Chapter 13: Outrage

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"I think people should be angry at things that are worthy of anger. Injustice is outrageous and deserves outrage." Chris Hayes

Chapter 13: "Outrage"

(Thursday-September 23, 2010)

Batman stared down at the halfa. "So you knew about the possibility of a mole…"

"Well…" Phantom shrugged. "I did get information that there might have been a mole from Kaldur, but he received that info from Sportsmaster, so I wasn't sure how reliable the info was."

"…" Batman frowned.

"Look this was different than the Ghoul Project thing." Phantom held his hands up in defense. "First, if there was a mole, I didn't want to tip him or her off. Second, this was an internal issue of Young Justice. I thought that Kaldur and I could find the mole on our own…if there was one. Third, I had no clue that the mole would be…Red Tornado."

"I see…" Batman sighed. "I'm not going to kick you off the Team. I have been informed that I might have... overreacted to the Ghoul Project information."

Phantom glanced at the various members of the League in the Cave. They were all working on rebuilding the refuge for Young Justice. For the most part, the majority of the League liked and respected Phantom. After all, Phantom wouldn't have been invited to the Hall during Independence Day if they didn't. If Batman was apologizing, then the majority of the League must have been willing to forgive his…mistake.

"It's not as if you meant to alert Luthor. You just wanted to stop the weapons. I can't fault you with that." Batman noted. "And now that you told me about the mole information, I can see why you kept everything a secret. You didn't want to tip off Luthor."

"No…I should have told you…" Phantom sighed. "It was my bad. If we worked together to find the mole and investigate the Ghoul Project, then we wouldn't even be in this situation…"

"Like you said before, that's a 'what if' scenario…" Batman glanced at the rest of Young Justice who were seated at the kitchen table. "Now we just have to press forward with what we have."

"And Red Tornado? What do we do now that we know that he's the mole?" Phantom questioned.

Batman was about to respond when their conversation was interrupted.

"I can't believe it…" Superboy glared at them. "You knew? YOU KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!?"

Conner rushed to Phantom and slammed him into the wall. "That android and his maniac nearly killed M'gann!"

"Conner, what's wrong?" M'gann flew up to the two teens.

"Danny knew there was a traitor among us and said nothing!" Superboy glared. "I can't believe this!"

"You knew?" Robin asked in shock.

"And didn't say anything?" Kid Flash frowned.

"I didn't know. I just heard that there might be a mole in relation to this Team." Phantom argued. "It was just a rumor. I didn't even know if it was true or not. How could I even act on it?"

"You acted on the Ghoul Project rumor like it was the most important thing in the world!" Artemis argued. "Wait! This is why you didn't tell anyone of us about the Ghoul Project! You thought that one of us was a traitor!"

"No! It's not like that!" Phantom shouted.

"M'gann almost died because you didn't do anything!" Superboy snarled.

"Please stop this." Kaldur stepped in. "I was the one that told Danny of this mole info in the first place. We both knew about the possibility of a traitor. We believed that we could protect the Team-"

"Well, obviously you couldn't…" M'gann looked away.

"Enough." Batman stopped the fighting. All of Young Justice turned to him. "With Red Tornado…missing, Young Justice will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift."

"I'm really looking forward to hanging with you guys." The tall muscular man in a red jumpsuit with a lighting bolt on it and a white side cape smiled at them.

'…'Hanging with you guys'?' Phantom wondered. 'Please don't tell me that he's some old guy trying to be hip….'

Superboy turned to Phantom. "After I dismantle Red Tornado, we're going to have a talk about-"

"Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League. That makes him a League responsibility." Batman intervened. "You will leave him to us.

Phantom frowned. He didn't like that. The halfa wanted a shot at a rematch with the android. A second fight would show just how tough the wind android would be without help from his siblings…

"I have another assignment for this Team." Batman gestured to the holographic news article that appeared behind him.

"Gotham Mayor attacked by Guerrilla Gorilla?" Kid Flash scowled.

"Batman, please! Tell us that you're not sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase!" Robin stepped forward.

"I never joke about the mission." Batman glared.

Robin instantly stepped down.

"I've checked the sources. I studied the patterns. Mayor Hill's encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents." Batman explained. "Phantom, you and your Team will depart for India and check this out."

Phantom frowned as Kid Flash passed him and scoffed. "Yeah…your team…"

Phantom scowled. Turning to Batman, he noted. "For now at least…"

"Okay…" Nyx glared at the book in her hands. "This makes no sense!"

"Calm down." Raven structed. "You just aren't focusing enough. Take a deep breath and look closely."

"Okay…focus…Focusing. I am super focused. Nothing can distract me-SQUIRREL!"

"…" Raven sighed and placed her face in her hands. "I regret agreeing to help you."

"Oh, come one, Raven. Don't be like that." Spirit chuckled. "You have to admit that that was funny."

"I have to admit nothing." Rachel frowned at Nyx. "Magic is a serious issue. If you don't take it seriously, then you will never be able to use it."

"Fine, fine." Nyx waved her off. "I'll be serious."

"Hey look there's a nickel on the ground." Youngblood looked down at the street below them. They were currently on the roof of Fenton Works. Nyx convinced Raven to help her with her magic again, and Raven agreed as long as they worked at Raven's favorite meditation spot.

"Phillip?" Nyx looked down.

"Okay, I'm done." Raven grabbed her book and began to float away.

"Raven, wait." Spirit called out to the magic user. "Come on, you said you would help. We swear that we'll stop joking around."

"…Fine." Raven returned unhappily. "But the moment that you make a bad joke again, I'm out of here."

"Fair enough."

Raven looked at Nyx. "Magic isn't about the words you say or the emotions you feel. It is different from ectoplasm. Magic is alive. It has a will of its own. You don't control it, you channel it."

"Don't control it?" Nyx was confused. "How can you cast spells if you can't control magic?"

"It isn't about control. It's about harmony." Raven instructed. "You're heart and mind must be in sync with your magic, or it won't agree to work with you."

"That sounds…really complicated…" Youngblood mumbled. "Remind me to never play as a wizard or mage. Too much work…"

"Rack! Done…" Polly agreed from Youngblood's shoulder.

"This all seems stupidly difficult…" Nyx frowned. "Is there any easier way to do this?"

