Chapter 35: Carry On

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"Fortunate people often have very favorable beginnings and very tragic endings. What matters isn't being applauded when you arrive - for that is common - but being missed when you leave."

Baltasar Gracian

Chapter 35: "Carry On"

(The musical theme for this chapter is: Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance)

(Friday-May 30, 2014)

G. Gordon Godfrey looked towards the camera with a hardened expression on his face, "Eleven days. Less than one month. Despite what seems like a lifetime ago, that's actually how long it's been since the Earth's 'Blackest Night'. The wounds remain fresh and painful from the hundreds, no thousands of lost ones in that short time. Unfortunately, time continues to march forward whether we like it or not, and we must continue to push onward. But let us give one more respectful moment of silence before getting to the hard issues."

Godfrey lowered his head and paused for a few seconds. Once the moment had passed, he raised his head to show that his hard look had only grown sterner.

"Many are to blame for the tragic events. The ghosts from which Nekron originated. The so called heroes who fell in minutes. The government that failed to do anything to come close to stopping it. Perhaps even us, who inadvertently brought Nekron to life in the first place," Godfrey sighed, "But how do we go about punishing those that have failed? That is not an easy question to answer. My first thought would be to go after the ghosts, but they were quick to respond to the fallout as soon as the dust settled."

The image of Vision standing in front of a podium replaced Godfrey's image.

"I and the…remaining members of the Council have recently come to a decision based on what happened during Nekron's attack. In the end, only trouble has come since our worlds were connected more permanently. Very little good has occurred from it," Vision took a deep sigh, "As such, we have decided that it would be best to separate our worlds. All ghosts are going to be required to return to the Ghost Zone. We will use Fenton Works' new Dimensional Stabilizer to then sow the rifts between our worlds closed. They will stay this way until the time is right for our two races to reunite once more. I will now be willing to take questions."

The image of Godfrey appeared once more, "Vision went on further to explain how those ghosts that remain on Earth will be required to register as citizens of wherever they stay. Those that fail to do so will be considered criminals. It is only because of this that I'm not willing to demand further from the ghosts. Right now, we need separation. But with the ghosts out of good old Godfrey's target range that only leaves elected officials and the Justice League to take the blame."

Godfrey looked to the side camera, "Unfortunately, the shift in leadership and organization with both make them a very hard target to hit. Batman has stepped down as chairman of the League, and the UN is electing new officials as we speak. So change is finally happening. All it took was for the death of thousands to make it happen. Hooray.

"So you must be thinking, 'G. Gordon, who do we blame? Who do we punish?' Well, the answer is that perhaps everyone has been punished enough. Now you might be shocked. G. Gordon Godfrey is saying to let things rest. That's completely not in his nature. But think about it. Aquaman is dead. Many of the more prominent ghosts perished. Several heroes have become MIA after the final battle. And Danny Phantom…" Godfrey fought to hide a wince like he has been struck with a whip, "Danny Phantom gave his life to put an end to the threat of Nekron forever. Add on the near countless other casualties and yes…G. Gordon Godfrey things that it would be best to just move on from this terrible catastrophe."

"You don't have to do this, you know," Nightwing stood with the majority of the other members of Young Justice near the edge of the Cave's main center. They all faced the Zeta Tubes, or more specifically, a single person standing in front of the Zeta Tubes, "You'll always have a place on the Team."

"I know, but Danny Fenton isn't a hero," Danny argued as he looked across at his friends, "Danny Phantom was. And he's gone…for good this time. I think it would be better if I just step away. A lot less drama for everyone. Especially with how sour the Justice League is after the Joker incident."

Superboy crossed his arms angrily, "They'll get over it."

"He's right, Bro!" Kid Flash shook his head, "Having Young Justice without you…It wouldn't be right. Hell, you're the one that named it."

"And you'll carry the name for me now," Danny smiled.

"You can't just leave now. We already lost too many members as it is," Miss Martian noted bitterly.

Everyone paused at the alien's words. They all knew that she was referring to Beast Boy, yet there was also the still fresh wounds over the deaths of Robin and Aquagirl. Not to mention how many of their members were retiring. Raven…Troia…Black Bat…Dusk…and now their leader.

"And what would you have me do?" Danny questioned, "No way in hell am I changing the Red X suit back to its earlier design. The public knows that the Exorcist Armor is affiliated with me. And just hanging around to hand out missions…It wouldn't feel right."

"There is always training," Lagoon Boy suggested, "You know more about how the Team operates than anyone. And we will need to train up new recruits now that—OW! Neptune's Beard!"

Rocket glared at La'gaan after elbowing him in the ribs, "Insensitive much?"

"What? I am not wrong here," Lagoon Boy snapped back, "I am mourning Rob, Tula, and Little Green like the rest of you, but I have to face facts."

"He's not wrong," Danny quickly went to defend the freshman member of the Team, "You're going to need some new people. The first step is to talk with Gear and Mal…er, Herald."

"I think having Nekron as his first fight scared Richard," Artemis let out a sigh, "He refuses to join the Team."

"And Mal, well…" Bumblebee bit her lip, "He's been gone since he took Jericho back to…wherever Jericho came from."

"More will come then," Danny noted, "Until then, things should be pretty light. Unlike us, the Life Entity didn't heal the Light and its allies. Most of them are probably still licking their wounds. That will slow down their organization's recovery time even more."

"Don't remind me," Constantine grunted. The exorcist was covered in bandages and casts, "The bloody thing could have least dulled the pain when it sent us flying to the surface. Landed straight back in my apartment. Got blood every Goddamn where."

