Chapter 31: Freaks

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"One person's craziness is another person's reality."

Tim Burton

Chapter 31: "Freaks"

(Saturday-January 1, 2011)

"Ack…" Wally placed his face in his hands. "I'm so tired…"

"We all are, but I don't think any of us are going to be able to sleep after this." Artemis frowned. "I better call my mom again. She won't freak if she knows where I am exactly…"

"Danny…I-I'm so sorry." M'gann had tears in her eyes. "I didn't know that I caused such damage to you."

"It's not your fault, M'gann." Phantom smiled. "I never blamed you for it. Besides…I think that the powers thing was going to happen no matter what."

"So what's your plan?" Conner questioned.

"I dunno know…" Phantom shrugged.

"You do not know?" Kaldur's eyes widened.

"But you always have some sort of plan." Robin noted.

"Not today." Phantom sighed. "I don't know how to get my full powers back. Hell, I'm not sure that my powers won't fade completely soon."

"Then we'll find a cure." Zatanna stated with conviction. "If we use all our resources, it won't be too hard."

"Hehe…" Phantom shook his head. "I figured you'd say that."

"Well, it's the truth." Rocket was deep in though. "I wonder if Icon could help. The alien tech might make a difference."

"Maybe…But it's more of a mental issue." Phantom stated. "It's a lot more complicated than what you might think."

"I…I could take a look." M'gann suggested hesitantly.

"I don't know how much help that would be." Phantom sighed. "You would have to go really deep into my mind. That doesn't usually end well with ghosts. You would have to have something like the Reality Gauntlet to even stand a chance of-"

"Then we get the Gauntlet." Robin stated. "And we use it to help you."

"That means our next mission is to track down Freakshow." Wally stated.

"But how?" Conner frowned. "The League and the Council have looked. How are supposed to find him?"

"Team…Danny, you will want to come to the main hall." Batman's voice sounded through the intercom.

"This can't be good." Artemis sighed as Young Justice got up and exited the meeting hall.

They walked into the main hall to see Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman looking at the holographic computer. It was likely that the rest of the League were resting. These three never seemed to rest, though.

"What is it?" Phantom questioned.

"We thought you might want to see this." Superman turned to the halfa teen.

"It is…troubling to say the least." The Amazonian woman wearing red, white, and blue noted.

"What is?" Rocket questioned.

"This footage." Batman expanded the image. "It's being streamed through every satellite and source of media in the world."

Tap! Tap! Tap!

"Do I have everyone's attention?" Freakshow spoke to the camera. He forwent his usual trench coat for a red suit. "I do know that it is later…or rather early, but I thought you might all want to know what was happening in Amity Park right now."

The camera panned out to what could be described as a demonic circus. Demon clowns were running everywhere. Fire was being juggled around. Every building now appeared as a tent that showed creepy smiles, bats, and snakes. The sky above Freakshow appeared to be a deep crimson red.

"Now, I bet you're thinking. 'What?! That's not Amity Park!' 'This guy must be nuts!' 'Why am I even watching this!?' Well, the answer is really simple." Freakshow brought his right arm out in front of him. "This is the Reality Gauntlet, and with it and the access code that allows me to reach its full potential, I can do literally anything."

He held the Gauntlet covered hand out with the palm up. Above it, a diamond appeared. Then, the diamond gave way and collapsed into a miniature black hole. Suddenly, the black hole seemed to burst into flames. Freakshow grabbed the flames and extinguished them. "I control all reality."

"Now, you don't have to believe me." Freakshow shrugged. "You can think that I'm full of crap, but soon, you'll find out just how real I am. Until then, I'll speak to the people who this message is really for."

The camera followed Freakshow as he walked into a massive tent that looked as big as three football stadiums. The inside was anything but dark. Lights were being shined everywhere. This allowed the camera to show everything.

"Over a year ago, I ran Circus Gothica." Freakshow walked back and forth at the center of the tent. "It was a haven for all those who wished to unleash a little bit of their dark side. And I admit, I may have…taken a few jewels that did not belong to me. But that doesn't mean that I deserved to be slandered, arrested, and stolen from by this GOD FORSAKEN CITY! AND DANNY PHANTOM!"

Energy flared around Freakshow in his rage. His eyes flashed. The air rippled around the circus master. He truly looked like a demon.

"And thus we arrived for my true reason for being in Amity Park." Freakshow gritted his teeth. "I have decided to give the world a single fighting chance before I shape it into my twisted dark image. I am a fair man, after all. So, I propose a challenge to one individual, and that one individual alone."

Freakshow gestured around. The stands of the massive circus was filled with the inhabitants of Amity Park. Every civilian that lived in Amity Park appeared. Even Danny's human allies showed up. Oddly enough, there seemed to be a segment for the various villains defeated by the ghosts of Amity Park. Even Lady Shiva, Cassandra Cain, and David Cain was there.

"HEY, YOU SNOTBURGER! LET ME GO! I WAS BUSY PACKING MY STUFF TO GET OUT OF THIS CRAZY PLA-Mmmhh!" Gizmo's lips became zippers and were zipped shut.

"Wait! Why are these villains here!?" Freakshow faked a shocked look. "It's quite simple really. You see, Amity Park was recently attacked by a full scale invasion set in motion by every single little villain that had a grudge against the ghosts. As you can see from their appearance, they lost. But they did help me with something…They exhausted the ghosts so much they couldn't even fight back a little. Behold!"

Freakshow pointed up. Spotlights appeared and showed that every single member of the Phantom Family besides Danny was held up there. This included the strange appearances of Poindexter, Ember, and the Spectre. They were all hung up by ectoplasmic ropes that covered their arms, torsos, and legs. Lydia was up in the air guarding them.

"The ghosts have been defeated! Amity Park has fallen! I have won! Muhahahahahahahahahahaha!" Freakshow laughed in madness. "But I lack one trophy! Danny Phantom!"

It seemed like everyone in the tent woke up when they heard this. Everyone, even the injured and exhausted, were paying perfect attention.

"I am here, Danny Phantom at the center of this city." Freakshow explained directly to the camera. "Come through your Zeta Tubes. Every other way is a no go because I have formed an impenetrable shield around the city and have sealed every possible way of getting to and from the Ghost Zone."

Freakshow paused for a moment, then spoke again. "However, I know you, Danny Phantom. You will try something. You always do. So, I'm going to set up a few more rules. You have ten minutes to appear in the Zeta Tubes alone. And if I catch even a whiff that you're even thinking about planning something funny, then I'll kill these two."

Dusk and Spirit, who were forced into their ghost forms earlier by Freakshow, were teleported next to Freakshow.

"Danny! Don't it's a-Mhmh!"

"Mentor, we're fine. Be-Mhmh!"

