Chapter 22: Tomorrow

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"We are made wise not by our recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."

George Bernard Shaw

Chapter 22: "Tomorrow"

(Saturday-April 19, 2014)

Brother Blood knelt before his new master. Sweat poured down his brow under the seething gaze. This was different than with Trigon. There was a feeling of evil that radiated off the demon lord. This was different, though. It wasn't just evil. No, it was like death was being blanketed over his shoulders.

"So, you…you were behind everything," Brother Blood looked to the side to see the six Black Lanterns looking on impassively, "Le Fey's attack…the Sorcerer Initiative…Trigon's invasion…"

Nekron laughed as he reclined into his throne, "I didn't exactly plan for all of it. The ideas and plans were already set by those clowns. I merely turned everything up a notch and made sure things progressed the way I wanted."

Blood shivered as Nekron's words washed over him. The truth of those words rocked him to his core. Everything that happened had benefited Nekron greatly. In that instant, Blood was sure that Nekron was more dangerous than Trigon. While Trigon was unmatched in raw power, Nekron emitted a strange strength like nothing could touch him both strategically and physically. Blood recognized the feeling. It was the inevitability of death. That was Nekron. He was every fear people had about their own eventual demise. It was the more base and grounded fear in existence.

"I…I thank you for this opportunity, Master Nekron," Blood quickly ducked his head, "I will not fail you."

"I'm sure you won't," Nekron rose from his throne. His tall figure towered over everyone within the Ghost Zone's domain of death, "Moving on to more pressing matters, we need to address the blindness we had during Trigon's invasion. I'm certain the alternate Phantom made a move, but I have no idea what. Did you keep an eye on the major target?"

Nocturne nodded, "Nothing unusual happened, Master. There was no way Dark Dan got close."

"Of course," Aragon spoke up, "He has been off the radar for a while. He might be able to hide from us. How that is possible…I have no idea."

Nekron nodded, "Oh well, even if he did achieve anything during the blind period, we can't do anything about it now. If he did make a desperate move, then he has been upgrade to a mild annoyance. Fortunately, he still had no idea what I plan for the real Phantom, otherwise they would have already fought. By the time he learns the truth, it will be too late."

"And what of Poindexter? He seems to know more than he should," Hotep Ra noted.

"Please. His master could do nothing against me, and the apprentice will share the same fate as the master. As soon as he pops up again, we'll crush him," Nekron explained as he glided over the area towards a barrier of black energy.

"And ze Endless and Life Entity? Zhey made zhere moves just like you predicted," Madame Rogue noted.

"Of course they did. Trigon's invasion was too tempting an offer to pass up. The fools. They only assured my victory," Nekron let out a sharp laugh as he raised a skeletal hand and placed in on the barrier. He was reward for his actions by hundreds of red eyes opening from across the barrier to stare at him, "I will deal with Phantom. And unlike Trigon, I'll make sure to deal with the Entity. The gate is open now. Soon, it will be time."

"So we should make our move?" William Hand questioned, "I can have everything set within hours. The takedown of the Council and League will be immediate and merciless. This time, no one will be able to stand against you."

Nekron gained an amused look, "No, no. Not yet. We will know when the time is right. The alarm will sound and then we will move. It will be right after that wedding. Trust me, you'll hear it. Then, I will enjoy ripping every bit of joy I can from Vision and the other members of the 'Ancient Six.' Revenge shall be delicious. Until then, we just sit back and watch the chaos leading up to it. In fact, a firework show is about to happen."

Blood looked up worried, "Firework show?"

"Yes, someone in tune with death and chaos have taken notice of our actions. He has begun to panic. In a desperate move to preserve some sort of legacy, he will make a very big move soon. Tomorrow in fact," Nekron's smile was straight from that of nightmares, "It will be a show worth watching. I bet le Fey is just drooling over it."

William Hand let out a cough, "Um, Master? I would like to point out that there are enough clues to your return as it is. What if our enemies catch on and try to prepare?"

Nekron laughed roared through the area, "Let them try. Nothing can prepare them for the Darkest Night. And I have prepared you seven for the direct purpose of combating everything they can throw at me. Soon, I will break them all. Then, I will work to my final goal. The Life Entity will die by my hands, and this universe's life-force will disappear. In the end, the inevitability of death shall consume everything."

Dark Dan smiled in deep satisfaction. Everything went according to plan. Nekron had no idea that he had succeeded. Now, he stood a real fighting chance. As soon as the devil made its move, he would destroy it. Then, the world's destruction will caused by his hands. After all, who could rival him after Nekron was gone?

"Smiles like that don't suit you," Morgaine le Fey noted as she reclined in her chair and watched the different images of Trigon's invasion flash all around her, "You look like you're about to fall over dead from glee. It's creepy."

"I don't care what I look like," Dark Dan let out a deep laugh, "Finally, I have the power to fight Nekron."

Le Fey shrugged, "If you say so. Personally, I don't care who wins. No matter what, the entertainment will be worth. At least it better be. I hate having to watch these reruns like this."

Dark Dan floated over to her, "Don't worry. I promise you that I won't disappoint. Your investment will give you years of more entertainment. Instead of a loud bang, I'll send this universe off in a slow burn."

Le Fey nodded. With a wave of her hands, she dismissed the images and created two images. They were both apartments. One was incredibly well kept, while the other was filthy. Dark Dan was confused by this. Morgan never turned off her entertainment for something so boring.

"What are you doing?" Dark Dan questioned.