Zatanna gently placed a hand on his shoulder, "But you're alive, and you'll heal."

Constantine's eyes shifted to Zatanna's stomach for a second, "I suppose so. Still don't appreciate you tricking me into joining this Team while I was drugged up, though."

Zatanna giggled, "I'll make it up to you later."

"Still, you could still stick around for mission coordination, Danny," Nightwing rubbed his temples, "Both you and Kaldur are leaving me out to dry here."

Aquaman took a deep breath, "My new position requires me to work as a member of the Justice League. I apologize for abandoning my responsibilities here, but…"

"You don't have to say anything more, Kaldur," Nightwing raised a hand to calm his friend, "We get it. You have a lot to deal with right now. I'll manage."

"Yes, luckily Garth is willing to help handle a lot of the things in Atlantis, but…" Kaldur shook his head, "Never mind that. We all have new responsibilities. I am sure you will do fine, Nightwing. I always knew that you would eventually lead this team. It was inevitable."

"And don't think that you'll be alone," Barbara punched Nightwing gently from her wheelchair, "I can handle mission coordination."

"You see, you don't need me here," Danny smiled at them, "Trust me. This…this is for the best. Right now, we all need to change things. Maybe once things settle, I'll come back with a more active role. But right now, I need to handle some things first."

"So…You'll be back?"

"Maybe," Danny stated. In his mind, though, he thought about how often maybe meant no.

With that, Danny gave his final goodbyes. One more round of hugs and farewells later, he was standing in the center of the Zeta Tube. The teleportation device roared to life as Nightwing typed at its controls. Danny smiled as he took in the sight of the Mount Justice for one final time. He remembered all the time he spent here training and spending time with his friends. It was effectively his second home after Amity Park, and he knew that this was the last time he would ever see the Cave again.

Deleting Recognition: Danny Phantom B04

Spirit looked down at the clipboard in her hands as she stood on the rooftop next to Lydia, "So you're not going back to the Ghost Zone?"

Lydia shook her head. She looked over her shoulder to see Gizmo doing even more scans on Ace. There was no time to waste with the disease, "No. She needs me."

Spirit couldn't argue with that. She had heard about Ace's medical situation, "I know this is a stupid question, but…Any chance of getting you to register?"

"And draw everyone's attention to my friends so they can be arrested?" Lydia shook her head.

"I understand," Spirit nodded, "But you do realize that we won't be able to come to your defense, right?"

"I know," Lydia examined Spirit's features, "I see that this whole situation must be hard on you."

"It's necessary," Spirit admitted despite the sadness in her voice, "The humans are afraid. The ghosts are on edge. The Green Lanterns are pissed. This is the best way to avoid a mass persecution of ghosts. Humanity is one thing, but if the Guardians of the Universe get the idea of arresting ghosts to prevent a second Nekron..."

"Indeed. Nekron's attack built up a lot of fear and anger," Lydia crossed her arms, "Just for safety reasons, are there any ghosts I need to be on the lookout for?"

Spirit sighed, "Dusk."

Lydia raised an eyebrow, "The youngest halfa? Why isn't he registering?"

"I don't know," Spirit admitted, "But I always knew that he didn't like the fighting thing…and with Fright Knight dead…Danny without powers…and his stability handled…Guess he didn't have enough reason to stick around or register. But I'm not worried about him. He can handle himself, and he knows that he can come home. I just hope he finds whatever he's looking for."

Lydia smiled, "That's a good way to see it."

"Yeah," Spirit nodded, "If you ever need help out there, I'd look for him."

"Noted," Lydia blinked as Spirit flinched, "I'm sorry. Is something wrong?"

"A friend used to say that a lot," Spirit took a deep breath, "But not anymore."

Lydia quickly caught the meaning of her words and decided to move on, "Any other ghosts not going to the Ghost Zone or registering?"

"Well, Dark Dan obviously. Wherever he is. Hotep Ra disappeared," Spirit listed, "And there's both Johnny 13 and Thorn—ah!" Blue mist burst from Spirit's mouth.

"Rose. Kitty's real name is Rose."

Both female ghosts were surprised when Johnny 13 floated up to them from the street below.

"Johnny…" Lydia said in acknowledgement.

"Hey," Johnny 13's eyes were firmly locked on Spirit, "You're the one that my…my son liked, right?"

Spirit clenched her fists, "Yes."

"I see. Then I should thank you for looking after him," Johnny's expression fell, "Better than I ever did."

"You died," Lydia argued, "Then Youngblood sealed your memory if what I heard was correct. There's nothing you could do about it."

"I could have been more careful on my bike. I knew that Charles was coming, but I was stupid," Johnny 13 shook his head, "I own up to that. I've lost every chance to make things up with my son, but…Rose is still out there. Kitty is still out there. There's more to Thorn than a monster. Remember that if she ever decides to punish you."

"You think she will?" Spirit questioned.

"Yeah. That's why I came here to warn you," Johnny noted, "I don't remember everything from when I was alive, but Charles' death and Thorn's resurrection brought some things back. When Rose turned into Thorn…she became very possessive. Like it or not, you stole Charles's heart. She might not like that."

Spirit's face scrunched in through, "I'll keep that in mind."

Lydia felt curiosity bubble in her chest, "What will you do now, Johnny?"

"I'm going to find my girl," Johnny noted, "She's all I got left. Time to be responsible and make up for my mistakes. I'll track her down to the ends of the Earth if I have to. I'm going to fix what I can. It's all I can do."