They both faced the same fate as Gizmo.

"So be quick and efficient, Daniel." Freakshow grinned. "Because if you're not…"

"MMHHHMMMAAAMMHHH!" Dusk and Spirit cried out in pain as they were electrocuted.

"They'll face the same exact fate as the Ghost Writer."

Everyone and everything was silent in the Watchtower. Like every silence, it was easily broken by one breathless curse.

"Son of a bitch…" Phantom was pale.

"What do we do?" Robin questioned as the timer started and began to count down.

"We don't have time to come up with any plausible plan." Batman glared.

"I could try flying through the shield, but if I'm delayed even a second…" Superman paused.

"Will my Invisible Plane help at all?" Wonder Woman questioned.

"No." Batman shook his head. "Freakshow probably has some way to detect different forms of invisibility. He is a ghost expert after all.

Nine minutes left.

"We have to come up with something." Kaldur frowned. "Danny cannot go down there alone."

"I don't have a choice." Phantom frowned. "If I don't, Dani and Joel will be killed."

"Damn it!" Kid Flash shouted. "There has to be something we can do!"

"But what?" Artemis argued. "The freak didn't give us enough time to think of anything."

"Can't we have Superman or Flash rush in at the same time as Danny goes through the Zeta Tubes?" Superboy suggested. "They could rush in at super speeds and hit Freakshow before he can even blink."

"We don't know what's on the other end of the Zeta Tubes." Zatanna noted. "They could be instantly trapped, and then what?"

Eight minutes left.

"Then there's nothing we can do?" Rocket questioned.

"Danny, you know that city the best." Kaldur spoke to his friend. "Is there any secret there that can help us?"

"No…" Phantom shook his head. "We used…all our assets to fight off the invasion. Every trick or ace we had was already used. We've got nothing. With the Ghost Zone shielded off and the dome around the city…Underground? No no, he would make sure the shield goes all the way around."

"Danny?" Superboy questioned.

"And…and Scribe is dead…" Phantom felt tears well up. The Ghost Writer was his friend. They shared stories together, and Freakshow… "No! I have to stay focused…"

Seven minutes left.

"Phantom." Batman spoke. "Perhaps a decoy."

"No! Freakshow would know instantly." Phantom grabbed his head. "Just…just give me a minute.

So they did.

Six minutes left.

"The footage!" Phantom suddenly shouted. "Can you play it back?"

"Yes." Batman nodded and rewinded the recorded footage.

"Stop it when it goes through the civilians." Phantom stated.

"What are you looking for?" Superman questioned.

Phantom was silent. He stayed completely focused on the screen. As quickly as possible, Phantom looked through each and every face of the people in the crowd. This process took three minutes.

Three minutes left.

Finally, they got to the members of the Phantom Family. The halfa looked through all of them. He didn't see what he was looking for.

"..Yes!" Phantom looked ready to cry. "He's not there! Thank God!"

"What?" Zatanna blinked. "Who?"

"He has to help now. He wouldn't let them die." Phantom was too focused on his thoughts. "I know he was waiting to see where the war went, and now I'm glad he did."

"Danny, we don't know what you're talking about." M'gann stated.

Two minutes left.

"No time." Phantom shook his head. "I have a plan. I need every member of the League and the Team to get outside of Amity Park discretely. When that shield drops, you move in as quickly as possible. Can you do that?"

"The League is already on their way." Batman nodded.

"Good…good…" Phantom ran over to the Zeta Tubes. He turned around. "You have to promise me, no matter what happens to me, you will go save my family first."

"But Danny!" Artemis argued.

"Promise me!" The halfa snapped.

Everyone in the room paused and slowly nodded.

"Good." Phantom sighed in relief.

One minute left.

"Please tell me you have a plan." Rocket stated desperately.

"I do. There is one more ally I have left to help me." Phantom smiled lightly. "He's good enough to avoid detection from even Freakshow. I just hope that he'll cooperate with me just one time. And…I-I know that there's no time for this, but if this doesn't work out…Thank you for everything."

"Wait, Danny!"

Recognized: Danny Phantom B04

"Spirit...Dusk…" Plasmius looked over to the other halfas after they teleported back up to where the other ghosts and vigilantes were being held. "Are you alright."

"We're fine, Dad…" Spirit gasped out after her lips turned back to normal.

"Physically." Dusk clarified. "But I doubt any of us is doing all that well right now."

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault." Colossus spoke up. "I should have been on guard. If Freakshow did not get the jump on me, I could have crushed him. The honor less fiend has drained my powers. There's nothing I can do. I'm a useless old man, and because of me Scribe is…"

Colossus gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes to stop his tears.

"It is not solely your fault Colossus." The Spectre spoke. "I was also caught unaware. With everything that happened, the last thing on my mind was the Reality Gauntlet…and to think that man would use the Tome of the Ancients and kill the Ghost Writer."

Unlike the giant, Poindexter did nothing to stop his many tears and sobs. "Master Scribe…"

"He will be missed…" Frostbite looked rattled. "But now is not the time to mourn. We must stay focused if we wish to get out of this situation."

"Very true, Frostbite." Pandora put on a brave face. "We must get the children out of this."

"But how?" Raven questioned. "These ropes drain everyone on their energy. I can't use magic, and none of you can use ectoplasm."

"RAW" Solomon Grundy struggled against his bonds. "Grundy will free everyone! Grundy is strong!"

"I don't think physical force is going to work, Tombstone." Nyx looked angry at the situation. "If only I could control some shadow, then I could use that freak's own shadow to strangle him!"

"Secret…" Greta was wiggling against the ropes. She did not like the idea of being tied up. "Secret!"

"Our powers don't work…" The adult Youngblood frowned. "And our weapons were taken from us. If I just had my sword."

"I know what you mean." Red Huntress nodded. "Freakshow disabled all my equipment. I can't do anything at all…Wait, who are you anyway?"

"It's me. Youngblood." Youngblood sighed. "It's a long story. And…Damn it! Why didn't anyone tell me that beards were so damn itchy! I can't scratch it either. I hate being an adult…"

"Can't…Bite…through…rope…" Wulf grunted out as he tried to chew through his restraints. All that did was cause his teeth to hurt.

"Woof!" Cujo barked in agreement. He was in a similar situation as Wulf.

"Tsk…" Ember rolled her eyes. "The one damn day I come back to Amity Park, this happens. Typical. Just typical. We'll just have to wait for Danny to save us."

Torch, who was thankful for being a good distance away from Ember, spoke quietly. "What makes you think that DP can help?"

"Because he's Danny." Ember paused when she looked over to him. He looked familiar….

"Lord Phantom is indeed great, but…" Fright Knight frowned under his helm. "Red Huntress informed me that he is exhausted. Plus he is lacking in time to come up with a proper plan."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Spirit glared at the knight. "He's come out of worse situations."