"No, if this was easy anyone could be a magic user." Raven shook her head. "If you wish to use magic, then it will be a difficult process."

"Greeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaat…" Nyx slumped to the floor.

"It sounds like you'll have to forget everything you know about controlling ectoplasm in order to use magic." Spirit mentioned.

"Basically…yes. They are energies that usually oppose each other after all. Part of it has to do with the difference in using the energy." Raven explained.

"I thought it had to do with the will of the users." Youngblood remembered. "You know if the users' wills conflict so will the energies."

"That's a big part of it yes. The largest reason actually, but there a quite a few smaller reasons too." Raven nodded. "It has to do with the fundamentals of the different energies. Usually they don't mix."

"And if they do?" Spirit questioned.

"Like I said last time we talked about this, the user or users might be unstoppable. But doing so is easier said than done." Raven explained. "After all, no one has done it before."

"My brother did it once when he put on the Helmet of Fate." Spirit noted.

"I still doubt it was a perfect mix. From the story you told me, he put the helmet on with a distaste towards magic." Raven shook her head. "He may have been powerful, but it was a far way away from perfect."

"What about me?" Nyx questioned.

"Well, you're about as far away from perfect as a person can get."

"I could kill you…"

"But then you wouldn't have a teacher."

"…Fair point. I'll kill you later."

There had been rumors all day throughout the facility of the Ghoul Project. Joel heard these whispers clearly and was pleased by the news. It seemed that the scientists made a mistake. They were handling the Solomon Grundy when the worst possible thing that could occur happened.

Three different failed ghouls escaped.

You could imagine the panic when people realized what happened. Because everyone was so focused on Grundy that they never noticed when the giant's stumbling around managed to damage a few of the cages. For any normal being, these opening cracks in the cages would not be enough. The failed ghoul's, however, had very loose shapes. Some of them were basically goo. The small cracks were enough.

In mere minutes, the failed ghouls managed to exit their cages and leave the facility. An hour later, people realized what had happened. At first, Joel didn't know what had occurred. Despite the chaos, no one was speaking directly of it at first. Eventually, though, Joel caught on to the facts. Three different experiments had escaped.

Actually…Joel was more conflicted about this than someone would originally think. On one hand, it was good to know that escape was, in fact, possible. The ghoul had been constantly looking for a way out. No opportunities ever arrived, but now it was confirmed that the Ghoul Project was not an impenetrable fortress. Escape was possible.

For now…

After this incident, the security in the Ghoul Project will sky rocket. The amount of protection put in the facility would be terrifying. Every cage would constantly checked for security. The amount of guards would double. Escape would become almost impossible.

'No…I'll have chance.' Joel thought. 'I'll just have to be careful.'

Trying to sneak out might prove to be too difficult now, though. If the security went up so much, then a lot of it might be focused on the only successful ghoul in the Ghoul Project. Hundreds of other subjects were expendable. If they tried to escape, they would be killed, but if Joel was lost…The Ghoul Project just might be shutdown.

Joel might just be constantly monitored now. If he tried to leave, they would know instantly. The ghoul's only option would be to fight his way out. That, however, would be completely impossible on his own. The number of soldiers in this facility was already staggering. Doubling that would make a small army.

No…he was going to need help. But how would he get that help?

Joel would just have to think of something.

"Get out now!" The door to Joel's cage swung open. Several soldiers were there with guns at the ready.

The ghoul quickly got to his feet. "What is it? I already fought today."

"Because of the circumstances, it has been decided that we need to make some progress to make up for it." One of the soldiers growled. "Otherwise, half the staff will be killed."

"I see…" Joel muttered as he was being led by the soldiers to the arena. "And this progress will be?"

"Making you reach your potential." Another soldier grunted.

"What?" Joel was confused.

"You're going to fight the giant monster."

"…Solomon Grundy?"

"Do you know any other giant monsters in this facility?"

'Oh, I see several around me right now.' Joel thought to himself. In his opinion, the real monsters in the Ghoul Project were not the failed ghouls. No, the real monsters were the people doing this to innocent people.

"I thought that Grundy was not ready to fight me yet…" Joel noted.

"Enough talk! Just do as you're told, and you won't be killed!"

Ah…that meant that Grundy wasn't ready yet. They still couldn't completely control him. The inhibitor collar would stop the giant man from rampaging, but it could not control his will yet. That much was obvious to Joel. That meant that he wasn't just their puppet…not yet at least…

Perhaps Joel could reason with him?

Phantom couldn't reason with these people…

The entire flight with India, Phantom tried to reach out and talk to his teammates. He attempted to explain the situation to them. How he really didn't even know if he could trust the info. How he didn't want to cause discourse in Young Justice. How he didn't even want to freaking believe that there was a mole on the Team!

But they wouldn't listen. They were all too hurt. Each one felt betrayed that Phantom didn't really trust them completely. Each one of them looked up to Phantom. He was their friend and leader. It was like learning that a close friend was someone entirely different than what you thought.

Phantom could understand that. He really could. That's why he wasn't getting angry at their moping and snappish attitude. The halfa, however, did not have the patience of a saint. He could take a lot of crap. It came from all the trials he had been through during the past year alone. But…there was a limit.

Phantom's nerves were already on edge before Young Justice's spat. Yesterday, he had been reminded that a lot of his enemies weren't even close to being caught yet, his powers were at an all-time low, he lost a fight against a traitor, and he was yelled at by a bunch of people on both sides of his life. Suffice to say, Phantom's patience was at the edge…

One more thing was going to push it over the edge.

"All clear!" Robin called after he and Artemis checked the area around the Bioship.

"Okay, everyone go to stealth." Phantom ordered as the rest of Young Justice exited the ship. Captain Marvel decided to tag along, much to the ire of all of Young Justice. They did not appreciate being babysat by the League. "Let's come up with a plan."

"Plan? What plan? The mission is simple." Wally piped up.

"It's recon! We all know what to do." Robin noted.

Phantom glared as they turned their backs. "Like hell you do. You're not allowed to leave yet."

"Allowed?!" Robin glared. "You think you're better than us? We started this Team together. I thought we were equals, but then you proved that you're just like the members of the League. You keep secrets from us just like them."

