Chapter 8: "Be Selfish"

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"Sometimes you have to be selfish to be selfless." Edward Albert

Chapter 8: "Be Selfish"

(Friday-August 27, 2010)

"Sorry…" Phantom removed his hand from the enemy. "Your powers seem to be weak against me. It's your bad luck, I guess."

The large beige blob was silent. Of course, it was hard to talk when you were completely frozen solid. So, Phantom decided that he would let the rudeness go this time around.

Originally, Phantom had not gone on the mission with the Team. He had a lot of work to do at Amity Park and decided to forgo the mission in Gotham City. Batman actually seemed pleased with the prospect of measuring Young Justice's effectiveness without Phantom. So, the Team had went of their first mission without Phantom and were ready to try and prove themselves.

It had not ended well. Phantom had to respond to their SOS signal and save them.

This new clay creature proved to be a great challenge to Young Justice. His ability to recover from any physical damage left most of the Team powerless to him with their combat strategies. They did have options, but it seemed as if they weren't thinking outside the box.

This Clayface may be immune to physical damage, but they had other options. M'gann's telepathy could have been a big help against the creature, but maybe his mental structure had changed, so Phantom didn't dwell too much on that. But there were also the options of Aqualad's control over water, and Robin and Artemis' electric devises.

Looking over his filth covered team, Phantom noted how exhausted they looked. Perhaps the constant barrage of missions and training had taken its toll. More than one of them seemed a little distracted the past couple of days, none more so than Aqualad, however. That might be the main reason the mission had ended to hectically. The person in charge needs to be focused. If the leader failed in his or her job, how could you expect the Team to prosper?

Phantom frowned. Of course, the same could be said for him. He was pretty distracted himself right now. Why else would he have missed the mission in the first place?

It seemed that both he and Aqualad had some soul searching to do.

Perhaps he should request some time off from Batman…

Usually, Spirit thrived on attention. She loved the spotlight. There was, however, too much of a good thing. For example, when a helicopter begins to stalk you around town so a reporter could get an interview with you…Yeah, that was a bit too much.

"Spirit!" Spring Whitiker, a local field reporter, yelled from the helicopter. "Can you tell the public about the new dark hero that has been seen with you?!"

"No!"

"Any word on the Red Huntress?!"

"No! Go away! I'm trying to walk my dog!"

"Bark!" Cujo, in puppy form, agreed.

"What about the videos of you and Phantom pulling pranks around town?!"

"Leave me…" Spirit paused. "Videos? What videos?!"

"The ones of you starting a food fight at the mall!" Spring yelled over the helicopter.

"I never started a food fight!" Spirit glared. She wanted to, but she didn't want to get in trouble for it.

"We have footage of it!" Spring turned to her cameraman. "Show her!"

The cameraman from the helicopter rewound the footage and showed it to Spirit. In the video, Spirit was flying around the mall's food court while flinging food. The Spirit in the video seemed to be taking great joy in her actions. In fact, if Spirit didn't know better, she would have assumed that the person in the video was her. That expression was definitely one that Spirit would have in that situation.

"What?!" Spirit was outraged. "That's not me! How dare someone use my image like that!?"

"Er…"

"Come on, Cujo!" Spirit turned invisible and flew away. She wasn't in the mood to be followed by the press.

Pulling out her phone, Spirit called for help.

"Hello?"

"Rachel!" Spirit shouted in the phone. "Did you know that I started a food fight at the mall?!"

"Yes." That was Rachel's simply answer.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Spirit cried.

"I…thought you knew…" Rachel was obviously confused.

"Of course I didn't!" Spirit exclaimed. "If I knew, don't you think I would be bragging about it?!"

"That…is an excellent point." Rachel commented.

"Yeah! Someone is pretending to be me." Spirit growled.

"Oh…" Rachel stated. "What does this have to do with me?"

"You're going to help me find this guy." Spirit explained.

"I'm a little busy right now." Rachel said neutrally. "You know I need my meditation to control my powers."

"Yeah, but Danny got called in for an SOS. So he can't help me." Spirit explained.

"…Fine. I'll finish up and come find you." Rachel noted. "You shouldn't be that hard to find you if your emotions and ectoplasm are running wild."

"Right! See you soon." Spirit ended the call and put away the phone.

The next minute, Spirit was phasing through the ceiling of the Amity Park mall. Floating into the food court with Cujo, Spirit began to look around. This, of course, caught the attention of everyone in the food court. Everyone gaped at the sight of one of the city's designated guardians and heroes.

"Cujo," Spirit addressed her dog. "See if you can find a weird scent."

"Bark!" The ghost dog immediately got to work. As he did this, though, the crowd began to address the heroine as she floated to the ground.

"It's Spirit!"

"What you did earlier was awesome!"

"What?" Spirit looked over the crowd. Plenty of people she knew were there. The A-listers from Casper High were even there. "That wasn't me!"

"You don't need to deny it!" A thing blond girl name Star called. "It was so much fun!"

"Yeah, it's great to see a superhero cut loose like that." A large teenager of Asian descent named Kwan spoke.

"I know!" Spirit was now sad. "Someone else had the fun! It wasn't really me."

"For real!?" Blond quarterback Dash Baxter's eyes widened.

"How dare someone do that?!" The beautiful Paulina was outraged.

Murmurs and anger spread through the crowd. The people of Amity Park had obtained an absolute trust in the Phantom Family. They were always there to protect them. You can imagine their discomfort to learn that someone could impersonate your hero right in front of you, and you don't even realize the truth.

"Don't worry! I'll find the impostor!" Spirit exclaimed.

And, of course, they cheered.

Spirit beamed. She loved this part of the job. It made her feel like a rockstar.

"Bark!" Cujo stood at her feet. He seemed a bit confused. The dog smelled her, then smelled the air. It was like he thought his nose was lying to him.

"Did you find a scent?"

"Bark!"

"Alright, let's go!"

"So…" Phantom mentioned as Young Justice zeta'ed into the Cave. "That sucked."

"Yeah…" Kid Flash grumbled. "No kidding."

"It could be worse." M'gann smiled. "At least, you showed up when you did."

"Not to mention your intangibility getting rid of the muck." Artemis noted. "It would have been killer to get out of my hair."

"That, and the smell would have been terrible." Robin smirked. "Wally already smells bad enough as it is."

"Dude!"

Superboy smirked. "Burn."

