*Slowly backing away from mob* Okay guys, lets talk about this. *Metal baseball bat swings at my head* HEY! It took me this long because I don't have my own computer, okay!? Besides, I wanted to wait for my birthday. *Mob gasps in shock* Yes, I have a birthday. It's today. So shut up and read my chapter.

Danny tried not to think of how painful it would be to burn to death as he streaked through the air. He knew he wasn't strong enough to summon up his ghost powers, which kind of stank, because he really didn't want to die all over again.

He came to an abrupt halt, feeling searing hot fire lick his arms and body as pudgy fingers snatched him from the air. He barely had time to scream before he was suddenly surrounded by lukewarm goop. Some of it oozed into his mouth, and Danny wretched as he tried not to let it slip down his throat. Where was he? What had happened? He felt the ooz wriggling about, and the answer came to him with stunning clarity.

You've been eaten. You're inside Skulker. He had been snatched from the air and plopped into Skulker's mouth like a piece of candy.

It was more than Danny could stand. He started to struggle, trying desperately to get out of Skulker's gelatinous body. Let me out, LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT!

We're trying, just hang on!

Danny almost swallowed the gunk in his mouth. What the flabott, who the junk was in his head!?

-Line break-

The team chased after the flaming blob, Robin in the lead as he threw ice disks at it.

Kid Flash zoomed up beside him. "Light the blob on fire. Yeah, that was real brilliant of you, Rob."

"You think I meant to!?" Robin snapped. He was trying desperately to think of why this was happening. Why the thing had suddenly lit on fire? Seriously, of all the things it could have done, it lit on fire!? What. The. Heck.

Miss Martian began to slow, panting as she felt the oppressive heat of the thing. Aqualad had stopped long ago, guarded by Artemis as he tried to get his strength back. "Guys, I'm not sure how much longer I can go on."

"Don't worry M'gann, we'll think of something!" Kid Flash said optimistically, swerving to the side as a jet of flame aimed at him. Robin was wracking his brain, trying to figure out what to do, when they heard a scream. Robin looked up to see that the blob had a teen in its fist. Before Robin could get a good look at him or figure out what to do, the blob popped the boy into his mouth and swallowed.

There was a chorus of strange popping as four mouths simultaneously dropped open. Robin felt sick as he watched the boy thrashing around, his shape distorted by the fire and gelatin. "M'gann, can you link us up? We need to talk to, uh, whoever that is!"

"Right!" She focused. We're linked!

The first thing they all heard was a horrible yelling. Let me out, LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT!

We're trying, just hang on!

Robin tried not to panic. Yeah, we'll figure something out!

Who are you people? Get out of my head! Actually, don't, I appreciate the distraction.

Superboy, impatient with the lack of action, launched off the wall at the blob. Unlike the other times, he actually made contact, and the goo monster splattered everywhere.

-Line break-

Danny had no clue what was happening. One second he had been surrounded by lukewarm slime, and the next he was sitting on his stomach in open air. He desperately spat a hunk of goo out of his mouth, trying to get the slightly acidic taste off his tongue. He felt something grabbing at his leg, and plucked a struggling blob of ectoplasm off.

"Beware!" A tiny voice squeaked, and Danny rolled his unseeing eyes as he realized who it was. "I shall crush you!"

"With what?" Danny questioned, truly curious about what the tiny ghost thought he was going to do.

"Um… my superior power of will!"

Danny rolled his eyes again and tossed Skulker over his shoulder, not really caring enough to do anything else. With a sudden jolt, he remembered the voices he had heard in his head. He took off running, ignoring the cries for him to stop. He didn't know who these people were, but he preferred to keep what was in his head private, thank you very much! He turned a corner and jumped into what he hoped was a supply closet, with guns. Unfortunately, it was another hallway, and the jump only caused him to land painfully on his arm. He got up and kept running, putting as much distance as possible between him and the mysterious group of people. He assumed they were a group, there had been more than one voice. He abruptly slammed into a wall.

Danny fell to the floor, groaning in pain. Note to self, don't run into walls. He rubbed his head, realizing that his bandage had come off at some point. He laid back down, deciding it might be better to play possum than wear himself out.

A few moments later, he heard footsteps come toward him. They stopped, and Danny could tell there was more than one. Judging by the force of them, they had been running after him. He could also tell that one of them was barefoot, for whatever reason.

"Did he… run into the wall?"

"Flash! Don't be rude!"

"What? It's not like he can hear me!"

"We must decide what to do with him. He appears to be injured."

Danny really thought that was a dumb thing to say. Seriously, it was like 'oh look, he has a bleeding cut and burns, I think he might be in pain'. Stupid.

A hand touched him, and with as much speed as he could muster, leapt to his feet and put the person in a head lock. "Who are you?! Have you come to deafen me too!?"

-Line break-

"Woah, take it easy!" Kid Flash gagged out, trying to get enough air to speak coherently. Man, this kid was strong.

"Yeah, well, I tend to get high strung when people poke around in my head!" He perked up suddenly. "Quit breathing down my neck or I'll blow your friends head off."

M'gann immediately backed off. "Sorry! Please don't hurt him, let's just talk about this. I had to read your mind so we could try to figure something out!"

The kid gave her an incredulous look. M'gann shuddered involuntarily. Something about his eyes seems unsettling, but she couldn't place her finger on it. Then she realized what it was. "Your eyes!"

He blinked, then his expression became defensive. "What about them?" He growled. He inadvertently tightened his grip on

"They, well…" M'gann hesitated. She didn't want to offend.

Luckily Aqualad said it for her. "My friend, your eyes don't have a reflection. I cannot see myself in them."

The boy blinked again, then, surprisingly, he sighed in relief. "Oh good, I thought you were going to say they were oozing blood or something." He waved his free hand around, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Kid Flash was turning blue from lack of oxygen. "And, well, that would have really put you off, you know? I mean, you're the first people I've talked to in…" He suddenly frowned. Suddenly he went limp and wrapped his arms around his knees. Kid Flash sat up and gasped, trying to regain enough air to speak, but the boy beat him to it. "A year… I've been in this place for a year." He suddenly seemed extremely sad.

Robin stepped forward. "Look, I don't know what you're doing here, but we're trying to figure out what this place is. Do you think you could help us?"

The boy had started to rock himself, but he stopped at these words. He turned his eyes on them. "You don't want to know what they do here. The things they create…" The boy shuddered and started to rock again.

Robin looked at the others and shrugged. Aqualad spoke next. "Maybe we do not want to know, but we were given a mission, and we will complete it." He paused, then added, "We will come back for you." The team began walking away.

"Wait!" They all turned.

The boy was on his feet, looking pale but determined. "I-" He sucked in a breath and started after them. "I'm coming with you."

*Mob turns and growls at me* Hey, that isn't even a cliffhanger! It's my birthday, quit complaining! *Starts walking away* And please drop a review, that would make a very nice birthday present!