"First the Ghoul Project, and now the mole? What else could you be keeping from us?" Kid Flash questioned. "I really don't see why we should take orders from you anymore."

"Because you freaking made me the leader in the first place." Phantom hissed.

"And that was obviously a mistake. Because of you, M'gann was seconds away from death." Superboy glared as he grabbed M'gann's arm gently. "I thought that I could trust you with anything, and you proved me wrong."

'I can take care of myself, Conner.' M'gann ranted mentally. 'Stop acting like a character from a 70's sitcom…'

"I only want to protect you!" Superboy argued.

"And your type of protection sounds just like Danny's." Artemis supported her friend. "Useless and unwanted."

"Gee, thanks for that, Artemis." Phantom scowled. "Great to find out where we stand after everything…"

"You've brought this on yourself!" Artemis snapped.

"Comrades, please. We need to stand united."

"Shut up, Kaldur." Kid Flash frowned. "We'll get to you later. Right now, it's Danny's performance review."

"This is not the time for that!" Phantom argued.

"We'll make time." Superboy grunted.

"Yeah, you're the one holding up the mission." Artemis glared. "Let's discuss it. Get everything out in the open."

"You do know how we feel, right?" M'gann looked away in sadness. "We all feel betrayed, angry, and sad. Can't you understand that?"

"I understand! But we have to push through this!" Phantom argued. "We can discuss this afterward, but right now we need a plan!"

"How are we supposed to follow a plan made by someone we think is a liar and a traitor?" Robin asked.

"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."

"What does that mean?" M'gann questioned.

"It means that I could know more about you guys than you even know about yourselves." Phantom stated. "You forget my powers? I'm almost literally undetectable without the proper equipment. If I had wanted to, I would have invaded every one of your lives and found out each and every one of your darkest secrets."

"And why didn't you?" Robin questioned.

"Because I respected and trusted you enough to respect your privacy!" Phantom shouted. "In that sense, I trusted you far more than any of you ever trusted me. I know that all of you have secrets that you are keeping from me, but I never cared because I thought that you trusted me in the same way. You find out that I've been keeping some things from you and you flip out!"

"You don't understand…" Superboy frowned. He was still obviously hurt and angry about what happened. Unfortunately, people tend to say the dumbest things under these circumstances. "You act like you do, but you don't understand what we're going through right now. Any secrets we have don't affect the Team, unlike you. A ghost can't possibly understand what the living are going through."

"Shut your filthy mouth." Phantom didn't yell this. He didn't give any reaction really. His voice was completely neutral. It was the calm before the storm, and it was terrifying.

"Danny…" Kaldur tried to say something, but was stopped by Phantom.

"No!" Phantom yelled. "They want to talk about my understanding of their feelings, so let's talk about it!"

"Er…" Captain Marvel shifted uncomfortably. "I can understand the trouble, but I don't think that getting angry like this will help anyone."

"I've been patient enough with these people!" Phantom clenched his fists. "I'm done being patient, so stay out of this Captain. This is Young Justice, not the Justice League."

"…" Captain Marvel looked down at the ground.

"You all feel betrayed? You feel angry? You feel sad? So what?!" Phantom scowled. "You don't even know what real betrayal, anger, or despair really are. You're all just wet behind the ear greenhorns in this lifestyle! This is the worst you ever faced? That's just sad."

"Danny…" M'gann looked hurt.

"I kept the Ghoul Project from you because it was none of your goddamn business. I kept the mole thing from you because if I told any of you, this Team would have fallen apart. You would have all point the finger at each other and acted like children." Phantom glanced at all of them. "And you've proven me right. You're all just children. None of you are ready to really be heroes yet."

"And you are?" Superboy crossed his arms.

"Yeah, some of us have been at this for years!" Kid Flash glared. "Rob's been Batman's partner for four years. How long have you been doing this? A year?"

"Yeah…It's been a year… You want to hear what that year's has been like? You want to hear what betrayal, anger, and despair really are?" Phantom's eyes became clouded for a second.

"What do you mean?" Artemis questioned.

"Betrayal…Real betrayal is finding out that one of your closest friends was actually a damn spy. Real anger is having to give up your deepest desires because someone abused your dreams. Real despair…Is watching your best friend sacrifice himself for you…knowing that hundreds of people died in a war because of you…Completely failing everything and everyone you ever cared about…" Phantom trembled.

Everyone stared at the halfa.

"I get that you're mad at me. I do! But guess what? It's nothing compared to what I went through!" Phantom shouted. "Want to know how I got my powers? I DIED! Yeah, what did any of you give up for your powers? I gave up everything! My parents shot at me like I was a monster! I can no longer be with any normal human friends! I don't get to hope to have a family one day! I can no longer live!"

"Danny…I-" Robin was cut off.

"Shut up." Phantom gritted his teeth. "I am sick of this. I agreed to be on this Team, because I…I wanted a taste of what it was like to be alive again. I thought that if I joined this Team, that I could gain a bit of humanity back…a bit of redemption by being with you and helping you succeed….I was wrong. Right now, I regret ever going to the Hall of Justice in the first place."

"Dude…We…Wait! Don't you put us through the guilt trip! No one made you join the Team! No one made you keep secrets from us!" Kid Flash exclaimed.

"You're right. And nothing is keeping me here now." Phantom gave him a hard look.

"What does that mean?" Artemis questioned.

"It means that I'm done with this." Phantom turned away from them. "I don't need you, and I don't need Young Justice."

"Danny! Wait!" Kaldur tried to stop him. "Tensions are high right now. Don't make any rash decisions."

"Well, none of you like my thought out decisions, so why not mix it up?" Phantom glanced over his shoulder. "After all, two minutes ago you all were about to through a mutiny against me. This is what you wanted, right? I'm no longer going to be your leader. In fact, I'm no longer going to be your teammate. I know when I'm not wanted. I quit."

"Danny! Wait!"

"NO!" Phantom roared. "I'm going to say the same thing I should have said when you asked me to investigate Project Cadmus. Screw you guys, I'm going home!"

Spirit's Ghost Sense was not something that differentiated threats from non-threats. If a ghost was close enough to Spirit, she would sense it. Granted, some of her moments of sensing the ghosts would be stronger than others, but it always happened.

