Chapter 35: Behind Absolution

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"There are things I can't force. I must adjust. There are times when the greatest change needed is a change of my viewpoint."

Denis Diderot

Behind Absolution

(Sunday-July 4, 2010)

"It worked?" Vandal Savage asked the scientist from his specific screen.

"Y-yes, sir…" The man nodded. "The body you gave us successfully adapted to the ectoplasm."

"That is great news." Ra's Al Ghul smiled from another monitor. "I knew that the monster would adapt. He has been exposed to the Lazarus Pit for decades."

"I'm not so impressed!" Klarion's screen showed that he was frowning. "I could have easily animated the stupid body without ectoplasm."

"Oui, it would have been possible, Monsieur Klarion." The Brain agreed. "But zhis shows a great step in the Ghoul Project."

"Indeed." Queen Bee smiled. "This is the first time that there has been any success at all."

"But the first success never comes without consequences." Luthor stated.

"Er…" The scientist looked up at the screens that showed his bosses. "Yes, there seems to be a problem with the monster."

"And?" Savage questioned.

"He's…without any better terms to describe it…an angry moronic blob of muscles." The scientist explained. "We have no way of controlling his actions, and we fear that he will break out soon…"

"I see…" Ra's stroked his beard. "It is to be expected. The Lazarus Pit causes madness to those who enter it."

"It's not that he's crazy…" The scientist stated. "It's more that he won't listen to anyone. He's yelling and going on about how he has to kill someone and protect his home and family."

"Really?" Klarion seemed intrigued.

"Is he saying anything else?" Luthor questioned.

"Yes, he seems fond of the Solomon Grundy nursery rhythm." The scientist explained.

"Hmm…It seems fitting." Queen Bee was amused.

"But…er, I have to ask…What do you want me to do with him?" The scientist questioned. "If we keep him here, he might very well destroy everything."

"Excellent point…" The Brain agreed. "We have put a lot of effort into this Ghoul Project. We can't put it in danger."

"Agreed." Savage nodded.

"Where do we move him?" Queen Bee questioned. "If he's that out of control, then we don't have the proper facilities to hold him right now."

"Perhaps we should find a way to calm him down first." Luthor suggested.

"Uh, if you're thinking of drugging, using telepathy, or putting him on ice, then that won't work." Klarion noted. "He is a combination of magic and ectoplasm after all. He won't be that easy to subdue."

"Then, maybe it's time for a proper test to the first success of the Ghoul Project." Savage smiled. "Put him head to head with a real ghost."

"Ah…" Ocean Master smiled. "Then, Amity Park?"

"Amity Park." Savage nodded.

(Sunday-July 4, 2010)

"You're saying that…Danny Phantom was with these young heroes?" Savage questioned.

"Y-yes. It was quite the surprise to see him with the Leagues's sidekicks." Dr. Desmond fidgeted nervously.

"Why would he be in D.C.?" Ra's questioned.

"Perhaps it has something to do with the League." Queen Bee questioned. "They most likely want to keep him close in order to control him."

"But…then that means he isn't in Amity Park to deal with the other problem." Luthor frowned. "That is problematic."

"There are others in Amity Park to deal with it." Brain stated. "Besides, this gives us a great opportunity to eliminate Phantom before he can become an even greater problem, isn't that right, L-1?"

"…"

"L1?" Ra's questioned.

"Try to clone Phantom as well, but do not eliminate him." Savage ordered. "He has gained my interest. I want to see how far he can evolve."

"B-but he couldn't even beat Project Kr." Dr. Desmond noted. "He isn't that strong."

"I'm sorry? Are you questioning my orders?"

"N-no! O-of course not!" Dr. Desmond paled.

"Then do it."

(Sunday-July 4, 2010)

Grundy struggled against his bonds. He was in a dark cage. That much was obvious. Grundy remembered enough about cages to know where he was.

"Let Grundy free!" Grundy hollered. Then, he felt electricity ran through him. "AH!"

After the electricity stopped, Grundy was left panting. That kept happening. Whatever put him her obviously didn't want him to get free, but he had to escape! He had to get home! It was in trouble! His family was in trouble!

Dani was in trouble!

…Wait…Who was Dani? Where was home? Did he have a family?

Grundy…didn't know. He didn't remember. All that he knew was the anger. The absolute anger was caused by the images. The blond haired boy in pajamas…The small green blob…The thousands of green beings…They were all dead!

Who were they? Why did he see them? All Grundy had was questions, and that just made him angrier.

"GRAH! Grundy must get out! Stop them! They'll kill everyone!"

But no one listened.

(Sunday-July 4, 2010)

"Ow!" Virgil Hawkins waved his finger around in pain. "Dang! Rich, your dumb machine shocked me again."

"Sorry, Virg." Richard Foley apologized. "I'm still getting the calibrations right for Back-Pack 1.0."

"It's alright man, but why are you even building this thing?" Virgil questioned.

"To carry my stuff, duh." Richie grinned. "Don't you ever get sick of lifting stuff around the hard way?"

"…Yeah, I know what you mean, man. It's a pain sometimes carrying my school books. I wish I could just levitate them up or something."

(Thursday-July 8, 2010)

"Never turn your back on Phantom." Batman instructed Robin.

"What?" Robin questioned as they entered the Batcave. "Why? He seems totally trustworthy."