"I don't think you get it…" Phantom sighed. "This was mostly your chance to do a mission without me being there. If I hadn't, there would be a good chance that Batman would have saved your asses instead of me."

None of the Team liked the sound of that. It would have been humiliating to be saved by someone from the League. It would have lowered the respect and trust they had worked to build.

"I think that we should do some critical thinking drills. Learn to fight unusual enemies like that clay monster." Phantom suggested.

"Fair enough…" Kaldur sighed.

"But that's for later." Phantom noted. "Go. Relax. Have fun, and frolic through the flowers for all I care."

"I think he was talking to you, Supes." Wally smirked.

Superboy just glared.

"Kaldur?" Phantom addressed the Atlantian. "We need to talk."

Everyone turned.

"Alone."

With that, everyone began to leave. Most of them didn't seem to care all that much. Robin, however, looked unhappy. He must be angry about not being leader or second-in-command.

'I'll talk to him later…' Phantom stated. "I wanted to talk about the mission."

"I am sorry that you had to intervene." Kaldur bowed his head. "This was my opportunity to prove myself as second-in-command, and I failed."

"Yeah, you kind of did." Phantom bluntly stated. "But not for the reasons that you're probably going to tell me."

"I-"

"I don't know what it is, and I don't need to." Phantom stated. "If I'd have to guess, I'd say you're homesick, but, hey, what do I know?"

"Yes…You are correct." Kaldur sighed. "Of late, I am not even convinced I belong on the surface world. For so many years, it filled my every thought, but now that I am here, my dreams are all Atlantis."

"Dreams, eh…" Phantom rubbed his head. "I don't know much about that, but I do know about being consumed by a thought. I can tell you this, trying to divide your attention won't work, especially if you desire to be in Atlantis. Right, now, I'd say do some soul searching. Find out what you really want. Either way, I'll respect you decision."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Kaldur smiled. "But…if I do decide to stay…"

Phantom turned. "I won't be able to keep the second-in-command spot free, but you'll always be welcome on this Team."

"Thank you." Kladur seemed relieved. "You are a good friend."

"I guess…" Phantom sighed. "Truth be told, I need to take my own advice. It's not easy to lead this team, and be fully active at home."

"I see…" Kaldur noted.

"Yeah." Phantom waved. "I'll talk to you later, Kaldur."

As he walked away from the Atlantian, Phantom noted that Robin was talking with Batman. It was possibly about the mission, but Phantom wasn't sure. "I'm guessing you want the mission report?"

"Robin has already informed me on the mission." Batman frowned. "I was hoping for the Team to have the chance to complete a mission without you."

"I know. Don't want them to become reliant..." Phantom looked at Robin and smirked. "Especially, you bird boy. Don't expect me to solve all your problems."

Robin snorted. "You wish, Inviso-Bill."

"I never approved that name!"

"Anyway." Batman intervened. "Your work today was satisfactory, nevertheless. But I get the feeling that there is something else you want to talk about."

"Yeah, I think the Team needs to train in strategy against unusual enemies. Gain some critical thinking skills and all that." Phantom noted.

"Agreed." Batman nodded. "I will speak to Black Canary, and you can begin your own drills immediately."

"…About that…" Phantom frowned. "I was going to ask for some time off."

"…I see…" Batman nodded.

"Bro, are you quitting?" Robin asked in shock.

"No…" Phantom shook his head. Not yet at least… "I just have a lot of backed up work to do in Amity Park. Just…give me a week. That'll give me some time to get everything settled."

"Fine." Batman agreed.

"Good. I'll see you guys soon." Phantom stated as he pulled out his phone. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm getting some super weird texts from Spirit. Something about a 'no good, filthy copycat who needs to get her own life and stop ruining my fun like a pathetic little…' Well, the rest gets a little too vulgar for my tastes. In fact, I didn't even know that she knew those words…"

In fact, he didn't know if he knew those words…

"Aha!" Spirit glared at her look alike. "I found you!"

Cujo had followed the trail of the impostor. He seemed to be confused the entire time, but he managed to get it down. He led Spirit to downtown Amity Park. There, they found the impostor overshadowing people and making them embarrassing things. Spirit was completely outraged by this.

She always wanted to do that!

"No, it is I that found you!" The impostor pointed at Spirit.

"What are you talking about?! I was clearly the person that was looking for you! You were here messing around!" Spirit exclaimed.

"No! I was trying to draw out the impostor!" Fake Spirit exclaimed. "And here you are!"

"There is no way I would do something that stup-Hahahahaha!" Spirit burst out laughing. "S-sorry. I-I couldn't finish that sentence. That is totally something I would do…"

"You mean, I would do!" Fake Spirit glared.

"Um, no!" Spirit frowned. "You may look like me, sound like me, and act like me, but…Wow, I don't think I'm helping my case."

"Bark!" Cujo growled at the fake Spirit.

"Well, look at that." Spirit puffed out her chest. "Cujo knows who's real."

"You just tricked him." Spirit smiled at Cujo. "Cujo! It's me boy! Come on, boy! Get away from the faker.

"He won't fall for that! Right, Cujo?" Spirit waited for a response. "…Cujo, you're kind of leaving me hanging here. Back me up."

Cujo did no such thing, though. He looked between the two girls. Smelling the air, the dog merely whimpered. He had no idea which one was real. They both smelled completely the same. He could go with the girl he came with, but he wasn't sure that she was the imposter from the beginning of today. For a dog, smell doesn't lie. To him, they were both Spirit.

"Gah!" Spirit cried. "I can't believe this!"

"Yeah!" Fake Spirit frowned. "How come my dog doesn't recognize that he's been following an impostor?"

"Your dog! He's my dog!" Spirit lunged at the faker.

"No way! He's my dog!" Fake Spirit lunged too.

Phantom arrived in downtown Amity Park to find an unusual scene. There was a large crowd around a single point. It reminded Phantom of High School when people gathered around to encourage a fight…

"Crap…" Phantom placed his face in his hands. "That's Dani, alright…"

"That was what I was thinking…" Dani's friend Raven appeared next to Phantom in a swirl of energy.

"You just get here too?" Phantom questioned as they eyed the crowd below them.

"Nope." Raven answered. "I've been here fourteen minutes."

"What?" Phantom raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't help, yet?"

"I was too amused to interfere." Raven answered in a monotone voice. "Seeing two Dani's get into a literal cat fight is incredibly fun to watch."

