Seeing Sounds
Chapter 4
The Rescue
"Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."
Bertrand Russell
"I got his signal," Batman said gathering the small team. GL, Aquaman, J'onn, and Flash were waiting. Superman had joined them. They couldn't get any other leaguers to come since they were doing their own thing. Many of them had their own cities to protect and were having their own problems while others were trying to fix the mess at the Watchtower.
"Can't that get his heart rate?" Superman asked faintly hearing a scream from the other side of town. He didn't know where it was, but he was more worried about Phantom. Batman nodded and pulled it up.
"It's slow like he's out and having a bad dream, but he's in his ghost form," Batman said. "It's beating fast for him, but we have to go." Everyone nodded and they left heading in the direction Batman was running while he sent the coordinates to Robin. Superman realized that it was in the same direction as the scream he heard earlier.
"Batman got the signal," Robin said. "Let's go." Everyone boarded the plane to go and left following Robin's directions. They met the senior league when they heard a loud scream.
"That's Phantom," Superboy exclaimed looking at the building angrily. Batman glared and motioned for Superman to destroy the doors, and Superman and Superboy destroyed the front door leading to what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse.
"Phantom, will you shut your worthless hole!" O yelled slamming his fist into Phantom's left side. He whimpered as tears were running down his face from dull green eyes filled with despair. His chest was cut open in the Y, and they were busying trying to separate the muscle from the skin. Then an explosion at the front stopped them in their tracks.
"What happened?" K said looking though the mask protecting his face. Then Superman showed up and his eyes widen in horror as he took in the scene before him now. Phantom was lying with his face turned to side looking at Superman. His eyes that were once filled with hope last time were dulled and disturbingly dead, with nothing left but sorrow and pain filling inside them. The incisions letting loose of green ectoplasm speckled in red, and he felt the urge to vomit.
"What have you people done?" he yelled reaching forward and glaring at them. "That's beyond wrong." They picked up their weapons only to find that they were completely surrounded. They were surprised that that many people believed the young ghost in the first place, and they were frozen in spot still aiming their weapons at Superman who was now glaring dangerously at them.
"Danny?" M'gann asked looking at the hybrid whimpering on the table after she entered. She ran over while most of them just stood there looking at the ghost. "Phantom, it's okay." He whimpered at her touch.
"M'gann," he whispered opening his eyes. He looked betrayed as nightmares and reality started to fall into one another.
"It's okay, Phantom. We'll save you," she said trying to unstrap him. "Just don't move." Superboy ran to help as did the rest of the team. The agents looked at them and aimed their weapons at them only for them to glow green and get taken away. Batman walked over to her making sure that the agents wouldn't interfere.
"Not yet," he whispered and put his hand on hers. "We have to clear everything before letting him go."
"You are not going to touch him again," GL yelled angrily as everyone prepared for battle. Batman gazed as Phantom's prone figure on the examination table, he couldn't help but growl. This was cruel and disgusting not to mention low, even for them. Batman stepped towards to them.
"You are under arrest for experimentation on children," he said glaring at them. They stepped back and looked at the ghost boy.
"He's an unfeeling being," O snapped. "There's nothing wrong with what we were doing."
"He feels more than any of you," M'gann screamed angrily getting closer to them. "You ever come near him again…"
"M'gann," J'onn soothed as he placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "They won't." Phantom whimpered again, and M'gann quickly ran back over to him.
"Phantom," Aqualad whispered. "We're here now; no one is going to hurt you anymore."
"Dude, you're going to be fine," Robin said looking at the wound and grimacing.
"Hang on, young one," J'onn said holding his hand over the wound and looking at Phantom with sadness. "It might hurt, but it needs to be done."
"Please," Phantom whispered whimpering and trying to curl up, only the restrains were holding him back as delirium took over. "Please, stop."
"It's okay," M'gann said running her fingers in his hair soothingly. He cried out when J'onn's hand touched the tender skin across his chest making the pain flair like an untamable fire adding to the seemingly never ending agony that he was currently feeling. He screamed out as J'onn took out a kit for emergency. Everyone covered their ears and glared at the agents who were glaring at Phantom. After one loud scream from Phantom everyone was taking the agents down and away from the scene while Batman, J'onn, and the younger members stayed.
"I need him quieter," J'onn said looking at Phantom who was whimpering and crying out. "We need to put him out." Batman walked up and held Phantom's hand.
"Go ahead," Batman ordered squeezing Phantom's hand. "He'll either pass out from the pain, or will feel better after, but we don't have time. He'll bleed out." J'onn nodded and used his powers and the kit to help speed Phantom's healing process. Phantom screamed out every so often. Everyone would close their eyes, and some covered their ears, and then sometimes the room would shake.
