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Chapter Text

Anyone who knows Bruce Wayne knew everything about his life revolved around Batman. Revolved around his crime-fighting family, and the burning passion to make Gotham safe. Make Gotham the home he once thought it was. A safe place for the coming generations of Gotham-raised citizens. A place where kids didn't have to worry about whether their family was making it home that night, where a joker or scarecrow could be found on every street corner.

It was taking time, and over the years, it has been getting better. His family has grown, and advance, and Bruce was left with a mostly empty nest in it's place. The few that still resided in the manor didn't need him, not like they used to.

The man would tell those around him that this venture out into the word was for the name of Wayne. Not for his nighttime activities. He would be lying.

Yes, Bruce Wayne was invited to this small town for a business indenture. Something he's been invited to plenty of times, something he's turned down just as often. Then news started cycling around the man who ran it.

Vladimir Masters.

He was mysterious in the world of business. Having suddenly come along a large fortune after a close brush with death. Since then, he'd monetary value only taken a rise. His competitors dropping like flies while he's numbers began to sky-rocket. Any sensible business-man kept a distance from the man, Vlad was deemed to bring bad luck to any business he worked with.

Bruce wasn't sensible, as Alfred has mentioned plenty of times.

So yes, the man reached out to Vlad. Apologized for the ghosting, and accepting the invitation this year. Chalked his absence up to much more internal things. The articles posted of in the past years all but supported his excuse. A child of his had just graduated, off to college in Metro city. Or as the public believes. Bruce Wayne was simply trying to find time for friends and activities since his number of children at home has decreased.

In truth, he wanted to know more about Vlad. Since hearing news about the Dalv co. expanding to Gotham, he found it best to check in on yet another corrupt business-man. Especially one stepping into his territory.

He hadn't expected to find out more about the rumors circling Amity Park, Illinois.

The town was infamous for it's attracting to all things supernatural. Ghosts are said to roam the town as often as it's citizens. If not more. Stories that many didn't believe, until they touched foot in the town. Within the few hours it took him to get situated in his hotel room, he had already seen three glowing creatures. Two had been in passing, floating the sky. Animals. Birds, to be specific.

The third was a man, dressed ready for a business meeting. He was laughing in a way that rivaled the Joker's own laugh, writing like maniac into a little notebook. Let's just say, it took a lot for Bruce to turn the corner and ignore it. No one else was flustered by the strange creatures, so he settled that it wasn't a dangerous thing.

Thus began his long day of shaking hands and rubbing shoulders.

Smiling, and laughing along with the other's that were invited. Playing nice. If Alfred had seen him, he'd be impressed considering the many events he hosted and failed to do his best at.

It was overall taxing and exhausting. He didn't find a single good thing among it all, no hint, or tip in where to look. It left him on edge in his motel room later that night, pacing and reading up on the various articles he found. Nothing was helpful. Vlad was almost as invisible as the ghosts that ran this town. He settled on going out, dressed in black, and eyes peeled for anything.

Bringing Batman to Amity would have been risky, if there weren't various different people from Gotham there. If the mayor of the town wasn't hosting so many different people from so many different places.

If the people of the town weren't the type to roll with whatever was thrown at them.

Bruce ran into one person on his new patrol. That person had fangirled about how amazing he was, begged for a photo, and rushed off squeal about what she could tell her friends.

The night was still. Nothing bumped, or screeched into the night. It was a drastic change from Gotham. Even after the oddities this small town carried, it was nowhere near as hectic as Gotham. Assuming the stories of the town disappearing from the dimension was a little exaggerated. Or the story of a plant trying to take over. Or the time the town was sent into eternal sleep.

The stories went on.

Bruce wondered why the league never thought to explore this place. Never gave it much thought. Only to remember he never had either. If it wasn't for Masters, he wouldn't be here. He never knew the extent of things until this moment.

His concern for those in the town rose when he learned about Phantom. A simple ghost who dedicated it's afterlife to keeping the townsfolk safe. A teenager. A child. Someone half the town hated, the other half idolized him. A child had died, and in the aftermath of it's death he protected the town he haunted. Even if the ghost hunters of the town fought hard to catch him.

This town had a macabre feel over every part of it. Everywhere Bruce turned a heaviness seemed to sit, a twisted heavy sense that so much more happened behind the eyes of the public. Something twisted, damaging for those who didn't know much about it. Even in a town that seemed to crawl, everything felt fast. Even as citizens lazily walked the sidewalks, a strange sense of urgency and speed coated everything along side the tension.

That feeling stopped the moment he saw him.

Bruce was coated in the shadows of the trees, only just reaching the park through the trees when he caught sight of the teenager. It wasn't the way the teen played carelessly with the dog. It wasn't the glowing green dog that yapped and ran around the teen. It wasn't the way the kid occasionally laughed when the dog got too hyper and ended up floating high enough to be eye-level.

It was the way he saw almost all his kids in those blue eyes.

They way it reminded him of the time he brought a younger boy into his manor, a boy who experienced depression at a young age after the death of his parents. Or the kid who would look to the world with longing, one who wished to still believe the magic of his name. His daughter who was brilliant and filled with strength, but held the weight of the world on her shoulders to protect those around her. His tired son who always worked hard to earn his approval that he already held. The son who would stare out into the world thinking about his parents that had yet to heal. The one that seems lost with the world around him because of the way he was raised.

He was a child that needed saving.

It wasn't the black hair and blue eyes-even if Dick would laugh at the cliché of it-or the glowing dog and almost aloof feeling the teen had about him. Even with the knowledge of his children teasing him about it, or Alfred's comments on finding another one he would be bound to receive if his family were to catch wind of it all. None of it seemed helpful in his investigation of the twisted mayor, even if a human friendly with a ghostly dog was something interesting. None of it motivated his next moves.

He settled for heavier footsteps, attempting not to alarm the teen, as he took calculated steps closer. The slight shift in the teen was evident, but nothing too drastic. Eyes staying focus on the puppy, hand waving through the air as the little being chased after it.

Bruce kept walking until he was standing over the two. The puppy froze in it's place, red eyes staring into Bruce's. A soft growl leaving the small creature.

"Easy Cujo." The teen eased, running a hand along the dog-Cujo's-shoulders. "He's okay." Even Bruce caught the edge of the words, a catch breath in concern of his words weren't true.

"Hello." Bruce spoke plainly, his modulator filtered his voice. The teen turned his head, catching Bruce's gaze. He offered a hesitant smile as he managed to easy the tense in the puppy.

"Sorry about Cujo, he's pretty protective." The teen answered, turning back to look fondly at the yapping Cujo. "It's not often you run into someone late at night that isn't look to cause trouble."

"I'm -"

"Batman, I know." The teen turned back, a small smirk on his lips. "Hard not to know the dark knight of Gotham. My friends a huge fan... I'm Danny, by the way." The teen tagged his name on to it in the last second. Bruce nodded, idle taking a seat next to the teen.

To others it may seem funny that Batman had chosen to spend his night with a relatively awkward teen. Sat there as the teen rambled about nothing and everything at the same time. Gave short answers, appreciating the advice given to him. The ghostly beings to keep away from if they were to rear their ugly heads. The note that if he wanted to find anti-ghost protection to go to Fenton-works.

Bruce didn't just sit there and listen. He actually observed the words, watched the way Danny's body or tone would shift ever-so-slightly as they spoke. His eyes shifting when he brooch a topic he seemed to know so much about. Bruce worried about how much the supernatural side of this town has affected the teen. In that moment, it wasn't Batman talking to a lonely teen in a park.

It was Bruce Wayne chatting it up in a dark empty park.

It was just Bruce. All of him sat in that suit as he spent time with the kid. Unable to hide the smiles, or laughs that left him at the animated way the teen told the story. Or the way Danny apologized when he mentioned loving the Flash over Batman. It was okay. It was easy. It was comfortable.

In a way Bruce hadn't felt in years. Hadn't felt in who knows how long. He was a man checking in on a lonely teen. Someone who could easily be left to more devious intentions.

It was different in a good way. He wasn't picking up a kid who lost his parents, or needed a helping hand to keep from the criminal life they could have. He was simply being there for a young boy who has a family. Has a support system, but was still fraying at the edges. A kid who would backtrack if he felt like he was taking up too much space.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Bruce finally asked after what felt like hours had past. A feeling that any moment now the night sky would exploded with light color, the sun slowly rising to say good morning to the inhabitants of Amity Park.

"I should, shouldn't I be." It wasn't a question, a soft look filled the kid's face. "I got... restless." Danny replied, softly petting the snoring dog. Cujo was a sweetheart, despite the name. The small explanation the teen gave flickered in Bruce's mind. The puppy came with the name, and Cujo had decided that Danny was his new human.

"Won't your parents be worried?" The shift was obvious, although subtle. A slight tension bled into his muscles, and a strange look crossed bright eyes.

"Your right." Danny nodded, pulling himself to a stand. Cujo cradle in his arms. "I should probably face the consequences. Estas tempo iri hejmen, kamarado." The language slipped from the teen fluently. Bruce watched with curiosity as the puppy yawned, suddenly floating at eye level with the small boy. Cujo yapped happily, rubbing his cheek against Danny's before vanishing.

"This was nice." Danny absent-mindedly mentioned. Bruce watched with a heavy feeling as the teen left, hands buried in his hoodie's pockets. It was strange, and although Bruce had an urge to make sure he made it home safe, he settled with waiting until he was out of view before heading to his own bed.

By the time he settled into his room, the sky was beginning to dust with color. He had a couple hours before he was bound to have to be awake. Putting on the Wayne face as he worked through yet another meeting. Yet another dull situation about it all. He could make this visit just a little more bearable with this new teenage boy and his ghostly dog.

If Bruce found himself at that park the next night, well that was a coincident.

