Sins
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, Teen Titans, or anything DC-related. If I did then it wouldn't be as popular as it is.
The story was written & developed by Nightmares Around Winter. The story is based on 'The Forgotten Hero' by TheWhiteTitan.
Beta read by Leaf Ranger
Author's Note: HOLY FUCKING SHIT THIS TOOK FOREVER TO GET RELEASED. Okay so...I promised someone that I would release this chapter at the beginning of October but sadly a lot of things happened. Namely, my mental and physical health took a massive downward spiral that left me bedridden with everything from body aches and migraines to being unable to be creative due to depression and anxiety over a lot of things. And then mentally went through some trips because I felt super guilty about how late this chapter was going to be and how I felt shitty because I made a promise to someone and I fucked that up and then got sick constantly to the point I had to consider going to a doctor to see if I am going through some sort of immuno-deterioration or something.
So eventually, I survived, and I am here. I feel better and I was FINALLY able to push this chapter out and it is my longest chapter to date. So I hope you like it. Happy Holidays, hope you all enjoy yourself and please take care of yourself lest you go through the same hell I did for the past couple of months. PEACE!
Without any further ado, I hope you enjoy it.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"Demonic/other-worldly voices or thoughts"
(Author's Note/Translation)
Chapter 20: I Don't Want to Remember Me, Part 2
The air was thick with tension as Valerie slowly approached him with her eyes glossy with tears as she studied his face. His face was more defined, strong even. While the Danny she remembered was cute, he now had become handsome. He was several inches taller than her as he looked down at her with those baby-blue eyes and a stoic frown. Was he not happy to see her? That was fair, the last time she saw him she rejected him and dedicated herself to hunting ghosts down and he was already a big enough target for them due to being the son of ghost hunters. Yet in the end, that didn't seem to matter as the explosion took him and so many others away. But here he was. Questions upon questions went through her mind like so many lightning bolts but one overwhelming urge was coming over her.
Danny stood still and unflinching. He wasn't expecting to see Valerie or anyone who only knew him as Fenton, yet here was that impossible moment now. He had to admit, Valerie still looked beautiful...actually, she looked better than he remembered. Her long curly black hair reached to her waist, and her body had a strong athletic build surly honed by her ghost-hunting career, but what caught his attention was her green eyes shimmering with un-shed tears. Tears, no doubt, for the mass grave his old family name was attached to. While he may know the truth, no one else could have known that the explosion that vaporized a few blocks along with taking the lives of what must have been dozens of people wasn't the work of Fenton's incompetence but deliberate sabotage by a government organization. When Valerie's slow walk became a run, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for the punch to come, followed by the angry shouts calling him out for his family's 'crimes' that fateful day.
But what came was an embrace that left him more stunned than any blow to the face, as his eyes shot open, large and wide in shock. He looked down and saw Valerie burying her face in his chest. Her arms wrapped around him tightly as if she were worried he would slip away from her as her muffled whimpers and tears dampened his chest. Danny could only stare on in bewilderment at this action, his gaze landing on the confused faces of the Hawkins and his receptionist. The looks seemingly pulled him out of his confusion as he began to embrace her in turn. "It's...nice to see you again, Valerie." He said sincerely.
Valerie's eyes went wide as she broke the embrace, her hands placed firmly on his shoulders as she steeled herself. She was here for answers, so seeing Danny here only delivered more questions. "How?... How did you survive?" She asked.
Danny took in a sharp breath before looking down at the floor. "Look, you got a lot of questions. And I will answer what I can, but first," he said as he gestured to the Hawkins family, "let me see them off first. Okay?" He asked. Valerie merely nodded as he walked over to his former patient. "I'll set up a physical therapist for you later, with regular treatments here and some luck you should be able to walk again within a month, maybe less if you show steady progress." He said with a smile.
"Thanks but uh...you gonna be okay?" Vergil asked as he looked over at the girl. He recognized her as the so-called ghost hunter who saved him from the stag man. "You know her?"
Danny gave a look back at Valerie for a moment, her green eyes locking with his before he turned back. "I used to," he said before making a somber smile. "I'll be fine. You three go home and just...take it easy." He said as he turned back towards Valerie.
"Well...take care," Vergil said as the Hawkins family started to leave the building. Yet Vergil couldn't take his eyes away from Valerie. 'What are you doing here?' He thought to himself as the door closed behind them.
"Francine, were there any calls for me while I was busy with the Hawkins?" He asked the woman at the desk.
"None sir," she responded.
"Thank you. Um...hold any that come while I'm busy with Miss Grey here." He asked as he walked towards Valerie.
"Of course Mr. Luthor." She responded.
Danny walked passed Valerie, "Follow me and we'll talk. Okay?" He said.
Valerie raised an eyebrow at the request, "Okay, on your lead...Mr. Luthor." Danny frowned softly at the cold tone she said his new name but said nothing as he led Valerie to an elevator. Danny pressed the button for the top floor of the building. As the door closed, Valerie instantly turned to him, glaring a bit. "Okay, let's start with how are you alive, Danny?!" She snapped.
"I...I wasn't there when the explosion happened," Danny answered, distanced and lost in his memory, "Tucker and Sam went over to my house. We were going to watch a movie, so I volunteered to go to the Nasty Burger and grab some food. I must have been just out of range for the blast to hit me but the resulting shock-wave left me unconscious. When I came too...everything was gone...and so...I ran away." He turned to her. "There, does that answer your question?"
Valerie's face softened as the door came open; Danny walked out first and Valerie followed. The empty hall was flooded with the noise of the construction workers working on the building's exterior. "Where did you even run to?"
Danny's eyes closed and he inhaled sharply. "Nowhere. I didn't have an exact place in mind...I eventually stumbled into Central City." He started, reciting the false narrative he and Lex invented together. "I was homeless, I had nothing but the wallet in my pocket and the clothes on my back. I probably would have starved but, it turns out that someone was looking for me. A private investigator hired by Lex Luthor."
"So Luthor took you in? You're working for him?" Valerie asked. Her stomach started to sink.
