Chapter Text
Everything is restarting...
"I still have too long a life ahead to get rid of these feelings, right?
I want to try doing over the things I've left undone.
That's why I want to grow stronger…
I even welcome this pain, because it's better than emptiness."
~Ogawa, Mika
Titans Phantom
Chapter 1: Car Troubles with Ghosts
A week had passed, and life seemed to return to normal. Or relatively normal. Fixit wouldn't stop hovering around Danny, much to the teen's annoyance. He suspected the Titans had filled him in on some of the details…traitors. Danny thought fondly as he buttoned up his blue jeans and slipped on a long grey sweatshirt before heading upstairs. Pushing open the door to the store was like breaking a barrier. Immediately the teen was submerged back into the daily lives of the people mulling about, talking, laughing and reading. He even saw a couple of middle school students ditching class to come eat some of Fixit's pastries.
"How are you feeling?"
Danny jumped slightly, cursing himself for letting his mind wander while Fixit situated himself behind the oak counter.
"I'm starting to think this is your favorite place to jump me," Danny grumbled attempting to throw the robot off those lines of questions.
"If you are referring to the previous conversations taken place here. Then yes, it is a fair assessment when you are in well enough health for me to do so. However, neither you, nor the Titans have attempted to contact each other," the man stated looking out over the store. "I am beginning to worry."
Danny gave pause, before he frowned.
"If you're afraid I'll have a relapse, don't, and the Titans probably just want me to rest. Though if you wanted to know how I'm feeling, just ask."
A triumphant smirk came over Fixit's face, and Danny instantly blushed in embarrassment.
"T-that was dirty trick."
"It is the only way for me to get answers out of you."
Danny made sure not to look at the robot and instead focused on the store. Letting the golden warmth seep into him, the halfa momentarily felt frozen. He felt the safety, or peacefulness, brush across his skin causing his heart flutter. The halfa looked at the college kids sitting on the floor stacked around piles of books with their notes and papers scattered around them while their coffee sat precariously close to the side. Danny felt his left eye twitch noticing some of the volumes were first editions.
He could hear Cole and his group of nerds upstairs, arguing over how to configure a webpage – and just the feeling of life, or innocence, made him feel like he was looking at everything through a window pane. Simultaneously such benign feelings coursed through him as if he were really a part of these people. Yet where he stood, his palms spread across the glass, the warmth had to pass through three different mediums and made the halfa realize that these feelings were only a surface truth. A reminder, for these people never would have to know true darkness. These people were safe, and wistfully Danny wondered what it would be like to be the protected, and not the protector.
"Danny?" Fixit asked pulling the teen back to reality.
"I'm fine," a small smile graced his lips, "just remembering something I'd forgotten."
"What?"
"You going to try and trick it out of me again?" Danny asked eyeing the robot suspiciously, Fixit smiled.
"No."
Danny sighed in relief before rubbing his neck with one palm.
"I just never realized how much my life has changed since the accident," he whispered and that was the truth. Danny felt silly admitting it, but then again, he never really thought about it before. Back when he lived in Amity Park, when his friends and family surrounded him, vainly he had tried to maintain some semblance of a normal life. Though in the end, Danny Phantom always came first. Still, that had been fine since he could always grasp onto those lifelines for support.
"I always lived two lives, and when I came here, I swore never to be one or the other again. I didn't want to protect anyone. But now, I'm not one or the other."
Frustration welled up inside of the teen, and Danny tried to squash it back down. It was silly to think of himself as being alone. Of not fitting into the daily lives of these people. He was here now wasn't he? The teen dropped his gaze. Allowing ebony hair to obscure his eyes and hide the turmoil inside his chest, constricting his lungs that desperately wanted air. Danny suddenly felt the urge to get up and run, afraid these people might realize he was a stranger looking in on them.
But what tied his heart in knots was that he didn't know where to run. The Titans hadn't contacted him, did they…did they not want him to belong there at their Tower? Fear. Colder than his ice core made him shiver, and desperation surged through him in a way that he couldn't get his emotions under control. Danny gasped when Fixit placed a warm hand on his shoulder and held him with his ocean colored eyes.
"You are who you will always be."
It was a small comfort. Fixit not knowing the halfa's true fears. But if they hadn't been in the store with people around to watch, Danny would have had a total moment and hugged the robot until he wouldn't be able to feel his toes.
Both of them jumped when the Titans communicator went off in Danny's side pocket. Fixit had to blink the dizziness away at how fast the halfa moved.
"So much for letting you rest," the robot stated glaring at the device as Danny motioned for Fixit to watch the store while he headed down into the lab and flipped open the screen.
"Hey, so who's destroying the town now?" Danny quipped. Relief flooding his system, concealing his earlier fears. Cyborg gazed back at him in panic.
"Tower's been compromised, we're stuck in the basement sub level T-00, get here as fast as you can."
The communicator went dead and panic blossomed beneath Danny's chest. He tore through the sky and pushed all his power into pure speed. Nearly demolishing the Tower with his urgency. Danny landed like a bullet in the basement, stood there, fists deadly green, armed to attack —
—and blinked.
"Wha…?"
Cyborg beamed at him.