Chapter Text

Danny isn't really one to complain. It's not like he doesn't have things he wants to get out, but he knows there isn't really anyone who could complain to. Everyone has their problems, and issues that they are dealing with. So why would he unload his own problems onto someone else?

So, he doesn't. Every time he's friends ask him how he's doing, it's always the same answer. Just fine. It's not like he really wants to, Danny never really has the urge to vent out his feels. So, it makes it easier if he just hides it from people. He didn't want to questions, or the probing, if he's having a bad day. He had enough of it his first year as phantom.

He settled into an easy routine. Working through the new life of being the Ghost King, keeping an eye out for any straying ghosts causing havoc, and trying to balance it all with his home life. It's not like his home has changed much in the last few years. Jazz was stressing about college, about to graduate and be off to one of her dream schools. His parents, however, have only gotten worse.

He assumed the changes he's implemented as king would help ease the Fenton's stress and worry, but it only made it worse. Jack and Maddie seemed more frazzle as every, building new prototypes on a daily, and mumbling about something big. What it could be, Danny had no clue. It was weird having a tighter leash on the ghosts, fewer interruptions during his day, but his life didn't settle down.

Not with being King. Not with his parents. Not with the few ghosts who only wanted to end of the world.

"Be home right afterschool, we don't want you wondering about with all these out of towners."

Maddie didn't like Vlad's events. It always rubbed her the wrong way that all these people that don't live there, or plan to, were occupying the streets for about a week. The way she regarded the business-men was to similar to the way people regard teenagers evading their state for spring break.

Not that Danny really blamed her, a lot of the men who came through hated Amity. They were there for one thing, appearances. They hated the small town for all it's oddities, and they didn't exactly treat the citizens with much respect. Thing was, they aren't dangerous. They aren't dangerous to your average civilian, so they weren't going to be dangerous to a super-powered being.

Jack, on the other hand, viewed it as an opportunity to get their name out there. It never worked.

"Danny, we still on for movie night?"

That was kind of the only times they hung out these days. Sam and Tucker still helped him sometimes, but Danny wasn't going to pull them into his supernatural world when they had other things to worry about. Sam was already prepping her college applications, looking forward to being accepted to a variety of colleges. NYU being her top favorite.

Tucker was holding off until the start of his Senior year before focusing on colleges. Even though he was doing plenty of extra-circulars that would look great on his application, it wasn't what he was aiming for. He was just finding things to fill his time, to engage in his love for tech.

Danny on the other hand, if he wasn't home, he was in the Zone. If it wasn't those two places, it was one of the few movie nights they have. He can't say he really minded. The few things he was passionate about he would just do when he was stuck at home. He didn't want a club, or group, to explore it with.

"Sorry, mom has me on a tight leash right now."

Stuck to a schedule isn't as bad as it might seem. Danny liked having more structure in his life, especially compared to when he first became Phantom, or when the ghosts started coming. The first two years were hectic. It was a good change that his third year was more relaxed. Less all over the place, he expects the trouble he ends up being in. He had time for the things he loves.

Like he's favorite pastime. Nightly meetings with Cujo.

It took some work, a lot of training, for Cujo to finally understand he couldn't come bursting into Danny's life whenever he missed him. They settled a compromise. Every night, at the same time, Danny would meet Cujo at their spot. Deep in the park, away from the streets, even with the unspoken curfew you could never be too safe.

After a taxing day, it was nice to know he had a chance to relax. To play with Cujo, and watch the small ghost light up when he arrived. Exacted and barely able to contain his powers.

If anyone asks, Danny didn't adopt Cujo. Cujo adopted him. Every since the first time they met, Cujo has always wanted to be around the halfa. Not that Danny minded, it was nice. Cujo was the only person in Amity Park that loved him for him. The puppy didn't care about Danny being a halfa, or his king status, all he carried about was making Danny smile. Being there for the human, his human.

Cujo was all Danny needed to get through his day. That was until the Cape Crusader.

Danny remembered the anxiety he felt when Batman first arrived, mostly scared that his secret was out. The justice League had found out about him. The relief he felt when he realized that wasn't the case was overpowering.

Then he realized, the hero was nothing like he expected.

Sam and Tucker had gone on hour-long debates and rants about the Dark Knight. He's friends were massive fans, and Danny was left to hear all about their findings. It was always a nice experience, watching the way his best friends could light up, and actually agree on somethings. However, because of this, he had a preconceived notion of what the vigilante would be like.

It wasn't what he found.

It wasn't a man who tried to stifle his laughs or smile. Someone who regarded Cujo with as much gentleness as one would approach a puppy. It was nice. It was comfortable.

Danny found himself relaxing in those moments.

He wouldn't want to admit it, but he was pleasantly surprised when Batman showed up the next time. Settling on the ground next to him, and greeting the hyper Cujo. It was strange how the night seemed to go faster with the older hero there. Danny found himself smiling more than he'd expected. Seeing the smile under the cowl was more than a surprise.

Then it kept happening.

Every night Batman would be there, arriving only moments after Danny settled down.

"No Cujo?" Danny glance up, smiling at the vigilante.

"Oh he's here, just fetching." Danny waved off in the distance. Cujo seemed a lot more energetic, Danny had settled for playing fetch.

Batman simply nodded. It was only their fourth night meeting up, and Danny already felt at ease with the man being there. It was nice to talk to someone who didn't know you. Didn't see you as the freak, or phantom, or a screw-up. All Batman saw was Danny, and he didn't seem to hate what he saw.

Why else would he keep coming?

It was comforting, unburdened. Batman never asked him about the strange things that occurred in this town, and Danny never asked him about his life in Gotham as a vigilante. They settled for easier topics. Danny would ask Bats about his family, if he had any kids, and life outside of his suit. Pulling back if he felt like he hit something he shouldn't.

Bats would ask him about school, his friends, and his family. Danny didn't realize how nice it was to have someone focus on you. Really focus on you. Notice when they are broaching a topic they shouldn't.

"I'm kind of worried I won't graduate."

Danny wasn't sure what spurred it on. Before he knew it, he was telling the man about one of his biggest worries. To be more specific, his biggest worry about his normal life.

"Why?"

Danny swallowed, glancing at the man. He wasn't met with what he's used to. Everyone at school, even his parents, always looked at him like he was an idiot. Like he's grades reflected his intelligence. Sam and Tucker used to always tell him that grades were stupid, they didn't mean anything. Thing was, they wouldn't get it. They'd get a very similar look when they tried to tutor him in something that was considered easy.

Tests, homework, all those things were just hard for him.

"My grades aren't great, my GPA is basically in the trash, and I'm in so many remedial classes that it's unlikely." Danny explained, picking at the grass as Bats took over fetch duty. "I'm thinking of just getting my GED, I'm not great at tests, but I think I'd rather take that ten times that redo senior year when the time comes."

When Danny looked back up, Bats was regarding him with a small smile. Completely open and understanding. In any other situation, Danny wouldn't be surprised if he teared up. But he didn't. He couldn't.

"I might have exceled in school, but plenty of my children didn't. Statistics and grades don't mean much when it comes to what you really do. You don't have to graduate to be brilliant. In this small time, I already know you're one of the smartest kids I know."

The way Danny's core hummed in his chest was almost deafening to his ears. It was strange, but completely comforting, to be able to do this. Talk about mundane things and not be greeted with judgement.

The amount of times he tried to mention it to others, he always felt judged. If it wasn't the question of how he was the stupid on of his smart family, than it was why he was so worried about it when he was a king. Halfa or human, Danny didn't want to drop his normal life. He didn't want to be absorbed into being a full-time ghost king until the day he finally died. Completely and wholly.

Danny didn't want to analyze why he felt strange when he left that night. The way his core thrummed in a different way the further he got from the vigilante. He didn't want to dissect any of it, because he didn't want to taint it. He has a large problem when it comes to overthinking things. He could twist things every which way and screw up a good thing.

He wasn't going to do that. Not this time. He knows Batman's time in Amity park was going to come to an end. Vlad only hosted for a week. It was already night four, and he expected the crusader to head back to his home. Danny knows obligations, Gotham was the place Batman haunts. Just like Danny haunts Amity Park.

Even as he settled into bed that night, he's mind was mostly on one thing. The destressing he got the past few nights. The long hours of just talking away as if the world didn't exist. As if they didn't have obligations, or reasons to step away.

He didn't feel like he was talking to a vigilante. Even when Bats choose his words carefully, not reveal too much about himself. Even when Danny caught himself just before he slipped a detail. It didn't feel like he was in the presence of a hero who has saved the world plenty of times.

It felt like he was just talking to someone else. Someone who wanted to get to know him. In a way a lot of people don't.

When Danny awoke later, just as his alarm blared, he didn't think about Batman. Instead, he actually thought about how he was going to hand school. He had input from someone who had know clue where he was in life, or academically. He actually felt like he had the strength to sit his parents down and tell them. Tell them that it was likely when his senior year rolled around he wasn't going to have enough credits to graduate.

The idea of taking the GED seemed a lot less daunting.

Danny wondered if Batman would be interested in playing tutor. The man had mentioned being relatively well in school, graduating from one of the golden universities. Mentioned having homeschooled a few kids, helping them with homework. If the vigilante didn't mind, Danny might propose the idea.

Thing was, Danny didn't feel scared to ask for help from Bats. Not the same way he felt when he had to ask his parents for something, or when he had to go to Jazz. He didn't feel like a bother. Not with the smile he was greeted with whenever he mentioned something, or asked for advice.

He felt easier getting through his classes knowing he had a back-up plan. He didn't have to stress that his life would be over the day he was denied his diploma. At least not for him. He still felt apprehensive of how he's family was going to take it.

Chapter Text

"Good Afternoon Mr. Wayne, it appears we haven't had much time to speak." Vlad greeted him moments after he finally arrived at the dinner. The smirked that stretched along Vlad's lips left an unsettling feeling.