"I question his motives." Batman stated. "I learned his obsession. 'To protect what matters.' How can he do that in the Team?"

"Maybe the Team matters to him." Robin suggested.

"I doubt it. Phantom cares about his family above everything else." Batman rationalized. "The Team will prevent him from being with them. It might be only a matter of time before he abandons the mission for his family."

"…I could see that happening…" Robin sighed. "But still, you let him join. Why would you do that if this is such a big risk?"

"…Because Phantom has always surprised me." Batman stated. "I'm hoping that he will do so again."

"Hoping? You?" Robin was confused. "Hopes not rational, though. I thought you only considered things from a rational perspective."

"…This is an exception."

(Friday-July 9, 2010)

"The Team is great!" Wally cheered as he sat the dinner table. "I'm loving every minute of this."

"And how is Superboy doing?" Wally's mother questioned. The clone had stayed with them for a while, so she was curious to his condition.

"Er…Good, I guess. Hard to tell with him." Wally admitted. "But you should see Miss Martian! She's gorgeous! The Team's going to be a million times better with her around."

"Uh huh…" Wally's father smirked. He knew how his son was. "I bet it did. You weren't drooling too much, right?"

"Dad!"

Wally's mother ignored this and continued to ask about the Team. "What about the others?"

"Well…Rob is the same. It's going to be cool to hang out with him more." Wally smiled. "Aqualad's a bit too serious some times, but that's just him. He's cool."

"And Phantom?" Wally's father questioned. "You mentioned he was on the Team?"

"He is, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't know about Phantom, though." Wally noted to his parents. "He seems a little unfocused at times."

"He's probably just nervous." Wally's mother suggested. "He doesn't spend a lot of time with humans, I bet."

"Probably not, but I'm worried that he's not all for the Team thing." Wally admitted. "I mean, it's great to have him on the Team. He's got a lot of solo experience under his belt, but…I don't know. If he isn't all for it, then how can he work with us?"

"That's oddly deep of you."

"Yeah! I'm really deep. You'd be surprised about what goes on in my brain."

"Mostly girls probably."

"Dad!"

(Saturday-July 17, 2010)

Kaldur frowned at his closest friend in the surface world. "You were rather harsh back there with Robin and Kid."

"That's because I know what you're little team really is. It's something to distract you and something to help the Justice League keep an eye on Danny Phantom." Speedy glared at the Atlantian.

"…What do you mean by that?" Kaldur questioned.

"Like you don't know." Speedy scoffed. "The Justice League is at complete odds with the ghosts. They'll do anything to gain an edge on them after they all basically lost during the war. What better way to do that than control the ghost's motivational speaker and role model?"

"Phantom is more than that." Kaldur reasoned. "Many in the League speak highly of him."

"…Yeah, I get that. He's good at what he does, and how he handled himself during the war showed his resolve…even if he's an idiot for putting up with this team thing and the League." Speedy nodded. "But even Phantom must realize that if the League has him under their thumb, then they have an edge on the ghosts."

"Phantom does not seem like the type to let himself be controlled." Kaldur argued.

"Exactly." Speedy snorted. "Eventually, he's going to get fed up with all of it and leave. I'm just surprised he didn't leave when I did. But that was his mistake, and he'll soon learn from it."

"…I don't want to agree with you." Kaldur sighed. "But it is a possibility."

"Look…it won't be you guys that cause it." Speedy noted. "It's the League. They won't like that he won't want to play perfectly by his rules. Eventually, they're going to start to argue, and then the tension with the ghosts will only get worse."

"You think that this will really end that badly?" Kaldur questioned.

"He'll mess up at some point." Red Arrow frowned at Aqualad. "Then you'll see that I'm right."

(Sunday-July 18, 2010)

Red Tornado watches as Phantom left the Cave. The android was very curious about the ghost. He was a mystery that could not be figured out by regular logic. The red machine wasn't sure if he liked having him around.

"Speedy was wrong." Red Tornado heard Robin state to Kid Flash and Aqualad from across the room.

"Yeah! This Team will totally work! And Phantom will do a great job in it." Kid Flash grinned.

"I agree. I understand Roy's concerns…But I do not believe that he sees what we see." Aqualad nodded. "Phantom will do a great job on this Team. Even if there is tension, I believe we will get through anything."

Red Tornado paused. It was true that Phantom was a good influence on the Team. They functioned better with him on the Team. He was the glue that held them together. Now that made logical sense, and Red Tornado quite liked that.

(Sunday-July 18, 2010)

Pandora gritted her teeth. "I can't believe that freak would dare to try and harm my daughter."

"I understand how you feel, Pandora, but please don't do anything rash like forbidding her from coming to the human world." Vision warned. "Your daughter needs her friends."

"I…I am aware of that." Pandora nodded. "They are a good influence on her. The problem is…there are other influences as well. What if Freakshow revealed to full truth to her? What if Klarion met with her? She is safer at home."

"That she is." Vision could not argue with that. "But let me ask you this…Is life about safety, or about enjoying the time you have as much as you can despite the risks?"

"You're right. Just like always…I hate arguing with you." Pandora sighed.

"Everyone does." Vision stated smugly.

(Sunday-July 18, 2010)

"It seems that the Team has elected Phantom to be their leader." Red Tornado noted as he approached Batman in the Cave.

"Yes. It was a logical choice." Batman grunted as he continued to work with the holographic computer.

