Superboy held Phantom as they comforted the ghost boy. It was rare for the prince of the Ghost Zone to show such vulnerability. He was always the type to be switching between the most lovable goofball that you could ever meet and being as serious as a military general. To ever see him cry or just lose composure completely was about a rare as finding a yellow rose among a field of black ones.
Superboy greatly cared for Phantom. He would never let anything happen to him as long as he was around. Most would never think that the even-tempered clone could be so soft around someone, but they had never seen him in love.
He first tried to have a relationship with Miss. Martian a few years ago, but even while he didn't hate it, it did not feel totally right. The martian girl misusing her telepathy and putting several villains and aliens in comas was just the excuse he needed to end their relationship. It helped bring her back to her usual sweet self, but they never got back together. And currently, he was very glad that they did not.
The most vulnerable that the Kryptonian clone had seen of him was when the two had shared their first kiss and officially became a couple. That memory always puts a smile on his face whenever he remembers it.
*****Flashback*****
The two heroes walked through the backyard of Mount Justice. Phantom and Siren had just gotten back from a trip to the Ghost Zone and Mystic Isles to take care of some of their royal duties, bit they hadn't told the team about their statues yet. Phantom had no clue what Superboy was up to since the clone had been the one to drag him out here. And in all honesty, he was always wary of the ones on the team that didn't know their status. He felt they wouldn't trust him fully if they didn't know him.
While there always was that slight spark between the ghost boy and the clone, but Danny's been cautious of everyone since the DAN problem. If seeing an evil version of yourself doesn't make you wary of potential troubles, nothing will.
''Never thought you'd ever want to take a walk, Conner,'' Danny smirked. ''You always struck me as a 'training to relax' kind of guy.''
''Even a half Kryptonian has to take it slow every once in a while,'' Conner chuckled. ''You could learn a thing, or two, from that.''
''Like it's my fault that most ghosts would attack in the middle of the night back in our old realm,'' Danny pouted, crossing his arms. ''Mostly the Box Ghost. That guy really needs a hobby.''
''At this point, attacking you just might be his hobby,'' Conner joked.
''Lucky me,'' Danny groaned, making Superboy snicker.
''So, other than the disaster you're forced to call your former home , anything else going on in the Ghost Zone,'' Conner asked, basically stalling his feelings at this point.
''For once, it's been quiet,'' Danny says. ''Only a few minor issues. Pandora's army is still searching for Davy Jones and Blackbeard with their ghost ship. Youngblood's been a big help with that. Frostbite's coming up with a way to trap Undergrowth in a cryo-chamber.''
''Well, everyone knows plants hate ice,'' Conner smirked. ''Frost, yes. Ice, no.''
''With the amount of time I spend with Lena and Krinos, it be a crime not to know anything about nature,'' Danny chuckled. ''We all know how protective they are of plants, especially Krinos.''
''No kidding,'' Conner agreed. ''Remember when you once told us about how he once gave chase to a group of business men that tried to bulldoze his forest?''
''I do,'' Danny said. ''He filled all their equipment with tree sap, then made them all look like modern versions of Tarzan before chasing them away. I refused to make him made after that.''
''Would you have ever made him angry before that,'' Conner raised an eyebrow.
''That's about as likely as me making you angry,'' Danny smirked. "Krinos is the scariest mystic I know. Even more so than the vampires and that says something."
"Guess I should be glad that vampire teeth can't penetrate my skin," Conner chuckled.
"You and me both," Danny snickered. "the last thing that any realm needs is for blood-sucking vampires to be powered by Kryptonian blood. Just imagining my vampire friend Erica with your strength level is terrifying."
"But not as much as an angry Krinos, right," Conner smirked.
"Very true," Danny says. "Nature is literally life to Krinos. As the lord of nature, he lives as long as there is nature in the world. As long as there is even just a single blade of grass left, he lives. It is a terrible thing when a mystic fades. Not even dying, they just fade away when their life source is taken away."
"Has it ever happened before," Conner asked.
"Only once," Danny admitted. "Pan, the Greek god of the wild. He faded when there were basically no real wild places left in the world. His fading effected every nature, animal, and earth mystic in every realm. It was horrible."
"If we have anything to do about it, we will never let another mystic fade," Conner out his hand on Phantom's shoulder.
"I appreciate it, Conner," Danny says. "I think I mostly just fear for White and the other sirens. They may have elements, but music is their heart and soul."
"Even if I have to sing myself, I will always make sure there is music in the world," Conner comforted the ghost.
"Thank you, Conner," Danny said.
Superboy stared at the half-ghost. There was just so much about him that he liked. His sarcasm and his wit. The smile that just makes you feel warm and happy inside no matter what you felt before. Not to mention he was as kick butt as you can get. And when he shows how much he cares about others, it is like the cherry on top of a sunday.