"Please, call me Bruce." Nonetheless, Bruce kept his demeanor, accepting the hand in greeting.

Even though Bruce had very limited interactions with the other billionaire, this trip hadn't been a massive waste in his investigation. Many of the guest didn't like Vlad, not in the way that they acted. Vlad was a dark shadow over all of them, many of them worried he was going to come after their empires next.

It took quite a bit of carefully digging until he found someone who seemed to know how Vlad tanked these companies. Know isn't quite the right word. All he was able to gather was what Vlad did. It was strange, and Bruce was still left in the dark of just how the man did it.

He would find the secrets each enterprise held close to their core. Whether it was seeds of corruption, or simple weak spots in it's security. He would strike when he had enough information. Before long the company would be burned to the ground, or merged into Dalv co. It helped explain how he's company grew as quickly as it did.

It didn't give the man any insight on just how it all happened.

Even with the more he learned, Vlad Masters still held a mystery. A mystery that Bruce was no closer to figuring out. As minutes ticked by, while Bruce kept a smile and played nice with the other man. Bruce started to realize he wasn't going to figure it all out in just a week. No matter how well he's detective skills were, Vlad held he's cards too close to his chest. No one really knew the man.

Short of attaching a camera to Masters, there was no way he was going to crack it in just a few days.

Instead, he started planning for what to do once he got back to Gotham. How he was going to investigate as Vlad invaded his home. Soon the public will catch wind of just how much time Bruce spent with Masters. The vigilante wasn't going to let the other man roam Gotham without his carefully eye on him. Gotham had enough corrupt businessmen. If he has a chance to take one down, he's taking it.

"Mr. Wayne, I hope the dinner was to your taste." The man that greeted him reeked of high-class. Although something about the look in his eyes didn't sit well with Bruce. Thing was, no one at this dinner really sat well with him. Bar for the few he'd rubbed elbows with prior.

"Ah, everything was perfect." Bruce smiled, tipping his glass to the shorter man. "Mr.?"

"Apologies. Bertrand. Philip Bertrand."

Most of what came out of the smaller man's mouth was nothing but empty space. Filler, something to keep Bruce around if he had to guess. Bertrand had entered his space just as Bruce was about to call it a quit. After all, he had an unspoken meeting to attend to later that night. Relatively soon based on the color of the sky through the window.

After the fifth person to step in and talk to him, Bruce started to lose count. And patience. He'd already spent hours in this suit, laughing and chatting it up with plenty of people he didn't want to give his time of day to.

By the time the guests of the evening were bid a farewell, Bruce knew he was late. They didn't have a set schedule, after all every time Bruce found himself at the park, he expected it to be empty. Without fail, Dany would already be settled in grass, playing with Cujo in whichever way the dog had asked.

It felt like it took a lot longer to get his suit on, and make his way to their spot. The night seemed stiller than usually, but not in an off-putting way. It was surprisingly comforting after all the bustling he had to deal with.

"Cujo!" Bruce couldn't stop the laugh that left him the moment he was met with a face full of green fur. Cujo happily yapping at his arrival. "I'm sorry, I think the little guy missed you." Once the dark knight was able to shift the small dog to his arms, his gaze landed on a sheepish looking Danny.

By the time he settled next to the teen, Danny was on his topic for the night. It was an assignment Bruce had given his input on, and thankfully it seemed to go well for the teen. It stung ever-so-slightly every time the older man had to hear Danny talk down about his intelligence. The way he spoked about a lot of things reminded Bruce about his own kids.

All his kids were bright, but they were bright in their own ways. Just like Danny was.

"I have a question." Bruce spoke once the rambling hit a lull, eyes trailing over the glowing dog. "What is Cujo, exactly?" Bruce had tried researching about it, most of the published works he found didn't settle well with him. They seemed to hold a very strong bias towards ghostly beings.

"Oh, of course!" Danny nodded, rolling Cujo onto his back for belly rubs. "He's a ghost, which honestly could mean a lot of things, but if you really broke down the details, he's a relatively low-powered spirit."

Bruce watched carefully, taking in the way the kid's eyes light up as he spoke. A passion filled his voice that seemed stronger than when he spoke about the stars. In that moment, the vigilante realized if he wanted any decent input on the ghosts that haunt the town, Danny was his best bet for information.

"...A lot of people think ghosts are just shadows of beings, but I don't think people realized that not all ghosts were actually people that died." Danny explained, occasionally glancing at Bruce as he spoked. There were a few words that Danny used that Bruce didn't quite understand, but he was just going to save those for later research. "A ghost is formed when a strong emotional imprint is made on ectoplasm, often times when a soul is released into the world, other times is when someone feels so strongly about something the notion is imprinted."

It was complex, detailed. Even if it was completely out of Bruce's realm of knowledge, he never felt lost. Not completely. Not with the way Danny would pause in case the vigilante had any questions, or carefully watch his features for any hint of confusion.

"I'm rambling again, it's just..." Danny laughed, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. A habit he seemed to do a lot. "It's just, my parents study ghosts, so I learned a lot."

"Do you help them?" The shift was immediate, but very subtle.

"Not really, I mostly just read their works... or learn from experience." Danny tapped the end on after a moment, motioning towards the tiring puppy. "I think Cujo was the first ghost to ever be friendly to me."

"There are others?" Bruce wasn't sure if he should push, but he couldn't help worry about how this all affected the teen. In the few days he has been here, he's already running out of fingers to count how many times he's encountered something supernatural.

"Oh yea! Like I mentioned before, many of the ghosts aren't actually evil." Danny reminded. Bruce remembered it being mentioned, but Danny never name dropped any spirits that were good or neutral, just evil. "Most of them just get kind of bored, and miss being alive, so they take any chance they can to get out. Just most people are scared of them."

The rest of the night, Bruce learned more and more about the spirits that haunt the town. He learned about how they didn't actually stay in Amity Park, there was a pocket dimension called the Zone where they resided. The only way a ghost would leave the Zone was through portals. There were two in existence that were man-made, and the rest are natural portals that could appear anywhere there is ectoplasm.

Danny cut himself off at one point, deflecting by saying he was bound to be overwhelming Bruce with all the new information.

In truth? Bruce loved hearing Danny talk about it. The kid held a glow he never really saw before, not like when he talked about anything else he was into. It was different, in a great way. Watching Danny order Cujo in that language, Esperanto, to help showcase some of the basic abilities a ghost would have.

By the time that night met it's end, and Bruce was watching the teen walk off into the night, he wished he didn't have to. Wish he could talk more with the boy, learn more about him. Figure out more about his family, how he's so knowledge about ghosts, and why he seemed to always spend his nights in the park. How he could do it, wouldn't his parents be worried?

He had plenty of questions, plenty of things he wanted to point out. He wasn't going to. This relationship felt fragile, Bruce felt like if he pushed to hard, if the teen felt like he was trying to help him, he'd never see Danny again.

But Danny didn't need saving. Not like the way his other kids had. Not in the way it might seem. Danny seemed to just need someone in his corner. Someone who would listen to him, and spend time with him. Without the pressure of whatever else might be going on in his life. Someone away from it all.

Bruce can be that. He reminds himself every night when he's back in his hotel room, wondering if the young teen was safe in bed.

He reminds himself that when he finds himself randomly thinking about the teen through out his day.

He can be an uncomplicating factor in his life. Even if the concept of befriending an out-of-town vigilante was already complex enough. He can keep a distance. It wasn't impossible.

That didn't stop him from still worrying.

It was a refreshing type of worry. Bruce wasn't staying up worried if the kid was going to be alive in the morning. If a patrol went wrong. Worrying why someone wasn't answering the communicator, or where they've been for the past few days.

It's a nice break from his normally abnormal worrying. This was just worrying about a normal teenage boy. With normal problems. Even in a not-so-normal town. The thought pulled a smile on Bruce's face just as he settled for bed. Even with the looming reminder of spending another day with Masters.

He could sleep worry free.

Bruce Wayne should not have been surprised.

His past few nights in Amity Park had been oddly quite. Even if it wasn't Gotham, something was bound to happen. Except this time, it didn't require the vigilante to leave the quietness of his hotel room.

A simple call, an apology, followed by straight rambling about the situation.

Most of the time, Bruce would be met with one of the voices of his children. Sometimes frantic, sometimes calm and collected, but always one of them. They were in a situation and they needed help. Which normally would be fine, Bruce always was happy to get a call from them even if he feared what he would hear on the other side. It was nice to know they still needed him, even as the calls became less and less common.

He was their last resort, not the he can blame them with Barbra on their team.

This time, Bruce stayed up longer than intend, coaching one of his employees through a simple issue. A security alert. A security alert Bruce was able to easily trace back to his place, to the cave. He's guess would be one of his kids trying to pull something up, and had not realize that Bruce recently upgrade his security.

The employee seemed five seconds away from a panic attack, having frantically tried to remove the alert to no prevail. It appeared that not only did his kids not know how to navigate the knew system, but his staff didn't either. He'd have to look at getting his security team a full rundown of it all. 

By the time the employee was calmed enough for him to hang up, the sun was high enough in the sky. Peeking through the curtains of his room. He had to meet Masters in just two hours. A powernap was out of the question, the likelihood of sleeping through too high of a risk.

Instead, he took a cold shower to help remove any remaining drowsiness. Brewed a pot of coffee in his room, and did a quick work-out routine. Followed by another shower.

Probably not the most effective way to handle it, but it was the way his brain decided to play it all out. By the time he left his room, he was already ten minutes late. By the time he arrived, he was almost hitting the thirty minute mark. Was he really Bruce Wayne if he wasn't fashionably late at least once a week?

"Interesting night, Bruce?"

Even with annoyance he felt the moment he was faced with an all too familiar face, he laughed it off. Making a half-assed comment that could only be taken one way, and launching into questioning what the plan for the day was. Afterall, Bruce wasn't here to focus on himself.