"...Lex is my...uncle. Believe it or not, I certainly didn't at first," he answered. "Apparently my mother never even knew she was adopted, but I did get the blood test to prove it." He confessed. "The state took my mother away from her birth family before she was even a year old, where she eventually ended up being adopted by some people out in the country. When my uncle eventually got the means to do so, he hired various investigators to try and find her, to no avail. When the explosion at Amity became national news, he thought it was a good lead. So he started to hire PIs starting from there and eventually going outward, and that led to me being discovered."
Valerie listened to the details as she tried to process the revelation. "Then what?"
"Afterwards, he began to groom me to inherent Lexcorp. I spent years constantly being tutored and lectured. It's been hard but...I had no real choice," Danny said. "Lex may not be the most loving man, but he has at least given me a chance to prove myself and help others. That's why I opened Caduceus Medical here, after what happened Dakota City needed healing and if I can pull it off, that healing technique can spread to the nation. Maybe even outside of it."
"So...what's stopping you?" Valerie asked.
"Capital." He sighed as he went over to his desk. "Here let me show you," he added as he started to type on the computer. Valerie came in and sat down at the chair in front of the desk. As Danny was preparing something on his computer, she looked around and noticed how Spartan and colorless the space was compared to the lobby. "As of right now, we've only had one patent. You've seen him." Danny stated. "When that thing attacked him, his spine suffered extreme damage effectively paralyzing him from the waist down." He explained as he turned the monitor towards her. Valerie watched a simple render of the damage done to the spine, marked in red. "Virgil's vertebrae were shattered and the nerves were torn. No hospital or other facility would even know where to begin."
"But you could?"
"Val, you saw him in the lobby, he was walking! Okay, struggling to walk but still standing!" Danny said with a smile as he typed on his keyboard. "And that was thanks to this." He said as the image on the computer changed to show an odd cell. Valerie leaned in closer; the cell appeared to look like a normal animal cell but it had a distinctly grey coloration.
"What is it?" She asked curiously.
"It's an artificial nano-cell, created from an organic template but heavily modified with some nanotechnology to be programmable and smarter," he started. "It's essentially an organic cell, but modified with nanotechnology to function more akin to a stem cell, only instead of having it gradually be assigned a cell role based on the local cells, it can be programmed ahead of time to turn into what kind of cell is needed. The real trick is that the process we used to make them is by taking a cell, having it exposed to a nanite brine and the nanites go and convert the cell into a nano-cell. Getting the cells isn't the problem as we can go get some blood from donors or even things like skin or hair, but the nanites that convert the cells are extremely expansive."
"Amazing! And this is Lexcorp's new product?"
Danny couldn't help but smile confidently. "Oh no, not Lexcorp's. Mine." He answered.
"Yours?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow. "As in 'YOU' invented it? The guy who was a 'C' student at best in high school?"
Danny's smile grew. "Hey, don't take me too lightly. I was on the cover of Genius Magazine with my mom. Surprised Lex didn't seem to know about that till AFTER he found me."
"I guess but-."
"And while I don't look like it, I was personally tutored by some of the most renowned experts in a wide array of subjects, the best that money can afford along with having some of the resources of the wealthiest entity on the planet." Danny furthered expressed as he raised a confident brow. "So me developing something like this isn't THAT far-fetched, is it? Hell, I'm sure my parents could have developed something like this if they hadn't become so obsessed with ghosts."
Valerie flinched at the bitter tone he used for that final word. "I didn't mean to offend you, Danny. It's just that I haven't seen you in over six years and the first time I see you after thinking you were dead is now when you're talking about possibly inheriting one of the biggest conglomerates on the planet, you're performing cutting-edge surgeries using nano-tech that you developed...you've...changed," Valerie said.
Danny frowned at that statement. "After what I've been through, is that a surprise?" He asked as he crossed his arms. His blue eyes fixed his gaze on her, causing the ghost huntress to feel a sudden pang of guilt.
Valerie shook her head violently. "N-No it's ju-just-!" She stopped as she took in a breath and let it out slowly. "It's just that...I want to know...are you okay?" She asked, concern clear in her voice.
"'Am I okay'?" He asked back. "What do you mean? I mean sure, the business has been slow but I am sure it can take off, I also have plans to reveal the tech later on it's just that-."
"No, not this business you got going here or anything relating to Lex," Valerie said as she got up from her seat and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I just want to know if YOU are okay."
Danny stared back at Valerie, the look of pity in those familiar green eyes made him uneasy. He felt a sense of nausea rise only to disappear entirely as he looked away. "I'm fine, Valerie." He stated as he got up causing Valerie to let him go as he turned to the window behind him. "Be honest...why are you here?" He asked.
Closed her eyes as she took another sharp breath in. "No particular reason...I wanted to come here and check things out."
"...You work for them...don't you?" He asked, before turning back to her. "Did the Justice League send you here to spy on me or something?"
Valerie grew cold at the question, "Why would you think that-."
"Val, I know who Vergil is. That he is Static...and while I don't know all the details, I know my uncle and your group don't exactly have a stellar history together. And...I also know that you're the Red Huntress..." He stated.
Valerie's eyes went wide. "H-How did you-."
Danny gave her a slight smirk. "You probably don't remember, but you didn't exactly try to hide your identity when you first started. I mean come on, when you came across Sam and me in the park the first thing you said was 'Ew, loser love' right before you flew off on your board and claimed that 'you always knew you two who end up together'." He said, slightly chuckling at how Valerie became slightly red with embarrassment as she looked down at her legs.
"Was I THAT obvious back then?" She asked.
"A bit, yeah," Danny confirmed with a light laugh. "You know...I kinda figured that's why you turned me down back then. Why we never became...well you know...official." He said as he allowed himself a small smile as he reminisced about that brief time together before firming himself as he narrowed his eyes, "Still, you didn't answer my question, did the League send you here?"
"...No," She stated. "Officially, the Justice League doesn't know I am here. I don't even think they know who you are or how you're related to Lex."
"So why are you here?" He asked.
"If you know that I am the Red Huntress, then you know that the thing that attacked Vergil and killed his partner along with several other people was a ghost," Valerie answered.
"That thing was a ghost?" Danny asked, feigning ignorance. "That wasn't a meta-human?"
"No," Valerie affirmed. "A Wendigo to be exact. A cannibalistic spirit believed to embody greed and taboo; the fact that my weapons were effective against it should be proof of that."
