frantically out of the manor in panic.
"Well, at least we know we've got the right place.", Danny chirped brightly with a nervous chuckle.
Etrigan just grunts as he races inside, Danny right on his tail. When the two got there, Wonder Woman was struggling to pull a rectangular prism stone, obviously the Philosopher's Stone, that is covered in a now familiar golden-green glow and just milometers in le Fay's grasp before Etrigan was quick to send a blast of Hellfire at le Fay, sending her crashing into the wall.
Allowing Diana to fly several feet back, holding the Stone protectively to her chest.
"Fools!", shouts Etrigan, "Why are you still here? You have the Stone. Run!"
Wonder Woman was very against that.
"I never run from a battle.", Wonder Woman says indignantly.
"It's not running when you're holding the most powerful relic in the world that the bad guy wants really really bad.", Danny retorts, causing Diana to pause and listen to Etrigan.
"Get the Stone as far away as you can.", ordered Etrigan, "I'll handle the which."
"Hornhead's right.", Flash agreed, speeding to their side, "Go!"
"Alright.", Wonder Woman agreed reluctantly, "But get these people out of here!"
"You got it.", Flash smirked before speeding off.
"Don't stop for anything!", Etrigan shouts as Wonder Woman flies off.
"We've got your back!", Danny reassured her as he turned invisible, hoping to catch le Fay off guard once she remerges.
Suddenly, there was a loud clatter and Danny whirled around to see le Fay floating above the rubble she was just buried in, hands tucked in her sleeves.
Speak of the Devil.
Danny may not be able to see her expression, but he could tell, she was beyond ticked.
"Stand aside monster.", le Fay ordered as she waved Etrigan away.
"I stood aside for you once. Never again!", Etrigan shouts, his hands lighting on fire and he shot a blast of flames at le Fay.
She summoned her shield and Etrigan's Hellfire bounced off and slammed back into him instead, throwing him back to the ground with a grunt.
"Is that the best you can do, my immortal beloved?", le Fay asked condescendingly.
Danny watched this all happen, and continued to watch as she continuously blasted Etrigan as he shielded some of the stragglers from the crumbling manor, only dropping the shields when Flash comes to take them away to safety.
Turning to check on Etrigan, only to see the demon limp on the floor with le Fay standing over his body.
"Time to finish this, with more than just a kiss.", le Fay told Etrigan coldly, her eyes glowing brightly.
But just as she fired, Danny sped in front of Etrigan, dropping his invisibility and summoned a ghost shield, causing the magic to rebound back at le Fay. Who shouted in pain and outrage as she stumbled back, clutching her face.
Danny felt a blast of wind from behind, just barely able to catch Flash from the corner of his eye, who had Etrigan in hand, speeding away from the angered sorceress. Danny thought it was safe to follow the speedster's example.
Quickly, soaring after Flash and Etrigan, Danny's legs melded together into a tail, increasing his speed as he flew as fast as he could, out of the manor. He can hear loud screams of rage echoing from behind, the Halfa looked over his shoulder to see the manor explode with black-red smoke and lightning.
"Some temper tantrum.", Danny muttered before increasing his speed.
Flying all the way up to the Watchtower, knowing the others were fine and on their way as well.
...
Batman, Danny, Wonder Woman, Etrigan, and Flash all stood in front of the thick security doors that lead to the vault that would soon become the Philosopher Stone's new home.
Flash held the stone carefully in his hands, when the doors open, he walked up to the pedestal and placed the Stone in the middle where claw-like appendages popped out and pinned the Stone in place. A blue forcefield column surrounded the cube as Flash walked back out, placing his hand on the scanner, and as the electronics buzzed and clicked, the Vault doors sealed themselves shut.
"Ha, I like see her try and get it now.", Flash states triumphantly.
"Be careful what you wish for little man.", Etrigan warned, his tone foreboding.
"Well aren't you a ray of sunshine.", Flash snarked, turning to face the shorter being, "As far as I'm concerned, this mission's over. The world's safe again and I, for one, am going to kick back."
With that said, Flash confidently swaggered off, without a care in the world.
"So go find some other house to haunt!", he taunted over his shoulder.
"Why did I feel like he just jinxed us?", Danny muttered with a groan.
Batman just looked at the Halfa with a raise brow as if to say 'what did you expect?'.
"He didn't mean that.", Diana told Etrigan sympathetically.
"Do you think I care?", Etrigan retorted callously.