It occurred even with Youngblood and Nyx. If they reached a certain distance from her, she would know that a ghost was near…even if the ghost didn't know that she knew…or something like that. Basically, no ghost could ever sneak up on her. It didn't matter their intent.

So, when Spirit's Ghost Sense went off, she didn't know how to react. "Someone's nearby…"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Raven questioned.

"No idea…." Spirit mumbled. "But…my Premonition isn't going off. No one has the intent to hurt us right now…"

"Oh…So it's a friend?" Youngblood questioned.

"It's probably my mom or one of her servants…" Nyx sighed dramatically. "It's late and tomorrow we have school…"

"But why hasn't the ghost shown itself?" Raven's eyes narrowed.

"I don't know…" Spirit mumbled. "Maybe Vision is testing me? Or it's Dad, Fright Knight, or Wulf checking up on me secretly."

"They know they can't hide from you." Nyx argued.

"Then…I'm out of ideas…" Spirit shrugged.

Youngblood decided to speak. "Maybe-"

Splash!

"…"

"…"

"…Is this paint?" Youngblood questioned.

"Yes…" Raven's now green eyebrow twitched. "Yes it is…"

"Someone…just pranked me…" Spirit trembled in anger. "Pranked me…"

"WHOEVER DID THAT IS DEAD!" Nyx roared.

"Technically, the ghost is already dead…" Youngblood mentioned.

"Shut up!" The three girls glared at him.

"Rack! I think you should be quiet now…" Polly suggested to his master.

"…okay…" Youngblood whimpered.

"Gahahahahahahahaha!" Laughter sounded above them.

"YOU!" They all roared.

The ghost above them was dressed in a torn orange jumpsuit. It was almost like a prison jumpsuit. The ghost had short white hair and a beard. He had a thin build that seemed to constantly move like smoke. In his hands was a bucket that once held the green paint.

"Gahahahahahahahahahaha!" The ghost laughed as it flew away humorously.

"GET BACK HERE!" The girls decided to give chase.

"…They do know that they could just turn intangible and get the paint off right?" Youngblood questioned as he allowed to paint to fall through him.

"Rack! I would wait until they calm down to remind them." Polly suggested. "That way we don't receive their anger.

"Hmm…Good point."

Joel eyed Grundy as the giant monster panted and huffed from the other side of the metal arena. It was clear that the abuse Grundy had taken from the scientists of the Ghoul Project had not healed yet. If Joel had to guess, they were trying to train Grundy. They wanted him to act like their tool.

This obviously hadn't worked yet, though. Grundy had yelled at the soldiers that brought him in. He struggled and trashed at the men. They had been forced to use the collar more than once.

"Your job is to fight! Can you understand that, you moron? Fight him!" The soldier pointed at Joel.

"Grr…Why should Grundy listen to small man?" Grundy glared. "Grundy wants to crush you, not a child."

"Because if you don't, we'll do this." The soldier activated the collar.

"AAAAHHHH!" Grundy screamed in pain.

"Stop it…" Joel stated calmly. "We will fight. If you hurt him too much, then he won't be a real challenge, will he? Then what will you tell Queen Bee?"

The soldier stopped the electricity in the collar. "Be quiet freak. Or I'll deal with you myself."

"Big threat…" Joel's eyes flashed green. "But I wonder…could you actually hurt a real ghoul?"

"You see the ecto-gun in my hand?"

"Have you not seen my fights? That will matter little." Joel looked the soldier in the eye. "I can easily defeat you, and if you attack me, then that will be the least of your worries. You'll be killed if you try and hit me again."

"Sir…" One of the other soldiers stated.

"Let's get out of here." The soldier grunted.

"Yes, sir!"

"I'll enjoy seeing this monster kill you…" The soldier grunted as he and the others exited the room.

Joel turned to Grundy and whispered. "Look. They want us to fight. We can just fake it, though. If we put on a show, then they might be satisfied-OOF!"

Grundy swatted the young ghoul away. "Grundy is sick of the shocks!"

"Erk…" Joel quickly jumped to his feet. Luckily the blow hadn't been too hard. He hadn't even changed into his ghoul form yet. Grundy could easily kill him right now. "I understand, but violence is not the solution. Fighting must be avoided at all cost. We are not monsters. If we cooperate, then we can get out of this with minimal injuries."

"RAW!" Grundy wasn't listening. He charged at Joel and tried to crush him beneath his fists.

Rolling away, Joel pleaded. "Please! I don't wish to do this!"

"SHUT UP!" Grundy shouted.

"Fine…" Joel sighed. "Have it your way." In a flash of white rings, Joel was quickly changed into his ghoul form.

"Flashy trick show won't save you!" Solomon Grundy roared.

"That's not the trick…" Joel quickly formed a metal chain in his hand. "This is."

"Ungrateful little sidekicks…" Phantom muttered to himself. He was currently flying over the vast forests. He was heading home. It was time to cut the ties with Young Justice. "I spend my time helping them, and what do I get? Nothing!"

Phantom hadn't felt this angry in months. He could feel his blood boiling beneath his skin. The audacity of all this had pushed him to the edge. How dare they speak as if anything they're going through right now could compare to him? How dare they say that he didn't understand!?

That was what Phantom really was mad about. He could understand their mistrust and anger. Phantom would be a hypocrite to tell someone to instantly let go of anger like that. No, it was their attitude that really got to the halfa. They were acting like Danny hadn't gone through anything similar to this. They pointed the finger to him and told him that he couldn't understand them.

It was that that made the halfa snap.

Phantom had gone through trials that would break almost every other person on this planet. He faced enemies that he had not hope of defeating. He lost people that could never be replaced. He gave up so much just so that others could live for one more day.

The halfa had gone through literal hell on Earth. There were times that he wanted to give up. After all, how much pain, suffering, betrayal, and loss could one boy, not even a fully grown man yet, take? Yet, he pushed through. He survived through everything.

And they had the nerve to say that he couldn't understand?

LIKE HELL!

His patience had been pressed too far past its limits. He didn't want to be on Young Justice in the first place! He didn't want to be their leader! He didn't even want to be their friends!

…No…That wasn't true…He wanted to be their friends. Why else would he spend so much free time with them? Why else would he laugh and smile with them so much? Why else would he have allowed them to hurt him in the first place?