"How do you know it just wasn't a bang baby or some other poor sap that got exposed to the quantum vapor that Avla industries produced?" Danny asked. "Even I know that if you blast something with enough Ectoplamsic-based energy, they're gonna feel it. Ghost or not.
Valerie's eyes shifted from side to side as she contemplated an answer, but finding none merely decided to tell the truth. "About a few days before the attack, I got a note from someone."
"A note?" Danny asked. "What did it say?"
"Just that there was going to be a ghost attack in Dakota City," Valerie answered. "No signature, but the note was sent to my apartment's exact address. So they know who I am. I figured it was someone in the League but nobody has admitted it."
Danny stroked his chin in thought. "So you got a note telling you ahead of time about the attack. Odd." He commented. "Fortunately, the building hasn't been showing any traces of haunting, so it isn't likely that it's skulking the area."
"Yeah well, it doesn't stop there." She said. "Did you hear about the attack over in Gotham? At the Asylum?"
"Yeah," Danny answered, "partly at least. Some sort of power outage occurred and a lot of inmates escaped. Some of them being especially infamous ones."
Valerie shook her head. "It wasn't a power outage, the asylum was attacked by a different ghost. This time an Onryo, a powerful ghost that can bend darkness itself. It almost killed Batman and it already killed his partner...a kid, Danny, no older than sixteen."
Danny's memory of that moment flashed in his mind; in that state, he only saw that uniform and felt nothing but rage and afterward, he only felt pride in his new power. It never dawned on him how young that 'Robin' was. But that sense of remorse was snuffed down. "I am sorry to hear that..." He said. "But what does that have to do with the first one?"
"...Have you heard someone named Fenrir?" Valerie asked.
The sound of his name sent a course of electricity through his body like someone jabbed a taser into his stomach. Yet he refused to show it as he tilted his head slightly. "'Fenrir'?" He repeated. "Yeah, it is from an old Norse myth about the end of the world, involving a giant wolf. What about it?"
Valerie got up from her chair and walked over to Danny, a stern look in her eyes right as she slammed her hands by Danny's, pinning him to the window and taking him slightly aback. "Danny...be honest with me...is that all you know about that name?"
Danny looked at her. While her glare may work on lesser men, on Danny it only made him think how attractive she could be when mad. "That's all I know."
"You don't know an assassin by that name?" She questioned.
"No."
"What about your uncle? Would Lex Luthor know?"
"What business my uncle does has nothing to do with me," Danny answered. "Look, I know he isn't as clean as he makes himself out to be, but I don't know all the details of what he does in that part of his business. Hell, I am trying my best to break away from it by opening this facility."
Valerie took in his words. "Alright...then what about a ghost? Did your parents ever mention one by that name?"
"No. What is all this about Valerie?" Danny asked.
Valerie stared at him, studying him for any lies or tells. But all she got was his stern look as he stood firm like a wall. She wasn't going to get anything from him, not like this. Yet she hoped that he had nothing to do with this all in the end. "Fenrir is a name that keeps popping up lately. He's an assassin but I am afraid this person is so much more than at. Someone found a portal to the Ghost Zone and-."
"WHAT?!" Danny shouted his eyes wide in shock. "H-How?! The only working portal was made by my parents and it was destroyed!"
"Well... someone else knew how to make one, and I think you can guess who else," Valerie stated.
Danny's eyes flashed in remembrance. "Vlad Masters." He answered.
"Yeah," Valerie answered. "After your family died, Vlad's last official act as mayor was to establish a memorial park for the victims and he named it after your guys. After that, he disappeared but apparently, he went off and built up some private lab way up north. One of ours found it and investigated it but it looked like it was attacked or something. Fire destroyed most of the equipment but the portal still worked for a moment. She took a chance and got spotted, but before the portal collapsed she heard them say something about a King Fenrir."
Danny took in the news as he felt his heart pounding; he must have been too distracted by his damaged eye and arm and trying to comfort Blackfire that he didn't make sure those fools did a thorough job. 'Franz will be hearing about this soon,' he thought to himself. "So Vlad built a portal, and someone found out and tried to destroy it..." Danny said. "And what about Vlad?"
Valerie was quiet for a moment before looking up at him. "No sign, which is especially troublesome because we would need someone with his expertise right now." She said.
Danny let out a scoff. "His 'expertise'? In what? Packers Trivia?"
Valerie gave him an inquisitive look. "You don't like Vlad? Isn't he a family friend?"
Danny glared at her. "Vlad Masters is a sad, pathetic little fruitloop who hated my father for an accident and tried his best to get into my mother's pants behind his back." He commented. "And after my mother saw his true colors, the only person that saw him as a friend was my Dad who didn't know about his 'best friend' trying to split his marriage up in a desperate plea to get his wife."
Valerie's eyes went wide for a moment. "I...I see, I never knew it was like that."
"Yeah well, Vlad always seemed to be able to hide himself well," Danny responded. "I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to take credit for several of my parent's inventions just out of spite."
"Either way, with this Fenrir making plays in both this world and in the Ghost Zone, we need help. Except ghost experts are in short supply, especially after the Guys in White being the first ones to get snuffed out." Valerie answered.
"Yeah well...maybe that's for the best," Danny answered causing Valerie to look up at him. "After what happened to Amity Park, you want to risk something like that happening again? Or risk an even worse accident?"
Valerie frowned, while she understood him she still couldn't help but be worried about this new threat. And the ghost tech she gave to the other branches was outdated by a few years. Star Labs allegedly still can't make heads or tails of this equipment and it's ecto-based energy...the only person that could even have a chance is right here, between her and the window. And the look on his face is clear that he won't ever do it. "I understand." She said as she backed away from him and let her arms drop. "I know I have nothing to worry about. At least on this end...and I am not going to try and convince you to work with us, especially after what you've been through." She said as she turned the door to leave. "But um…," she said turning around to look at him, "now that you're here alive, maybe we can...I don't know...meet up and get to know each other again?"
Danny stared at those half-ladden green eyes and that small smile on her face framed by long black hair. Unbidden, there was a flash of that time before he lost everything he knew for the first time and that sense of nausea came back into his body, the sensation of weakness entering him. "Yeah...I wouldn't mind that." His mouth said before his mind could even fathom. Making him almost want to choke himself as Valerie smiled back before walking out of the room. Danny sighed heavily as he plopped down in his chair. "You damn moron!" He cursed at himself as he brought a hand up to his forehead.
