King's Tent, Festival of Peace
-:-
The Halfa sighed as the tent became silent.
'Just as I thought, things have gotten a whole lot harder…'
A green glint caught his eye, and he looked down to find the Ring of Rage glowing dimly again.
'Why, Clockwork?' he thought bitterly.
"Well that didn't go so well," Danielle stated, returning to the visible spectrum.
Danny sat down and rested his head on the table, letting out an exasperated groan.
Despite his demeanor, he was glad Dani was there. Though admittedly he was a little surprised she understood to hide whenever he had said 'go find Youngblood'. Maybe it was her desire not to be alone, or maybe it was because she genuinely understood the reference. Either way, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
He heard a chair move and assumed his female counterpart had decided to also take a seat at the table.
"At least Kaldur and a few others seemed to understand. Maybe they just need time to think things over, you know?" The other offered with a hopeful tone.
Danny looked up without a word, remaining where he was as he readjusted himself, his exhaustion gradually starting to get the better of him.
"You look exhausted, maybe you should rest for a bit," Dani frowned.
He shook his head and let out a disappointed huff. "I still have to check out a few possible leads from the Blizzard Games. We're worried that they might try something like that again and we don't want to risk it."
She crossed her arms and gave him a stern look. "Frostbite and Pandora can handle the leads. You need to rest, even if it's just for an hour or two. That crown of yours can only supply energy when you're wearing it, and that's not mentioning the fact that your emotions are all over the place because of that ring."
"How did you-"
"Oh please, it's not like I didn't see the whole thing," she rolled her eyes as she waved him off.
Danny copied the eye roll and sat back in his seat with crossed arms.
'As much as she has a point…'
He frowned as he held up his hand. "You know the rule Dani, I'm not allowed to take off the ring-"
"-Until after the festival. Yeah, I know what the floating eyeballs said. But, with you running around playing watchdog, having to deal with other rulers, plus dealing with the Team, all while having to try to adjust to the effects of the crown and the ring; you're just running yourself into the ground. So… you go rest. I'll stay here and keep watch. And, if anything comes up, I'll come to get you."
They had a small stare-off before Danny finally relented and stood up from the table.
"Lord Phantom?'
Danielle let out an aggravated growl as she covered her face. The other couldn't help but laugh a little at the exasperated younger halfa.
After collecting himself, he cleared his throat and addressed the familiar voice. "Come in!"
Fright Knight walked in and seemed surprised to see both Halfas there.
"Hey Fright, you need something?" Dani asked casually.
The black knight blinked before bowing to Danny. "News, my lord. A few of the Far Frozen happened to find a potential suspect that could offer insight into the Blizzard Games incident. They are awaiting your orders, sire."
Both half-ghosts shared a glance. The former nodded and turned to Fright Knight, "Bring him here."
Fright Knight nodded and walked out of the tent.
"Dani-"
"Yeah I know…" she grumbled, stepping behind the other to act as a guard.
He took a deep breath and with a bit of concentration, a black crown with green flames levitated over from the bedside in the other room into his awaiting hands.
'Time to act like a future king again...'
Taking a steadying breath, he reluctantly placed the crown over his head.
A sudden rush of energy washed over him, and all exhaustion he had felt before disappeared in an instant. His natural glow was brighter, his power felt like it was back to full strength, and his senses were heightened.
Wait…
"YOU'LL BE POSTED OVER BY-"
"THAT'LL BE-"
CLICK CLICK CLICK-
"WOW LOOK AT THAT!"
CHINK CHINK CHINK CHINK-
He caught himself on the table's edge as sounds, smells, and light bombarded him from every side.
He could miraculously hear through the soundproofing tent; the crowd near the Main Stage, the vendors near them, and the guards talking over by the nearest security tent. The sounds of the candles flickering sounded like fireplaces; the smell of the burning wicks, food and different perfumes flooded his nose. The bright light from around the candles was giving him vertigo and the softened light in the room was as bright as daylight.
'This is new…' He thought to himself with gritted teeth.
Dani's hurried footsteps sounded like a giant's as she rushed over.
"HEY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"
The older Halfa covered his ears and looked at his clone with a grimace as his ears rang.
Luckily, the other seemed to understand and floated to avoid touching the ground.
"Do you want help?" She whispered with a tone of understanding, though it sounded as though she was speaking well above her normal level.
He nodded his head and removed his hands from his ears.
Danielle floated back and started to ramble about a random topic, starting softly. The other closed his eyes and focused on zeroing in on her words as she gradually rose her voice back to a 'normal level' of speaking, allowing him to readjust his super-hearing to the space around him.
