WARNINGS but no recap bc it's not worse than other un-recapped chapters
* dehumanisation
* blood and injury
* threats of ending another being's life

novemeber 6

Like the world just decided to take a nap on his back, Phantom collapsed to the ground. Hacking up the ecto clot that had formed in his throat, his muscles shook in exhaustion as he tried to keep himself up.

"You," Dr. Fate screamed at him, composure out the window as he stomped over to the injured boy. "You insolent rat! How dare you interfere with my contract!" Golden power pooled in his hands as he shook from anger. Reaching out with magic, he reversed their roles. Gripping Phantom by the neck, a golden noose lifted the boy up from the ground. "I cannot wait for the day I will be able to put you on trial for the atrocities of your kind and for the insult to nature that is your existence."

Phantom struggled meekly against the binding, the pressure on his injured neck and damaged vocal cords being more annoying than the lack of air passing through. It didn't last too long, as Dr. Fate finally let the energy dissipate. Unceremoniously Phantom fell to the ground once more, weak arms trying to push himself up.

Straightening out his suit and popping his obnoxious collar, Dr. Fate held his head high just to be able to look down on the boy like the true peacocking ass he was. "But a deal has been made so I shall relent." Swishing his cape, he turned away from the bleeding boy. "You are lucky I do not end your miserable existence right here and now. Do not take my leniency for granted."

Phantom forced his head to lift, neon green seeping out as he smiled up at the golden clad sorcerer. "Oh come now, Bubu, I thought we were bonding over here." He coughed hard, almost throwing up from how violently his lungs contracted. "I was gonna invite you over for tea and cookies."

The group of heroes could only watch on in horror as Dr. Fate turned on his heel. In a motion nearly faster than Flash, he kicked at the air, sending a wave of his magic to crash into the already injured boy. Trying his best to form a shield around him, Phantom willed whatever power he had left to surround himself. Power that wasn't nearly enough as it shattered the second Dr. Fate's magic came near it. With a horrifying echoed crack, Phantom was sent flying in-between where their audience had been standing.

Phantom tried to prop himself up again, muscles shaking in protest as he barely managed to lift his head off of the muck. Breaths were caught in their throats as they took in the sight of Phantom's broken mask. One side was simply completely missing. The green electricity-like scarring had completely made its way onto his face and into the whites of his glowing green eyes. The newly acquired cut in his eyebrow making its own path between the green already etched into his skin.

Dr. Fate stalked closer, fighting his own limbs as they glitched like a malfunctioning robot. "You truly know not when to accept defeat and surrender." He growled harder, unspoken spell pressing Phantom down. The anger at the loss of connection between mind and body angering him even more than the boy himself did. Forcing his spell down harder, he smirked in satisfaction as the cracking of broken ribs bounced through the forest air.

Still, even as he fought against the rings from going any further than blinking in and out of existence, Phantom's grin did not leave his face. "I learned from the best." His eyes ticked over to Robin who was still dangling helplessly in Conner's improvised air-jail. His left foot looked wrong but he didn't have the time nor brain capacity to think of it any further.

"How enlightening to know a mistake like you is capable of learning. And here I was believing you were just the pinnacle of what is wrong in the world."

Phantom smirked, visible eye glowing brightly as he pushed himself to at least somewhat support himself off the ground. "There you are." One visible brow scrunching up as he pushed through the pain. "Show the world who the real Nabu is, why don'tcha."

Dr. Fate was not going to let Phantom leave unscathed for showing such blatant disrespect to his superior. The others knew to behave, even the champion didn't care to interfere. Yet here this blasted child was, mocking him to his face. Raising his hand to strike once more, he stopped in surprise as a pilar of ice formed around his hand.

From the far edge of the clearing, a massive beast ran forth, flanked by Cujo. Even at the hound's flaming height he looked dwarfed by the horned beast by his side. Sprinting behind the beastly pair were Wolf and Batman. Flanked by the mutant, glowing blue peaked out from the hero's black attire. Where his glove used to rest now twinkled an icy cast.

In the shock of it all, Conner's grip on the struggling bird loosened enough for Robin to slip out. With a grunt he dropped to the ground, army crawling his way over to where his bleeding brother laid. Clawed hands dug into the frozen ground, propelling himself forward at impressive speeds for being down an entire limb. Within seconds he was by Phantom's side, slicing off strips from his cape to put pressure on the myriad of bleeding wounds.

"Frostbite?" Zatanna breathed, trying to wrap her head around everything happening at rapid speed. Just 20 minutes ago she was watching Phantom put up the fight of his life. Now she was watching him fight for his life, all for her sake.

