Going Ghost! (Young Justice)

Chapter 217 217: The Youngblood Pirates (5)

[Third Person Pov]

Danny wasn't the only one affected by the fog released by the Flying Dutchman. Everyone trapped within the isolated field was forced into the depths of their worst fears and nightmares, the cursed mist dragging out the memories and regrets they tried hardest to bury.

Batman froze as he found himself standing in an alleyway once more, eight years old again. His small body locked up like a deer caught in headlights as the mugger held Martha and Thomas Wayne at gunpoint. The cold night air felt suffocating, the smell of gunpowder and rain filling his lungs as terror rooted him in place.

The first thing that registered were the flashes of light one after another, followed by the deafening sound of gunshots ripping through the alley. Blood sprayed through the air and splashed across his face as his parents collapsed onto the pavement with dull, lifeless thuds.

Young Bruce stumbled backwards before dropping to his knees beside them, his breathing uneven and frantic. Blood slowly pooled around his shoes while the green fog curled around him from every direction, trapping him in the moment with no escape.

Then the vision shifted.

Bruce was older now, clad once again in the mantle of the Bat, but his parents still laid before him. Only now they moved. Slowly, Martha and Thomas reached toward him with pale hands while disappointment filled their faces.

"You're a disappointment, Bruce."

"A disgrace to the Wayne legacy."

Bruce's breath hitched violently. He buried his face in his hands as his shoulders trembled uncontrollably. Years of guilt, pain, and failure came crashing down onto him all at once.

"I'm sorry… forgive me…" he whispered repeatedly, his voice cracking more each time. "Please… I'm sorry…"

….

Robin was having the time of his life at first.

For a brief moment, he was no longer a vigilante fighting monsters and criminals in the dead of night. He was Dick Grayson again, one of the Flying Graysons, soaring high above the circus crowd with a bright grin stretched across his face. The roar of applause thundered around him while warm lights shined overhead.

He swung through the air on the trapeze, hanging upside down by his legs as he moved back and forth toward the waiting hands of his mother and father. Everything felt perfect. Safe. Like home.

Then it all shattered in an instant.

Just as he reached out for them, the cords attached to their trapeze suddenly snapped.

"No!!" Dick screamed at the top of his lungs.

The safety net beneath them vanished as if it had never existed. His parents plummeted downward before slamming against the ground below with sickening force.

The illusion changed around him immediately. Robin now found himself standing on the circus floor beside their broken bodies. His hands shook violently as he grabbed at them, desperately trying to wake them up. Tears streamed freely down his face while panic consumed him entirely.

"Wake up! Please!" he begged, his voice cracking. "Please don't leave me alone! Please, just wake up!"

But they never moved.

…

Aquaman felt as though he was drowning despite standing on solid ground. It was as if every ounce of air had been ripped from his lungs the moment he saw the destruction around him.

Atlantis was gone.

The once beautiful underwater kingdom, filled with towering structures and vibrant life, had been reduced to nothing but shattered ruins and drifting debris. Darkness stretched endlessly through the ocean while thick green fog rolled through the remains of the city like a plague.

Arthur walked forward slowly, each step heavier than the last. Bodies of soldiers and civilians littered the streets, buried beneath collapsed buildings and broken stone. Everywhere he looked there was death.

Then he saw them.

Garth. Tula. Jackson.

One after another, their bodies slowly drifted downward through the dark water from above, unmoving and lifeless before landing among the dead with hollow thuds.

Arthur's expression twisted with horror as his breathing faltered. His legs weakened beneath him as his eyes finally landed on another figure lying motionless amongst the rubble.

His wife.

A broken breath escaped him before his knees finally gave out entirely.

…

Tula, Jackson, and Garth were all suffering through similar visions. Their friendship and bond with one another caused their fears to intertwine, each nightmare reflecting the same crushing truth.

Failure.

Every single one of them witnessed themselves falling short of the expectations placed upon them. No matter how hard they fought or how much they sacrificed, it was never enough. And in the end, the people closest to them paid the price for it.

Tula stared helplessly at the corpses of Garth and Jackson lying before her, unable to save either of them.

Jackson witnessed Atlantis collapsing beneath tidal waves and flames while Arthur and Mera's lifeless bodies rested among the ruins.

Garth saw the same horrors, his closest friends dead around him while their home crumbled into nothingness.