"Better?"
After a few beats, the other let out a breath of relief. "Yeah, thanks cuz," Danny smiled gratefully.
Dani gently landed on the ground again, "How did you manage to go on stage with that thing on?"
The older Halfa frowned and looked at his clone with concern. "That hadn't happened before, and I don't know where it came from. It was like every sense was put into overdrive and it was so much to process all at once."
The younger Halfa frowned as well. "We should bring this up to Frostbite later, better to be safe than sorry."
He nodded in agreement when his hearing picked up muffled footsteps from the outside. He quickly straightened his posture again, Dani mimicking his actions and made to stand behind him again.
"Lord Phantom, we've brought the suspect as you requested. Do we have permission to enter?"
"Come in!" The heir announced, pulling his focus back to the problem at hand.
Two Far Frozen yetis escorted a ghost into the tent, Fright Knight following behind them. They forced the suspect onto his knees and stood on either side of him. The ghost had a green tint to his skin and wore a tunic with dark brown leather accents and armor pieces. No sword or weapon was on his person, nor was there any sign of a holster for one.
"Great One," one Far Frozen guard bowed. "We found him just outside of the East Bazaar attempting to follow several rulers into a private tent. When stopped and questioned, he attempted to run. The two of us restrained him and found this on his person."
The other guard pulled out a piece of cloth and handed it to Phantom. The piece was identical to the one from the assassin at the Blizzard Games with Pariah Dark.
"I see…" The eldest Halfa hummed thoughtfully. "What is your name?" he asked gently.
The ghost remained silent.
Fright Knight took a threatening step forward, placing a hand on his sword's hilt. "Answer your king!"
The ghost sneered and spat at the ground in front of the halfa's feet. "You're no king of mine, human, at least not yet."
Phantom quickly held a hand up to prevent the others from making a move or saying anything.
"You're right, I'm not the king yet," he said as he took off the Crown of Fire.
He closed his eyes and concentrated, and once again, the crown levitated, only this time it floated over to the table. The green flames extinguished themselves as the crown placed itself on the table, making the object seem relatively normal.
Danny smiled at the slightly awed ghost in front of him, doing his best to mask his exhaustion, and squatted down to eye level. "So technically, I'm just like every other ghost and guest here. And right now, I'm talking to a stranger. So, what's your name?"
The other seemed hesitant or weary of the ghostly teen. "Gee… my name is Gee."
Phantom offered an encouraging smile. "It's nice to meet you. Now, Gee, would you like to sit down?"
Again, the other seemed surprised and hesitated before taking the offered hand as he was helped back onto his feet by the Halfa.
The guards seemed antsy but remained silent, probably not wanting to disobey the future king.
Phantom led the other ghost to a few cushioned chairs fixed towards each other on a rug, with a dark coffee table between them.
The half-ghost walked to a nearby stand and made two drinks, one alcoholic, the other not. He then placed them on the coffee table between himself and Gee. While the two yeti warriors remained by the entrance, Danielle had a seat at the larger table, with Fright Knight standing close by.
The teen waited for the other ghost to get comfortable before continuing with a small smile.
"So Gee, what brings you to this year's festival?"
"Visiting," he answered curtly.
Phantom remained silent as he made a motion for him to continue as he took one of the glasses and had a sip. The other seemed weary but eventually picked up his glass as well and had a taste. Satisfied that it wasn't drugged or poisoned, he took another sip of the alcoholic drink.
"We visit every year… We like to trade a few things here and there, sometimes we can even find work opportunities to bring in a little more money."
The teen took another sip of his non-alcoholic look-alike drink.
'So it is a group. Mercenaries by the sounds of it…'
"I don't blame you. A little more money never sounds like a bad idea," The teen agreed with a small smirk.
The other's eyes lit up. "Right? And the work is never really too hard or boring and it pays well. And even though there are some tough competitors out there, if we score, sometimes the pay can last us a full year. Though you have gotta look out for the crazies sometimes. You can never be too sure if they'll pay you when everything is said and done."
'Competitors… so maybe it wasn't the same group that attacked Lady Helenia."
Phantom chuckled. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience. One too many crazies for you?"
The ghost let out a disgruntled groan and downed the rest of his glass. He set the glass down, his face looking a little darker green than before. "Look I've dealt with crazy before. But the most recent guy? I swear he lost his sanity years ago. Sure the job pays well, but when I tell you that this kid and his damn cat are starting to irk me, I have half a mind to call the whole thing off just to spite the kid."
'Cat…'
Danny's smile twitched for a split second.
"I keep telling everyone that there's just something about cat people. What did this one want?"