Not when Masters was offering a tour of his facilities.

Chapter Text

Danny was not having a good morning. Well, the part of the morning when the sun was in the sky. He's morning went off without a hitch, he left the park without a problem. Settled himself into bed, and ready to fall asleep, be extra dead to the world for a few hours before he would have to be a functioning member of society once more.

It would have been great if that's what he had been able to do.

Instead, he was startled out of his half-asleep state by a loud noise vibrating through his house. Jazz wasn't home, there was no hope leaving her to deal with it. Not like he would anyways. She was off on some college tour trips, and has been on and off being home.

What he was met with, wasn't how he wanted to kick off his day with.

The lab was covered, floor to ceiling, in corrupted ectoplasm. The feeling sent a disgusted shiver down Danny's spine, even as he grounded his teeth and pitched into help clean. Bit his tongue at the ramblings he's parents spouted during the cleaning, tried not to flinch at some of the heart-wrenching things they were saying.

Once he was done, he jumped in the shower. He wasn't sure how long he'd stayed in there, couldn't really remember all the things that were running through his mind. By the time he was out, he had to rush to get dress, and be out the door in a whirled wind just make sure he wouldn't be late.

Spoiler alert, he was late.

He hadn't even managed to catch up with his friends, having gotten through the door of his classroom once everyone was already seated. He's teacher gave him yet another disapproving look, and another warning of his tardiness before sending him to his seat.

Danny ignored the snickers, as usual, and smiled at his friends as he settled in his seat. Brushing off their questioning stares, and settling for pulling his notebook out of his bag. Everything the teacher had to say, went way over Danny's head. A little more than usual.

Okay, a lot more than usual. He had to keep reminding himself which class he was in by glancing up at the board and seeing what was written. His notes were just half written sentences, barely put together thoughts about whatever it was Danny was thinking about. Or whatever few words from the teacher he caught.

"You okay, dude?" Tucker's whispered pulled him from his thoughts. Danny immediately nodded, giving the other teen a smile. Tucker didn't look very convinced, but before he could say much else, Danny whispered back.

"Don't need to be warned twice in one class." Danny offered a light laugh, and that seemed to do it. Tucker and Sam shared a light laugh, understanding where Danny was coming from.

Once class let out, Danny explained to them that he was only late because he's parents made a massive mess of the lab. Sam chastised him, telling him it wasn't his job to help clean up their messes. Tucker gave a sympathetic pat on the back, understanding clear in his eyes. The teen told Sam to lay off, after all Danny didn't want to come home to his house still reeking of corrupted ectoplasm.

The rest of the school day went on as usual.

Dodging his bullies, trying to not get lectured by a teacher, and sneaking a nap in during lunch. It was hit-or-miss these days if the trio had lunch together. Tucker was spending most of the time trying to instate the first Casper High robotics club. Sam was working with Valerie on some top-secret AFAB plan for something big for senior year.

Overall, Danny's day hadn't gone that bad after his rough start in the morning.

It was a nice break to spend some time with his best friends in Nasty Burger, wasting some time before he should get home. They talked, mostly Sam and Tucker did. Updating him on their progress, Sam still being weirdly closed off about her plan. Tucker complaining about the newest member of the club, and how they couldn't just kick him out because then they wouldn't have enough members for their first competition.

Danny updated them about Jazz, his parents as vaguely as possible without being weird about it. Along with all the new tricks he's been managing to teach Cujo. When the topic switched to his new title as Ghost King, Danny brushed it off.

It wasn't like being King was the worse thing to happen, after all ghost attacks were much less frequent now. Most of the citizens felt okay being around ghosts, as long as they weren't aggressive. That's ignoring the struggle between possible peace, and the hunters. The break from constant physical fighting was nice, but the added stress of being a king wasn't exactly what he expected. There were so many more moving parts than he expected. So much more expected from him.

It's a struggle to keep up when he's still just a kid. It didn't matter the titles he has, or his experiences. Danny knows that, no matter what, he's still just a kid. He shouldn't hold the power he has, shouldn't have as much control. He does, so he just has to try to grow-up quicker.

"Come on Danny-boy! It's Uncle Vladdy!"

That's the problem. With Danny's approaching graduation, he's parents want something good on his application. Something note-worthy. What's not more note-worthy than having essentially an internship at one of the best technology companies out there. Dalv Co.

Except that having to be stuck in a stuffy building with his sworn enemy, not like that was a big deal.

Ever time he made it home, whether directly from school or after hanging with his friends, they would bring it up. Danny's already sacrificed four days to Vlad, bit his tongue, and played nice with the Fruit-loop. Maybe it was his fault for caving in the first place, but since then they haven't dropped. Just like clockwork, they were always there asking if Danny would go back.

Usually filled with some speech about how Vlad loved having Danny there. That spending more time with his Godfather could do him some good. Maddie jumping in with statistics about college applications, and Jack just wanting his two favorite people to get along. It was as annoying as it was tiring.

This time Danny barely made it out without caving. Spewing on about some homework he still needed to get done. Which wasn't a lie, he had a laundry list of things to get done, not all of it school related. He just wasn't sure if he'd manage to actually get the schoolwork completely finished before the start of his day tomorrow. Jack seemed disappointed, but understanding. Maddie on the other hand...

Maddie looked at him with a hard suspicion that didn't sit well with him. He knew she was getting tired of his excuses, and all the dodging he's been doing. Unlike Jack, she payed a little too close of attention to him when he didn't need it. Didn't want it. Jack loved him, and he cared. When his father got a feeling he was about to push on something didn't want him to, he'd back off.

It was something Danny loved about his dad.

Maddie, she never did. She'd push and push until it ended in an argument, or Jack pulled her away. Danny stopped counting the amount of times he's end up in an argument, something that kept twisting and twirling in his brain as he laid in bed. If he really thought about it, that might be why he started spending longer and longer at the park. Or it might not be, he tries not to analyze it too much.

He tries to never analyze anything. It took a few discussions with Jazz for her to finally drop any psycho-babble that included him. To let him go at his own pace. He knows he should really think things through, starting figuring out what's going on his head, and start thinking about a tomorrow. But he can't.

No matter how hard he tries, the idea that he'd wake up the next morning was so foreign. It sat strange like something just on the tip of your tongue, but you just can't quite name. He knows he'll wake up, he always wakes up. That doesn't stop the strange idea that it all ends when he goes to bed. He won't have to worry about tomorrow, because there won't be a tomorrow.

But he doesn't like to think about it.

Instead, he goes out for a nightly run. Ends up at the park, where Cujo always appears not long after he gets there. The little guy doing his best to distract Danny, to bright up whatever mood the halfa had, and just make him laugh. Cujo is his best friend. Yes, he had Tucker and Sam, but Cujo was something different.

Cujo didn't seem to see Danny in the light everyone else saw him in. To the little pup, Danny was just Danny. An amazing ghostly being that he loves. That he'd do anything for, and misses him when he's not around. Danny isn't some geek in high school, or a strong Ghost King. He is Cujo's human. He's adopted guardian. Danny couldn't wish for anything else.

Until he got it.

In the strange form of a bat. It's funny really. Danny never really thought about Batman, not anymore than the average Justice League followers. He wouldn't have name Batman as one of his top heroes. Not like Sam or Tucker would. The two would be insanely jealous if they found out he was friends with The Batman.

Except now, if anyone asks, Batman is easily number one.

Since this whole thing started, since the night he met the cape crusader, Danny's mind has changed drastically. Bats was a lot more human than he expected. So human that the teen found himself sometimes forgetting who he was talking to. This man that he's bonded with is the same man that had knocked heads countless of times. Yet, Danny never felt... scared.

"I managed to avoid the single most annoying man in the world, so I'd count today as a win." Danny grinned, glancing over at the masked man. Cujo laid between them, belly exposed for belly rubs. Belly rubs that he was being wrongfully denied for.

The puppy whined softly, legs kicking in the air, and pulled Danny's attention away. Danny laughed, giving the small ghost the affection it was arguing for. Batman moved as well, running a gloved hand over the top of Cujo's head, while Danny went in for the kill. Cujo yapped in response, tail wiggling excitedly. At a few points, it'd vanish into the dirt before resurfacing.

"At least one of us was able to." Batman's gruff voice always felt off. Danny knows it's edited, knows there's a voice modulator hidden somewhere in the suit. No hero would want to be recognized, and some voices are easy to place. The personality Danny has been exposed to, doesn't fit that voice. The Batman he's heard about, fits it perfectly.

Danny gave the man his sympathy, even if he mixed a few jabs in. After all, who could be Batman's most annoying person in the world. If Danny had to guess, it would be one of his enemies in Gotham. None of them have sightings in Amity Park, so it's a wonder who. He wouldn't pry, after all prying would make it seem like he was trying to figure the man out.

If he was being honest, he doesn't care whose under the mask.

"Nervous about your presentation tomorrow?"

The question caught the teen off-guard, maybe because he's been trying his hardest not to think about it. Danny offered a small smile, wringing his fingers through soft fur. In Bats mind, Danny was having a presentation in school, something related to government and laws. Danny was vague about it for a reason.

Instead he had to face majority of the council from The Zone. Pitch his knew ideas on how to adjust the new rules to fit the new world. The new king. He's nervous, that's a given. It'll be the first time in a while that The Order would be there as well. However, both Clockwork and Pandora applaud he's rough draft. Gave him pointers, and he should be good.

But he still hadn't prepared as much as he should.

"Do you ever forget about tomorrow?"

The question left him before he could course correct. Answering Batman's question with a question. The man watched him oddly, confusion at least somewhat clear. Danny shook his head, trying to figure out the best way to explain. In a way that won't make it so weird, so awkward.