"Well, I can't deny that…" Phantom nodded. "Maybe I can wait to interrupt them…no, no, I need to stop them now."

"Do you have to?"

"Yes, unfortunately."

With that, the two began to descend to the ground. As they floated inside the ring of people, they noticed that the two Spirits were on the ground wrestling. They were pulling in each other's hair, tearing clothes, and trying to beat each other.

The crowd around them were watching and recording the fight. None of them seemed bothered by the fact that those two beings fighting could through them through a wall. Considering that this fight looked like it should belong in mud, Phantom couldn't blame them.

Well…actually, he could.

"Hey!" Phantom addressed the crowd. Every head turned to him. "Shows over. You shouldn't be watching little girls fight like this anyway. Yes, it would be stupid to try and separate them, but you shouldn't be standing around like this! You've seen ghosts fight. They usually aren't that safe to be around."

Murmurs of agreement spread through the crowd.

"Reporters too!"

"Aw…" The Amity Park News Team looked down dejectedly as they began to walk away.

"Phantom!" Both the Spirit cried.

"Alright…" Phantom looked at the two girls. "What's going on?"

Both Spirits burst out explanations about the circumstance. Despite the confusion of them talking at once, Phantom managed to make out some of the words. Apparently, one of them was an impostor. The other was real and trying to prove that the other was fake.

"Okay!" Phantom yelled. "I get it."

"Well?" Spirit #1 questioned. "Get the impostor!"

"No!" Spirit #2 pointed at the other. "Get her!"

"I'm obviously the real one!" Spirit #1 exclaimed.

"No way! I'm the real one!" Spirit #2 shouted. "It's obvious because I look better."

"What?! No you don't!" Spirit #1 glared. "You're super ugly!"

"No, you're the ugly one!"

"You do realize that you're insulting yourselves?" Raven commented.

Both Spirits paused. "Doh!"

"Well…" Phantom examined the girls. "There's no obvious difference in appearance."

"There's also no difference in ectoplasmic signature." Raven commented. "They're exactly the same. I could try to tell by their emotions, but they're both distraught, so I don't think I'll be able to tell the difference."

"Okay…" Phantom looked over at Cujo who was sitting of to the side. "Cujo, can you smell the difference?"

Cujo whimpered.

"Alright then, no…" Phantom sighed. "Well…now what?"

"What? I'm obviously the real one!" Spirit #2 shouted. "Don't you believe in me? I'm your sister!"

"No, I'm your sister!" Spirit #1 argued.

"I know what to do." Raven intervened. "We can set up elaborate tests to prove which one is real. First, a physical test. Then, a mental test. Finally, we ask them questions that only she would know."

"Or…" Phantom pulled out his phone. "I could just call her."

"I like my idea better." Raven muttered. "It'd be more embarrassing for them."

"Hey!" Both Spirits glared.

Phantom called Spirit's phone. Ring! Ring! Ring! The sound was coming from Spirit #2.

The Fake Spirit gulped. "Well, crap."

"Hey!" The faceless, trench coat wearing ghost with a cane yelled. "No need to be rough."

"I think there is." Phantom mumbled as he shoved Amorpho to the Ghost Portal in Masters Mansion. "You pretended to be my sister. That obviously is a problem."

"I didn't do anything bad! I just pulled a few pranks." Amorpho argued.

"That's why I'm no calling Pandora to arrest you." Phantom noted. "But you know you can't just do things like that anymore."

"I just wanted attention…" Amorpho mumbled.

Phantom sighed. "I know, but the rules have changed. I don't have problems with you pranking, but I can't let people mess with our reputation at all. Not only that, your powers are too dangerous. There was literally no physical difference between you and the person you copied. This is above even Martian transforming. If someone finds out and tries to use you…"

"You…have a point." Armorpho nodded.

Spirit decided to try and cheer him up. "What you did was funny at least. If you weren't impersonating me, then I would have thought they were hilarious."

"Thanks…" Amorpho stated happily. "I'm sorry for copying you. I just thought it would be more believable than Phantom."

"You're not wrong." Spirit nodded.

"I'm just glad you didn't cause any damage." Phantom sighed. "If you did…"

"I know, but that's not the attention I want." Amorpho noted. "But perhaps, I'll keep my mischief to the Ghost Zone."

"That might be for the best. Just don't cross the wrong person." Phantom advised. "Also, if things get really bad, you can call. I'll do my best to try and help."

"Noted." Amorpho nodded. "And if you ever need a little mischief or impersonating done, I'll be there."

"How would you know?" Spirit questioned.

"There's an upside to being unnoticed." Amorpho noted. "You tend to hear things you shouldn't…"

With that, he flew into the portal.

"Well…That was a rather tame adventure." Phantom noted.

"Yeah, usually my fights and conflicts get out of hand really fast." Spirit mentioned.

"Not just you…" Phantom sighed.

"It seems that way." Spirit mumbled. "It's been forever since you've been here for this stuff…"

"Dani…"

"What?" Spirit frowned. "Are you going to apologize?"

"What do you want me to say?" Phantom questioned. "I have responsibilities to my team."

"Do you?" Spirit questioned. "Because it seems like you're forgetting the people here more and more."

"I don't forget." Phantom argued. "But if I'm not there, they might die. I mean, I took one day off, and they were defeated by one monster."

"So, you're putting yourself at risk because they want to prove themselves?" Spirit frowned. "If they really wanted to prove themselves, then they shouldn't rely on you. Cause, I know for sure that you don't have anything to prove."

"I just want to get them to the point where they don't need me…" Phantom mentioned.

"You keep saying stuff like that, but why do they need you? They have the League." Spirit argued. "They don't need you."

"But they've been running into my enemies…"

"So that's it? You're using them to track down the enemies, because that makes sense." Spirit stated.

"No! I'm not using them!" Phantom seemed outraged. "What's with people thinking that? First Vision, now you. I'm not going to use people who I…"

"What?" Spirit frowned. "Care about? Is that what this is about? You care about them more then Amity Park? More than me? More than your obsession?"

"My obsession is to protect what matters." Phantom argued.

"But there's different degrees of things that matters!" Spirit yelled. "Family matters more than friends that you don't even really know! Have they even told you about their families? About their lives outside your team?"

"No…"

"Then what makes them so special?" Spirit questioned. "Why are they so more important than the people here?"