"I and the others got paid to follow some people around and see what they were up to. Nothing too extravagant or note-worthy happened. But it was the way the kid ordered us- it was like he was trying to push our buttons."
"Just following?" Danny commented with slight awe. "That is a pretty easy job. Almost seems like a waste of your time if you ask me."
"I know right?! Finally, someone who gets it! They have no appreciation for our talents! But- ugh- At least they're paying us; half to start, half at the end of the ninth day of the Festival."
'So they could've been hired as a distraction. The games, the suspicious behavior- all of it could've been to paint a scene for us to pay attention to.'
"Wow, I wish I had your willpower to deal with that guy for so long."
"Eh, we never actually see him that often. He only ever appears when he wants us to switch who we follow or give us new orders- whatever. He never even gave us a name; kept going on about how 'we're not paid to ask questions'. I mean who does that brat thinks he is?! Ugh! I'm getting riled up just thinking about it again! You know what? I'm calling it! No brat with a mangy cat is gonna boss me and the boys around just to have us do rookie work!"
'So it is Klarion. But what could he or the Light want here? There are too many vendors to go one by one to check, and security can only observe so much with so many people attending… Maybe the Team could-'
The half-ghost quickly shook his head to rid himself of that train of thought.
'After that talk, they might not take the request well, or even hear it out.'
"Well don't let me keep you," Phantom chuckled, standing up to offer a hand to the other. "Thank you, Gee, for the chat. Feel free to reach out to me if you and the others ever need some work. I'm sure I could find good paying jobs that'll be well worth your time and be more fitting of your talents."
The other stood as well and hesitated for a moment. After a beat, he let out an amused huff and shook the younger ghost's hand. "You've got yourself a deal. You ain't that bad, Ghost Kid, I'll give you that."
The two Far Frozen guards escorted the ghost out of the tent, leaving Fright Knight, Danielle, and Phantom.
"Sire, are you sure that was wise? You didn't ask him about the attack during the Blizzard Games at all, nor did you attempt to seek out the origin of these rebellious fabric pieces!"
Danny sighed and turned around with his hands on his hips. "Fright, you need to work on reading between the lines more. Gee told me everything he knew."
The black-clad knight blinked. "He did?"
"Dani, would you mind filling him in? I've got to get ready for the Feast later and grab a few things before we go walk around a bit," Danny chuckled as he walked towards the bedroom part of the tent, taking the crown off the table as he went.
"Sure thing, cuz! Now, Fright… we found out they were a hired group-"
The older Halfa sighed as he closed the privacy curtain behind him. He looked over at the bed and longed to lay down for a small nap. He shook his head and looked to see the cape he wore earlier hanging over a spare chair. A green flicker caught his eye and he looked down to see the crown had relit itself in his hands.
'Just a little bit longer, Fenton… you just have to hold out for a little bit longer…'
West Bazaar, Festival of Peace
-:-
'Conner?'
The clone looked over to see the female martian with a worried expression.
'Is everything alright?'
He looked over to see that the rest of the Team wasn't responding, and looked back with a raised eyebrow.
'It's just us… I… wanted to talk, seeing how we haven't in a while.'
Conner mulled it over for a minute before nodding his head in agreement. After letting the Team know they were going to go on their own for a bit, the two heroes found a quieter place to talk.
They found a nearby bench in a more park-like area and made themselves comfortable.
'How are you doing?'
'Why did you actually want to talk alone?' He grumbled as he crossed his arms.
The martian looked taken back. 'Just to talk like I said. A lot has happened recently and I wanted to make sure you were okay. You have the strongest friendship with Danny and I can't imagine what you must be going through right now.'
The clone thought her words over. 'I think that's the problem. I don't know how to feel right now.'
'Well… let's start with one thing at a time,' she offered. 'How do you feel about him being a king?'
'I don't really know… a part of me feels… proud I guess?'
'Why do you think you might feel proud?'
'I guess because… He always is doing things for others and he rarely gets recognized for it. So him being king, makes me feel kind of proud and a bit relieved that he is finally getting that recognition.'
'But?'
'I'm worried…' he frowned. 'Danny has a really bad habit of always putting others before himself. He's kind, but a little too trusting at times.'
'Hard to think of him as too trusting now. I can still remember when someone would drop something and his first instinct was to get ready for a fight,' M'gann giggled.
Superboy mulled over the recollection and sighed as he continued. 'I think I worry because- I have a feeling that he's going to end up getting really hurt one day because of it. He's been through enough as it is...'
'So, you don't feel angry at all?'
He frowned as he stared at the ground. 'Angry? If you mean about him keeping the future king thing a secret? Yes, I am upset. But…'
'But?'