He shouldn't be doing this, if anything he should have been professional and just to the point. He should have known she would be back to investigate the place after the attack, he just didn't think she would pin him so easily. His gaze turned to the window behind him that overlooked the street before he got up and walked over. He managed to catch her just as she was leaving the building. Danny watched on as she turned and walked off to the side. As he did, Valerie stopped and turned back catching him in the window Valerie merely smiled and waved one final time. Danny unconsciously smiled and waved back as he felt a warmth after seeing that smile on her face before she turned back and walked away.
Valerie walked away briskly; seeing her first love again brought her so much happiness that she didn't realize she was missing for a while, she couldn't escape the dark thoughts that were creeping into her mind. Danny Fenton was alive and now involved with Lex Luthor, one of the League's most prominent adversaries. While he may swear to not be involved with him in that capacity...something still didn't sit right. The increase of ghost attacks, the disappearance of one Danny Phantom, and the re-emergence of another Danny...her Danny. The only other person who could reasonably figure out the Fenton technology and could be considered an expert on ghosts and he's right there in Dakota City.
While she never would have told this to anyone, after the tragedy at Amity Park and learning more and more about how...human ghosts can be, she started to theorize that the ghost boy and her Danny were at least working together. The ghost boy had access to Fenton tech, namely the thermos, and the two even shared the same first names. Yet seeing her Danny now and the ghost boy being missing started to make her rethink that theory. But then again, if Danny was being trained and raised to inherit Lexcorp after the years while the ghost boy was in Jump City as a Titan then they couldn't be the same two people...unless Danny as the ghost boy ran away from the Titans to be Luthor's protege but...why?
Valerie sighed as she slipped into a nearby alley, light purple energy surrounding her as her suit formed. She lifted her foot as her board materialized under her before flying from Dakota City. Either way, Nightwing was right to point her in this direction but it seemed to leave more questions than actual answers.
Later
"Thank you for telling me this," Desiree said as a ghost bowed slightly. "I will inform King Fenrir of this. In the meantime, I will see about organizing an investigation into the area and see if the portal re-emerges."
"Thank you, Lady Desiree." The gentlemanly ghost said before being escorted out by two skeletal Vikings.
"Of course," she said dutifully with a slight nod as the ghost left the throne room. Desiree hovered over to a nearby table as she started to write down a record of the event. The parchment had several notes on it already. She shifted through the various notes she had taken, most of them being various people or representatives seeking a meeting with their king. An understandable request but one she couldn't fulfill. However, there were ones that she actually could help with, as she wrote down 'human trespasser, possible ghost portal' on the parchment.
"You know," Ember spoke as she strummed her guitar, "you're kinda good at this."
Desiree glanced at her before turning to her notes. "I am choosing to take that as a compliment," she said. "It is nice to work in a court like this again."
"Yeah but I am a bit confused by a few things," Ember said. "Skulker I get, he knows the ghost zone like the back of his hand. Technus I get, for all his weirdness he is probably the best scientist that any one of us would know. Fright Knight well I mean...look at him. Even Walker I get because no one would take more joy in telling people what to do than him. Yet you...you never came off as someone who would easily bend the knee, especially to a man."
Desiree couldn't help but admit to that, the last time she trusted a man she ended up alone and unloved and spent her afterlife either trying to get that love back by granting wishes or making them suffer by turning those wishes against them. This was the first time a man trusted her to be more than just a beautiful face, a body, or even just a wishing spirit. "He seemed to know what he was doing when he selected us."
"I guess so, but when he's not here you already seem to be easily handling things. Is that normal for a vizier?" Ember asked.
"In a way, since viziers are normally advisors or councilors," Desiree answered. "So if King Fenrir is away then it is my job as his regent to take over his duties until he returns."
"So...what about when he starts having kids and stuff?" Ember asked, causing Desiree to jolt slightly. Ember smirked when she saw that. "Wait...why the jump? The idea of the dipstick getting freaky with some chick get under your skin?"
Desiree turned to her. "Ember, last I checked I appointed you as the court musician, not court jester. Please don't say such jokes."
Ember merely laughed. "Oh sorry you're 'majesty'," she teased. "Though I have to wonder, who would he marry? In this circumstance?"
Desiree turned back to her again. "...What are you trying to imply?" Desiree asked, her cordial voice becoming more appraising in tone.
"Well, he calls himself king, right? Kings gotta have queens." Ember stated as she got a bit closer. "You know, someone to help secure the kingdom, secure an heir, ensure the ruler-ship. Maybe he appointed you regent as a way to gauge your abilities as a future queen?"
Desiree's red eyes flared open as her green face blushed at the rock star's words. "Ember McClain! Don't speak of such nonsense!"
"What?!" Ember said laughing. "Am I wrong? You seemed to do a lot of this stuff when you were alive, he even said he knew about how you were set up to inherit a kingdom before that snooty wife ruined things for you, and let's be fair here...Desiree...you're gorgeous. Why would he not be interested?"
"Oh silence!" Desiree said sternly but the faint color in her cheeks seemed to undermine her statement, making Ember smirk and chuckle at her expense. As the two ladies of the court talked among themselves, Walker was nearby overhearing the conversation.
The white-suited ghost clenched his teeth and made a low distasteful growl as he walked away. If the so-called ghost king put a belly dancer in charge over a man of law and order like himself because of a mere attraction, then this kingdom wouldn't last for long. He stopped as he started to smile to himself as he thought about Desiree, a capable beauty she may be but she still had one major flaw that can be exploited easily with no real effort on anyone's side. He allowed himself a small smile as he walked away, a plan forming in his mind. "You're gonna lose again, Ghost Child," he whispered to himself.
As the two women were having a moment together a portal opened up. The two turned as Danny emerged out of the portal in his human form. "Desiree, Ember." He greeted as he transformed into his hooded ghost form. "What have I missed?" He asked.
Desiree quickly picked up her notes. "The Observers demand an audience with you," she said, causing the ghost king to growl slightly, "And Prince Aragon has heard of your claims of ruler-ship and has denied them."