"They're not! It's just that…" Phantom sighed. "Look, I know that I've been spending too much time there. That's why I took a week off."

"Good." Spirit nodded. "Because I'm not the only one who feels like this."

"I know, and plan to deal with that." Phantom sighed.

"Right. Deal with it…"

(Saturday-August 28, 2010)

Belle Reve Penitentiary was basically a fortress. It was surrounded by thick steal walls and was armed with the latest and most dangerous weapons. Not only that, the supervillian prison had trained guards and inhibitor collars to stop a meta-human's powers. Under these circumstances, even Superman wouldn't be able to break out on his own.

Recently, the prison was even upgraded to be able to hold ghosts and people who use ectoplasmic powers. This was done to hold ghosts, but it also helped to hold unusual beings such as Solomon Grundy. Considering that Solomon Grundy had just escaped from his last prison not even a month ago, this could be considered a good thing.

For Spirit, however, this left her feeling uncomfortable. It felt weird to be in a place where her powers could be completely suppressed if necessary. But she had a purpose for being here, and she was determined to see this through.

"It is unusual for anyone to visit Belle Reve." The large African American women spoke to the halfa girl. "Especially when it's one of you heroes."

"I felt like I needed to come now that everything's been settled." Spirit mentioned as the warden led her into a large room that was separated into two parts by a bullet proof window.

"Well, I don't know why, but I'm not here to judge you." Amanda Waller commented. "I'm surprised that Phantom didn't want to be in here with you."

"I asked him to wait." Spirit noted. "I need to talk to Grundy alone."

"There will be guards." Waller mentioned. "You won't be completely alone."

"Yeah, but it's different with Danny." Spirit stated. "Besides, I think he wants an update on Agent Z."

"Yes, I agreed to meet with him." Walled nodded. "Considering what happened between those two, his concern is understandable, but Belle Reve is inescapable. There's no way a person with no powers can even hope to get out."

"I believe it…"

"Well, I need to speak with Phantom." Waller noted. "You have fifteen minutes, girl. That's the most I can give you."

"Thanks."

"Good luck talking to him." Waller muttered. "He's not the chattiest person in the world."

"I think I'll be fine." Spirit noted as the woman left.

The ghost girl didn't have to wait a long time. Soon, several guards was leading Solomon Grundy into the prisoner side of the room. The pale giant was now wearing an orange Belle Reve jumpsuit and inhibitor collar.

"Grundy…" Spirit picked up the cord phone to speak to the hulking beast.

"D-"

"Spirit." Spirit corrected. "My name is Spirit."

"…Yes, Grundy remember…" Grundy mumbled. "Why Spirit here?"

"I have a lot of reasons." Spirit answered. "First, I have to thank you. You saved me from Nocturne."

"Grundy did what Grundy had to." The huge being stated.

"But I have to ask…why did you have to?" Spirit questioned.

"…Grundy could hear it." The pale monster spoke. "A voice. It told Grundy to protect Spirit. So Grundy rammed through prison wall and ran."

"But…how did you know that I was in trouble at all?" Spirit questioned.

"Grundy always feels it. It always in Grundy's brain." Grundy answered. "Spirit in trouble. Help Spirit. Help family."

"So you know it too…" Spirit mumbled. "Grundy…where did you come from."

"Grundy don't know."

"But…" Spirit frowned. "How did you get to Amity Park?"

"Grundy don't know."

"Why were you so violent?" Spirit asked.

"Grundy…angry." Solomon Grundy frowned. "Feel it. Always angry. Always want to break things. Especially that one prisoner."

"What prisoner?"

"Shiny head and grey hair on face." Grundy growled. "Grundy got in trouble for attacking bald man."

"Agent Z…" Spirit mumbled. "You don't like him?"

"NO!" Grundy roared.

Spirit's brow wrinkled in thought. "You…feel the need to protect me and hate Agent Z. That sounds a lot like…"

"Huh?" Grundy frowned.

"Never mind." Spirit dismissed the thought for later. "Tell me, Grundy. Besides feeling angry, do you remember anything?"

"Grundy…remembers one thing before fighting Spirit." Solomon Grundy answered. "One word. It rings through Grundy's head. It makes Grundy even angrier."

"What's the word?"

"Ghoul."

(Monday-August 30, 2010)

"You took a lot of time off…for you at least." Ember noted as she and Danny sat on the roof of Masters Mansion and enjoyed the small bit of peace.

"I needed it." Danny mentioned. "There was a lot I needed to settle."

"Really?" Ember questioned.

"Yeah…or more like people to appease and leads to catch up on." Danny clarified. "Made sure Agent Z is still locked up, talked with Dani, and managed to finally catch up on Vision's reports on the missing ghosts and Freakshow."

"Anything new?" Ember asked.

"No, but at least Vision won't be angry anymore…"

Ember snorted. "Sometimes, you suck at lying. I think it happens when you think too much. Or maybe, you just can't lie around me."

"Yeah…"

"It's not all your fault, though." Ember commented. "We've both been dancing around the issue for weeks."

"I know." Danny sighed. "It's the real reason I took off. I'm pretty sure everyone knows."

"Everyone does know, Dipstick." Ember rolled her eyes. "It's pretty obvious when you decide to take a mini vacation the week before I leave."

"Never was the most subtle person." Danny commented. "At least in my personal life."

"You didn't want to be discrete." Ember noted. "I know you. This kind of stuff is how you show you care."

"Hmm…"

"So, we have to address this…" Ember frowned. "What do we do when I leave to go on tour?"

"…I don't know." Danny sighed. "But I know that long distance relationships don't work."

"No…they usually don't. And I don't think it would work with us." Ember noted.

"No, it won't." Danny nodded.

"Then…do you want to break up?" Ember questioned.

"No." Danny answered immediately. "I don't want to break up. The…the time we spend together is one of the few things that keep me happy. I've questioned a lot of my past choices, but I've never questioned you. You were the only one really there for me after…"

"I know." Ember nodded sadly. "Why do you think I always sneak into your room at night? I know the war has hurt you more than anyone can understand."

"I'm not arrogant enough to say that I'm the only one that's hurting from the war." Danny noted. "I can tell that even Dani's had a hard time coping."

"But you are the one hurting the most." Ember sighed. "You mumble in your sleep you know. Every time I walk in, I hear you begging for forgiveness."

Danny was silent.