"Great man, now we can get started," the mechanical teen exclaimed. Bouncing on his heels, Danny still couldn't seem to form a coherent thought at what he was seeing: there was no fire, no enemies, none of the Titans were injured or dying, in short, he'd been tricked. Danny really did feel a tick in his left eye, and his aura suddenly became more oppressive than Raven's. Cyborg broke out into a nervous sweat, but received no support from his teammates who were all glaring at him, clearly saying: 'you-got-yourself-into-this-mess-you-face-the-consequences.'
"Uh, yeah, about lying to you…"
Danny smiled sweetly, looking very much like the god of death.
"Don't worry about it, just pray that it was worth it."
"Probably not," Raven answered, walking up to him as white rings changed Danny back. The rest of the Titans joined him, and Cyborg assumed now it was probably safe to proceed, even if Danny's eyes were slightly glowing.
"Drum roll, please!"
Beastboy morphed into an animal–Danny wondered if it even existed on Earth–and began beating his stomach.
"Ladies and gentlemen, and whatever the heck Beastboy is."
The teen glared up at him. "Hey Cy, you want that drum roll, or not?" he asked, sinking back down onto the floor to continue the procession.
"Sorry, it is my great pleasure to present to you for the first time anywhere, the thing you've all been waiting for, my coolest, hottest, badest creation…"
"Just get on with it," Raven sighed, but by now Cyborg had the team enthralled, even Danny was curious.
His fingers twitching in anticipation, Cyborg smiled enthusiastically to them all, "I give you the future of Titan's transportation, the one, the only, T-Car!" He yelled ripping away the tan covered tarp to reveal the sleek machine. Cyborg beamed at the compliments he received.
"Yep, she's my baby: one hundred horse power plasma turbine engine, all terrain hover jets, anti-lock air breaks, and an on board computer that links with my systems. So I can literally feel the road," Cy smirked.
"Woah," Beastboy said, Robin whistling slowly. Starfire had literal stars in her eyes, and Danny smiled to his friend at his accomplishment.
"And of course: leather seats, power windows, and a booming stereo, are all standard."
Danny wasn't sure he liked the stereo after the headache it gave him. Plus it made their hair stand on end with how loud the bass was.
"So am I forgiven?" Cyborg asked, clearly already knowing what Danny's answer would be. The halfa almost wanted to scratch the blue and white tech car just to spite him.
"I guess you're forgiven."
"Great, can we go now?" Raven asked, Cyborg patted his car.
"You bet, Raven. I'll take you any place you want to go." Cy said. Danny, Robin, and Beastboy had three different answers along with Starfire.
"The Swamp Moons of Dranthax Four."
Danny felt his jaw drop, and Robin and BB fell to the floor. Starfire blushed in embarrassment.
"He said anywhere," she defended.
Robin's communicator went off, "trouble."
"I'll drive." Cyborg chimed already in his car, just to humor him and make the mechanical teen worry about the safety of his baby, Danny sang out, "I'll fly!" And Cyborg vowed to never again prank the super power teen.
The car ride was an interesting ordeal. Turns out Danny hadn't needed to threaten Cyborg with an aerial attack. Since Starfire and Beastboy were doing a pretty nice job of making Cy's mechanical heart tremble in fear.
"I know you're not getting drool all over my paint job!"
Danny laughed as BB blushed and they flew around the bend, the car maneuvering just as well as Danny, who couldn't help but be impressed. He was about to yell down to Robin and ask where the fight was, when the sounds of screaming people reached his ears and the T-Car came to a screeching halt outside Cook's Electronics. The team stumbled out of the car and Danny touched down.
"Titans, go!"
The team ran forward right when blue mist escaped from Danny's mouth.
"Oh no."
His eyes searched the dark blue sky, and sure enough there was the tell tale green glow flying towards them. He needed to stop the ghost before reaching the store, and causing more problems for the Titans. Danny prepared to take flight, when Raven came out of nowhere and yanked his wrist, hard.
"Hey? Raven!" Danny yelped, stumbling as she bodily dragged him forward. Ignoring his protests in light that she did the same to Cyborg who had been bragging about his car to some teens whose hair was stuck in the eighties, complete with black leather jackets and tooth pick combs in their back pockets.
"Boys," she growled.
Danny looked up, the shape was weaving around the buildings. He needed to go; now. Raven blinked when she lost her grip on Danny. Shoving Cyborg through the double doors, she turned to see him hovering slightly off the ground, eyes scanning the sky.
"I need to check something out," the halfa mentioned.
"What?"
Danny paused, "I'm not sure. I'll tell you when I get back, go help the team."
And he took off, intercepting Skulker two blocks away, his shoulder missiles armed and aimed directly at the halfa.
"Hello, ghost child."
"Skulker, how did you find me?" Danny growled, his fists lighting up in green ecto-energy.
"I guess you could say it was a lucky break. After all, Plasmius refuses to hire me. So stumbling across a natural portal, who was I to deny fate?" And the ghost let his weapons soar and the fight began.
Soon enough, Danny felt his muscles burn. Skulker had grown as a fighter, all the weapons were designed to lock onto his ghost signature, the two of them traded blow for blow. Skulker's armor began to smell of burnt metal and violently he swung out his machete missing Danny's mid section by inches.
"Why are you here?" Danny yelled kicking the hunter in the chest before he dived out of the way, two missiles collided together in a fiery explosion. Skulker flew through the black smoke and punched the teen in the chest, sending him flying. The rooftop Danny landed on gave a crunch and unfortunately it was the electronic store. A place Skulker could use to power up his suit. The wind whispered and the halfa dodged the poisonous arrows aimed at him.