Phantom stopped his momentum. He floated above the jungle and remembered. The halfa thought of all the times that he and the members of Young Justice just hung out like regular teenagers. They spent hours bonding and growing their friendships.

He didn't do all that because he wanted to be distant from them. Phantom wouldn't waste time and effort like that. The halfa always wanted to be their friend. He wanted to grow close to them and have something that resembled the friendships he lost with…Klemper…Tucker….Sam…

None of his other relationships were like that. He may have cared for all of his new family and friends greatly, but none of them were like his previous best friends. There were too many differences in personality, desires, and age for Danny to have the close friendships he had with those three.

He couldn't just goof off and talk with his new family and friends. Some of Danny's fondest memories with his deceased friends were the times that they just acted like…teenagers. Those times where Phantom could just stop being a hero, partner, brother, leader, or role model and just be…a normal teenager.

'I miss that so much…' Phantom thought. 'I miss feeling…normal…'

That was what he liked about the members of Young Justice so much. They made him feel like he did when he was around his old friends. He felt like he didn't have to be anything else but a normal friend.

"…They're my friends…" Phantom mumbled to himself. "Crap…"

He couldn't just leave them here. Kaldur didn't have a whole lot of leading experience yet. The others were still upset and would be prone to mistakes. There was a good chance that they would be killed.

Phantom couldn't just let another friend die, even if he was angry at them. He had to go back.

But that didn't mean that he couldn't quit Young Justice after this…

It turned out that there wasn't one ghost wanted to pull pranks on the children. There were three of those little suckers. They were pretty successful in their endeavors too. The girls were now covered in green paint, feathers, and glitter. Somehow, the pranking ghosts even managed to tie some of their shoes together.

You can, of course, imagine the girl's anger at this.

"Azaroth Metrion Zinthos!" Raven used her magical energy to grab a car and try to hit the ghost in front of her with it.

This was ineffective, however. The ghost was very fat. In fact, it was almost a complete circle. The only difference that make him look like a sentient being was the bald head and stubby limbs. The unusual part was that all physical attacks seem to bounce off the fat ghost.

Much too Raven's ire, of course…

She had flung a lot of things at the ghost. Cars, lamp posts, pieces of concrete, and even Youngblood ("AAAAAHHHHH!") were all sent to the fat ghost. None of them did any damage, though. Raven would have attacked the ghost directly with her magic, but the ghost was surprising fast. If Raven even thought about attacking directly, he would bounce out of her range.

It was getting rather annoying…

"STAY STILL!" Nyx roared.

She was fighting the ghost that originally dumped the paint on them. Her blasts of shadow energy did nothing to the smoke like ghost. His form kept changing so the blasts would just pass by him. The same could be said for the rest of Nyx's attacks.

Shadow spike clearly didn't work. Her shadow cats were pretty much useless. Widespread explosive shadows were quickly avoided. Not even Nyx's secret attack of swinging Youngblood around like a bat ("SOMEONE HELP!") did nothing.

"I HATE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW!" Spirit wasn't fairing much better either.

The last ghost that had been pranking the girls was even weirder than the others. It was covered in green armor, almost like it was an armadillo. The ghost could curl up into a ball and sly around quickly. It was zipping back and forth around Spirit. The halfa girl tried to catch the annoying ghost, but it was incredibly fast.

Her Premonition was no use right now. The ghost had no real ill intent. He obviously didn't want to cause any real harm to the girl, so Spirit couldn't pick up on any of its thoughts. There was another option, though Spirit's reaction speed was faster after her training with Vision, but it was hard to predict an opponent that wasn't trying to attack you.

She couldn't get close enough to use her Spectral Claws. None of her far ranged attacks even got close to the ghost. Not even using Youngblood as an obstacle was helping much ("PLEASE STOP! I'M A PERSON TOO!").

"Why aren't you helping anymore!?" Nyx yelled at Youngblood.

"I'm afraid for my life!" Youngblood called from down the street. "You keep using me as a weapon!"

"WHIMP!" Spirit yelled.

"No I'm not!" Youngblood reasoned. "I'm being smart! You guys are scary!"

"Do something at least…" Raven noted.

"Should I go get help?" Youngblood questioned.

"NO! I'll be embarrassed to death if we needed help with these three clowns!" Spirit shouted.

"Then what should I do?"

"Help us!" Nyx answered.

"…Er…" Youngblood frowned. "Well…How about we just try to capture them instead of beat them up? I think subduing them with traps will be a lot more effective than just hitting them."

"But I like hitting them!" Nyx argued.

"But…it might be more effective to work together and try to be smart about this…" Raven sighed.

"Fine!" Spirit nodded. "I just want to take them down, I don't care how."

(Play: Way Away by Yellowcard)

Swink! Clank! Bang!

"Quit swinging that!" Grundy yelled.

Joel actually felt the need to accommodate the giant brute. The chain idea did not work at all. Striking the monster with the chain was pointless. It did nothing to the huge being. The chain was to the monster like a piece of string was to a normal person.

A very thin and weak piece of string at that…

That meant the containment method was a no go either. The chain would hold Grundy for mere seconds. That was not near enough time for Joel to do anything to the monster.

Joel knew this because none of his other attacks were effective at all. Ectoplasmic blasts bounced off the beast like a rubber ball. Punches and kicks were just about as effective. Any bladed weapon that Joel tried to create didn't work as well. The monster had incredibly thick skin and a high healing abilities. Joel's small cuts did nothing to him.

After that, there wasn't much in Joel's arsenal. He could form other weapons, but he didn't have the energy to continuously make new weapons. If he wanted to win, he would have to do two things. One, he would have to think of some weapon to match the monster's strength. Two, he would have to find some way to actually keep Grundy down.

"RAW!" Grundy sent a huge uppercut at the ghoul. Joel didn't have time to dodge. Qucikly, Joel pictured a giant shield in his mind. His ectoplasm worked to accomdate Joel's desire. The shield that was about Joel's size formed in his hands. Joel held this by his side in an attempt to protect himself

That was how his Shade Shaping ability worked. The limit of what Joel could physically make was Joel's imagination and his stamina. It was similar to a power ring, but with Joel, the objects were real instead of made of energy. Joel shaped the ectoplasmic molecules into physical matter.

