True Family

Chapter 8

The air within the warehouse felt thick and eery in the echoing silence. The fading sun only dampened the mood further, as shadows danced across the walls and stretched their eager skeletal fingers towards the occupants of the room. Yellow turned orange as the sun's last rays of light shown through the broken windows of the warehouse.

Danny, still in his Ghost form, observed his ex family and friends, and couldn't help but feel guilty as he took in their appearances.

Maddie and Jack Fenton's hair were graying significantly, their usually out-going colored jumpsuits looked worn and dull in color, their weapons also looked worn and poorly made in design, but lastly their eyes. Their eyes held so much grief and exhaustion that it almost hurt to look at them.

Miss Martian must've noticed the way Phantom was looking at his birth parents, for she was now talking to him through the mind-link. 'Danny... it's not your fault. They brought this upon themselves. It's their own actions that made them like this,' she said, attempting to assure him. But Danny didn't dare voice his doubtful thoughts on the matter.

Before Phantom, or anybody, could say anything, Maddie exclaimed 'Danny' and began to run towards him with open arms and a relieved smile on her face with tears in her eyes.

But before she could reach him, Superboy stepped in front of the ghost, effectively blocking off the red-haired woman's path.

Maddie stopped and with a look of shock, stared at the slightly older raven-haired teen. Soon enough she was able to snap out of it and now looked on in curiosity.

"What do you think you're doing?" Superboy's voice echoed throughout the warehouse.

Maddie blinked in surprise at the question, but that surprise quickly turned into irritation, "Hugging my son, what else would I be doing?"

'She's telling the truth you know...' Kid Flash said over the Mind-Link.

'That doesn't mean she gets the right too,' Superboy said cooly back.

'So how are we going to deal with these guys?' Artemis asked.

"Last time I checked, he wasn't your son..." Miss Martain retorted, stepping closer to Phantom.

"You teenagers dare have the audacity to sit there and claim-"

"Enough!"

Both groups stopped and turned to stare at the person of topic, only to find that said person trying their best to refrain themselves from lashing out.

Phantom took a calming breath and stated seriously, "This discussion can wait till later... We are currently on a mission and we must complete it. Now, can you please explain what's been happening in Amity Park?"

Both groups now blinked at Phantom in shock, surprised that he decided to speak up after all. Nightwing on the other hand couldn't help but smirk, for he was proud of the young teen for speaking for himself and keeping the mission their main priority.

Maddie, now even more interested, crossed her arms and asked, "What 'mission'?"

Phantom answered back (rather sarcasitcally), "Clockwork came to me saying that Amity Park is falling apart. Imagine my surprise when I got here and I discover that there is a planned Ghost Invasion waiting to happen, and how the city doesn't seem to be equipped enough to fight it off."

Sam Manson finally came out of her shock and decided to say something, "First you go and abandon us, leaving us to have to deal with all the ghosts constantly causing havoc. Then you decide to go to an entirely different dimension, leaving us to also have to deal with the problems in the Ghost Zone! And you come back NOW only to insult us?! What is wrong with you?!"