A Phantom's Way

Chapter Five: The Differences

Danny was happily working on his online school work, again, best decision ever, while the T.V. was turned on, using the news as background noise. It helps him concentrate to be honest.

Valerie had also switched over to online learning, having done with all the idiots at school and wanted to still be able to study with Danny. She was the one who brought up the idea to Danny. She was not joking at how much easier it was to balance everything.

It's been a month since his parents helped him switched to online learning, and by the first two days, they could already see the improvement in Danny's grades.

That day his parents weren't home.

They usually weren't, mostly out of the house, out Ghost Hunting, but when they were home, they were always working down in the basement in the lab with the door shut.

Danny shuddered at the thought.

Lately Danny has been avoiding them, last night, he had, well, he would say close call, Red would say there was no one word to describe what had happened.

His chest ached and stung at the reminder, he rubbed it gently to soothe the pain.

Let's just say, that night as Phantom would haunt Danny's dreams forever, and it's a little hard to be around his parents now. Especially of their talk and anger over the fact that Phantom was a part of the Justice League, ignoring all evidence and proof that Phantom could feel and was not evil.

Danny wouldn't be surprised if they tried to get an audience with Superman in order to try and kick him off the team. Actually, he's pretty sure they've come up with the idea, but will only use it as a last resort.

Now they made their own 'scientific' blog about ghosts and their knowledge of them, but mostly it's a place they rant and preach how Phantom is menace to society.

Danny honestly feels a weird mix of morbid dread and embarrassment. At least he won't be bullied at Casper High over that fact. Again, thank God he decided to switch to online learning.

He never realized he liked learning when it came to subjects outside of space and astronomy. Unsurprisingly, considering his family, mostly Jack and Maddie, his top subjects is math and science.

His chest ached again at the thought of his parents.

Danny shook his head, nope, not thinking of that. Suddenly his ears perked up on the reporter from the news.

"Huh?", Danny said in confusion, quickly picking up the remote and turning up the volume on the T.V.

"According to Eyewitness accounts, Aquaman has forced his way past the guards and into a closed session of the World Assembly.", The reporter announced, "But to as why he's here and what he wants, we'll have to wait for further developments."

Then it went to commercial.

"Wow.", mumbled Danny after turning the volume back down to quiet.

He remembered the fact that this guy, Aquaman is an Atlantean. Not just any Atlantean though.

The Atlantean.

King of Atlantis to be more exact.

But Atlanteans don't usually, if ever, come to the surface. So, Danny had to wonder, and agree with the news, what business did Aquaman had with the World Assembly?

"We have an update.", the reporter exclaimed, the news coming back from the commercial break, "Members from the Justice League have been seen entering the facility. Is the surface in danger from its neighbors beneath the seas? Or are they friends of the King of Atlantis? We'll tell you more as soon as we find out. Back to you Tom."