"Hush. I will not miss this show. If you talk at all during this, I will throw you right into Nekron's hands," Morgaine hissed, "This is different than with Trigon. I have no idea what the final outcome will be. That makes it one hundred times more important to me."

Dark Dan peered at the screens with interest, "Wait…That's…"

"Yes, now be quiet. It will soon be time for the greatest joke ever pulled," Le Fey leaned forward with interest, "I can only wonder how Phantom will react. Tomorrow…Tomorrow will his final performance one way or another."

Dani grunted as she placed the box she was carrying onto the floor. Standing up, she looked around the hallway that had once belonged to Jason Blood. Old artifacts and pictures still hung from the walls untouched. They wouldn't be moved any time soon either.

"Thanks for helping us move," Rachel noted as she carried her own box into the manor.

"No problem," Dani nodded, "Wish we could just teleport your stuff in here."

"Sorry, but Mr. Blood has teleportation blocking seals all over the place because of le Fey, and I haven't figured out how to disable them yet."

"He did this on purpose, didn't he?"

"Yeah. He probably thought that we would learn something out of it."

"Well, I did. Manual labor sucks."

After burying the aged form of Jason Blood, the task of deciding what to do with his home fell on their shoulders. Luckily, in his knowledge that Trigon's invasion would be the end for him no matter what, he left a will dictating that everything that he owned now belonged to his favorite students. Considering that Dani, Victor, and Nyx all had family and homes of their own and that Youngblood never really stayed in one place, it fell on Rachel and her mother. Not that either them seemed angry about moving out of a small apartment to a large manor of their own.

"Oi!" Nyx's shout caught their attention as she lugged in several boxes over her arms, "Stop your gabbing, would ya? This will take forever if you keep taking breaks."

"Yeah, yeah," Dani waved her off as the ghost past the duo and tossed down the box, "We're on it."

"Sure," Nyx tossed her arms around their shoulders and dragged them back outside to get more boxes, "Like you weren't planning on letting the boys do all the work."

Rachel gained a small smirk, "That was the plan."

"Lazy asses!" Nyx reared back her head and laughed, "You don't want them to get inflated egos, do you? If they start thinking that they're big bad men, then we're screwed."

Dani smiled, "It'd be fine. We still outnumber them."

"Hahahaha! Fair enough!"

The three women moved outside the manor just in time to pass by Victor and Youngblood carrying a couch into building. Victor looked over to Youngblood as they backed into the manor, "You sure that you can't turn it intangible?"

Youngblood rolled his eyes, "I've already checked. It's fine, though, we can get it through no problem."

Heading back to the pile of boxes, Rachel suddenly stopped. This caused the other girls to look at her. Dani raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong."

"I'm just…taking this in…" Rachel took a deep breath as her eyes looked to her mother who was happily looking through the pile of boxes, "I never thought I'd be at this point, you know. A week after the end of the world, and we're all still here."

"I did," Nyx gently shook Rachel, "We always pull through. Trigon wasn't any different."

"Yeah," Rachel gained a look of content, "I just thought that our luck would run out. You know, like eventually something we be too much. And I always thought it would be Dad…I'm glad I was wrong—"

"No! You're left!" Victor shouted.

"I am going to my left!" Youngblood noted as he tried to turn the couch.

"You're other left!"

Rachel let out a giggle, "Very glad. It's good to be alive. In fact…"

"Hmm?" Dani raised an eyebrow when she was paused.

"It's just that…I've been thinking…With Mr. Blood gone and Trigon stopped…Maybe I should go back to—"

A loud crash drew their attention once more. It seemed as though Victor and Youngblood broke the couch. They both pointed at each other and said, "He did it!"

The women burst out laughing. Nyx quickly stepped forward, "Hahahaha! Alright boys, let the Almighty Nyx help you with that. Carry those parts in side, and I'll glue it back together."

As the men obeyed Nyx's orders, Dani turned back to Rachel, "Hahaha…Ah…So, you were saying?"

Rachel blinked and looked back to the boxes, "Uh, just that we should finish up fast so we can head back to your house in time for the Vision's party, especially if you want to help out Victor first."

"Oh! You're right!" Dani nodded as her thoughts quickly drifted away from the previous conversation to the plans she had set for the day, "Better hurry."

"Torch would like to thank you for coming," Torch stood in front of a simple cross on a floating rock in the Ghost Zone. Across the front of the cross was the name of his father. It was a simple grave, possibly more than the infamous Agent Z deserved, but Torch and Ember had been determined to memorialize their father in some way.

Dusk nodded as he and his friends stood behind the fire ghost, "You're welcome. I never had a great relationship with the man, but…I knew him pretty well."

"Yeah," Ember reached out and gently brushed the name written across the wooden grave.

"I'm surprised that Youngblood didn't come," Dora spoke softly as she stood behind Torch, "Nabu did research on everything he could on what happened with Trigon. Didn't he help you during Raven's birthday? I assumed you were friends."

Torch shook his head, "Not exactly…We just…He said that he sympathized with parent issues and volunteered to help."

"I see."

A tense silence then fell over the group. Luckily, it was a short one.

"Should…Should we say something? About Z I mean…" Troia lightly whispered.

Ember snorted, "I think there's nothing more to be said."

"His last act was for you," Black Bat spoke out, "That's something."

Torch took a deep breath, "Yes…It was not true redemption, but it was good as he was ever going to get. Torch can't say that he will truly miss Agent Z…But he will miss his father."

Dora slowly stepped up and wrapped an arm around Torch, "I think that's what he would have wanted."

"Well, I think there's plenty of things he would have wanted," Ember noted, "Most of them were terrible things. But if the one good thing is what he got…Then I guess it worked out for the best."

