Disclaimer: not mine

I go in for minor surgery on Friday, so if I'm not on for a few days after it's because the anaesthetic and I are getting along like usual.

Chapter 5

Danny stared at the man in the trench coat in desperate need of a wash, fighting to conceal his disgust. He was…ugh. What had he done to himself?! "Seriously, how are you alive? The human soul is not meant to be…that," he motioned at the man who glared at him in return.

"Oi! You're one to talk, what the hell are you?" the man demanded.

"Constantine?" Batman asked warily.

Constantine? Not a name he recognised from the comics.

"You're either dead or alive, not…" Constantine motioned to Danny.

"I'm a Halfa," he stated, arms crossed, and the man blanched.

"That's…no…the only way…" he was stammering, looking sick. "Damn kid," he finally got out, swallowing hard, and Danny shrugged.

It was what it was. He'd had years to come to terms with the accident and what it meant for him.

"Wait…you're the Ghost King? What about Pariah Dark?"

"Kicked his ass when I was fourteen and then again when I was seventeen." And hadn't that been fun, it'd taken him ages to recover. And eating another ghost core…ugh. But it was what had to be done, even Clockwork had said that.

"How is he not a drooling vegetable or worse?" Constantine asked, glancing at Tim.

"What?" Danny stared at him in shock. "Why would he be?" he looked over at Tim, nope, he looked fine. Other than the new liminal status anyway.

,

John wanted to throw his hands up in defeat…or get very, very drunk. The boy before him was an impossibility! Halfas were a myth, an old theory people threw around as a fun brainstorming idea. They weren't meant to be real! And yet here he was and apparently the new Ghost King to boot! This was all crazy.

And why did he seem confused by the idea that someone being possessed by a Realms being ending up basically brain dead? He had the sinking feeling that there were a lot of crossed wires. Wonderful.

"You're the king?" Tim asked, and yeah, the way he looked at the Halfa was not something he liked.

The Halfa nodded. "Not a title I wanted but considering the other option," he shuddered slightly, and John didn't want to know what could make such a powerful being react like that. And then he looked back at John, something that John wasn't too happy with. "So…you have magic?"

John blinked but nodded warily.

"Okay, maybe you can help explain." And then Phantom launched into an explanation that made him blanche, looking between the Bat and his Bird. This was not going to end well.

,

Tim held Bernard's hand. He couldn't follow the conversation between Constantine and Phantom because he had no basis for the technical terms they were using. Phantom was the Ghost King…Tim shuddered, leaning closer to Bernard. How close did he come to becoming what Constantine had expected? Surely such a powerful being would be too much for a human being to contain.

And what was a Halfa? His mind spun with the possibilities. Phantom said he wasn't possessing anyone…that it was his body. So…half human…half ghost? How the hell did that work? Then again, from Constantine's reaction he was probably better off not knowing.

And maybe…maybe Phantom had done something to him, knowingly or not. Because Tim wanted to go to him and that wasn't normal. Bernard's grip on his hand kept him grounded, kept him on the bed. Plus, he was pretty sure Jason would tie him to the bed if he tried to get up.

And then Constantine walked up to him, gripping his chin in his hand, making eye contact. Tim swallowed as Constantine's eyes glowed gold with magic, everything going fuzzy. And then he blinked to find he was slumped back against the pillows, breathing heavily.

"Tim?" Jason was calling his name.

"Mmm…wha?" he slurred.

,

"What did you do?" Bruce demanded of John as he watched his son collapse, eyes rolling back.

"Had to confirm what the King said, and…he's right. Red's got to go with him to see someone in the Realms for treatment."

"And if he doesn't?" Bernard asked, stroking Tim's hair back from his face as he began to rouse, thankfully responding to Jason calling his name.

"Then he'll die, slowly and painfully as his body tears itself apart," John answered bluntly.

Bernard went white as a ghost himself, pulling Tim close. Tim was blinking at them, still dazed.

Bruce felt sick, he'd what? He stared at his son, Tim had finally come around enough that he'd heard what John said, clinging to Bernard, Jason's hand on his shoulder.

