It was an accident

I wasn't expecting a family reunion when I woke up this morning.

I can't say I'm sorry it's happening, though I would have appreciated it if we could have scheduled it for later in the day. Who hacks into a government agency at 7 in the fucking morning.

My family.

I'm just happy that we could set up notifications for the backdoor. The GIW has never been very bright, but with them using more and more unaltered Fenton Tech, they've become a problem. They've stepped up their presence online, scrubbing everything about Amity Park off social media and other public records. I didn't realize how much of a problem they've become until ghosts started to go missing. I still see my catalog of rogues every other day, but the others, the harmless visitors, keep going missing. They would leave the Realms to visit family or indulge in their obsession and never return. It took us days, but Tucker, Technus, and I got an in on the GIW's server. It was well worth Technus's monologues, and I can't say that we didn't learn anything at the end of the day.

Though I can't say, I expected this. Nothing short of Pariah dark waking up could drag me away. Ahki's right there.

Just an hour's flight away.

I had hoped it would still work, that communicator, but I wasn't too sure. It had taken a lot of damage in that fall. So I did what I could for it. In the end, the whole outer shell had to be replaced, along with some of the wiring, but it looks good as new. I even gave it a new paint job in some of Jack's ecto paint.

I can't help but watch Damien longingly as he interacts with the others before asking, " and how exactly would you know that?"

I give him a sad, understanding smile, "well, you didn't think you were the only one still involved in the nightlife, did you?"

Their eyebrows raise from behind their mask– why are they still wearing them when I know who they are – while Tim starts to mess with the computer.

I snort at their reaction, " Ahki, I would think you would know me better than that. It's not like I could leave them be when I can help."

Damien flounders, a bit flabbergasted, " You've always hated violence? So why–"

I give him an unamused look, " Yeah, well, it's not like you liked it any better than I did," though I level with him, " it's not always about what you like. It's about what's necessary. I couldn't let them suffer when I could do something about it."

I see Mr. Wayne–Bruce– Father– Dad? Never mind that that's an issue for future Danny, try to hide a smile, though he's not doing a very good job of it. My focus breaks away as Tim keyboard smashes, " Are you some kind of cryptic," he asks me, " because there are no signs of you being a vigilante in Amity."

I pause, trying to figure out an answer for him. I can't admit I'm Phantom. Who knows what kind of surveillance the fruit loop has hidden up here. Not to mention Jack or Maddie. "It's a bit complicated," I manage to get out, " I can't say much about it here, but if you watch my first message, I explained a little bit in the end."

Jason cuts in, sounding skeptical, accusing, "I would've remembered you talking about being a vigilante," He crosses his arms.

Damnit, he used the 'V' word. I cross mine back to assert dominance, "I hinted at it. What did you expect me to say, 'hey Ahki, I know it's been years but guess what? I picked up vigilantism too,' like come on, be realistic."

I see Richard– though the press calls him Dick, I'll have to ask which he prefers– try to smother a laugh but fail miserably at it. "He does have a point. It's secret identity 101."

Jason grumbles as the man-bat asks, " what can you tell us then?"

I put my hand to my chin and pretended to think about it for a second before setting a serious tone, " to put it plainly, I was in an accident. It's, um, changed a few things," I stare at the captain of caped furries as I emphasize, " I'm not a meta; it's more of, uh… medical condition?"

He raises an eyebrow, " A medical condition?"

I nod, " yep."

He pinches the bridge of his nose, " and it allows you to be a vigilante?"

I hum, " It doesn't allow me; it's just changed me. I might be different than I once was before, but I'm still me at the end of the day. And that's all that matters, at least to me," daring him to say otherwise.

Gramps seems to get the idea as he says, " of course not, dear Boy. But I must ask, young master, are you safe? Has this… medical condition ailed you?"

I smile sheepishly, " things could always get worse. My health isn't bad if that's what you mean, but with my extracurriculars, you can't always be sure how long that will last."

Damien interjects, "But that doesn't explain why you would know their actions; the GIWs would lead to war."

"The Realms are complicated," I try to explain, " I guess the best way to put it would be that they're a bit similar to the US. There are island nations throughout the realms that have a ruler or governing body but are still part of the greater Realms. These nations act like the Independent states that we have here. Though all of the realm subjects are sovereign to the High King. Does that make sense?"

When I get no negative answers, I continue, " The infinite realms have always been connected to the living one. And in spaces where the veil between the two is the thinnest natural portals will appear. Letting ghosts or humans cross over into the next Realm. About 2 years ago, Jack and Maddie Fenton opened up a stable, artificial portal to the realms, which they call the ghost Zone, in their basement–"

The man, the myth, the legend, the goddamn Batman interrupts me, " How hasn't the Justice League heard of this?" Then, he takes a questioning look towards Tim, " do we have any records indicating riffs in the dimension?"