"Phantom, it's okay," M'gann soothed after J'onn was done. Phantom was shaking still in the restrains. She looked up at J'onn. "Can I undo them now?" J'onn nodded.
"Be careful, he might get violent," he warned as M'gann undid Phantom's right arm. Phantom quickly took his arm and wrapped it around his chest and tried to curl up in a ball.
"Phantom," M'gann said sadly as she tried to undo the left. Phantom was at an odd angle that she couldn't get it off. Everyone cringed seeing what would have to be done in order to get Phantom out. "Please, relax. I can't get it off until you relax enough so I can undo it." Phantom just whimpered in response. Batman reached over and slowly moved Phantom's body and feeling horrible for having to make the poor hybrid move.
"Hurry, this'll more than likely hurt him more," Batman said a little concern seeping though. M'gann nodded. Batman quickly flipped Phantom over, and he screamed out in pain. M'gann quickly undid the restrains. "Shh, Phantom," Batman whispered. He let go, and Phantom curled up on himself whimpering once more.
"We need to get him to the base," Aqualad said looking at the hurting hero with worry and sympathy on his face as well as in his voice. "He needs to get out of here."
"Taking him to an infirmary could be a bad idea," J'onn whispered in the quiet room. "We can put him in his room, and it'll make him feel better and safer, there is something I need to check in the infirmary first before we take him to his room though. We have to stop there first."
"First we need to get him back to the base," Robin said concerned. "He never showed us how to fly the Fenton jet."
"I'll get it," Batman said. "It has autopilot, I'm sure I can put the coordinates in, and it will take me to where the base is. I'll get it there tonight so I have the cover of dark." Aqualad nodded.
"M'gann, get the Bioship," Aqualad said concern lancing his words, and he looked at his new teammate who had wrapped himself into a tight ball whimpering worriedly. "Don't worry, Phantom. You'll be just fine."
"It hurts," he whispered trying to curl into a tighter ball. M'gann reached over and put her hand on his.
"I know, but it'll go away," she said smiling at him. He slowly opened one eye to look at her. She could see the pain he was in from the vivisection and couldn't believe that he was still alive. "It'll be okay, Danny."
"Thank you," he whispered relaxing and falling unconscious.
"That's probably the best thing for him," Batman said.
"The ship is here," M'gann said never letting Phantom's hand go.
"Here," Superboy offered reaching under Phantom. He made a small whimper and curled back up a little while Superboy just looked at him in sympathy. He looked like a young child that was scared in his sleep. There was a puddle of ectoplasm and blood beneath him and under the table. "I'll get him in there." M'gann nodded and let go of Phantom's hand. Phantom whimpered again.
"Oh my," Hawkgirl said as she showed up. She watched as they took Phantom back on the plane. "That is…unbelievable."
"I know," Batman agreed looking at the Fenton Jet that was parked next to the Bioship on the roof. "So how is it the Fentons managed to create a jet using the top of their house?"
"What do you mean?" she asked looking at the Jet across from them on the roof.
"It was once a center on top that was connected," Batman said slightly impressed. He wouldn't have thought of something like that. "I'm surprised no one from the league would have considered looking into them."
"We did," Diana said walking up. Everyone turned to look at her. "But they died before we could see anything." Robin looked over at her.
"I know what you are talking about," he said looking down. "Phantom said something about it." Diana nodded.
"We weren't sure because of the way Jack acted, but we were interested in Maddie," she responded as they watched the Bioship disappear. "Are you staying here, Robin?"
"Artemis and I are doing rounds, but most of the ghosts left when they heard Phantom was here," Robin said looking down.
"He's still healing," Batman said walking up the ramp to the Fenton Jet. "I found a couple manuals, but only one had anything to do with this ship. It's really not that hard to fly, but Phantom most likely can make it fire and other things as well."
"As long as it flies," Hawkgirl said looking around. Robin looked up at the jet.
"Phantom said that everything that he wanted in this was already here, but there is some things still down in the vault that he wanted them to take. We got the portal in there, but that was it," Robin said looking at Batman. "Artemis is gathering what was left in the lab to take and put here." Batman nodded and sat in the seat of the jet. There was an autopilot button, but Batman decided to try it without since the controls looked similar to the ones in his ship.
"He's in extreme pain," J'onn warned as Superboy carried the young hybrid to the infirmary once they got back. "I don't want to leave him here, but I would like to make sure they didn't do anything besides cut him open." Superboy nodded looking sadly at the teen in his arms. Danny was silent, but his face was showing inner pain and turmoil from nightmares.