"Do you want me to stay?" Ember questioned. She gave him a rare soft look. It was one of complete vulnerability. "Because I'll stay. For you, I'll stay."

"I can't ask you to do that." Danny frowned. "This is your obsession that we're talking about here. It's what you live for. I could never ask someone I care about to give up their hopes and dreams for me."

"But you want me to stay." Ember noted.

"Of course, I do!" Danny exclaimed. "For Pete's sake, you're my first real girlfriend. I've shared more with you than I've even told Dani, Wulf, or…Klemper. That…that's not something I want to give up. But if it makes you happy to leave, then I'll gladly let you go. That's what it means to care about someone else."

"You're too good of a guy, you know that?" Ember gave a small smile. "You're such a sap, Babypop. I could make a ton of top hits by writing about the crap you say."

"I bet…"

"So…the long distance thing won't work. And you're too selfless to ask me to stay." Ember summarized.

"Yeah…then I guess-"

"But I'm not too selfless." Ember interrupted.

"What?" Danny questioned.

"Come with me." Ember beamed at her boyfriend. "Come with me on tour. We can travel the world together. You'll be free from responsibility and your troubles. It will be one big party for you. I may have to work and sing, but we can still be together."

"Ember, I can't…" Danny muttered.

"Yes, you can." Ember whispered. "Leave that team that constantly puts pressure and stress on you. Leave this city that has only caused you pain. Leave your old life of guilt and come with me."

"I can't…I can't just leave my responsibilities." Danny argued.

"Why are they your responsibilities?" Ember questioned. "Your team has the Justice League. This town has Plasmius, Fright Knight, Wulf, and even Dani. The Ghost Zone has Vision and the Council of the Elite. If you come with me, they'll survive."

"I…I don't know." Danny felt very tempted.

"Be selfish." Ember gripped Danny's arm. "All you ever do is sacrifice. For once, be selfish and do what's best for you."

Danny was silent.

"You don't have to answer me now." Ember stated. "But I need an answer before I leave. Think about it, then answer me."

"…Okay…"

(Tuesday-August 31, 2010)

Spirit rolled to the side to dodge the blast of magical energy. The blast missed her by a hair. The halfa girl quickly tried to counterattack, but was interrupted when a cat made of shadow ectoplasmic energy lunged at her.

Activating her Spectral claws, Spirit swung her arm at the shadow cat. Her green claws easily cut through Nyx's creation. She knew better than to be idle, though. If she didn't keep moving, she would get overwhelmed.

As Spirit flew away, Raven and Nyx turned their attention to each other. Knowing that Raven was better at far ranged combat, Nyx decided to close the gap between them. Pandora's daughter flew at Raven as fast as possible.

Realizing Nyx's intention, Raven decided to make sure that they remained at a good distance from each other. "Azaroth Metrion Zinthos!"

A wall of magical energy appeared between Nyx and Raven. Unable to stop her momentum, Nyx rammed into the wall of energy. Stunned from the sudden stop, Nyx held her head in pain. This left her open to the follow up attack. With a wave of her hand, Raven sent the wall of magical energy around Nyx, and rapped it around Nyx's body.

This, however, was an opportunity for Nyx. The shadow ghost began mumbling to her herself in backward sentences. She tried to focus her magic to disrupt Raven's magic. Nyx's power and control was novice at best and couldn't hope to overcome the girl who had been practicing magic since she was a toddler.

Nyx, however, lucked out. Youngblood, in his usual pirate outfit, flew up to Raven's side. Extending his peg leg, Youngblood fired an ectoplasmic cannon ball at the magic user. At the last second, Raven diverted her attention from Nyx to the attack coming at her. A magical shield blocked most of the attack, but the blast caused Raven to be sent back.

Now free, Nyx tried to attack Youngblood. Spirit, however, beat her to the punch. She lunged at Youngblood. Her Spectral Claws blazed as she swiped at the pirate ghost. Youngblood was prepared, though. He had his sword ready and blocked the incoming attack. Sparks flew as Spirit's Spectral Claws cut along the blade.

"Don't ignore me!" Nyx rushed into the fray. She gathered ectoplasm to her hands and was ready to attack.

Nyx's blast caused the two other ghost to separate. In an unorthodox move, Nyx began to spin and gather her shadow ectoplasm around her. This created a miniature tornado hit the two ghosts and sent them further apart.

Nyx's attack was interrupted when Raven came back into action. With her signature chant, Raven extended three magical bird claws that went to grab the ghosts. All three ghosts were prepared for this, however. They knew how to deal with this type of magic and managed to destroy the magical limbs.

After this, the four children were about to charge at each other again. Just when they were about to go into a free for all, a timer went off. The children stopped in midair and relaxed. The sparing match was over.

"Woo…" Nyx smiled. "That was fun."

"Argh! I agree!" Youngblood cheered. "That battle was most epic!"

"I'm pretty sure a pirate doesn't say epic…" Youngblood's parrot commented.

"This one does."

"I agree." Raven acknowledged. "These sparing matches have been helping me improve a lot."

"You should come over when Valerie does hand to hand combat training." Spirit suggested. "It would really help you."

"Aye, she be telling the truth." Youngblood commented. "Your magic may even the playing field, but if someone attacks you up close…"

"I know." Raven agreed. "But that's what Nyx has been helping me with."

"Yeah, but your progress is going about as well as mine with magic." Nyx frowned at her hands. "It's there, but I just can't focus it."

"Well…" Spirit commented. "Magic is basically the polar opposite of ectoplasm. Switching like that can't be easy."

"You're right." Nyx frowned. "If only my Mom would give me some help, or at least tell me about why I can use magic…"

"She must have a good reason." Youngblood noted. "I mean…what happens if you can't control both magic and ectoplasm? You might explode!"

"Well…I doubt it will be that extreme." Raven stated. "However, I don't think anyone would know the consequences if a single being could perfectly mix magic and ectoplasm. That person…would be nearly unstoppable."

"So she doesn't want me to become strong?" Nyx didn't seem to like that.

"No, I don't think it's that." Spirit interjected. "She might just be afraid about how that power will affect you…"

"What do you mean?"

"Solomon Grundy…He's a pretty good mix of ectoplasm and magic." Spirit explained. "He's tough as nails and is nearly immortal from what I've seen…but at the same time, he's lost most of his intelligence and common sense. He struggles to understand things, and I can tell he walks a thin line to madness."