Spirit felt respect grow for the man, "Good luck with that. I mean it. No offense, but…even Nyx was unnerved by Thorn."

"I know. That's why I need to be around her. I can help bring Kitty back out of her," Johnny pointed a thumb over his shoulder, "Well, I should get going. Got a lot to do. Keep an eye out, kid, and Lydia…best of luck with the girl. I…I honestly wish her the best."

"Thank you," Lydia watched as Johnny floated down back to his bike that was parked at the edge of the street, "I should get going as well."

"Yeah," Dani nodded, "Stay safe, Lydia."

"You too, Danielle."

Joel sat on a rock at the bottom of a large mountain that reached up to the heavens. He looked over to see his two closest friends from Young Justice. Cassandra crossed her arms and stared at him, "Any way that I can convince you to help me?"

"You know my stance on fighting, killing, and revenge," Joel responded, "Even ignoring that, I want to stay away from my father, not fight against him. But I won't stand in your way."

"Ra's Al Ghul has to be stopped, and the only way to do that is to kill him once and for all," Cassandra noted.

"With that view, no wonder thou decided to leave Gotham," Donna leaned against the mountainside, "But I cannot blame thee. Even if I find her views on some things…off-putting, I still love my mother. If someone killed her, I would hunt them down and cut their heads off."

"That's what I plan to do," Cassandra gave Donna a side glance, "What about you? I can't convince Joel, but you…"

"No, I shan't be helping thee as well," Donna shook her head, "I need to return to Themyscira for a time. I need to deal with…the loss of Jason…and the events of the Blackest Night. Need to find my warrior spirit once more."

"I can understand that," Cassandra looked over her shoulder to see Rose Wilson waiting for her, "Guess I'm stuck with Ravager then."

Joel glanced to Rose, "You trust her?"

"Believe it or not, we bonded during my time as a spy," Cassandra explained, "And she wants to get away from her father and the Light, so…yeah, I trust her."

"Just be careful," Donna warned, "She doesn't seem like the most stable of individuals."

"She isn't, but that's exactly what I need to take down the Shadows," Cassandra stated, "By the way, she wanted to ask you if you've seen her brother, Joel."

"Me?"

"Yes, she thought that you would be the one he'd be drawn to because, and I quote, 'They're both a bunch of hippies who love peace more than war'," Cassandra snorted once she finished quoting her friend.

"Well, I didn't even know about this Jericho before the final fight with Nekron, and I haven't' seen him since," Joel mentioned.

"I see, well if you do, tell him that Rose wants to talk."

"Will do."

Donna looked over to Joel, "By the way, what dost thou plan to do now, Joel? I figured thou would want to return to thy home as well."

"No, I need time away. Figure out some things," Joel stood. A white ring appeared around his head. It traveled downward to transform him into his ghost half. This also summoned Soul Shredder to his back, "With Soul Shredder with me, I don't have to worry about my stability any more. So, now I can just think…about everything. Might go on some adventures, though. The Fright Knight told me plenty of stories about legendary weapons like a sword that steals souls."

"So…" Cassandra's lips turned upward, "Joel the Treasure Hunter? That's what you want to be?"

"Maybe," Dusk shrugged, "No need to decide now. I got all the time in the world now."

"It might seem that way now, but time marches quickly," Cassandra counted, "My parents taught me that—"

"Oi! Cass!" Rose yelled over to the group, "Can we go already!? I'm sick of being here!"

Cassandra sighed, "Time to go."

Donna nodded, "I should take my leave as well. It's a long trip back home."

"Bye," Dusk smiled, "Until we—Oof!"

Donna hugged the halfa in a tight embrace, "Take care of thyself, Joel."

"You too, Donna," Joel held Donna with one arm and held the other arm to Cassandra, "Not too tough for a group hug, Cass?"

Cassandra huffed and walked into the hug, "Of course not."

After a few minutes, the three heroes exited the embrace and went their separate ways. Cassandra joined Rose, and the two of them disappeared into the darkness. Donna flew off to the distance to meet with her sister's invisible plane. Once they were gone, Dusk turned his attention skywards and floated up the mountain to its peak. As he flew, he noted both the peace in his heart…yet there was also a strange solitude knowing that he never got to say goodbye to Jason.

…Of course, he also wondered why no one had reported seeing the shade of Jason Todd during the Blackest Night…

Danny stood at the top of Fenton Works. The wind of the fresh summer swept through his air. His eyes focused on the city before a buzzing from his pocket caused him to pull out his phone. Different texts showed that it was almost time for the ghosts to leave. He had already said his goodbyes, though. Being that close to the Ghost Zone before it was locked shut…It was too painful for him.

A swirl of pink behind Danny caused the young man to turn. A bandaged and limping Jinx appeared before him, "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Jinx stepped up to Danny. She quickly embraced her boyfriend. Danny paused when he felt her hug him. Slowly, he reached his own arms around her and hugged her close, "I'm so glad that you're safe."

"Me too, Jen. I'm so happy that Nekron didn't use me to hurt you," Danny pulled away and smiled.

"Yeah…Sorry for not calling sooner, but I was unconscious for a while...recovery was slow…and Dad regenerated slowly," Jinx explained.

"I bet," Danny chose his words carefully, "Nekron literally tore him to ash. Didn't know if even an immortal could come back from that. Guess that regeneration of his is pretty unworldly."

"So…" Jinx bit her lip, "You remember what happened?"

"Perfectly."