"So...he's challenging my right to rule?" Danny asked. "And...who is he exactly?"
"Prince Aragon is the ruler of a fallen kingdom," Desiree explained. "While I don't know much of their history, I do know that their family line comes from one that dabbled in the arcane arts and sorcery, allegedly founded by a 'Malchior'."
Danny froze in place after Desiree's statement. "What was that name?" He asked as he developed a headache.
"Malchior," Desiree answered before looking up at him. "I am sorry but I don't know that much about their history outside of that."
Danny remained silent as he started to clench his head. He recognize that name...that name of Raven's 'friend' that was trapped in the book. The name that was teaching Raven those weird spells. An image of Raven in white flashed in his mind and once again Raven as she looked down at him, her purple eyes peering at him from her cloak. A look of disdain glared at him as he was taken away to be a lab rat. The throne room began to grow cold, cold enough for the other two ghosts to shiver in his presence.
"King Fenrir?" Desiree called out to him, snapping him out of his trance.
"Thank you...Desiree." He responded as he looked back at her and held his hand out to her. Desiree looked at his hand and then back to him uncertainly. Danny instantly felt guilt as he pulled his hand away. "S-Sorry, I forgot about how you don't like to be touched." He answered. "Was there anything else?"
"N-No it's fine," Desiree assured him as she brushed her hair around her ear. She caught Ember's smirking face causing her to steel herself. "You also should know there have also been sightings of a portal and a human appearing and then disappearing."
"Did they have a description of her?" Danny asked. 'This must be what Valerie was talking about.' He thought to himself.
"Yes, a young woman. Blond hair, blue eyes." Desiree started, repeating back what the witness told her, "Dressed in a red short skirt with a blue shirt with a red 'S' on it. And a red cape."
Danny perked up at the mention of that. "Yes...that would be Kara Zor-El."
"You knew about this already?" Desiree asked. "Then is she a problem?"
"For now...no. For the future...I hope not." He said sincerely. "She is...was...a good friend," He frowned as he corrected himself, "someone who I would rather have on our side than against us."
"Weird name, Zor-El. What is she, an alien?" Ember said dismissively.
"Actually, yes. A Kryptonian to be exact." Danny responded.
Ember quickly turned back to him. "Wait...ALIENS EXIST?!"
Danny turned back to her. "Ember...you're a ghost and you doubted aliens existed?"
"Well, I've never seen one before, when I was alive or dead." She explained.
"I am sorry, I don't understand. An 'Alien'? 'Kryptonian?" Desiree interjected.
"She's not human," Danny started. "She came from a different planet and she found her way here. I guess you both weren't around when the Justice League and their cohorts became more of a thing."
"So, not only do we have to deal with ghost hunters but aliens too?" Ember stated. "Well what else did I miss?"
"Well there are magicians and sages, demi-gods, some genius-level intellects, the occasional costumed vigilante with or without powers, some intergalactic peacekeepers, and I think I saw an immortal knight once. Oh, and a demon."
"Sounds like fascinating enemies." The Fright Knight said as he entered the throne room along with Skulker. "I can't wait to test my blade against them."
"Fright Knight," Danny greeted. "I take it you got back from somewhere?"
Desiree cleared her throat. "Sorry, King Fenrir. I forgot to mention that I sent him out to look into reports of a monster."
"What kind of monster?" Danny asked.
"Allegedly one with several human heads with serpentine necks." Fright Knight started.
"It sounded like a weird Hydra," Skulker stated. "But it seems to have some sort of mental ability. It attacks by channeling thoughts into your mind."
"How many were attacked by this thing?" Danny asked.
"As of now, three. They've recovered but complain of migraines and memory loss," Skulker stated. "A lot of people have seen it but can't remember much of it and I haven't found many traces of it."
Danny stroked his chin in thought. "I see...organize a perimeter around any major locations. Skulker, send me a message as soon as this beast is spotted."
"Understood," Skulker said with a toothy grin. "I can't wait to mount its pelt on my wall."
Ember rolled her eyes. "Of course, Skulker hears about a monster going around attacking people and the first thing he thinks of is trying to turn it into a trophy."
Skulker glared at the rock-star. "Do you expect any less from the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter?"
"And how many times has the 'Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter' actually succeeded?" Ember shot back. "You even so confused that you couldn't track down this thing."
Before Skulker shot back, two black tendrils erupted forth and started to drag the two apart. "There is no need to argue," Danny said. "We are all working together on this, this kingdom. I won't tolerate any petty infighting. Understand?"
"O-Okay!" Ember said softly, feeling uneasy by the shadowy limb's grip.
"Crystal!" Skulker squeaked as the tendrils tightened slightly around his mechanical body before slinking away.
"Good," Danny stated. "Now, Skulker. You know a Prince Aragon?"
"Yes," Skulker said. "You need me to lead you to him I take it?"
Danny nodded before turning to Desiree. "I think you know what you can do."
Desiree merely bowed. "I'll keep an eye on things while you're away."
Danny offered a faint smile to her underneath his face covering before Fright Knight. "I want you to ready any forces to meet this creature if anyone spots it."
The Fright Knight pounded his chest. "Understand, my lord."
"Good," Danny said. "I take it Technus is still preparing his lab?"
Desiree nodded, "Yes. Meanwhile, Walker is..."
"Walker had a bit of a fit when he saw me," Ember claimed with a small smirk on her face, "namely at how Desiree appointed me as your court musician. So please, feel free to make any request thy lordship and I shall sing as well as a nightingale in the dark." She said in a playful tone as she did an exaggerated bow.
Danny scoffed at Ember's tone. "Well, I can't think of any role better suited to you, Miss McClain." He said before turning to Skulker. "Now, let's go. I have a prince to educate in the new hierarchy of things."
"Yeah, yeah," Skulker said. "But just so you know, I can only show you the way, I can't land there."
"How so?" Danny asked.
"I'll explain on the way," Skulker said as the two left the castle.
Danny and Skulker stared down at the floating landmass. The Gothic-style castle, while not as impressive as Danny's tower in his opinion, was still impressive with dark purple stone. The forest was full of dead trees and the castle itself was surrounded by a stagnant green moat. All of this was surrounded by a mist that was a sickly color. "And you said all technology will shut off when we get closer?" He asked Skulker.