"He'll be okay once he's healed though, right?" he asked looking at J'onn.
"I hope so," he said as they past Phantom's room. It had his symbol on it. "At least he made a decision; I hope this doesn't change it." Superboy held Phantom more protectively in his arms.
"Superboy," Kid Flash yelled running up to them. "Is he still out?"
"Yes," Super boy answered as he set him on the bed in the infirmary. "I hope he stays like that." J'onn walked over to the breathing machine.
"I'll need to make sure he can breathe correctly. Can you go ahead and tie his arms down?" J'onn ordered getting the mask on Phantom's face. Phantom slightly turned away and flinched in pain. J'onn sighed as the bruises appeared more pronounced.
"Why hit him?" Kid Flash asked examining the bruising that was appearing. J'onn sighed.
"He was screaming, and they didn't want him to attract attention," J'onn answered running his hand over the bandage covering Phantom's chest lightly. It was slowly rising and falling with each ragged breath.
"Why?" M'gann asked walking in with sadness. "What could be gained from something so…I don't know?"
"They want to destroy ghosts," J'onn said looking at her. "And learning everything they can about him would help." Superboy glared angrily at the ground.
"So trying to kill a young teen justifies something like that?" Superboy asked angrily.
"No, that was their reason, and they will not go unpunished," J'onn said. "Batman will have a say in it." They all looked down as Phantom groaned. "We need to get him to his room." But Phantom opened his eyes and tried to scream.
"No, shh," M'gann said running up to him and holding his hand. "Don't move, you'll hurt yourself even further." Phantom's breathing quickened, and he stared at everyone with wide eyes. "It's okay, Danny. Everything is going to be just fine."
"Why," he said closing his eyes and turning his head to the side as reality became lost to him, and he began to give up. He calmed down, but J'onn paused at what was happening and gained a worried face.
"Phantom, you are going to be just fine," he soothed walking to meet the teen's eyes. "Don't give up. Your friends are here, and they will make sure that you are safe. Just rest."
"What happened?" Phantom stammered trying to get his hands up. When he realized that he couldn't, he started panicking.
"No, Danny," M'gann warned as he ripped off the one. Superboy rushed over to prevent Phantom from getting up without hurting him. He held Phantom's shoulder down.
"Phantom, you are going to be just fine," Superboy insisted struggling to keep the teen from getting up. "Please just stay down so you can heal." Phantom looked at him with a panicked look in his eyes. He was no longer able to completely keep control of himself.
"Phantom," Kid Flash muttered helping Superboy. "Please, stop. You'll just hurt even more. Please." Phantom suddenly stopped and fell against the bed out of breathe, and then he tried to curl back up but was failing.
"That seems to be his way of escaping the world," J'onn said walking over as Phantom hid his face in his arms after he slipped out of the mask.
"Phantom," J'onn said quietly. "Nothing here is going to hurt you. Please calm yourself. We can take you to your room."
"Take him to his room. Maybe he'll think about what he has done," Agent O said smirking. Phantom paled as the men dragged him back.
"NO," Phantom screamed as a whip lanced his back leaving stinging pain in its wake.
"No," Phantom whispered trying to get away from them as reality disappeared. "Get away."
"Danny," M'gann soothed rubbing his side trying to get him to relax. "Everything is going to be just fine. It's the room you are going to decorate since it looked like your old one. You wanted to join with us. You told Robin to keep it a secret to see how long it would take us to figure it out." Phantom whimpered and shied away from her. "Danny, we are all here to keep you safe. We tried when they caught you, but they got away somehow. We got there as soon as we figure out where you were."
"No," Phantom whispered putting his hands over his ears and rolling over to protect his chest and stomach. "Please." M'gann gently put her hand on his back, and he screamed out. She quickly took it away and backed away looking at J'onn.
"He was tortured," J'onn answered her unasked question slowly walking back over to Phantom sadly. "That's why he moved like that. I would chance to say that he was whipped the way he is laying." Superboy looked at Phantom.
"It was them, wasn't it?" he asked looking at J'onn.
"Most likely," he said kneeling next to Phantom and put his hand on his shoulder, and Phantom flinched away. "This past thing may have set his mind into survival mode. He may not respond the way he should, and he's scared." M'gann sat next to Phantom and ran her hand though his hair slowly. Phantom whimpered again and hid his face farther into his arms.