"I see. Should have guessed…" Jinx walked past Danny to look over the city, "So I guess we need to talk, don't we?"

"Yeah, that's why I called you here," Danny stepped beside his lover.

"Hmm…" Jinx looked down, "Déjà vu. It was almost four years ago when we had a conversation just like this. Right after you found out about my secret."

"I know. That's why I thought that this would be a good spot for this. Plus…" Danny crossed his arms, "This is technically my property. After everything that's happened, I think it's time to move out of Masters Mansion. Live under my own roof like an adult. This seemed like a good option…but I was also thinking of just moving out of Amity Park."

Jinx raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yeah. Without my ghost half, I don't have an obsession tying me here," Danny explained, "And it's not like I could defend the city without powers. I think some distance would be good. You know, a nice beach house somewhere warm and sunny. But it would be lonely."

Jinx's lips twitched upward, "Unless you have a beautiful girl with you."

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

"But moving like that would put me way out of the way of all the action," Jinx noted.

"It would put both of us out of the way," Danny looked to Jinx, "Jen, I want to make this work. But trying to do that while you're still fighting against my family…It's impossible. This is the only way I can see us working out."

"I see…"

"Jen, please think about this," Danny gently reached up to gently cup her cheek, "I love you."

Jinx stared into his eyes, "I love you too, Danny, but…"

Danny instantly pulled his hand back, "But?"

"But I can't just give up doing what I love. I love my job. I love being an assassin," Jinx noted, "Just because you literally can't be a hero anymore doesn't mean that I'm willing to give everything up."

"That's the only way it could ever work," Danny noted, "I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but I know that if your loyalty to your father is stronger than your loyalty to me…I can't be in a relationship like that."

"Danny…"

"You remember Valentine's Day?" Danny took a step back, "You presented a choice to me. I'm going to do the same with you. If you stay with me, then I swear that I'll do everything I can to make you happy. We'll live quiet lives away from all the commotion. Imagine it, waking up next each other every morning to the sound of the waves. We could spend our days relaxing away from everything. And then one day…We could even start our own family."

Jinx looked away in thought.

"Or…" Danny explained, "You can walk away. No screaming. No hate. No complaints. We'll be done, and you can go on with your assassin career. And I'll…I'll figure out what to do with my life as it comes."

Jinx looked back to Danny, "We'll be done? Just like that?"

Danny sighed, "You knew this was coming, Jen. We can't just pretend like everything will work out anymore. Not after everything with Nekron."

"And why do I have to make the choice?"

"Because I'm the one with no powers anymore," Danny gently reached out a hand to her, "So? Will you run away with me?"

Jinx stared at the hand presented to her. The life Danny offered seemed like a dream. If anyone could pull it off, he could. Plus, her dad always did let his children make their own life choices. She could take her lover's hand and live a peaceful existence for the rest of her life. Of course, she had no delusions that things would be perfect. Danny would always be drawn to Amity Park and his family, but that was understandable…even if she didn't exactly want to see her birth father. Still, that dream life was almost everything she ever wanted in life when she was younger.

That was then, though, and this…was too late for such dreams.

Jinx took a step back.

Danny let his hand fall. His face remained stern despite the heartbreak he felt, "I see…"

"Danny, I…I can't give up what I am," Jinx noted, "If I changed myself…would I be the woman you fell in love with?"

"No," Danny turned to look over the city, "I suppose not."

"But we don't have to break up!" Jinx argued, "We love each other!"

"Yes, but sometimes love is not enough," Danny stated.

"You're not being fair," Jinx argued bitterly.

"No, I think that I am," Danny forced himself not to get upset, "I wasn't asking you to fight against your Dad. That would have been unfair like you asking to fight against my family."

Jinx was silent at that.

"I suppose that's it, isn't it?" Danny put his hand into his pockets, "Goodbye, Jinx."

"I…Goodbye, Danny," Hiding the tears in her eyes, Jinx turned and began to walk away to get a safe distance to teleport.

"By the way, Jen…"

Jinx paused. She turned to look at Danny's back.

"You do know that I expect you to keep my family's secret, right?" Danny's voice was stern, "If you don't…I'll have to take drastic measures."

"And what will those measures be?"

"I'm just asking you this…" Danny looked over his shoulders and gave Jinx a look that made her step back, "Don't make me have to kill you."

"Understood."

In a swirl of pink, Jinx disappeared leaving Danny to his solitude. With her gone, Danny let out the sob that he had been holding in. His heart trembled as he reached up to violently rub at his eyes. He wheezed for a few seconds before calming himself. Taking a deep breath, Danny pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Yeah…She chose to walk away…I'm fine…Okay, I'll get over it…Yeah, I guess that means I'll be sticking around…Exactly…Tell our friend that I'm going through with the plan. It's time to shake the establishment."

Dani stood at the back entrance of Axion Labs with her friends. They stood in an area where they could be alone and say their final goodbyes both to each other and the friend that was lost.

Cyborg gently knelt down and placed the old picture with all five of them on the ground next to candles, "You two don't have to go. You know that, right?"

"We know," Raven noted, "But if we had to make a choice and with the dimensional drifts being locked…"

"Who knows when we'll get the chance to go back to our homes," Nyx crossed her arms, "And with my Mom…gone…plus Vision and Frostbite staying, the Ghost Zone needs some form of leadership. A new Council, and I'm gonna be a part of it."

"That I get, but…" Cyborg looked to Raven, "Do you really have to return to Azaroth full time? Trigon crossed over those dimensional planes even with the Stabilizer active."