"It's that bad?" King Phantom asked, blue eyes wide.

John nodded. "The Realms energy in his body isn't dissipating or flowing properly, it's building up with nowhere to go. It'll start eating away his body soon."

Phantom swore softly and then looked at him. "There are doctors in the Realms, they can help him. But the sooner the better. That kind of death…it would likely destroy his soul, no coming back as a ghost, no afterlife, nothing."

He looked at John who nodded grimly. Bruce had no reason to believe Phantom, but Constantine? They had worked together long enough that he knew the man truly believed that Tim was in danger.

"What do we need to do?" he asked. He wouldn't let his son die.

Constantine seemed nervous of Phantom but wasn't treating him like a definite threat, more…someone who shouldn't be messed with but wouldn't start something.

"I need to take Tim to the Realms for treatment and honestly…he should probably come too," Phantom motioned to Jason. "I sensed two people here when I entered. He's ecto-contaminated, though it feels…tainted. It's stable for now but," Phantom shrugged. "Bernard for support for Tim would be good and someone to support…I think you're Jason?" he asked.

Jason nodded warily. "You make the Pits wary."

"Well, if that's what you call the tainted gunk inside you, that's not surprising."

Jason grimaced but then glanced at him. Bruce nodded. He didn't like any of this, but if his son was asking for his support, he couldn't say no. He moved away to tell Dick and Barbara what was going on, they would need to help Alfred hold down the fort, who knew how long this would take.

,

Tim quietly put on the heavy-duty winter gear, apparently where they were going it was very cold. He was terrified and doing his best to hide it. He'd long ago accepted the idea of dying young but having his soul destroyed? That was…he fought back a shudder.

"It's not going to happen," Dick whispered, wrapping him in a hug. Tim was glad he'd gotten back to the Manor before they left. "Love you baby bird."

"Love you too big bird," Tim whispered, hugging back tightly.

Damian approached stiffly and then hugged him before vanishing. Even after years and burying the hatchet, the kid was very stiff and formal most of the time. Cass, Steph, even Duke rushed to the Cave to say their goodbyes and Tim knew they were all scared that he wouldn't be coming back.

"Ready?" Phantom asked as they approached, all of them bundled up except him.

"Ready," B agreed warily.

There was a flash of light around Phantom and suddenly he looked how Tim remembered from their talks in his mind. He floated a few inches above the floor as if gravity just didn't exist, it looked effortless in a way that Kon and Cassie's flight didn't.

Bruce approached him and then Tim was swept up in his arms.

"B!"

"Humour me," he said, pain in his voice, and Tim quieted. Constantine's diagnosis had hit them all hard and he knew Bruce would be taking on the guilt for not finding them before the ritual began.

Phantom nodded and then reached out a clawed hand, seeming to tear a hole in the air. Jason squared his shoulders and stepped through, Ber behind him, and then Bruce stepped through. Tim glanced back to see Phantom following them, the Cave vanishing.

Everything was…green. And cold…so very cold. He tried to burrow closer to Bruce, teeth beginning to chatter.

"Come here blondie," Jason's gruff voice caught his attention and a look showed him pulling Bernard into his side. Jason ran hot these days; it was nice of him to try and keep Ber warm.

"This way, it's warmer inside," Phantom called.

Tim didn't bother watching, hiding his face in Bruce's chest for warmth.

"Welcome!" A voice boomed. "Come, let us get you settled inside."

"Yetis!" Bernard gasp, and that got Tim to look, shocked. Yetis were real?

The yeti chuckled. "Welcome to the Far Frozen young mortals. I am Frostbite, the Chief here and the Great One's personal physician."

"Bruce, these are my sons Jason and Tim, and Tim's boyfriend Bernard."

"And young Tim was the victim of the ritual?" Frostbite asked.

"Yes," Bruce confirmed.

"Place him here please."

Tim didn't want to, but he forced his hands to release their grip on Bruce's coat as he was set on a bed. It was warmer now, and he got the larger coat off with Ber's help.

He watched as pieces of equipment were brought out and set up around the bed.

"Do I need to move?" Bernard asked, holding Tim's hand.

