The next morning Spook is awoken by a loud bang coming from next door in Superboy's room. Obviously curious, she transforms into her ghost form and heads over to Superboy's room.
"Superboy?" she calls out, knocking on the door. "Are you okay?" She gets no reply. "I'm coming in." She turns the knob to find it locked and turns intangible, deciding to go through the door instead. "Superboy?" Spook finds the Boy of Steel on the floor next to his bed and kneels down next to him. "Should I wake him?"
He suddenly awakens and tackles her to the floor. "What are you doing in my room?!"
Her eyes widen, now getting the full extent of his rage and power close up, and phases through his grasp. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I heard a loud thump come from your room."
He looks at her and blinks rapidly. "Uh, s-sorry... I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Just surprised me," she confirms. "I'm a ghost, remember? I don't get hurt easily even with strength like yours."
He sighs and sits on his bed while Spook floats in front of him. "So, you were at Cadmus too?"
"Too?" she says confused. "Wait, you were there?"
"I was created there. I'm only 17 weeks old."
"Wait, for real? You look 16."
"Physiologically I am," he responds.
"Cool," she admits. "Uh, want to get some breakfast? I don't know where the kitchen is though... "
"I'll show you," he replies, getting up from his bed. They leave the room down the hall. "You're a ghost though, why would you need food?"
"This ghost needs food," she replies, floating behind him. "I can't live on energy forever."
"Usually M'gann cooks some monstrosity," Superboy says. "But I don't hear her up yet."
"That's okay, we could just have some plain old cereal," Spook says.
They arrive in the kitchen to be greeted by Robin and Kid Flash.
"You're up!" KF says.
"And hungry," Spook says, heading to what she assumes is the pantry. She makes herself a bowl of cereal while getting surprised looks from the three boys.
"How are you holding that bowl?" KF asks.
"With my hands?" Spook answers.
"No, duh, but how? You're a ghost. You aren't supposed to physically be able to lift anything tangible," KF wonders.
"Uh, with my ghostly powers?"
"So, what is it like to be, well, dead?" Robin asks.
"Dude! Rude!" Spook scoffs.
"I didn't mean to be rude!"
Spook begins to laugh as she sits between KF and Superboy. "I was kidding. Being dead is probably the best thing that's happened to me. Sure at first it took a while to get used to my powers, but that was what was so fun. I have powers."
"But at a great cost," Superboy says.
"Didn't you have any loved ones?" Robin asks.
"I don't remember," she lies.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she says. "Anyway, do I get to go home?"
"Yeah, Batman is sending you on your way around lunch time," Robin replies. "So sometime soon."
"Not willingly I'm guessing."
"It's never willingly. There will obviously be conditions," KF says. "It's Batman."
"Ooh! Could you show us your powers?" Robin asks.
"I'd rather not," she says.
"Aww, come on," KF whines.
"We already know all your powers," Robin says. "We had a briefing last night." He smirks. "You can speak two different languages and have a special place in your heart for animals."
"I can actually speak five different languages," Spook admits.
"Interesting," Robin says. "Anyway, Batman should be here soon. It's almost 1. You guys have had a nice long rest."
"You're telling me," Spook huffs.
"Recognized: Batman, 02."
"Speak of the bat and he shall appear," Robin says.
Spook rinses her bowl, places it in the sink, and follows the others to where they first met yesterday.
"Recognized: Superman, 01."
"What a pleasant surprise," Superboy scoffs sarcastically.
"Hello, team, Spook," Superman greets.
"Do I get to go home?"
"We have made a zeta-tube to Fox Hollow, Vermont," Batman says. "And we'll let you go on one condition."
"I thought I was free?"
"You're untrained and overly powerful," Batman says.
"The one condition is that we want you to be a part of this team," Superman says.
"That's a hard condition," Spook admits. "I still have to protect my town."
"Your town has survived without you for 8 months," Batman says. "I think you'll be fine."
Spook sighs. That's because of my brother and my crazy parents... "Superman?"
"I think you should be a part of this team," Superman says. "You'll get the best training here."
Spook sighs. "As long as you think I'll fit in."
"I do."
She looks up at Superman to his eyes to see that he's telling the truth. "Fine, as long as you aren't monitoring me while I'm home."
"No problem," Superman says, giving Batman a look. He leads her over to the tubes, entering the coordinates. "We shall see you soon."
Spook takes one last look at the team before she disappears in a flash of light. "Recognized: Spook, B07." She exits a phone booth and flies up above the buildings, searching for her home. The ghost eventually finds her home and transforms back into her normal appearance then knocks on the door.
"I'll get it!" a young boy's voice calls out.
She begins to tear up. I know for me it's only felt like a week, but them? It's been 8 months. "Rai..."
He opens the door, planning to say hello but freezes. "N-nessa?"
"I-I'm alive and home, fratello," Vanessa says.
He tears up and engulfs her in a hug with a chuckle. "Only half alive."
She chuckles. "True."
"You don't know how much I've—we've missed you," he says, sniffling in her shoulder and squeezing Vanessa tighter. "It's been a m-mess since you were captured. Mama and papa have been raising hell, s-searching for you. They've been using their gangs to terrorize the country."
"I see you've kept the town in one piece though," Vanessa says. "And hopefully managed to keep them from killing anyone."
"Rai? Who's at the door?" mama shouts.
"Mama! Papa!" Raimundo shouts, pulling her into the house. "It's V-Vanessa! S-she's back!"
"What?!" their parents both shout. You can hear something crash as you hear their footsteps running toward them.
They gasp as they see their only daughter and begin to sniffle. "M-my baby girl..." mama stutters.
"Where were you?!" papa shouts, tugging her into a hug.
"I-I was kidnapped and was rescued by the Justice League yesterday," the halfa admits.