Torch looked over to Ember, "Torch guess that it's now time to decide what to do next."

Ember agreed, "Yeah…I can't go back to blissful ignorance. I know too much about my own past. Things have changed too much. At least I didn't go nuts, that's a good sign. But I shouldn't just go back on tour. Not yet. I need to sort things out."

"Well, you're welcome to stay with Torch," Torch stated.

Ember smiled at him, "Thanks, Trev."

Dusk shifted uncomfortably, "We'll, uh, give you some space."

Dora gave them a tiny smile, "Yes, once again, thank you for your support."

A quick exchange of goodbyes later, the three heroes were off. Troia carried Black Bat as she followed Dusk through the Ghost Zone. Somehow, it seemed like a calmer place than before the invasion. Perhaps the threat of Trigon and Amorpho's actions changed things.

"I just thought of something," Troia noted, "Where has Amorpho been?"

Black Bat answered, "I think that he's been around. Just…unseen. I got a few feelings that someone was in the back ground for the past week."

Dusk nodded, "He's not the most social guy. I don't think that he wanted to be in the spotlight any more than necessary as himself. I can get that. I have heard from Vision that she wants him to join the Council."

"With what he did, he will make a good leader," Troia agreed.

"If he accepts," Black Bat argued, "Of if he doesn't stay hidden and flaky."

"Hmm…" Dusk suddenly stopped and looked behind him, "Hey, I didn't ask before because of the funeral, but didn't Jase agree to come? Did he flake on us?"

"I'm not his babysitter," Black Bat looked to Troia.

Troia frowned, "He has been distant for the past few day. Something about family issues and that he'd tell me later."

"Hmm…" Dusk looked back to Black Bat.

"First I've heard about it," Black Bat shrugged, "But I'm still on probation. Perhaps we should ask Nightwing. He might know more."

Dusk nodded, "Yeah, that seems like a good idea."

Phantom stood at the window of the Watchtower. His neon green eyes stared down at the Earth below him. The magnificent view of the Earth's natural beauty left him awestruck, "I never get sick of this view."

Superman stepped beside the half-ghost, "I feel the same way."

Nodding, Phantom turned around to the other people in the room. Some of the big leaders from the League stood in the nearby empty main hall of the Watchtower along with a few prominent ghosts that were given access as guests. Besides the various plants and trees at the sides, the only other structure was the Zeta Tube at the end of the hall, "Well…I guess we should get started. Let's address the elephant in the room…Doctor Fate."

Wonder Woman nodded, "Was there any way to avoid destroying the helmet?"

Phantom's lips thinned, "I could have, but I would have had to break my word to him. That's not something I could do."

"We've all read the reports," Batman noted, "Phantom used the best approach possible. I would have preferred that Doctor Fate wasn't removed from the picture, but what's done is done."

"Agreed," Superman patted Phantom on the shoulder, "Although, I don't think Nabu will be happy when the helmet reforms."

"Well, he'll have to get in line behind the Spectre and Klarion," Phantom shook his head.

"That's a problem in the far future," Plasmius mentioned, "Perhaps we should focus on the more pressing matters."

Fright Knight crossed his arms, "With Trigon dealt with, we should now put our attention on the Black Lanterns. We can't afford to ignore their actions anymore. They are the only immediate threat in the horizon, yet we have no idea what they really want. For years, they've been destroying artifacts. But they have been popping up a lot since Clockwork fell into his coma."

Vision had a worried look on her face, "Indeed…Perhaps it's time to throw out the possibility that I've been trying to avoid. What if they're trying to resurrect Nekron?"

Everyone was silent for a moment. They let that statement set in before Batman spoke, "Is that possible? I thought ghosts that died could never come back."

"I did," Phantom argued, "It's because I have a connection with death. And Nekron…his obsession is death, right? Maybe he's been in limbo this entire time?"

Vision frowned, "I have searched relentlessly since the Reaper's defeat for even a hint of him still being alive. I haven't found anything but the rings. Not even a hint. But even then, I wouldn't throw away the possibility of him still existing. As such, we should put our full efforts on the Black Lanterns. If we even get a whiff of them, we strike fast and hard with Danny leading the charge. You seem to be their greatest weakness from everything we've gathered."

"And what about Dark Dan?" Phantom's moved harshly around the room, "Are we just going to ignore him."

"If we assume that he hasn't fled Earth, then he has done an incredible job of hiding," Wonder Woman noted, "But from everything that's happened, it appears that he views the Black Lanterns as enemies as well. In that case, it might be the scenario of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'."

"I will NEVER look as Dark Dan as an ally," Phantom growled.

"Agreed, we will never trust him," Batman noted, "But you need to put your own feelings aside for this. If what Vision has told me about Nekron is true, he's a force of nature. Unlike Dan, he has followers that can defeat entire teams of Leaguers. If he returns, then we'll need all the help we can get. I've had the Green Lanterns request backup from the Guardians of the Universe."

"I don't think you really understand how dangerous Dark Dan is," Phantom looked furious, "Unlike Nekron, he's already succeeded in destroying the planet. Yes, he had the element of surprise and no one knew his weaknesses, but the same could be said for Nekron. Dan…in the end, he's the biggest threat."

"But he's not the immediate threat," Plasmius argued, "Like with Trigon, we deal with the Black Lanterns first. After the wedding, we prep everything possible. All the ghosts, Leaguers, and Team members will be on the hunt for them."

"Not to mention figuring out if we can harness the ascended ectoplasm and Speed Force Kid Flash used," Superman looked to Phantom, "Do you have any ideas how you two achieved that level of power? Did it have to do with Trigon?"

