The End

Rating: T

Pairings: None

Ages: No comment [Except it's all sometime after YJ Season One]

Summary: He was just tired. Tired from the lack of Justice in the world, the lack of justice for him. He just wanted everything to be quiet. He wanted everything to end.

Extra Notes: Big AN at the end if you want to read about head-cannons or see something in this piece that sounds unfamiliar.


"Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh, you are such a child! You promised?"

zz

Nightwing felt his chest heave and a knot formed itself in his chest. The young hero could remember times like this, times were he thought he was going to die, times when he thought someone he cared about was going to die, but not too often did he find himself concerned about the fate of their world… maybe even beyond that. He snagged the corner of the room's door and practically shouted.

"Bruce, Poison Ivy's down. He… He…"

Batman let out a breath and stood from the Watchtower's command station chair. "Green Arrow, Hal Jordan and Dinah have also recently gone MIA. We can only assume the worst."

Nightwing felt the knot synch tighter. He took a couple steps into the room and tried to steel his face and remain calm. "What do you think we should do?"

Batman exhaled through his nose. "Unless we can find a way to strip him of the power to transverse this world and theirs, nothing. And even then, he could always end everything if he destabilizes the Ghost Zone by finding the Entity's connection orb."

Nightwing swallowed before both of the heroes' attention was captured by a beeping.

"Bruce! It's me. Several of us have been able to catch him off guard. They're holding him down with the Ectoranium Gauntlets."

Nightwing blinked. "What happened to just the ghost proof things?"

"He just tears through them. There's nothing that actually negates the powers of a full ghost. All those weapons only cause various amounts of electromagnetic pulses to threaten their core. There's just nothing strong enough to disrupt his. Ectoranium's the strongest equipment we have."

Nightwing grew completely silent and was able to hear the ghost's hysterical laughter through Superman's com link.

"Hey, hey Clark. I have a secret. You guys all know how I've been picking up new powers and taking powers from other weaker ghost, right? I mean, Ha! I killed Pamela with her own plants! That was cool, am I right? But seriously… I heard from someone and No I ain't telling who, that you can store all that energy from the sun in your body and let it out nuke-style and I was thinking… Why can't I do that with ectoplasm?"

Batman and Nightwing heard Superman take in a sharp breath. "GET BACK!"

CRACK-POW!

PSSSSSSSSSSSsssstttt.

"What happened?" Nightwing asked, feeling desperation claw at his gut. "Bruce what-"

"The com went dead. We've lost contact."

Nightwing's hand dropped to his sides. "Can… who do we know isn't very susceptible to Ectoplasm?"

"…"

"Bruce?"

"I don't know. It's a confusing type of energy. Ectoranium is the left over anti-material made when the Ghost Zone and Mortal Realm formed at the beginning of time… at least that was the running theory. Ectoplasm itself? There hasn't been enough research done yet other than that it's radioactive in certain forms and not in others. Studying ectoplasm was the Fentons' and Vlad Master's profession before…"

Nightwing couldn't help but hate the idea of a deathly silence forming between the two.

zz

Pain seared through his arms and legs and his head felt too heavy for even him to lift.

"So, what do you think? Is it anything like yours? I mean after all I just want to impress you guys."

Superman slowly and painful brought up his head up to look over the blue and dead face of his enemy. Dark Phantom's grin stretched too far for such human looking features. Superman swept his gaze around the area and saw several of his allies' bodies steaming against barely standing buildings and laying lifeless on the ground. Aquaman, Kid Flash, Captain Marvel and… Superboy. The young clone was struggling to stay conscious, but the others… where were their heartbeats?

"Aquaman was fried, cause you know he's a fish. Kid Flash well… advanced healing doesn't help if you die before hand. Marvel almost got up but then well I sorta zapped him and he turned into a kid, eh who knew? That clone of yours though, not quite as durable as you, being half human and all…" Phantom sighed as though he was dealing with an uneducated child. "Being mortal really is a weakness above all else. He would've been little better off with those shield things, mindless beast or not-"

"You talk too much!" Superman roared, jumping up suddenly and landing a lucky hit on the monologuing specter's jaw. A crack resonated through the empty street and a small spray of ectoplasm splattered against Phantom's face. Dark Phantom hissed, halting their struggle by grabbing Superman's wrists. He couldn't hold the man of steel for long, but he could play with him. Tiny shocks from the barely working specter deflector made him sneer; impatience leaked into his voice.