"It's not fair to compare my abilities to him. Besides, the stabilizer was mostly there to keep the ghosts safe," Raven explained, "If I want to go with my Mom and study to grow stronger in Azaroth, then I have to do it now."

"But you can study here—" Cyborg paused when he felt Dani place a hand on his shoulder.

"What would you do if you were in their shoes, Vic?" Dani questioned, "If your mom died or was moving far away like that."

Cyborg sighed, "Yeah, I get it, but I don't like it. I mean…we just lost Chuck…"

All three young people lowered their heads in mourning.

"It's probably for the best," Dani whispered. She couldn't stand to see one of her closest friends die for her again.

"Everything will work out," Nyx pumped her fist, "Things will cool down, and Vision will turn the Stabilizer off. Then, we can all meet up again even more awesome then before."

"That's right. I look forward to seeing how you grow," Raven blinked as her phone beeped. She pulled it out to look at it, "Oh…It's time. I have to go meet my mom."

"And I should head inside," Nyx agreed.

"We'll miss you," The four friends quickly shared hugs.

When Nyx hugged Dani, she lingered in her embrace, "Thanks again, Girl Scout. For everything."

"You don't need to thank me."

"I know, but…" Nyx paused. She seemed to be thinking about something, "Oh, screw it!"

"Wh—Mmmh!"

Everyone went wide-eyed as Nyx grabbed onto Dani's face and pull her in for a kiss. Dani didn't fight it out of sheer shock. After a few seconds, Nyx pulled away and giggled, "Knew it."

With that, Nyx turned and flew into the building. Dani began to stutter as Cyborg was just frozen in shock. Raven just blinked, "Huh. Didn't think she'd actually do it."

Dani's head whipped to Raven, "Y-You knew?"

"Yeah. I saw how she looked at you."

"B-But I'm not…"

"I know, and she knows too," Raven mentioned, "That's why she never did anything."

"So she's…Wow I never knew."

"I don't think that's accurate. Labels really don't fit her. Nyx is just Nyx," Raven smirked and looked to Cyborg, "But she is very open-minded to A LOT. You should keep than in mind."

Cyborg collapsed backwards with a clang and bang.

"And with that, I'm off," Raven disappeared in a swirl of magic leaving the shocked Dani and Cyborg alone.

Dusk sat at the very peak of the mountain. He looked off into the horizon to see the sun setting. The sky blazed with orange and red, and that was reflected in the snow below him. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, "Your sister wants to see you by the way."

Beside Dusk, Jericho continued to play his guitar. He shrugged as if to say that the time wasn't right yet.

"He wanted to meet with you," Mal noted as he stood behind the sitting duo, "Said that he wanted to see the guy that I thought was better suited for the horn."

Dusk looked over his shoulder, "Said?"

"Wrote, really," Mal chuckled.

"Hmm…" Dusk returned his gaze to the horizon, "Is that the only reason you came to see me?"

"Nope, I felt the flow of the universe."

"What?"

Smirking, Mal threw a strange device at Dusk. The halfa caught the device and looked at it to see that it was a communicator. With that done, Mal turned and used the Horn of Gabriel to create a portal, "Come on, Jericho. I need to take you back to Nirvana before they close the rifts between the dimensions."

Nodding, Jericho hopped up and stepped into the portal. Mal quickly joined him. As he did, he called back to Dusk, "Until next time, Joel."

Alone once more, Dusk looked at the communication device. Slowly, he pressed the button at the side and spoke, "Hello?"

"Oh…Hi. Didn't think you'd call so early. Should have prepared really…"

Dusk raised an eyebrow, "Who is this?"

"You probably remember me as Gear. You know, the kid that became a technopath during the Blackest Night thing."

"Yeah," Dusk did remember that, "You okay?"

"Oh, definitely…kind of…not really."

"Do you need my help or something?"

"Technically…yes. But not in the needing saving way. You see, I…" Gear took a deep breath, "I got these powers now, and I just KNOW things now and I learn more by the second. It's so much, and I feel the need to use it."

"Didn't Young Justice offer to train you?" Dusk questioned.

"Yes, but I don't want that. I don't want to be a hero like them. Not right now at least. Fighting people like Nekron…I can't do that again."

"To be fair, no one there had ever faced anything like that before," Dusk noted.

"Still…I'd prefer to take baby steps. The Herald guy came to me and said you might be able to help with that," Gear explained nervously, "He suggested that I could help you. You're going to be traveling, right? Well, I could help make things easier with hacking while you work on information I give you. Tips and stuff on crimes. That way, we can both be free agents."

Dusk thought about that for a second, "That sounds nice actually. Alright, I'm willing to try it."

"Great! I know we have to go by codenames and stuff, but my name's Richard Foley. It's really nice to meet you, Dusk."

Dusk smiled, "In private, you can call me Joel."

Danny walked down the stairs from the top of Fenton woks. As he stepped through the home area of the building and walked to the lab entrance, he was stopped when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned to see who it was, "Spectra. Good to see you. I thought you'd be in the lab by now."

"I wanted to talk to you alone first," Spectra pulled her hand back and lifted her other arm to show a thick folder of papers, "I profiled everyone you wanted. Everything is in order. At first, I was intrigued by what you had in mind, but now I find myself scared. You're going to create the greatest army imaginable if you abuse what I've prepared for you."

"You're doubting my integrity?" Danny raised an eyebrow, "There isn't a whole lot to suggest that I'd abuse this."