Skulker nodded. "The prince cast a spell that trapped its people and everything on it in time when the island must have first been sucked into the ghost zone which was around one thousand and six hundred years ago."
"Do you know of their ancestor? This...Malchior?" Danny asked.
"Only the myth," Skulker replied, "that he was a powerful mage and in his quest for power transformed into a dragon, went on a rampage decimated most of the old world before he was cursed by another wizard to be sealed-."
"Inside a book...forever to be trapped in it..." Danny finished.
Skulker raised an eyebrow that that. "So...you know."
"Partly," Danny answered, struggling to keep himself from biting into his lip and drawing blood in anger. "What about his descendants?"
"While they may carry his blood, they don't seem to have Malchior's talent for magic. Most of them can only transform into dragons thanks to the amulets they wear. You...may already be acquainted with one of them."
Danny stared at Skulker before remembering a certain princess. "Heh...so that's where she came from." He mused to himself he said as he looked down at his metal arm. With a loud clank, he removed the limb and handed it over to Skulker. "Take this, if what you say it's true then it will just hold me back." He said as he closed his right eye pulling out a cloth to make an improved eye-patch. "I'll be right back." He said.
Skulker didn't say anything in response as he watched Danny fly towards the island until he was far enough away. "Let's see what you can do."
As Danny came closer to the island he felt his eyes shut down as he entered the mist. Technology may fail him here, but he has more than that to his name. He flew closer to the castle just as he heard the distinct whistle of an arrow in flight, catching the projectile Danny smirked as he noted the flaming arrowhead in the shape of a skull. Before looking up to a tower to see an archer with a red hood as he readied another arrow. Danny created a portal behind the archer; the sharpshooter turned around to look at the portal giving Danny enough time to blast him sending him into the portal. "Have fun in Star City," Danny said to himself as he tossed the arrow aside and flew into the castle.
As he entered, he was swamped on all sides by various people dressed in medieval-era clothing, eyeing him with suspicion and whispering to themselves as he entered the main hall. As he did the voices that flooded the room were silenced as they all turned to him. Danny merely said nothing as he stared at the man sitting on a throne. He had blue skin and red eyes with irises made into narrow slits. His hair was a ragged gray color underneath a green, spiked crown with a black tattered cape over his shoulders and a light purple cloth tunic. Yet what drew Danny's attention was the large amulet around his neck with a jewel that looked like a massive green eye. "Who dares enter my dominion?" He questioned with a sneer.
"Fenrir, King of All Ghosts," Danny stated simply causing the room to break out into hushed whispers. "And that includes you, doesn't it? Prince?" He said making Aragon clench his teeth as a growl erupted from his throat that silenced the room.
Danny watched as a woman with blond hair and green skin approached the prince, he recognized her as the princess he met all those years ago. "Brother, please let's hear him out first. If he is the one that def-." The prince's glare stabbed into her, making her silent as she could only shrink back to her place.
"Silence, DORA." He snapped at her causing her to slink further away. Danny felt a tinge of sympathy; she had suffered much abuse at her brother's hands, that much was obvious.
"You should listen to your sister, prince. She seems to have a grasp of common sense, one that you must sorely lack." Danny said, egging the dragon prince on.
The prince rose from his throne, seemingly taller but lanky than he seemed at first as he eyed him up before cracking a grin and laughing, "Ha ha ha ha ha, so you're the one that defeated Pariah Dark? The one that is going around claiming to be the King of All Ghosts?!" He said. "Alright, tell me...cripple," he mocked, "what blood flows through your veins?"
"No blood but mine." He said.
The prince's smile grew bigger. "Oh? So you mean to tell me you're commoner-born? No lineage, no heritage, no name but your own? HA, pathetic! And yet you claim to be a king?!" He said. Danny could only stare him down with his good eye as the prince came closer. "Well my dear king," he resumed mockingly, "where is your crown? What symbols or relics of power do you wield to force your claim?!"
"The only power I need to force my claim is my own." He said as ice formed around him as it spread through the grand hall, causing the ghosts near him to distance themselves away. "My claim to rule is through might, as I was the one who defeated Pariah Dark and I swallowed his soul like it was nothing. You spent so long in this prison, this cage you built around your people and yourself that you haven't learned the real way of the world. How the world changed. Well..." He said as shadowy tendrils formed around him causing the various ghosts to leave the room leaving the princess and prince. The princess shuddered away in fright at the scene while the prince only remained growling like a beast in anger. "Change has come, and it demands you call him...KING." He demanded.
"SUCH INSOLENCE!" Aragon roared as his tongue became green and forked as his body grew. "I...WILL BURN YOU..." He growled as his skin became black scales and green horns rose from his head. His neck elongated as a purple underbelly formed underneath him and large wings sprang from his back, fully becoming a massive dragon. "TO CINDERS!" He roared as he let out a blast of blue fire from his mouth.
Danny created a red shield to protect himself from the flames; once they struck it caused a fireball to erupt causing flickers of blue flame to dance around the large hall catching some of the table and the chairs on fire. "Oh careful, careful little princeling. Even if you beat me you wouldn't have a castle left." He mocked as he dropped his shield revealing he was unscathed.
The dragon's anger flared brighter. "You may be a ghost, but you have no makings of a king!" The dragon roared as it charged at him. Danny dodged to the left as the dragon lunged forth and tried to bite at him, leaving him open for Danny to blast a sharp spike of ice directly into his eye. The spire stabbed into his eyes causing ghostly blood to burst from his punctured eye. "BASTARD!"
"If you're going to charge at me like a stupid beast, I will treat you as such." Danny mocked as he summoned a portal at his feet, going through it as Aragon let a torrent of flame erupt from his mouth, burning more of his castle down.
At the sight of his castle in flames, Aragon let loose a loud wrathful roar. "Brother stop it! The keep is in flames!" Dorathea pleaded with her brother. Aragon ignored her as he launched himself upward, crashing through the castle's ceiling and out into the realm. Dorathea covered herself from the rubble just as a portal appeared behind her as an arm reached in and grabbed and pulled her in. The suddenness caused the princess to cry out as she ended up floating next to Skulker. "W-What?! W-Where am I?" She looked around spotting her castle in the distance. Already in flames and devastation, her brother can be spotted searching around the landmass, bellowing more and more blue flames. "N-No!" She called fearfully at her home's destruction as she tried to fly over to it only to be stopped by Skulker.