"Like, do you ever just think about today, and by the time you go to sleep, tomorrow seems a million hours away?" Danny asked, keeping his gaze on the grass. "You know you should be focusing on it, worrying, and preparing. But you just don't? Because it doesn't feel like it's... real?"

Danny swallowed in the silence, keeping his gaze focused on the ground.

He shouldn't have said anything. They had such a good understanding, they never really talked about anything too deep. Anything too touchy. Simple topics, easy to follow topics. This... it was something else. Danny didn't even really know what he was talking about. Now that the words left he's brain, he was struggle to figure out how to fix this. To correct it so Batman didn't think he was just some melodramatic teenage boy.

Then there were arms around his shoulder.

It felt strange in more than one way. The armor was an odd feeling, pressing against his shoulders in a surprisingly light grasp. Danny's cheek pressing into the Kevlar was more than a little odd, but it didn't really feel... weird. Danny felt comfortable.

The loose grip tightened a little when Danny's arms took a tight grasp around his waist, pressing his cheek a little harder into the armor. Words left Batman, rumbling through his chest, but Danny didn't really listen. He heard it, he had an idea what it meant, but it wasn't important what was said. Not really. Because he could feel it.

Really feel it.

The strange ability that manifested after his second year as a halfa, that only grew stronger once he was crowned, reared it's head. The ability to feel emotions. Feel them like a tangible mass, something he could reach out and take if he wanted to. He never did. Not after his run in with Spectra, not after that nightmare.

Danny could actually feel Batman's true intentions. He's innermost emotion when it came to the teen, and Danny was struggling. Struggling to figure out names for what was washing over him from the points of impact. A lot of it was muddy, strange, but Danny made out the important things. The feelings that had him feeling safe, and seen. 

The teen didn't want to focus on the fact that at some point they would have to pull away. That he would have to send Cujo home, and return about to his dark room. Back home to where he's parents would be locked away in the lab, and he'd be met with a silent dark home. A place that seemed to house more ghosts than people. Instead, he buried himself in the feeling. Closing his eyes, and sinking deeper into it.

He'll pretend like it didn't really happen tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Bruce had been trying to keep the teen out of his head all day. It wasn't working. Every time Bruce did a mundane task, his brain supplied a question. Questions that were all revolving around the same concept. Danny's well-being.

It's not like Danny really gave him a reason to worry. The teen seemed overall well-cared for. Yes, he was on the scrawny side. However, it wasn't too worrying for the teen based on age and height. He wasn't walking around in dirty rags, or covered in overabundance of bruises. The teen's home-life didn't seem bad, aside from the expected teen and parent issues.

Even with the conversation from last night, there wasn't anything really worrying. There was reason for concern, but not enough to approve Bruce's concern.

Regardless, Bruce found himself wondering if the kid has eaten. If he made it to school on time. If he had ditched out in a class, or if he was safe from the bullies he's mentioned.

Things Bruce had absolutely no business worrying about.

So, he's settled for trying to keep the teen out of his mind. Focus on the tasks for the day. Exploring Amity Park, finally trying out the fast food joint everyone seemed to swear by. He had no plans for the day until the evening. Vlad had invited him back to Dalv co. Less for a tour, more to make his sales pitch if you asked Bruce. Vlad had one intention in getting closer to Bruce Wayne, he'd have to be blind not to notice it.

He had successfully been able to rid his thoughts of Danny, and focused more on the surrounding town as he made his way to lunch. Bruce had been a little hesitant in finally trying the popular good joint. Not because of things people have said, but simply for the name.

Nasty Burger.

It didn't give the appeal most places would want, however the town's people of Amity flocked to it for every quick meal. The exterior and interior of the building was a lot more welcoming then the name. He had a simple plan, order the first combo he saw and hope it tasted as good as everyone made it seem.

Nowhere in his plan did it call to almost knock over a familiar black-haired boy.

"I'm so sorry." Bruce apologized, steadying the teen with a hand on his shoulder. The confusion on the teen's quickly shifted to dislike once he processed who he was in the presence of. "I hope you're alright?" Bruce offered him a warm smile, releasing his hold. He tried to ignore the was his heart clenching seeing usually warm eyes regard him so coldly.

After all, Danny didn't know it was him.

"I'm fine." Danny shrugged it off, turning to enter the small building.

"Do you mind helping a lost out-of-towner?" Bruce felt compelled so prove to Danny he's very much the same man without the mask. He absolutely positive Danny only reacted this way because he saw a rich, out-of-towner. Having met Vlad, he can't blame him.

"Can't read a menu?" Danny's words didn't hold much bite, just sounded tired.

"More like I haven't had any fast food in a long time." Bruce laughed, adjusting his shirt. "I figured I'll use my freedom away from Alfred's diet to sneak in a few grease carbs." Danny paused for a moment, eyes seemingly staring into Bruce's soul. It wasn't long, maybe just a couple of seconds before the look slipped to a small smile.

"Ya know, for a rich guy, you don't seem half bad." Danny laughed slightly, shaking his head.

"You can thank Alfred and my kids for that." Bruce smiled, following the teen towards the counter. "I'm Bruce, Bruce Wayne." He introduced offering him a hand. Bruce had to stop himself from reacting when a freezing cold hand met his.

"I'm Danny."

After the brief introduction, the teen immediately gave Bruce a quick rundown of what to avoid from the menu. Which wasn't much, except for Combo #7. A meal that's likely to leave you curled around a toilet for a couple of days. No one knew why, a lot of the ingredients are used in other combos and nothings really different about it. But without fail, it left everyone regretting every life decision.

Bruce wasn't sure how it ended up with him sharing a table with Danny. Maybe it was a feeling of being indebt on Bruce having paid before the teen could protest. Regardless, Bruce sat watching the teen talk, and joke along with him. Although Danny seemed more relaxed there was still a guarded looking in his eyes as they spoke. A distrust that laced through his body language.

An off handed comment about his dislike of Vlad Masters helped reduce Danny's tension. The teen seemed more than happy to talk trash about the other billionaire. Hearing just how close Danny might be to the skeevy man left Bruce feeling just a little more worried about the teen.

Vlad seems the type to crush everyone around him if it helped him move forward. The man can only hope Danny didn't get caught up among any of it.

Dalv. Co was impressive to say the least. The building along with all it's employee was more than one would most likely expect in such a small town. The outside wasn't nearly as flashy was LexCorp or Wayne Enterprise, but the inside was more than enough to rival them. Imagining the company fitting into Gotham's aesthetic was more than fitting.

Bruce hated it.

The receptionist was more than helpful, offered him every perk under the sun, before sending him on his way towards Vlad's office. Every employee passed made a point of greeting him with a smile, even with the need for good impressions it left him with a strange feeling. Vlad greeted him with open arms as he had every time they've interacted, walking him through the general premise of his building.

The sales pitch was hidden under well-placed brags. Most of the time was spent settled in Vlad's office, each man with their preferred beverage and a seat across from each other. Bruce kept his smile plastered, ignoring the growing ache of his jaw and just behind his eyes. With every second that passed Bruce found himself more and more prepared to turn around and leave.

Never to return again.

He more than welcomed a call from Vlad's secretary, something along the lines of an issue that required his immediate response. Leaving Bruce wondering around a section of one of their labs. It was one of the more deserted ones, a small amount of employees shifted in and out of the room, but none of them lingered more than they had to. Leaving Bruce to stare down at strewn components and half written notes that made no sense.

This was a section that had been omitted in the tour, and Bruce couldn't piece what was the end goal for the project. In any other moment this would concern him, Vlad could very easily just be covering his tracks, throwing anyone off from a more sinister plan.

But something about the notes gave off an almost carefree feel. This didn't scream the work of a well-paid, renowned, Dalv. Co. employee. It just didn't quite fit.

"Don't touch that."

The voice was harsh, ripping a piece of paper out of his hand. That wasn't what startled Bruce. No, it was the fact that someone had entered without his knowledge. He hadn't felt the presence or heard the footsteps. He had managed to sneak up on Bruce, and get closer than anyone has in essentially forever.

"Danny?"

That was the second shocking thing, because there he stood. Looking just as surprised as Bruce felt. A soft blush covered his cheeks, the original anger dissipating immediately.

"Sorry, just... I don't normally like people touching my work."

That's how he found out just how much Danny did with Vlad. He was an intern, but most of the things he worked on while there had nothing to do with Vlad. Just some random ideas that would burrow their way into his brain and that's what he worked on.

Danny was a genius.

It was easy to tell in the way his words flowed easily as he spoked. The way he'd backtrack and change some words into ways he was sure Bruce would understand. It felt largely similar to the night Bruce asked him about the ghosts in town. A calm and confident sense of full understanding. It was nice to see the kid so sure of himself. It brought a small smile on his face as he listened.

However, all good things must come to an end.

That being in the shape of one Vladimir Masters. Bruce's feeling on Vlad sunk further by the way Danny seemed to shut up the moment he met eyes with Vlad. Busying himself with the paper before him as Vlad interacted with the two.

"Ah, I see you met one of my most treasured interns, Daniel."

Daniel. Just the use of his full name sent uneasy through Bruce. It was made clear by the way Danny's introduced himself on both occasions he preferred Danny. Yet, here was Vlad choosing to ignore the teen's clear discomfort. Even in the face of company. Important company. That gave Bruce enough insight to confirm that Vlad believes he was getting what he wants in the end.

"Actually, he prefers Danny."

Vlad had barely paused for a moment, laughing it off with some half-assed excuse of it being an inside joke between him and his godson. In that quick pause, it had been clear Vlad wasn't happy to have a stranger correct him on his own godson's name. But that wasn't Bruce's focus. It was the way Danny's head shot up like someone just burned him, eyes staring at Bruce in full surprise at it. Completely unmasked for a brief moment.

Barely a few seconds passed after the comment left him, before Bruce found himself being led out by Vlad. Not before leaving the room, the man spared a glance back at the teen. The small appreciative smile shot his way as he turned the corner was more than worth it. In that short interaction, Bruce was able to learn enough about the relationship between Danny and Vlad.