"So…my learning magic could make me go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs?" Nyx questioned.

"That may just be what happens…" Spirit shrugged. "But that may just be in Grundy's case. Not even he has an idea of where he comes from. It might just be his origin that caused his borderline insanity."

"Either way, no one knows what will happen." Raven stated.

"Well, we're going to find out." Nyx looked away. "Even if it kills me…"

(Wednesday-September 1, 2010)

"You have been up here for a few hours, my liege." The Fright Knight appeared behind Danny as he sat on top of Fenton Works. The Ops center on the brick building was tall enough to overlook the entire city.

"Yeah, I lost track of time…" Danny agreed. "Been thinking…"

"Ah." The Fright Knight nodded as he overlooked the city. It was quite beautiful at night. "I see. May I inquire what troubles you?"

"…I don't know how you'll take it." Danny admitted. "Probably better than everyone else, but still…"

"What do you mean?"

"I can see how everyone would react if I asked for advice. Dani and Vision would be angry. Wulf and Vlad would tell me to do what makes me happy. And the other S-rank ghosts…well…"

"Follow your instincts, Great One!"

"You'll abandon your family! How dare you, ignorant child!? Go to your room and reevaluate yourself!"

"I have several books relating to stories and theories of love. Perhaps they would help."

"Yeah…" Danny sighed. "That…"

"You can predict what they will say, but not me?" Fright Knight questioned.

"You are a hard person to get a read on." Danny admitted. "Your loyalty is unquestionable, but your line of thinking is hard to predict."

"It comes with a love of drama." Fright Knight stated. "Sometimes I find it nice to be unpredictable."

"If you say so…"

"Well…If you know what everyone's advice would be and still haven't come to a decision, then this must be an important decision." Fright Knight noted.

"It is…" Danny sighed and looked at his loyal friend…servant…companion…whatever…. "You see…Ember is leaving soon."

"I am aware of the siren ghost's departure." Fright Knight nodded.

"We…we talked about our relationship. We decided that long distance relationships don't work." Danny admitted.

"Many times it doesn't. That's why it is difficult to be in a relationship with a soldier." Fright Knight stated. "Not everyone can handle it. The loneliness and solitude that comes with distance."

"And with everything that I'm responsible for, I don't think I can." Danny acknowledged. "I don't have the time."

"I see…"

"After we decided that, I told her that I couldn't ask her to stay. I can't do that to her. Making her give up her dreams and obsession…it would be like asking her to give up on being Ember." Danny stated.

"So, you ended the relationship?" Fright Knight questioned.

"No, she asked me to go with her."

"…"

"Fright Knight?" Danny looked at the dark knight ghost.

"And you are thinking about this?" Fright Knight asked. "You are thinking about leaving?"

"Yes." Danny looked down in shame. "I am."

"…It must be tempting to you." Fright Knight acknowledged. "You have a lot of burdens that would cause most men to crack under pressure. To have the opportunity to forsake them all and leave…It must seem like a dream."

"It does." Danny admitted. "Part of me…really wants to go."

"I don't blame you." Fright Knight nodded.

"But…to do that, I'd have to give up my own obsession." Danny explained. "To protect what matters…I won't be able to do that if I leave. But if I leave, I'll have peace, safety, and joy that I would never know here."

"In the end, it's a conflict between your two halves." Fright Knight noted.

"It is. My human half wants happiness and love. My ghost half wants to fulfill my obsession…to protect." Danny sighed. "I can't decide. Either way, I'll have to sacrifice. Do I ignore my human side or my ghost side?"

"It is quite the dilemma…" Fright Knight sat by his master. "One of which that I can relate to…"

"Really?"

"Yes. Long ago, I had to decide between my friends and the Ghost King." Fright Knight gained a far off look. "Do I remain loyal to my king, or my most trusted comrades? You know my decision."

"Do…you ever regret it?"

"Yes." Fright Knight nodded. "I think about what could have been. But at the same time, I decided what mattered to me most at the time and I stuck with it. Many may not have liked my decision, but they respected it."

"And my decision?" Danny questioned. "If I decide to do something that you disprove of?"

"I will respect it, because you decided to do what's right for you." Fright Knight acknowledged. "And that's how everyone will feel…eventually. At least the people who care about you will."

"Thank you." Danny gave a small smile.

"And know this." Fright Knight got on one knee and bowed. "Whatever you decide, I will always be here to protect this city and all you care about. You are my lord. My loyalty lies only with you."

"Why? What did I do to deserve that kind of loyalty?" Danny questioned.

"What is a king? What is a leader? It is the person who loves the people before him and does everything in his power to protect them. It is the person whose words matches their actions. It is the person who will let go of his anger and forgive those who have wronged him." Fright Knight. "You have proven that you are worthy to lead and to be trusted. You are the king. The man that leads when no one else will."

"…And what if I don't want to be this king?"

"Then that proves one thing. One crucial thing that allows all the Council of the Elite to trust and respect you…" Fright Knight looked up. "You are different form Pariah Dark, a man who desired to be king and refused to give that up."

(Thursday-September 2, 2010)

"Are you okay, Danielle?" Vision asked as she entered Dani's room. It was a rather messy room with clothes all over the place. The walls were covered in posters and weapons. On the girl's dresser were pictures of all her family and friends.

"Yeah…" Dani nodded. "I'm just sad that summer vacation is over. Going back to school next week. It kind of sucks."

"That is not what I meant." Vision shook her head. "I meant the unusual way you have been acting lately."

"…What do you mean?" Dani questioned.

"You've been reckless…more reckless then before." Vision explained. "You go out of your way to fight alone and try to prove yourself. Just like a few weeks ago with Technus. You could have had Raven and Cujo help you, but you decided to fight alone."

"Someone needed to help the civilians." Dani argued.

"Perhaps, but that was not your reasoning." Vision sighed. "It seems to me that you're trying to put yourself in sink or swim situations in order to become stronger."

"I…I have no idea what you're talking about." Dani looked away.

"Hmm…really?" Vision eyed the ghost girl. "Then why won't you look me in the eyes?"

"Er…"

"Sit." Vision instructed.

Dani immediately sat down on her bed.

Vision sat next to her. "I'm not the only one who noticed this. Your father is worried as well."

"…I see." Dani frowned.

"I…understand. More than you know, I understand." Vision explained. "To feel inferior. To feel weak among your peers. It is not a good feeling."