"Isn't it obvious? So your pelt can hang on my wall!" he exclaimed landing on the building. Danny turned to face him, he couldn't let the ghost realize where he was.
"Heh, the same as ever I see. I'm guessing you still can't hold down a girlfriend then?"
Skulker turned beet red before he fired round after round of weapons.
"Shut up, you miserable fool!"
Danny slipped through each opening, fast as a snake before he delivered a freezing blast to the mechanical suit. Paralyzing the hunter, sending him crashing into the parking lot. Danny landed, hearing the fight going on inside the store just as Robin yelled, "Titans, soak him!"
Pausing, the halfa felt dumbstruck, huh? He turned to the store and froze along with the two teens… who were currently breaking into Cyborg's car.
"Hey…"Danny started forward, his eyes flashing dangerously. The teens 'eeped', and a white ecto-blast hit the halfa in between the shoulders blades.
Pain blossomed instantly, and Danny collapsed onto his knees barely managing to form a shield avoiding the next attack.
"Don't turn your back on me, whelp!" Skulker growled stalking forward. The teens were getting into the car, desperate to get away, and Danny still kneeled on the ground unable to stop anything. For his nerves felt like they'd gone to sleep and prickled with the slightest movement. A frustrated growl escaped his mouth while the rev of the car's engine could be heard.
"That was a low blow, using that technology the fruitloop designed," he whispered as energy crackled beneath his fingertips.
"Do you like it? It's especially designed to immobilized my opponents. Especially halfas, you won't be moving for at least a couple of hours. Now all I have to do is break your shield and…"
Danny whipped around and fired. White lightening surged forth, hitting Skulker square in the chest, blasting him back into a nearby building.
Shocked, was the only thing that passed through Danny's mind as he stood up. The numbness in all of his nerves gone, he lowered the shield and looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers.
"Great, now I have another power," he whispered. A frown pulled at his features, remembering the same feeling when he'd attacked Slade down in the sewers. Looking up Danny realized Skulker had disappeared, the car was long gone, and the electronic store was quiet.
"Shoot." How was he going to explain this? It was at that moment the Titans emerged carrying one electrical monster with a hard drive for a face in a rubber tarp, and saw Danny standing in the destroyed parking lot, with no T-Car present. Cyborg had yet to realize it was gone.
"Soon as we hand sparky over to the cops, how about we swing by the drive through?" he asked to Beastboy.
"Uh, Cy."
Cyborg gasped, "my wheel lock, my car alarm, my baby, someone stole my baby!" He yelled collapsing on the ground. When tears started to form under Cyborg's eyes, Starfire stepped forward, and attempted to comfort him. Danny should have known it would only add fuel to the fire.
"I understand your pain, Cyborg. When I was small my favorite zarnik was eaten by a rampaging glorg. Believe me, after your zarnik has been inside a glorg, you do not want it back," she said earnestly. Danny wondered how the zarnik could survive stomach acid and still be alive for his friend to even contemplate wanting said zarnik back.
"My car wasn't eaten, Star. It was stolen!"
"Hey, look on the bright side, at least it wasn't my fault." Beastboy grinned, he shuddered at Robin's glare.
"Not helping, we'll help you find your car, I promise. But right now we need to take Overload to jail."
"No we need to go now. Every second we wait is a second she could get scratched or dinged."
"Calm down, it's just a car," Raven replied dispassionately, annoyed at her friend's priorities. Except when Cy gave her a look of pure anger, she began to regret sticking her foot in her mouth.
"She's not just a car, she's my car and…" Cy stopped mid sentence, and Danny had a sick feeling drop in his stomach when the mechanical teen rounded on him.
"And you were out here the whole time. Why didn't you stop those thieves? After all, you didn't help at all during our fight. Or was Overload just too easy for you?" He growled out, and Danny bristled in anger.
"I don't care what you think of me, but know that I would have stopped it if I could have."
Cyborg saw red, "yeah right," he turned and walked away. Missing the halfa's eyes which flared in hurt, "where are you going?" Danny yelled.
"I'm gonna find her, whether you guys help me or not."
Robin let out a frustrated sigh and counted in his head before he felt it was safe enough to question Danny, "what happened out here?"
Danny turned to meet his stare before he stiffly replied, "a ghost attacked. I didn't want him getting into the electronic store, and I see now that it was a smart decision due to Overload being there. By the time I realized what was happening to Cy's car I was pinned down. I didn't mean for his car to get stolen." Once the words were out Danny shut his mouth. Why was he trying to explain himself? Robin nodded in understanding.
"I'm sure you didn't, can you help us take Overload to prison or do you need to be somewhere else?" Robin asked. Danny paused for a moment thinking over his options.
"I need to run to my lab and get the Thermos so I can trap Skulker. He's still on the loose, and he gets creative when hunting."
"Then take Beastboy with you. Once we're done, Starfire, Raven and I will locate Cy's car and make sure he gives you a proper apology."
Danny blushed in embarrassment at that, but nodded and the team split up. BB morphing into a falcon so he and the halfa could take to the sky. The crowd of curious onlookers watching the two of them disappear, phones and cameras out.