"I don't know, but trust me when I say that we're looking into it," Phantom stated, "But I wouldn't count on either of them. I barely remember anything after the Doctor Fate thing, and introdicing a great speed energy to Kid Flash like before hasn't worked at all."

Batman frowned, "Then we should be look for other options of increased firepower.

"We should also work to bring in more allies like the Green Lanterns," Fright Knight suggested, "Lord Phantom, perhaps you have some ideas?"

Phantom gained a thoughtful look, "Huh…You know what…I do. Let me make a few calls."

The sliding of metal doors quickly drew Silas's attention from his work. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Dani smiling from the door frame, "Oh, Danielle. It's good to see you. Are you here to get your leg checked on?"

"Close," Dani reached to the side and quickly pulled a sullen Victor into view. She then gently pushed him into the room, "I'm here for an intervention."

Silas immediately turned to face the young people. His work completely left his mind as his son avoided eye contact with him. A quick glance to the side showed that Elinore had a devious look on her face as she manually shut and locked the door behind the two teenagers, "Are you behind this?"

"No. I just agreed to go along," Elinore gestured to Dani, "This was all her idea."

Placing her hands on her hips, Dani glared at the two generations of Stone men, "I am completely sick of you two being stubborn. You've needed to get this out for a long time, and if you're too stubborn to do this willingly, I'll just make you."

"You can't—"

"Yes, I can."

"But—"

"Shush," Dani pointed at Victor and then pointed at Silas, "Start talking."

"We can't—"

"Now."

"Seriously—"

"NOW."

Seeing that his girlfriend wasn't going to budge, Victor sighed and looked to his father, "Alright."

"Victor…" Silas took a hesitant step forward, "I…I just wanted to say…I—"

"I'm sorry," Victor said over his father's voice.

Silas's eyes widened, "What?"

"I'm sorry that I've been such an ass. It's been months since the accident, and I have barely talked to you at all," Victor looked at his hand which had the fake look of being actual flesh. Such a thought had once filled him with bitterness. Now, though, there was only acceptance.

"No…No, you had the right be angry with me," Silas took a shuddered breath, "I wasn't ever thinking about you and what you wanted, and then I was so focused on my project. Then the accident…I took so much from you. Your skin. Half your humanity. You chance to have anything resembling a normal life. If I were you, I wouldn't have talked to me for the rest of your life."

"It could have been a lot worse. No one died," Victor noted, "And I enjoy what I do. Fighting with my friends…Being able to be there for them when they needed me. I wouldn't give that away for anything. In fact, I should have thanked you a long time ago. I mean, you saved my life and gave me the chance to be something great. But…I couldn't bring myself to talk you. Call it pride. Call it shame. Call it stupidity…"

"Or all of the above," Dani suggested.

"Thank you, Dani. You're such a big help," Victor mumbled sarcastically then spoke more clearly, "No matter what it was, though, I shouldn't have acted so stupid."

"I don't blame you. I was the same way. So ashamed that I couldn't even speak to my son for more than a few seconds. It's pathetic," Silas hung his head in shame, "But I want you to know, that no matter how pathetic I was, I've always been proud of you. Even before the accident. I was proud, but I was still trying to make you into what I wanted you to be. That was wrong. Victor…if you want to be a hero, I'll support you. If you just want to be Victor, I'll be proud of you. No matter what you choice, I will always be proud of you."

Victor took a big swallow to try to force down his feelings, "Thanks, Dad. I…I needed to hear that."

"Then I'll be sure to tell you that whenever you need it. And even when you don't."

"There we go!" Dani quickly pushed Victor forward once more, "Now hug it out."

Victor looked back in embarrassment, "Dani, we don't need to—"

He was quickly silenced when Silas met them halfway and embraced his son. After a shot pause of shock, Victor smiled and hugged his father back. Both Stone men felt like a giant weight was lifted off of their shoulders. This moment couldn't be better.

"Group hug!" Dani quickly got in on the embrace, "You too, Elinore!"

As the women in their lives embraced them as well, the two men realized that they were wrong. Now the moment was perfect.

Recognized: Dusk B15, Troia B17, Black Bat B25

In a flash of light, the three heroes appeared in the Zeta Tube of the Cave. Stepping into the main hall, they were immediately greeted by the sight of Aqualad and Tempest. Both the Atlantians looked completely exhausted. Dusk immediately sympathized with them. Considering what their king was going through, they had to be stressed.

"Hey," Dusk waved at the two more senior members of Young Justice, "How are you two doing?"

"We are fine," Aqualad gave them a reassuring smile.

"And what about Aquaman?" Troia questioned.

Tempest shook his head, "Not as good. There was no way to save his hand. He seems to be taking the injury very personally. No real reason behind it. Just the whim of a madman."

"That's what happens sometimes," Black Bat noted, "Sometimes, there's no real reason for things. Shit happens. Chaos just pops up to destroy everything we though we knew."

"Unfortunately, you are correct," Aqualad rubbed his face tiredly, "And even worse, we have to deal with the fallout no matter what. With our king bedridden, we have had to pull double duty at home all the while trying to plan Young Justice's next missions and training sessions with Danny and Nightwing."

"Speaking of Nightwing…" Dusk looked around, "Where is he? I thought he would be here."

"He is hard to keep track of," Tempest noted with a light amount of amusement in his voice, "He could be anywhere at this point. My guess would be Gotham, though. If you want to check without making a trip, though, you should speak with Mal. I know that Nightwing was talking to him earlier."