"Frostbite?" Dr. Fate scoffed in distain, like it left a vile taste in his mouth after speaking it. "Is that what you go by now? So you truly did purge the man I once knew and cared for when you chose to betray your destiny." His eyes never leaved the beast as he came to a standstill between the pair of boys and the angered sorcerer.

Frostbite bore his teeth, claws sharpening from just a thought. "The destiny you speak of was nothing more than a wish you had. I am where I belong, where my skills are of use to the greater good." Nobody dared move as the two beings faced off. Millenia old history between the two left unspoken, like the faintest twitch might set off another battle nobody was capable of fighting anymore.

Phantom weakly lifted up his ungloved hand, gash still clearly visible between the green lines decorating his paling skin. Turning his head just enough so he could look at Batman sprinting towards them, he couldn't help but try to crack a joke at their matching injury. "Would ya look at that. Twinning." Robin had to fight the urge to smack the idiot slowly bleeding out.

Grabbing his brother's arm, he tied one of the cape strips around his arm to hopefully get it to stop bleeding. "What the fuck were you thinking, you idiot." Robin grumbled out, using his teeth to make sure the knot was tight enough.

Phantom wanted to laugh, but only managed to cough up another ecto-clot as he did. "That a certain asshole had to be knocked down a few pegs?"

Robin's movements froze, not out of shock but rather forced stillness so he couldn't attempt fratricide right then and there. Taking a deep breath, he forced his hands to continue wrapping up some of the easy to reach cuts and charred scars. "Mama is going to be so pissed." He mumbled mostly to himself, noting just how much red tinted green goo was getting all over his suit.

Phantom's eyes trailed where his brother's hands went. "I know." He sighed softly, fighting the delirious smile on his lips. "But come now, don't say you forgot." At Robin's unamused look, Phantom continued. "When Fate comes at you, you gotta hit back." Laughing at his own dumb joke, he soon enough found himself curling up as pain shot through every fiber of his being.

"If you weren't so fucked right now I'd strangle you for that one myself."

"Blame yourself for making me watch that movie."

Dr. Fate scoffed at the scene. "You cannot truly believe this is where your skill is most needed. You always had a bleeding heart for protecting the weak and insignificant." Dr. Fate sneered at the boys, hating how he was incapable of doing anything more than stand there. "You were a formidable warrior, but I see there is nothing of that which remains. All you have become is a guard dog for a useless nuhar-ken (parasite)."

Frostbite snarled, daggered claw finding its way up to Dr. Fate's neck. "And you were a wise man once, but now all I see is an arrogant fool." Grabbing a clawfull of the sorcerer's robes, Frostbite pulled him closer. Breath coming out in frosty puffs, his voice rumbled deep beyond humanly possible. "That boy is crown prince Phantom, heir apparent, savior and bringer of balance to the Infinite Realms, and predestined Ancient Of Protection." Frostbite listed off, voice booming in the clearing as he leaned in close enough to where his fangs left a mark on Dr. Fate's helmet. "You will put respect on his name as he deserves so far more than you."

Straining his neck with a crack so he could look upside-down at his friend, Phantom smiled lopsidedly. "Silly Frosty, always insisting on the silly titles. It's not like I could get rid of them, trust me, I tried." He grumbled, heavily decorated arm reaching out to barely manage to twirl the fur on Frostbite's leg. Exposed and scarred skin stretched thinly over his still too prominent and clearly broken ribs, creating a sickening sight for those too shocked to do anything but stare.

Robin forced his head back to a normal position, not needing to see what would have been a fully broken neck in any normal person. Cursed be his luck that of course his brother was anything but normal. Forcing his arm back to his side, he nearly sat on it just to keep his brother from moving around so much.

Phantom looked down at Robin's messed up foot. With the last few functioning braincells he had, he summoned a few supporting ice structures to hopefully get his bones aligned properly before forming a cast around the appendage. In return, Robin smacked him with the strip of his cape he was tearing off. "Stop that, dumbass. Take care of yourself first."

Phantom pouted, mischievous glint shining in the pools of neon. "But it looks like it hurt."

"You are the definition of pain, stop trying to make it harder."

Dr. Fate sneered at the sight, knowing full well Frostbite would never actually hurt him. "If it is respect you wish for the abomination, why not allow me to speed up his ascension and subsequent condemnment. I'll even aid the other cursed half by letting him join the perpetual dishonor you once chose for yourself."

Frostbite grew angry, quite literally so as his already towering form grew less and less recognizable. Eyes fully yellowed out as sharp features extended from his fluffy form. "You will not lay a hand on his royal highness nor his lord-kin." He warned, icy breath freezing the ground much like Phantom did. "I do not wish to bare my blade against you, but I shall do so with no hesitation if you force my hand."