"You seem…upset. Did you wish for Robin to be in charge?" Red Tornado questioned.

"I would be lying if I said that thought did not cross my mind, but I am well aware that Robin is not ready to lead yet." Batman noted.

"And Phantom? Are you okay with him leading the Team?" Red Tornado inquired.

"Young Justice." Batman corrected. "They have dubbed themselves Young Justice."

"I see…So are you displeased with their choice in leadership?"

Batman paused. "Phantom has a lot of potential, but it is hard not to worry. He has other responsibilities after all. But…I am willing to give him a chance. He's earned it through his hard work and dedication to the fight against injustice."

(Thursday-July 22, 2010)

"It wasn't my fault!" Walker argued as he and Jinx stood before their bosses. "She wouldn't work with me!"

"Jinx has been successful in every other mission she's ever been on." Ra's mentioned. His image frowned from the monitor above Walker and Jinx. "It is only with you that she has failed. What does that say about you?"

Walker merely frowned.

"I apologize." Jinx bowed before the Light. "I should have done combat drills with Walker to prepare."

"We did just randomly pair him with you a few days ago…" Ocean Master mentioned. "I believe it would be unfair to punish you. Especially because Sportsmaster did manage to retain a sample of Kobra Venom."

"Agreed." The Brain spoke up. "It would be illogical for punishment at this point."

"Still, I don't believe these two make a compatible team." Queen Bee noted. "Perhaps we should think of pairing Walker with someone else."

"Agreed. Jinx works best when she is alone." Savage agreed. "Jinx, you will go back to your solo duties. Walker, we will place you under the command of Lady Shiva. You are to listen to every word she says."

"But-"

"No arguing." Luthor glared at the ghost. "You are not in charge here. We are."

Walker pursed his lips and fumed silently.

"Ah~ Don't be down, Walky…" Klarion chuckled. "Lady Shiva's getting assigned to a special project you'll enjoy. It was only a few hours ago I sensed a very special object pop up in Amity Park."

"Amity Park?" Walker perked up.

"Yes." Savage nodded. "You will work with Lady Shiva in obtaining the Mirror of Memories."

(Thursday-July 22, 2010)

Even when Walker and Jinx were dismissed, the Light did not disband their meeting.

"The Ghoul Project is officially gaining way." Lex Luthor mentioned. "Soon, we will begin to get results."

"Are you okay with this, Ra's?" Ocean Master questioned. "That boy of yours is in it, after all."

"He will be fine." Ra's had a look of steel. "He will survive."

"The boy does have time, zough." The Brain mentioned. "We did order the scientists zere to hold up a bit until we obtain the mirror."

"It won't matter." Ra's mentioned. "It's only a matter of time."

"You seem oddly calm about all this." Queen Bee noted.

"You don't know that boy. His genetics and force of will are unmatched." Ra's gave a small grin. "If anyone could survive the Ghoul Project, it would be him."

(Tuesday-August 3, 2010)

"I cannot believe you followed me!" Lady Shiva glared down at her daughter.

"Is it really so hard to believe? I follow you everywhere." Cassandra blinked. "You rarely notice, though."

"Oh? So the great Lady Shiva has a blind spot for her daughter…" Walker grinned.

"Be silent ghost, before I slay you where you stand." Shiva threatened. Her gloves glowed a dull green.

Walker shut up.

"Besides, I don't see why you are so mad. If I didn't interfere with your fight, you might have lost." Cassandra mentioned. "You should not have underestimated Spirit."

"…You are right about that." Shiva sighed. "If I went all out from the beginning, I would not have been injured. I could have retrieved the mirror, and the mission would have been a success."

"What will we tell the bosses?" Walker questioned. "No mirror. All the Necromancers were destroyed. We failed completely."

"It will be fine." Shiva noted. "The mirror was only a side project for the Light. It doesn't matter too much, because I doubt the ghosts will use it. The Necromancers concern me, though. We are out of supplies to build more. The Light shall not be pleased."

"Then why don't you get more supplies?" Cassandra questioned.

"It's more complicated than that." Shiva noted. "Ectoranium is rare, and it takes a lot of it to make a Necromancer, and it's not like we can make the metal out of thin air."

(Tuesday-August 3, 2010)

"Gah! I can't stand that guy!" Tyler Longshadow growled as he walked by his friend.

"Ty…" Jaime Reyes gave his best friend a sympathetic look. "You talking about your mom's boyfriend again?"

"Yeah! Maurice thinks that he's such a big man." Tyler gained a dark look. "But when I get older, I'll be bigger than him and show that jackass just how tiny he is."

"Hermano, I get that you're mad, but I don't think picking a fight with the guy will help." Jaime sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just venting some steam." Tyler deflated. "You think I can stay over at your place over the weekend? I need a break from that guy."

"Alright, but I'll have to ask mi padres." Jaime mentioned. "They want to know and control everything about my life. I swear, if they could, they would have me covered in armor for the rest of my life."

(Monday-August 9, 2010)

Solomon Grundy did not have a whole lot to do in his cell. It was too small for his liking, and he was chained to stop him from moving. They tried a color thingy on him, but it didn't work on his unusual body. Thus, they tried the old fashioned way.

Not that Grundy wanted to escape. He was too deep in thought. That girl he fought…who was she? How did he know her? She was so familiar, but Grundy could not know why. For some reason, he thought she was his sister for a second.