Diana scowled as the demon walked off. But Danny couldn't help feel bad for him. When you think about, when you've lived as long as Etrigan, chasing after a condescending, evil, back stabbing, cold-hearted witch for as long as he has, most likely having to suffer many people trying kill him out of fear or ridiculing him in the process over the years. You wouldn't really care much about anything either.
Only the mission.
With a small hesitant at Diana and the Batman, one staring back at him questionably, while the other looked back knowingly. Danny turned back and flew after Etrigan.
It wasn't all that hard, catching up with him.
"Hey.", Danny greeted casually.
"What do you want Imp?", Etrigan asked irritably.
"Do I have to want something?", Danny questioned with a raised brow.
"Yes, you always do.", Etrigan hissed, "People, demons, and witches. You all want something."
Danny nodded agreeably, "True true. So what?"
"Hmm?", Etrigan hummed aggressively.
"Well, if none of us wanted anything, what's the point of living, or, you know, existing?"
Etrigan seemed to debate with himself for a second before nodding at Danny to continue, "Go on..."
"We all pass through life wanting something, whether it's a need, goal, selfish greed, or even an impossible wish, we all desire something for ourselves.", Danny describes.
"I know all this, what's your point?", Etrigan snaps.
"My point is, those desires are what keeps us going. They motivate us, gives us the will to live and continue on. It's part of what makes us sentient beings. Ghosts, like me, are proof towards that. We all have an obsession, and literally cannot exist without it. It's part of how our cores are formed.", Danny patiently explains, "Another large example, one I believe you'll understand the most, better than even me, is you."
Etrigan raises an skeptical brow, "Me?"
"Yes you.", Danny confirms with a nod of his head, "And all I have do to do to explain it all and for you to understand, is one simple question."
The demon narrowed his eyes, not once believing the boy could do what he says.
"What?", Etrigan growls.
"What would you do, if you no longer had to hunt Morgan le Fay?", Danny asked, causing Etrigan to immediately freeze in place, "Doesn't matter the how, whether someone else took the hunt, or you succeeded, or even she somehow died, what would you do, without your mission?"
Etrigan couldn't answer, nor did he need to.
They both knew the answer that question.
Danny smiles before flying away backwards, still facing Etrigan.
"See? Told you I get you to understand.", Danny calls back with a small chuckle before turning back and flying off to go find the others.
He knows Etrigan needs time alone to think over everything. To think deeply about his purpose, and his mission in life. Thinking what he would do, when it's all over.
Danny knows all this, because he needed to do the exact same thing when he learned how truly important an obsession was to a ghost. More importantly, at the time, Danny also had to figure what his obsession even is. Scared he die because he had no idea what it even was at the time.
When faced to face with your purpose and desires, you need time, and time alone, to think through it all.
It's what Clockwork gave Danny, so it's what Danny's giving Etrigan.
...
Some time has passed, and Etrigan was perched on one of the high walls, watching Wonder Woman, Danny, and Batman intently, wrapped up in his cape, but he still seemed to be lost in thought.
Danny's conversation with him must still be clear in his mind.
Wonder Woman walked past Etrigan, never once looking up at him, with the last crate in hand. Gently setting it down while Batman looked over a clipboard and Danny floated in front of the two, having finished his last crate just before Diana.
"Flash is right.", Diana starts off, "There's something unsettling about your friend. When he stares, it's like he's looking at my very soul."
"Some ghosts are like that back in the Zone.", Danny chimes in, "It's how they can read your deepest secrets and desires for whatever their purpose and obsessions are. A vain ghost I know, named Spectra, is like that. It's weird and creepy at first, but you get used to it. It's part of who and what they are after all. No one can control that, not even them."
"True.", Batman states, agreeing with both heroes' points, "But I rather have him with us than against us."
Suddenly there was an echoing clack that sounded quietly throughout the room, lights flickering and flashing as it did so.
"That can't be good.", Danny comments apprehensively.
Etrigan glared at the flickering lights and then he stood up, throwing his cape back, hands out at his sides, at the ready, his eyes narrowed as they scanned the area.
Then the lights went dark.
"We are not alone.", Etrigan stated hauntingly.
With that said, several armored ogres appeared, marching forward towards the group menacingly, each carrying their respective medieval weapon.
The lights flickered back on and Flash came running in, oblivious to the current danger they were all in.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?", he asked them.