The nightmares weren't just showing them the deaths of each other.

They were showing them the complete destruction of Atlantis itself.

…

Danny stood over his grave laughing, one hand covering his face as the sound echoed through the fog.

"Hahahaha—"

The laughter suddenly stopped the moment he sensed movement behind him.

Danny quickly turned around just in time to see bony fingers clawing their way out from the dirt. Skeletons slowly dragged themselves out of their graves one after another, their empty eye sockets burning with an eerie green glow as every single one of them locked their gaze onto him.

"It's because of you we're like this!!" Jack's voice echoed loudly from the skeleton still wearing the remains of his orange jumpsuit.

"You're the reason we're dead!" Maddie's skeleton shouted as well, fury dripping from every word.

"I thought we were your family, Danny… how could you…?" Jazz asked quietly, though the hurt and disappointment in her voice somehow struck harder than the yelling.

Danny froze. His throat tightened painfully as the words died before they could even leave his mouth.

Then he turned and saw two more figures climbing out from nearby graves.

Batman and Robin.

"We're going to be next," Batman stated coldly, his expression unreadable but his words sharp enough to cut straight through Danny. "We're going to be killed, and it's going to be all because of you."

"You should've just stayed dead!" Robin added immediately, his tone equally merciless. "You would've done all of us a favor."

"I—" Danny started weakly before his voice broke apart. He stopped himself completely, biting down hard on his lip.

"You call yourself our friend?" Tucker sneered, glaring at him with a level of disgust Danny had never once heard from him before. "Some friend you turned out to be. I regret ever becoming anything more than strangers with you."

"I hate you," Sam spat venomously, her eyes filled with resentment. "I should've never gotten involved with you in the first place. What was I even thinking? We're all going to die because you refuse to stay away."

The group slowly closed in around him. Skeletal hands and familiar hands alike grabbed onto his arms and shoulders before they started forcing him backwards toward the open grave. Danny gritted his teeth as his shoes dragged harsh lines through the dirt while he resisted their combined strength.

"Stop being shameless," Sam continued as she shoved against him alongside the others. "If you're willing to be the cause of all our deaths, then it's only fair that you join us!!"

Voices immediately began rising all around him in agreement

"Get in!"

"You belong with us!"

"You killed us!"

Danny's feet dug deeply into the ground as he fought against them, the soles of his shoes carving grooves through the dirt while they pushed and pulled him toward the grave.

Then suddenly he stopped at the very edge. His body trembled violently for a moment before he slowly lifted his head.

"Funny fact," Danny growled, his voice low and uneven as he planted himself firmly in place. "I recently started going to therapy, so I've gotten better at identifying my feelings."

The fog around him shifted uneasily.

"As much as your words hurt…" Danny continued, clenching his fists so tightly his hands shook, "what I'm feeling right now is far from sadness or guilt."

His glowing green eyes burned brighter.

"IT IS RAAAAAAGE!!"

Danny threw his head back and unleashed a Ghostly Wail.

The scream detonated like a bomb.

An enormous shockwave erupted outward from him as the sound tore through the illusionary space itself. The thick green fog surrounding everything shook violently before being blown away in all directions. Cracks spread through the false reality like shattered glass as the entire nightmare dimension started collapsing apart around them.

The next instant, Danny found himself back inside the underwater sea temple. His wail continued roaring throughout the massive protective dome surrounding the battlefield, the sheer force of it shaking the entire structure.

One by one, the illusionary prisons trapping everyone else inside their greatest fears and regrets shattered apart under the force of Danny's attack.

Batman collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily. Robin stumbled backwards with tears still lingering in his eyes. Aquaman and the others dropped to the ground looking dazed and shaken, remnants of dread still clinging to their expressions even after the visions were destroyed.

Youngblood himself was blasted backwards by the attack hard enough to finally hurt him. The ghost boy cried out in panic and pain as the wail struck him directly.

Danny's own scream eventually faded as exhaustion finally caught up to him. He dropped down onto one knee, breathing heavily as his entire body trembled from the strain.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Then Danny slowly pushed himself back to his feet.

His fists clenched tightly at his sides while his eyes glowed a bright, furious emerald. Every trace of fear and hesitation had vanished from his face, replaced entirely by cold anger.

"Now," Danny said quietly as he started cracking his knuckles, his voice filled with restrained fury, "it just got personal."

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