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Going Ghost! (Young Justice) Chapter 35: Tucker's Determination
🕑 Added 2025-04-01 15:46:46 +0000 UTC[Third Person's PoV]
Location: Tucker Residence/ Gotham City
Date: February 15,
Time: 12: 13 AM
Tucker lay in bed, his blanket draped over his body. One hand rested on his torso, the other tucked behind his head.
He stared at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused as he drifted into thought. His mind replayed the events of the day—the concert, and everything that had happened on the way there.
His jaw clenched as his grip on the sheets tightened. “I was so useless…” he muttered hoarsely. A knot formed in his throat, and his eyes stung as he admitted it to himself.
‘I couldn’t do anything but watch as Danny threw himself into danger to save Sam and me. I just stood there, useless, while he was nearly killed. I feel so pathetic… Danny’s my best friend, and I couldn’t do a damn thing to help.’
Tucker bit his lip to stop himself from yelling in frustration. He sat up abruptly, running a hand down his face before pinching the bridge of his nose. He exhaled sharply.
“Goddamn it… complaining isn’t going to change anything. I have to do something.”
Throwing off the covers, he stood up and grabbed his glasses from the nightstand. He rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a sticky note and a pen.
‘I know myself well enough to realize I’ll try to justify quitting when things get tough. I can’t let that happen. I have to change. I owe Danny that much…’
On the sticky note, he wrote: Remember the feeling. Remember why you're doing this.
He wrote similar messages and placed them all over his room—on the mirror, the door, the wall, his PC—anywhere he’d see them every day.
Once finished, Tucker flopped back onto his bed and pulled out his PDA. Grabbing the stylus, he muttered, “You can’t function without a routine, as I always say…”
Determined, he started researching workout plans, diets, and fighting techniques, structuring everything meticulously. He worked late into the night, only stopping when the first hints of dawn crept through his window.
Tucker pushed himself off the bed, now shirtless, his thin frame and visible ribs reflecting just how unprepared he truly was.
Dropping to the floor, he got into a push-up position. As he pushed up, his arms trembled violently under his own weight.
“One…” he groaned.
Lowering himself back down, he tried again, his body shaking even more.
“Two…”
“Three…”
He collapsed onto the floor, panting, tongue slightly out as exhaustion washed over him.
‘Is this even going to work…?’
His eyes flicked to the sticky note on the floor in front of him.
His jaw tightened.
I have to at least try.
“F-F-Four,” he forced out through gritted teeth, his body trembling, but his determination unwavering. He wasn’t planning on giving up so soon.
…
A Week Later…
Location: The Ghost Zone
Date: February 21st
Time: 12: 03 PM
Danny flew through the Ghost Zone, pulling out his Thermos as he went. The moment he opened it, a single blue ghost in overalls shot out.
“The Box Ghost will have his vengeance!” the ghost shouted dramatically.
Danny groaned. “I swear to god, Box Ghost, if I see you one more time, you and I are going to have a problem! This is the third time this week, for crying out loud!”
The Box Ghost flinched, surprised to see Danny inside the Ghost Zone with him. He quickly regained his composure, stretching his arms above him. “You are probably intimidated by my awesome ghostly persistence!” he declared in his usual drawn-out manner. “Fear me! For this won’t be the end of me, Danny Phantom~~ Ooooooh~”
Danny hovered in place, deadpan, gently bobbing up and down in the Ghost Zone’s eerie atmosphere. His eyes flashed bright green before twin ghost rays shot out, striking the Box Ghost head-on. The attack exploded on impact, sending the ghost spiraling away.
“Waaaaaah!! This won’t be the last you hear of me!” the Box Ghost wailed as he tumbled into the distance.
Danny sighed, rubbing his face. “Maybe I should just pull a Batman and beat him senseless until he fears me…”
A soft, chime-like laugh rang out from above. Before Danny could react, Ember dropped down, landing behind him with her arms draped over his shoulders.
She leaned in, her face close to his. “Hey, O.F. Fancy seeing you here. Is it finally time?”
Danny rolled his eyes. “What does O.F. even stand for?”
“Obsessive Fan, obviously~” she teased.
“You sure it doesn’t stand for your Only Friend?” Danny shot back with a smirk.
Ember playfully smacked him on the head. “Don’t get smart with me, mister.”
Ever since the Valentine’s Day fiasco, Danny had made time to visit Ember every day, sharing his progress with her. She appreciated it—more than she’d ever admit out loud. Watching him go through all that effort for her only made her value him more, and in such a short time, the two had grown closer.
There was no awkwardness between them, just easy banter.
Danny flicked her forehead in retaliation for the smack. “And yes, it’s finally time. He’s been completed way faster than I expected. I even had time to practice with it.”
“Ouch!” Ember yelped. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist from behind and stretched his cheeks abnormally long. “Don’t flick me, you bastard!”
Danny, his voice warped from his stretched cheeks, simply said, “Do you wanna check it out or not?”
Ember froze for a moment before nodding. She released his cheeks, which snapped back into place with a pop. Then, wrapping an arm around his neck, she pointed toward the open portal. “Onward! Let’s go make me famous!”
Danny rolled his eyes before flying toward the Ghost Portal with Ember clinging to his back.
As they entered the human world, Danny landed smoothly in the lab. Ember hopped off beside him, adjusting the strap of her guitar.
She looked around, then back at Danny. “Is this the place? You know… the one where the accident happened?”
“Yup…” Danny confirmed as he shut the portal behind them. “Come on, follow me.”
He turned intangible and phased through the ceiling. Ember followed suit, passing through the living room and up to the second floor.
When they landed, Ember’s eyes widened in surprise. The room was an authentic recording studio. A soundproof booth stood at the back, lined with padded walls, microphones, and headphones, all behind a large glass panel. The space was filled with computers, digital audio workstations, buttons, dials, and sliders. The floors and walls were made of polished wood, decorated with various instruments, record labels, and album covers.
Danny rubbed his nose, watching Ember’s expression with amusement. ‘It pays to have a billionaire sugar daddy~’
“What do you think?” Danny asked, clearly proud of the setup.
Ember turned to him with a teasing smirk. “Shouldn’t you have shown me around your home first before showing me this? Aren’t I your guest?”
Danny blinked. “Eh? Seriously? You wanted a tour?”
“Not anymore! This place looks amazing. I doubt any other room could compare.” Ember grinned as she spun in place, taking everything in.
Danny smirked and flew over to a chair in front of the workstation. He phased through it before sitting down, grabbing a pair of headphones and resting them around his neck. Spinning in the chair, he flashed Ember a devil-horn gesture with his fingers.
“Well then, what are you waiting for? DJ DP is about to make you a star!”
“…”
Ember just stared at him.
Danny’s cheeks flushed a bright green as realization hit him. He buried his face in his hands. “Oh god, kill me. Why the hell did I say that…?”
“Pfft—HAHAHAHA!! Wow, that was horrible!” Ember cackled, laughing at his mortified expression.
“Alright, DJ DP~ let’s go turn me into a star!” she teased.
“UGHHHHHH!!!” Danny groaned into his hands. “Please don’t let that stick. I think I’ll actually gag.”
Ember only laughed harder.
Comments
Green223
DJ DP is almost as bad as Inviso-Bill
Charles Hale
Scared the crap outa me