Danny had all but clammed up the moment Vlad had entered the room, pulling himself way from the conversation. Danny seemed almost scared of Vlad, but in a way that felt strange. There was fear, Bruce had barely caught a glimpse of it. Except, there was so much more as well. It was easy to see there was a complex history between the two. And from the looks of it, Danny seemed to hate Vlad's guts.

The teen was good at hiding his true emotions and thoughts. It was something that had enticed Bruce at first. But there was little that could be hidden from the world's greatest detective. Bruce made a mental note to do deep research into the relationship between Vlad and the Fentons. To look deeper into Danny's Godfather. See if there was anything there he needed to worry about.

Bruce ignored the small voice in his head telling him that it wasn't important. Telling him that Danny had nothing to do with Vlad's possible extension into Gotham. He shoved away the voice of reason that told him he was getting too attached. Too attached to a kid that didn't need him. That didn't need Bruce Wayne swooping in with adoption papers and a way out of his life.

Instead he focused on Vlad's boosting and bragging. Focused on Vlad's attempts to butter him, to impress him enough to get into bed with him. In a business sense, of course. Bruce didn't need another scandal for bedding a villain. But that wasn't here nor there.

The best part of this whole show was when Bruce rejected Vlad's offer. It was subtle, Vlad's poker face could almost rival Bruce's own. But the man's eyes were the dead give away. That fake charm immediately dimmed at Bruce's rejection. A tension laced Vlad's muscles, and his jaw had clenched. All small things, but things that Bruce had picked up in an instant.

Vlad tried to turn it around. Tell Bruce he wasn't asking as in right now. Vlad was extending an offer for once he finally moved Dalv. Co into Gotham. Vlad was hoping to work closely with Bruce once they were in the same city. Bruce didn't back down, however. He was willing to play nice, sure. Tell Vlad that he'll think about it, but at the moment a partnership between Dalv. Co and Wayne Enterprises was unlikely.

By the end of it all, Bruce was just glad to be making his way back towards the lobby. Happy to finally be done with it. To be free of Vlad, of being in Amity Park. Even if he tried not to think about the one person he was leaving behind. Someone Bruce really didn't want to leave behind. But that was a problem for later. That was a problem for when Bruce was tucked safely back in the cave. Doing his own deep dive research into things he probably shouldn't.

Bruce had been mindless on his voice, trying to appear busy as he waited for Vlad to come back after being called away once again. As much as Bruce wanted to just leave, Vlad was insistent on seeing him off. That's the only reason Bruce stuck around. It wasn't to see if he could catch a glimpse of Danny in the halls. Part of Bruce hoped that Danny was already free of Vlad.

That was until he felt a shift in the air.

It was small, barely noticeable. But was enough to have Bruce raising his gaze from his phone. His eyes instantly settling on Vlad and Danny. It was clear they were in a private conversation, partly obscured by some plants. Despite the distance, Bruce could tell it was a tense conversation. It had a protective feelings flare in Bruce was he watched the scene unfold.

It was nothing drastic. Vlad was glaring down at Danny, despite a smile that still plastered itself on the man's lips. There were two things that caught Bruce's attention, and both things involved Danny.

Since the day Bruce met Danny, the teen had a spitfire in him. It was there, but Bruce hadn't done anything to trigger it. Not even when Danny had caught him looking at the paperwork in the lab. But in this moment. even from all the way here, Bruce could almost feel the anger in the air. Danny was much less controlled looking than Vlad. The teen's lips pulled into a scowl, eyes glaring at Vlad. There was a deep seeded anger and hatred in Danny. Despite not being able to hear the words being said, Bruce could see the way Danny was practically spitting the words at Vlad.

The second thing Bruce noticed had him pulling all his self-control not the rush over there and intervene. One of Vlad's hands were gripping onto Danny's upper arm. Except he wasn't just a simple grip. Even from here, Bruce could see the tension in Vlad's hand. Pale skin only turning whiter with the sheer force that Vlad was gripping Danny's arm. Multiple times through this conversation did Danny try to tear his arm free. Each time Vlad's grip was persistent.

The interaction only ended when Vlad's eyes suddenly met Bruce's. It was like a flip suddenly switch, all the anger in Vlad's suddenly vanished replaced by a fake showing of relaxation and control. He quickly shoed Danny away before heading towards Bruce. Vlad acted as if that whole interaction with Danny hadn't happened, and Bruce was sure Vlad didn't realize how much of it he had seen.

As Vlad steered him towards the exit, Bruce couldn't help tossing a glance over his shoulder. Danny had lingered in that hallway for a brief moment, one hand resting over the spot Vlad had just been gripping like a lifeline. Danny wasn't looking at Bruce, wasn't paying the man any attention. No. Danny's angry gaze was glued to the back of Vlad's head. If looks could kill, Vlad would be a pile of ash in that moment.

It took everything in Bruce's power not to slug Vlad in that moment.

The urge still lingered in the back of Bruce's mind as he went back to his motel room. As he showered, packed his things, and got ready for his departure tomorrow. Today had given Bruce more insight into Danny's life than the teen had been willing to tell him. And Bruce found himself wishing this business trip was a little longer. As much as Bruce knew he shouldn't, he wanted to check on Danny. Felt the need to. He needed to know just how far Vlad has gone in the past.

Bruce wasn't going to force the teen to tell him, wasn't going to tell Danny that Batman was Bruce. He couldn't, it would be a fully moronic move on his end if he did. Instead, Bruce thought about how to give Danny the opening. He thought of the best question to ask Danny to offer the teen a chance to vent without outright asking him to. It was all Bruce could think about as he made his way to the park once the time felt right.

But Bruce didn't get to do it.

The sinking feeling that settled in his gut when he arrived to their spot and found only Cujo. Cujo that was laying sad and whimpering on the grass. Cujo who perked up with a sad whine as he speed into Bruce's arms. He tried not to overthink. There was a million reasons why Danny wasn't here yet, even if the teen was always the first person there. It wasn't like their meetings were concrete, they never planned to meet up. Still, Bruce settled himself against tree. Cujo in his lap as he kept the pup calm with petting and soothing words.

And Bruce stayed like that. All the way until the sky started to soften in color and the sun was starting to make it's appearance. Bruce tried to ignore this sinking feeling that something was wrong. Not because Danny hadn't come to meet him. It was because Danny had left Cujo alone. The little ghost puppy and Danny had a strong bond, that had been clear since day one. Danny wouldn't just leave Cujo wondering, would he? If Danny was in danger, wouldn't Cujo know?

Bruce struggled with what to do as Cujo sadly left, barely nuzzling Bruce's cheek before vanishing from sight. Bruce watched the sky begin to grow lighter for a few moments before he came to a decision.

When left that park that night, he had two contradicting thoughts running through his mind. He had placed his extra communicator into a small hole in the base of the tree he had been leaning on. Bruce wasn't sure if Danny would find it or not, but he could hope he would. The communicator came with a simple note. Telling Danny that if anything happens, Batman is just one call away. As much as Bruce would like to know that Danny was okay, to get an update.

Part of Bruce hoped he never hears Danny's voice coming through. He had a feeling the teen wouldn't reach out to him, not unless Danny exhausted all his other options. Something Bruce hopes never has to happen. Despite all the things Bruce felt and thought, he was content never hearing from Danny again. If that means the teen was okay and safe.

Chapter Text

Danny was fine, that's what he kept telling himself. It was true. All the out-of-towners made their way out of the small town, Danny was given freedom from his mother once again. Amity Park had gone back to normal for all the locals, Danny had a decent grasp on being King, and his parents seem a little more relax lately. It was good, and Danny found himself falling back into his usual routine. One that excluded a certain Dark Knight.

He refused to think about the fact that he had missed Batman on his last night. Hadn't gotten the chance to say goodbye because of a certain little fruit-loop. Vlad had been so certain Danny had done something to get Bruce Wayne to refuse his offer. No matter how many times Danny told him that he hadn't told the man anything, it didn't matter. When Vlad made up his mind, he made up his mind.

Danny had felt bad for missing the meeting, hoping he could see Batman the next night. This time, Danny swore to himself he would warn the crusader. Tell him that Vlad Masters should never be welcomed to Gotham. If Vlad believed Danny was trying to put his plans for extension to a stop. Well, that's exactly what the teen was going to do.

Except Bats wasn't there. Cujo was, and the little pup was more than excited to see Danny again. Refusing to get off the teen until the little ghost was certain his human was okay and safe. Danny had been more than confused when Cujo suddenly phased into a nearby tree, the confusion only growing when Cujo popped up with an item in his mouth.

A communicator and a note.

Danny ignore the sharp wave of sadness he felt when he realized he had completely missed Batman's departure. Hadn't been able to warn the man about the evil coming into his haunt. Despite that, Danny had simply tucked the communicator away for possible future use, and went on with his life.

He had it tucked away into one of his drawers, under some clothes. Danny had debated for a moment about using it, calling Bats, and telling him everything Danny had plan to tell him that night. But the teen didn't. It was over. All good things had to come to an end, and Danny had known the vigilante wasn't going to be in Amity Park for long. Danny blamed himself for not saying something earlier. It felt stranger that his last memory of Batman would be the hug.

Danny refused to think about it.

In the time that followed, Danny shoved all thoughts about Batman to the back of his mind. There was no reason to dwell on something that was over. Danny saw no reason why Batman would ever come back to Amity Park, and Danny saw no reason why he'd ever be in Gotham. So, Danny ignored it. Just like he did for a lot of things that felt out of his control.

There was the thought of a certain businessman that did wiggle into Danny's brain. Bruce Wayne. Now, Danny had his biases. He didn't like rich people, they were all crazy in their own way. Even with being friends with Sam, it was a clear thing. Rich people had a certain disconnection to the world that always rubbed Danny wrong. Small things, little things. Almost like they seemed to forget that not everyone had money to do things.