"Wait, Fenrir is handling the situat-."
Dorathea turned to Skulker. "My home is being destroyed! How is he 'handling it'?! If anything he's making it worse!" She cried, her skin turning into blue scales before a hand ripped the amulet from her, stopping her transformation. "W-Wait what?!" She called out as she turned behind to see Fenrir tossing her amulet over to Skulker before disappearing back through a portal.
Back on the castle grounds, Aragon roared and bellowed flames. Less like a man and more like an irrational beast filled with anger. "SHOW YOURSELF COWARD! SHOW YOURSELF SO I MAY PRESENT YOUR CHARRED CORPSE ON MY MANTLE!" As he roared black, Danny muttered his spell as smokey chains coiled around his mouth causing the flames to cease.
"Colorful threat, but...what mantle?" Danny responded. "Look around you, you've burned your castle to the ground." He mocked.
Aragon for the first time stopped and stared at his castle, engulfed in blue flames as his subjects could only watch on in despair. Rage bubbled within, but not at himself but at his opponent. "You made me look like a fool!" He managed to speak from his muzzle.
Danny could only smirk. "Yeah...it was easy," he said making the dragon growl with hate. "But don't worry, once you're gone they can rebuild after they acknowledge me as their king."
The comment filled the dragon with rage as broke the chains around his mouth and let loose one final stream of blue fire. Danny summoned a pillar of ice to defend himself from the flame, the fire melting the ice creating water to douse the forest fire out. The ghost servants of the prince watched as the dragon merely melted the ice more. The resulting water putting more and more fires out. Skulker and Dorathea watched as the forest fire was put out, Dorathea had tears going down her eyes as she looked upon the devastation of her home while Skulker merely watched with an intrigued look on his metal face.
As the ice melted away leaving nothing behind, Aragon could only scan the area looking for his enemy. As he got ready to call out for him, he felt...cold. He looked up towards the sky and watched as dark clouds hovered over him, as snow and sleet started to fall. In the thousand years he ruled, it never rained or snowed before. As he watched mesmerized by the sight. He failed to notice a beast formed behind him. One resembling a malnourished man with the antlers of a deer.
With no warning, the beast pounced on the dragon causing the winged reptile to let out a roar as its claws started to tear into Aragon's back, even snapping the Dragon's wings apart and making him howl in pain. The dragon struggled against the onslaught, only managing to escape by coiling his tail around the beast's neck and throwing him off. Aragon looked at his mangled wings and growled in pain before turning to face this creature. This creature with one arm that was licking the blood from its claws hungrily.
The dragon prince watched on as the beast turned its attention fully to him now, its empty red eye staring at him with hunger as it seemed to smile at him. The prince's anger began to make way for fear. Something he hadn't felt in a long time. While this...thing may be smaller than his dragon form, the craving in its eyes was like the hunger of a beast thrice his size. And now it has marked him as prey. The dragon and the wendigo circle each other as if waiting for one to make the first move as dense snow covers the forest and soon puts out the remaining castle fires. All in but mere moments.
After what seemed like an eternity, the beast got down on its hand as if ready to pounce. Only to fade away into the snow and ice. Aragon's eyes went wide in shock as he tried to breathe fire out but whether it be the sudden cold in the air or his fear taking the best of him, only a small puff could belch forth. In a panic Aragon sunk close to the ground as he tried to keep his eyes open for any attack, only for it to charge at him from the right, slamming into him with enough force to roll the dragon onto its side and start to pull on the dragon's arm wide enough to for its maw to sink into him and tear off his right arm.
Aragon roared in pain as his arm was ripped off by shreds, causing him to frantically try to get away but the beast only pounced on him and began tearing at his throat with its claws. The claws eventually sliced the amulet off his neck, reverting him to his more human self. "N-No!" He called out as he tried to reach for his amulet, only to feel the beast stab a claw right through his elbow, pinning him to the snowy ground. Aragon could only look up at the wendigo as it peered down at him. "P-Please..." He began to beg, "sh-show mercy!" The beast looked down at him and tilted his head.
Aragon watched on as the beast shifted and shrunk down, his antlers receding away to reveal the man he was chasing. "Not bad for a cripple, wouldn't you agree?" He asked. Aragon's mouth shifted into a grimace as Danny grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him back to the castle. The ice and snow melted away as Aragon was dragged through the mud. There among the ruins, the various members of the prince's court gathered around. "Listen to me well, your tyrant prince has begged me for mercy," he called out. "This person has destroyed your home in petty anger, and has prevented you from going out into the outside world! Tell me, has he done anything to earn your respect?" He called out.
None of the ghosts came forth, as Aragon could only clench his hand in anger at the cowards.
"You saw what I can do," Danny called out. "You saw how I took this drake, and I broke him." He said as he grabbed Aragon by the hair causing him to growl and try to break his hold "Tell me, is this the man you wish to follow into eternity?" He asked, once more no one came forth. "He has begged me...to show him mercy. Now, I am putting that burden unto you, the people who he ruled over. Tell me, does he deserve that mercy?" He asked again.
As not a single ghost came forth, Aragon became more fearful as he scanned the crowd looking for someone to speak up. Every time he looked they only shrank away from him, not even his loyal executioner would look him in the eye. "W-Wait!" He called out. "M-My sister! Ask my sister Dorathea!" He cried out.
"Very well," Danny said as a green portal formed among the rubble. The ghosts watched as the princess stepped out, the look of horror on her face as her castle and home were smokey ruins coated in melting snow. "Princess." He called out to her, causing her to look over and stare blankly at the broken form of her brother. "He has begged for mercy, your subjects have no answer. Yet he says you can vouch for him, so tell me: does this prince who destroyed his castle on a whim, burned his lands down in pettiness, and abused his subjects and family deserve to remain as ruler? Does he deserve my mercy?" He asked.
Princess Dorathea opened her mouth but words refused to come out as she remained lost in thought. How many years has she suffered at her brother's hands? How many years has he gotten his way through violence and coercion? She spent a lifetime obeying his orders like a good princess, even after their parents passed on. Even after he used the spell to make his rule eternal in the afterlife and how he sealed them all away in time to prevent the outside from threatening his rule. Yet...that time is here, change is here, and has her brother by the throat.
