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"I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks, but for the ledger of our daily work."

Neil Armstrong

Chapter 1: "The Day"

I think I remember some of my memories from those days too fondly. Perhaps it's the nostalgic part of my personality, but I often daydream of the days after the GIW War. Of course, if someone told me that back then that I would be yearning for such days of trial once more, I think that I would have kicked him.

Yeah, I wasn't in a good mood in those days. At least, that's what I recall. The war took its toll on everyone, but I was a bit more jaded, more reluctant than everyone else to just accept it and move on. After all, my entire world was turned upside down in a short amount of time.

I hated people trying to protect me, but I later realized why. Despite being able to outmuscle people three times my size, I was still a child. I lacked the experience and skill needed to play a big part in the war. Going out there just to see my own brother getting torn apart without being able to do anything about it hurt in so many ways. Before that day, I had never been thrown into the deep end without someone there to help me. And when it finally happened, when I was put in the same situation that Danny had been in so many times, I almost drowned.

And I hated myself for it. I hated my weakness so much that I couldn't even truly appreciate what was happening. It was a time of great change, when ghosts and humans finally came to a point where they could live in somewhat peace. My list of friends grew each passing week. My family expanded and I eventually found a brother that was as close to me as Danny.

But as I said, I think I remember them too fondly from my standpoint.

They were not easy times. Far from it in fact. Every fight was a struggle to survive. Every enemy and challenge brought suffering that I wasn't ready for. I was forced to adapt, and it was a painful change.

Especially because of the people that suffered and were lost along the way. Even now, I remember them. Perhaps they weren't the best people in the world, but we've all done things we aren't proud of. Despite everything, though, none of them deserved their fate. None of them had to die, but our enemies thought differently. After all, anyone who stood in their way was shielding the world from the Light and from Reality itself, and, to them, that was a sin deserving death.

-From the personal memoirs of Danielle Masters

(Saturday-July 3, 2010)

He floated above his city. It may seem arrogant to claim a city the way he did, but Phantom didn't care. This was under his protection, well his and his family's protection. They had fought long and hard to keep Amity Park safe despite the constant threats that plagued the city for almost a year.

Sighing, Phantom looked up to the cloud covered skies. The moon was shielded from view by the dark mist that floated above him. It left the city without any light from above. It made him feel isolated, like the rest of the world was different than them.

"That's not a lie, though," Phantom muttered to himself. His neon green eyes closing as the memories flooded through his mind once again.

Amity Park was the most haunted place in the world. It had been plagued by ghosts for almost an entire year now, ever since Phantom obtained his powers and tore a permanent hole between the realities that separated the ghosts from the humans. It was for this reason that Amity Park was different.

Ghosts, good, evil, and in between, flooded into the town and made it their own. No one outside of the city really took notice at first. Even when the city disappeared during the resurrection of Pariah Dark. No one had died after all, the world was plagued with villains and problems after all. How was a town dealing with a few strange events any different?

Well, that process changed when a ghost caused an entire city block to blow up taking six people with it. Phantom remembered that ghost well. It haunted his nightmares. Blood red eyes. A forked tongue dancing out from sharpened teeth. A burning DP symbol that they both shared.

Phantom took a shuddered breath. It had been him. Another version of him at the very least that did it. His future self arrived from a dark future, killed everyone he ever cared about, and caused the world to turn its eyes to Amity Park. He was responsible for all of it. His parents...His friends...his teacher...They all died because of mistakes he was going to make if things had continued.

That was only the beginning, though. There were so many attacks and so many enemies that wanted to bring ruin to him and his city. The ghosts. Klarion the Witch Boy. The League of Shadows. And especially the Guys in White.

Opening his eyes, Phantom looked down at his opened palms. He was grateful that he had people that arrived to help him. New friends and family alike helped to not only survive, but win. But even that had consequences.

Slowly, Phantom's hands began to glow an eerie green. Ectoplasm danced around his fingers, but it was not the same as before. His energy was different, lighter…weaker. That's how it had been for over a month now. Like everything, the war with the Guys in White changed it.

Letting the energy die out, Phantom let his arms drop. His eyes once more stared out to his city, his home. It was this city that was the very base of his obsession, the reason for his continued ghostly existence. The city had brought him untold pain, but it also brought him happiness, new family, and a purpose.

For that, he would protect it. To do that, though, he would have to branch out. They could no longer be so isolated. If they wanted to survive, they needed allies. They needed to have the Justice League on their side, much more than before at least.

For that reason, he had to work to keep strengthening their relationship. He was the only ghost that was on the League's good side. Everyone knew it. He was the bridge between their groups. As such, he needed to be the peace keeper.

That was why he was meeting with them tomorrow. He had been invited to the Hall of Justice by Superman, the Big Guy himself, to come by on Independence Day. Apparently, other young heroes, sidekicks to the Leaguers, would be there. Apparently, they were taking their first steps to joining the Justice League themselves.

Phantom didn't know what to think about that. He once dreamed about being a Leaguer himself, but those were days long passed. Now, his concern lied solely on Amity Park and the people he cared about. For them, he would do anything, even be treated like a sidekick.

"Tomorrow…" Phantom mumbled to himself, "Tomorrow is the day."

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