Hey!

I promised I'd be back and here I am, albeit after a longer time than I anticipated.

This story is a long one. I've been writing this story for almost 3 three years. So buckle in for a long journey with our favourite halfa.

This story focuses mostly on Danny but there are a few chapters spotted throughout that use another character's point of view.

The first three chapters are more prologues than the actual start of the story but it does set up a lot of things.

I don't own Young Justice or Danny Phantom.

And while I'm doing disclaimers; this story has earned its T rating. There are disturbing scenes in this story. If you really don't like gore, then you might want to skip this story or some of the chapters at least, although they are important to understand Danny's journey. But I'll put in warnings at the end of the previous chapter and the start of the chapter containing that scene.

Hope you enjoy the story, let's get started.

It was dark. That worked for Robin and he was leading this investigation after all with Miss Martian and Artemis. It was only a small team because it was a small mission. The government was just a little worried about a hacker. Sporadically over the last month or so, a hacker had tried to hack into a classified branch of the government. Until now though, the firewalls have held up. But the government was concerned. The hacker was learning and getting better every attempt. It would only be so long before the hacker got in. So Batman was sending Robin, the team's hacker, to investigate. Miss Martian was there for the inevitable interrogation when they found this mystery hacker. And Artemis was back up in case they ran into more problems than a computer geek.

Robin, Artemis and Miss Martian dropped to the ground below the Bioship. Robin tapped on his computer console in his arm. A light blue, holographic display appeared. He read the data and pointed down the road.

"This way. The hacker is trying to hack in and the signal originates a few blocks over," Robin informed the girls over Miss Martian's mental link. They nodded and followed the master of stealth.

"This is a strange town. Usually there would be a lot of people around on the streets at this time," Artemis commented. Robin frowned.

"I know what you mean Artemis. But there's rumours that this place is haunted," Robin replied.

"As long as Harm doesn't appear, I don't care," Artemis retorted, but her scowl betrayed her nervousness.

"But that ghost you met, Greta… she helped you right? Why are you worried if ghosts are good?" Miss Martian asked.

"Ghost stories here aren't nice M'gann. They're of evil creatures that attack people for no reason," Robin interjected before stopping outside a large town house. Robin checked his console again and nodded.

"This is the place. Doesn't look that well-guarded, but we should still be careful. Signal's on the top floor," Robin announced.

The girls nodded and Miss Martian's eyes glowed light green as she floated up into the air. Robin grabbed Artemis by the armpits, and using a grappling hook from his utility belt, he swung the non-super-powered heroes up the building. Together they scaled the building, Miss Martian entering her camouflage mode. They reached the top floor within minutes without any problems. Artemis and Robin perched beside a large window. They could see a garden from their perch complete with a glass greenhouse filled with plants. Robin peered through the lit window and frowned.

Inside the room, he saw two teenagers. They couldn't be older than sixteen. A girl wearing black and purple clothes with big, bulky combat boots. And a boy wearing a red beret and glasses, typing furiously at an expensive looking computer. The teenagers were in a bedroom with a large king sized bed with dark covers, strewn messily on the mattress. There were CD cases on the ground, despite there being plenty of room for proper shelving. There were posters on the walls of rock bands. It was nothing like they were expecting.

Robin glanced at Artemis and she nodded to him. Robin pulled out another device from his utility belt and began to unlock the window. While he worked, the trio overheard the conversation inside.

"Well?" the girl prompted impatiently.

"Sam, stop bothering me. This isn't as easy as it looks. I have to hack through firewalls meant to keep out terrorists," the boy snapped.

"You've gotten through before right?" the girl, Sam, retorted. The boy scowled.

"Yeah, but every time I try, they make it harder. I have to find new ways in every time. Good thing these programmers are morons or they could actually make it impossible for me to get in. Just give me a minute, I'm almost through this firewall. Hopefully it's the last one," the boy replied. Sam huffed and began to pace.

The boy continued to type but suddenly he cried out in alarm and bit back a vile curse. The computer sparked and a small explosion filled the room. The computer smoked and went black.

"Tucker!? Are you alright? What happened?" Sam exclaimed, running to her friend as he sucked on a singed finger.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But your computer's busted. They surged us. Shut it down and overrode the system," Tucker explained, sounding furious but also despairing.

"Sammy! Tucker! Is everything alright?! I heard a crash," a woman's voice shouted through the closed door.

"Yeah mom. But Tucker overworked my computer," Sam answered.

"Oh, I guess you'll have to finish that project of yours tomorrow," the mother decided.

"No! No, we can work off my laptop instead. I backed it up so we didn't lose anything. But Tucker will probably be going home in the next hour or so," Sam interjected.

The teens held their breath.

"Alright, but don't make it too late you two," the mother relented. The teens sighed in relief.

"Why did you blame me? I wouldn't put it past your folks to put a restraining order on me next," Tucker complained.

"Sorry, but it was the first thing I could think of. Besides, it's makes the most sense. And my parents don't mind me hanging out with you. They just hate Danny," Sam apologised. Tucker and Sam's expressions saddened. Tucker turned his sad gaze to the smoking computer.

"We have to get him out of there," Tucker muttered. Sam nodded.

Robin smirked as he got the window unlocked and pushed it open allowing the three members of Young Justice to climb in. Both teens gasped in alarm and backed away from the intruders.

"Who are you?!" Sam demanded, recovering first.

"I'm Robin. And we're here to get to the bottom of a hacker hacking into government systems," Robin explained with an accusing scowl at Tucker. The boy shrank under the stare. Sam stepped forward and pressed her face right into Robin's.

"How dare you break into my home and accuse us of treason?! Why would a couple of kids want to do that? It's absurd. Get out before I call the cops," Sam growled. Robin didn't back down. He worked with Batman in Gotham. A Gothic girl with a fierce scowl and a few threats wasn't anything to Robin.

"We overheard you. The signal was tracked to this room at this time. We have proof. You're not going to call the cops because you're the ones in the wrong," Robin challenged. Sam glared at the younger boy.

"Sam… they caught us. If we explain ourselves… maybe, they'll help," Tucker whispered. Sam glanced at her friend before sighing and taking a step back.

"You're lucky that we're desperate," Sam muttered. The trio of heroes shared a confused look.

"We're trying to save our best friend. He got arrested and we think that he's in trouble," Sam admitted.

"Well, that makes sense. Why did he get arrested? Hacker too? Thief?" Artemis replied. Tucker and Sam glared at her.

"No! He's not a criminal!" Sam snapped.

"He was arrested for existing," Tucker mumbled. Sam nodded in agreement.

What will Robin, Miss Martian and Artemis think of Sam and Tucker's claims?

The next chapter is kind of like a flashback as well as taking place of Sam and Tucker's explanation for the members of Young Justice present.

Until the next chapter.