"Yes, but he always had people to help him." Dusk sighed. "Who can help him now when we're all tied up?"

"There is one." Vision finally spoke up. "Danny will think of him. That will probably be his plan. It is a gamble all on the decision of one old man. But if he doesn't help…"

"The Lord Phantom will die." Fright Knight trembled in rage.

Recognized: Danny Phantom B04

Phantom stepped out of the Zeta Tube and into the chaos that was now Amity Park. The warehouse where the Zeta Tube was located was different than before. Like the rest of the buildings, it was shaped like a circus tent. That was not the weirdest thing, though. What really creeped the halfa out was the crowd of demonic clowns, acrobats, strongmen, and circus freaks. They all had massive smiles on their face.

Phantom noted that all the weirdoes had stepped aside to open a path for him. He immediately started walking. Even when he heard the metal of the Zeta Tube crumble and break behind him, the halfa did not pause he continued walking.

Looking around, Phantom noted that there were floating cameras pointed at him. The cameras did not have anyone holding them. For some reason, the teen knew that the cameras were streaming video across the globe.

Once outside the warehouse, Phantom continued to slowly walk to the center of Amity Park. He wanted to give the League as much time as possible to set up a support team. Hopefully, Freakshow would like the drama of the slow approach. If not, then the ringmaster would probably make it known. Seeing as there was no consequences yet, Freakshow wasn't upset yet. The halfa would have to make sure not to make the stalling too obvious, though.

A few minutes later, Phantom stood outside the massive tent that held so many people. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the madness.

The tent was exactly the same as from what the video showed. Phantom made sure not to look at anyone but Freakshow. He had to say focused. Too bad the thousands of eye upon him did not help his nerves. Not to mention all the people around the world watching his every move.

"You certainly pushed your time limit!" Freakshow grinned from the center of the ring. "Was ten minutes too short? I wanted to give you at least enough time to get to a Zeta Tube, but I knew any longer would be far too generous."

"The time was enough." Phantom stopped a few meters from Freakshow.

"I'm sure…" Freakshow began to giggle. "What do you think of all this? Isn't it marvelous?"

"I think it's freaking nuts." Phantom glared. "Let the people and my family go, Freakshow. They have nothing to do with this."

"Be silent." Freakshow glared. "I make the rules now. I give the orders."

"You just want revenge on me." Phantom stated. "What good will it do by holding them here?"

"You think I only blame you?" Freakshow scoffed. "It was this city that brought about my capture. Your little friends were the real reason Circus Gothica fell. Without them, I would still have my circus and you would be under my control. But…those fools are already long gone, aren't they, Daniel?"

Phantom's eyes flashed. "Don't you dare talk about them."

"Oh! That was the reaction I wanted!" Freakshow seemed delighted. "But fine. Let's move on from the deceased to the people who are about to die. Mainly…everyone here!"

"Freakshow…" Phantom never got past that word.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The ghosts and vigilantes above them screamed in pain as energy and electricity flowed through them.

"Stop it!" Phantom roared.

"I don't think I will!" Freakshow laughed.

"Freakshow!" Phantom lunged at the circus ringleader.

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

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

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

"Damn it…" Phantom thought fast. "What do you want from me?"

"Oooooooh!" Freakshow waved his hand and stopped the electrocution of the Amity Park vigilantes. "So we get to the good part, don't we? What do I want from you specifically? Like I said, revenge, but how do I want to go about this…"

Phantom was silent.

"I am offering to fight you. One on one." Freakshow explained. "If you win, which is doubtful, then you and this city go free. But if I win, then I reveal your most guarded secret, humiliate you, and destroy everything you care about."

"…Fine." Phantom nodded. He slid into a self-defense stance. "It's not like I have much of a choice."

"No!" Vision cried out. "He doesn't have the strength to do this right now!"

"We have to help my Liege now!" Fright Knight roared.

"Impossible." Plasmius shook his head. "I have already looked at this from every angle. We have no way to escape without someone dying."

"Lydia!" Red Huntress looked over to the ghost guarding them. "You have to do something! Danny will die!"

Lydia was silent.

"Please, I know you care about Freakshow." Spirit spoke up. "But you have to know what he's doing is wrong."

"…That doesn't matter." Lydia shook her head.

"Yes it does." Dusk spoke up. "He's threatening to commit mass genocide."

"It's one thing to steal, but this…" Red Huntress shook her head. "This is evil. I've read the reports. I know you love him, but that does not excuse what he's doing."

"Alright, tell me this…" Lydia looked over to Red Huntress. "If you're the person you loved most in the world became evil would you be able to stand against him."

"…I don't know. But I would like to think that I would at least try to bring back to the path of sanity." Red Huntress argued.

"Then you're a better person than I am."

The tent had been quiet when Phantom first entered the tent. Now, it was anything but quiet. Cheers and shouts bombarded Phantom's ears. An entire city was cheering him on. Not only that, the villains seemed to be yelling something about not letting them die.

Whatever. He didn't plan to let anyone die today no matter what anyone said.

Rushing forward, Phantom sent a punch at Freakshow's head. The ringleader grabbed the fist with his non Reality Gauntlet covered hand. This was followed up with a quick backfist to Phantom's face.

The halfa was sent sprawling to the ground. His cheek burned in pain. That wasn't the only thing that hurt, though. His body ached and shook in pain and exhaustion. He had to fight bile working its way up his throat.

Two days of constant worry and fighting had long since caught up to the teen. His body and powers were so past their limits, it wasn't even funny. Freakshow knew this too.

"Oh, what's wrong? Are you tired and weak?" Freakshow grinned widely. "That's too bad. The great Danny Phantom, the boy that became a god, is weakened to the point that he can't even use his powers."

Phantom pushed himself up. Freakshow was right. His powers weren't working anymore. Even his base powers were out of commission now. "Shut it…"

The halfa charged in. He still had his combat experience. Phantom may not have the hand-to-hand combat skills that allowed his teammates with no powers to fight crime, but he was still pretty good at empty hand self-defense.

Freakshow held out his gauntlet arm and sent out a large blast of energy.

Boom!

But all that skill crumbled before this absolute power.

The explosion left a burnt Phantom in a crater. Like before, he dragged himself up. The halfa charged again. Again, he was quickly squished. This happened a few more times before Phantom finally couldn't pick himself up anymore.

Once again, things went quiet.

"Looks like you lose." Freakshow sneered down at Phantom. The ringmaster's foot was placed on the beaten ghost's chest.

"Looks like it…" Phantom gave him a bloody grin. "But I still accomplished my goal."

"Goal?" Freakshow questioned. "What goal?"