Cyborg stomped up to the third fifties diner in the city which was plainly labeled Burgers. He was pissed and for once he didn't care that he was scaring the civilians. Approaching a teen who was wearing similar get up, had spiked black hair that was lathered in grease and hairspray, he heard the boy talk about what appeared to be a tail pike. The blonde who he was speaking to ran off the second he noticed Cyborg, and the boy turned around and froze in fear while Cy hoisted him up by the lapels of his leather jacket.
"I'm looking for my car. Tricked out hard top with a growl that'll make your teeth shake. Ring any bells?"
"Um, yeah, Sammy and Kash cruised by in a car like that. Looks really cool with those flames painted on it."
"They painted my baby?" Cy questioned, horror struck, "where are they?"
"Well, they were looking to race so they headed to Crash Alley."
Cyborg dropped the teen out of shock.
Danny and Beastboy landed in the lab. While the changeling shook off the goose bumps of becoming intangible, Danny snagged the Fenton Thermos and condensed its size to nothing more than a white square tile that could easily snap onto his belt. Picking up a pen and paper he then began scrawling a note to Fixit.
"So, what does that square thing do?" Beastboy asked hedging forward.
"It's allows me to trap and contain ghosts until I can return them to the Ghost Zone."
"Cool, does it always stay that compact?"
Finishing the note, Danny walked over to another counter to retrieve an ecto-gun.
"No, once it contains a ghost it stays in its cylindrical form. Tucker was never able to figure out how to change it back. Here, this should come in handy when we run into Skulker," Danny explained tossing the gun to BB and posting the note on the outside of the lab door before phasing him and BB out of the apartment. Taking to the rooftops, Beastboy nimbly jumped across them, never losing sight of Danny who flew next to him.
"So where do we start looking for this ghost?"
"What's the popular hangout for teenagers?"
Beastboy thought about it. "Well the mall, the diner and I'd say probably the race tracks since we were in the outer part of the city."
"We'll start at the race tracks then. Skulker always did like a big crowd. And he's not one to pass up fans."
Cyborg stomped his way to Crash Alley where he saw the two teens from the parking lot floating in an ion gold shield. He reached in and grabbed both of them.
"W-what's going on buddy?"
"I. Want. My. Car."
"Yeah see um, the thing is we sorta lost it in a race," Sammy explained. Kash face palmed his black glasses.
"You lost my car? My car lost a race?!" Cy said in disbelief. Kash answered that.
"No way, we beat'em easy. She handled like a dream."
"She did?" Cy swelled with pride, "How'd she take the curves? 'Cause you know I've been working on the suspension for a while and…ah dddd… don't try and distract me. Who has her now?" He demanded. Sammy, or beddy eyes, as Cyborg dubbed him, answered.
"A dude named Gizmo, said something about a getaway car than headed downtown." Cy stuck them back in the shield before he walked away.
"Hey!"
"You can't just leave us here?"
"You're right. I'll make sure the cops come pick you up," Cy called, while he leapt over the race wall. The pair of binoculars following his every move.
"Interesting, it appears this human is mechanical as well. Let's see how well he fares against me," Skulker lowered his arm, and smiled, his suit now fully repaired.
Danny and Beastboy reached Crash Alley when they spotted the cops parked nearby.
"Excuse me officers, what's going on?" Beastboy asked, Danny landing beside him. The policemen warily looked at the new teen, but trusted the Titan's judgment.
"We got a call from Cyborg to come pick up two teens in an ion shield but it appears they escaped."
"Do you know where Cyborg said he was heading?" Danny asked, the crowd eyeing the pair curiously.
"No, but a witness overheard him going into downtown Jump. Apparently pursuing the criminal named Gizmo."
Beastboy's ears perked up at the name.
"Thank you," he said before turning to leave. Danny ran up to him.
"Got any ideas?"
"Yeah, Gizmo likes to steal, my guess is he'll hit banks."
"At this time of night they're closed," Danny said, looking up, "however banks with ATM's aren't."
Both took off.
Cyborg didn't have to think hard on what Gizmo would rob, and sure enough there was his flame painted car, sitting at the drive through bank, cash piling in the back. He jumped onto the hood.
"Get your butt out of my car!"
Danny and Beastboy found the two as soon as Gizmo shrieked and sped away with Cy as the hood ornament.
"Oh crap, Cy!" BB shouted, chasing after him. Danny shot through the sky and chased after Skulker.
"Whelp, how did you find me so soon?" Skulker shouted, he hadn't planned on this.
"Lucky guess," Danny said firing an ecto-blast. In all honesty, he hadn't even thought Skulker would show. But he had, and the halfa felt dread from the fact that he clearly had been after Cyborg.
Beastboy passed the car wash when he realized Danny wasn't with him. He loped to a stop and morphed out of his cheetah form. Only to see the fire battle going on in the sky.
"Oh, crap!"
In the distance he heard his friend yell, "are you even old enough to drive?"
"Titans, come in," BB said flipping open his communicator. Watching from the side as Cyborg and his car drove through a construction site.
"Danny and I have located Cyborg, but we're currently under attack by Skulker, track our location." Snapping the device closed, the teen jumped to the rooftop and pulled out the ecto-gun.