Robin sniffled, nose annoyingly getting runny at the constant shift in temperature and remaining liquified snot still escaping his sinuses. His brother's blood, if that is what all the leaking ecto was, was cold to the touch. He was already more than soaked as he tried to keep up with all the major bleeding areas. Fighting to blot out whatever Frostbite was saying, he nearly jumped when he suddenly felt a cold hand rub over his cheek. "Stop crying, you're getting me all wet and sticky." Phantom joked.

Robin slapped his hand away, instinctively rubbing at his cheek in the fear his mask had come loose. "You dumb whore," he cursed, fighting back a soft smile. Leave it up to this idiot to try and get him distracted while he was anything but in a state to afford distractions. "That's your blood you're feeling." Flicking Phantom on the forehead, he felt regret shoot through him at how hard the boy flinched.

Clipping off the remainder of his cape, he tried to wrap it around Phantom's torso, putting pressure near his chest as his arms had taken the brunt of the attack. Glaring up at Dr. Fate, Robin mumbled some choice words under his breath.

"Leave." Frostbite growled out. "You are neither needed nor wanted here. Take your sorcerers and leave." Unsaid threats lingered in the air, already accompanied by the muttered dialect Robin was using to hide his own threats of violence. With a huff, Dr. Fate rubbed his wrist after Frostbite released him. Opting for a slightly more dignified departure, he summoned a binding spell around the tied up villains and teleported them out.

"Ssssilly, Bibi." Phantom slurred, head lulling side to side as he struggled his way through acting out the sentence. Tapping his bandaged arm to Robin's forehead he slurred through a soft scold. "Bat's don't kill, ya dummy." Having enough of the constant wiggling, Robin shoved the offending arm under his leg.

Having lived in Gotham a few too many years, that sentiment was quickly fading. "It's not murder if there isn't any proof." Robin looked right at Batman, struggling to make his way over with both Wolf and Cujo flanking him now, daring the man to argue against him.

Letting his anger ebb away, Frostbite shrunk down to his regular size. Features only mildly smoothed over, he crouched down next to the boys as Batman finally stumbled his way over. He looked pale, paler than usual. Bright red swished around in his icy cast, doing very little to keep his injury contained as his movement jostled it more.

Frostbite looked over Batman, grabbing the man's arm despite the blatant protests. "When I say do not move the injury, why does nobody ever listen." Dissipating the ice, blood rushed down his arm, quickly coating the frozen dirt and Frostbite's claws. Pulling out what little bandaging he had on his person, he quickly tied it around the man's arm, giving him a new and thinner cast before crouching down next to the two boys. Shaking his paws off to the side, the top layer of ice detached. Like little projectiles covered in Batman's blood, the shed layer dug deep into the dirt, removing any contamination from the yeti's hands.

Phantom lifted his other wrapped arm, tapping it onto Batman's bandage like he was raising a toast. "Look, dad, we can be scar buddies now." He drawled out, dizziness taking over once more as he was fighting to keep his eyes open. "I told ya I'd get everybody home."

"Next time, count yourself in that as well." Batman grunted out as he tried to help Robin tie off a chunk of charred skin.

"Perhaps it is best if you continue this talk later, yes?" Frostbite stressed, worried for his little charge who didn't know when to just shut up and let others care for him.

"It's fiiiiiiiiiiiiine." Phantom drawled out, waving off the concern as his hand fell limp next to him. "He's just pouty he's under a vow to let Mr. Zatara go on your birthdays and new year's." Phantom's dulling green eye hazily looked up at the distressed girl, taking a moment to find her before giving a soft smile that did nothing to comfort her. "I'm sorry I couldn't do better, Tanna." He breathed as his eyes dimmed to a regular emerald shine, a single blood soaked tear making its way down his face, "I really tried." Phantom's eye rolled shut, head slumping back as he finally lost the battle with consciousness.

Panic shot through the group, knowing full well that it was only a matter of time before Phantom would be unable to sustain staying in this form. Looking around the statuesque heroes, Frostbite's eyes landed on Zatanna. "Magi, come." He called out, a pang of guilt slipping through as he couldn't remember the girl's name. "Can you conjure two needles and a tubing pipe." Though phrased as a question, with odd terms at that, Zatanna understood the command given.

Batman unclipped his own cape, wrapping it around Phantom like a protective blanket just in case something were to go wrong. Leaving out just the arm Robin had been sitting on, he cradled the boy to his chest.