"Right," Troia nodded, "We'll do that. Give Aquaman our best wishes."

"We will," Aqualad nodded as the group of three turned to leave. Once they were out of earshot, he turned back to Tempest.

"I do not like lying to them," Tempest noted.

Aqualad shook his head, "We are not lying to them. We are just not explaining how bad it really is. Our king has ordered us to keep quiet."

"I know, but…How long can things last? He and the queen have lost the will to fight."

"We just…we'll just hold out as long as we can and hope that they will get better."

"And what if they don't?"

"…Then I suppose that the responsibility to rule will fall on us…"

"Not us. You."

Danny sat at his desk. His eyes glanced at the various monitors before him. Unlike months prior, three of the monitors were blank showing the consequences of the past eight months, "Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice, but I've gained intel from my security that you might want to know of."

"It's not often that you give emergency alerts," Lex Luthor gave Fenton a steady gaze, "It had us concerned."

"Yes, well, I've been monitoring the ghosts and the League's movements in my city since the Trigon incident," Danny noted, "Despite how effectively it was handled, I'd prefer not to get caught unguarded from any backlash."

Ra's nodded, "As you should."

"It seems like everything involving that is done with, and the heroes are moving onto their next threat," Danny took a steady breath, "The Black Lanterns."

Queen Bee stroked her chin, "They have been a concern, but with everything that's been happening in our organization, we have been unable to dedicate the popper amount of time to them."

"Well, I think now would be the time to do so. There was serious talk between the ghosts and the heroes that Nekron might be returning."

He was met with silence. Three members of the Light looked concerned. One member, though, looked like he was ready to burst. Savage's glare was as close to deadly as a human's gaze could get, "Nekron the Reaper? They think that he is returning?"

"Yes, that's why I thought that it was paramount that you heard about this," Danny explained, "Apparently, there was talk that they're even bringing in more Green Lanterns. They are taking this seriously, and I think that you should too. Perhaps this is the time to put aside differences and try to work on defeating a common enemy."

Savage took a deep breath, "This…is something that we will seriously take under consideration. We are still rebuilding our organization, but that will be impossible if Nekron returns."

Luthor spoke up, "At the very least, the Black Lanterns are a problem that needs dealt with. If we have the League, the ghosts, and the Green Lanterns assisting, we could eliminate that problem permanently."

Queen Bee was frowning, "But what guarantee do we have that our remaining resources will not be compromised from this?"

"As Vandal said, it's something that we will have to debate about and vote on," Ra's noted, "Thank you, Daniel, for bringing this to our attention."

"You're welcome, and just so you know, I'm willing to throw in my own resources into the mix, as long I get your permission like with the Sorcerer Initiative and Trigon's invasion," Danny stated, "Red X and the Exorcist armor are ready to go. And I have more than a few new projects in the mix."

"Thank you, Mr. Fenton, we will keep all of this in mind," Luthor gave a small smile, "We will get back to you as soon as possible."

"Good. Until then," Danny nodded as the screens faded to black. With that done, he quickly reached behind the desk and made sure to unplug everything in case they tried to contact him again. Now content in his knowledge that no one would be spying on him, he turned around, "You can come out now."

"So…" Jinx stepped out of the shadows and stepped by her boyfriend, "That went as good as it ever was. Dad's kind of sensitive about Nekron. I thought he might lose it a bit when you brought that up."

"Luckily, that didn't happen," Danny let out a smile.

"Yeah, they all seem to really like you," Jinx tapped her lip with a finger, "I've got to ask, how come they aren't suspicious of you? I mean, they're all a bunch of paranoid supervillains. You'd figure that they would draw a few connections between Fenton and Phantom."

Danny smiled, "Let's just say that I thought ahead when I had the Reality Gauntlet and installed a bit of a…mental block in most people's minds. Unless they absolutely know that we're the same person, they won't see the connection."

"Devious and underhanded…" Jinx quickly slipped her arms around her boyfriend, "I love it. I've been such a good influence on you."

"You have," They shared a quick kiss, "By the way, I want to thank you for saving me. If you hadn't I might not have made it out in time."

"You don't have to thank me for helping you," Jinx giggled, "I'd miss you if you were gone."

"Yeah…" Danny stared into her eyes, "I'm glad we're together…"

Jinx sighed, "I know that sound in your voice. What is it?"

"I've been thinking," Danny bit his lip, "How long can this last? I mean, we've been lucky so far. We've been on the same side so far. What happens when you're ordered to fight against me?"

"We take it one step at a time. We'll figure it out," Jinx gently traced his jaw with her finger tips, "Just like always."

"That won't work forever, though. What happens when we've been together a while and what we want change," Danny argued.

Jinx met Danny's gaze, "This is because of the wedding, isn't it?"

"I was ready to marry Val," Danny stated without hesitation, "You know that. I loved her that much, and that's still there a bit. Eventually, I want to get to that point again with you, but I don't see how that would work with us on different sides. What if Savage decides that he wants me dead?"

Jinx was silent.

"Yeah, I didn't think that you'd have an answer," Danny noted, "I don't need an answer now, but I don't want to invest months…years into something that's not going anywhere. I'm going to tell you right now, I'm not going to give up on being a hero. It's what I do, and as long as you're on the opposite side of things…"

Jinx placed her head on his chest, "I get it. But I love what I do. That will not change. I love being an assassin."

"I know," Danny sighed, "And I love what I do too. For this to work, one of us has to give up what we do. And as long as my family needs my help, I'll never stop until I can't help anymore. So I'm sorry, but it will come down to you. You have to choose."