"I'm not going to hurt you," M'gann murmured rubbing Phantom's shoulder. "Shh." Phantom peeked out over his arm and then flinched, tensed, and trembled ready to be punished. "I'm never going to hurt you," she whispered as she continued to work her way down his arm to his face. He buried it deeper into his arm trying to get away from her.
"Come one, you worthless pile of crap," K yelled stretching the hybrid's arm out. "We need to get moving before our boss comes."
"Leave me alone," Phantom yelled back slipping his arm away and shooting a blast at them. O growled and took out their whip again and laced against his back getting a cry of pain to come from the younger's lips.
"You are not to tell us what to do, Scum," O screamed lacing Phantom's back with many lashes.
"Please, don't," Phantom whispered as she tried to coax his head back out. "Please. I didn't…it wasn't…please." M'gann looked at J'onn.
"I believe that if you keep doing that, he'll eventually come around," J'onn observed. "Make sure he doesn't hurt anyone. There are tranquilizers in that cabinet there if he gets too out of control. But I think if you raise your hand he'll go back into hiding in his arms like he is now."
"So avoid that and use the tranquilizers," Kid Flash quipped. J'onn smiled slightly at their antics. At least this situation didn't ruin Kid Flash's childlike behavior.
"Yes, it would be best to avoid having him afraid of us. I have to go," J'onn said. "If he tries to escape, call us. We don't want him running around with him like this." M'gann nodded.
"Please," Phantom whispered again tightening into his ball. "Please." M'gann ran her fingers though his hair again hoping he would calm down enough so that they could talk to him.
"It's okay, Danny. You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you," M'gann said again sweetly and gently. "It's okay." Phantom peeked out again and then tensed waiting for something to happen.
"We're not going to hurt you," Superboy agreed walking around. Phantom's eyes widened, and he hid his face back in his arms and whimpered.
"Please, I don't want…" Phantom whispered. "Just hurry." Superboy looked at M'gann.
"He thinks you are going to hurt him," M'gann uttered sadly.
"Or punish him," Batman said entering. "How is he?"
"Scared half out of his mind," Kid Flash said staring at the hybrid that was currently making a pitiful attempt to hide from the world. "He seems to be responding to M'gann than the rest of us."
"Most likely because she is female. He has been abused by males, so that's what he's going to see us as: a threat," Batman explained walking up to Phantom. "We have to be careful still after we get him to open up again."
"What if we get M'gann and Artemis to take care of him, and then when he finally opens up enough to think straight, we can start getting him back to where he was," Kid Flash suggested. Batman turned and looked at him thoughtfully.
"That's a good idea," he smiled. "Go ahead then," he said leaving. Kid Flash and Superboy looked at each other.
"I'm not leaving her with him. He could attack at any moment or hurt himself," Superboy said looking at M'gann worriedly and then back at Phantom who was curled up on the bed. He didn't want Phantom to hurt her or himself.
"I'll be fine," she insisted smiling at him. "You can stay near the back of the room though. Then he won't see you." Superboy nodded and headed for the corner of the room. Kid Flash shook his head at the two knowingly.
"I'll go tell Artemis our plan," he decided leaving. M'gann sighed and started rubbing Phantom's arms trying to get his head to pop out again.
"Danny, it's okay," she whispered as Phantom moved slightly. He slowly lifted his face again to look at her. She almost cried at the cornered look he gave her. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked in the softest sweetest voice she could muster.
"Please," he whispered into his arm looking up at her. "Please don't…"
"I'm not going to hurt you," she soothed reaching to touch his face. He tensed ready for her to hit him and closed his eyes, but all she did was rub his cheek and take her hand away. "See, no one here is going to hurt you." He opened one eye.
"What…" he began only to shut his eyes tightly and whimper. He curled his legs up to his chest tighter.
"We don't have anything for the pain," she whispered trying to sooth him in his seemingly hopeless situation. "Our infirmary isn't completely stocked yet." Phantom whimpered again.
"What happened?" he finally croaked out. He looked up at her again as recognition showed on his face. M'gann smiled.
"They got you, but we were able to save you before they did too much," she answered hoping he wouldn't go back into hiding. He relaxed slightly.
"The portal?" he said as he tried to sit up. M'gann put her hand on his shoulder.
"It's here, but you just need to set it up. You can't go anywhere until that is healed," she said sternly. Phantom eyes her for a moment before relaxing and sighing dejectedly.
"Thanks," he whispered reaching out for her hand. She took it entwining her fingers between his reassuringly.
"I'm guessing you didn't really know what was going on," she said looking at him. He smiled slightly.
"I remember screaming, but otherwise everything's a blur," Phantom replied turning his head slightly. "Hey, Superboy." Superboy walked out, but stopped when Phantom tensed.