"I've been silent for far too long. I think I'm owed a chance to blabber on…" Phantom growled before turning into mist and moving past Superman.

I hope you're right about this, Bruce… Superman turned and right as Phantom reached out a hand to attack, the dark green-tinted black clouds above flowing with the ghost's movement, ready to bring about nature's fury at his command, he fired off his heat ray.

Phantom could reform from almost anything. The League had technically already sent nothing but malformed ectoplasm back to the Zone multiple times. Phantom could merely reform though because of the strength of his rage and desire for revenge and his ability to tear a portal between the Zone and Earth; it was only a matter of time before he returned. A chance to breathe and account for their missing and fallen and hopefully go back to the drawing board to come up with a better plan.

The heat vision shot through Phantom's chest, searing his suit and forcing solid ectoplasm underneath to liquify as though a bullet had torn through. The ghost froze as though paralyzed.

Please let it have hit his core. Please dear Rao let it have hit his core.

Superman almost laughed in pure joy when Dark Phantom cried out in outrage and his form started to flicker. His eyes turned demonic and he lashed his forked tongue in pure fury before he disappeared, for now.

"Clark…" Superman whipped his head over to see Superboy on his feet, wavering. The man of steel flew down and caught his brother before he could over balance and fall.

"Did you get him?"

"For now." Superman looked up. The street was quiet, burnt, and littered with heroes and villains alike. Ice, plant matter, burn marks and craters marred the earth and buildings still standing. He glanced at Superboy. "Do you know if your com is still working?"

"It's busted. That… explosion he used after he turned completely green…"

"I understand." Superman concentrated. M'gannCan you hear me?

Yeah. I- I can… Batman and Nightwing said they'd lost contact with you all. I've been busy trying to find and account for whose still around. M'gann's strained, tired, and emotionally tight voice echoed through their minds.

I understand. Can you tell Bruce that I sent him back to the Zone for now?

Can do Superman… Have there… have there been anymore-

M'gann.

Superboy?

I'll tell you about it when we get to the League Building.

Okay.

Superman and Superboy looked over the heroes that lay, never to rise again. Superboy choked back bile when he saw Billy's glazed over eyes and Kid's motionless form. He forced his eyes closed as he walked, trying to get those images out of his head.

In a fleeting moment, the clone heard a swish of energy or the wind, he wasn't sure. He heard something spark to his left. Before he could even turn to look, a punch nailed him in the gut and sent him flying back into a building. Dust, fiber glass, steel, stone fell over him and flew into his lungs. Things settled and he pushed the slab of concrete on him, off, just as a growling sound had started up.

Superboy slowly looked up to see Superman floating above him, his specter deflector no longer glowing green, most likely having finally short-circuited from the damage it had sustained. The hero's eyes were green instead, a pupil-less green. Suddenly, Dark Phantom was flung out of Superman's body and the ghost crashed into the earth and rolled a couple times before teleporting into a better position to face the mad Kryptonian. Superboy gasped as Superman seemed to slow down with each swing of his fists, Phantom dodging with less and less effort.

Superman looked at his hands as he slowly started to float lower and closer to the ground against his will. "What's happening...?" He grimaced as he struck the earth none too gracefully.

"To be weakened by a rock. How pathetic." Dark Phantom looked down at both of them like they were filthy and lesser.

"What did you do!?" Superboy shouted and rushed over to his brother and mentor, only to halt when he felt an immense weakness from even getting close.

"He sorta has a little green rock in his innards at the moment." Phantom sighed, looking away. "And here I thought steel beat rock." Dark Phantom paused, eyes widening, before he started to cackle at his joke.

Superboy understood then. The ghost had used his short time overshadowing Superman to plant kryptonite in his body. Where had he gotten the kryptonite though?

"But he, he hit your core!"