It was odd. Dani. Who was she to him? Why did he feel the obsessive need to protect her?

'She's in danger.'

"Huh?" Grundy blinked.

'Can you not feel it! Sister is in danger! Go! Help her now!'

"But!"

'Do you want Dani to die!?'

"…No, Sister must not die!" Grundy roared. He pulled at his chains. Before, they contained his power, but the eruption of anger made it so they crumbled before him. Now free, Grundy broke through a wall and began to ram his way through the prison. He had to get to Dani!

(Monday-August 9, 2010)

"We were unsuccessful, Master." Nocturne knelt down and bowed to the glowing black blob of energy.

I see…Even with all that power, you still failed.

"Forgive us…" Aragon trembled before Nekron.

I do not forgive, but I am not mad in the first place. Perhaps things are better this way. If I destroyed the mirror for energy, then we could not use it later.

"But…the mirror shattered." Nocturne looked up to his master.

No. That was decoy planted by Vision. She is a crafty one. You were doomed to fail from the start.

"We still should have killed the ghosts. Especially that halfa girl." Aragon grumbled to himself.

No. Do not kill any of the half-ghosts yet. They interest me. So much destruction happens around them. It is because of that that I was able to form the rings that are now on your fingers.

"But you promised us revenge." Nocturne argued.

And so you shall have it. But only once my plans are complete. You are to begin destroying ancient artifacts once more. The energy they release shall slowly restore my power.

"Yes, master." Aragon bowed.

"We shall obey, but it will take much time with only the two of us." Nocturne noted.

Do not worry about that. I have a new recruit in mind. Tell me, have you ever heard of Hotep Ra?

(Monday-August 9, 2010)

Vision silently moved through Colossus's domain and home. It wasn't like she need too, though. Colossus could sleep through almost anything.

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…" Colossus snorted loudly. He was spread out across his massive bed.

Using her excellent control of her energy, Visions gently lifted the giant into the air. She slid the Mirror of Memories into his back pocket and lowered him back to his sleeping position. "There we go. Uncle Col, please protect the mirror and rest up. I believe that we will need both you and the mirror's help sooner rather than later."

(Friday-August 27, 2010)

"Tsk…" Ember looked out of her tour bus as she exited Amity Park. "Who would have ever thought that I would be sad about leaving this place…"

The siren ghost looked down at her guitar. Danny had let her leave to follow her dream. Ember felt joy at knowing that he cared enough about her to let her go. Part of her really wished that he would have come with her, but she couldn't let him do that. He would have killed himself by abandoning his obsession.

"I guess we weren't meant to be right now…" Ember mentioned to herself. "But that doesn't mean that things won't change in the future…"

(Friday-August 27, 2010)

Asami Koizumi sometimes hated her life. Her parents were never around. All of the kids her age were very cruel to her. She had nothing important in her life besides her dreams.

The Japanese girl often dreamed of better things. She imagined herself a hero like in the manga and anime. The Chi using warriors that fought against space invaders like in Dragon Ball Z. Part of her wished that her life was like that.

In fact, that was all she wished for. Asami wanted something other than this boring and lonely life. She wanted friends to care for her. She wanted adventures that would take her to exotic lands. She wanted to be more than just Asami.

"(Not likely…)" Asami muttered in Japanese. She stopped sweeping up her kitchen and stared at the broom in her hand.

Damn, she wished that the broom was a katana right now, or something cool like that.

(Saturday-September 4, 2010)

All the members of Young Justice were silent as they sat in the Bioship. They all just recently had their memories restored by M'gann. Once this was done, they quickly made their way back to the Bioship for supplies.

They thought about going after Phantom, but they were reluctant. He had abandoned them. Of course, this wasn't the Danny that they knew, but it still stung. Some form of their leader did not trust them. What could have made him that way?

Logically, it didn't matter all that much. Phantom would soon regain his memories and return to his old self, but the Team could not get the thoughts out of their head. The seeds of doubt had been sowed, and who knew what disaster would happen when it was harvest time.

(Saturday-September 4, 2010)

"What do you mean Dani's missing?" Valerie glared at the girl in front of her.

"It's exactly what I said. Masters Mansion was infiltrated." Raven had to forcefully push down her worry and despair. "Dani was exhausted from her training, and we think that she was kidnapped."

"What moron would kidnap Mr. Masters's daughter?" Valerie growled and clenched her fists in anger.

"We don't know, but we're going to find out…" Raven held out a bag. "But we could use your help."

"My…help…" Valerie took the bag and looked inside. It was her old ghost hunting gear. "But I…"

"I know you don't do this anymore, but..." Raven bowed her head. "Please help me save my friend."

Valerie stared at the gear. She felt guilt creep up inside of her. During the GIW War, she decided not to fight out of fear. It was her biggest regret in life so far. She abandoned her closest friends like they were nothing. They were people that she fought side beside and who saved her life on several occasions. But at a moment's notice, she abandoned them…

She couldn't let herself do that again. Dani needed her help. It was no time to be selfish and guilt ridden. It was time hero up.

(Saturday-September 4, 2010)

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" A short balding man called the Penguin shouted.

"We're here on behalf of Mr. Masters…" One of the thugs lifted his bat that he just used to beat Penguin's bodyguards. "He has a few choice words for you."

"Oh, shit…" Penguin paled. Damn it! He shouldn't have worked with those freaks! Now, Masters was going to ruin him! "Wait! Wait! Can't we talk this out?"