Not only that, to retain some energy, Joel could reabsorb part of the energy of his shade weapon. He would have to maintain physical contact with the shade weapon at all times, though. If he let go of the shade weapon, then it would rapidly deteriorate.

Bang! Crash!

…Or the shade weapons could be smashed like that. Joel could not reabsorb weapons that had been destroyed.

"Gack…" Joel groaned. The shield might be gone, but it served its purpose. Joel remained mostly unharmed.

Seeing this, Grundy charged. He sent several wild blows at Joel. The ghoul, however, quickly dodged the blows. The monster was slow, so dodging wasn't all that difficult. The problem was that unlike in his other matches, Joel was sure that he would run out of energy before his opponent did.

And if Grundy caught him…It wouldn't be good.

As he dodged, Joel quickly thought about what to do. He didn't know any weapons that he could make to help him. Nothing was powerful enough to hurt Grundy. No normal human weapon…Wait…Joel wasn't normal. He was a ghoul. Perhaps he wasn't limited by normal human weapons. Maybe if he imagined something different, something special to help him, then Joel might be able to defeat Grundy.

It would have to be simple. Joel didn't have the time to learn how to use a complicated weapon. The first thing that came to mind was an energy blade like a light saber, but Joel didn't have the practice to make something like that. No…he needed something basic.

Perhaps it could be something that could increase the power of his strikes? Something like a…gauntlet could help him. Not just a regular gauntlet, though. No, it could be one that focused his ectoplasm in concentrated bursts. Yes…something like that could multiply Joel's offensive ability multiple times over.

A Burst Gauntlet

"Ah?" Joel felt as his ectoplasm shaped around his arms. The ectoplasm set on his arms and began to take shape. The hard green gauntlets were thick and sturdy. Small slits were at the outward side of the gauntlets. Each one was pointed back. There were also small slits on the knuckles as well.

Focusing, Joel sent a little energy into the gauntlet. Green energy burst out of the side slits. 'Just what the doctor ordered….'

Dodging Grundy's latest strike, the young ghoul rocketed to the monster's face. The right Burst Gauntlet came to life. Green energy poured out the side. The energy increased the power of the boys attack to a steel shattering level.

Or in this case, a Grundy shattering level.

BOOM!

Joel's Burst Gauntlet rammed into Grundy's face. As soon as it made contact, the gauntlet stopped sending energy back. Instead, the energy poured through the slits at the knuckles. The force of the punch was so great that Grundy was sent flying back with his face covered in a green blast. With a thud, the monster hit the side wall.

Before the monster could even get the chance to shake off the dizziness, Joel was already in front of him ready to attack. He had used the Burst Gauntlets to greatly increase his speed. Like before, Joel used the moment of the gauntlets to strike Grundy. Both of Joel's arms rammed into the giant monster with burst of ectoplasm like before.

Joel continued his assault for a few more strikes. He hit Grundy's midsection and left dark bruises. Grundy, however, retaliated in anger. He struck out at the ghoul, but Joel was too fast for him. The boy had lunged back and was out of the range of Grundy's attacks.

In a fit of rage, Grundy charged at the ghoul. His punches were wild and powerful. Joel managed to use the Burst Gauntlets to continuously fly around the giant man. Grundy was now effectively trying to swat a fly moving around with the speed of a rocket.

As he zoomed around Grundy, Joel sent several different attacks at the monster. Each one landed. Unfortunately, while the attacks did cause damage, they weren't strong enough to cause Grundy a small amount of pain and annoyance. The monster just had too tough of a body to defeat with normal raw brute force. Joel would have to think of something else.

'He must have a weakness.' Joel thought. 'Everyone has a weakness. But what can hurt him? Even my gauntlets aren't doing too much damage. The only thing that hurts him enough to stop him is…his collar…'

That was it. His collar was his weakness. If Joel could somehow activate that, then he might be able to stop the beast. Hitting the collar wouldn't work, though. No, to activate it, he would have to use electricity. He didn't have electrical powers, though.

But maybe…his Shade Shaping ability could make an electrical weapon…

Quickly flying back to gain some distance, Joel reabsorbed his Burst Gauntlets. He then focused on creating a Taser. Joel didn't know if he could form such a weapon, but it had to be less complicated than the Burst Gauntlets.

'Well, what do you know…It actually worked.' Joel thought. He peered down at the metallic hand-held taser. His plan might just actually work.

Forming a normal chain in his free hand, Joel rocketed towards the charging monster. With a show of skill and control, Joel flew around the monster. He was forced to dodge Grundy's wild blows, but Joel still quickly managed to circle the beast. As he went, Joel carefully wrapped the chain around the monster.

The chain wouldn't provide a lot of time. Grundy would destroy the chain in seconds. He wouldn't be able to do anything completed, but Joel's whole plan was not complicated in the least. In fact, Joel only needed a moment for this to work.

After the chain was wrapped around the beast, Joel tightened the chain. Grundy grunted as the chain coiled around him and tightened. He felt no pain from the chain, but his arms were momentarily trapped. They would be freed soon, though. All he had to do was break the chain.

He never got that chance, though. Joel landed on Grundy's back with enough force to cause the monster to stumble a little. The ghoul quickly activated the Taser and rammed into the back of Grundy's neck. The effect was instantaneous. Grundy's inhibitor collar was activated.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Grundy screamed.

Not wanting to be shocked as well, Joel quickly created distance between them. He watched as Grundy flailed in agony. The monster was completely stopped by the sting of the electricity. By the time the electricity stopped, Grundy was smoking and dazed. It was then that Joel decided to take advantage. He had to knock the monster out.

Using the last bit of his energy, Joel reformed the Burst Gauntlets one last time. Flying above the dazed zombie, Joel gathered one last bit of energy to his gauntlets. Joel then rocketed down to Grundy's head. In a blaze of green ectoplasm, Joel did a massive superman punch to Grundy.

Once again, the monster was sent sprawling. He hit the side wall and slid to the ground. This time, though, he did not get up. Grundy was unconscious. The monster had been defeated by the ghoul.

Joel let out a relieved sigh as he reabsorbed the gauntlets. He did it. The ghoul had come out of the fight alive. He was exhausted and wounded, but he would live. That was all that mattered…

"GACK!" Joel spit out green blood onto the metal floor. He fell to his knees as his body trembled. His skin seemed to waiver and flicker green. It felt as if his entire body was about to fall apart.

