Going Ghost! (Young Justice) Chapter 67: Ember

Location: Fenton Works Lab

Date: March 9th

Time: 12: 06 am


Danny held out his thermos through the swirling green portal. One by one, the ghosts were expelled out—mostly small, mischievous spirits that did nothing but make people’s lives mildly inconvenient. The Phantom Archer was shot through last, but not before shooting Danny a glare as he vanished into the Ghost Zone.


Danny raised a hand to his mouth and called out, “Sorry if you were just looking! I’ll be more mindful next time!”


He sighed, walking over to the button and beginning to shut the portal. He failed to notice the faint bluish streak that slipped through the crack of the closing yellow-and-black caution gate.


“Hey, Fanboy. Ya miss me~?” a playful, teasing voice echoed softly behind him.


Danny jolted and spun around, spectral energy flaring in his fist as he dropped into a fighting stance. He froze when he saw Ember floating lazily, her guitar slung across her back like always.


“Oh, it’s you...” he said, letting out a breath of relief and lowering his fist. The energy faded. “I almost attacked you.”


“What’s with that reaction?!” Ember grimaced. “That was so lackluster!”


Danny rolled his eyes. “Oh, right. My bad.” He cleared his throat dramatically, pressing a fist to his mouth.


“Oh! Em! Gee! If it isn’t my ghost bestie, Ember!! Girl, how have you been!? You have no idea how much I missed you!” he said in an exaggerated, high-pitched voice, flailing his hands and gesturing theatrically.


Ember’s lips twitched. Her eyebrow followed.


“Hugs!” Danny announced, flying toward her with his arms wide open.


“HUG THIS, YOU ASSHOLE!!” Ember shouted, her cheeks flaring red as she swung her guitar like a bat.


“Whoa!” Danny yelped, dodging and weaving as she chased him around, embarrassment fueling each wild swing.


By the end of it, Ember was panting and flushed with frustration, while Danny floated on his back, clutching his stomach as he laughed. “Hahaha—sorry! I thought it’d be hilarious. And hey, it was.”


Ember crossed her arms, still catching her breath. “One of these days, I’m gonna hit you so hard I’ll knock you alive again.”


Danny floated over more casually, still smiling. “I’ll wait for that day. But seriously... it’s good to see you again.” He extended a fist toward her, sincere now.


Ember looked at it, lips twitching again. She tried to suppress a smirk as she bumped her fist to his. “Hmph. You’re acting like we haven’t seen each other in months. It’s only been a week. If I knew you were gonna be this dramatic, I would’ve left you a souvenir.”


Danny rolled his eyes as they slowly descended to the ground. “Need I remind you, you were the one disappointed by my reaction. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you wanted me to miss you.”


They continued bantering as they exited the lab. They didn’t need to fly or phase through every corner. A simple walk up the stairs felt... kind of nice.


Danny lounged comfortably in the oversized studio chair, the soft cushions molding perfectly around him as he slowly spun it back and forth. Ember stood nearby, casually leaning against the edge of the workstation with her arms crossed, one boot tapping lightly against the floor in rhythm with her thoughts.


“I didn’t know exactly when you were coming back,” she said, her voice cutting through the quiet. “But the second I saw that wild stream of ghosts charging into the Ghost Zone, I figured you were the one who opened the gate.” 


Danny nodded as he leaned back, “Have you worked on any songs recently?”


Ember let out a sigh and dropped her gaze to the floor. “Not really. Turns out, writing music is a lot harder when you’re not fueled by unrelenting rage and pent-up frustration.” She scratched the back of her head. “The original one came out so naturally. It was raw, it was honest… Now, I’m stuck. But hey—progress is progress. I’m getting there.”


“Speaking of the original… have you ever checked how much it’s blown up since you last saw it?” Danny asked. 


Ember blinked. “No, actually. I’ve been so wrapped up in trying to come up with something new, I didn’t even think to look.”


“Here, let's check it together” Danny said as he pushed his chair over towards the computer monitor. 


With a few quick clicks, he pulled up her first track on the screen. The moment the video loaded and the numbers appeared, Ember’s eyes widened in shock. Her jaw dropped.


“Wait... what the hell—800 thousand likes?!” she gasped. “That can’t be right. Eight hundred thousand?!”


Danny grinned as she leaned in, her face practically glued to the monitor.


“And almost ten million views,” he added casually.


“Ten… million… views,” Ember echoed in disbelief, her voice distant and airy. Her hand darted out for the mouse, only to find it already beneath Danny’s fingers. She didn’t seem to notice—or care—as she grabbed it, her fingers landing softly on his.


She scrolled through the comments feverishly, eyes darting across the screen:


> “I keep seeing this everywhere in my recommendations. It was practically shoved down my throat… but wow. What a voice.”


> “Forced to listen. Now I can’t stop listening.”


> “Vocals are raw, sounds a bit amateurish—but not in a bad way. She has insane potential.”


> “Is it possible to fall in love with someone’s voice without even seeing their face?”


Ember blinked rapidly, a giggle escaping her lips as her cheeks flushed with warmth. Her grin grew uncontrollably, pride glowing in her eyes. She turned to share the moment with Danny—only to notice he wasn’t looking at the screen.


His gaze had dropped to their hands—still touching, still joined over the mouse. The atmosphere shifted subtly. Ember’s eyes flicked to their hands, and realization hit her like a cold wind.


She quickly pulled away, almost stumbling as she did so. “Sorry…” she mumbled, turning her head to the side to hide her flustered expression.


“It’s fine,” Danny said smoothly, not making a big deal out of it. He passed the mouse over to her without any awkwardness. “Here.”


“I’ve already seen all I needed to see,” Ember replied, hopping down from her spot on his armrest. She straightened up, brushing her fingers through her fiery hair.


“And honestly,” she continued, her voice now surging with renewed excitement, “seeing all those comments, all that support... I’m fired up again!” Her hair flared with vibrant blue flames, licking upward with newfound energy. Her eyes sparkled, ignited by determination.


Danny raised an eyebrow and looked around the room, his face deadpan. “That’s great and all... but could you not literally catch my house on fire?”


Ember looked down sheepishly, realizing a small ring of ethereal flames was beginning to form at her feet.


“Oops…” she muttered, giving a sheepish grin.