"Please don't let me hit Danny. Please don't let me hit Danny," he breathed and fired, well he didn't hit Danny. But that was only because the teen grabbed Skulker and turned them around, reversing their positions so the blast hit the hunter straight in his back. Cyborg's voice rang through the air, and the halfa turned to see the car speed towards the bay bridge, which was raising.
"Hit the nitro!"
Danny tore through the air, and Beastboy fired again when Skulker tried to follow. The car flew into the air, and Cyborg lost his grip, heading straight for the trash ship crossing underneath him. Danny caught his arm, while his car crossed over to the other side and sped away. Danny touched safely down, next to the run over bridge sign. Cyborg wrenched his arm away.
"Great, now I have to wait till the bridge lowers before I can go get my baby."
The halfa felt a tick in his eye. "Fine, I was trying to help. I'm sorry I didn't put you where you wanted to go, but did you even think for a second that I needed your help!" Danny yelled, fuming mad. Cyborg looked flabbergasted. Sure he'd been yelled at by the teen before. But this was different. It was as if Danny was trying to accommodate Cyborg. Like he was trying to fit into the team, never before had he asked for help but now…suddenly Cyborg felt like a real ass for mistreating him.
"Look, sorry man. I didn't mean to put you down. I really just need to find my car."
Danny sighed, "I know, and everyone will help you find her. But first, you need to wait."
Suddenly Beastboy landed on the cement, did a commendable side-and-roll combo before he raised his ecto-gun and fired.
"Guys, a little help?!"
Both looked up to see Skulker flying towards them along with five missiles. Danny raised a shield and Cyborg activated his canon. The weapons collided and Danny hissed, dropping the shield feeling the tell tale prickle of his nerves. Both Titans leapt into action, Skulker dodging their blasts.
"You won't interfere with my prey, ghost child!" The hunter yelled and Danny dodged an ecto-blast, but turning to the side placed him directly into the path of that sickening white ecto-energy, and he wouldn't be able to defend himself. Danny braced for the pain, and Cyborg skidded to a stop in front of him, taking the blast. The electricity harmlessly flowed around him and into his sonic canon, it powered up and Cy fired, his blast having ten times the power. Skulker's suit was completely obliterated.
"Boo-yeah!" He yelled fist pumping the air.
"How did you…" Danny trailed off and smiled, he'd worry about it later. Right now he had to deal with Skulker, walking up to the smoking metal suit, the halfa yanked off the head. Ignoring Beastboys completely manly screams at the sight, he pulled out the green blob that was the 'great' hunter.
"It's over, Skulker," Danny said, reaching for the Thermos now back in its cylindrical form.
"You think so?" The hunter snapped, his voice high and squeaky, "portals are opening everywhere and you'll have to kill me if you don't want this information to get out." But the hunter merely laughed and glared up at Danny, his eyes unreadable.
"And that's something you can't do. Oh, I can't wait to see your eyes clouded in pain once more, Danny Phantom."
Danny threw Skulker harshly in the air, before letting the Thermos catch him. It sucked him in and the teen screwed on the lid, not saying a word.
"Danny?" Beastboy asked, walking up to him, Cyborg at his side. Danny closed his eyes momentarily before he met the changeling and smiled.
"It's nothing, I'll tell you later. Right now I need to put Skulker back in the Ghost Zone."
"We'll go with you," Cyborg added, Danny shook his head.
"No, you still need to find your car."
Cyborg stopped, mentally debating with himself before nodding.
"You two split up and search, I'll help once I've dropped this idiot off," Danny answered giving the Thermos a good shake.
"Alright."
And the group split up, Beastboy calling the rest of the Titans apprising them of the situation, while Cyborg headed for the bridge, and Danny took to the sky. The small crowds of people watching him go in awe.
It was nearing one o'clock and Cy had yet to locate his car. Instead he found himself back at the Burger joint with fifteen empty milkshake cups at his feet. Raven walked up, looked at his sullen face and decided to join him on the parking curve.
"That's a lot of shakes, not a good sign," she said looking out into night, pulling her knees up.
"What are you doing here?" Cy asked still stung from her earlier comment.
"Looking for your car. Soon as we turned Overload to the police we all split up to search the city."
"Might as well stop looking, T-Car's probably half way to Metropolis City by now. From the day I designed her, I knew she was gonna be special, and I worked so hard: every fuel injector, every spark plug, I made her perfect. I put my heart, my soul, and my circuits into that car, and now she's gone forever. Maybe you were right, maybe she was just a car," Cy admitted, his heart clenching painfully in his chest and his head sinking to his knees.
"Maybe, maybe not. When I use my powers, I put a little of myself into whatever I'm moving. I become a part of it, and it becomes a part of me. It's temporary but that's kind of what happened here, it wasn't just a car it was your baby," Raven explained, each sentence carefully thought out. Each word painstakingly chosen to show Cyborg how she really felt. It was her apology as well as encouragement and Raven felt her heart swell in pride watching Cy cheer up and smile.
"Yeah, thanks Rae."
She couldn't help but smile back, till something else caught her eyes.
"And someone's eating onion rings in your baby."
Cyborg turned around to see his car tires squealing around the parking lot. A disgruntled waitress yelling after Gizmo and the fact that he hadn't paid.