"They did!", Danny points behind the speedster, who followed Danny's finger to see the growling and groaning beasts.
"Yikes!", exclaims Flash.
From the crates above Flash, Etrigan shot out a blast of Hellfire at the ogres. There was a loud explosion, and the group watched the wall of fire, created by Etrigan's attack, in anticipation. Waiting to see if any of the ogres survived the attack.
Just when it seemed that all were gone, the group were disappointed to see the beasts marching through the flames as if they were nothing. Danny swore he herd Etrigan growl in frustration.
Batman was the first act, throwing a bola that tripped on of the charging ogres. Danny quickly followed his lead, firing several ectoblasts at the battalion of beasts.
Some were hardly bothered from where the blasts hit, while others crashed to the floor, taken out by the attacks.
Suddenly, Danny shouts in surprise as he felt a bruising grip on is ankle, if he was a normal human being, his ankle would've been broken from such a tight grip.
"A little help here!", Danny hears from Flash.
But the halfa has his own problems, just as he was about to fly away to shake off the ogre, another jumped up and grabbed his other ankle.
"Sorry, a little busy here!", Danny called back apologetically through gritted teeth.
Danny cursed violently in Esperanto, even sailors would cringe at the use of the violent and colorful cursing he was coming up with. Fortunately, though, Danny saw Wonder Woman help out Flas from the corner of his eye, but the halfa had his own problems to deal with.
Clenching his jaw tightly, repressing a growl of frustration, Danny's eyes glowed brighter, as did his hands, and with a strong powerful ectoblast, the two ogres immediately were forced to release their holds and crashed into the floor, creating twin metal-dents-craters from the power of Danny's attack.
But more are still coming, the group slowly backing up together, all about to be cornered. All heavily outnumbered.
"Where's J'onn?", Wonder Woman asked, a hint of worry in her tone.
Danny looked left and right before looking up at the large column that was the center of satellite and the multiple platforms floors above.
"Up! Go up!", Danny shouts, taking the lead as he flew up the center piece, circling it as he did so.
Wonder Woman flew up as well, close behind Phantom, Batman followed up next, using his grapple gun, Flash used his super speed to run straight up, and, with a mighty roar, Etrigan leaped up as high as he could and then he used his claws to climb, the ogres climbing up behind him, but at a slower pace.
Danny fired multiple ectoblasts, many hit their marks, but they were slowly becoming not enough to stop them. Because with each one Danny seems to take down, three more just take their place! Danny dived down, punching two in the jaw, and then kicking one in the face.
Two ogres tried to surprise him from behind, but Danny's eyes turned a glowing icy blue, his hands glowing the same color as well and he shot two ice blue beams that quickly encased the two armored ogres. When, Danny stopped his barrage, eyes going back to their usual toxic green glow, the two ogres were incased in ice, then, with a single ectoblast from Danny's eyes, exploded into a thousand ice shards that rained over the calm halfa. Who shouted as he was immediately tackled, painfully, to the side by a truck of an ogre.
The halfa had no idea that two glowing red eyes noticed this stunt and they quickly became calculative as they surveyed the battle.
"How many of these things are there?", Flash questions in exasperation.
"No idea!", Danny grunts, clenching his hands together in a single tight fist and slamming it down on the ogre's, that held him, back.
After successfully being freed, Danny punched the ogre once, twice in the jaw, and then swiped his feet out from under him with his legs.
"Flash, we need a maelstrom.", Etrigan orders.
"A what!?", Flash called out in confusion as he punched an ogre in the face.
"A whirlwind!", shouts Etrigan as he raises an ogre high above his head and tosses it away, "Run fast! Now!"
Flash smirks, "Right."
He sped off and began running in a large circle around the group, quickly gaining speed by the minute.
"By the cold heart of Hella I command you...", Etirgan suddenly thrusts his arms out, "FREEZE!"
Ice bursts from Etrigan's hands and it washed over every last one of the ogres, slowly freezing them to where they stood. Once all over them were completely frozen, Flash speed increased even more, creating strong violent winds in the circle's center. The force of the winds were beginning to become too much for the brittle ice.
"Faster!", Etrigan orders.
Flash was all too happy to apply, speeding up even more, the ice statues shaking violently.
"Faster!"
"You got it!", Danny could hear the smug smirk in his tone.
Danny has no idea how, but Flas sped up even more, going faster and faster, until, one by one, each ogre statue shattered and crumbled into icy dust. Danny was quick to turn intangible, allowing the sharp shards of ice fly easily though him.
