Chapter 24: My Absolution

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"There is just one thing that can ease the pain of the heart. Unfortunately, it's a bothersome cure for you can only receive it from another."

"…What is it?"

"Love."

Yashamaru and Gaara (Naruto)

Sequel to Obsession

The Struggling Warrior presents...

(I want to start off by saying that I'm sorry.)

"I don't care what you think about me right now!" Phantom growled to his teammates. "Right now, we have a mission to do."

"You lied to us!" Kid Flash yelled. "How are we supposed to trust you?"

"We all have our secrets." Phantom glared.

"Yet, everything about you is a secret." Superboy frowned.

"I'm dead. My secrets should stay dead." Phantom explained.

"You're working with the living, though." Miss Martian pointed out.

"And apparently that was a mistake…" Phantom sighed.

"The blame does not lie solely on Danny." Aqualad intervened.

"Yeah, you're not innocent in all this either, Kaldur." Robin snorted.

"You're all playing the innocent card, that's just hilarious." Phantom drew the attention back to him. "Don't you get it?"

"Get what?" Artemis asked.

"The fact that despite what anyone says or does, none of us truly trust each other."

(It seems that I have made all the wrong decisions as my time as Danny Phantom.)

"Freakshow!" Phantom lunged at the circus ringleader.

"No no no…" Freakshow wagged his finger as Phantom passed right through him.

"Stop this!" Phantom growled as he glared at his enemy.

"No, I don't think I will." Freakshow grinned insanely. "Not until I've had my revenge on you and had the world kneel before me."

(Going into the portal… The C.A.T.'s…leading the ghosts into the GIW War…)

First there was the surprise. Then, came the shock. Finally, the pain hit the halfa. His left shoulder seared in pain.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Phantom screamed in terror and pain. His right hand reached up and grabbed the injury. The wound was already burned close, so there was no blood. There was only pain.

Trembling, Phantom looked down at where his left arm used to be. It was gone. The appendage was merely a memory now. Just like everything else seemed to be lately.

(Because of my choices, people have suffered.)

"Stay down, you Superman wanna be!" Phantom sent an ectoplasmic blast toward the black haired teen.

"RAW!" The teen roared as he shook off the blast and charged at the halfa.

Creating an ice broad sword, Phantom prepared himself. Phantom focused his ice powers to his sword and swung it. A wave of blue light swept over the black haired teen. He was frozen instantly.

"You did it!" The blond in green exclaimed.

"No," Phantom growled. The ice was already beginning to crack. "It won't hold him long…"

"Then we should get out of here!" Kid Flash shouted.

"You're not the boss of me!" Phantom snapped. "I have a lot of aggression that I need to get out. And he's the perfect punching bag!"

(Every day I feel the guilt creep up my spine and into my soul.)

"Your words won't hurt me anymore, Spectra." Phantom noted as he held the ghost by her throat.

Despite this, the woman chuckled. "Why? Has your heart hardened so much, little hero? Do you even feel for the people you protect? Do you even care about this little team?"

"My heart…is not up for discussion." Phantom mumbled.

Phantom felt their eyes on his back. He knew that Spectra words had put doubt in their hearts. Would they even trust him anymore? Phantom didn't now…

(I am the one that caused all of it.)

"It was you…" Phantom mumbled in shock as he stared at the large man standing a few feet away from him. "It was all your fault…everything…"

"It was." Savage acknowledged with a grin.

"W…why?" Phantom numbly asked.

"For the betterment of mankind…"

(So many souls were lost, yet I continue to live.)

"Undergrowth?" Phantom questioned in shock. "What is he doing?"

"Apparently, he's attacking the whole world." Robin summarized.

"There's no way he could do that." Phantom shook his head. "I've fought him. He's strong, but not that strong."

"Are you sure?" Miss Martian asked.

"Yeah, of course my ice powers helped…plus I had help from Torch…but that doesn't change the fact that he can't operate like this. He needs to base and spread out. Not only that, this isn't his style. He always takes captives to serve his plants." Phantom examined all the mindless destruction.