"I didn't forget stories you told me when you first spoke of your powers," Spectra adjusted her glasses, "Dark Dan."

Danny did not look pleased by that, "That's different, and you know it."

"Really? I know you just went through a great ordeal. You lost plenty of loved ones, your powers, and I'm assuming your girlfriend," Spectra saw Danny's face shift, "Oh, don't be like that. It was obvious that you were going to give her an ultimatum. She obviously chose the less ideal option."

"She did. For once, I let someone else make a choice in my life. I already decided to go through with this," Danny pointed to the folder in her hands, "And I'm going to need those notes to do it…Along with you if you're willing to stick around."

Spectra sighed, "If I don't agree, you'll just replace me with someone less qualified. That will cause even more problems…Fine. But only to make sure that every stays the way it should."

"Thanks," Danny stuck a hand out, "Can I have those?"

Slowly, Spectra raised the folder and handed it to the man who used to be a half-ghost. With a quick thanks, he turned and returned to his trek to the main lab. Spectra was right behind him, but she still had a worried look on her face.

Danny and Spectra stepped into the lab to see Silas Stone, Amorpho, and Red X facing towards two tubes filled with liquid and the two new meta-humans. Above Harriet was the tag 'Silver Banshee,' while Damon had 'Cinderblock' written across the top of his tube.

"Any progress?" Danny stepped beside his friends.

Red X nodded, "Our tests show that there is a transformation aspect of their mutation. They should be able to change back and forth at will after extensive training. Although, there is an 82% chance that there will be some changes to their original forms."

"I guess that's better than being permanently stuck like that…" Danny glanced to his previous battle armor. He would have questioned why J.A.Z.Z. would be in the suit at this moment, but the AI seemed to be enjoying her time in physical form, "How long will that take?"

Silas shrugged, "Impossible to say. We'll just have to run more tests to get an estimate."

"Fair enough," Danny raised the folder in his hands, "What did they say about joining the project."

Amorpho pointed to Cinderblock, "Damon readily agreed. Harriet was a bit more reluctant, but she eventually said that someone had to keep Damon from doing more stupid stuff. As for me…well, I'm still here. I want to make a difference again. A real difference."

"Great," Danny walked over to a large table and pulled out different files from the table, "That makes nine with you, Red X. That's a good number for right now. Any more and I'd have to struggle with keeping everything in check."

The others quickly joined him by the table. They all turned to a large screen which activated to show their new partner in their endeavor.

"So have you decided?"

"Yes. I am set on doing this. I already sent you the paperwork."

"Indeed. I see that now. Very well. Do you have the files of who you want to recruit?"

"I do. We can get started. I already have a leader ready to organize the group," Danny reached over and patted Red X on the shoulder.

"Oh? Is that why you chose such a strange name?"

"Indeed, Miss Waller," Danny smiled, "Although, considering the missions they'll be taking, I thought it would be appropriate that Task Force X's nickname might as well be the Suicide Squad."

Vlad blinked as he tried to process the fact that Nyx had rushed through the lab and into the Ghost Portal without a word, "What was that about?"

Vision shrugged, "Perhaps she and Dani had a passionate goodbye and she was hiding her tears?"

"Fair enough," Vlad looked down to his clipboard and checked Nyx off the list, "And with Undergrowth and her, that's everyone accounted for."

"Indeed, we…" Vision blinked as Dani helped a near static Cyborg into the room, "What happened to him?"

"Long story," Dani sighed, "Just keep going while I snap him out of it."

"Okay…" Vision coughed into her hand, "As I was saying, we should prepare unless there's any last minute problems to address."

"Torch still says that the ghosts should have taken custody of the human Black Lanterns," Torch mentioned, "It'd be safer that way."

"We talked about this, Torch," Dora gently placed a hand on his arm, "We were lucky enough to be allowed to keep Nocturne and my brother. Asking for Rogue and Blood was too much. Besides, they'll be locked up in Belle Reve for a long time. And with them comatose and without powers, it's not like they will be much more of a threat."

"Yeah, yeah…" Torch grumbled.

"You two sure that you'll be okay?" Ember questioned, "This is going to be the first time ever that one of the Ancient Six isn't around to keep the Ghost Zone in order. You'll have a hell of a job on your hands."

"They won't be alone," Poindexter adjusted his glasses, "I will be there to help. And I believe that Pandora's daughter will want to continue her legacy as well. Not to mention…"

"Beware!" The Box Ghost grinned, "Just kidding. I will make the Ghost Zone a safe place for my family. The five of us will work together for that goal. But it wouldn't hurt to have either of you two with us…"

Frostbite shook his head, "My people and I are needed in Atlantis now more than ever. The new king is inexperienced and the city is weak from the Blackest Night."

"And I want to be here with my husband," Vision gently took Vlad's hand in her own, "Our age is over. It's time for you to step up in our place."

"Of course, if things ever get too out of hand, you could always wake Colossus," Vlad suggested.

Dora bit her lip, "If we can you mean. Poor man exhausted himself during the Blackest Night, but even then…He's not the order and stability type. So we'll just have to struggle on our own. I know that we can do it, though."

Vision nodded, "I believe in you."

Torch grunted, "Well, no point in putting it off. Time to go."

"Always in a rush," Ember rolled her eyes and embraced her brother, "As soon as I get you back, you're forced away from me again. Geeze."

"You could always come to the Ghost Zone with Torch," Torch suggested.

Ember pulled away, "You know why I can't do that, Trever. My obsession is out here. Not in there."