"I-I..." She stuttered
"FOOLISH WRETCH!" His brother cried out. "SPEAK! DAMN YOU! SAVE YOUR RULER!" Aragon berated her.
Dorathea began to shake till Fenrir spoke up. "You don't have to listen to him," he said.
"W-What?" Dorathea asked.
"You don't have to listen to him." He said. "He has no power over you, in fact...you have power over him now. That's why he's screaming at you. Because he knows that his life is in your hands. He thinks he can bully you."
"S-Shut up you mon-ACK!" Aragon hissed only for a shadowy tendril to coil around his neck and squeeze, silencing him.
"Right now, you have a chance. You can take his place and rule over this land and its people." He said. "You can be the one that finally lets them see the brave new world out there."
"I-I can't," Dorathea answered. "I-I only know how to serve."
"And who told you that?" He asked. "Did he?" He said gesturing to the prince who was currently coughing as the tendril loosened its coil only to coil around once again to prevent him from speaking. "This child playing tyrant? What has he done that you couldn't do?"
"I-I've never led anything before. I-I never-."
"Then let me help you," he said. "If you take over, you don't have to be alone. All I want is your loyalty as King of All Ghosts and you can rely on me to help you. If you let me deal with this fool, I can repair the damage to your castle and your lands. This can be the start of a brand new era for your people. Even a prosperous one."
"T-They say I can never rule because I am a disgrace to the Malchior bloodline," Dorathea said. "Too...weak...too... idealistic."
"Well, Princess, I think that makes you, the perfect candidate." He said. "Your ancestor is a fool who spends his days manipulating weak-minded cowards to do his bidding, your brother is a man-child who throws tantrums when he doesn't get his way. And look what that has brought your people? Nothing but ruin. Maybe it's time to see what the least Malchior-like member of the Malchior bloodline can do. All you have to do is give your judgment on this thing." He said he tossed Aragon before Dorathea.
Aragon could barely hold himself up with his arm as he was wheezing and coughing, the tendril's grip already bruising his neck as he looked up. His hateful red eyes looked up at her, expecting her to save him. Dorathea looked back at him, years of abuse flashed before her. The taunting, the beatings. "Prince Aragon...Brother..." She said as she started to stammer.
Aragon smirked. "Yes...sister," he hissed knowing that his weak-willed sister would save him.
Dorathea shuddered at his venomous tone as she looked down but...as she did she noticed his amulet was missing. Hers was gone too, still with the metal hunter outside of the mist. They...were on even grounds now...no...not on even grounds. She did have all the power here. She closed her eyes and took a breath in, puffing her chest out in a newfound bravado. Her brother looked up at her in confusion as she finally opened her eyes. "Prince Aragon of House Malchior, I hereby declare your reign over."
"W-What?!" Aragon shouted. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" He snapped as he shakily got to his feet. "I AM THE RIGHTFUL RULER! YOU UNGRATEFUL SWINE!" He roared as he reached his other arm to attack her right as a massive ax came swinging down, slicing it clean off. Making him howl in pain as he looked at the massive ghost wearing a black hood with a green skull wielding a massive ax. "YOU TRAITOR! TRAITORS ALL OF YOU!" He roared at the subjects.
Danny grabbed him by the neck a small smile on his face. "The people have spoken. Now, how about you let go of that soul of yours? Think of it as your tithe to your king." He said as his eyes glowed a bright white. "Take a good look at me. Surrender into the light." The former prince frantically shook his head as he felt his body begin to fade away, desperately trying to scream but the crushing grip on his neck prevented that.
The on-lookers could only watch as their ex-prince faded away and was absorbed. Danny growled lightly as he felt a new surge of power ran in his veins for a moment. "Ahhhhh, never will get used to that." He said to himself before turning to the princess. "Well, now that is done. I wish you luck, Princess Dorathea," he said with a slight nod in his head.
Dorathea nodded back. "Thank you, Lord Fenrir." She said. "But I must ask...what are we to do?"
Danny merely looked up at the sky. "I think I know of a good place to start."
Dorathea looked up to see the green mist still lingering in the sky. "B-But how?" She asked as she turned over to him only to be greeted with her amulet in his hand. Dorathea looked up and back to Fenrir; while she couldn't see his mouth, she could have sworn that he was smiling at her. She smiled back as she put the amulet on. "Thank you." She said as she walked past the ghost courtiers who started to make short bows toward her as she passed. As she reached the courtyard, she shifted into her blue dragon form and flew into the sky. With a burst of flames from her mouth, the mist disappeared away.
As the mist vanished, Danny's eye sparked right back to life. Causing Danny to remove his eye-patch as he refocused on his eyes to function. He brought one hand to his eye and tried to fix it as the dragon landed next to him. "Welcome to the twenty-first century." He said simply
"I am happy to embrace the future," she spoke in her dragon form. "But..." she said as she still looked around the ruins of her castle. "What am I to do about this?"
"No worries." He said as he floated up over the sky. "I can fix it, it is part of my domain now," he said as he flew over the castle. Danny focused on the ruins, much like he did when he changed Pariah's castle. The broken, blackened bricks returned to their natural purple color as the castle reformed around the subjects and the princess who all watched on in awe. In a matter of minutes, the castle was restored to its glory.
Dorathea shifted back to her human form as she could merely look around in wonderment. "Astonishing, what magic is this?" She asked.
"No magic." Danny responded. "When I absorbed Pariah Dark's power, I gained the ability to manipulate anything in this world. As I told your brother, my right to rule isn't with relics or titles, it's through my power and how I use it that I claim my right. A right that I hope to see you respect." He said.
Dorathea merely dropped to her knee. "On my word, Lord Fenrir. I, Princess Dorathea of House Malchior, will serve you loyally as right lordship over the dominion of this plane."
"Thank you, Princess Dora." He said as he summoned a portal. "I welcome your service, goodbye for now. And best of luck to you, Princess." He said as he flew through it.
As Fenrir disappeared through the portal, Dorathea smiled as she felt a warmth spread through her body and into her face. 'Princess Dora...?' She thought to herself, 'For some reason I like it when he calls me that.'
END