"Are you okay?" he asked not wanting to frighten the hybrid. Phantom nodded.
"An unwanted reflex," he whispered. "Sorry, I didn't…"
"Phantom, knock it off," Artemis sighed in annoyance entering. "We're glad you are okay. Quit apologizing for something that was out of your control. Kid Flash told me what was going to happen." He smiled at her sadly, eyes filled with nostalgic tears of sorrow.
"My best friend was always saying something like that," he murmured falling asleep against the bed curled up.
"How is he?" Superman asked as M'gann and Superboy showed up. They were all unloading everything and taking it to an unused room for Phantom to turn into his lab.
"He's better. He let Superboy walk up to him a little," M'gann said. "I think it's easier for him since he was able to get over it before, but being afraid of the infirmary may take some more time than we had planned. He doesn't like being in there." Batman nodded and continued typing into the computer.
"We are setting up a lab area for Phantom," he said. "We are letting the jet stay here in the hanger, and then the lab is going to be over there. All that's left to take over there is what's was in your ship."
"The portal," M'gann said with awe in her voice. "Yeah, that thing was huge."
"It's supposed to take you to the flip side of our world," Wally partly joked. "It doesn't surprise me." Artemis shook her head.
"It probably takes a lot of energy," she said then started looking around.
"What are you doing?" Robin asked looking at her.
"Usually we are talking about something Phantom deals with, he appears," she said looking at Robin.
"He's in pain just sitting still. I don't think he'll want to move," Robin said looking over his shoulder at a loud sound coming from the infirmary. "Phantom?" They all ran to the sound.
"Phantom?" Robin asked as he entered the infirmary. Phantom was no longer in the bed, but curled up in the corner of the room. The infirmary was completely trashed and destroyed. "Phantom, are you okay?"
"Danny?" M'gann asked walking over to him. Everyone stayed back and let her walk up to him and kneel down in front. He looked up at her slightly before burying his head and turning his back to her.
"He was trained to do that," Robin observed seeing the response. "He was tortured by them."
"That's what J'onn said," M'gann muttered rubbing Phantom's arm hoping he would relax. "Danny, I know it hurts, but please don't hide from us. What happened?" Phantom looked up at her and then at the lab.
"They…it…I…was..there…and they tried…kept me from…them…they needed," he whispered hugging himself into his ball of comfort. M'gann slowly wrapped her arms around him giving him a small hug hoping he would relax.
"Phantom," Superboy whispered walking a little closer. Phantom tensed and let his back completely open, ready for whatever was to come.
"Danny, it's okay," M'gann said smiling and reaching for his shoulders to turn him around and get him to relax. "No one is going to hurt you. Please, it's okay."
"Just do it," he whispered. "Please." M'gann sighed and turned to look at Aqualad.
"What do we do? He's waiting for punishment," she murmured sadly looking back at Phantom and trying to get him to relax. She was rubbing his shoulder, but the way he was moving, was telling her that he was waiting for the whip.
"You're worthless," K growled kicking the hybrid across the room. "That was no way to act there. Our boss wasn't too happy with that little trick you pulled."
"You should have known better," O yelled cracking the whip and making Phantom turn around to face them, anger glowing bright in his eyes.
"You took me from my home and you expect me to just give in," he yelled. The whip around and graced his chest with it's painful end. The end was coated in ectonergy, and it burned his flesh. He screamed out and fired at them. They dodged and then pinned him to the ground. O kept his arms down while K whipped his back.
"You will learn respect," K yelled whipping him one last time. O leaned down to Phantom's ear.
"This is your new home, Scum," he growled. "You will listen to your masters."
"Please," Phantom whispered curling back into a ball. "I want to go home." Everyone stopped.
"He's no longer in the present," M'gann realized standing up. "He's reliving the past."
"He destroyed their lab," Robin pointed out looking around the infirmary. "And if he did what he here, they were out for quite a while."
"At least this place was already in the process of getting redone," Superboy said. "Now we can get a whole new wing."
"That's wonderful," Kid Flash grinned sarcastically then frowned when Phantom gave a cry of pain.
"We need to get him out of here, and somewhere that can't remind of his past," M'gann commanded kneeling back down to him. She started to roll him over when he froze, his hands stretched to the ground and glowed slightly blue. The room grew colder and ice started to form on the floor. Aqualad's eyes widened.
"No, get the tranquilizers, he's going to escape," he yelled running for where Batman told them it was. "That's how he got away from them."
"Destroyed their lab and then attacked," Kid Flash muttered looking at Phantom who was still curled up.