"No. We can't." Another thug in a dark suit glared at the short man. "Mr. Masters is not happy that you decided to attack his daughter."

"But I didn't mean to! It was Crane and Jones!" Penguin argued. "I told them not to!"

"You were still part of the deal." The first thug spoke. "Mr. Masters cannot let this go unpunished."

"Please don't kill me!"

"We won't…We're going to beat you until you sign over all your assets to Mr. Masters."

(Saturday-September 4, 2010)

"(Where's Dad)?" Eduardo Dorado Jr. questioned.

"(I told you, Eduardo.)" Ed's grandfather looked down to Eduardo. "(Your father is away on business)"

"(That's what you always say!)" Eduardo argued.

"(Because it's always true.)" The elderly man stated.

Eduardo scoffed and walked off. He hated this. His dad was always gone, and even when he was home, he was busy with work. It was stupid. What was the point of life if you worked all the time?

"(Stupid Zeta Tubes…)" Eduardo mumbled. His dad always worked on the teleportation stuff. Well, that stuff worked right? So why couldn't he just have Ed teleport over there to see him from time to time?

(Tuesday-September 7, 2010)

Nocturne threw the mummy ghost to the ground.

Hotep Ra jumped to his feet and looked around at the dimension of black and red swirling energy around him. "Where have you taken me?"

Both Nocturne and Aragon ignored him and knelt to one knee.

"What are you doing?" Hotep Ra demanded.

They are bowing before their master. Just as you should be doing.

Hotep Ra whipped around in fear. He saw a massive blob of black pulsing energy behind him. The mummy instantly cowered as he felt the dark and evil Haunting Aura that the thing admit. "AH!"

Falling to his knees, Hotep Ra had to fight back tears. This…thing was powerful beyond words. How could such a thing exist?

Do you know who I am?

"N-no…" Hotep squeeked out.

I am Nekron the Reaper. The ultimate ghost and the seeker of death.

"B-but…you were killed…"

Hahahahahahahahahahaha! How can a being whose element is death die?! I was merely weakened, but now my power is slowly returning. But it will take time. That is why I need servants to work under me and help me revive myself faster.

"A-and…you w-want me to be your servant…" Hotep Ra trembled in fear.

Yes. These two are too consumed by their hatred of the half-ghosts to think logically about them. That is why I chose you. You have no opinion on them. Neutrality. It will be needed so that the halfas aren't killed prematurely.

"I…see…" Hotep Ra frowned. He did not wish to serve under anyone. Part of him would just prefer to be killed than to be a devoted servant like he was to the Pharaoh.

Do not think that you will go unrewarded, though. In exchange for your service, I shall provide you with a kingdom of your own. You will rule until the time of your death, then the kingdom will be wiped out, just like every life in existence.

"So…you'll spare me, and give my dream…" Hotep Ra frowned. "How do I know you are not lying?"

A large red X appeared across the blob.

On my word. Cross my heart and hope to die. If I do not complete my promise, I will fade away completely.

"…Alright…Do I have to sign something?" Hotep Ra questioned.

No all you need to do is put on one of my rings. Do this, and we are forever bonded as master and servant.

A black ring appeared in front of the mummy ghost. It did not take him long to put the ring on his finger just like the two ghosts behind him.

(Tuesday-September 7, 2010)

'Danny Phantom is Red X…' Cassandra noted as she stealthily moved back to her mother's location.

This was big news. If this got out, Phantom's reputation might be shattered. Cassandra would never tell, though. She respected and admired Phantom too much to hurt him like that. Besides, the Red X thing just made him cooler.

Originally, she just wanted to have Red X pass on the Ghoul Project file to Phantom, but this was better. She got to meet the person she admired so much. He was even cuter than he appeared in pictures.

She should be worried about what she just did. What she did was treason. The Shadows would have her killed if they ever found out. Cassandra was not concerned about that, though. She did the right thing. For once, she was happy with her choice in life.

'I wish that I could always feel like this…' Cassandra noted. It was too bad that she was born as an assassin. She never had a choice about how her life would turn out. The girl was just expected to obey. This was her fate.

That was part of the reason she admired Phantom so much. He fought against the role that fate had defined him with. He showed mercy when he was destined to show anger and hatred. Cassandra had never seen such a thing before. She often wished that she could be like that.

A person that fought against fate…it was a nice dream.

(Tuesday-September 7, 2010)

"God…What am I doing…" Jennifer Savage sighed as she sunk into her bed. Unlike most assassins, she was given a lavish living quarters. The bed was large and soft in the wide room covered in pink paint. Most assassins would scoff at this room, but Jen was gifted with many benefits by her father.

Lying on her bed, Jennifer thought about what transpired today. She and Danny reconciled. After discovering that Phantom was Fenton, the girl felt her life grow darker. Her only friend was also her greatest enemy. Oh, the bitter irony.

She didn't say anything to anyone for both her safety and the safety of Danny, but she was still hurt. Danny was the only person in the world that treated her normally. He was the only one that was ever kind to her for the sake of being kind besides her father…

Of course he did. He was a pretty big freak just like her. Half ghost, half human. To think, the key to the Ghoul Project her father mentioned was right there all along.