"You'll get ketchup on the seats!!" He yelled, practically growling. Raven looked around and tapped Cyborg's shoulder motioning over to the two teens who had escaped the police, who then had notified the Titans after Beastboy and Danny had left the area. Currently Sammy and Kash were bragging to the waitress about their getaway along with a black topless convertible most likely stolen. Raven covered them in black magic up to their necks and hoisted them off the ground.
"Escape from that before the cops show up," she hissed. The waitress smiled, this was probably the first good thing that happened to her all night.
"Sweet ride, mind if we borrow it?" Cyborg asked, holding up the car keys the two teens smiled sheepishly.
The T-Car was cruising, rounding the bends heading up the mountains that would lead to the ocean bay area, and Cy pulled up behind his car and honked making Gizmo swerve the car before speeding up.
"He may have a better car, but I'm a better driver," Cyborg grinned flooring it, taking the turns at dangerous speeds. He dodged the oil making the car balance on two wheels. And the mechanical teen teared up when he saw his Proton Canon being aimed at them in retaliation. Before he realized that now probably wasn't a good time to say that… "uh, I mean, oh-no." They dodged the blasts, the car riding up the cliff wall until they were driving on a different plain, the T-Car below them and gaining speed. The ease with which it took the curves bordered on criminal.
"C'mon, faster, faster!" Cy screamed his foot already flooring it, Raven stood up and gripped the windshield.
"Hang on, Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She covered the everything in black and the car shot forward as if rocket fuel had been poured into its tank. Cy screamed as a curve approached and they flew off the cliff and Raven pulled them up to the T-Car, and Cyborg leaned into the passenger side window.
"Pull over!"
"Make me, robo wimp!" Gizmo taunted using his play station controller to steer the car as he slammed it into them. Raven grunting as she kept the car firmly grounded.
"I said pull over!" And Cy reached into his car, half-way leaning out of the convertible, and Gizmo shrieked.
"Let me go, you barf smelling hairball!" he yelled farting in the mechanical teens face.
"O.k. making really hard to concentrate," Raven commented.
They rounded another corner and the headlights of another car shown. Raven jerked the convertible up, and Gizmo ejected from the T-Car as it collided into a prison transport vehicle the police inside barely having time to escape. Cyborg watched in horror as his car crunched and folded under the weight. Raven landed the car, and watched her friend race over to the crash site as Gizmo laughed. She bound his mouth shut with his own parachute.
"Please be okay," Cy whispered desperately, his heart clenching painfully in his chest. Eyes taking in every painful detail from the dented frame to the shattered glass. Electricity surged from the van and into his baby as Overload took possession of it.
"Car is better than okay, car is mine," the red hard drive said, throwing Cy's computer chip to the side like trash as he replaced it and everyone watched as the dents and metals were replaced and Cy's beautiful blue technology turned a violent red. Overload laughed in glee at the horror frozen on Cyborg's face.
"Only way to stop Overload, is to destroy your precious car," he sneered, the headlights flickering in enjoyment, and Cyborg steadily hid his emotions behind a mask as his baby barreled towards him. Calmly, he activated his canon and raised it.
"It's not my car anymore."
He fired and the remaining power stored in his systems from the ecto-blast tore through the frame and systems like a knife through butter. Nothing was left when the smoke cleared, just scrapes and Overload. The hard drive no longer having any power left to sustain its form, and he shut down.
The Titans and two transport police waited silently as another vehicle was called and during that time, Cy never looked at the wreckage. Instead he made sure the men were okay and informed Robin what happened. When the car arrived the police loaded Gizmo in the back where he sat down with Sammy and Kash, before a cop tossed in Overload and shut the doors. Dawn had risen ten minutes ago and Cy knew the tow truck would be here any minute. The knowledge of what happened finally sank in.
"She's gone. Gone forever."
"Maybe, maybe not, these are just parts. The thing you loved about that car, the thing that made her special that came from inside you," Raven said looking past him, her violet hair fluttering around her face and Cy followed her outstretched arm to the blue disk humming quietly on the pavement. A grin tore its way across Cy's face. Kneeling down he picked it up, and the sound of a heavy truck filled their ears as it chugged around the bend. Two burly men stepping out, one lifting up his hat while examining the damage.
"What would ya like us to do 'mister?" he asked his accent thick from living in the country before moving. Cy looked to him and smiled.
"Just take it to the metal plant. I have what I need."
Raven smiled.
Danny landed in the lab, and opened the computer database checking the portal log. It was empty.
"Shoot."
Unscrewing the lid, he emptied the Thermos and shut the portal off. Walking out into the den, Fixit looked up from his book, and Danny noticed it was the financial records.
"I completely forgot about that. When are our taxes due?"
"Next week, I took the liberty of filling out the forms. They're on your dresser for review."
"Thanks," Danny replied offhandedly while pulling out the buzzing communicator.
"Yeah?"
"Raven said you'd fill us in on Skulker," Robin demanded, irking Danny, didn't the teen know how to ask, nicely?
"I did say that, I'll be there momentarily."
The screen went dead, and Danny clipped the device to the back of his belt – he'd modify it later.
"Fixit?"
The robot set the black book aside and looked to the teen who was deep in thought.
"Yes?'
"I need you to see if there's been any power fluctuations in Jump also look at the outlining areas."
"I'm assuming I'm looking for ecto-energy."
"Yes, it will affect thermal, and power plants. Also check for unusual weather patterns, electrical storms, swirling clouds, power outages."
"Very well, how big?'