"They couldn't do anything to him while he's like this. M'gann, be careful, he could freeze you," Aqualad warned aiming the darts at Phantom's back. Suddenly everything warmed up, and Phantom stood up looking dazed.
"Ow," he whispered holding his chest. He looked down at the ground and panicked seeing a needle. He backed away from it running into M'gann.
"Danny, don't," she warned catching him before he fell. "Shh, everything is going to be just fine." He looked up at her and everyone else.
"What happened?" he asked flinching as the pain in his chest intensified.
"You destroyed the lab," Robin informed walking up to him. Phantom tensed but tried not to move from his spot. "It's okay, though."
"It was going to happen eventually," Superboy muttered. "Told you we should have taken him to his room while he was out and skipped the infirmary."
"Shut up," M'gann growled glaring at him. "He woke up before we could." Phantom just watched the two argue. Kid Flash slowly walked to Phantom's side. Phantom looked over at him, but didn't seem affected.
"Wally, what are you doing?" Artemis yelled seeing him next to Phantom.
"He's not doing anything," he pointed out looking at Phantom. Phantom closed his eyes and put his legs under himself then stood up completely.
"I think I'm good," Phantom uttered looking down at his chest. "My mental breakdown is at least."
"That was a mental breakdown?" Robin asked looking at everything.
"Yes," Phantom answered rubbing his neck. "That's the second time it's happened too. The last time I destroyed my parents' lab."
"Did they know?" Aqualad asked confused. Phantom shook his head.
"They were surprised when I was screaming. My mom was worried thinking that's how I died. Before they found out, they thought the reason I tried to protect Amity was because I was tortured and didn't want anything to happen to others. My dad thought I was the one doing the torturing until my mom told him that I was only a teenager," Phantom explained as he held his arms around his chest.
"It's okay," M'gann comforted hugging him gently. "How do you feel?"
"I'm okay. Still in pain, but I think that's pretty obvious," Phantom told her.
"Can you walk?" Robin asked. Phantom looked at him and smiled.
"Maybe," he muttered looking down and putting one foot in front of the other. He lost balance, but M'gann put her hand on his shoulder to keep him from falling. "Okay, sorta. Thanks."
"Okay, let's get him to his room," Aqualad ordered walking up next to Phantom. Phantom tensed, and he stopped. "Wally, you and M'gann take him to his room." Said heroes nodded and walked on each side of Phantom. They kept him balanced if he started falling sideways, but they were both afraid to touch him as if they would break him at the smallest push.
"Why is he only letting Wally go near him?" Robin asked looking at Aqualad.
"I have no idea," he said walking as the three disappeared into the hall. "But we could use that to our advantage."
"Maybe because of Wally's attitude," Superboy put in walking up. "Phantom didn't see him as a threat, but a friend. Maybe there was someone there that he seen as a friend there, and Wally reminds him of that person." Aqualad and Robin looked at him.
"He's on to something," Robin agreed smiling and typing into his computer. "I'm going to look for recently fired people whose was doing something that they shouldn't in the Guys in White labs." Robin walked out of the room.
"Well maybe we can learn what happened to Phantom and not have to have him bring up those memories," Aqualad mused as he looked at the destroyed infirmary. "I wonder why the lab at his house didn't show any signs of him destroying it."
"The lab was ghost poof," Superboy pointed out walking out. Aqualad looked at him confused when he stopped at the door. "What? They were ghost hunters; I would figure that was it."
"Okay," Aqualad said leaving and turning off the light.
"Phantom?" Wally asked looking at the hybrid who was leaning against the door. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just tried and sore," he muttered pushing against the door and letting M'gann open it. "Thanks guys."
"You're our friend," M'gann smiled. "And you need help, even now." Phantom smiled.
"Yeah, I do," Phantom agreed entering the room. He stopped looking around at it. "What the…?"
"Whoa," Wally exclaimed looking at the room. The walls were black, and the bed had Phantom's symbol on the comforter, as well as right above the head board. There was a picture of him and his family sitting on the silver dresser. There was a small room next to it that had the bathroom. The curtains to the shower were green as was the sink. The walls were white with a black strip going around the room.
"Who?" Phantom began looking back at Batman who was smiling.
"They said they didn't want you to be somewhere that would remind you of the past," Batman explained walking up. Phantom tensed, but remained where he was. "Changing the room to something that didn't look like your old one would help."
"This is so cool," Wally grinned looking at TV that was sitting across the room from the bed. "How come our rooms can't look like this?"
"You have to do your own," Batman pointed out. "Phantom here has had a enough to do. Besides he still has to set up his lab." Phantom looked at him surprised.