"RAW" Etrigan the demon yelled as he rammed into the Master of all Reality. He held the circus man down and beat him for a few moment before tossing him away like a ragdoll. The ringmaster slammed into the ground and formed another crater.

The yellow demon immediately dragged Phantom up to his feet. "On your feet, ghost."

"Took you long enough." Phantom groaned.

"Yeah, well, I was debating about whether to flee or not." The demon possessed Jason Blood explained. "The teacher in me won out. Can't leave those kids to die. Plus…I do owe you one."

"I think we're even now." Phantom grunted. "But we're not done yet."

"No we're not." Etrigan watched as Freakshow began to pull himself out of the crater. "I can maybe give you a minute. Is that enough?"

"It's plenty." Phantom nodded.

"Good! Go save my students!" Etrigan rushed forward to Freakshow.

Phantom flew rather slowly, but as fast as he could possibly go, to his family. He got within a few dozen meters from them before Lydia got in his way.

"Please…" Phantom pleaded. "Don't let them die like this, Lydia. Some of them are children for Pete's sake."

"…I won't let Frederich do that." Lydia shook her head. "The children will go free."

"Do you really believe that?" Phantom questioned. "Do you think Freakshow gives a damn about them?"

Lydia was silent.

"I know you love him. I can see it, but going with him in all this won't help him." Phantom argued. "Help me stop him. We'll get him help. Real help this time, not the Guys in White's personal jail. If we help him mentally, then he could go back to being the man that you once knew."

Lydia paused.

"Please. I swear on my honor, that I will get Freakshow help after this is all over." Phantom promised. "Just let my family go, and…all will be forgiven. You'll go free. You can be with Freak…Frederich. You can have the life you always wanted with the real man you fell in love with."

Lydia seemed to think this over. She looked like she was convinced. "I…I…"

"Please. I beg you-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Phantom cried in absolute pain when he was covered in a green fireball. He fell to the ground like a meteor.

"You tricked me! Muhahahahahahahaha!" Freakshow looked to be in hysterics. "That was a good one, Daniel. I didn't know that you had this demon up your sleeve. I tip my hat to you sir."

"Phantom…" Etrigon was on the ground bleeding. "I'm…sorry. I couldn't give you…the time you needed."

"Oh shut up!" Freakshow glared at Etrigan. "I know what you are, Blood. A pathetic traitorous man that's been cursed to house a demon for all eternity. I'm insulted that a lowly creature such as yourself would even think that he could touch the Master of all Reality."

"You-ARG!" With a wave of Freakshow's hand, Etrigan was covered in a swirl of energy and turned back into his human form of Jason Blood."No…"

"Yes." Freakshow kicked Blood in the head and knocked him out. "And now…for the grand finale. Danny Phantom."

The ringmaster walked to the unmoving halfa. A green glow appeared around Phantom's wrists and pulled him into the air. He hung next to Freakshow like a mounted trophy.

"What are you…" Phantom whispered tiredly.

"It's part of our deal. I'm going to reveal exactly what you are." Freakshow smirked.

"No…wait…"

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Freakshow addressed the crowd. "I have won! The boy you put all your hopes into has failed, and you're all going to die!"

The tent was filled with screams of terror and shouts of protest.

"SILENCE!"

Everyone went quiet.

"You all think me a monster, I can see it!" Freakshow yelled out. "But let me ask you, who is the real monster? Me?! Or Danny Phantom!?"

Everyone watched intently.

"You…Everyone has called him a hero! A beacon of hope and mercy in a dreadful world, but I say no!" Freakshow noted. "Because he, just like three of those ghosts above me, are not what they seem! They are not full ghosts! They are half-ghosts!"

The silence was so think that a person could hear a pin drop.

"What is a half-ghost, you must be asking. Well, I'll tell you!" Freakshow danced around in glee. "A half-ghost, or halfa for short, is not a product of human and ghost reproduction! That would be impossible! No, a half-ghost is a human that gained the abilities of a ghost!"

Freakshow gestured to Phantom. "You all know him as Danny Phantom, but that is not his true name! This is his real identity!"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Phantom cried out as he was forced to change back into a human. White rings appeared at his feet and traveled up his body until it went past his head.

"Behold! Daniel James Fenton!"

Everyone was in shock. A human had ghost powers? That was possible? Not only that, the hero of the city was actually Danny Fenton, the reclusive kid that lost his entire family to a ghost attack? That was impossible. They appeared in the same place at the same time before…

"You must think that this is a trick!" Freakshow spoke again. "But I assure you, this is all real! Fenton has used duplicates, stand-ins, and technology to hide his identity! He had you all fooled!"

"Freakshow…stop…" Danny glared at the man.

"But not only that, there are three other half-ghosts right above me!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Plasmius, Spirit, and Dusk were all forced to change back into their human forms.

"You see! It's all a big conspiracy!" Freakshow giggled. "And all of you called me a freak! Well I look pretty goddamn normal now, don't I! At least I'm completely human! These four are monstrosities that don't even deserve to exist. And that's where we come to the climax of this story…"

Freakshow placed the Reality Gauntlet on Danny's chest. The boy screamed as green energy flowed from Danny's chest to Freakshow's hand. After a few seconds, Freakshow removed a ball of green energy. When he did this, a streak of white suddenly appeared down Danny's hair. The ringmaster looked at the ball of energy for a brief moment and then crushed it into pieces.

"I have just removed the boy's powers!" Freakshow declared. "He is now completely human! There is now no way for him to survive a fatal blow! He is completely defeated. And that's why…"

Fenton was dropped to the ground.

"I'm going to kill him."

"Wait." A voice spoke behind Freakshow.

"Lydia?" Freakshow turned to face his lover. "Why are you interrupting me?"

"Frederich…" Lydia approached Freakshow and gently placed a hand on his face. "Don't do this. It's not too late. If you give this up now, you can alter reality to erase all of this. Then…then we can live together in peace." She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "You can change this body into that of a human. We can have a family together, love."

"…Lydia. I've come so far." Freakshow argued. "I'm Master of all Reality. I have my greatest enemy on his knees. The world is mine. I can't give this up now."

"You once told me that you trusted my instincts." Lydia spoke. "Well, my instincts are telling me that this won't end well. Please, let's just leave and live the life we talked about before I died."

"But…"

"Freak…Frederich." Danny pushed himself up to his feet shakily. "You have to think about this. You haven't gone past the point of no return yet. Yes, you…you killed Scribe, but you can still fix that with the Reality Gauntlet. You can bring the lost back again..."

"Are you still fixed on that?" Freakshow questioned. "Moron, even the Reality Gauntlet has its limits. It can't bring souls back that have passed on to the other side."

"It…it can't…" Danny looked devastated.

"Nope."

