Young Phantom of Justice *Adopted by friking-awsom-kitten

When a freak understands

The Cave 17:15

"So, Phantom, " Robin leaned on the counter of the kichen, while Danny was eating some of M'gann's cookies " I coudn't help but notice the lack of some ... personal information on the drive you gave us."

It's been a few days since Batman had announced their new den mother, and ever since the Team was rather distant, well, except for Miss Martian, of course. And the ghost boy's busy life didn't help break the ice.
M'gann and Kaldur had been the only ones that told him their real names. The others didn't trust him enough yet.

"What do you wanna know ?" Danny asked bluntly.
"Well, for starters, what's your 'obsession'."
"Obsession ?" Kid Flash asked while chewing some cookies "Is he addicted to something ?"
"Uh, no." Danny answered rubbing the back of his head and trying to think if a way to explain it. "A ghost's obession is kinda the reason they're here in the first place. Their theme, powers, personality, everything. But they didn't chose it. Rather the ghost formed around the obsession."

Kid Flash wasn't buying the whole ghost thing. To him Phantom nothing but a liar with ghost-like powers or very advanced technology.

"Then, yours would be becoming superhero, right ?" Artemis asked, walking in the kitchen to take a cookie before Kid Idiot ate them all.
"Well, the thing is, I don't have one." Danny answered.
"Ah ha !" Kid Flash said victoriosly, finding a loop hole in his lie "So you're not a ghost."
"Actually, I'm diffrent. I'm more human than the other ghosts." Phantom said.

Robin noded while studying the ghost again. It did kinda make sense. Phantom did look more human than those other ghosts from files and online videos, and seemed to act like a normal teenager.

Danny had been in the Cave 3 times, and his relationship with the Team was pretty bad do far. Superboy would glare at him or avoid him, Robin was asking questions every time they met and was doing his best in annoying him, Kid Flash is sceptic of everything he did or said and took every oportunity to tell him he didn't belive in ghosts, Artemis was suspicious but otherwise OK, Aqualad was respectfull but distant and didn't get his puns. Miss Martian was the closest person he had on the Team so far, thanks to her happy-go-lucky attitude. The fact that she was an actual martian made it ten times cooler.

"My turn. I know about Miss Martian and Artemis, but what about Superboy ? Is he Superman's son or something ?" Danny asked glancing at the boy watching static on the couch.
"Or something." Superboy muttered, but, thanks to his supernatural senses, the albino heard him.
"And, what would that something be ?"
When he got no response whatsoever, Robin answered "He's ... Superman's clone."
"Oh. Wait, then why is he living here and not with Superman ?" the ghost boy frowned.
"Because Superman doesn't want me around !" Superboy exclaimed angrily.

Danny couldn't belive his ears.
Superman, the Man of Steel, the boy scout, world's greatest defender, the simbol of hope, everyone's role model, his role model ... couldn't accept his own clone. No wonder that guy's got anger issues. Now, Flash was his favorite superhero.
When Vlad cloned him, because ectoplasm was an unstable substance and cores were hard to make, not to mention his half human nature, all the clones were distabilized failures. Danny couldn't help but watch them melt screaming. He knew they were sentient and he wished he could've saved them. That fruitloop was tricking to them, letting kids die just to get his perfect son. He had gone too far. Luckly, Danny stopped him, but those fridge horrors were left in his mind.
Some hero he is !
But he would not let the same thing happen to Superboy too.

Phantom walked near the couch, where the Boy of Steel was staying, trying to calm his breath after that outburst. The boy glanced at him for a short moment, then avoided his gaze by staring at the static.
"Can we have a moment in private ?" the halfa asked. The others didn't need to hear this.
Superboy didn't respond. Instead, he just walked towards Kid Flash's Souvenir Room.
"Kaldur, make sure none of them are listening."
Aqualad nodded, while the others were confused.
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When they reached the room and closed the door, Superboy's gaze fell on the floor.
Danny was never good with this kind of stuff, but he had to at least try.
"Listen, I know what it feels like to be cloned." he began with a soft voice.
This statement seemed to have surprised, but still didn't look at the shorter, slimer boy.
"To have your privacy invaded, to know someone was messing up with your DNA and to know you were the cause of illegal experimenting." the boy continued.
"But I also know what it feels like to be something even worst. An experiment. To have an entire goverment branch after you, to be treated like a monster or a tool, to be hated for existing, to have your kind aganist you and all the other things that come with being a freak." Danny started to look saddened at the thought of what his life had turned into. What he had turned into.
"And, if Superman thinks it's so bad to be near you because of what you are, I know what it's like to be you." Phantom finished sincerly.

It took a few good moments for Superboy to process everything.
When he finally looked up, Danny saw that the usual angry or blank expression was replaced with something the other teen never seemed to have experience - shock, regret, thankfulness, understanding, relif, admiration, curiosity.
"But, what happened to the ..." the Boy of Steel began.
"None of them survived. It's not easy to clone a ghost."

Before any of them could say anything else, some voices could be heard outside.
Danny turned his head invisible and intangible, and peeked through the door.
There the other teens were trying to get pass Aqualad to get to the door.
"Oh, come on Kaldur, aren't you a little curious what are they talking about ?" Robin whined.
"I am just as intrigued as you, my friends, but Phantom told us to stay out of this matter."
"So did the Justice League on Independence Day, and look what happened. If Superboy's in trouble for being a clone, it's our righ as his team mates to defend him." Kid Flash protested.
"Wait, you guys thought I was scolding Superboy for existing ?!" Danny asked shocked, turning his head visible and opening the door.
"Then, why were you talking to him 'in private' ?" Artemis demanded.
"Superboy didn't do anything wrong." M'gann joined in.
"I was just- uh ..." Danny stopped mid-sentence. What could he say ? Superboy migh not want them to know his struggles, and Danny surely didn't want them to know his.
"That's none of your business. Phantom was just helping me." Superboy defended him.

The ghost boy smiled at the Boy of Steel.
One more off his enemy list.

👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻

I know this chapter screams Danny x Superboy, but I don't plan on pairing
him with anyone.
Danny will bond with everyone on every chapter.