Flash skidded to a stop, crushing a piece of ogre helmet head as he did so. The group all surveyed the remains of the battle, which was only just ice scattered across the floor. Flash bent over with a wince, and pulled out a sharp piece of ice that was imbedded in his butt with a wince and a grunt. Starring at the piece of ice in offense.
"Well, that was a real pain in the butt.", Flash quipped with a wince before flicking the ice away and walking over to Batman as he rubbed his sore butt.
Danny couldn't help but chuckle lightly, Flash looked over to the teen and the two shared small smiles before the group, except Etrigan, gathered back together.
"Is everyone okay?', Batman asked, looking over each one of them intensely, scanning for injuries of any sort.
"We're fine.", Wonder Woman assured him, "But have anyone seen J'onn?"
Batman frowned, and then ordered urgently, "Spread out and search every deck!"
"Don't bother.", rumbles Etrigan's voice.
They all turned to see Etrigan's back turned to them, holding up and left over ice head from one of the ogres.
"The Martian's gone.", Etrigan declared as he turned to face them, "And so is the Stone."
He dropped the head, not even watching it shatter to floor. The sound echoed within Danny, as if sounding his own panic as the three Leaguers all shared wide-eyed looks that spoke volumes of each of their own thoughts.
…...
Batman, Wonder Woman, and Etrigan all went to the vault where the Stone, while Danny and Flash went down to the hangar. Danny legs turned into a tail for more speed and he turned intangible as he speedily flew through the floors to the hangar, Flash got there just before he did with his super speed.
Both just stared at the empty space where the Javelin is supposed to be. Flash sped over to the control pad off to the side.
"I don't like the looks of this.", Danny softly said, you can easily hear his nerves in his shaky tone.
"Me neither.", Flash agreed solemnly, "We have to get back to the others."
The two made quick work finding the trio at the empty vault, Wonder Woman and Etrigan glaring at each other.
"You're not going to like this.", Danny chimes in, interrupting Diana in mid-shout, "The Javelin's gone."
"And J'onn's access code is still punched in at the hangar controls.", Flash added on.
"Any more questions?", Etrigan asked snarkily, staring pointedly at Diana.
"This could be a misunderstanding.", Diana stubbornly told Etrigan, barely speaking through her anger before turning to the others, "Let's to the main deck, we can talk to Javelin through there."
Without waiting for any kind of response, Wonder Woman flew off. Flash and Danny shared a look and both shrugged, before following after the Amazonian Princess. Batman and Etrigan stared at each other stoically before both took the back of the group.
By the time the entire group convened on the main deck, Diana was already there, making the call.
"Watchtower to Javelin 7. Come in Javelin 7", Diana called, worried and more frantic, "J'onn if you're there, answer. Please, J'onn-!"
She paused, her expression fell. But Diana closed her eyes before becoming professional and turned to the others.
"He's turned off the comm link.", reported Wonder Woman.
"He belongs to le Fay now.", Etrigan said darkly.
"We'll stop him, I promise.", Flash told him confidently.
"Like you promised to protect the Stone.", snarked Etrigan.
"We'll do whatever it takes Etrigan.", Batman assured the demon.
"Are you saying you're prepared to take out one of your own?", Etrigan taunted with a raised brow.
Danny's eyes narrowed as he stared stonily at the three adult males.
"I repeat, whatever it takes.", Batman's voice dropped an octave as he stared deep into Etrigan's eyes unflinching.
"Listen, isn't this kind of academic?", Flash cuts in, "We're stranded here, remember?"
The group all took a second to think before Batman spoke up.
"Maybe not.", he turned to Etrigan, "Get a lock on the Javelin."
The demon raised a confused questioning brow.
…...
"Are we sure about this?", Flash asked, looking at the large pink portal Etrigan created apprehensively.
"You got a better idea?", Batman sharply retorted.
His only answer was a sigh.
"On three?", the speedster asked hopefully.
Batman stared at Flash for a moment before nodding, "Alright."
Flash sighed in relief, completely missing the Dark Knight's smirk, Danny had to cover his mouth in order to hide his laughter.
"Three."
Etrigan threw Flash into the portal while Flash reflexively jumped in, going along with the throw, with Batman and Etrigan, while Wonder Woman and Danny flew in from below, both on each end of the group.