Danny fought back tears. "I see…"

"Does this change your mind, little hypocrite?" Freakshow questioned.

"No." Danny shook his head. "It doesn't. Frederich, I, more than anyone else, know that everyone deserves a second chance. Please…Take this opportunity. This is your second chance. You can have a long peaceful life. All you have to do is take it."

"…" Freakshow seemed to consider this.

"My alternate future self was created because of one small stupid mistake." Danny took a step forward. "But I was given another chance despite this. If I can be redeemed…then you sure as hell can."

"But if I take this chance, I'll be powerless again." Freakshow argued.

"I would gladly give up every little bit of power I ever had to get back my family." Danny took another step towards Freakshow. "Even though my parents were ghost obsessed."

"What are you…"

"I know what it's like." Danny was now right in front of Freakshow. "My parents loved me…but they loved ghosts. Sometimes I wondered who they would choose between ghost and me. I knew that they loved me, but it was hard sometimes having ghost hunter parents. Especially when people started to persecute me for my parents' beliefs."

"These people…" Freakshow looked around. "But you protect them."

"I do, because I forgave them." Danny stated. "And I could do that, because my parents raised me right. Because I had two friends that would always have my back."

"But you lost them!"

"I did…" Danny stated softly. "And it hurt so much because I lost the love I knew and…the love I would never get to know…" He looked to Lydia for a second. "After the accident, I didn't think I could get past it and my anger. But my new family, the people you have up there, helped me get through it. And because I learned that forgiveness is the only way to ever get past your anger and pain…"

Danny paused. "You…just have to let go and move on…because that is what the people you would love would want."

Freakshow was looking down.

"So…now I'm offering you a second chance. As a kindred spirit, I'm asking you to take this way out. Because I promise you that you'll be happy in the end." Danny extended his right hand. "All you have to do is take my hand. We can undo all of this together."

Freakshow didn't move.

"Love…" Lydia gently touched his shoulder. "I am with you always, but I think that this is the best choice."

"Hmmm…." Freakshow lifted his right arm and reached out to Danny.

"Thank you." Danny smiled. "You won't regret this."

"You're right…I won't."

It was then that Freakshow stabbed Danny through the stomach with the claws of the Reality Gauntlet.

"Danny!"

"No!"

"This isn't happening! This isn't happening!"

Danny heard so many screams that he couldn't think straight. Everything was so loud. Lights danced before his eyes. His mind couldn't even process when he fell to the ground. For some reason, his stomach and back felt wet.

His body had went into shock the moment of the injury. Danny could not process anything that was going on around him. His dull eyes merely stared off into nowhere.

Normally, his powers would have dulled the injury and went to start healing it. As of right now, though, Danny had no powers. He was a normal human with five wounds that went straight through his body. That was not a good thing.

He felt…cold. Usually, Danny liked the cold. It was his element. Now, though, it made him feel alone and useless.

If he could think straight, Danny would have thought about his life and the people in it. All the people that made up his obsession would be on the front of his mind. What would Amity Park do without him? Would Young Justice keep working together without him? Who would stop Freakshow with him gone? Of course, Danny could not think of any of these things.

Thus, Danny merely closed his eyes and continued to bleed onto the cold concrete below him.

"Nonononononononononononononononononononono!" Dani screamed. "Not again!"

All the vigilantes in the tent broke down when they saw Danny get stabbed. Many of them, such as Valerie, had broken down into hysterical sobs. Some of them, such as the Fright Knight, went into an unholy rage and were cursing Freakshow to the very pits of hell. A few, such as Dani, were in complete denial.

"Danny!" Vision's tears flowed unchecked as she stared down at the dying boy she loved like a son. "I have to get down there!"

"Secret!" Greta gritted her teeth and shouted.

"Greta has healing powers!" Raven sobbed out. With her powers suppressed, she could let her emotions flow. "We need to get her to him!"

"If only I could access my powers!" Colossus roared. "I would tear off these restraints and kill that dishonored bastard!"

"Even my powers are failing me under the Gauntlet's power…" The Spectre looked troubled.

"I SHALL CUT OFF HIS SKIN AND MAKE HIM EAT IT!" Fright Knight was spitting and cussing. He tried desperately to free himself, but he couldn't.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Ember shouted.

"Torch doesn't know what to do…" Torch whispered.

"Mentor…" Joel trembled in disbelief. Silent tears ran down his face.

"…" Solomon Grundy was silent. "Phantom…is hurt…"

"No duh! We need to get down there now!" Nyx screamed.

"There is no way, though." Plasmius forced himself to think. "To get free, we would have to deal with the backlash of energy. The force could cause a person to explode. But Daniel…"

"Grundy sees…" Solomon Grundy nodded. "Grundy understands…Sister…"

Dani looked over at Grundy. The look on her face was one of absolute shock and terror. "Huh…"

"Grundy wishes that Grundy could have been more." Grundy spoke. "But all Grundy can be is an avatar of anger. That is Grundy's destiny. But maybe Grundy can make it so Grundy can still help family and be more than…Grundy."

"What are you talking about?" Joel stared at the brute.

"Dusk boy…thank you for helping Grundy back at bad place. Grundy is grateful." Grundy looked sad now. "Sister, thank you for saving Grundy and caring. If Grundy had a soul, Grundy would say that Grundy loves you."

"Grundy?" Dani didn't understand what was happening.

"Phantom was the one that gave Grundy life. He gave Grundy the anger that gives Grundy life." Solomon Grundy noted. "It's only fair that Grundy gives it back. And if it makes sister happy…Grundy will go happy."

"What? Wait!"

"HHHHHHHRRRRRAAAAWWWWW!" Grundy began to absorb the energy that was restraining them all. His body was a natural filter for most energy. Because of his exposure to both the Lazarus Pit and to the GIW ectoplasm, Grundy's body could conduct different energies into his body for merely a few seconds. That was part of the reason Grundy was so durable to energy attacks.

This did not mean that Grundy didn't feel pain when this happened, though. In fact, Grundy felt a lot of pain when foreign energy flowed through his massive body. So much, that Grundy preferred to usually suffer physical damage than to absorb energy. Now, though, he willingly took in all the energy that was being used to restrain the fighters of Amity Park.

The backlash could only be described as torture.

Grundy's every nerve sent signals of absolute agony to the brute's brain. His body smoked and shook. He screamed out in terrible suffering.

Then it stopped. The energy holding the ghosts in the air disappeared. Grundy fell to the ground below with a terrible thud.

"Grundy!"

"Grundy!" Dani cried out. Tears ran down her face. After the energy released, she was caught by Wulf while Dusk and Vlad were caught by Cujo and Vision respectfully. The children were brought to Grundy while Vlad was taken to Danny by Vision. The halfa girl was sure that Danny would survive under the care of Vision and Secret, but Grundy…

The zombie opened his eyes slowly. "Sister…"

"Don't speak." Joel ordered. "Save your strength. We need to get you medical attention."