"No, you are fine there young man. Support is good during procedure likes this; it helps the patient remain calmer. Now, first, I will simply be running scans to see how bad your condition is. Do you have any questions?"

Tim shook his head, he just wanted to know exactly what was happening to him and how they could fix it, if they could.

,

Jason could see just how tightly Tim and Bernard were holding hands, not that he could blame them. If this didn't work, Tim wouldn't just die, he'd be wiped out completely. Could they at least make him a ghost if they couldn't keep him alive? He wasn't worried about himself; he'd made it this long so he probably wasn't in the same kind of danger as Timbit.

Phantom remained against the wall, floating in place, watching intently. Bruce was almost his mirror on the opposite wall and it was kind of amusing.

Tim was surrounded by different kinds of light, some of it circling him, others running up and down his body. And on the blank wall, a monitor sprang to life, showing a human outline. Readings that were complete gibberish to him scrolled across it.

"Hmm… Well, that's interesting," the yeti murmured. He pulled out something else and placed it over Tim's chest, moving it about a bit.

"Is that…" Phantom was frowning, and Frostbite nodded.

"It needs to be fed and stimulated, if we can get it to grow then it will solve his issues."

"What will?" Tim asked softly.

"A core, young one. It is just a shard right now, too small to do anything. But once properly formed, it could filter the ectoplasm that is currently killing you. It is a better option than attempting to fully remove it from your system."

,

Danny bit back a grimace. A core shard…but his own core had been undamaged…or had it simply healed before he was looked over? The fact that Tim still seemed to be feeling a bit chilled seemed to indicate it might have been from him. He'd been worried about Tim gaining powers or becoming a ghost, not having the ectoplasm in his body tear him apart.

Tim was given the ghost version of a medical gown and ushered behind a screen to change. He then lay on the bed and Bernard held his hand. Leads were attached to his body, an IV inserted into his other arm, Bruce and Jason stiffening at the sight of the glowing green contents, not that he could blame them since obviously the Lazarus Pits were actually a thing.

"Ghosts are beings of emotion," Frostbite was explaining. "You are his family, he needs your strength."

"But Tim isn't a ghost," and that was the Batman growl.

"No, but the core shard within him feeds not just off ectoplasm but also emotions. We need it to become stronger and become closer to a true core. It means that when he does die one day he will become a ghost."

"What's with the green goo IV?" Jason asked tensely.

"Pure ectoplasm. What is in his body at the moment is from where you live and rather corrupted by negative emotions and from the Great One. His core needs to begin filtering and creating its own, so we need to carefully filter out the old as much as possible while encouraging the core to absorb the pure and grow so that it can finish filtering the ectoplasm and begin a proper circulation system."

Timmy was holding tight to his boyfriend's hand, his eyes closed so he didn't have to see, not that Jason blamed him. Bruce reached out and began running his fingers through Tim's hair so Jason rested a hand on his shoulder, well away from the IV.

,

Tim kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see the IV with how much it looked like Lazarus Water. He was terrified and doing his best to ignore it. He wanted to go home. And then he felt the tentative, gentle brush of foreign emotion and he knew, it was Phantom. He found himself relaxing, letting him sooth his fear. It felt so natural to let him help, and that should be setting off his paranoia, but it wasn't.

And Tim…Tim felt guilty. Because in either form he found himself…attracted to Phantom. He loved Bernard, he did, so why did he find Phantom so… was it because he had possessed him? Something to do with how compatible they were? Could Phantom influence him now? Or was this a natural attraction? Tim knew he had a type and Phantom ticked a lot of the boxes.

He felt Ber's squeeze his hand and opened his eyes to look up at him, seeing the soft smile on his boyfriends' face. Bernard leant down, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "Love you," he whispered. "You're doing great, you're going to be fine."

Tim managed a smile for him. "Of course, you're here," he said just to make Ber blush.

,

Frostbite smiled, young love. They were rather adorable and that support was doing young Tim a lot of good. Already, his readings were becoming more stable as those he loved surrounded him. Young Jason's contamination was contained enough to not influence his brother thankfully.