"Naw a ghost's core isn't as stationary as a mortal's heart." Dark Phantom grinned giving a pointed look to the man of steel. "He missed by that much." He brought up his two claw-like fingers, pinched together, to emphasize his point. "So uh, Psyche!"

"You- you- YOU BASTARD!"

Phantom snorted. "That's your best insult?"

Superboy! Superboy what happened!

Superboy grit his teeth in blind fury.

"It's a shame. He was the most fun to play with out of all of you, but it was only a matter of time before you all ran out of options and I got bored enough to take you out. I have all the time in the world after all and I don't need to rest like some of you."

"You're just a coward! Using sneak-attacks and cheap tricks!"

"Do I look like I care what you think? Mortal sentiment is the greatest weakness any of you heroes possess." Phantom grumbled. "Even villains can't help but rely on emotion too..."

Superboy leapt through the air with a roar, aiming a punch at Phantom's head, right between his blood red eyes, only to soar right through, his damaged specter deflector doing nothing to help land a hit. Phantom merely watched from the corner of his eye as Superboy sailed through and landed on the ground on the other side of the street.

"Well that wasn't a good idea, boy." Phantom giggled. "Don't you know that I absolutely despise families? And the sentiment that goes with them?" In a flash, Phantom was near the downed Superman.

"NOO!" Superboy screamed and jumped with all his might to try and beat the specter to the punch, ignoring the drain he felt jumping towards kryptonite. Phantom slipped his invisible and intangible hand into Superman's back before teleporting away. Superman simply dropped, completely limp, by the time Superboy made it to his side. Superboy cried out again and punched the earth as he turned to look at Phantom.

"I think this was his and it seemed important..." Phantom grinned as a pile of ash fluttered out of his open clawed hand. "I'm disappointed quite honestly. I guess I'll go now. I've been hunting around for Nocturne. I can't seem to find the little coward anywhere." And just like that, Phantom disappeared into the Zone through one of his portals, leaving Superboy and his dead mentor on the street.

Superboy? Why can't I get Superman online?

Superboy?

He was playing with us. Playing with us all from the start. Superboy felt himself break down, tears streaming down his face, wishing to hear a heartbeat that would never beat again. "Kal-El… Kal-El… brother."

zz

"Hey Val… What do you think? Should I fight the lantern boys and call the horsemen or destroy the Zone and end everything?"

"…"

"Yeah. I didn't think you'd have an answer to that." Dark Phantom grumbled before tossing the skull up onto the tip of his finger and balancing it, getting a chance to look at the Ring of Rage on his finger. It was completely quiet, save his voice; his fiery hair did not make noise as it drifted ethereally behind him and around the Crown hidden there. "Whether you believe me or not… I do miss you."

"You sure seem to show it in a strange way, Daniel."

Phantom didn't even turn to look over his shoulder. "So… you finally showed up. What are you going to do, huh?"

The purple robed ghost, known as Clockwork, floated silently. Phantom only just now noticed the weight of a medallion around his neck. Time had been stopped.

"Nothing, expect perhaps talk."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"…"

"Why?"

"You already know that answer."

"Humor me."

Phantom grunted before placing the skull next to him on a large burnt rock that was surrounded by plains of darkened and barren earth and stone. A stray piece of a building would randomly appear within the landscape, buried in the ground. "Because. I was tired of trying so hard."

"What do you-"

Phantom whipped his head around to hiss at the other ghost. "I had just lost everything and those heroes started to HUNT me! WHAT HAD I EVER DONE TO THEM!? AND HUMANS… DAMN ALL THOSE WORMS!" Phantom's voice lowered to barely a whisper. "I made them safe. Shielded them. But were they grateful? Did they appreciate my protection? No...They whined. Complained. Sided with those criminals, those government officials. If they preferred chaos, I was happy to give it to them. If they wanted someone to blame rather than someone to thank, who was I to deny them their wish!?" He paused and then Clockwork almost missed the quiet and whispered second part. "Besides... it was me or them... I had to defend myself."

Clockwork didn't move. "I see… What will you do now? They're all gone. Others will come soon. Eventually some greater power will be able to destroy you completely. You may have taken these mortals all off guard, but you can't last forever."

Dark Phantom shrugged his shoulders. "I don't plan to."