The memory of Danny commenting on the clones and his mentor's alias popped into his mind.
"Something tells me he wasn't the one to make that decision," he quoted aloud.
A silence fell between them as they took in the scenery for a bit.
'Hey, Conner?'
'Hmm.'
'I think I'm worried about him too.'
He raised an eyebrow but waited patiently for her to continue.
'When we were talking to him just now, it felt like the room became so much smaller and colder than before. Like there was a strange aura surrounding us.'
Conner nodded in agreement. 'I felt it too. Any idea what it could've been?'
The shape-shifter's eyebrows furrowed. 'I think… I think that was Danny. It might sound strange, but I'm not sure how else to word it… his thoughts just felt wrong.'
'His thoughts? Wait-' his eyes narrowed. 'M'gann tell me you didn't-'
She quickly started waving her hands in a placating gesture. 'It's not what you think! I wasn't trying to read his mind or anything like that! It was that his emotions were practically being projected around us, but they weren't clear or precise, just words or pieces of thoughts mixed together.'
Conner immediately calmed, thankful that the Martian hadn't been abusing her powers again; against one of their teammates at that.
He grunted after he processed what she said, allowing her to continue.
'His emotions/thoughts felt wrong. Like they were altered or influenced by something. Do you remember when he looked surprised and turned away from Wally? Right before that, those thoughts had dissipated and they felt like Danny again. Almost like-'
'Like he realized the same thing…' he concluded. 'Any idea what could've caused it?'
She shook her head and watched a few people go by with a worried frown. 'I'm worried about him Conner… What if it's the stress of being a king that's getting to him? I know he said he's still Danny but… after seeing him like that, I can't help but feel like something like this might change him.'
'Well, one thing that is constant about him is his stubbornness. He did catch himself, so he might already be aware that something is wrong and is doing something about it. If we can count on one thing, it's his iron will. That alone should keep him pretty grounded.'
'If he knows, maybe we could ask him about it later? That way if he does need help staying grounded, Canary and I could help as much as we can.'
Conner nodded and once again the two fell into silence.
It was about half an hour later that Frostbite of the Far Frozen and Lady Helenia of the Kari Clan bumped into them.
"Hello, young Justice League members. How are you both faring?"
"We are well, thank you, Lady Helenia. We actually just met up with D- I mean, Lord Phantom not too long ago."
The two snow beasts shared a concerned glance.
"I see, and how did it go?"
M'gann's demeanor changed and she seemed unsure how to respond. "It…um-"
Superboy cleared his throat and stepped forwards, taking the attention off the struggling heroine. "We actually were just talking about that and wanted to ask a question."
Frostbite offered a small smile and nodded. "Of course, Superboy, what is your question?"
"Has he been acting… strangely at all?"
"Strangely?" The yeti asked. "How so?"
The shape-shifter seemed to regain her confidence and she jumped back into the conversation and explained what the two had seen earlier. Though she was careful not to reveal too many details and kept it mostly vague. After the explanation, both ghosts thought deeply for a minute or two.
"While I wish I could offer comforting words-" Frostbite said breaking the silence. "We had our own suspicions that his behavior might be affected for a short period of time."
"Yes, though it seems that the effects are occurring sooner than anticipated," Lady Helenia added with a worried glance toward the other ruler.
Frostbite offered a small reassuring smile to the teenagers. "I have faith the Great One is doing everything in his power to push past these effects."
M'gann stepped closer to them with a hand to her chest. "Would you mind elaborating for us? We're just worried about him and want to make sure he's going to be okay."
Lady Helenia nodded. "Of course, though perhaps this conversation would be better suited in a more private setting?"
"I happen to be a telepath. I can link our minds if you are comfortable with it," the heroine offered.
"Ah yes! I often forget the friends of the Great One have many gifts! Well, I do not object, what say you, Lady Helenia?"
The Kari Clan leader offered a polite nod. "I do not mind. Whenever you are ready, Miss Martian."
M'gann nodded and Conner watched as the two ghosts adjusted to the Mindlink before continuing.
'Now where were we? Ah yes, the strange behavior. Did either of you happen to see the ring that he was wearing?' Frostbite asked over the newly established link seemingly unfazed.
'Did it look like a skull?' Conner recalled.
'Yes, that's the one. Well that, young heroes, is known as the Ring of Rage. Alongside its counterpart, the Crown of Fire, they both are ancient artifacts of great, if not infinite power. However, while that power can only be tapped into when both are worn, each has its own 'side effects' so to speak.'
The clone sighed, 'And I'm guessing the ring causes bouts of rage?'