"Where is it?" Phantom asked hesitantly. Batman noticed, but didn't point it out. He knew the reason, and he knew why Wally was able to get to him while no one else could get close without freaking him out.
"It comes off the hanger," Batman explained walking around the room to avoid getting closer to Phantom. "I hope to see you better soon, Phantom. I have a job to do."
"Thank you," Phantom smiled warmly at him. "I like it." Batman nodded and left.
"Dude, he got you clothes," Wally muttered annoyed. He pulled out several white shirts that had a red oval on them.
"Those are my old clothes," Phantom mentioned limping over. "He only had to take them here." Wally smiled.
"Well, I guess you can get around on your own now," he smiled walking to the door. "I'm going to redo my room now." Phantom laughed, and then stopped and dropped to the ground holding his chest. Wally and M'gann ran over to him.
"Danny," M'gann asked kneeling in front of him. Phantom looked up.
"Sorry, just a sudden pain," Phantom gasped out and got up before clutching his chest again. M'gann put her hand on his shoulder and slowly made her way to his chest.
"Your heart is beating too fast," she explained looking at him. "I need you to relax; you are going into a slight shock. Wally, go get me some water and maybe something for him to eat." Wally nodded and ran out of the room. "Can you stand?" M'gann asked putting her other hand under Phantom's arm to help him up. He slowly stood back up and then winced. M'gann reached to take his pulse at his neck, and he froze.
"Don't," he whispered grabbing her hand and letting her have his wrist. "I don't like people around my neck."
"Bad experience?" she asked looking for his pulse on his wrist.
"Experiences," Phantom muttered looking at her. "Every time I get in a fight, they always go for my neck. I think I've broken it a couple times."
"Then how are you still here?" she asked finally finding his pulse.
"My body will heal something like that very quickly," he smiled slightly.
"Your heart is beating about normal for you now," she mumbled glad that was over. "I want to keep you under a good watch though. That could have been much worse."
"Sometimes it's my human half telling me something," Phantom explained looking at her. "But because of what happened, I can't change back without risking serious injury," he mentioned going to his bed. He sat down and then laid back. "It feels good to lay down."
"You were laying down until you destroyed the infirmary," M'gann mentioned smiling. Phantom flinched.
"Okay, lay down and not have to panic about whether I'm safe or not," he rephrased. Wally walked in with a tray and a bottle of water.
"Here ya go. Canary decided to make us food since she heard what happened," he grinned. "She wants to come see you, as long as it's okay with you."
"Thanks, and yeah that's okay," Phantom smiled. M'gann walked over to him.
"You sure? You seemed nervous about Batman," she questioned putting her hand on his shoulder. Phantom smiled up at her after setting his tray and water on the bed.
"I'll be okay. I'm not sure why I was so tense," he muttered looking down. "It's just something that happened."
"We thought that maybe it was because that males were hurting you," Wally mentioned. "But you were fine with me." Phantom looked at him.
"I don't know," he whispered. "I hate this." Wally sat down on the other side of the bed and turned and put his hand on Phantom's shoulder. Phantom tensed and closed his eyes.
"You are still afraid of me," he pointed out taking his hand off. "You are expecting us to hit you, just like someone who was in a abusive household." Phantom looked at him.
"I guess time will help to heal," he whispered. "I'll get better though." Wally smiled.
"Good, because I looked further into you," he grinned. "And I think that having someone who can create something interesting will liven things up around here. I heard you were cocky in a fight." Phantom chuckled.
"I hope so," he agreed as Canary walked up to the door.
"Hey, Phantom, how are you feeling?" she asked walking in and looking around the room. "Batman must like you."
"I'm good considering what happened," Phantom stated as M'gann and Wally stood. "I think he does."
"Do you want us to leave?" M'gann asked looking at Phantom who was eating some of the pizza that was on the tray.
"I would like to talk to Phantom alone," Canary commanded walking over to him and watching as he tensed slightly, but not as much as he did with the others.
"Okay," Wally nodded dragging M'gann with him. Phantom looked at Canary.
"What is it?" he asked moving over so she could sit.
"I don't think anyone asked if you still wanted to do this," Canary explained looking him in the eye. "Do you really want to continue this?" Phantom looked down.
"I will always be a hero," he assured looking at her. "It's part of my obsession, and I think that staying here is safer than trying it out like I have been doing." Phantom looked down at his hands. "My obsession to make sure that my family was safe almost got me killed so many times, and then with the Guys in White trying to get me, I've just got nothing left if I leave." Canary watched as Phantom rubbed the gauze that was tightly wrapped around his chest keeping his wound from opening again.