"What?!" Dani's eyes narrowed. "You understand?! You're the most dangerous ghost in the Ghost Zone."

"Not because of raw power, though." Vision began. "Long ago...I was not strong. I was a young ghost with untapped potential. It was the Ghost King that saw this potential. He found me at a time when the Reaper was at his strongest. He was convinced that I could become one of the strongest ghosts that ever existed. He put me in with the other King's Advisers. There, I thrived, and we defeated Nekron."

"So you became strong…" Dani clarified.

"Yes, it was a long and difficult process, but eventually I become what I am. The most dangerous ghost to ever live." Vision stated. "But not because of raw power. It was because of intelligence, cunning, control, and ingenuity."

"But that's you." Dani mumbled. "I'm different."

"Yes, you definitely have the potential to have far more raw power than I ever had." Vision stated.

"…Really?"

"Yes. I can already see it," Vision smiled, although Dani couldn't see it. "But right now, you are like what I was. An uncut diamond. Someone that needs proper training."

"But I train all the time. Dad, Valerie, and everyone else helps me train every day." Dani noted.

"And you are becoming stronger, but not at the rate you wish. Or to the point you'll need to be soon." Vision looked away. "I see great trouble in the future, and I don't know if you'll have help when you need it."

"I figured that…" Dani muttered.

"I'm not saying to doubt your allies, but you need to be prepared for anything." Vision explained. "A situation could occur that was like your fight with Mirror Master, and I wouldn't try to rely on like with you using the Mirror of Memories."

"…I see…" Dani nodded. "Then what do you suggest."

"You need to be trained by someone who has been through what you have been. You need a teacher who understands how to bring out potential. Someone who can train you to fight with both grace and deadly force. A combination that your other mentors have lacked." Vision explained.

"Who?"

"Danielle…I wish to make you my apprentice."

"Hey!" Ember smiled as her boyfriend approached her. "It's great to see you."

"I saw you yesterday." Danny noted. "Remember, you made me make a bike and race against Johnny 13 so that you could win a bet against Kitty."

"That was yesterday afternoon." Ember noted. "And you were distracted the whole time. You didn't even do the victory dance with me when Kitty was handing over the money."

"Sorry, but you did drop a bomb on me the other day." Danny admitted.

"Yeah, I guess I did. Sorry, I just…I try to distract myself from these type of situations." Ember stated. "Been running around these past few days trying to find anything to keep my mind off…this."

"But this has to happen." Danny stated.

"You're right…" Ember sighed. "I'm leaving for my tour tomorrow. If you needed to tell me something, now would be the time to say it."

"I have a lot of responsibility here." Danny noted. "It would be selfish of me to leave."

"I-I know." Ember looked away. She didn't like people seeing her be emotional. "And I understand, Babypop. Asking you to leave was too much."

"Ember…"

"I mean, this place is your life."

"Ember…"

"All your family and friends are here. There's no way someone would pick me over that."

"Ember." Danny gently grabbed Ember by her shoulders and turned her around. "I want to go with you."

"W-what?"

"I did a lot of soul searching." Danny admitted. "And I realized that I've been selfless for a long time. I've put everyone else first, and it's never made me happy. But because of that, there's peace between our two worlds…maybe a weak peace, but still…"

"Danny…"

"Amity Park is safer than it's been in a long time. There are several ghosts ready to protect it at a moment's notice. Young Justice will survive without me. And the Justice League and Council of the Elite can handle the missing ghosts and Freakshow." Danny smiled gently at Ember. "For once, I'm going to be selfish. Please, let me come with you."

"Danny…Yes, let's go." Ember grabbed Danny behind his head and pulled him down into a kiss.

In that moment, there was only happiness. It was like a scene described in a love ballad. The two lovers held each other and kissed. They enjoyed simply being in each other's presence.

The couple's hearts soared. They both had the opportunity to be happy. They would travel the world together. Danny would no longer be held down by his responsibilities and stress. Ember would be free to fulfill her dreams with absolutely no regrets.

…If this was a perfect world, of course. For Daniel Fenton, nothing in this life was that simple, because…

Ember was crying.

Danny pulled back. "What's wrong?"

"I-I can't let you do this…" Ember cried. "I can't let you give up your obsession for me."

"Ember…"

"No. Y-you can't come with me." Ember gave a sad smile. "Because if you do, you'll regret it. Every day, all you'll think about is Amity Park. You'll become more and more depressed. It'll grow to the point where you won't even be able to speak."

"I…No, I wouldn't…"

"You know that will happen." Ember wiped her eyes. "Because that would happen if I stayed. But…you cared enough to think about that before this. Thank you Danny."

"I don't want this to end." Danny begged.

"There's no other choice." Ember shook her head.

Danny looked away.

"You know, when I was alive, I never thought I would be in a situation like this." Ember admitted. "I'm not a strong enough ghost to have all my memories from my first life, but I remember a few things. The day I died is one. The fact that I had a brother and dad was another. But I also remember my dreams. I wanted two things. To be a rockstar and to fall in love."

"Looks like you got your wishes." Danny hugged Ember. "I'll still come with you. Even if it kills me…"

"No, you must stay. The world needs you here." Ember stated. "This time, it's my turn to be selfless. Stay, Babypop, be the hero that I know you are."

"…Okay…"

Breaking the embrace, Ember noted. "I guess this is it."

"Yeah…" Danny muttered in depression. "Stay safe, Ember. Go live your dream."

"I will, and thank you Danny." Ember smiled. "Make sure to stay alive, you hear? Because if you die, I'll drag your butt back so that I can kill you all over again."

"I'll do my best." Danny nodded.

"Good." Ember slowly began to walk away. "See ya, Hero Boy."

"See ya…" Danny waved.

For a brief moment, Ember stopped. "And one more thing…just so you never had any doubts about me…"

"Yeah?"

Ember turned and smiled. "I love you, Danny."

"Yeah…" Danny nodded. "I love you too…"

(Friday-September 3, 2010)

Recognized: Danny Phantom B04

Phantom walked into the Cave. The only person in the Zeta Tube area was Batman. He seemed to be working on something.

"Did you get everything settled?" Batman questioned.

"I did." Phantom nodded. "And I'm ready for the next mission."

Batman looked at the ghost for a moment. "Are you certain? You look terrible."

"Didn't sleep all that well." Phantom answered. In fact, that was the worst night of sleep he had ever had, and he had his fair share. "Don't worry, though. I can handle it."