"Right now?"

"No…no, not now. But soon."

Vision glanced over at her adopted daughter as they climbed the steps to Masters Mansion, "Thank you for agreeing to go over the plans for the wedding. I want to make sure everything is set perfectly."

"Don't worry about it, Mom," Dani reached over and opened the door to allow her mother entry to their home, "I'll just be glad when it's all over. It's been a long time coming."

Vision nodded as she entered the mansion, "Yes, it has. I just hope that—"

"SURPRISE!"

Vision paused when the main hall of Master Mansion erupted in cheers and clapping. Spread throughout the hall were the various women from the Ghost Zone, Young Justice, and even the Justice League. Vision merely blinked, "What is this?"

Pandora laughed as she walked over to the small ghost and handed her a drink, "Your bachelorette party of course."

"Bachelorette party…" Vision looked over her shoulder to the grinning Dani, "Did you know about this?"

"Yep. Couldn't really plan it because you would have figured it out pretty fast, but I did come up with the idea," Dani's grin was threatening to split her face.

Vision sighed, "I thought we were going to finish planning."

"Lady Vision, every single detail of the wedding and reception is already set," Dora noted with a smile, "Just relax. Everything will go fine. You should enjoy yourself."

"Indeed!" Wonder Woman slammed her cup on the table, "I have been to many of these 'bachelorette' parties in my time. They are quite enjoyable."

"But are there going to be strippers?" Zatanna questioned.

Vision frowned, "I don't think that's appropriate. I know that I already warned Danny about Vlad's bachelor party. It would be hypocritical to have some ourselves."

"Too late!" Nyx laughed as she and Raven pushed in three large cakes with their magic, "What the boys don't know what hurt them!"

Once again, the hall erupted into cheers when the three strippers burst from the cakes and began to dance. Vision merely face palmed at the actions, "Well…I suppose you'll all be mad if I send them away…"

Miss Martial smiled gently at the woman, "If you're uncomfortable, then we'll do what you want."

"Screw that, we already paid for them," Rocket leaned back in her seat and enjoyed the view, "But, uh, what's with the girl stripper?"

"I thought we could use a bit of variety," Nyx snickered.

"Uh huh…" Raven noted, "Hey…Is one of them…"

"Amorpho? I think so," Nyx shrugged, "Don't know which one it is, though."

Vision sighed and just sipped her drink, "Very well. Let us celebrate."

"That's the spirit!" Dani gently bumped her mother, "Hey…are we missing people?"

Bumblebee nodded, "Tula is busy in Atlantis. Cassandra and Donna are running late, and Barbara is on call in Gotham. But I got her on speaker phone!"

Bumblebee held up her phone. Barbara's voice rang out through the room, "Hey, girls! Sorry for not being there! Batman's been pretty antsy since Joker broke out of Arkham…again."

Dani snorted as she watched the strippers dance, "No skin off my back. You're the one missing the show. Woah…Didn't know a guy could bend like that. You'd think that the spine would get in the way."

"Hey, Mal," Dusk announced their presence as they made their way to the large man. He didn't take notice of them, though. He seemed to be far more focused on the book in his hands. Oddly enough, he was writing in it as well as reading, "Taking notes for a class?"

"Huh?" Mal's eyes suddenly shot up from the book, "No, it's just a really interesting read."

Black Bat looked to the book's title, "Gabriel's Horn. Never heard of it. What's it about?"

"It's really complicated," Mal admitted as he calmly placed in his bookmark and closed the book, "From what I understand, it's about a horn that open holes between dimensions."

"So it is fiction?" Troia questioned.

Mal shrugged, "Probably, but people thought Greek mythology was fiction for a long time."

Troia nodded, "Fair enough."

"Hmm, did you need something, or are you here for my charming personality?" Mal smiled at them.

"You wish," Black Bat's voice came out as an amused drawl, "We were hoping you could tell where Nightwing is. Or we could skip the middle man and just try to contact Robin."

"Alright," With a wave of his hand, Mal brought up a holographic screen. He quickly began to type on the holographic keyboard, "Let's see…Robin…Huh, his communication system is shut of manually. He did it himself with a message that he's dealing with a personal issue."

"What issue?" Troia frowned.

"Don't know," Mal shrugged, "That's all the message says."

"Hmm…" Dusk frowned and looked to Black Bat, "I'm guessing it's not a Batfamily issue."

Black Bat shrugged, "I'm still working my way into the inner circle, so there could be something going on that I don't know about."

"I'll try Nightwing," Mal typed on the keyboard once more. After a few seconds, the image of Nightwing popped up, "Hey, Wing. We were wondering if you've seen Robin."

"Last I saw him, he was talking with Batman," Nightwing noted, "But that was a while ago. Batman and I have been working on a case for a while now, so I just assumed that he gave Robin his own assignment."

"So, no then. You don't know where he is?" Troia questioned.

"Nope. If you want to know for sure, let me ask Batman. Hey," Nightwing's head turned, "Did you sent Robin on an assignment."

"…"

"You don't know? But you always know."

"…"

"Oh…" Nightwing turned back to the screen, "He knows what Robin's doing, but he doesn't have an exact location. Something about a…crack house? Really?"

Dusk frowned. He didn't like the sound of that, "What is he doing?"

Batman's image suddenly popped up, "If Robin didn't tell you, then I don't have the right to tell you myself. Just know that he's dealing with a personal issue. He will tell you in his own time."

"But we have not heard from him all day, and he never showed up to the funeral," Troia argued, "We are worried. Just tell me that he's safe."