After discovering this, Jen knew that they could never be friends again, but Danny once again surprised her. He offered a hand of friendship out once again. One look into his eyes, and Jennifer could not stop herself from forgiving him. His sincerity and concern always shined through like that.

But…now what? How could they possibly be friends? If Phantom and Jinx met again, they would be forced to fight. Would they just fake it? Would it escalate and cause their friendship to break apart?

How could this ever work?

"Damn it…" Jennifer sat up. Her pink pajama hung loose from her body. "I'm a fool…"

She couldn't forsake her friendship with Danny. Jennifer cared too much about him to let that happen. She knew that her feelings for him were more than that of friendship. The girl desired a far more intimate relationship, but that would never happen.

Perhaps she could delude herself, though. For a brief time, she could pretend it was possible and act like a normal person. Because she wanted this so much, and she would do anything to have it.

(Tuesday-September 7, 2010)

Freakshow frowned. "Damn…Ra's got away."

Lydia was silent as she stood by his side. He had teleported them away from the Shadows base and back to one of the abandoned warehouses that they stayed.

"I was so close too…" Freakshow growled. "He was right there…Damn ninjas. Always so sneaky."

"…There are still other options. Other opportunities." Lydia mentioned.

"You're right, my dear, but I'm just tired." Freakshow sighed. "I just want to get this done. Once I'm Master of All Reality, we'll have the world in my palm. We will own this world and live like royalty for the rest of time."

"I don't care about that." Lydia shook her head. "It doesn't matter how we live, as long as we're together."

"But you deserve so much better than that!" Freakshow argued. He gently grabbed her shoulders. "You deserve the world, so that's what I'm giving you. No matter what…"

(Tuesday-September 7, 2010)

Ra's Al Ghul sighed as Red X left. "You do know that he will never join us. Something is off with him."

"He works for Fenton." Luthor prepared drinks for them. "He is extremely loyal to him for some reason."

"I see…That means Fenton gave the information to the ghosts about the Guys in White." Ra's sighed. "Should we take action?"

"Fenton didn't knowingly work against us. Plus, everything worked out in the end." Luthor shrugged and handed Ra's his drink.

"I suppose it did." Ra's nodded. "Besides, if Red X is allied to Fenton…That makes Fenton even more valuable to us."

"But will he ally with the Light?" Luthor sipped his drink.

"Oh, I'm sure he can be persuaded. We just need to find some common ground."

(Tuesday-September 7, 2010)

"So what did you think of the new kids?" Karen Beecher questioned.

"Meh…" Mal Duncan shrugged. "Megan seems nice enough, but the guy with her was really weird."

Karen messed with her yellow and black outfit. "Tell me about it. He seems to take everything so seriously. But he seems to care about Megan. He even carried her books."

"Oh, alright." Mal didn't really care about that. He did that for Karen all the time after all. "Either way, I hope he doesn't-"

"Woah! Heads up!"

Mal reacted instantly. He jumped in front of Karen protectively and grabbed his friend Martin before the teen could fly any farther.

"Gah…Thanks, Mal. I totally wiped out there." Martin looked back to his upturned skateboard.

"Geeze, you need to be careful." Mal sighed. "You could have hurt someone. You're lucky I was here to stop you."

(Thursday-September 23, 2010)

"It seems that Joel managed to defeat Grundy…" Queen Bee spoke to her companions through the monitors.

"I see…" Ra's couldn't help but smile at the thought of his son taking down such a strong monster.

"Interesting, but you do realize zhat zhis was only a ploy to ignore the fact that zhey lost three test subjects." The Brain mentioned.

"I would say it worked. Joel showed a lot of promise, and just how far the Ghoul Project can go." Luthor mentioned. "Still, this failure cannot go completely unpunished…"

"I won't. I will have some of the guards that were involved killed." Queen Bee stated.

"Good. With that out of the way, can we talk about why the ghouls made a bee line to Amity Park?" Klarion questioned.

"It is interesting…" Savage nodded. "Were they drawn there by the mass amount of ectoplasm, the connection to the Ghost Zone, or something else?"

(Saturday-September 25, 2010)

Bertrand had to hold back tears as he saw the woman he love forced into a padded cell. He watched as the shadowing hollered and yelled. She rammed herself into the soft walls of her cell and tried to free herself from the straight jacket that held her.

"What are we going to do with her?" Bullet looked to Torch. This purple skinned muscular ghost with an eye patch used to be Walker's second in command, but he refused to abandon the Ghost Zone like his old boss. His loyalty was to the prison, not to Walker.

"Torch doesn't know…" Torch sighed and eyed the crazed ghost. "What can we do? Torch could try to find a way to restore her mind, but her madness will make it impossible. Until then, be careful with her, and treat her kindly…"

"So…" Bertrand looked to Torch. "You will try to help her?"

"Yes…" Torch nodded. "We will…"

"Will…will you let me speak to her sometimes?" Bertrand asked. "Maybe I can help bring her back…"

Torch and Bullet shared a look. Torch nodded slowly. "Alright, but you will be guarded…"

"Thank you…Thank you so much…"

(Sunday-September 26, 2010)

Cassie Sandmark sighed and looked over to her mother across the table. "No offense Mom, but all this Greek architect stuff is boring."

"Really? I thought that you would be really interested in it…" Helena Sandmark blinked.

"It's not my thing. Why would you even assume that I like it?" Cassie questioned.

"Well, your father…" Helana paused.

"My dad?" Cassie gained an excited look. "What about him?"