Clockwork seemed to understand the monster's meaning. "Goodbye then."

Phantom seemed to hesitate before a completely crooked though oddly peaceful smile graced his face. "Yeah. Goodbye."

In a blink, the other ghost was gone. Phantom noticed a large green glow of energy tinting the earth and objects around him, practically gleaming off of his favorite skull. He looked over his shoulder and saw a horde of glowing green beings. "Green Lantern's light, huh?" He turned and planted his feet in the earth as the horde came speeding closer and closer. After sending a silent call to the Fright Knight and the horseman's brothers, Phantom opened his mouth as the sound of death echoed from his very being, sending green waves of ecto-sound screaming through the dark sky towards the army.

"Well, that's it, isn't it?"

End.


So I was just wanting to test out a few of my head-cannons for what happened to everyone when Dan Phantom or Dark Phantom destroyed the world. Also I love Injustice's Superman (evil Superman) quote: "I made them safe. Shielded them. But are they grateful? Do they appreciate my protection? No...They whine. Complain. Side with those criminals. If they prefer chaos, I'll give it to them."

I think it really goes with Danny and Dan's teetering on the brink of a psychotic break from not being appreciated for his protection.

This little story or piece of world building is still a work in progress (I can't stress this little bit enough), but I just had to try and write it some.

Also Every DC character in this crossover is strictly from the Young Justice cartoon alliteration, with a few tiny things I like from other alliterations (like Superman's new Solar Flare thing). Meaning the have a few more realistic weaknesses and such.

Dark Phantom and Danny do have weaknesses, but in this case(scene), Dan had already gained the powers of several ghosts, like Undergrowth and Vortex, and had gotten the ring of rage and crown of fire. Basically, by the time the League and co. figured out just how big of a problem he was, things were already racing downhill.

I also have kinda started to jump on the head-cannon boat that says Danny either can copy any ghost power, take any ghost power, or spontaneously develop them because of his obsession. Heroes always develop a power in the end to save everyone. For Dan, he has to take them since he's not following his old obsessions anymore. (Of course in a longer story with Danny, I would obviously pace those kind of things and be much much much more selective. This is a oneshot and Dan is kinda power hungry)

Just a few things to note:

Entity's connection orb - This is an idea that I've thought about. The Ghost Zone isn't just an Earth thing and is in fact connected to everything in the Universe, which makes sense since it IS called the Infinite Realms. This orb is hidden invisibly somewhere in the Ghost Zone and is the thing that helps the Entity control the balance between the two areas. If the life entity were destroyed, the Ghost Zone would go with the mortal realm and if the orb was destroyed, the mortal realm would go out with them.

Ghost weapons - I have this infant theory that ghost weapons are leveled, that is to say that there comes a point where the weapons no longer cause much damage to a powerful enough ghost. (Examples: Pariah Dark and in this case Dark Phantom) In Ultimate Enemy, Dan ripped off the Specter Deflector and was only steaming, ready to lay a smack down on Danny.

Solar Flare - This actually applies more to Danny, but it's still fun to consider. Even though Dan doesn't have cells anymore, he's basically a moving energy mass in control of his entire form and function. He could totally do something like Superman's new Solar Flare.

Ectoranium - was made at the start of time and comes from the separation of life and death (the mortal realm and the Ghost Zone)

Superman's death - I know its still a bit shaky, but I'm still brainstorming about this. Dark Phantom, if he could pull it off, could seriously mess up Superman's innards, especially a Young Justice Superman. I think the thing that gets me the most is that there's nothing stating that Dan would just flat out start destroying random buildings. I mean, after Vlad's mansion, he might have grown quiet and allowed his bitterness to fester. Then he could plan out how he'd destroy the Earth (including what to do about the Justice League and others that would be trying to stop him) The element of surprise, invisibility and intangibility could go a long way at first. Plus he has Vlad's scheming mind at his disposal.

Finally - the horsemen. I have this fun idea that the Fright Knight is one of four... horsemen. HMMMMM? :D I mean maybe that's one of the reasons he's willing to obey masters. He waiting for someone cruel enough to unseal his three brothers.

Okay I'm done.