Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time

Chapter 16

Five days after Danny cried himself to sleep, nothing fascinating had really happened. The new furnishing for his room was finally delivered, the team insisted on giving him a hand moving everything in. Connor picked up the beanbag and other heavy items with ease, the others each grabbing something.

"Guys, really, you don't need to do this," Phantom stated as he flew after them, new bedding and the glow in the dark stars in his arms, "I can make my room up myself."

"Nonsense, you are our friend, we are happy to help," Kal replied with a nod of his head. In his arms, he carried a midnight blue rug that had golden star constellations decorating it.

Phantom was glad that he ended up speaking to that computer that day, the items it chose were high quality and all space related.

"Dude, why wouldn't we help?" Wally shrugged as they reached his room. Phantom opened the door for all of them, as each door had a password for each of the Mountain's residents. They all entered the room and put the smaller items on the bed while the bigger items were placed just outside his bathroom.

"This was an excuse to see my room, wasn't it?" Phantom sighed as he started changing his bed to one of the new sheets. The new duvet cover was black with white planets, starts and dotted lines covering it, the top pillowcases were the same while the bottom pillowcases and the fitted sheet were black. There were some extra pillows in the shape of golden stars, but M'gann held them for the time being.

"Of course not, we wouldn't do that," Robin replied with a smirk on his face.

"We did," Artemis stated, the other's slightly glared at her for giving them away. Phantom only chuckled at their antics.

"I don't mind, to be honest, I'm glad you guys decided to help, despite the ulterior motives." He noticed Robin and Wally looking around his room the most. It looked they were looking for something, may be proof of the stuff that he stood them ages ago. Then Robin's eyes zeroed in on the backpack just under his desk, Wally followed Robin's gaze and furrowed his brows in confusion over the backpack.

"How come you have a backpack?" Wally asked as he stared at the said item. The question came out without thinking about it properly. Phantom followed his gaze to his purple backpack, it still had Sam's doodles over them, badges that reminded him of Tucker and Jazz, and a little ghostbusters emblem in memory of his parents. He was losing his focus to his thoughts of his friends and family when he panicked slightly. It could connect him back to being Danny Fenton if he wasn't careful enough with his answer.

"Phantom, are you alright?" Connor asked. Phantom turned his gaze to the younger, he supposes he was younger since he had just been born earlier that year, was born the right word? Connor had a look of subtle worry on his face, to anyone else it looked like he was scowling. Still, after spending days in the mountain with only M'gann and Connor to hang out with, as well as them being his main friends at school, he had learnt their tells pretty quickly.

"Fine," he sucked in a shaky breath, "It's full of stuff from when I was alive, I haven't had the guts to open it yet." That was somewhat true. He hadn't had the heart to open the bag since the incident. He was using a different backpack for school that was currently on his back in his human form.

The room went silent after that, both Robin and Wally looked guilty, Wally for bringing the subject up and Robin for leading Wally towards it.

Aqualad put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "If you ever wish to talk, or want friends around when you do open it, we will be here for you." Phantom looked over to the Atlantean, a gentle smile was on his face.

"Thank you."

"Oh, hello Megan. I forgot, we thought of a name to call you, you know something more casual." M'gann exclaimed and gently hitting her forehead. Phantom perked up at this and stared intently at her, he was curious to what they had come up with. When did they even have the time? He was always there. "What do you think of the name Shaun?" She asked tentatively.

"I-," well that name was certainly unexpected, "I like it." He replied simply. She squealed in delight and ran over to squeeze him into a hug.

After she released him the team continued helping decorate the room. Robin was putting up the poster and set up a TV with a gaming system, Phantom may or may not have mentioned to him he was a huge fan of DOOM. Wally and Kaladur were putting up LED lights around the room, Connor was moving the furniture so that it could be of better use and to make room for the belongings. M'gann was helping Phantom place the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, both of them loving the stars they knew the right constellations and had the ceiling astronomically correct.

They spent the rest of the night watching movies, playing video games and genuinely having fun in their time off. After all, Batman had informed them that they were trying something new the next day. Soon they fell asleep and tomorrow arrived.

The justice league had come up with a new way to train the team. It was a worst-case scenario exercise. Martian Manhunter would connect the team's minds and create a scenario that they would have to get through, it was designed to fail, but they knew that it wasn't real, and the league assured them that it was perfectly safe.

"Phantom?" Martian Manhunter called. He was standing near the team who were laid down in a circle on uncomfortable looking cots.

"Yes?" Phantom hesitantly replied, disliking the way the league was glancing at him.

"Will you be joining the team?" Why were they all looking him as batman spoke? Like he would bend to their whim and change his mind.

'Yeah, you know what, go on then, put me in a fake sleep and make my dreams try to kill me. Sounds like fun! Not.' It's not like Phantom would ever say that out loud to the faces of the most renown heroes, though he's pretty sure Martian Manhunter heard him anyway.

"No thanks, I don't want anyone poking around in my mind." Some of the league looked annoyed at Phantom's declaration, and the other's looked confused and concerned. Batman and Martian Manhunter both just nodded and turned their focus back to the team.

Before he knew it, the team were 'asleep' and dealing whatever hellscape Martian Manhunter was putting them through. All was going well until Miss Martian's brows scrunched and J'ohn, for once, didn't look calm.

"I've lost contact." He spoke softly.

"Wha-what does that mean?" Phantom asked as he stared at the team who looked lifeless as they laid there.

"It means that they no longer remember that this is a training exercise; they will believe what they are experiencing is real." The Martian explained grimly to the only team member that was not taking part.

"What?! Can't you pull them out? End it now?" Phantom flew closer to the team, hovering between Wally and Robin.

"Unfortunately, I cannot, Miss Martian her emotions have taken over and I can no longer control the situation."

"Well, how long before they wake up by themselves?" Phantom all but demanded. After his words, Artemis gasped, her eyes shot open, and she bolted upright. A scream danced on her lips, but she quickly swallowed it down, Phantom instantly shot over to her and wrapped her in a hug, she shivered at the cold contact but wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his shoulder.

"I'm- I'm not dead?" She faltered.

"No, no, you're not, it was a training exercise." Phantom explained to her as he held her close but loose.

"I-I was vaporised."

"It wasn't real." He turned to Manhunter in an almost glare, "We need to do something, now."

"You two go in, tell the team that none of it is real, and then we'll be able to pull them out," Batman spoke plainly and calmly cutting off any chance of a potential squabble.

Phantom had no time to process what had been said, he saw J'ohn nod, and the next thing he knew his mind was going fuzzy, he couldn't concentrate on anything. Artemis, who was still in his arms felt more like a cloud than a person, then he felt himself being lowered until he was lying down on his back, his arms no longer full of cloud. His eyelids grew heavy, and his breathing picked up, he didn't understand what was going on.

"Wha- hap'n'in'?" He brokenly murmured before his eyes closed.