Joel instantly knew what the problem was. He had used too much of his energy. His weakened form could not sustain itself like this….

The rings of white light once again appeared. They changed Joel back into his human form. This was good. Joel's form seemed to stabilize for now because of this. He wouldn't deteriorate today.

Thud!

…But he would pass out from exhaustion.

"All that fancy tech for a stupid light switch." Phantom groaned. "I don't know whether to be impressed or pissed…"

Phantom had been surprised to find that Kaldur had taken charge. Granted, there had been…bumps. The Team wasn't exactly pumped for the mission after everything that was said and weren't too keen of listening to Kaldur. Aqualad had observed Phantom, though. He learned how the halfa acted and spoke as a leader. The Atlantian managed to organize Young Justice and Captain Marvel to investigate the jungle.

They found that the Brain was using Kobra Venom to genetically enhance animals and inhibitor collars to control them. Phantom had mostly watched as they stormed Brain's base and freed the animals. He did interfere with their final battle with the mechanized rolling robot with a human brain called the Brain and his giant ape companion known as Monsieur Mallah.

Of course, the Brain and his ape escaped by using a super huge light switch. Phantom still managed to get some Pinky and the Brain references out before that happened, though. So it wasn't a total loss.

"You act like you knew the Brain personally." Kaldur noted. He was the first one to approach Phantom after the battle. They had managed to free all the animals and

"He once tried to create a ghost portal. I stopped him and destroyed the chrome dome's lab." Phantom muttered.

"You never mentioned that…" Superboy noted. His shirt was torn his battle with the giant wolf that he named…Wolf. Yeah, that's not going to get confusing at all.

"You never asked…" Phantom returned.

"And we're supposed to ask about all your adventures?" Artemis questioned.

"I suppose not…" Phantom crossed his arms. He was still very mad at them, and he didn't feel like speaking right now. "I just never thought it was important."

"Like the other things." Robin noted.

Phantom's scowl deepened.

"I…um…" Captain Marvel backed into the Bioship. "I'm just going to wait in the ship until you sort this out."

"Look…" Robin sighed. "I…understand what you did. You're reasoning is sound. The Ghoul Project wasn't our business and the mole thing…Well, you saw how we acted with you. I can't imagine what we would have done to each other."

"I could. That's why I kept it a secret." Phantom reasoned.

"Um…W-why did you come back?" M'gann questioned. "You seemed pretty mad before."

"I'm still angry, but I'm not the type of person to abandon his responsibilities. And I'm definitely not the type of person to leave his friends to die. I shouldn't have tried to leave in the middle of a mission." Phantom sighed. "For that I'm sorry."

"So were still friends, huh?" Kid Flash questioned.

"Pretty crappy friends, but yeah. Or at least I think we are." Phantom answered.

"So…does that mean that you changed your mind about quitting Young Justice?" Kaldur questioned with a smile.

Phantom looked away. He wasn't angry at Kaldur. The Atlantian was the only one that at least tried to be civil through everything. "No. I'm done with this Team. This was my last mission. You proved that you can lead this Team. My presence is no longer necessary."

"What?!" M'gann gasped. "Of course you're necessary! Like you said, you're our friend and leader! This Team wouldn't be the same without you."

"Of course it would be different, but maybe it would be better." Phantom stated. "After everything that happened…we can't just go back…"

"Why not?" Kid Flash zoomed up beside Phantom. "Look, Bro, we're sorry alright? It was our bad. We should have just listened to you. It won't happen again. We trust you, man."

"But I no longer trust you." Phantom argued.

"You…don't?" Even Artemis seemed hurt by this.

"No." Phantom looked saddened. "I can't. Not after everything you've said and done. I've seen it…If I make a mistake in your eyes, you're quick to jump me for it. In battle, you act like some sort of invincible force that never needs help, like in the Tower of Fate. I would have died if it wasn't for Mr. Nelson."

"We were a little preoccupied." Superboy argued. "And it looked like Kent Nelson would help you."

"But you still had the chance to help me. In the heat of battle, reason doesn't take place. You all made a split second choice to leave me to help each other." Phantom reasoned. "I understand. I'm a ghost. I'm already dead. Why choose me over someone that's alive?"

"None of us have ever thought that!" Robin shouted.

"But you all act like you do." Phantom retorted. "Even someone that's just observing us can see that you view me as being different. You think that because I'm a ghost I'm inherently different from you. Even if you don't realize it, you've regarded me as a ghost instead of a person. You don't understand."

"Understand? Understand what?" M'gann questioned.

"Everything!" Phantom gritted his teeth. "What it means to be a ghost. What I've gone through just to keep existing. What I've given up. What…I've lost…"

"Can't you just explain it then?" Kid Flash questioned. "Explain it all to us. Maybe then we can understand, and view you more in a…human way."

"It's not that simple…"

"Yeah, it is." Artemis argued. "If we need to understand what it means to be a ghost, then tell us. We want you to stay on Young Justice. We want you to be our leader...no offense, Kaldur."

"None taken." Kaldur placed a hand on Phantom's shoulder. "Please, Danny. Give us the chance to learn and understand. Give us one more chance."

One more chance…Phantom had once been given a second chance. Clockwork could have just killed him to prevent a terrible future. The Master of Time had given Danny a second chance, though. Phantom lived and learned a lesson that he completely believed.

Everyone deserves a second chance…

"Okay." Phantom agree. "But I can't do it here or now. Come to Amity Park this Saturday. If you do that, then I will try to explain…what I can."

"Well…That was annoying." Raven muttered neutrally.

"Yep." Nyx frowned. "It's taking all my willpower not to kill these guys."

"So…You're settling for just kicking them while they're down?" Youngblood questioned.

"Yep!"

"Stop that!" Spirit snapped. "I already called your mom. She'll come to pick up the ghosts soon enough."

"I have to ask…Why am I using my magic to hold them?" Raven questioned. "Won't a Fenton Thermos be a lot easier for everyone?"

"I…didn't bring it…" Spirit cringed. "I'm not in the habit of carrying it around anymore."

"And here I thought that girl scouts were always prepared." Nyx snorted.

"I will kick you in the face." Spirit glared.

"Um…guys?" Youngblood tried to get their attention.