"I'm sure you can." Batman nodded.

Recognized: Aqualad B02

"And it looks like I'm not the only one…" Phantom mentioned as Kaldur approached them. "How did it go?"

"Worse than I could have ever imagined." Kaldur answered. "But I'm here. 100%."

"Know how you feel." Phantom nodded. "But I'm sure neither of us want to talk about it."

"Indeed." Kaldur nodded.

"So…" Phantom turned to Batman as the other members of Young Justice arrived. "What's the mission?"

"The Watchtower detected an immense power surge in Bialian desert…"

"AAAAHHHH!"

Joel had an incredible endurance for pain. It both natural and part of his training with the Shadows. There was, however, pain that no mortal being could possibly endure. This pain which Joel was suffering was under that category.

His skin was on fire. He could feel his blood boil. Vital organs seemed to be ready to burst at a moment's notice. In fact, his entire body felt like it was turning inside out.

The young boy writhed in agony and screamed. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't even hope. All that he knew was this terrible torture.

It had been going on for weeks. These sick scientists had been pumping him full of God knows what. Each day, Joel went through this treatment. Each day, his body weakened. He had lasted longer than any other normal human that went through these tests. He pushed himself to survive against the odds.

And, of course, this pushed the scientists to put him through more and more.

Joel could feel the madness knocking at the door. It was begging to come in and ease him of the agony. The boy was tempted beyond reason to just give in, but if he did that, then he would never be able to come back. So, he fought. He fought against the agony and insanity.

"His body's resisting the ectoplasm!" One of the scientists called.

"Turn on the electricity to activate the energy inside him!" Another scientist called.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Joel screamed as electricity ran through his body. It hurt so badly. The pain was multiplied by three.

"Gack…" Joel spit out blood when the electricity stopped.

"I don't understand…" The first scientist noted. "Why is his body surviving for so long? His compatibility level is the lowest of all our test subjects."

"It doesn't make any sense…" The second scientist answered. "There is no logical reason as to why he's still alive.

"…nt….up…" Joel muttered.

"What?"

"Wo….give…p." Joel mumbled.

"I don't understand what he's saying."

"I won't give up…" Joel finally gasped out.

The scientists shared a look. "We'll see about that. Turn the electricity up. We need to figure out why his body hasn't dissolved yet."

The electricity and screams started all over again.

Bonding Moment: Miss Martian

"Did I do that?" Phantom said in nerdy voice.

"Family Matters."

"Have mercy." Cue the Elvis impersonation voice.

"Full House."

"Waka waka."

"The Muppets." M'gann smiled as she stirred the cake mixings.

Young Justice currently had a break day. Not many of the team members were at the Cave. Phantom originally came for some sparring and training; but Superboy and Aqualad were gone, and M'gann was busy baking a cake. At first, Phantom was going to just head back home, but he became distracted when M'gann handed him a plate of cookies.

It was then that the two teammates began to talk. It stared out with Phantom asking about the cookies. Miss Martian then explained the cooking show she liked to watch. Phantom wasn't really interested in that, and noted that he only ever really watched old television shows.

Man, did that get the Martian worked up.

"Okay, theme songs. Moving on up!"

"The Jeffersons."

"Where everybody knows your name."

"Cheers."

"Thank you for being a friend…"

"Golden Girls."

Apparently, Martians loved Earth television. Despite their incredibly advanced technology, the Martians lacked entertainment like television. Phantom was really beginning to question Martian priorities…

"Wow," Phantom was impressed. "That is impressive. I can't believe you know all those shows."

"They weren't that long ago." M'gann mentioned.

"For you maybe. A few decades mean a lot to humans." Phantom mention. "You're like what forty-eight? And you're still considered a child?"

"Yes, most Martians aren't considered real adults until the end of their first century." M'gann explained.

"Well…some ghosts are the same way…" Phantom noted. "But I haven't lived long enough to remember those shows personally."

"I imagine." M'gann smiled.

"Not even that Hello, Megan show you love so much." Phantom commented.

M'gann paused. "W-what?"

"You know, Hello Megan! You quote that show all the time." Phantom explained.

"You…know about that?"

"Well yeah. Back when I was a… Before, my friends and I spent a whole summer watching old TV shows. My friend Sam despised that show." Phantom smiled.

"What?!" M'gann seemed outraged. "How can that be? It was the best show ever!"

"Don't blame her." Phantom shrugged. "She didn't like anything involving cheerleaders or anything that portrayed women in a stereotype."

M'gann huffed. "Stereotype?"

"Yeah. You know, that girls cook and clean. Stuff like that."

"What's wrong with that?" M'gann frowned.

"Nothing, but Sam was big on feminism." Phantom stated. "But if you like cooking, then cook. No one can tell you what to do in your free time."

"Hmm…" M'gann looked down at her cake batter. "I guess things have changed on your planet. It seems that your culture evolves so quickly. Mars culture hasn't changed since Uncle J'onn first came to Earth."

"Maybe, but not everything has changed." Phantom smiled. "Most guys still can't cook to save their lives."

"Really?"

"Yep. Couldn't cook to save my life." Phantom laughed.

"Well, how about I teach you?" M'gann offered.

"I don't know." Phantom mumbled.

"Oh come on," M'gann smiled. "What could go wrong?"

(Ten minutes later…)

"AH!"

"How is this possible?!"

"I have no idea!"

"You literally caught water on fire!" M'gann stumbled back from the flames. "I thought you were an ice ghost?!"

"I am!" Phantom tried to use his powers to put out the flames. "But it's not working!"

"This breaks so many rules of the universe!" M'gann cried.

"I know!" Phantom picked up the pot of boiling water. He took it over to the freezer and threw it into the freezer.

"Did…did you stop it?" M'gann questioned after a minute.

Phantom opened the freezer again. "…Yep…"

"Good…" M'gann sighed. She couldn't deal with fire.

"But I think that I burned the peas and cooked the roast beef." Phantom noted.

"Oh…"

There was a moment of silence. Then…

M'gann giggled. Phantom began to chuckle himself. Soon both of them were laughing uncontrollably. This continued for most of the day as Phantom and M'gann cleaned the mess they made. In all, they had enjoyed the day.

Despite this, though, there was a new rule in the Cave. It was one that could never be broken. Ever.

Danny Phantom was not allowed to touch the stove under any circumstances.