Going Ghost! (Young Justice)

Chapter 218 218: The Youngblood Pirate (6)

[Third Person Pov]

The tear between dimensions had grown so massive that Danny could finally see it clearly, the Flying Dutchman itself.

The enormous ghost ship sailed through the Ghost Zone, slowly making its way toward the widening gap between worlds. It was built from aged wood reinforced with rusted metal plating, its massive sails stretched wide between towering masts while thick green fog rolled endlessly around the hull.

Old lanterns hung from hooks and railings all across the ship, glowing with an eerie green light that cut through the mist. The sound of creaking wood and groaning metal echoed through the air as the vessel pushed forward like some unstoppable beast emerging from the depths.

Standing at the helm was the captain himself, a gigantic pirate that completely dwarfed Danny in size.

He was easily more than twice Danny's height, maybe closer to three times, with a massive broad-shouldered build that made him look more like a monster than a man. A thick beard stretched down to his chest and swayed slightly as he laughed, while two large cutlasses rested at either side of his hips. Even from the distance between them, his booming laughter carried across the Ghost Zone loud and clear.

"Har! Har! Har! Keep her steady, ye sorry sacks o' bilge!" the pirate roared as his glowing eyes looked toward the dimensional tear. "The mortal realm calls, and I'll be claimin' me due from every soul that crosses me path!!"

Danny narrowed his eyes at the sight of him, his fury from everything that had happened still burning hot in his chest. His gaze slowly shifted away from the Flying Dutchman and over toward Youngblood.

'He's just a kid… and how do you make a kid be honest?' Danny thought to himself hypothetically. His expression darkened slightly as the answer came to him almost immediately.

'You scare the bloody hell out of them.'

Without another word, Danny teleported away in a burst of ghostly energy. Out of everyone there, he was the only one still capable of moving around properly after the ordeal. The others were still trying to recover from the traumatizing experience they had been put through, some barely able to stand while others still looked completely shaken by what they had witnessed.

"Youngblood!!"

Danny's roar was amplified by his Ghostly Wail training, turning it into a deep, monstrous echo that rattled bones and made the air vibrate. He snatched the pirate boy by the collar, yanking him up until their faces were inches apart.

Danny's features twisted horrifically—his mouth splitting into an unnatural, jagged slit that stretched ear to ear, teeth sharpening into long, gleaming fangs. His tongue lengthened into something serpentine and black. His eyes vanished completely, leaving only two burning green pinpricks floating in darkness.

"If you don't tell me how to stop this," Danny snarled, voice layered with guttural reverb, "I'll bite your head off starting from your neck and feed your remains to the sharks!! So if you don't want to be a kid's meal, you better start talking!"

"..."

Youngblood stared blankly at the nightmarish face hovering over him, his small body limp in Danny's grip. His wide eyes reflected those eerie green pinpricks.

Then—

His eyes welled up instantly, glistening with fat tears that spilled over chubby cheeks. His whole face scrunched up like he had bitten into a lemon, turning bright green.

"WaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The wail that tore out of Youngblood was pure, unfiltered childish terror. He exploded into hysterical sobs, thrashing weakly in Danny's grip as fat tears poured down his cheeks in rivers.

"I-I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Waaaaahhh!!"

Youngblood cried like a little baby, loud and ugly, with zero shame. His whole body shook with each sob. His cheeks flushed bright red. His mouth hung open in a perfect square as he bawled at the top of his lungs.

Danny froze, momentarily stunned. The monstrous transformation on his face faltered slightly as he watched the tiny ghost completely fall apart.

But Youngblood wasn't done.

Thick globs of ectoplasmic snot began bubbling from his nose, forming wobbly, translucent bubbles that inflated and popped with every hiccupping sob. One particularly big snot bubble grew, stretched, and burst, leaving shiny trails running down over his trembling lips.

"P-P-Please don't eat meeeeeee!" he wailed, voice cracking horribly. "I don't wanna be shark chum! I'm just a kid! I'm too little to be eaten! Waaaaahhh—hic—please, Mister Phantom! I'll be good! I'll tell you everything! Just don't bite my head off! Don't eat meeee!!"