''For the love of Rao, Kent, it's now or never,'' he yelled at himself in his head.
Superboy pulled Danny close and kissed him. At first, Danny was in shock. But after a few seconds, he kissed back. And by the gods was he ever happy that he did. They just melted into it. Complete and utter bliss.
*****End Flashback*****
Superboy watched as Phantom punched a giant hole in one punching bag and blast another into pieces. He was really letting out all of his frustrations, which was better than him doing it to a human being. Even if none of the team liked the Guys In White. But murder was definitely not going to ever be on their to-do lists.
"It's unnatural what they're doing," Danny says.
"Huh," Conner was confused.
"They're messing with the nature that is life and death," Danny said. "There is a balance in magic when it comes to life and death. A balance that needs to be kept at all times."
"Aren't there mystics that have dominions over the dead," Conner asked.
"Not like some would think," Danny explained. "As a ghost, I understand more then others the delicate balance of life and death. If someone is meant to die, then that is fate. There is no way to avoid it. Death in itself is not good or evil, it is simply there."
"I never would think to hear that from a ghost," Conner admits. "I mean, aren't there a lot of ghosts that stay when they have unfinished business?"
"Yes, but there is a reason why there are mystics that can communicate with the dead," Danny says. "Mediums, fortune tellers, psychics, all of them are mystics hidden in plain sight in order to help ghosts with unfinished business by talking with their families. Magic is everywhere, but people only see what they want to believe."
"It must be hard when you meet those like Wally, who have no belief in magic at all," Conner said.
"Not exactly hard," Danny shrugged. "More like just annoyance. They take us for granted all the time, even if most don't know we exist."
"You know that sound weird, right," Conner said. "Just being honest."
Phantom sighed. "Yeah, I guess it does. I think what just really upsets me, and any other mystic really, is when people compliment science and its advances so much. Magic has been doing those things for centuries. We were flying long before the plane was invented. We were talking with each other from different countries thousands of years before the telephone was made. Magic has had working democratic governments when mortals were still dealing with corrupt kings and queens. They think science is so great, I think that is just mortals being delusional over how pathetic they would really look compared to us magical beings."
"Wow," Conner gasped. "You really needed that rant, didn't you?"
"You have no idea how much I needed that," Danny finally smiled.
"Guys, you may want to come in and see this," Robin calls over the link.
"What now," complained Danny, White, Conner, and Kaldur.
The four joined the rest of the team back at the computers. Roland was sitting near the back of the group, looking like he had just seen a ghost. No pun intended, but pun intended. He was petting his tiger, but almost like he was doing it on auto-pilot since he had the most lost look in his eyes.
"I did some more digging, and some of their experiments actually seemed to have succeeded," Robin says.
"How is that even possible," White asked. "Humans can't handle magical powers."
"But, it seemed, that the corpses of their fallen comrades could handle them," Dick said.
"What," Danny gasped.
"Necromancy," White realized.
"Exactly," Robin says. "With the demonic powers making sure that the bodies no longer need souls, they were able to resurrect them. Well... mostly resurrect. They're technically just walking weapons of destruction."
"Great, just great," Danny growled. "Bad enough they have anti-magic weapons, now we have to deal with souless demonic zombies running around."
"I never liked zombie movies or shows, and this is not helping," White said.
"Do any of the files say which demons and mystics were mixed to create these things," Kaldur asked.
"They went for the most destructive combinations," Dick explains. "Banshee was mixed with nymph, witch, and legacy in three different bodies. Black Knight was mixed with Grimlock, witch, and Valkyrie. There's over two dozen different combinations, both with mixing demons with demons and demons with mystics."
"Oh crap," Danny pretty much summed up what they were all thinking.
"This might be a little much for us," Valerie says. "Even with more experienced heroes, these creatures plus all the agents will be too much for us to handle."
"Do you guys just forget that me and Danny are royalty in our realms," White asked.
"We both command armies, plus all the other ghosts and mystics that have armies of their own," Danny said. "In the Ghost Zone, myself, Pandora, Frostbite, and Princess Dorathea all have our own armies."
"And most of the creatures and beings of the Mystic Isles are pretty much always combat ready," White says. "We think it is left behind behavior from when we all hated each other and always needed to be ready for a fight."
"And I can tell you right now that the mystics will be pissed once they learn what the Guys In White are doing," Roland adds, still petting his tiger. "Once Robin showed us the first time, before you guys came back, I was ready to unleash my most powerful crystal beast. Don't mess with a diamond in any form."
"As curious as I am, maybe save that one as a last resort," Karen says.
"I'll call the mystics," White says. "If they want a war, we will give them one."
"You're going back to the Mystic Isles," M'gann asked.