Danny flew high in the air, above the others, looking down on everyone, to see that they landed in some sort of grand throne room, Martian Manhunter got up from the floor, the Stone on the ground right next him, and le Fay and her son stood by the large purple and gold throne.
"Ding!", quipped Flash cheerfully, despite the fact Etrigan had to throw him in, "Fifth floor, sporting goods, it's hardware, evil sorceresses."
Batman lunged forward, past Martian Manhunter, throwing a batarang at le Fay. She created a small shield, without raising a finger, and when the batarang collided against it, it was easily destroyed.
Her hands glowed a golden-green and she fired a blast right back, but Etrigan tackled Batman out of the way. She fired another blast at Wonder Woman, who flew into Flash, both shouted as they crashed to the ground. Not resting for even a moment, le Fay fired a third blast up at Danny, who created a ghost shield and the blast rebounded back to the sorceress and her son.
Just in the nick of time, le Fay created another shield that blocked her own attack. The woman barely dropped her shield before having to summon another one when Danny fired an ectoblast at her, but instead of a short shot, he fired a continuous stream with both hands. Le Fay grunted as she strengthens her shield, but Danny's eye glowed brighter, his ectoblast intensified and the shield broke, causing a shockwave that surprised the two. Le Fay recovered first, firing a blast right at Danny's chest, sending him careening into a column creating a large crater in it.
The halfa groaned as he fell to flower, remaining there as he struggled to regain his bearings.
Danny shook his head as he pushed himself up to his feet to see the boy firing similar, but smaller, luckily, golden-green blasts at Wonder Woman and Flash.
"Get out of my castle!", the brat shouted.
Great, not only is he a mama's boy, but baby le Fay takes after mother as well.
"Hey kid!", Danny called out, successfully gaining the boys attention.
He fired an ectoblast that the kid barely blocked, the fired another, and another, le Fay's son stumbling back as he struggled to block Danny's attacks. Then after a strong ectoblast, the boy stumbled back, tripping oer his own feet, and landed on his bottom with an indignant huff.
"Grow up.", Danny taunted.
"Get away from my son!", an anger female shout came from behind Danny.
The halfa let a shout of pain as a strong blast hit him right in the middle of his back, throwing him forward, towards the archway that led to the balcony outside where the Javelin is landed. Danny's entire upper body slammed into the top of the archway, causing Danny to flip and land face down on the hard stone floor with a groan.
"I feel like that I'm getting the most blasted here.", groaned Danny, as he quietly cursed in Esperanto, trying to ignore the pain running through his body as he struggled to get up once again, "I hate magic."
Danny's arms gave out from underneath him and he crashed back to the floor, slowly, falling unconscious.
...
Consciousness slowly returned to Danny as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, ignoring the lingering aches and pains that were quickly fading, rubbing his chest as he watched everyone else slowly get back up from their places scattered across the floor.
Le Fay and her son were nowhere to be seen and J'onn stood there alone, shattered pieces of rock lay at his feet.
"What I'd miss?", Flash groaned as the grand throne room turned back into a small stone room.
Like one you'd find an alchemist working within a castle. Danny stared at the change in shock, sharing equal surprised looks with the others before they all ran or flew out the doors, outside, to see the large dark kingdom le Fay had created for her son, slowly fade back into modern London.
A man with slicked back dark red hair with a white lightning bolt shaped streak, black turtle neck, grey pants, nice black shoes, and a brown jacket, he could be none other than Jason Blood ran out along with J'onn who flew out with him just as the last of the magic had faded.
"It's over.", Batman stated, a hint of relief in his tone.
"My friends, I have failed you.", J'onn spoke up, the group turned to the solemn and regretful Martian, "In my yearning for my old family, I almost lost my new one. Please, accept my humble apology... And my resignation from the Justice League."
With that J'onn turned and began to walk away, while the other Leaguers stared at J'onn with wide eyes, even Batman.
"Resignation?", Flash repeated in disbelief.
Danny didn't know what to do as he watched J'onn, with wide eyes, walk away. Internally begging one of the others to stop him.
"Wait!"
But surprisingly, it wasn't any of them, but it was Jason Blood. The man bonded to the demon Etrigan.
"The demon was wrong about you Martian.", stated Jason, causing J'onn to pause, "You redeemed yourself here today."
"Did I?", J'onn asked skeptically.
"Yeah, who knew?", Flash easily agreed with a grin, "Under all that goopy green skin, I guess you're human after all."