Youngblood's legs kicked helplessly in the air as he blubbered, more snot bubbles forming and popping in rapid succession. He looked utterly pathetic—green-faced, snotty, and soaked in glowing tears.

Danny just hovered there, still gripping the boy's collar, his fanged mouth slightly agape. The terrifying aura around him flickered as he stared in stunned silence at the hysterical, snot-bubbling child ghost having a complete meltdown in his hands.

'...This worked a little too well,' Danny thought awkwardly. 'Should I be expecting my yellow lantern ring soon?'

He cleared his throat before baring his teeth in a snarl. "Then start talking!"

Youngblood let out another frightened hiccup, practically shaking where he floated. He quickly pointed a trembling hand toward the weakened Mera. "She–hiccup– she turned into the key–hiccup– you'll need her to open and close the path!"

Danny immediately tossed Youngblood aside before returning to his normal appearance. He wasted no time flying over toward Mera and crouching beside her.

"Do you think you can take control of the magic that's being extracted from you?" he asked.

"I can't," Mera breathed out weakly. She looked horrible. Most of the strength and life had been drained from her body from how much magic had been absorbed out of her. Her cheeks were hollow, her skin pale, and the blue glow in her eyes flickered weakly like it was struggling to stay lit. Even breathing seemed difficult for her. "I'm too weakened to even move a muscle."

Danny frowned before nodding once. "Okay then, leave it to me."

The moment he overshadowed her body, ectoplasmic energy erupted around Mera in a swirling green aura. Her body jerked violently as she grit her teeth and clawed at the ground beneath her. The water around her started surging and rising while her crimson hair floated upward from the pressure of the energy pouring through her body.

Two white streaks formed within her hair, stretching downward from the crown of her head, while one of her eyes flashed bright emerald green as the other remained its natural azure blue.

Power exploded around her like roaring flames. The ground beneath her trembled as she slowly rose from her hunched position, both hands curling tightly into fists. Then she cried out, her voice layered with both her own and Danny's at the same time.

"Just who do you think you are?! My magic isn't yours to do with as you please! Now give it back!"

The dimensional tear immediately reacted. Strands of glowing magical energy burst outward from the crack between dimensions before violently reversing direction. Streams of power flowed back toward Mera's body, guided by her control as the jagged wound in reality slowly started shrinking.

As more magic returned to her, Mera's condition visibly improved. The hollowness in her cheeks slowly faded, her body filling back out as strength returned to her limbs. The dark sunken look around her eyes lessened while the glow in them became stronger and steadier again.

"Arr! Stop her!" the Flying Dutchman roared from aboard his ship. "Aim the cannons! Our voyage to the mortal realm will not be delayed!"

Rows of ghostly cannons lining the sides of the ship ignited with glowing green energy. Seconds later, massive beams of ghost rays fired directly toward them.

Mera's eyes widened.

But before the attack could hit, a burst of gold and green suddenly appeared in front of them.

Aquaman had finally snapped out of the depression and despair that had consumed him earlier. With a furious look in his eyes, Arthur thrust his trident forward and intercepted the blast head on. The collision ignited the sea around them in a massive explosion of glowing colors and crashing waves.

After everything he had seen in those visions tormenting his mind, the last thing Arthur was going to allow was for harm to come to his wife.

Pure fury settled across his expression as he planted himself firmly between Mera and the Flying Dutchman.

"Just keep doing what you're doing," Arthur stated firmly while spinning his trident through the air, deflecting the incoming ghost blasts that rained down around them. "I'll make sure you guys aren't disturbed."

While Arthur guarded the front, the Aqua-Trio moved into position around Mera from the remaining sides. Weapons drawn and powers ready, they stood prepared to defend her no matter what came at them.

Jackson tightened his grip on his weapon as he stared toward the incoming threat. "I failed you once, Your Majesty," he said firmly. "I promise you it won't happen again."

********************************************

+10 advance Chapters and my other patron exclusive content on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3