Torch nodded, "True. Good luck then, Ellie. Torch is sure that we'll meet again."

"Of course we will," Ember looked to Dora, "Look after him, will you?"

"You know that I will."

With their final goodbyes, the ghosts stepped into the Ghost Portal for a final time. Vlad quickly worked the controls before permanently shutting the machine off. He then went to the Dimensional Stabilizer and set it to completely close the dimensional rifts. In a burst of energy, the machine separated the two worlds and closed the passage between them, thus starting a new age for both dimensions. For better or worse, they'd have to live with the decisions they made.

Dusk was now standing and looking up at the stars above him. There was no pollution or artificial light up on the mountain to hide the heavens above the earth. He could see everything with his awe-filled eyes. That wasn't why he was standing, though. Once again, he was visited by someone coming through a portal. This time, though, it wasn't a friend.

"It's almost like déjà vu," Dusk turned around and lowered his gaze, "Don't you think, Dark Dan?"

Dan sneered as he stood outside of the portal created for him by Morgaine le Fey, "Indeed it does, little boy."

"Except this time, you have friends and I don't," Dusk looked past Dan to see two companions on the other side of the portal, "I expected le Fey, but Hotep Ra? I thought you wanted to be a ruler? Why work with two destroyers?"

"In order to rule an empire, one must first conquer," Hotep Ra noted, "I will one day rule my own empire, but I first need to conquer. So who better to work with than a man that can fight off an army and a woman that can seduce entire kingdoms into ruin?"

Dusk shook his head, "It looks like your Black Lantern ring did corrupt your mind after all if you think that's smart. But I guess that's not the point of this visit. What do you want Dan?"

"Well, I first want to chastise you," Dark Dan glowered at the youngest halfa, "You failed to heed my warning in the most spectacular of ways."

"Some of that is the fault of your companions," Dusk argued, "You do remember that they worked for Nekron once?"

"True. I haven't forgotten that, but you…" Dark Dan looked like he wanted to rip Dusk's throat out, "I gave you one simple task. Stop the half-ghosts from killing, and then you break the order yourself. Killing Klarion…You idiot. I know you had that blade on your back. You could have just banished him."

"I know, and I will live with my decision for the rest of my life," Dusk noted, "In a way, if I had control, then perhaps Walker couldn't have used the Witch Boy as a distraction, and Pandora would still be alive. So, I'd be willing to have Nyx chew my ear off, but not you."

"Hmm…"

"So you're pissed at me. That makes sense. I was a gamble that didn't pay off," Dusk took a deeper stance, "Are you here to kill me for it?"

Dark Dan paused for a second, "I thought about it. Taking you out would be a blow that would change a lot of variables in my favor. But ultimately, I decided against."

"Why? What do you have to gain out of it?"

Dark Dan stared at Dusk, "Pride and curiosity. For the rest of my existence, I would look back and think that I wouldn't have succeeded in this universe if not for Nekron weakening everything. There are so many variables that I cannot predict. You proved that…and so did my other self. He gained a power twenty years early. There is something off about this universe that makes it different. I want to conquer it at its strongest, not at its weakest. So its pride and curiosity that keeps you alive today."

"You do know that those are sins that always come before the fall?" Dusk questioned.

"Indeed, but that makes this interesting," Dark Dan chuckled, "So I decided to make this even more interesting. I give you one more warning, Joel Fenton. Prepare. Do absolutely everything that you can to prepare, because I am different than the other foes that your family defeated before."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Because I don' want to bring a deluded sense of justice to the universe. I don't want to rule it. Hell, I don't even want everything to die," Dark Dan smiled widely, "I want to watch everything suffer. I want everything to beg for something as merciful as a death. I want to watch everything suffer for all of eternity. And my goals aren't just in this universe. No, I will do this to all timelines. To all possible realties. The damage I will cause will be far worse than what even Nekron could have conceived, because I will get the one power greater than Death and Life combined and watch enjoy watching everything scream in agony."

"Power greater than Death and Life?" Dusk was confused, "What power is that?"

"Anti-life."

"Isn't that just death?"

"No, kid!" Dark Dan's sick glee only grew, "It's much worse."

"Hmm…You won't succeed."

"I won't?"

"No, because…" Dusk unsheathed his blade and pointed it at Dan, "My family and friends won't let you."

"Kid, your family is in ruins. Your friends are scattered. Earth is weakened and will be easy to dominate," Dark Dan mocked, "That isn't much of a threat."

"It might not seem that way, but there are people left with our will," Dusk glared at Dan, "Even if the Phantom Family is gone, our will isn't. New heroes will rise and inherit it. They will grow stronger than we ever were and will stop you. They will be our legacy. They will carry on without us, and that's something that you'll never overcome."

"We'll see about that," Chuckling, Dark Dan turned want walked back into the portal, "When I'm done, you're legacy will be nothing but pathetic ashes."

The portal closed. Dusk was once again alone. He sheathed his blade and looked up once more. The light of moon shined down brightly onto his form, "No, it will be even better than even I can imagine."

(Sunday-January 27, 2046)

And so ended the story of the Phantom Family. We weren't all together for long, but I think it was one of the most memorable times in history. It definitely was one of the most influential, because everything that happened after that was a result of our actions…and our disbanding.

For years, people asked why we drifted apart. All I can say is that Nekron's Blackest Night took its toll on all of us. In many ways, we lost what made us so strong in the first place. Danny never worked on the hope for a better future. Joel couldn't endure the hero lifestyle anymore. And I…I just lost the joy in my life. That's something that Luna tells me all the time…She's not wrong.