"No…Grundy's inside are destroyed." Grundy breathed out dark smoke.

"No!" Dani hugged Grundy's arm. "I can't lose you. I won't lose another friend."

"It's fine…Grundy is…Grundy is…" Grundy could not get the words out.

"…" Joel grabbed Grundy's other hand. He knew that his fellow captive from the Ghoul Project wasn't going to make it. Despite his passion to keep people alive, there were some people that could not be saved. It hurt Joel to know this, but it was fact. "What are you Grundy?"

"Not angry…" Tears fell from Grundy's eyes. "Grundy is not angry. Grundy is…happy. Grundy got a chance to help Sister and Ghoul Boy. That's…good."

"Please Grundy…" Dani stated desperately. "Don't die."

"Grundy doesn't have a choice." Grundy smiled. "Grundy can hear Death calling. She wishes to see me. She offers peace."

"…We…I will miss you, Grundy." Joel stated as he shook from grief.

"And Grundy will miss you." Grundy looked up to the sky. "Solomon Grundy…Born on a Monday…Christened on Tuesday…Married on Wednesday…Took ill on Thursday…Grew worse on Friday…"

His eyes closed, and his body went slack.

Solomon Grundy died on Saturday. He would be buried on Sunday.

That was the end of Solomon Grundy.

"YOU!" Fright Knight roared as rocketed towards Freakshow. Colossus was right by his side. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE COST US!?"

"Hmm?" Freakshow looked over his shoulder. A shield formed around him and stopped the ghosts' attacks. "Cost you?"

"Scribe…Lord Phantom…Solomon Grundy…" Fright Knight's flaming hair flared. "I shall avenge them all!"

"Yes!" Colossus looked at Freakshow with absolute disgust. "A cockroach with no honor deserves to be smashed to death!"

"Vengeance shall overcome you!" The Spectre rushed in with a punch.

"Fools… What makes you think that you can defeat the Master of all Reality?" Freakshow waved his hand and caused them to be sent flying out of the tent with by an invisible force that seemed to have the force of a titan behind it. "I am omnipotent."

"Frederich…" Lydia stared at her lover. "What…what have you done?"

"What I need to." Freakshow glared at her. "Now, are you going to help me fight or what?"

Lydia was silent and nodded slowly.

"Good, now finish off…" Freakshow turned and blinked. "Where did the boy go?"

"He's not breathing!" Vision stated desperately.

"Secret." Greta nodded desperately. Her hands glowed as she focused on healing the boy on the ground. His skin was closed, but he was still bleeding internally. After that was finished being healed, there would be the problem of his lack of blood. He didn't have enough to stay alive. "Secret."

"CPR…right." Vision began to pump his chest. "One. Two. Three…"

"Damn…" Vlad frowned as he looked over the scene. There was nothing he could do to help. His powers were still on the fritz as well. So, he couldn't help Fight Freakshow or help free the people. It appeared that all the ghosts that were not fighting Freakshow were around using their powers to destroy the restraints on the audience, except for Frostbite. Vlad had no idea where he went to…

Vision stopped breathing down Danny's throat and began to pump his chest again. "It's not working!"

"Damn it…we need to get him to a medical facility now." Vlad frowned.

"As soon as Greta finishes." Vision noted.

"Secret." Greta nodded. She was almost done closing his wounds. What they would do after that, though, was anyone's guess. Where could they go?

"Azaroth Metrinom Zinthos!" Raven used her magic to free her mother and the other human allies of the Phantom Family. "Are you okay?"

"Yes…I am fine." Angela Roth nodded as she was helped up by her daughter.

"Honestly…I've been better." Victor Stone groaned as he and his parents stood. "Man…What is with this town anyway. The moment we take down the shield around Fenton Works, this goes down."

"Never a dull moment…" Harriet Chin seemed pretty shaken up. "Danny…How's Danny?"

"I don't know." Raven shook her head. "Vision and Secret are with him, but…it could go either way."

"Where's Valerie?" Damon Gray questioned.

Raven pointed to the group of heroes leading the civilians out of the tent. "We need to get them back to the safe houses."

"But Freakshow already abducted them from there." Silas Stone argued. "How will that help them?"

"It's better than nothing…" Raven shook her head. "It's not like we can keep a whole city's worth of people at Fenton Works."

"It doesn't matter." Angela noted. "I doubt anywhere's safe until that man is stopped. We just need to get out of here."

"It would be better if we could get out of the city." Silas spoke up.

"I think someone is working on that..." Nyx flew up to them. On her back was an unconscious Jason Blood. She couldn't leave her teacher there to get caught in the fight, so she went to get him. He was surprisingly light.

"I was by Frostbite when we were freed." Raven spoke up. "I heard him mumble something about taking down the dome."

BOOM!

The top of the tent was blown to bits and an alien ship floated above them.

"I'm guessing he did it."

'M'gann! Get the Bioship out of Freakshow's line of sight. We can't let him take down this ship.' Kaldur ordered as the Team bungeed down from the Bioship.

'Understood.' M'gann steered the Bioship out of the opening at the top of the tent and to the entrance at the side.

The remaining members of Young Justice charged to Freakshow. Kid Flash was the first to get there, but he passed right through the circus master's body. Superboy was next, but the Kryptonian was sent flying with a blast of energy.

"Damn you!" Kid Flash exclaimed.

Boom!

Artemis's explosive arrows were blocked by a shield around Freakshow. Rocket and Aqualad tried to take the shield down with energy blasts and water attacks respectively, but they couldn't get through the shield and were sent flying back by the backlash. Despite these setbacks, the rest of the Team attacked without hesitation.

It was easy to see that all the young heroes were in a rage. Their faces were those of snarls and gritted teeth. They were outraged that he would do that to Danny. All of them wanted Freakshow to pay for what he did.

"Hey…" Robin knelt down next Danny and examined him. "You healed him! Is he better?"

"He needs a blood transfusion." Vision spoke as she continued to pump his chest. Vlad offered to take her place, but she refused to move. "Right now."

"Right…we keep extra blood in the Bioship." Robin nodded. After what happened to Garfield Logan, the team made sure to keep extra blood transfusions ready just in case of injury.

"Right…" Vision nodded. "I'll take him."

"You're exhausted." Vlad reached down and gently moved her out of the way. "I'll carry him. Lead us, Boy Wonder."

"Right. This way." Robing began to lead them out to the tent opening.

"Secret." Greta spoke up.

"I'll be careful." Vlad noted as he held Danny close so he wouldn't pump the teen and cause any wounds to reopen. "Hold on, Daniel."