"Nothing. Nothing." Helana shook her head.

"Oh come on, Mom!" Cassie frowned. "Why can't you tell me anything about him? Every time he's brought up, you clam up."

"I'm sorry, Cassie. It's complicated."

"I don't see how it's complicated at all…" Cassie muttered and clenched the table in front of her. She didn't notice as her fingers left deep imprints on the wood.

(Friday-October 1, 2010)

"…That did not go as planned…" Savage noted to his comrades. Most of their meetings were on monitors because of the distance between them, but today they decided to meet in person. It was an important day because the Injustice League was going to ease the suspicions of the Justice Leauge and the Council of the Elite. Instead…

"Danny Phantom became Doctor Fate…" Klarion muttered. "Even I think that's scary."

"This derails a lot of our plans." Ra's noted.

"Still…Zhe power of magic mixed with ectoplasm is awe inspiring." The Brain actually seemed impressed.

"Is that the level that Nyx can reach?" Ocean Master questioned.

"Maybe…" Klarion shrugged. "I'll just have to find out."

"Either way, we will be able to control this new Doctor Fate when our plans with the Starro Tech are complete." Queen Bee mentioned.

"No…" Savage frowned. "This level of energy does not meet that of the ascended ectoplasm. And while Nabu is in control, Phantom cannot absorb ectoplasm to reach that level again."

"What can we do, though?" Klarion questioned. "I doubt Nabu will be willing to take another vessel. This level of power can only be matched if Doctor Fate used another ghost as a vessel."

"Then he have to hope that another ghost steps up…" Savage eyed the image of Phantom Fate. "Or we will have to use the Starro Tech experiment we have planned to order the good Doctor to release Phantom."

(Friday-October 1, 2010)

"This…was not what I was hoping to wake up to…" Colossus mentioned.

"No, today is a sad day for the Ghost Zone…" Vision mentioned as she stood in front her personal garden. "One of the future leaders of our world is now lost."

"What do we do?" Plasmius questioned. "We can't leave Daniel like this."

"We must free him immediately!" The Fright Knight roared. "Lord Phantom cannot be allowed to live under the thumb of Nabu!"

"There is no way to force the helmet off of someone without killing them, though." Vision sighed.

"Then we either convince Nabu release him or trick him into it." The Fright Knight grunted out.

"The only question is…how?" Plasmius sighed.

(Sunday-October 10, 2010)

"Today has been an interesting day to say the least…" Vandal Savage grinned.

"Kekekekekekekekeke!" Klarion chuckled. "Yeah! I sensed it! Nabu took a new vessel. Danny Phantom is now free, and Nabu still has the combined power of magic and ectoplasm."

"Zhis is zhe best possible option, no?" Brain questioned.

"Yes. Now the Light will have both Doctor Fate and Danny Phantom." Ocean Master grinned.

"Not only that, the Ghoul Project is showing even more progress." Queen Bee mentioned. "Joel fought Agent Z today. Zempell did manage to injure Joel, but he passed out from instability."

"I see…" Ra's nodded. "Did Joel do well?"

"He did." Queen Bee nodded.

"So…Phantom. Doctor Fate. The Ghoul Project…" Savage chuckled lowly. "It seems all of our plans are working out quite nicely."

(Tuesday-October 12, 2010)

"Screw them…" Jason Todd mentioned. He was sick of living in foster homes and orphanages. It was annoying as hell, and he was always bored and hungry. So, he left.

Living off the streets was far easier than that. He did what he want when he wanted to do it. To stay alive, he used his pickpocket skills to take what he needed. Sure, he really didn't have a bed, but that was fine. He could hang out in one of the abandoned buildings. Gotham had plenty of them.

"Still…I could use a bit more cash." Jason mentioned to himself. Maybe he could pimp out an abandon warehouse? That would be awesome.

How would he get the money, though? He was too young to work. There was no way he'd beg for it. Pickpocketing only got you so much when most people used credit cards. What could he do?

Seeing all the cars in a nearby parking lot, Jason paused. "Maybe I can steel some tires and sell them?"

(Saturday-October 23, 2010)

"Tsk…I told you, I don't need to talk about anything." Artemis rolled her eyes. She pulled her legs up to her chest as a defense mechanism.

"Because you're too tough for help?" Black Canary questioned as she sat across from the blond archer. This therapy session didn't seem to be going anywhere. Artemis was far too guarded to talk about her trauma from the training simulation. "You know, it's not a weakness to accept help from friends."

"Well I didn't ask for help!" Artemis snapped. "And I sure didn't ask Danny to sacrifice his arm to save my life!"

"I see…" Black Canary nodded in understanding. "So you don't like the fact that Danny allowed himself to get hurt because of you…"

"…" Artemis clenched her fists. "Of course I don't! I hate being weak! I couldn't do anything to help anyone!"

"There was nothing you could have done." Canary encouraged. "The simulation was designed to only get worse as time went on."

"That doesn't matter! I should have done something instead of almost get killed and later watch as Wally was killed without even trying to save him…"

"I see…" Black Canary tilted her head. "Why just Wally? Why not someone else?"

Artemis's face flushed. "No…I, er…I mentined that Danny lost his arm…"

"Don't use that to hide what's really bothering you."

(Saturday-October 23, 2010)

"Look, I'm fine." Wally stuffed a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "It's not like I saw anyone I care about die or anything."

