Broken Ghost (A Danny Phantom, Young Justice, and Batman Crossover)

~1~

          Distant sirens and horns blared throughout the polluted and crime-ridden city of Gotham. Dark grey clouds obscured any sign of blue skies as a couple planes and helicopters flew back and forth. Tall, dark buildings rose out of the dull concrete, tearing their way into the atmosphere as huddles of people scurried down the sidewalks and alleys.

A particular dark figure weaved in between the crowds on the streets. If one were to pay the figure any attention, they would make out a ratty, dark blue hooded jacket, old torn blue jeans, faded white and red sneakers, and a black, white, and bright green watch. The hooded guy was as silent and swift as death itself, all the while thin, pale fingers flitting into all the pockets and purses he passed. His startling, icy blue eyes peered out from the hood, quietly scanning his surroundings for opportunities and threats.

          Then the teen slipped unnoticed into one of many alleyways, hands shoved into his deep pockets. Long shadows consumed the lone figure, draping him in darkness. The hooded guy walked down the long alley in complete silence, only hearing the faraway scuttles of rats in the darkest corners of the area. In no time at all, the figure reached his destination: a small window hiding in plain sight on the right wall.

          The dark figure quickly made his way over to it, all the while his eyes and ears open for any curious onlookers. Convinced he was alone, the teen knelt down to the glass, and in one swift motion, he had eased open the window and slipped inside without a sound. His sneakers touched the floor soundlessly as he gazed into the pitch black of the room. The figure lifted a hand up, a glowing green orb forming in his palm. The orb cast a bright green light upon the area, but not bright enough to raise suspicion from the outside. The teen thrust the glowing object of light upwards, the orb floating silently up to the cracked ceiling.

          The room was small and held very little. In one corner lay a pile of empty wallets,dead phones, and other useless trinkets. On the wall next to it, lay a  medium-sized safe made of strange ice. A cheap mattress was lying on the cold floor against another wall, a pile of old blankets stacked up on top of it. Finally, a lone, dirty purple backpack rested away near the foot of the window.

          The hooded figure gazed around the room for a second, pulling his hood down as he did so. Messy raven hair was exposed, his bangs hanging over his icy eyes. Then the teen strode over to the safe, and once he reached the object, promptly opened it, revealing stacks of cash, coins, credit cards, phones available for sale, and valuable jewelry. The raven-haired boy then emptied his pockets, revealing several wallets, a couple of phones, and few pieces of jewelry. He tossed the jewelry inside, then emptied the wallets. He then threw more cash and credit cards into the safe, tossing the wallet carcasses into the useless pile as well. Once finished with that, he locked the icy safe back up and strode over to his mattress, plopping down tiredly. 

          He checked his worn-down watch, reading 7:30. The teen took out the few phones he had snatched, and proceeded to successfully hack them. The boy then discarded any and all information of the owner of the phone, then wiped all signs that someone had owned it at all. He did this for several hours, until he grew bored and his stomach's growling grew in intensity. The raven-haired boy stashed his wiped phones in the safe, and made his way over to his old backpack in hopes of something to eat. He saw his old photo with his family and friends, along with many First Aid kits, but not a bit of food in sight. 

          The teen let out a tired sigh. It had been about a year since he escaped from the GIW, and he had been on the run ever since. He had made a living out of pick-pocketing, but that was it. There were many times he was tempted to use his abilities to make a better life for himself, but he knew it would not be what his family and friends would have wanted. So, there were some nights he wouldn't have enough to eat, one of those nights being this one.