"We need to go." Joel mentioned after Young Justice arrived. "If we stay here, we'll just be in the way."

"No…" Dani continued to sob into Grundy's unmoving arm. "Not yet."

"No choice…" Wulf shook his head. "We too weak to do anything…"

"Mwhmm…" Cujo, in puppy form, nudged Dani's arm.

"I won't leave him!" Dani cried out in outrage.

"I didn't plan to…" Joel reached down and tried to pick the zombie up. "GRAH! Damn…I can't use my powers right now. There's no way we could left him."

"I can." Wulf grabbed Grundy and slowly dragged the body of his shoulders. "Ack…Heavy…"

"Okay…" Dani wiped her tears. "Let's go."

"Woof!" Cujo shoved them out of the way of an incoming energy blast.

"Good dog…" Joel stumbled but did not fall. "I think you should lead the way, boy."

"Woof!"

"We can't even touch him!" Artemis yelled. She continued to fire arrows at the Master of all Reality, but the arrows passed through him.

"What do we do?" Rocket questioned.

"Buy time for the League!" Kaldur ordered. "They were helping the civilians. They'll be here soon."

"Right! Dnilb mih!" Zatanna shouted. Dust came up and impaired Freakshow's vision. This only lasted for less than a second, though. A whirlwind appeared around Freakshow and blasted the dust and the young heroes away.

"This isn't working…" Superboy groaned as he pushed himself up.

"Then you should retreat." Superman flew down in front of the clone. He was in between the villain and the young heroes. The Kryptonian glared at the ringmaster. "We can handle this."

"We can't just let this guy get away with what he's done." Kid Flash argued.

"We're not asking you to." The Flash came to a halt right next to his protégé. "The League is a lot fresher than you guys. Go. Make sure everyone is safe."

"But…" Kaldur was silenced when Batman dropped down from his ship.

"You shouldn't have charged ahead anyway." Batman glared. "Go now. Check on Phantom. He needs you right now."

This seemed to persuade the Team a bit. They were nearly dead on their feet after all. It wasn't like they could help all that much. Plus, Danny was injured. They couldn't leave one of their own unguarded.

"Fine." Aqualad nodded. "We'll retreat. Everyone fall back!"

As Young Justice fled, more members of the League arrived. Eventually it increased to the point to the entire League was there to fight.

"Oh, look at this crowd!" Freakshow chuckled. "I am so flattered! You knew that it would take all of you to even have a prayer of touching me. That's smart, but futile. It is a satisfying outcome nonetheless. What do you think, Lydia?"

The female ghost by his side was silent.

"It's not only them!" Colossus roared and returned to the action.

"Yes! You may have deterred us, but we are far from done, freak!" Fright Knight glared. He instantly went for his sword, but the ringmaster had taken it. The knight didn't know where it was right now.

"The wrath of our vengeance has only begun…" The Spectre clenched his hands into fists.

"So the League and a few ghosts…" Freakshow spoke.

"Not a few!" Torch landed in a fiery blast. "Torch wants in too! Torch will burn you alive!"

"Count me in…" Pandora landed down as well. Electricity danced around her. "He shall pay for the crimes he has committed."

"…We can't allow another incident with the Reality Gauntlet." Frostbite snarled.

"Aye…He's going down." Youngblood stroked his beard. Despite the situation, the man was glad for the ability to scratch his face.

"Man, I haven't had to fight all out in a while." Ember tuned her guitar. "I think my time away from Amity Park made me lazy. Better get back into shape by stomping on the freak's face."

The children vigilantes of Amity Park had been instructed to leave. This was going to be a very dangerous battle, and the adults, with Pandora being the most vocal, did not want them to be a part of it. The tired children agreed and went with their adult allies of the Phantom Family to exit the massive tent.

"I'm starting to feel threatened." Freakshow chuckled.

"You should be…" David Cain pointed his handguns at the freak's head. "No one messes with me, you douchebag. I'll put a bullet in your skull."

"Not if I break his skull open first." Shiva glared at the villain.

"So even the 'bad guys' want to play? Muhahahahahahaha! I love it!" Freakshow jumped up and down. "One final dramatic clash before I take over the world! Fantastic! Beautiful! I couldn't picture a better way to progress to the next era! My era!"

"Don't kill him." Batman glared at Shiva and Cain. "I won't refuse help right now, but I will not allow you to kill him."

"Idiot. I don't take orders from anyone but her." David Cain gestured to the woman next to him. "And even then it's limited."

"Why are you even helping us, fiends?" Wonder Woman glared. "Are you not villains?"

"This asswipe messed with my kid." Cain blew out smoke from his cigarrate. "No one messes with my kid."

"I agree…besides, if I get that Gauntlet, I can erase what happened to day and redeem myself in the eyes of the Shadow." Shiva noted. "Then Cassandra will be safe."

Like the other children, Cassandra had been directed to leave. The girl agreed. She saw that she was not near the level needed to fight this man.

"Is there anyone else that wished to join? Do more of the villains wish to challenge me, or are they smart and ran off?" Freakshow paused. No one else stepped forward. "Good. The let's begin."

"Is Danny okay?" Valerie asked. She was helping to support her father so that he could stay on his feet.

"No. We need to get blood in him now." Vision spoke as her group approached. "We need to get him in the Bioship."

"Come one. I'll lead you to the medical bay." Valerie began to help her father up the ramp to the ship. Luckily, the civilians were avoiding the strange ship out of fear so they weren't crowded. "Raven and Nyx are already in there with the Stones, Harriet, and Miss Roth."

"Right." Vlad followed. "Thank you."

Vision stayed behind and looked around. "Where's Dani?"

"Secret." Greta pointed to the group exiting the tent.

"Mom!" Dani rushed forward and hugged the woman.

"Dani, are you harmed?" Vision did a once over of the girl. She was fine, or at least she lacked any more injures than she had from before. "And Joel, are you hurt?"

"No…" Joel shook his head. "Thanks to Grundy…"

"He…" Wulf sniffled and held back tears. "He good person. I sorry that I mean to him…"

"Bark…" Cujo's ears and tail dropped.

"…He was good." Vision nodded. "We shall make sure he will be remembered. But we can't mourn now." She turned to Robin. "Can this ship carry us all plus your Team?"

"I hope…We really haven't done a weight check." Robin rubbed his shoulders.

"Then the test is now." Kaldur led Young Justice up to the rest of the group.

"Where's Danny?" Superboy questioned.

"Already on the ship." Robin answered.

"Right, we should do that too." Artemis noted. "No telling what's going to happen, and I can barely walk right now."

"I second that…" Kid Flash looked drained.

"Right, everyone on board."