"Maybe he's changed and evolved?" Superboy glanced between Phantom and the picture of Undergrowth. "Ghosts can get pretty strong from what I've seen."

(Even with a new Obsession, I can't find it in me to forgive myself and move on.)

"Is there a reason you joined the team?" Phantom asked his friend.

"Yeah," Artemis nodded. "Batman and GA asked me to…"

"And you weren't concerned?" Phantom asked.

"No, should I be?" Artemis questioned.

"You aren't a side…partner to a hero. You have no connection with the League." Phantom explained. "Why would they ask someone they didn't even know?"

"You don't have a connection to the League either." Artemis snapped. She was annoyed with his questioning. "Maybe they were just impressed by us."

"Exactly." Phantom hung his head. "We made an impression. They know that eventually we could become a threat. That's why they're trying to get us on their side."

(But maybe this… team can help me.)

"Witch boy!" Phantom shouted as he slashed at the magic dome. "Turn the world back now!"

"Oh, is the little ghost boy upset?" Klarion smirked. "Do you miss the grown ups that badly?"

"This is madness!" Phantom growled. "Billions of children are suffering!"

"Do you really care?" Klarion questioned. "You're heart doesn't seem to be in your work in Amity Park anymore. Is there too much pain there now?"

"Shut up!" Miss Martian yelled as she telekinetically threw some boulders at the sorcerer. "You don't know anything about Danny!"

"I know more than….Arg" Klarion growled at the explosive arrows rammed into his magic dome.

"You heard M'gann!" Artemis shouted. "Your mind games won't work!"

"They're right!" Kid Flash dodged the magic blasts coming at him. "Don't you try and turn us against our teammate!"

(They trust me, even though they know about my greatest failure.

"It can't be…" Phantom knelt down and examined what was know a puddle of ectoplasmic goop.

"What is it?" Spirit questioned. "Did you know that ghost."

"I've never seen him before, but I just….I can't…." Phantom trailed off.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I don't think that I am…" Phantom glared at the puddle. "I think that…whatever that thing used to be…was a clone of me…"

(I didn't really want to be a part of it, but maybe this can be my redemption.)

"I know that you're the mole…" Red Arrow growled.

"Am I now?" Phantom raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes you are." Red Arrow glared. "And I'm going to prove it."

(This time I can do actual good. It may make up for all my mistakes.)

Phantom glared down at the villain. "No, the enemy of my enemy is my friend…while it's convenient."

"You don't trust me?" Bane glared.

"Why would I trust you when I barely trust myself?"

(I will keep them safe. I will absolve my sins.)

Phantom grimaced as their attention turned to him. He felt really out of place here. The halfa wasn't a side…partner to some major superhero.

"What about you?" Robin asked. "Are you coming?"

"Look, you know that I'm only here because the League wants to keep an eye on me." Phantom reasoned. "This seems more like your adventure rather than mine."

"You act like you don't belong here." Aqualad noted.

"I don't." Phantom shrugged. "I don't have any affiliation to the League. Speedy was right about that."

"Hey, man," Kid Flash zoomed over to his side to pat him on the back. "You've more than proved yourself as a hero. None of us have a problem with you being here. Speedy was just…angry at the League. Don't take it personally."

Phantom was flattered by their sincerity, but he was still reluctant. Last thing he needed was to be on the bad side of the League. "I don't…"

"That settles it!" Robin grabbed him by the shirt and began to drag him. "You're coming."

Phantom could have fazed through the grip. He could have let them go and stayed, but he didn't. He let them lead him towards Project Cadmus.

And so it begins…

(This is my…)

"Secret…"

"You! Why won't you just die!?"

"We trust you."

"I love you, Danny."

"Please, forgive me! I'm so sorry! I never wanted to hurt you!"

"I'm leaving for my tour tomorrow. If you needed to tell me something, now would be the time to say it."

"You are my lord. My loyalty lies only with you."

"Don't you believe in me? I'm your sister!"

"You've always had that power, Danny. You were just to afraid to use it until you had to."

"I never should have stepped into that portal…"

ABSOLUTION