Despite that, Sam was the only rich person Danny could stand. She wasn't so wrapped up in the money, or image that came along with it. She's one of his best friends, even if they did bump heads sometimes. But Sam was usually willing to listen, and learn from what Danny or Tucker had to say. Even if she was sometimes hardheaded, Danny still loves her. She will always be apart of the trio.

Except, than Bruce Wayne wondered into his life. A brief chance encounter at Nasty Burger, and Danny's thoughts on the rich had shifted slightly. Bruce seemed more human, more okay with being viewed as less than perfect. Sure, Danny still hadn't trusted Bruce. Hadn't trusted him, even when he found out they both disliked a certain mayor. It was strange, but it had been nice.

That's where Danny had expected his experiences with Bruce Wayne to end. He hadn't expected to scold the man at Dalv. Co after failing to talk himself out of going that day. Danny also didn't expect Bruce to essentially defend him against Vlad. It probably didn't seem like much, but when Bruce had corrected Vlad about Danny's name, it had struck Danny right in the core.

And Danny hated it.

So, along with Batman, Bruce Wayne went to the back of his mind. Danny chalked it up to this being just how Gothamites are. Brushed the strange week to nothing but a fun story, and moved on with his life. Went to class, met up with his friends, argued with his mother, and shared fudge with his father. Life was back to normal, and Danny thought that was all fine and dandy. Jazz came back from her college tours excited and rambling about the future. It was good, life was good.

"Danny... Did something happen when I was gone?" Just like that, Jazz flipped the lie on it's head. Okay, Danny couldn't blame her for it. After there talk about her psychoanalyzing everything, she had been doing a good job at letting Danny go at his own pace. Letting him come to her when he was ready for answers. She was bound to ask her questions, and she was trying to be nice about it.

Danny gave his normal excuses, telling her it was just his status as King and Vlad getting to him. He had just passed a new motion in the Zone, and his parents were hounding him more to go in to see Vlad. It wasn't a big deal, and Danny was fine. He was. Danny was just fine, and he didn't need people worrying about him. Jazz had simply gave him a sad smile, and a side hug to pair.

"You know I'm always here for you, baby bro."

"I know."

That was how far heart-to-hearts went in the Fenton home as of late. Ever since Freshman year, the dynamic in the home had changed, had shifted. As time moved, Danny slowly became more of the black sheep in the family. The odd one. The only idiot among a family of geniuses. It was just how it was, and Danny had started to believe it.

Despite his side projects, the things he tinkered and made in his free time. Despite how often he had to step in and secretly adjust his parents inventions. Despite Danny somehow managing to govern the Zone as a child. Despite the way his parents tried to hype him up, or when Sam and Tucker did it. Despite all that, Danny believed he was the stupid one. The problem in his family. Slowly, he started retreating more. Pulling away from those around him.

Finding silly excuses that were just plausible enough for people to leave him alone.

Danny fell back into the space he had been before his nightly meetings with a certain Dark Knight. He hadn't realized how much that week had helped him, until he no longer had it. But Danny still had Cujo. Still went to that park on a nightly, and still found comfort as he sat in the grass and stared out into the night sky. It was fine, it was good. Danny didn't need Batman in his life, he had barely known the man for a week. Danny was fine before, and he'll be fine now.

It took four days for Danny to completely settle back in to his prior routine. To stop look at the communicator and debating about calling Batman. It took a full week, for Danny to manage to actually pushing the vigilante to the back of his mind. Things were finally back to normal. Danny was back to normal. Until the second week brought forth a new problem.

"This is so unfair!"

Danny was pissed for many reasons. The biggest reason being his parents lack of care for his own wants and desires. He was trying hard not to blame them, he really was. In more than one way, this was Danny's fault. If he had just tried harder in school, if he put more time aside to keep his grades up, if he just stopped running out of class at every shiver and puff of smoke... If Danny had just been what his parents wanted, then this wouldn't be happening.

"Don't take that tone up with me! We're just trying to do what's best for you, Danny."

It took everything in Danny not to explode at Maddie's words. His own mother was willing to do this. The same woman who tried to avoid Vlad like the plague was willing to send Danny states away with the man. It took everything for Danny to keep his powers in check, to keep that buzz of energy contained beneath his skin. It was one thing for Danny to go to Vlad's mansion. Sure it was a different state, but it was right there. Not far, and Danny knew the path home like the back of his hand.

New Jersey? That was much further, and much more disconnected from Danny's support group. He'd be completely alone with Vlad, in a foreign state. He wouldn't have Sam or Tucker there to help him if need be. Jazz wouldn't be there. The thought alone had a familiar bubble of fear and anxiety rising in Danny's chest, but his anger outweighed that. Easily.

"But why Gotham!? I'll intern for Vlad more often here, if that's what you want! I don't want to go there alone with him... Mom, please..."

All of Danny's words fell on deaf ears. He knew that look in Maddie's eyes, that harden stare she seemed to have only reserved for him. She stopped listening to him the moment she told him what was happening. She wasn't asking, she was telling him. The choice was already made, Danny already had a seat on Vlad's private jet. It even had to be a private flight, of course. Danny couldn't have the luck of taking a first class flight with the man. No, the whole trip just had to be alone.

"It won't be that bad, kiddo... Things might not be great between you and Vlad, but you'll see! It'll be amazing once you guys work it out!"

Then there was his father. Danny couldn't even be mad at Jack, he couldn't be. Unlike Maddie, he could see where Jack was coming from. At first, Danny had been mad. Couldn't stand his father pushing Vlad onto him like this... Until Danny actually thought it through. Vlad was Jack's best friend, still is in Jack's eyes. He wanted his son to get along with his godfather.

It made it harder for Danny to be mad with the look in Jack's eyes. They weren't hard and stern like Maddie's. No, Jack was silently pleading with Danny. Hoping his son would understand why he was doing what he was doing. Hoping that Danny wouldn't be too mad, especially after the trip was over. Jack was an optimist, and he saw nothing wrong with this trip.

It was a losing argument, that much was clear. Except, Danny couldn't stop himself. Couldn't stop the shouts that left him, or the way he kept pushing back. He knew Maddie wasn't going to break, knew she never did. Not when she got like this. The fighting was hurting Jack the most out of the three of them. He was trying his hardest to play mediator, to find a middle ground, and calm the argument.

But this wasn't one of those arguments where Jack or Jazz could manage to calm it. The yelling only grew louder, more aggressive. Maddie's words harsher and meaner. Jabs at Danny's lack of drive at school, at Maddie's lack of parental care, at anything that the other knew would leave a mark. Danny had been full strong, ready to make this fight worse than any of the other's.

"Just because you abandoned Vlad, doesn't mean you get to pawn him off on me!"

Danny hadn't meant the words to slip out. The family never talked about what happened between Maddie, Jack, and Vlad. The kids only knew because of Vlad, and his weird need to monologue like every cliche villain out there. The shift in the room was instant, the charged energy seemed to suddenly freeze in place. Turning into something more dangerous.

He hadn't had the chance to open his mouth, to utter a sad excuse of an apology. The look of hurt and pain in both his parents' expression was enough to make Danny feel like the worse son ever. He was already regretting it all just from the still silence of the air, and those looks. It didn't just hit Maddie and Jack hard, it had hit Danny hard too. And he was the one that said it.

That was until it literally hit Danny harder.

It took a moment for his brain to catch up to the sharp sting in his cheek. To catch up to the fact that he wasn't looking at his parents anymore, but instead the wall. The wall where a family photo hung, an old one well before things seemed to have started to turn bad. Turned complicated. But when Danny's mind finally clicked, that slapped felt like the worse pain he'd ever felt before.

Not one of the pain Danny felt before hit this level. Not when he was shot at by everyone, including his parents. Not when he was nursing a broken arm, fractured ribs, and a ruptured spleen. Not even the portal accident felt this deep. Danny had literally died and came back to life, but that was nothing. Nothing compared to the pain he felt from being slapped by his own mother.

The world had tilted on it's axis. The sound around him suddenly turned muffled and far away. There had been a sharp pain in his chest, something that felt too close to his heart. Something that felt wrong, deep, and raw. The words his parents spoke only fell on deaf ears as he turned away from them numbly. Storming for the door, wanting to run away from the moment. To get as far away from his home as possible. To get as far away from Maddie as possible.

Except Danny hadn't made it that far.

Just two steps, that's all he got in. Before the world literally tilted on it's axis. Danny's legs gave out from beneath him, and he was tumbling to the ground. The last thing he remembered was seeing that ugly purple rug coming at him at high speed before the world faded to black around him.

Chapter Text

The Wayne manor is a well-oiled machine. Despite what the public believes, or hears, the Wayne family was rarely every not put together. That's not to say they didn't have their moments. Every machine was bound to break eventually, every machine needed a little TLC. Those breaks were always reserved for within the manor walls, only for the eyes and minds of those involved. There was one person in the manor that knew essentially everything. The person that was always sweeping in and giving the machine what it needed when it couldn't.

The person that seemed like the glue to the Wayne family, even if not very many knew it. After all, who would think a simple butler was good enough for the job. A simple butler that held enough power in the family. A simple butler that could have Bruce Wayne taking a break even if the man didn't want to. One that could make Jason Todd give up all his guns for a weekend. One that could force Tim Drake to go to sleep despite others' efforts.

A simple man that held the family's well-being and safety in his hands at all time.

Alfred Pennyworth was not a man that abused that power. He knew when it was time to step in, and when it was time to let his family be. There was a balance to the way Alfred did things, a special balance that only he knew. The man had a sight for things others miss, even in a family of amazing detectives, no one saw as much as Alfred does.