"Don't worry. Robin is fine. I'll make sure to have him contact you tomorrow."

"It's late," Harriet mentioned as she stepped into Danny's lab, "Why are you still here?"

Danny turned his attention away from Nicolai and Damon to look at the woman, "Jen's kind of pissed at me, and I got too much work to do. So I don't have a whole lot of reason to go home."

"And I…DAMN IT! I, Nicolai Tillman…forgot to call my wife…" Nicolai grumbled, "She is going to be pissed again…"

"As she should be, you airhead," Damon chuckled as he shook his head. His reason for still being at the lab was an unspoken truth. He had no one to go home to.

Harriet shook her head, "Why am I your babysitter? Nick, I already called your wife and smoothed everything over."

"Thank science," Nicolai breathed out.

"As for the two of you…" Harriet glared at them, "Go home and sleep. You both look like you need it."

"No, there's too much to do," Danny's eyes scanned over to the various projects that stood before him, ranging from the Exorcist Armor all the way to large container of purple gas. A tarp hid most of the strange container, only letting the smallest of peaks to the treasure underneath, "The Exorcist needs more tune up and the gas needs monitored. Not to mention the other weapons I'm working on…"

"Gas?" Harriet eyed the canister, "Do I even want to know?"

"Nope," Danny shook his head.

"Then I won't ask more. As for the Exorcist Armor," Harriet walked up to Damon, "You are not getting into that suit again."

"I need to," Damon argued, "We need everything we have to fight the Black Lanterns."

"And after the Black Lanterns, then what? I know what weird Dan thing is still out there. So is the witch that controlled all those ghosts. Let's not even forget that the Light is healing. When will enough be enough?" Harriet questioned, "You aren't a fighter, Damon. Your luck will run out fast. I mean, for the love of God, Agent Z had you in the palm of his hand. He could have killed you easily. You're lucky to be alive."

"She is not wrong, Mr. Gray," J.A.Z.Z.'s voice sounded through the lab, "I have monitored your activity here in the lab. You are not in any way ready to be out in the field like you are. You are not made of concrete. You are very breakable. I would suggest months of extensive mental and physical training before you even consider getting into the suit again."

Harriet let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you for the support, J.A.Z.Z. At least someone sees reason."

"That was what I was made for."

"True, J.A.Z.Z. but you can't make decisions for other people," Danny noted, "If Damon wants to be in the suit, I'll let him. Not like I can use it when I'm fighting as Phantom."

Damon nodded.

"But…" Danny looked to Damon, "Training isn't a bad idea. It's a big jump going form security here to field work like we do. We can start your training immediately."

"Yeah…" Damon seemed to like that, "Let's do that."

"Really?" Harriet was borderline steaming, "Are you not listening to me. Damon, you are not a hero or some heavy. This will get you killed."

"And why do you care?" Damon questioned.

"You know what…" Harriet shook her head, "I'm sick of this. I yell at you to try to get through your thick skulls, and it falls on deaf ears. Do what you want, but count me out of it."

With that, Harriet turned and strode out of the lab leaving the three men behind in the silence.

"Well…she was mad," Nicolai noted.

"She'll get over it," Danny argued, "She always does."

"Perhaps…" J.A.Z.Z. spoke out again, "But I don't think she will appreciate worrying so much."

Damon sighed, "Duly noted. Let's just get back to work."

Danny nodded. He reached into his pocket to pullout a cylinder with a giant red X on the front, "I've already done tests on the Red X suit. Everything's fine. Let's get to—"

The halfa was interrupted when his phone went off. Quickly slipping the Red X cylinder back into his lab coat, he pulled out his phone and lifted it to his ear, "Hello?"

Pause.

"Woah, woah, calm down. What's wrong?"

Pause.

"Bombs? Why don't you just call…They won't pick up?"

Pause.

"Okay, I'm heading to Cave. See you there, Wing," Danny shut his phone off and looked to his companions, "I have to go now. Just shut everything down. We'll get back to it tomorrow."

Nicolai reached out to stop his employer. As he did so, he accidentally moved the cloth covering the canister of purple gas, "But Daniel—"

"Look, this is an emergency. I don't have time," Danny quickly brushed off his friend and ran out of the room, "Tomorrow, I swear!"

As Danny left, his two companions watched. Silently, they turned back to the project. The glowing purple gas lit up their faces in addition to the name plate that was now revealed on the top of the canister. It read three simple words.

Big Bang Gas.

Robin took a steady breath as he slipped into the disheveled apartment from the window. Everything was complete mess. Trash was scattered across the floor. There was no furniture in the tiny place except for a dirty mattress which contained a sleeping woman. Silently, he made his way to the woman, "Wake up."

The blonde woman's eyes snapped open, "Oh God! I'll get the money! Please don't hurt me!"

"I'm not here to hurt you," Robin gave her a look of pity, "I just want to talk, Mom."

"Mom?" The disheveled woman blinked up to him. She slowly took in his appearance, "Oh…Jason…"

"Mom…" Robin reached up to take off his mask, "I tried to get you the money, but I couldn't. Look, I'm sorry, but it's not going to work. But I can take you away. I talked to Batman. He's willing to let you stay in a safe house as long as you're willing to give up the drugs."

"I can't…I can't…" The woman, Sheila Haywood, shakily stood. The dirty clothes that hung loosely from her frame.

Jason gave her a look of pity, "Please, this is the best option you have. I want…I want to get to know you. Even if you didn't want me…You're still my Mom. Let me help you."

"Oh, Jason…" Sheila stood gently reached out and stroked his face, "You're such a good boy. How did you end up like that? You're nothing like me or your father."