Papa snarls in disdain at the mention of the Justice League.
"We thought w-we would never see you again," mama sniffles, joining in on the hug.
"I'm glad you've returned home to us," papa says. "We've been looking everywhere for you."
The girl sighs as she pulls away from them, wiping away her tears. "Mama, papa, there's something that Rai and I should tell you. I was kidnapped for a reason. It's something Rai and I have kept secret from you that we should tell you."
"Nessa, you can't."
"They need to understand why I was kidnapped," she says, looking at her stern parents' confused faces. "I was able to come home on one condition."
"There was a condition?!" Rai fusses.
"Yes," Vanessa responds. "And that is to join the team of kid heroes."
"Why would you join a team of superheroes?" papa asks.
"Because I'm the superhero of Fox Hollow," Vanessa says. "One of the heroes."
"I don't understand," mama says.
"Vanessa, we can't," Rai pleads.
"They'd figure out our secret eventually, Phantom."
"Phantom? You mean like the ghost boy?" papa asks.
"Yes, I do," Vanessa says. "Raimundo is Phantom. I'm Spook."
Their eyes widen and they begin to laugh. "No way. You can't be the ghost twins."
Vanessa turns to look at her older twin. "We have to show them."
"Why now?"
"Because, I'm a part of a superhero team, Rai! They need to know why I'm going to disappear every once in awhile."
"We've handled that plenty of times before."
"This time it will be different and harder to hide. I didn't want them to find out the hard way and be mad. You know what happens when we anger them."
Rai sighs. "Only if I get to join you. I will not be separated from you again."
She smiles. "I think I can arrange that."
They turn to their parents and transform right in front of them. A purple ring forms around the twins' waists and separates, revealing their ghost halves.
The widened eyes of their parents confirms they've transformed.
"W-when did this happen?" mama asks.
"When we were in the lab explosion on that field trip at Star Labs," Phantom says, snow hair and purple eyes glowing with a large purple P on his chest.
"The powers weren't immediate, but after a few weeks, we started walking through things and turning invisible," Spook says.
"Why didn't you tell us?" papa asks. "With your powers..."
"We wanted to but you were both so disgusted by ghosts saving the city, we didn't want to tell you," Phantom says.
They return to their normal selves, green eyes and brown hair.
"I-if we knew we wouldn't have–" they begin.
"We know you hate ghosts and we were scared of what you'd do to us," Vanessa says.
"Especially the part about being heroes," Rai says. "We didn't think you'd let us."
"If you asked us to be superheroes, we obviously would've said no," mama says. "We aren't superheroes. We don't save the day, we control it."
"We are crime lords," papa says with a sigh. "You two are the prince and princess of the Italian and French mafia."
"That's another reason we really didn't want to say anything," Rai admits. "Being superheroes are almost totally opposite of being in the mafia."
"We never wanted to be a part of your gangs," Vanessa says. "We want to be on the good side of crime."
Their parents sigh and look at each other with sideways grins.
"We moved to this little town to work but not draw attention to ourselves, but with your powers we could take over more areas," papa says, eyes gleaming.
"The power of our gangs could bring chaos to even the larger cities," mama grins. "You should help us. We have given our rights of the mafia to you once we're permanently out of the question. We have taught you how to be rulers. We're your parents, you should listen to us."
"I don't like the look in their eyes," Rai says. "They have the 'more power' look."
"I was afraid this was going to happen," Vanessa sighs. "I wanted to make sure first. Rai go pack our things like we planned so many times. We're leaving."
"You have nowhere to go," papa says. "We know you'll come running back. You always do."
"Not this time, father," Vanessa says, transforming back into Spook. "I love you both, but I don't want to become wicked like the two of you. I may be part ghost but that doesn't mean I'm soulless like you."
"Go ahead and go play hero," mama says. "You'll be back whether you like it or not."
"This is not what I was hoping to have to do upon arrival," Spook sighs.
Phantom comes floating down the stairs with two backpacks, handing one to Spook. The two ghosts give their parents one last look before phasing through the ceiling.
"Where are we going?" Phantom asks.
"We're going to live at the cave with other teens who have powers or incredible abilities," Spook says, leading them to the photo booth she arrived in. "I don't trust these heroes yet, so when we are with them we are only Spook and Phantom. They don't know we're half ghosts, so we are both fully dead."
"You know I don't like doing that," Phantom says.
"I will reveal us when I believe they can be trusted," Spook says.
He sighs. "I know. I trust you. We can't trust people and that's what comes with being a superhero." They arrive at the phone booth and Phantom looks at it confused. "This doesn't look like a cave."
She laughs. "This thing will teleport us to the cave," Spook says. "When we get there, let me do all the talking. I'm going to head in first and after I'm gone, you head inside." She heads into the broken down photo booth and disappears in a flash of yellow light.
"Wicked," Phantom says, stepping in.
At the cave, Spook is at the computer authorizing Phantom to the cave.
"Back already?" Robin asks. "That was fast... Uh... What are you doing?"
"Bringing someone here," Spook admits.
"You can't authorize someone unless one of the Justice League members authorize it," Robin says, becoming cautious.
She smirks as the zeta-tube speaks. "Access granted. Phantom, A02. Authorization: Superman, 01."
"You just hacked into the system?!" Robin shouts.
"I wouldn't call it hacking," Spook says. "More like possessing."
"What's going on?" Megan asks, coming into the room with the rest of the team behind her.
The zeta-tube lights up and Phantom appears. The team gets in a defensive stance. Phantom is oblivious to their tension as he looks around the cave.
"Who is this?!" Robin fusses with Spook.
"Can't you tell?" Spook asks, walking over next to Phantom and swinging her arm around his shoulders. "He's my twin brother."
"What?!" the team shouts.