Ghosts Don't Exist

Chapter 2: Two In the Same

So Batman did as he had promised. Pennyworth took young D- 37 to the hospital, and was followed my Molly. Batman, now back to Bruce, was looking every website up to figure out who this kid was. He had gotten a DNA sample on D- 37 (which he took secretly using a blood pressure thingy. Ya know, the ones that pinched you, takes your blood, and tells your blood pressure?). He put it in the computer and twenty minutes later, over a dozen newspapers popped up.

Most of the newspaper talked about a ghost who had named himself Danny Phantom. He had announced it at the beginning of his hero crusade. Four other articles spoke of an accidental explosion at a restaurant called the Nasty Burger. That caught Bruce's attention, so he clicked it.

Young elementary schoolers, Tucker Foley and Samatha Manson along with the Fenton family were caught in an explosion at the Nasty Burger. Oh, and Vince Principal Lancer was there. He's dead too.

Daniel Fentons remains were missing from the explosion and there were reports that he had gotten away. Unfortunately, he is missing and any information on him would help.

Bruce stared in shock and confused. Why would these be what pops up? Bruce zoomed in on Danny Phantom and cleared away the pixelation and realized this ghost looked like the young boy at the store. Though, that doesn't explain why an accidental explosion would come up. By the reports given on Daniel Fenton, he was alive. Unless, he was injuried and died and that boy is him. Bruce groaned and ran his fingers through his hair, how do you find someone that had hardly any info on them anywhere? Wait, GIW, that's where D- 37 is from. All Bruce had to do is go to the police station and talk to them and see what he could get.

His phone rang...

[B =Bruce P= Pennyworth]

B- Hello, Alfred.

P- Master Bruce, how are things coming along?

B- All I have are newspaper articles. Turns out this kid might be a ghost whom died after an explosion. By the date of this, it was two years ago.

P- So this young man is not human?

B- I don't know. It's weird, so just bare with me. I have a dozen articles over two things: a ghost hero and an explosion at a restaurant. So this ghost hero had been protecting people for a year and a half and had named himself Danny Phantom. Then, a couple years later two kids, a family of four, and a vice principal get caught in an explosion. Only the young boy of the family had reports of him escaping the explosion.

P- That is a lot to take in. That is very strange, Master Bruce. Those don't add up.

B- Wait, another article popped up. Young ghost hero, Danny Phantom, disappeared right after incident at the Nasty Burger. Are the ghost and the boy connected? Friends maybe?

P- Master Bruce, I understand you are researching the young boy but he woke up minutes ago asking for the 'Cool Bat'.

B- Okay, I'll be over in ten.

He hung up.

Batman chuckled and mumbled 'Cool Bat'. The little ghost child could answer question for him, hopefully a lot easier than the GIW.

____________________________________

Upon pulling into the parking lot, Batman walked causally into the hospital and asked for D- 37's room. Upon reaching D- 37's room, he heard crying from inside. Batman entered to see D- 37 curled up in a corner of the room with his face buried in his arms. Pennyworth tried his hardest to comfort the ghost and tell him everything was okay. "What happened?" Batman asked and D- 37 looked up and Batman's breath was caught in his throat.

Before him, sat a young cut up, scarred, traumatized little boy. Not a ghost kid, not a hero, a young, scared, confused little boy. His face was covered in tears but he looked like was trying his hardest not to make any noise. Batman wondered why. What had they done to him? This kid acted as if he had no free will.

Batman sighed and slowly walked over to the scared boy and stepped on something. He looked down and noticed a piece of paper with a crayon drawing of him, the police, the employees at the store, and the GIW. He and the police were standing victoriously as the GIW were tied up. The words 'Cool Bat' was rough fully written while the name 'Molly' was in neat cursive. Batman smiled and knelt down in front of the child. "Hi, I'm 'Cool Bat' or Batman. My friend here said you wanted to see me?" He questioned and D- 37 nodded and reached his arms out to him.

Could he not stand? "His foot is sprained, they said he won't be able to walk on it for about 6 weeks, if it doesn't get better he'll have to wear bandages for another 6 weeks." Pennyworth explained. Batman looked down to see he had thick bandages on his foot. He picked up D- 37 who wrapped his arms around Batman's neck and snuggled close to his chest. He was freezing, was he asking for body warmth?

"Is it okay if I ask you some questions, kid?" He asked, he refused to call this kid D- 37. The kid reached for the bed, to which Batman sat him down, and he started drawing. His way of communication.

He drew a picture of the ghost child from the newspapers and drew an arrow to himself. "You're a ghost? Are you, uh... dead?" Batman asked. D- 37 wrote the word 'Have', clearly meaning 'Half'. "Half dead?" He asked. The child nodded and picked up another piece of paper and started to draw again. He drew a black square and a small rectangle in the middle. He drew himself on that small rectangle with people around him staring at his torso. Green lines littered the paper. "They hurt you." Batman pieced together what this kid was trying to say. The kid nodded.

"Bud, I don't know if your mute or selective mute, but if you can talk I need to know what your name is so I can help you. What is your name?" Batman asked. "We promise to not hurt you." Pennyworth assured. D- 37 covered his mouth quickly and shook his head and he looked on the verge of crying. He didn't though and his hand switch between his mouth and cheek. Batman consoled him, "Shhh, fine you don't have to talk. You don't have to talk."

He sighed, this child had been able to talk but was forbidden to do so. Though he was told he was safe he clearly didn't feel safe. A nurse came in and asked for Pennyworth to come outside. Batman followed behind. "We looked at his test results, and we've never seen anything like this. His DNA is mixed with a green liquid which was registered as... I can't believe I'm saying this, ectoplasm radiation. His heartbeat is slower than a normal humans and his body has severe trauma. His organs have been removed and they... still can't believe, grew back. They're brand new but are 100% his. Along with normal severe trauma we have had here, his left ankle is sprained, his side is badly injured, and multiple ribs were broken.

"He's on a diet of mostly bland foods, the store worker said he'd spite an apple slice out and coughed. He clearly hasn't experienced anything with lots of flavor."

Batman and Pennyworth were really prepared for what they would expect but this had never even crossed their minds. Organ regeneration? "T-thank you, nurse." Pennyworth said and she nodded leaving, her awestruck expression never leaving her face.

The two went back into the hospital room to find D- 37 smiling and very quietly humming to himself. "What are you drawing there pal?" asked Batman sitting beside him. D- 37 moved closer to him and showed him his drawing. He had drawn a picture of himself fighting other (probably) ghosts, and on the other side was a human boy with a stuffed pink lion.

Then he did something Batman was very shocked to hear, be it as quiet as it was.

"That's me, I'm Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom. See?"