"I have good friends and family," Jason noted, "Without them, I would just be another street punk. They pulled me up and healed me. Batman…He's an uptight asshole, but he's the Dad I always wanted. And…and I have the most amazing girlfriend. She keeps me in line. And…my best friend…Joel…I owe him my life. And there are so many more. Without them, I'd be nothing right now."

Shelia nodded, "Because of me and your father…I'm sorry, Jason."

Jason reached out and grasped her shoulders, "It's okay! Everything will work out! Just come with me. I'll get you to the safe house and help you with your addiction."

"Such a good boy…" Shelia pulled him into a hug, "Better than I deserve…I'm sorry…"

"It's okay," Jason closed his eyes and took in the joy of being held by his mother. He never notices as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a needle, "I love you, Mo—"

Shelia rammed the needle into his neck and injected him with the knockout serum. Jason instantly stumbled back. He looked on with worry as his mother gave him a cold look. Reaching up, he pulled the needle out and examined it. His vision was blurred as he struggled to stand up, "W-why?"

"I had no choice…Just like when you were born…"

With tears running down his face, Jason collapsed. He was unconscious before he even hit the floor.

Reaching back into her pocket, Shelia pulled out a phone. She quickly dialed a number that had been given to her for this one incident, "Hello, I got him just like you wanted."

"Good! Good! Thank you so much, you were a big help!"

"When do I get my money?"

"When my guys show up to take him."

"And when will that be?"

"Right now, of course!

The door was suddenly smashed open with a sledge hammer. To Shelia's horror, a blonde woman dressed in a black and red leotard stepped through the broken door. She swung the sledge hammer over shoulders and allowed her blond pigtails to brush against the weapon.

"We're here for the pickup," Harley Quin noted she skipped into the room. Her red lips and white makeup twisted as she smiled.

"You broke my door!" Shelia yelled in outrage, "You'll fix that right?"

"Lady, I break things. I don't fix nothing," Harley Quin rolled her eyes, "Boy! Get in here!"

Two large men covered in clown masks stepped into the room. One instantly moved to pick up the downed Jason. The other moved to the woman and picked her up as well.

"What are you doing?!" Shelia tried futilely to struggle against the large man. The phone in her hand fell to the floor, "This wasn't part of the deal!"

"Deal's off," Harley reached down and picked up the phone, "Hello, Puddin! We got them just like you wanted."

"Excellent! Take them to the warehouse. I'll be there in an hour. I have something to take care of first."

"Okay dokay!" Harley hung up the phone. She then dropped it to the floor and smashed it with her foot, "Let's go, boys!"

"Wait! Why are you taking me?! What do you get from it?!"

"Shits and giggles, of course," Harley stated it like it was obvious, "Besides, Mista J hates abusive parents."

Barbara Gordon's eyes swept over her laptop. The red haired young woman sat in the living room of her and her father's apartment. From the couch, she leaned over the table holding her laptop and cell phone. While the room was mostly plain because of her father's tastes, the walls were lined with more pictures than were necessary. Most of them were of Barbara herself.

She smiled lightly at the picture of the dress she would be wearing to the wedding. This wedding had been in works since before she joined the Team. They could only hope that it wouldn't be postponed for a…what was it now?

Flicking some of her red hair behind her ear, Barbara voiced her thoughts to the speaker phone, "And how many times has the wedding been rescheduled?"

Vision was the one who answered, "Too many, I must admit. This time, though, nothing will delay it. I won't allow it."

"Love the confidence, Vision," Zatanna's voice sounded out through the phone, "But excuse us if we're skeptical."

Pandora spoke up this time, "I have known for a long time, magician. Once she sets her mind to something, it will happen. No matter what."

"That's what I like to hear," Rocket sounded pleased, "I've been dying to finally introduce Noble to all of you. Don't worry, I already told him about the hero thing. He's cool with it…Although the Ghost Zone thing might freak him out."

"Psh! What would freak him out? The swirling green vortexes or the unending doors to strange realities?" Nyx let out a giggle, "That's half the fun of living in the Ghost Zone."

"I think it would more be the people that would freak him out," That was Raven's deadpanned response.

"Please, Miss Raven. Lady Nyx is not exactly the best example of how people behave in the Ghost Zone. There are perfectly normal people there," Dora argued.

"Says the woman that turns into a dragon along with dating a fire spouting, third person talking lunatic," Barbara could almost feel Bumblebee's smirk through the phone.

There was a chorus of laughter, "She's got you there, Dora."

A knock at the door caught Barbara's attention. Still laughing, she stood and walked over to the door, "Hahaha…Caline? Is that you again? I told you that I…was busy…"

Barbara froze when she opened the door.

"Candy-gram!"

All the color fled from Barbara's face

"Good to see you laughing! That saves me some time! Now give Uncle J a big smile for the camera!"

Barbara tried to move, but at that distance with so little warning, she never had a chance. A loud bang sounded out through the apartment. The bullet caught her in the stomach and continued all the way to her spine. Barbara instantly crumbled to the ground in agonizing pain.

"Oh come on! Down already?! Show a little spine!"

More voices sounded through the phone, "Barbara! What happened?! Barbara!?"

The home invader walked over to the table and cracked a big smile. The white skin pain moved apart as the wrinkles of the man morphed with the grin over his red lips. Slicking his green hair back, the Joker answered the call, "Barbara can't come to the phone right now. She's a little too shot to move. Can I take a message?"

"You—"

Joker smashed the phone before the speaker could finish, "Too late! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"