White was at the far edge of Ember's island, away from the stage and everyone else. He held his sore cheek, that still stung from the slap. Tears were still streaming down his face.
''It isn't even that she's stubborn,'' he says while crying, knowing that Aqualad, Nightwing, and Krinos were behind him.
''White...'' Krinos tried.
''They just hate our kinds,'' White continued. ''It's not like every magical creature in the world has attacked anyone. Not every ghost in the Ghost Zone has even seen the living world. What they are, are bias and selfish. Believing that only what think is true fact. They don't do actual work. They don't try to understand us. All they do is rave against the ghosts and mystics because they can't understand us. I've always known that whatever mortals don't understand, they fear.''
''It isn't your fault that Maddie and Jack treat you guys like that,'' Dick says, comforting his youngest brother. ''People like them, like Artemis and Wally, can't change.''
''I think it's more like 'won't' instead of 'can't,'' Roy said, but then got a 'shut up' glare from the former boy wonder.
''I just don't understand,'' White cries. ''How is it that humans are just so heartless and cruel. Us ghosts and magical creatures never did anything. I never did anything. Why does this keep happening? No offense to you two, Tucker, Valerie, and Jazz, but I understand why our kinds stay away from humans and mortals. They are cruel and soulless beings.''
Nightwing kept his arms around his brother, hugging him.
''What Danny was saying about your sister raising you two, was it true,'' Kaldur asked. ''You never told us it was that bad.''
''It was worse than that,'' White admitted. ''Jazz was seven when we were adopted. The Fentons believed mama și tata's accident (mom and dad's) caused us to forget about us being Graysons. They thought we were now fully theirs. But they still never cared. I still feel so bad for Jazz, who had to grow up basically overnight to take care of us. She filled a very special roll in our lives. She taught us how to cook for when she wasn't home, even though Jack always cleaned out the fridge before we could even touch it. She helped us with out homework even when she had a load of her own. As tough as it was for us, it was even more-so for her. Jazz could never take your place, Dick, but she was the only real family we had in that house.''
''He's right,'' Danny said.
The ghost boy walked up to them, having calmed down thanks to his 'super' crush. Very much pun intended.
''How long have you been standing there,'' Roy asked, raising an eyebrow.
''Considering I can turn invisible, you will never know,'' Danny snickered. ''But White is right. Jazz did everything she could to give us good lives. While the Fentons slaved away in their lab, making inventions that will never work, she was our mother and sister all in one. She saw our smarts, our talent, and even our humanity after she found out our secret. The so-called parents could never do what she did.''
''Since she's studying to be a psychologist, you guys should hire her as a therapist for the league and team so Black Canary doesn't have to,'' White suggested. ''You guys have already met her, anyway.''
''There's till one more thing,'' Kaldur said. ''I saw how they reacted to your singing. Did they ever hear your voice before?''
''They don't even hear us when we talk, let alone White sing,'' Danny growled. ''White's tried, and it didn't end well. For us.''
''Would you tell us,'' Dick requested.
''We were going to tell you sooner or later,'' White says. ''Guess has been chosen for us.''
''We had already spent a few months with the Fentons, and things were normal,'' Danny told. ''As normal as it could get in Amity Park. It had been our birthday the day before, the first one, in a long line of forgotten birthdays, forgotten by them.''
''It had been our first birthday without you, mama, și tata,'' White took over. ''Jazz had remembered. She even got us cupcakes. But that didn't stop the sadness. So I did what I did best, I sang.''
*****Flashback (You All Knew It Was Gonna Happen)*****
A newly six year old White was sitting at the window in his and Danny's room. He had an uneaten cupcake in front of him. Jazz had given him and Danny the sweet treats for their special day. But it hurt that their parents could not have been there for them and the people supposed to be taking care of them didn't remember.
Danny sat down in front of his twin. He put a birthday candle on the cupcake. They were both upset over their parent's deaths and separation from their brother, but he wanted to see his twin smile.
''They didn't even say 'Happy Birthday,'' White said. ''They only stayed in the basement all day, again. Why didn't they remember, big brother?''
''I don't know, White,'' Danny says, trying to comfort him. ''Maybe they were just busy.''
''They're always busy,'' White complained. ''Jazzy is the only one that ever cares to take care of us. They don't do anything. They only care about their stupid obsession with ghosts.''
''Here,'' Danny said.
He used an old trick that their parents taught them. He snapped his fingers and the candle was lit. They have no idea how it worked.
''You and I will always have each other,'' he told him, holding up the cupcake. ''You once sang the song 'Me and You' at the circus. But instead as a love song, it was for family. I will never leave you. Make a wish, little brother.''
White leaned toward the cupcake.
''Îmi doresc o familie care să ne iubească pentru cine suntem,'' he whispered, then blew out the candle.
Romanian translation: I wish for a family that will love us for who we are.
White and Danny shared the cake. When they were done, White stared out the window.
''Who will kiss my head
When I lie in bed?
And who will hold my hand?
Who will understand?
Who will sing my song to me?
Who will hold me tight
In the dark of night?
And who will brush my hair?
Rock me in my chair?
Who will sing my song to me?
Who will sing my song to me?
Now that you are gone.''
He and Danny had tears in their eyes by the end of it. They would have gone to sleep soon after if a fat man and his wife didn't barge into their room.
*****End Flashback*****
''Those two had heard White when they had come up into the kitchen for a break,'' Danny said. ''But when they came in, they weren't happy over White's talent. They scolded him for being too loud and told him he'd be punished if they ever heard him again.''
''I only had my musical relief when in music class or on the Isle of Sirens or Magical Music,'' White continued for him. ''Even after seeing that, they will still never care for my voice. 'The arts have no place in science,' they say. To Hades with science.''
Aqualad put his hand on White's, and it seemed to calm his anger. But they both quickly pulled away, blushing.
''Let's get to the castle,'' Dick suggested. ''We have a party to attend, don't we?''
The twins wiped away the tears and they all stood back up. They were gonna salvage what was left of the next day if it killed them. And since they still knew about the Fenton Cube, it just might if they had to transform.
They made their way back to the others.
''We never did figure out how that candle trick worked,'' Danny said.
(AN: I've decided to continue the story, y'all. It just might be slower updates.)