It was strange. They had the strongest people in the world fighting for them. Freakshow was so outnumbered that it was almost sad. Thus, in theory, the League, ghosts, and assassins should have dominated the fight.

This was not the case, though.

Despite the barrage of attacks, Freakshow had yet to be hit even once. He just stood there smiling. One arm was flung protectively over Lydia. The other Reality Gauntlet covered hand remained at his side. He had the posture of a man without a care in the world.

Every attack that was sent at Freakshow passed through him as if he wasn't even there. It wasn't intangibility. No, there were ways around a ghost's intangibility. Freakshow's lack of physicality was one that was as if he were a mirage. It was like he was an illusion that no one could hope to touch.

"Nothing is working." Red Tornado spoke as he flew above the ringmaster.

"Torch can see that…" Torch glared. "How can Torch burn him if he isn't even there?"

"Logically speaking, there has to be some weakness to that ability." Red Tornado mentioned.

"…He hasn't attacked." Torch noted.

"Indeed." Red Tornado nodded. "Does that mean he can't use attacks while defending like that?"

"…They Torch is wasting energy…" Torch mentioned. "Hey freak! Can you attack and defend at the same time?!"

"Why would you ask him that…Are you stupid?" Red Tornado asked honestly.

"Yes." Torch nodded.

"Well at least you're honest about it."

"Hmm?" Freakshow grinned. "Oh, I might as well give you a hint. No, I cannot attack and defend at the same time."

"Um…Why would you tell us that?" Captain Marvel questioned.

"Because it doesn't even matter! Muhahahahahahahahahaha!" Freakshow laughed. "You see, you can't defeat a being with an invincible defense, but you also can't beat someone with an all power offence. Observe."

The air around all the fighters shook and grabbed them like the air itself was massive hands. It pulled them all away. There was now a large gap between them and the ringmaster.

"Is that all?" Colossus snapped.

"No…" Freakshow held up his Reality Gauntlet covered arm. "I just needed room to do this."

A massive ball of multicolored energy appeared above him. The ball of destruction didn't even require a buildup period. One moment, there was nothing. The next moment, a rainbow colored energy ball that almost filled up the entire area appeared.

"Stop him!" The Spectre roared and charged forward. He was quickly followed by the others.

"Too late." Freakshow noted.

Beams of energy flew out of the ball of massive destruction. Each beam was a different color. All the energy blasts flew through the air towards everyone at once. Some of the beams were blocked by the fighters, but all the beams could not be stopped. There were hundreds of thousands of the beams coming at them from all directions.

There was no room to dodge. There was no time to block. There was no chance to counter attack. The only thing they could do was try to minimize the damage and pray that they lived.

So, that's what they did.

The following destruction, explosions, and carnage was not a pretty sight.

"Umm…" Nyx noted as she looked out the window. "There's something after us."

Everyone besides M'gann looked out the window towards the back. Hundreds of beams of different colors were flying after them. They were quickly gaining.

"Miss Martian! Get us out of here!" Aqualad ordered.

"Right! Everyone strap in, this is going to be a bumpy ride!" M'gann noted.

"No…" Raven looked around them. "It's already too late…"

The beams of energy were all around them. They were completely surrounded on all sides. There was no way to escape except forward. Even then though, the beams were quickly surpassing them to get in front of them. They had no room to move.

"Brace for impact!" Superboy roared.

'We're about to be hit!' M'gann noted to the ghosts in the back taking care of Danny. 'Make sure Danny doesn't get injured!'

'Right.' Dani clung to her brother.

"I can't form a shield." Vison noted as she too clung to the unconscious teen. "I'm too exhausted."

"So is everyone…" Vlad was frozen in his spot. "There's nothing we can do."

"…" Joel closed his eyes and bowed his head in acceptance. "It's over. We lose."

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Bioship fell to the ground in a smoking heap.

"A marvelous sight, isn't it?" Freakshow addressed his lover as he looked around at all the unconscious fighters he had defeated so easily.

Lydia was silent in his arms.

"Of course…" Freakshow pointed the Reality Gauntlet at a downed Colossus.

"No…" Lydia gently gripped his arm. "No more death. Please."

"…Fine." Freakshow rolled his eyes. "If that makes you feel better, my dear, then I shall spare them."

"Thank you." Lydia whispered gently.

"It's not like they matter anyway." Freakshow released Lydia from his embrace and stepped over the various unconscious bodies around him. "They are merely ants that tried to take down an elephant. Of course, all the elephant had to do was to stomp its feet and the ants fell before him."

Looking around at the destruction he caused, Freakshow laughed. He truly was the Master of all Reality. The world reshaped to his will. All enemies fell before him with a mere thought.

He felt good. In fact, the ringmaster had never felt better. Today was the beginning of his era. His reign would be a long one. Chaos would fall down across the world. Hell would break lose. People would be begging him for mercy and salvation. Maybe he would give it to them, or he could just let them suffer.

Either way, it would be him to decide who lives and dies. Freakshow would decide right from wrong. The definition of normal would be shaped in his image and only those who conformed would ever have a chance at happiness. It would be a glorious time to be a freak in a normal human's world.

"And that era begins now!" Freakshow held the Reality Gauntlet up. Energy blasted off it in waves. The ground began to rumble, and the sky parted. Reality itself bent to Freakshow's will, and the Earth was shaped into a twisted demonic state. All the while, the insane grin never left Freakshow's face.

He had won.

Hopelessness.

That is the only word that could describe what happened that day.

We fought with everything we had. Exhausted, beaten, and bloody, we still tried to defy Freakshow. We had guts, you had to give us that much. This time, it wasn't enough though.

Even with the League and a few criminals helping us, we still did not win. Not only that, we were decimated completely. Out best fighters fell before Freakshow's new power. The greatest minds we had could not come up with a plan that could help. And Danny…

It was too horrible for words.

Lost, separated, and without hope, we crawled away and licked our wounds. Not without casualties, though. Poor Scribe and Grundy…They passed so quietly. There was no time for out roar. We were not given the chance to mourn.

Even today I still miss them terribly. I know I was never really close to Scribe, and I didn't have a whole lot of time to bond with Grundy…But they were family nonetheless.

And Freakshow slaughtered them like they were they were nothing. That was not something we would soon forget.

Yet it wasn't like we could do anything about it. We were now weak and at Freakshow's mercy. Despite our anger, there was nothing we could do besides wait, rest up, and plan. But what could we possibly do to fight the Master of all Reality? He was invincible. No one could touch him. Not the League. Not the Light. And certainly not the ghosts. And without Danny…we didn't have prayer of a comeback.

Thus on that day without any argument…the Phantom Family and the whole world were soundly defeated with no conceivable chance of a comeback.

-From the personal memoirs of Danielle Masters