Refusing to waste any more time, Frostbite assembled the equipment Zatanna handed over. Just a look was enough for her to understand the silent request to cast whatever healing magic she could over Robin as Frostbite set to work. With his icy breath, he held Robin's arm in place as he sterilized the boy's skin to the best of his ability. Giving no reaction to the needle going into his skin, he watched the bright red flow out of his own and into a much too damaged arm.

"Is that...is that going to help him." Zatanna gingerly asked, like uttering any word would jinx Phantom's recovery.

The overhead air compressed down on the clearing as an all too familiar black plane landed. Taking their cue to start moving, Batman carefully rose to his feet, trying to not make it obvious he was grateful for Frostbite's aid in staying balanced.

"Not for long." Feeling Phantom's ecto diminishing by the second, Frostbite scooped up Robin, careful to not jostle his injured leg too much. Holding the boy higher than Batman stood with Phantom, he ensured gravity would do it's job to keep the transfer flowing smoothly. "We must hurry, the supplies I gifted before should be enough to stabilize him until my people can make the cross."

Cujo gently pushed on Zatanna's back, ushering her closer. Frostbite noted the confused look on the girl and reached out his fluffy paw. "Come, he has not left the jungle yet, your help may still be needed."

Nodding mindlessly, she walked in front of the yeti, making sure to keep an eye on Batman as well as he was doing his best to hide just how much he was leaning against Cujo as he walked.

"Rob." Wally breathed out, stepping forward, reaching out to his best friend.

At Robin's prodding, they paused just long enough for the boy to glare at the speedster. "Stay away from him." He warned coldly, any warmth or trace of years of friendship gone. "Haven't you done enough?"

Catwoman appeared at the lowered ramp, rushing forward to check on her precious boys as a bright light danced from inside the bundle in Batman's arms. Red mixed in where green had flowed down before. Taking Batman's arm, she helped usher the group inside and towards the medial area in the jet.

Setting Danny down on the table, Selina carefully removed his broken mask as Bruce unwrapped the boy just enough to get to his more serious injuries faster. Like expected, he was failing to stay in his ghost form. Rings of energy dancing around his body as his subconscious mind fought to remain undead. The only thing powering his current state being the damned ring still glimmering on his hand.

Rustling in the cabinets behind the cot, Robin tried to remember where Alfred said he stashed some of the emergency stuff Frostbite gave them. Finally finding the pills and some syringes, he jammed a couple pills into the barrel. Ignoring the pain from moving around with his own needle sticking into him, he pushed on to prep the meds. Forcing some saline into it, he pushed down the plunger until there was no more air remaining. Blocking off the tip, he pulled the plunger back, forcing the pills to break and mix into the saline. Repeating until he felt satisfied with it, he pushed out the newly formed air bubble before attaching the needle.

Handing the syringe over to Frostbite, he stabbed the unconscious boy in the arm, forcing the plunger down. The rings around his body stilled for a moment, suspended around the unconscious boy.

"Young one, remove the ring." Frostbite urged, blue energy fighting to close Phantom's myriad of injuries before it was too late. Not wanting to think too much, lose too much precious time, Robin pulled the green ring off of his brother's unconscious body. Like it had a life of it's own, it hummed with power before sliding itself onto Robin's hand and vanishing from sight.

Phantom's chest rose, lungs filling with air. At his exhale, the rings traveled down his body before vanishing from view. Fully human again, Selina made quick work to set up a heart monitor for her boy. Zatanna tried to help Frostbite with the injuries, her spells finally having the smallest of effect despite her putting in her all. Satisfied for the moment, the yeti moved on to the next objective.

Frostbite worked to clamp off the transfusion. Though Danny needed much more liquids, a regular IV would do just fine for now. At least until they managed to hook him up to a new ecto-IV. It would do nobody any good if Dick, too, started running low on his own blood. Turning to Bruce, Frostbite didn't even need to say a word as he forced the man to take a seat at the foot of Danny's bed.

Looking between Danny's passed out form and the shock on Zatanna's face, he figured it wouldn't take the girl too long to figure things out. Pulling off the cowl, everybody could see just how pale Bruce really looked. The gash on his arm was bound to get Alfred to scold him later, but he would do it all over again if he was made to relive watching his boy be attacked like that.

Seeing no need for the charade to stay up, Dick also ripped off his mask. Red puffy eyes squinting at how much the LED lights hurt. The skin around his eyes was fully swollen from how waterlogged his mask had been, mixing in with the irritants in the mask glue. Despite the pain, his eyes remained locked on his brother's still form. Scared that if he looked away, the monitors would alert him of a mistake. Of a failure he could have prevented if he did better, pushed harder, protected him like Danny fought to protect them all.