"I don't know much about ghosts, but I guess to someone who knows more, that would make sense," Canary mentioned smiling at the hybrid.
"Yeah, ghosts have an obsession that they have to do," Phantom explained. "Mine is to protect."
"To keep those around you safe," Canary agreed looking at the symbol sitting over the bed. "Your symbol has been used as a protection icon."
"Yea, my town used it as one," Phantom commented looking up at it. "I just wish that fight with Plasmius never happened, and then none of this would have happened."
"You can't change the past," Canary comforted.
"Tried that once and it backfired," Phantom muttered looking at her. "Now, I can't contact that ghost anymore. No one can."
"He doesn't want to be found, so I guess this was supposed to happen," Canary guessed taking her chance and reaching around Phantom's shoulders. He tensed, but she only slowed down never stopping.
"I guess…that makes sense," Phantom muttered watching her. He knew what she was trying to do, but it made him uncomfortable.
"Are you okay?" she asked before letting her arm actually touch him. Phantom flinched.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Phantom whispered looking over at Canary's hand. Canary let her arm rest on his shoulders, and Phantom squirmed a little.
"It's not hurting you," Canary pointed out lifting her arm up a little. Phantom shook his head.
"No, it's just…" he began but closed his eyes and started breathing hard.
"Phantom, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm only trying to get you use to people touching you again," Canary comforted getting a little closer. "Open your eyes; hiding from this isn't going to help you." Phantom opened his eyes slightly.
"It helped before," Phantom whispered looking at her in fear. She smiled and took her other hand and brushed some of his hair out of his face.
"In the lab?" she asked trying to see what had happened.
"Yea," Phantom mentioned before his eyes widened. Canary pulled him to her.
"It's okay, Danny," she whispered as he cried. "No one here is going to hurt you. It's safe."
"How is he?" Flash asked as Batman arrived. There were a few heroes in the room with them.
"Canary is going to work with him," he answered. "I got his room done while he was in the infirmary. I wasn't expecting him to destroy the infirmary when I did it though."
"He destroyed the infirmary?" J'onn asked looking at Batman.
"He was in the middle of a mental breakdown. He's good now, he just tenses every time a male comes around," Batman mentioned typing into the computer. "Now we need to learn everything about the Guys in White and the person who hired them: Vladimir Masters."
"Wasn't that the mayor of Amity?" GL asked looking at the picture. "The one that wanted to kill Phantom, and the one the killed his family."
"Yes, we are going after him," Batman ordered pulling up articles. "That invasion we entered in at Amity when we cleaned out the Fentons' house was staged to fame Phantom. As soon as we got him out of there, every ghost disappeared."
"Wasn't that more because they were afraid of him?" GL asked looking at the camera they placed in Amity Park to make sure that they no longer had that many ghosts again without their hero being there.
"I believe that, and Phantom said that ghosts tend to make sure that other ghosts don't get hurt. I think a few seen him get caught by those guys," Batman explained glaring at the pictures of their fight. "I want to know how they were able to get away with him."
"Right there," GL pointed out to where they headed the thermos to O who was halfway out of the manhole.
"Wonderful," Batman growled. "Do we have them already arrested?"
"Masters bailed them out and is calling in his contacts trying to get the charges dropped and get them back in the field. He wants them to track Phantom again," GL growled typing some more into the computer.
"We have some work to do to prevent him from using his powers to get these charges dropped. I found those belts that Phantom said prevented ghosts from touching and overshadowing someone. I want to study those," Batman explained watching the screen.
"Do you have his permission?" Flash asked curious. "Cause if not, can I go and ask? I heard that he'll let Kid Flash near him, but everyone else he's nervous about." Batman nodded.
"Go ahead," he ordered taking out the one belt.
Danny: Sorry for the wait.
Me: I feel bad...
Danny: You'll be fine, other than the injury you got from the horse.
Me: I was thrown...pretty far...
Danny: she's in pain
Me: a lot
Danny: she also doesn't own the shows
Me: I don't
Danny: At least we're no longer fighting
Me: No we're not
Danny: that's slightly annoying.
Me: It is.
Danny: Review and let's see how fast we can post the next one.
Me: Check out Silent Tears as well...it's actaully part of this story and it may give clues as to what happens in later chapters.
Danny: It's goes after the week Danny was captured.
Me: It kinda explains more of what happens in a later chapter better...I hope you liked this and that...XD
Danny: Also...
Me: we should stop, because I'm not sure exactly what all has been mentioned and I would hate to give away some info...I hope to see you soon.