He was aware of the Great One helping to sooth the young mortal. There was a link there…a bond, fledgling in nature but it could grow if allowed. He had seen the way his King looked at the two mortals even if Danny didn't realise it himself. Did humans accept such things? There seemed to be at least some level of attraction on even the blondes' part. They all wanted their King to be happy.

He might act happy, but ever since the reveal, their King had been cut off from his home, his first Haunt. He missed his family and friends, of course he did. And he was still half human, that side needed the living realms, needed food and emotional connections. If they could give it to him, as friends or more, then the Realms would rejoice for their beloved King.

,

Duke landed, checking the buses coming into the city. It was over and done, the people removed slowly coming back into the city. Mobsters, goons…petty criminals and Rogues. But even some people with no records. What had been the cults criteria? It didn't make sense to any of them. The city had been quieter without them, once the people remaining had calmed down and been reassured that no one was dead.

Being three vigilantes down wasn't good, especially with B and Tim among them. They were the guys with plans after all. At least they'd had a plan mostly worked out before leaving but if something unexpected happened then it was up to Nightwing, Robin, Black Bat, Batgirl and him. And Dick would probably don the cowl if anything really bad happened since people reacted differently to the Bat than the rest of them. Gotham was quieter when Batman and Robin were there.

,

Bruce kept petting Tim's hair, noticing his hand had gone limp in Bernard's. He glanced at the yeti but he didn't seem concerned. Had Tim fallen asleep?

The yeti met his gaze and gave a small smile. "The procedure is going well, let him rest."

Bruce nodded, relieved. He didn't understand what having a core would mean for his son, would it make him more ghostly? It didn't matter, as long as his son was happy and healthy then that was all that was important. Anything was better than Tim's very soul being destroyed. He never thought much about what waited after death but he'd seen enough to know it wasn't truly the end. But having your soul destroyed was a very permanent ending.

"He always looks so much younger when he sleeps," Bernard murmured. The look on his face…he remembered his parents looking at each other like that.

It made Bruce happy for his son. Tim made friends easily enough, but surface level friendships. The other three core Young Justice members were the first truly deep friendships that he had made. Bruce knew he was part of the reason Tim and Steph's relationship had failed because he had insisted that she not know who Tim was…and then had sent her to his school, blindsiding Tim. But after Tim and Bernard reconnected, the mess with that cult…Tim had begun to change. He was taking better care of himself, sleeping more, becoming more emotionally open. And Bernard was a good addition to the family, even if everyone had been very awkward at first, not sure how to interact with a significant other who wasn't a fellow vigilante. But now things were good, he'd even caught Tim checking out jewellers over the last few months.

And then Tim jerked, eyes snapping open, a faint green glow in them, and Bruce tensed, feeling Jason tensing as well. Tim was panting, face pulling tight with pain.

"Tim?" Bernard called softly, and Tim's gaze moved to his boyfriend. Bruce weas ready to intervene if necessary.

Tim's lips parted, a pained whimper the only sound he made.

"Shh, it's okay, we've got you," Bernard whispered, his other hand moving to cup Tim's cheek. And Tim leant into his hand, there was no rage or anything, just pain.

"I can't give him anything for the pain, try and keep him calm," Frostbite instructed.

"His eyes…" Jason was tense still.

The yeti leant over to look. "It's the ectoplasm. The transfusion and what is already in his body are fighting." He looked over at the King.

And then Phantom was there, resting his hand on Tim's chest. Tim gasped and then went limp, panting softly, but he no longer seemed in as much pain…no, Phantom's brow was now furrowed…was he somehow taking Tim's pain?

"B?" Tim croaked, sounding disorientated.

"We're here Tim, try to sleep some more son," he urged.

"Nggg…" Tim slowly went limp, with the pain gone he was too tired to remain awake.

,

Dick fought the urge to pace as he watched the footage. Most of the population was back in Gotham at least. Which meant they'd probably have a busy night and he would need to go out as Batman. They'd been gone for hours and there'd been no word. Could they even send a message? He just wanted to know that Timmy and Jason were okay.

TBC….