Avoiding Past And Future

(94) Intermediate

November 14, afternoon

"Of course you're the fuck who makes my throat feel like I smoked a pack a day for 70 years." Phantom complained as his breath swirled in the air, once again unspoken history between the boy and new arrival sparking intrigue across the board. And unease given the blaster trained at their youngest. The only thing holding them back being Phantom's apparent ease at the threat.

Which in and of itself raised more questions than could be asked, but that was a problem for another time.

"I have waited far too long for this, brat." Skulker sneered, calmly approaching as he held Phantom at gunpoint, screen propped up on his arm as he scanned Phantom's body. "I see the rumors were true, you have grown stronger. Perhaps I'll keep you as a pet before having your pelt decorate my wall." Studded teeth shone under the lights of the training room as he settled on the ground with a weighted clank. His step heavy on the glass paneling.

A shudder ran down Phantom's spine at the mention of his pelt, a strange nostalgia he didn't know how to place warming his insides. "Dude, when will you stop saying that. It's gross."

"When that mouth of yours has finally been sown shut so I do not need to hear your incessant yapping every time we cross paths."

"Wouldn't that count as taxidermy then? Rather than just mounting my pelt? Or is that just a subset..." It wasn't clear if that was another taunt or a genuine question. Either way, it did its job at ticking another of the metallic ghost's nerves. "Plus, you're the one who crossed my path, so really, you asked for it."

Skulker didn't quite enjoy the snark. Reaching his limit, he fired off ghost-proof netting at the boy who had forgotten the stupid glowy ones were anti-intangibility. With a yelp he was shot backwards, a lot less entertained than he was before as he got himself tangled up in the damn thing.

The shift was noted by the onlooking heroes, falling into more defensive stances as they waited for any sign on what to do. Canary signaled to wait, not even sure what would work as Phantom hadn't particularly volunteered anti-ghost plans.

Robin ignored the signal, shooting off baterang to slice through the netting trapping his brother.

"Stay out of my hunt, lord kin. As interesting of a specimen as you are, I know where my priorities lay." Skulker glared over his shoulder, his smile morphing to a sneer while still holding space for some half-imagined respect. Most complicated of a look than he had ever read, and that came from the person who grew up socializing Batman and learning his tells. "Perhaps I could raise your value by speeding up the natural process, though I see no need for a copy."

A loud pop pulled the attention back to Phantom as he forced his shoulder back into its socket. "I don't care what you say about me, but you do not talk to him that way." Green spread out around his shoulder, glowing brighter for a moment before fading once more.

Skulker turned back to his pray, nonchalant shrug to pair with his casual smile. "What can I say, I prefer originals." Confusion grew behind the metallic ghost, but he didn't care for trivial human things like that.

Pushing himself up from the ground, he grinned crazily as he tapped away at his wrist computer, like his arm wasn't just injured to begin with. "Okay you soon-to-be mangled scrap-metal bastard. You want to come in here, interrupt the useless training and get on my nerves? Fine, have it your way." The training simulator sprung to life under their feet, a new ID made just for the aforementioned scrap-metal bastard to track who won. "You get the honor of being my real training." Cracking his joints, Phantom's playful aura shifted into something that reminded them a bit too much of that night.