Tim does some fancy key smashing and says, " nothing. There are no records of anything opening at all." Looking a bit freaked out at the premise of not knowing.

I just pet Cujo trying to wait for their minny freak out to end, but as it goes on for a few minutes, I get bored and interrupt, "If you would allow me, I can explain," catching everyone's attention, " the reason you have no records of it is that it is a natural, chronically reoccurring event. A friend of mine once told me that there is never a moment that the Realms aren't interacting with the living one on some level. We just can't always tell that they are. It's part of how we leave this life and into the next."

"The realms," Richard/Dick says as if having an epiphany, " is the afterlife?"

"Really Dickhead?" Jason snorts, "That's slow even for you."

His hand clutches his imaginary pearls, " Little Wing, how rude."

I chuckle, " I mean, I thought it was implied."

He turns to me, " oh, come on, not you too."

Damien glances at him, " Richard's special."

I feel Tim would have chipped in, but 'I am vengeance' put a stop to it, "Why don't we let Danyal continue, boys."

I give him an appreciative nod, " hey, I don't remember if I said it or not but you can just call me Danny. But, uh, anyway, the stable portal has caused Amity to get a lot of Supernatural attention. Ghosts are incredibly common here. Some of them cause trouble, but so do humans. Most just want to spend their afterlife in peace or follow their obsessions."

Damien interrupts, " what's an obsession?"

I shoot him an annoyed look, " An obsession is what keeps a ghost here. It's something that they need to follow, something that gives them a purpose for remaining. They can be about anything from hunting, and music, to technology. There's no limit to their possibilities, but some of those obsessions require the ghost to leave the realms and enter this one. They've been getting attacked by the GIW and other Ghost Hunters. I'm pretty sure I mentioned earlier that some of them have gone missing. They have sent out searchers, but they still can't find them, and I can't either. If it's not the hunting of their subjects, it's the fact that the Fenton's and the GIW intend to disrupt the realm itself."

"Do you have any examples of this?" Tim asks.

" A few months ago, the GIW shot a rocket launcher through one of the portals, and it hit one of the ghost civilizations, " I say with a shaky breath, "their actions have been counted as an act of terrorism."

" Do you know what they plan to be doing? Have there been any rulings from their High King?" asks Batsy.

"Normally, they would make the ruling, but not too long ago, the sealed king, Pariah Dark, a tyrant, was released from a forever sleep. He didn't stay out for long, but during that time, he was dethroned," I pause. Clockwork, help me. How do you explain that you dethroned a Tyrant King and subsequently took his place?

Ancients help me.

"Their replacement is still underage, so a Council of Elders has been enacted to help guide the rulings."

" And their answer?" Gramps asks.

" The "king" and the council don't agree with each other. The council wants war, while the " king," or I guess in this case "Crown Prince," wants to try diplomacy."

" I want to try diplomacy."

Jason gapes, " you don't mean…." I nod slowly while Jason makes his impression of a fish.

Ahki finishes for him, "How could a living person become the king of the Dead!"

I rub the back of my neck, "It has to do with that accident that I was talking about. I really can't talk about that. Not here. You never know who's listening."

B-man says, with a hint of anger, " You mean to tell me you're not in a secure location?"

I brush him off, " for one, I'm wearing phantom-phones," I take one out of my ear and show them. They are similar to the Fenton phones but are my own design and run purely on ectoplasm. They will work in the zone and into the exosphere. I wouldn't be surprised if they worked in an alternate dimension. They are the definition of secure, " and if you haven't noticed, I haven't said a single one of your names yet," just to make a point, I remind them, " you're all still wearing masks. No one has been compromised besides me."

Richard/Dick tries to calm down dad-man, and he looks to be, but I don't know him well enough to tell if he genuinely has. " The council has given me time to try diplomacy, but if they don't start seeing results soon, if they have the majority, they can overrule my decision." I don't want war. I want Justice for my people. "Will you help me?"

They all sport a determined look as they say, "yes."

Immediately I feel tears start to run down my face,I shove my face into Cujo's fur. I can do nothing but say," thank you." I try to wipe away the tears, but they just won't stop.

"You have nothing to thank us for," says Damien, As the others also chip in with their reassurances.

I'm finally calm when bats ask, " When you said you needed help, was it just with this? Danny, son, I need to know, are you safe in that house?"

" No."

Batman, no Dad takes off his cowl and stares me in the eye through the screen, " I'll contact my lawyers; give me one week to get the papers in order. It's time to come home."

Home

I'm coming home