"Portal big."
Fixit's eyes widened but he nodded and Danny took off, heading for the Tower where he found the team reclining in the living room. He transformed and landed in a chair, scaring Beastboy.
"Jeez dude, give us a little warning."
Danny raised an eyebrow and chuckled, waiting while the Titans situated themselves.
"Sorry."
"Who was that ghost?" Robin asked.
"His name is Skulker, the Ghost Zones 'greatest hunter'," Danny replied sarcastically.
"But…"The teen trailed off his ice blue eyes misting over.
"But?" Beastboy prompted nudging his friend. Bringing Danny back from wherever he was.
"Sorry, Skulker is just the tip of a very nasty iceberg. By himself, fighting is bearable but when he employ's his services, things get messy. Not to mention what happens if something catch's his eye," Danny said his eyes shifting over to Cyborg, the mechanical teen rubbed his chin thoughtfully not noticing the look.
"He did mention something about the war. Just like Vlad Plasmius."
"It has to do with me breaking the treaty. I got caught in the Ghost Zone and now the ghosts can resume trying to kill me."
"Why were you in the Ghost Zone?" Robin asked, Danny snorted.
"Saving Fixit from his curiosity."
"What exactly caused the treaty?" Raven finally asked, and Danny grimaced.
"It's not one of my prouder moments," he spoke looking out to the ocean, taking a deep breath to steady himself Danny began lowly.
"I'd snuck out of the hospital to avoid Vlad, the social workers, and pretty much everything. I wanted to see Clockwork…I wanted, jeez, I don’t even know what. When most of my enemies surrounded me, I asked them to leave me alone…" a decrepit smile curved Danny's mouth and he looked up his bangs shadowing his eyes, "Walker said something to me, I don't even remember what, but I snapped."
The Titans held their breath, and Danny wrapped his arms around his chest, not in any way defensive, but protective. Beastboy felt like his friend was holding himself together. Danny refused to meet any of his friends' eyes, afraid of what he'd find what they might see.
"By the time Frostbite calmed me down, I'd destroyed two thirds of the Ghost Zone. I also couldn't speak for two weeks. Clockwork was the one to step in and create the treaty. He gathered the major powers of the Ghost Zone – mainly the people who didn't like me and got them to agree to the terms.
You know, it probably wouldn't have worked if Vlad hadn't signed it," Danny felt his gut clench at that. He could still remember hearing the man's words and they burned down his throat like venom, "if it will protect you, I'll sign anything." Danny had punched him in the gut for that, since he couldn't yell at the man, and Frostbite had to hold him back in his arms while the other yetis asked the elder half-ghost to leave.
Those wounds were still raw, and the teen could still feel the chasm in his chest from Vlad trying to act like his father. Like he cared past something other than his selfish ambitions, like he didn’t regret all the pain he’d caused Danny. And hating himself for it, Danny wasn't sure if the pain in his chest was from Vlad’s actions, or from the fact that no matter what, he couldn't forgive the man.
"Guess this means the ghosts really hate you," BB said trying to lighten the mood.
"No more than usual, I mainly bruised their pride. But I understand if you would like me to leave. The ghosts are after me and they won't hesitate to drag you into this, Skulker almost did tonight."
"It won't matter," Raven said, "We've already been seen with you and Skulker has established that you now live in Jump City so it would be foolish to leave now."
"And besides, we're not letting you fight on your own," Robin stated fiercely.
"We're not going to leave you alone. Even if I have to get used to holding an ecto-gun," Beastboy proudly said, flinging the gun around his finger. Raven shot him in the butt with black magic, and Danny felt the strangled knot in his chest begin to unravel and his muscles seemed to melt as the tension drained out of him. Silently, he let the friendly banter wash over him, and when Cy punched Robin, he suddenly remembered the energy blast.
"Oh, Cyborg how come Skulker's attack didn't work on you? The white blast acts like a stun gun, if it had hit me I would have been paralyzed until I released the energy back as lightening," Danny explained, making that connection in his head between the energy and his new power for the first time.
"My sonic canon is a storage of positive ions that absorbs and emits massive amounts of energy. What Skulker stuck me with was negatively charged, since you said it paralyzed you, my guess is that the ions are imbalanced and affect the nerves electrical signals. The way my system works is that my body turns and returns positive and negative imbalances and stores them and once their balanced I release them."
"So you're a conductor and a self-sustaining power cell?"
"Pretty much, although I do need to recharge my systems…" Cyborg described but trailed off as Danny stood up and started pacing.
"What's wrong?" Robin asked, his eyes serious. Danny paused mid stride and looked at his hands before he thrust them out twice before giving up.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Beastboy asked.
"Trying to release lightening."
"What?!" The Titans screamed.
"Not in the house!" Robin screeched his voice unnaturally high.
"Friend, I do not believe the rough housing of that level is acceptable. Cyborg has already asked me to not do the wrestling, I do not think the lighting would be appropriate!" Starfire said floating up to him.
"Sorry, I figured it wouldn't work. This power is new, I got it down in the sewers when I attacked Slade, and so far I've been able to summon lightening only after I've been blasted by those weapons."
"Wait, this power is new?" Robin questioned, Danny nodded and went back to staring at his hands. He missed the looks the Titans gave each other.
"Perhaps, this lightening you speak requires more than just a thrust of your palms." Starfire stated. Danny looked to her and beamed.