"There's no need," White smirked. "I have a little number that everyone on the isles knows is my fight song."
"And before you ask, it is not actually 'Fight Song' by Rachel Platten," Danny says. "Not even sirens are cliche when it comes to music choices. Unless they're trying to be funny."
"And trust me when I say that once they start singing 'Be Our Guest' it can get old really fast," White said. "And that is coming from their prince."
Siren walks to the room in the warehouse that they keep their own ghost portal in. Phantom set is to open up to the Mystic Isles. Siren's eyes glowed gold has music started. Soft golden sound waves flowed off of him and into the portal. All over the Mystic Isles, the magical beings and creatures all heard the music. For those that had an idea of what was going on, they knew that things were about to get real.
"I won't just survive
Oh, you will see me thrive
Can't write my story
I'm beyond the archetype."
Across the isles, the mystics understood the message of Siren's song. He was telling them all to prepare for battle. He was calling for them to fight for themselves, their people, and for their home. Magic itself was being attacked and there was no way that any of them were going to let this slide. This was going to be one war that did not work in favor of humans. It's time for mystics to show that they are not Halloween monsters, but a lot more than that.
"I won't just conform
No matter how you shake my core
'Cause my roots, they run deep, oh."
"Oh, ye of so little faith
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Victory is in my veins
I know it, I know it
And I will not negotiate
I'll fight it, I'll fight it
I will transform."
Mystics from around the isles all started preparing themselves.
On the Isle of Were-Creatures, two creatures were more than ready to start fighting. They felt the power of the moon in their veins as they used their own special powers to give them a little upgrade for the fight. The werewolf's eyes turned an icy blue as his teeth fanged and ice armor formed on his body. The were-cat's eyes shined gold as light became golden armor on her body and she hissed with her fanged teeth.
"When, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, you're out of time
But still, I rise."
One the Isle of Nature, Krinos heard the song loud and clear. His eyes glowed green as the plants around him reacted to his powers. A new feature of his powers showed. Around his arms appeared glowing vines, almost like magical tattoos.
Close by, on the Isle of Beasts, was a girl surrounded by animals. She had a gold featureless wolf pendant around her neck that would occasionally glow bright blue. Her eyes would glow in harmony with her amulet. As she heard the music, she stood up with a determined look on her face. Touching her pendant, a blue falcon spirit was summoned and she took off into the air.
"This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in, think again
Don't be surprised, I will still rise."
"I must stay conscious
Through the madness and chaos
So I call on my angels."
On the Isle of Vampires, three of these fanged beings had no problem flaring their fangs as they prepared for battle. They may not kill humans for food, but they sure as hell kill humans when defending their friends, family, and home. Plus, since one of them is a seer, he had been preparing them for this fight for a quite while now. They could already taste the blood of their enemies.
On the Isle of the Enchanted Forest, two warriors prepared themselves as they sharpened their swords. The Guys In White were going to find out what it meant when you angered those with the blood of Camelot running through their veins. The girl's eyes shined as she picked up a spellbook. The boy's hand tightened its grip on his sword as he massacred a training room of dummies.
"They sayOh, ye of so little faith
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Victory is in your veins
You know it, you know it
And you will not negotiate
Just fight it, just fight it
And be transformed (and be transformed)."
"Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, ohOh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh."
The Isles of Harpies and Wicca were almost the most busy isles other than the sirens and ghosts. Orion lead his people like a general leading his soldiers. He knew that his friends did not like anything or anyone in their original home, but he also knew that it took being real heroes to save those that you hate.
Melinda was preparing her own spells has her fellow witches trained their powers. Opening her spellbook, a blue light came out and circled her head. It went into her eyes, making them shine as she infused her mind and she instantly gained the knowledge inside of her book. She was ready to take on those that chased her friends out of their home.
"When, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, you're out of time
But still, I rise."
The Ghost Zone and the Isle of Sirens were, of course, the most busy out of all the magical places. Pandora, Frostbite, and Dora all prepared their armies to go into battle. Pandora with her army of Greek ghosts, Frostbite with his yeti, and Dora with her knights. Even Youngblood and Wulf were getting involved by rounding up the other pirate and wolf ghosts. They were all ready to fight alongside their prince.
Lena round up all her fellow sirens. They heard their prince singing and were all set to make him proud to be a siren. They all sharpened their skills, tuned their voices, and gathered their instrument weapons. They knew that if any of them went down in this battle, they were going to go down fighting and with very high body counts. No one messed with a siren and got away with it.
"This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in, think again
Don't be surprised, I will still rise."
When his song finished, Siren looked at his brother with determination in their eyes.
"They're coming," was all he said.
(The original characters have also been based off of other characters from shows like My Babysitter's A Vampire, Legends of Tomorrow, and Merlin. You can also read about them on my other story Phantom Music.)