"You sure can try, but I'll be you fail." Nyx stuck out her tounge.

"Will you two just stop." Raven sighed. "I'm tired."

"Guys?" Youngblood tired again.

"You're always tired." Spirit smirked. "Like an old lady."

Nyx snorted.

"Don't laugh." Raven eyed the shadow ghost. "I'm not the one with a cat fetish. You'll probably end up living alone with fifty cats."

"Big talk, Gloom and Doom." Nyx challenged. "But can you walk the walk?"

"Guys!"

"What?!" They all turned to Youngblood.

"Look." Youngblood pointed to the fat ghost.

The large ghost was trembling and sweating. It looked exhausted and pale. For a second, the children thought that it would throw up. They were quickly proven wrong, though. The ghost did not puke. No, what it did was much worse.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

To the children's horror, the fat ghost began to deteriorate right before their eyes. Green ecto-goo bled from its skin. Smoke rose from its body. Parts of his body began to fall off of him. The ghost seem to boil and dissolve at the same time. Its eyes screamed pain and terror.

The children couldn't bring themselves to look away. They were too horrified to even blink. This ghost was dying right before their eyes and there was nothing they could do. In mere seconds, the ghost was merely a pile of goo.

"Oh god…" Nyx sounded terrible.

"That…was horrible…" Raven was even paler than before.

"I won't be able to sleep tonight…" Youngblood mumbled.

Spirit was silent. She stared at the pile of goo. The ghost just…dissolved. Why? They didn't hurt them that badly! The only thing they really did was capture them! Spirit didn't understand why the ghost would die like that!

…Or why one of the other ghosts were doing the same…

"Oh no…"

(Friday-September 24, 2010)

"Can't this wait?" Phantom sighed as Vlad stood by him down the elevator to the lab in Masters' Mansion.

"No. It really can't." Vlad stated as the doors opened to the lab.

"I'm really tired, Vlad. It's been a long night." Phantom sighed. Vlad led him through the lab to a few containment tubes.

"It's about to get longer…" Vlad pointed at the ghost floating in the tube.

"…Who's that?" Phantom questioned.

"A ghost I captured ealier." Spirit turned to her brother. She had been staring at the ghost before the older halfas approached her and the tubes. "One of three actually."

"Okay… And why is one of them here?" Phantom questioned. "Shouldn't you have sent him with Pandora like the others?"

"We couldn't do that." Vlad sighed.

"Why?"

"Because they're dead." Spirit answered.

"Dead?! What happened?!" Phantom glared.

"They just dissolved!" Spirit cried. "I don't know what happened! One minute they were fine, the next they were gone!"

"We managed to get this one here in time to…prolong its life." Vlad explained. "This ghost is extremely unstable. It could fall apart any minute."

"Why is it like this?" Phantom questioned.

"I scanned it. It appears…"

Phantom stopped listening. He was too busy examining the white haired ghost. His smoke like body was trembling in pain. The ghost was looking at Phantom desperately. He was hoping.

'What is this instinctive feeling?' Phantom questioned. He knew this ghost from somewhere. But where? The halfa didn't know, but his instincts were screaming at him. This was important. The ghost was connected to him somehow…

Phantom's eyes met the ghost's eyes. It was then that Phantom knew. That was the connection. He could see it. He could feel it. This ghost's eyes and ectoplasm were very similar to his own. That meant…

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Phantom flinched as the ghost dissolved. It wasn't easy to watch. He would have stopped Spirit from watching, but Vlad was already covering her eyes. She made no attempt to stop him. The ghost girl did not want to see this again. Then the ghost was gone. All that was left was ectoplasm.

"It's gone." Vlad sighed. "I was hoping to get more answers from it."

"The poor thing…" Spirit frowned. "I remember what it feels like. If Danny hadn't helped stabilize me, then I would have been like that."

"Danielle…"

"The same thing…would have happened to you…" Phantom mumbled.

"Daniel?"

"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…"

"A clone!?" Spirit's eyes widened.

"Yes." Phantom nodded. "I can feel it. This guy…was…well, not like you. You are a clone that's made from half of my DNA. Basically, you're my genetic daughter. This guy, though…He basically had the same ectoplasmic signal as me."

"How can you know?"

"Instinct." Phantom noted. "We need to run tests on his remains, and the remains of the others. I think that something is up."

Extra: Hero Boy

"We're here with the new hit sensation Ember McLain." The radio announcer spoke. "Ember, thank you for taking time out of your schedule to talk with us."

"It's no problem." Ember sounded like she was happy. "It's nice to get off the tour bus every once and a while."

"I bet. Now, Ember, you're mostly known for your once hit song Remember, but lately your latest songs have jumped up the charts." The announcer noted. "Some of your top hits are War, Painful Sacrifice, Our Dreams, and Hero Boy. What was your inspiration for these songs?"

"Oh...There were quite a few inspirations." Ember noted. "The one of the main inspirations for my current music is my ex-boyfriend."

"Ah, and what happened there, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's a really complicated story about a complicated individual. But…my ex is a really good person. He tends to bring the best out of people." Ember sighed. "Especially me. Unfortuantely, we had to break up. We both had two different paths that we needed to go down, and, unfortunately, we couldn't make it work right now."

"So you left on good terms?"

"Very good terms." You could almost feel Ember's smirk. "He encouraged me to follow my dreams. If he had asked, I would have stayed, but he wasn't selfish enough to do that."

"Sounds to me like there are still feelings there."

"Well, you've heard Hero Boy." Ember stated. "That song pretty much sums up everything I feel about my ex."

"You've heard it straight from the source. Hero Boy is a song of lost love. And here for your listening enjoyment is Hero Boy…"

Danny listened as the music started. The pace started loud and fast, but slowly it tamed down. Ember's voice then came up and began to sing. The siren told a story of a boy that defied the odds. She spoke of how they fought, connected, and bonded.

You're a selfless fool that has to help

You're the one melted my heart

You're my hero boy

Danny paused his work. He looked up from his work on the Red X suit. "Tsk? Really Ember? You really are writing songs about me? I thought you were joking…"

Nevertheless, Danny couldn't help but smile. It was a nice song after all…You couldn't blame him if he enjoyed it. Or if he decided to sing along…

…Don't judge him…