"You're right, when I developed my ice powers I had to go to Frostbite for help…ok so it was more like he saved me so I didn't turn into a popsicle but I needed a teacher…"Silently, he began running over all of his limited amount of allies who used lighting.
"Gah, I can't think of anyone!" Danny yelled.
"Don't worry, you'll think of someone in time," Starfire said, the halfa face palmed.
"Duh, Clockwork would know who uses lighting. Plus it's been awhile since I've visited him," Danny blushed when he remembered he'd told the man he'd see him on Saturday and that had been about a month ago.
"If you go see him, take Raven with you in case the ghosts decide to attack." Robin ordered, Danny looked over to the girl and nodded.
"We'll leave tomorrow morning then."
"No!"
Everyone jumped when Starfire yelled, she flushed.
"I mean, can you not perhaps wait till the next day?"
"If this is a new power, Danny needs to master it as so as possible, Star. Especially if it's his only defense against those ecto-neutralizers" Robin explained.
The girls face fell but she agreed.
"I'll see you tomorrow at around ten then," Danny said looking over to Raven before leaving.
"I can't believe he has another power!" Beastboy exclaimed, waving the ecto-gun around.
"His powers aren't what I'm concerned with," Robin answered, speaking more to himself rather than Beastboy, when the team looked to him curiously, he expanded.
"I'm worried about what Vlad said, how his powers wouldn't come easy, we need to look out for him." The team all silently agreed. After a moment, Beastboy stretched his arms and yawned.
"Well I'm gonna see what's on TV."
Starfire yanked the gun from his grip and handed it to Robin who nodded in thanks. Both teens flopped on the couch, and Robin turned to head to his study. Cy looked to Raven.
"So, you wanna help with the car." He asked lightly.
"I'd love to." Everyone split up to go their separate ways when the reporter's voice caught their attention, the caption below reading: New Titan or New Spook.
"That's a good question, Cindy." Springer said, his brown hair styled perfectly as he stood in front of Crash Alley. "We've been getting reports all day of this new mysterious teen who's been spotted with the Titans, and it wasn't until he appeared with Beastboy early this morning that our suspicions were confirmed. Danny Phantom, is officially here in Jump City."
"Let me get this straight," Cindy questioned back in the news room, her panel next to Springer's. "Danny Phantom, the ‘alleged’ hero of Amity Park is here? I thought he was a criminal? What are the Titans thinking?" She berated.
Robin bristled at that, how could they assume they knew everything about Danny.
"Well Cindy, you're partially right. Danny Phantom has been accused of several crimes, such as bank robbery, kidnapping, destruction of his local town Amity Park in North Dakota. And get this Cindy, turns out the kid isn't even alive, according to reports he's what one would call a ghost."
"A ghost?" Cindy scoffed.
The report continued, flashing to pictures of Danny fighting. All of them were in Jump City, but some were from Danny fighting in Amity, and Robin felt his anger rise as the reporters continued to scoff about ghosts.
"But that thing, ghost… doesn't even have morals, let alone humanity?" Cindy said, and Robin saw red.
"Beastboy, turn that off," he snapped. Raven placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Wait."
"Well, I'm not sure Cindy, but from certain accounts in Amity Park, Danny Phantom was indeed a hero, and he's working with the Titans. Either way it will all come down to their decision, and of course the ghost's as well."
"I wonder if the Justice League will get involved? After all, this ghost certainly seems volatile enough to merit their intervention," Cindy said offhandedly. Springer laughed and they continued to banter.
"Who knows, right now we're awaiting the official report of the Teen Titan's leader himself."
Beastboy turned off the TV, and the remote snapped in two from his grip.
"They, they called him a ghost," he spat out venomously, "like he was just some piece of shit!" Starfire wrapped her arms around his trembling frame and Robin winced. Knowing all too well how close this hit to home for the young Titan.
"Beastboy, Starfire, I want you guys to rest. Play some video games, cook us dinner, do something other than think about this. Raven, Cyborg, go work on the T-Car and enjoy yourselves," he ordered turning away.
"What are you going to do, Robin?" Starfire asked, Robin turned around and met four pairs of helpless eyes. The fire in his heart blazed.
"I'm going to make sure the world knows exactly who Danny is," he stated and with this he stormed out. First things first, he'd have to stop the Justice League from interfering. Although he seriously doubted if they'd come down from their space station. He would however, have to worry about Batman.
But he would call and schedule a press conference, and he would protect Danny. Because he was a Titan, but most importantly Danny was his friend. Looking out the sun was rising, blending the violets into blues and making the ocean shine brilliantly. Nothing like the chaos beginning to brew.
In Amity Park though, darkness was stone black and thick. The sky overcast in smooth rain clouds as if a rock had settled above the town and in a dingy apartment the window was open to a single bedroom welcoming in the sight. Letting the rain filled smog sprinkle in and splatter on the rotting wooden floor. But Valarie Grey paid no mind to it. Instead she continued to sharpen her blade and in a quick slice the TV split cleanly in two sending sparks flying in all directions, like splattering blood.
"I've found you," she snarled, her eyes were blazing.
"Valarie?" Her Dad yelled, having heard the broken machines cries of pain.
"I'm okay!" She called and a dark smile danced across her face.
AN: Read & Review
~Rin