Jason stepped closer J'onn, eyes looking old with centuries old regret, "I only wish I had your strength centuries ago. But I'm still cursed, and must walk alone throughout eternity."
With a sigh, Jason walked off, only to pause and turn back, "Oh, and little imp?"
Danny sighed, groaning at the nickname, much to the other adult's amusement.
"You too?"
Jason Blood shrugged 'innocently', "The demon sends his thanks and well wishes. You are full of surprises little imp."
"Ain't that the truth.", Flash agreed proudly as he ruffled Danny's snow-white hair.
Jason smile one last time, before a solemn expression fell over his features as he turned and walked off into the building fog, never once looking back.
"Poor man.", J'onn spoke sympathetically, "May he someday find the peace he seeks."
Danny stared thoughtfully at the man, for a moment, he saw Jason with longer hair, knights' armor, walking towards a castle that never got closer. Always alone.
Well, maybe not always.
"Why not today?", Danny speaks up with a bright smile before flying past the adults, easily catching up to the man.
Jason stared at Danny with a raised curious brow.
"Wanna watch horror movies with a ghost princess while eating popcorn and candy?", Danny offered, "We can even watch the movie Dracula. Do you like Dracula? You look like a guy who likes Dracula."
Jason looked like he wanted to question Danny, but he didn't need ask, Danny already knew what he was going to ask.
"You may be immortal, but that doesn't mean you have to be alone, certainly not forever.", Danny spoke not unkindly, "Ghosts don't die after eternity, and its very difficult kill one off. So, what do you say? Wanna make some new friends?"
Danny could tell there was more Jason wanted to say or ask, but he just sighed with a tired, and relieved, chuckle.
"I'd be honored.", he agreed gratefully, causing Danny to grin as he picked up a green head phone, placed it in his ear and made a call.
"Hey Dora, you up for some more movies?... I'm bringing a friend over...Living... No, Dora I mean living... Yeah, he's staying for a while, need a new friend?"
The halfa turned to Jason with bright grin as he stuffed the ghost phone back in his pocket, Jason couldn't help but softly smile back, and allowed the ghost to lead him to the closest natural portal that led to the ghost zone.
Behind them, Flash crossed his arms with an amused shake of his head.
"I swear, that kid can become friends with literally anyone.", Flash said, obviously proud and amused as he watched Danny and Jason Blood disappear into the fog.
"Then you have to wonder why there are people out there who hate.", Batman states seriously, a dark look flashing across his face, "Enough to dissect him."
Flash's face fell as he looked down with dark eyes, "That was months ago and he still won't say a thing."
The group looked up to Batman to see a peculiar expression on his face as he said nothing.
"You know who did it, don't you.", Diana guessed softly.
"Yes.", Batman practically hissed, "But we promised that if nothing like that, anything close to it, happens again, we would do nothing. I know if I share the information, that will no longer be the case."
The group fell silent for several minutes before Flash spoke up with a small smile.
"It's because of Hawk Girl, isn't it?", Flash asked with a slowly widening grin.
"Oh yeah."
The group laughed, even Batman and J'onn shared a smile as they went back inside to board the Javelin.
Who knows what adventures may turn up next.
Author's Note:
Woo! That one was a little more difficult than I thought it would be, but I did it! And managed to update!
Fun Fact, my description of Danny's and Dorathea's movie night is what my family does on Halloween. Every night, when we come back from Trick-or-Treat, after mom and dad check over the candy, we all sit in the family room and watch Halloween movies while eating our candy. The movies I listed in the beginning were even movies we'd usually watch, if not on Halloween, then throughout the month before the Holiday. I didn't list all of them though, but some of them are very important and traditional, like 'It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown' and 'Halloween that Almost Wasn't'. When I listed the later, it is such a big part of my Halloween, that I wanted to make it important for Danny too. What he and Jazz do, is the exact same for my family and I. Halloween is never the same without it. If your ever curious on watching, now or next Halloween, the entire movie is free on YouTube.
Unlike Danny and Dorathea, I don't watch horror movies. I've seen a few, like 'The Conjuring', and 'It' 1 and 2. But that's it. The former because my friend made me, and the latter two because my sister loves Stephen King. Like Danny and Dorathea, I'm a wimp for Horror movies, I get way too sucked into movies that I swear horror movies might as well be bad for my heart lol.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Be Your Best You! Bye!