It didn't help that things didn't get any better. Just as things were about to calm down and heal, the Light recovered in a big way. Although it took a while to find a suitable replacement for Ocean Master, the Brain and Klarion quickly got replacements that were even worse than they were. The Team felt that in a big way not too long after the dust settled after the Blackest Night.

Then there were the threats from the heavens. The Reach. The Tamaranian Empire. Apokolips…God, Apokolips. I remember the first time I saw Darkseid. I get a permanent reminder of it every time I look at this blasted fake arm of mine.

In the end, though, it was Dark Dan that brought the end to everything. He was always the Ultimate Enemy, perhaps even more than Nekron. Not in raw power, mind you, but he always had bigger goals in mind that killing everything. After all, there are far worse fates than death.

You can trust me on that.

-From the personal memoirs of Danielle Masters

"Yeah," A small sigh came from soft pink lips, "I can't argue with you there, Grandma."

Neon green eyes with slits down the middle turned from the crumbled page to the binder that was currently being used to hold all the pages of the memoires. Once the final page was placed with the others, Luna reached to brush an extremely long strand of white hair with pink highlighted tips behind her ear. Her heart shaped face was set in a fixed frown as she stared at the memoirs along with the different books that Danielle Masters had written about her adventures up to the events of Nekron's Blackest Night.

A hand covered by fingerless gloves moved the four books to the side. She had already read all of them at length and had a good understanding of how things were before….before everything fell apart. With the books read and memoirs put back together, Luna turned her attention to the other papers on the desk.

…A long list of all known meta-humans and potential heroes…

…A base outline of the events of 2016…

…And blueprints to a very special machine…

"Ah…" Luna bit her lip, "So that's what you wanted to do…"

"Luna! Luna!"

Luna didn't react as a brown haired boy zipped into the room at amazing speeds, "Yeah, Bart?"

"I was worried. You were gone for a long time," Bart noted, "Come on, Box Lunch says that we need to get going."

"No."

"Um…No? You're planning on telling Box Lunch no?"

"Of course I am. Not like I ever listened to her before anyway," Luna began stacking all the papers on the desk, "I have a plan, Bart."

"Oh God…" Bart's face fell, "Every time you say that, we end up on mode with the League…"

"This is different. We're not going to deal with our crappy version of the League…" Luna nodded to herself as she thought, "We're going to need someone who remembers that time…Someone who would go along with this…Neutron. We need to bust him out of the penitentiary. Shouldn't be too hard now…"

Bart's eyes widened, "Are you insane?!"

"No. Just ambitious," Luna took a deep breath, "We're going to change everything, Bart. Make sure everything turns out good for as many people as we can. We'll save everyone…reunite the Phantom Family…stop Young Justice from falling…and prevent the Great War from happening on Earth. We'll just need to stop the Reach before they get a foothold and make us vulnerable to Dark Dan."

"And how do we do that, Luna?"

Luna grabbed the blue prints from the desk. She turned around and held them up for Bart, "Don't call me that. Every half-ghost needs a second name. Call me Legacy. We'll need to think of a codename for you too."

Bart looked at the blueprints. His eyes went wide as he read the name of the machine Luna planned to build. The Fenton Time Machine.

(Saturday-May 31, 2014)

Dark Dan stood on an asteroid floating through the darkness of space. His eyes were glued on an abandoned planet off in the distance. Behind him, Morgaine le Fey and Hotep Ra floated in a bubble of magic.

"Just to make sure things are clear…" Hotep Ra's eyes darted from Morgaine to Dan, "Neither of you are in charge of me. We're equal partners in this."

"Of course!" Morgaine le Fey giggled, "Partners…that will stab each other in the back in an instant."

"Not as long as we need each other," Dark Dan argued, "With what I have in mind, I need someone that can manipulate politics. She and I are too dominant and mocking to do that. You, though…You know how to convince people into anything. Just look at what you did with those meta-humans."

Hotep Ra nodded at that, "Fair enough, but don't expect me to trust you. When the time comes, I'm going to take my Empire whether you hand it to me or not."

"Of course," Morgaine's soft lips moved upward into a smile, "I must say, I'm glad that I agreed to help you. This is going to be so entertaining."

Dark Dan couldn't argue with that. Slowly, he reached into his chest. He grabbed the things he planned to use on Nekron before the Reaper revealed his control over them. The idea of overpowering the Ghost of Death was doomed from the start, but it all worked out in the end. He not only now had the greatest weapons to ever exist in the Ghost Zone; he also had the last trace of Nekron's power left in the universe. All without the Reaper's will to fight against it. It seems like his actions during Trigon's invasion really paid off.

With a grin, Dark Dan pulled out the relics from his core to look at his prize. In his hands sat the items that he stole from the Ghost King's castle while Nekron was unable to see his movements during Trigon's invasion. His grin grew as the green and black energy shone off the weapons and covered his features.

The Ring of Rage and the Crown of Fire.

Laughing, Dark Dan slipped the source of Pariah Dark's power onto his finger and head respectively. His power surged to levels that mortals couldn't even begin to comprehend. With a roar, he pushed his hand out towards the abandoned planet in front of him. His energy surged, and the planted disintegrated in a matter of seconds.

"No one will be able to stop me now," Dark Dan gloated, "It seems the universe will indeed see the 'First Prophecy' be fulfilled. After all, there was always more than one Phantom to fear."

Beware the Phantom