"But you did see Danny lose his arm, and Kaldur was lost in the conflict." Black Canary argued.

"…Yeah, well, that stung, but it's all fine now." Wally rapidly chewed on a candy bar.

"Oh? What about the moment of your death?" Canary encouraged.

"What? I ran up to Bro, pushed him away, and disappeared in a blink." Wally snorted out and momentarily paused his eating.

"That's right. You ran up knowing that you would die in his place." Canary eyed the speedster.

"It's no big deal. Danny would have done the same for me." Wally shrugged.

"He would have." Canary nodded. "I can see that you're telling the truth mostly, but the thing about disappearing in a flash…I know that's a lie. You're a speedster and your adrenaline was running rapid in that moment. That moment happened in slow motion for you."

"Whatever…I guess so…" Wally fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Tell me, what were you thinking about in that moment?" Canary questioned.

"Oh you know, the usual. My parents." Artemis. "Food." Artemis. "Girls." Artemis.

Did he mention Artemis?

(Saturday-October 23, 2010)

"Hurting? Try traumatized." Robin lowered his head and intertwined his fingers. "I watched everyone I care about die in front of me, and my biggest dream was destroyed."

"Dream?"

"I always wanted…assumed that I would become THE Batman," Robin sighed. "But I saw what that really meant. Danny was in charge of everything. He was the one that would sacrifice anything for the mission. I saw how it slowly killed him. Every death made him look like he lost a piece of his soul."

"The mantle of leader is a heavy burden to bear." Canary nodded.

"But it was who I thought I was meant to be." Robin argued. "But after I saw what it really meant…I was thankful."

Black Canary gained a surprised look.

"I was so desperate to be the leader at first, but Danny naturally took the spot. I thought that eventually, I would take over, but now I'm glad that I never had to lead at all." Robin shook his head. "I won't…can't be the one responsible for so many people's lives."

(Saturday-October 23, 2010)

"I am no longer fit to be on Young Justice." Kaldur stated evenly.

"What?" Black Canary was shocked. "Why?"

"I directly disobeyed a direct order." Kaldur explained. "Danny ordered me to retreat, but I stayed and made sure that he survived."

"And you think that means you don't deserve to be on the Team anymore?" Canary questioned.

"Yes." Kaldur nodded.

"Kaldur, you were concerned with your friend." Black Canary tried to comfort him. "There is no sin in that."

"No…That is only the partial truth." Kaldur's face twisted in guilt. "I…saw what happened to Amity Park in the simulation. It was hell, and Danny was torn apart on the inside especially when…He was forced to leave the Red Huntress to die."

"Kaldur…"

"And in that moment, I knew that I would not be able to go on if I saw that happen to Atlantis. If I had to…" Kaldur stopped. If he had to leave Tula to die like that. It would kill him to lose the girl he loved. "The invaders would surely target Atlantis like that, and if I knew that I saw that, I wouldn't be able to lead Young Justice. Only Danny had to strength to lose everything and keep going. That is why I shifted that burden onto him."

(Saturday-October 23, 2010)

"It was all my fault." M'gann gently bopped her head. " Hello, Megan. Who else could take a simple exercise and turn it into a nightmare that terrorized everyone she cares about…"

Black Canary raised an eyebrow as M'gann's green skin shifted to Caucasian white. "You turned white…"

"No!" M'gann gasped and jumped to her feet. She looked at her arms in terror. "Oh…You meant Caucasian." She slowly sat down. "Yeah, I'm fine being Megan, but I can't be trusted with my other powers."

"M'gann, you're a Martian. Not using your natural abilities is like me refusing to speak, which, by the way, I tried for a while after my very first Canary Cry nearly deafened my entire first grade class." Black Canary noted. "So, I get how you feel, but not being yourself is never the answer. It won't make your feelings of guild go away. You must learn from what happened. Your uncle would be happy to train you. Practice, until you gain control and regain your confidence."

"But…" M'gann had tears in her eyes. "What if I hurt someone like I did with Danny? I basically shattered his mind."

"M'gann, that won't happen again as long as you have control over yourself."

(Saturday-October 23, 2010)

"Here's the ugly truth…" Superboy sat across from Black Canary. After having a strange adventure with a group of "new gods" that called themselves the Forever People, Superboy decided that it would be best to talk about what happened. "I wasn't devastated. Even with Superman, Tornado, you, the whole League dead. Even though I didn't save Wolf, watched Danny lose his arm, learned about Kaldur's death, watched Wally die, and abandoned M'gann, I felt…at peace."

Black Canary's jaw dropped.

"See from the moment I first opened my eyes in the Cadmus pod, there's been one thing that I've wanted and feared. To know what it is to be Superman." Conner explained. "And I knew, so I was…happy."

Superboy looked at Canary in desperation. "Everyone I know and care about is traumatized, and I'm happy. How do I get past the guilt of that? How do I live with myself?"

"I have no easy answers, Conner." Black Canary placed a gentle hand of Superboy's knee. "But one thing's clear. Admitting it is the first step."

"…" Superboy looked up at Black Canary and looked back down. "You know what the funny thing is…The trust and belief that people showed me. I already knew what it was like."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I never realized it, but Danny always looked at me like that. Even when we were fighting for our lives, he never once doubted me. He trusted me without question since the beginning. I never needed to have everyone die to see what it was like to be Superman."