'Contrary to its name, it's not just anger, it's all of his emotions that are being affected due to the power increase. For example, as you may know, if the Great One feels particularly strongly towards something, his abilities will often respond to his emotions.'
'Since the ring is affecting his powers, his emotions will be affected to a certain extent as well,' Lady Helenia continued. 'You see, young Daniel still hasn't quite adjusted to the power that both artifacts provide him with yet. Normally, when the king has had an official coronation, the artifacts are then bestowed on them. But due to the nature of this year's festival-'
'The Observants decided to give him the artifacts early?' The telepath guessed.
'Yes, which is something quite a few of us openly discouraged,' she frowned.
'How come?' Conner asked, his distaste for the Observants gradually growing.
'When the king is officially crowned, the power that comes with both those artifacts is great. Enough that it's rumored that they had driven the previous king mad with power. And while the Great One won't be swayed so easily, the weight of the power alone could cause physical or mental ailments should his body attempt to reject it.'
Both of the heroes paused at that and shared concerned glances.
'How long would he be sick for?' M'gann asked with a worried tone.
Frostbite frowned. 'We're not quite sure ourselves, as this has never happened to a being such as himself before.'
'We'll be sure to keep an eye on him when we return to our dimension,' Conner reassured them.
'That would be greatly appreciated young Justice League. We already discussed with the Time Master the possibility of him temporarily staying in the Far Frozen, at least until after his next Death Day. He will be particularly vulnerable that day and we would want to ensure that he doesn't accidentally harm himself or others. However, as you may well know, the Great One will not take kindly to this gesture.'
'Yeah he wouldn't be able to stay put for very long,' The shape-shifter sighed with a knowing tone.
'Can I ask another question?'
'Of course, Superboy,' Lady Helenia smiled.
'Do you happen to know what it was that we saw in the tent?'
Frostbite hummed in thought for a moment. 'What you may have witnessed was his aura projection.'
'Aura projection?'
'An aura projection is often used to try to intimidate an opponent or to offer a sense of safety for a ghost. The more powerful the ghost, the larger the aura,' Lady Helenia explained.
'Oh I see, so you think Danny used this ability unintentionally?'
'It would help explain why he seemed surprised,' Frostbite suggested. 'He doesn't project his aura often nor does he usually mean to when he does. Though with his body attempting to adjust to his new powers, that could be a very possible theory.'
'New powers?'
'The Great One has powers yet to be unlocked, as he is still considered to be a fairly young ghost. The artifacts are, to put it simply, speeding up the process by acting as keys. By his next Death Day, he could be anywhere from ten times to a hundred times stronger than he is now, with or without the artifacts. Not to mention his sensitivity to the Ghost Zone may dramatically increase. An example of this, while mere theory, is we suspect he may be able to create and sense when portals open and their location. He may even be able to move large masses within the Ghost Zone.'
'That's incredible.…' M'gann breathed.
Both heroes shared awed looks to which the ghosts chuckled a bit before Lady Helenia smiled apologetically and bowed her head.
"While I'm sure you may have more questions, I'm afraid we must go prepare. There is going to be a feast held at the Pavilion just south of here. You and the Team are more than welcome to attend if you'd like. I'm sure it would help ease Danny's mind if there were more familiar faces present." She stated out loud.
'Somehow I doubt that,' Conner thought to himself with a frown.
"We'll let the others know, thank you Lady Helenia and Lord Frostbite. We really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us and being so patient with us," M'gann smiled appreciatively as she bowed her head.
"Of course, Justice League. We hope to see you at the feast then. If not, please enjoy the rest of the festival," the Kari Clan leader smiled.
As the two ghosts walked off, M'gann turned back to Conner with an unsure expression.
"Let's go talk to the rest of the team. Maybe we can share what we learned and offer some reassurance to calm the tension."
Conner frowned as he followed the female martian back into the festival crowd.
"Ugh… these Justice brats are starting to get on my nerves!"
The large man looked over and silently watched as the Far Frozen leader and Kari Clan leader walked away from Superboy and Miss Martian.
The sorcerer picked up the cat at his feet who seemed to be trying to comfort its owner. The boy pouted as he pet the feline. "So what now? They still seem pretty close to the ghosts even after learning their teammate was a crowned prince of another dimension."
A deep baritone hum filled the air as the man thought for a moment. "We will shift our focus. Rather than putting all our efforts into them, we'll simply have to turn the other onto them."
"Tch! And how do you suppose we do that?" The boy asked mockingly.
"By forcing his hand…"
The sorcerer smiled devilishly, "Oh? How interesting…"