Jaw clenched tight, he tried to will the tears to go away, but he couldn't stop them from freely falling down his cheeks. How useless he had felt being forced on the sidelines once again, still no better than the boy up on the platform staring down at his parents mangled bodies.

"Oh, honey." Selina pulled him close, letting Dick stifle his sobs in her embrace as she ushered Zatanna close as well. Standing between the pair of children and the cot, she did what she could to comfort them. Nobody judged as Dick let out the stress he'd been holding onto, the fear and worry of what he so helplessly watched happen right before his eyes.

Zatanna didn't stay silent either, small sobs choked down as she didn't want to let it sink in what she did, and almost, lost this evening. Selina's warms and quiet hums as she raked her fingers through tangled hair only doing so much to comfort as the pain ran deeper than her warmth could reach.

Pulling away from Bruce's arm, Frostbite thrusted a bottle of water in the man's hand. "Go rest now," he addressed the entire group. "I shall stand guard over the youngin until we arrive at the cave of bats." Reluctantly Bruce got up, letting Cujo onto Danny's cot as the pup nestled next to the boy's chest. His little head rising and lowering with every steady breath taken.

Guiding them to a separate part of the jet, Dick settled on Bruce's lap. Refusing to let the second idiot under his supervision go. He was still mad at the man for disappearing like that, but the matching gashes on his and Danny's arm said enough. Though it made him feel stupid for not noticing it sooner. He had a feeling Danny tried the same back in their bathroom at Mount Justice where Bruce succeeded in on the battlefield.

Selina held her arm open for Zatanna, letting the girl choose for herself if she wanted to accept the comfort. Choosing to sit next to her, she leaned in, still grateful for the arm wrapped around her as she tried to still the racing thoughts in her mind.

Unfortunately for others, not everybody had the luxury of having a set of arms to fall into and feel protected. Feel safe enough to let such vulnerability show.

Conner wandered through the cold halls of Mount Justice, drained from helping M'gann power through helping everybody get near a Zeta to return to their own families. Even she left her room abandoned as J'onn offered to let her stay with him for the night.

He envied them, having people who worried about their wellbeing like that.

Hell, Phantom had Robin and Cujo who tried to get themselves hurt at the off chance it would help. And Batman who literally brought over a beast from hell frozen over who was willing to fight a god for his sake.

Sighing deeply, he rubbed the soft part of Wolf's ear as they entered his room. Pausing before he let himself flop into bed, he came face to face with that strange box Robin and Phantom had given him the day before. Wolf walked up to it, sniffing the box and waiting for Conner to choose what to do with it.

Welcoming the distraction, he slowly opened it, half expecting some kind of crappy prank doll to pop out of it. Instead, he found a bag of cookies atop a folded up note. Opening the Ziplock, the sweet nutty aroma of home made cookies filled his room. Taking one to munch on, he unfolded the note.

Thanks for letting me barrow borrow your headset, it did really help with the headache.

We found this thing online to help practice your punches if you have nobody to train with. Don't worrry, we made sure it's angi Conner proofed so have at it. And if it break's breaks, we'll just make a new and improved one. Don't be scarred to give us a call

Phantom       Robin

P.S. don't tell Robin!! I gave you some cookies, he's still salty about losing the but bet that's his own problem. Agent A said he'll gladly make amy other flavoers for you :)

Conner read over the note a dozen times, not quite sure what to make of it. He could only guess that the blue ink was Robin's corrections to what Phantom wrote, given that the added note at the bottom didn't have any blue crossing out the mistakes.

Confusedly he pushed the bubble wrapping out of the way, finding another box containing the thing mentioned in the note. At a glance, it looked like some kind of musical punching game, guessing from the boxing gloves that came with it. It was even colored in red and black, clearly repainted by the two gremlins who were so eager to hand it over before.

Were they waiting for his reaction? To see if he liked it? Conner didn't even know. After everything that happened, he didn't know what to feel as so much swirled in his heart and mind.

Conner looked down, stomach turning at just how much of his clothes were covered in Robin's blood as much as his mind was drowning in images of Phantom's limp body in Batman's arms. The once tasty treat spoiling in his mouth as his throat closed up. Tears dripped down from his eyes, soaking into the note his hand refused to let go of as for the first time since joining the team, he let himself be overwhelmed by the fact he was in part to blame for the suffering caused to the people who did so much to try and help him.

art by me, first posted on tumblr dec 30 2025

please check the added external link if you want an overview of the remaining arcs + a minor update on the behind the scenes mess ao3 managed to cause