Avoiding Past And Future

(95) Intermediate

November 17th-20th

Discomfort was not something Phantom and Robin were unaccustomed to. Actually, they'd be oddly used to it by now, given how their lives have gone so far. From stepping into spilled syrup with socks to Ember forcing Phantom to play the guitar for the entire concert while not knowing a lick of music. Robin's first year at snotty Gotham Elementary to Phantom nearly phasing through his clothes while stressing about a presentation. Even dealing with old ladies who should be on some sort of watchlist at a gala to daily therapy sessions with Penelope Specra.

Every single one of those felt more enjoyable and more preferable to being cornered by the team who were expectantly waiting for an answer neither boy had.

Really, why they even thought cornering the two during a social visit with Nanaki, Shiro and Cheddy about potentially getting promoted again to co-leads was beyond them.

Cheddy had their collective braincell and he thought it was a tasty treat. Just something to chew on, spit back out, and chew on once more. Not much thinking was going to happen, let alone to something that required quite some mulling over.

"Well?" M'gann asked innocently, hands clasped together to hide her nervously fiddling.

They were quite literally cornered as they'd been making a little snack in the kitchen when the rest of the team showed up. Some clearly less happy to be there than others, but water under the bridge. Though, considering they didn't know about jack shit, Batman didn't know about this stunt either. And if they didn't tell Batman of their plans, well, let's say it wouldn't be the first time they did some things on their own behind the League's back.

Looking at each other, the pair of boys tried to think of a way to escape without being so blatant about it. It may have looked genuinely well intentioned, but it felt more like a hostage situation than a promotional offer.

For the first time in ages, Phantom was actually happy when his ghost sense went off, cutting off whatever sorry excuse he was going to ramble through. The team had already come to know what that meant as well. Given the polarity of their previous visitors, defenses flew up as soon as Phantom's breath puffed out of his mouth. The unmistaken flavor of gas, leather and vanilla coating the inside of his throat as he looked around for his unlikely knight in leather bound armor.

"Johnny." Phantom sighed deeply, earning himself some looks. Though grateful for the rescue, he knew there was chaos wherever the biker went. What was even more worrisome was the lack of the vanilla he had forced out of his throat.

"Whatup, man!" The aforementioned biker greeted happily as he came to a screeching stop, engine turning off as he swung his leg over to face Phantom. "Been too long, hasn't it!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Phantom already regretted cheering for the man's arrival. "How many traffic accidents did you cause getting here?" Stopping in his tracks, Johnny's eyes blew wide for just a second before he tried to compose himself.

Under the pressure of multiple sets of eyes suddenly on him, Johnny whistled in innocence. "Who, me?" With a puff of air and a way too casual wave, Johnny did his best to look offended at the thought. "Not a single one!"

Phantom raised an eyebrow, unimpressed as he lazily looked over Johnny's messy appearance, well, more messy than usual. "Are you sure about that?"

"Pfffffffffffffffffffft," Johnny waved him off, hand on his waist as he tried to innocently make it through the conversation. "Like you have any proof." Not even looking at where he was typing, Phantom held the glare he sent the biker's way as his fingers flew over the keyboard he summoned.