Two weeks. Alfred waited two weeks to see if things would change, if it would resolve themselves, or if he'd get a hint of what was really going on. He was used to Bruce sulking away by himself. The man had done it since he was a child, and he still continued to do it. The only thing that changed was the methods. He saw all the signs within the first day of Bruce's return to the manor.

The man had jumped head first back into patrols. Increased his training regime, hours spent out in the suit, hours spent playing the role of Brucie Wayne. He was trying to ignore something, forget something that had happened when he was away. Alfred could respect that, it wouldn't be the first time his ward felt the need to forget something. It won't be the last time.

When things didn't slow after the first week, Alfred started to pay more attention. Started taking more frequent trips to the cave to drop off snacks or meals. Started screening certain calls from WE without Bruce realizing it. It wasn't hard, not when everyone was used to seeing Alfred pretty much everywhere. At first, Alfred assumed it had something to do with that unsavory character, Vlad Masters.

It was soon clear that wasn't it. If it was, the family would be in bigger trouble. Bruce didn't act like this when he was he stone set on taking someone down. At least, not this way. There would be more anger, aggressive in his actions. He'd be trying his hardest to find everything he could on Vlad. Vlad would be his sole focus. No one else would have Bruce's attention until his target was taken down.

Except, Bruce seemed to be giving Vlad very little attention. Brushing off the possible threat of the man. If the Batman wasn't concerned, where was Alfred to say any different? If it wasn't Vlad, that left the butler with very little options. Bruce hadn't mentioned another soul, another person aside from Vlad. No one else that could have caught Bruce's attention, expect someone had.

"I think it's time we talked, Bruce."

The shift in the cave happened instantly the moment Alfred spoke Bruce's name. A rare occurrence that only happened when Alfred wasn't listening to debates. It was his turn to talk, and no one was going to stop it. It was clear that Bruce knew it. By the way the younger man's shoulders tensed, and the look that washed over his features.

It was a look Alfred knew all too well. The same look Bruce had every time Alfred needed to sit him down and talk. Usually because Bruce was doing something he shouldn't be, a look Alfred was used to seeing on young Bruce, rather than a grown man. However, it was a look and state of feeling that Bruce has needed to be in again.

It was a repeat of a familiar scene. Alfred placing himself in a seat across from Bruce, handing the man a mug of fresh tea. A comforting space of safety and trust forming between the two. Alfred rarely knew what he was going to say, never truly planned anything out. Instead, he let his heart do the talking. Letting the words flow from him without a second thought.

Alfred wasn't a perfect man, far from it. Yet, he seemed to have a way with words. Managing to break down the toughest of walls with just a few syllables, choice touches, and warm smiles. He didn't jump straight into the questioning, simply recounting how Bruce has been acting. Letting Bruce hear and understand Alfred's point. Something he had learned helped him get through to Bruce. The man's mind was always looking for connections and clues, and Alfred was willing to offer them before the hit.

"Who is it?"

A simple and open-ended question. Alfred left the ball in Bruce's court, hoping all the work up to it didn't go to waste. It was only a moment, barely a breath, before Bruce seemed to cave. A resigned exhale, muscles sagging against the seat followed by a long drink from the mug. With each passing second of silence, Alfred had started to lose some of his hope.

Bruce would talk to him, when he was ready. Alfred was certain that now was the time, but he wouldn't call his estimations perfect. There was no guarantee, and Alfred understood that. Some times Bruce isn't ready, and that was okay. That was perfectly fine. Alfred could continue trying to figure it out without any extra help. Whatever helped Alfred's family the most was what mattered.

"I... I met this kid, back in Amity..."

Just like that, the pieces fell into place with ease. With each word recounted by Bruce, Alfred only understood more. Hearing the short tales of Bruce's time with this kid, it was a familiar sight. Alfred has heard similar words leave Bruce's lips, has seen that slight twinkle in a different scenario.

It was almost uncanny how much Bruce looked just like this, when he was talking about his sons. The same feeling when Bruce had first introduced Dick to Alfred. The same thing when Jason came along, as every child Bruce had brought home. Whether officially adopted, or not, they were Bruce's kids. Alfred always knew Bruce had more love in him than he could contain. Always knew the man would seek for a large family.

Alfred had pictured Bruce settling down with a sweet young woman, or man. Just a few kids to keep things lively and fulfilled. A simple, happy future that Alfred had hoped for his ward. Now, Alfred never wished for Bruce to create and take on the mantel of Batman. Never expected a gaggle of kids to follow in Bruce's vigilantism. Never expected to spend his nights administering antidotes, and stitching wounds closed.

Despite all that, Alfred wouldn't change a single thing.

"Does he need you?"

Another seemingly simple question from Alfred's lips. A question that Alfred knew would be hard for Bruce to answer. For as long as Alfred could remember, Bruce was not an easy man to get to. Yes, Alfred was there for every time a different rouge or vigilante got under Bruce's skin. Except, they all had common traits. There were keys things that caused someone to worm their way into Bruce Wayne's brain. Key things that can also vary drastically. It was something not everyone could understand about Bruce, but Alfred does. Alfred always does.

There was always a reason for someone to join the Wayne family. Each one that Alfred had heard was a valid reason. It has always been a valid reason. Ever since Bruce walked in with Dick, Alfred knew there would always be a reason. Too many kids, too many families weren't safe. Some innocent people dealing with the aftermaths of a broken world.

Alfred would never tell Bruce his reasoning was wrong. Unless it was glaringly obvious that Bruce's motives were selfish, Alfred would happily welcome another mouth into the family. He had been unsure at first when Bruce brought a child home. Richard Grayson was far from the easiest child, but that was to be expected. Alfred tried to find his best way to make a connection with the child, which was hard considering the last time he truly dealt with a child. Until they made their connection and Dick had become Alfred's grandson.

"He has a family, Alfie... something just doesn't feel right."

There was the answer. Even if Bruce didn't want to admit it, he knew just as well as Alfred. This boy need Bruce. Whether it be the Wayne family as a whole, just Bruce, or just Batman. It didn't matter. If something didn't feel right for Bruce, than it was likely not right. Yes, Alfred will admit that sometimes his ward got paranoid. Made ant hills into mole hills.

But most of the time, especially when it came to innocent civilians, Bruce Wayne was right. If something didn't feel right, than something wasn't right. Something revolving around this boy, Danny, wasn't right. This boy needed help, even if it wasn't in the conventional term. Alfred exhaled softly, pressing a loving kiss to Bruce's temple.

Something didn't take a lot to say. That simple kiss and pat on the shoulder was enough between the two men. Alfred was proud of Bruce, always will be. Bruce's gut was one thing that Alfred was almost always willing to follow. If there is a feeling there is a reason.

"Trust your gut. Just like I trust it, B."

The parting words were like a glue, sealing the topic. Giving Bruce the impression and guidance he needed to think about the future. But for Alfred, it was his way for telling his ward that he supported him. No matter what, Alfred supported Bruce. Blood, biological, lineage, those things didn't matter. Bruce was his son. In every way of the word, Alfred's heart and mind already started viewing Bruce as his son, well before the murders.

Alfred Pennyworth has lived a full life. He had stories that made his life seem like multiple life times in one go. He wasn't a simple man, which made him perfect for the Wayne family. Just like Martha and Thomas had known. Alfred was made for this life, even if he hadn't realized it sooner. After hearing Bruce speak, Alfred couldn't help wanting to meet this Danny.

Despite that, Alfred accept that the likelihood was low. They may joke about it, but Bruce didn't take out any random possible stray he ran into. That was vented through Bruce's extremely high donations to all and any non-profit, honest charity in search for helping orphaned youth. No, this was Bruce trying to give a child the best options. Even if the Wayne family was a mess of it's own.

The night, Alfred walked away from the conversation feeling completely content with the ending. He didn't want to dictate Bruce's choices. Alfred didn't want Bruce to feel like he wanted another family member, or he didn't. Alfred likes being a neutral party for the family because it always ended well for him. He had yet to fully disagree, and he was okay with that.

When Alfred Pennyworth fell asleep that night, his mind couldn't help drifting away to the idea of this Danny.

Chapter Text

Almost everyone experiences a moment in their life when the world seems to freeze around them. When everything suddenly stands still, even their own beating heart, as their mind rushed to process a situation. A moment in time that just seemed too big, too soon, too sudden. When the sudden wave of unstoppable dread and fear washes over them and leaves them almost rooted in place.

It could be anything. Something as seemingly small as a failed test in high school. Or seeing the two little lines on a certain test some one had been hoping to fail. It could be something life altering, or it could be something that had only been a hope. A goal that had no true impact except for one's own happiness and well-being.

For a certain older sister, she had that moment twice in her life time so far. The first time, when she heard the news of her baby brother being electrocuted. Heard he had been so close to losing his life, that he had been so lucky that his two best friends were there. That one of them knew CPR while the other was fast enough to dial an ambulance.

The second time was when she pieced it all together. When she realized a certain ghostly hero was also her baby brother. When it all clicked. The realization that her own parents were trying to do horrible things to him, even if they didn't know who it was him. Both moments weren't in fear or dread of herself. It was in fear of what would happen to her little brother. The person she spent her whole life trying to care for and protect.

She wasn't lucky, as some would say. The third time that feeling washed over her, she was prepping for a local college interview. She had been waiting in the lobby, rehearsing answers and facts. She had been brimming with nervous excitement. It wasn't her dream college, still much too small for what she wanted. It was a stepping stone, and a back up plan if things go wrong. Because in the end, Jazz Fenton was always thinking about her brother.

"Jazz... It's Danny. He's in the hospital..."

And just like that, her world felt like it was falling all over again. Her heart froze in her chest, air rushing out of her lungs. Before she even knew it, without letting anyone know, she was rushing right out that office door. Ripping her way through the halls with a speed only an older sister knew. She hadn't even waited around to hear more from her mother, didn't need to know more.

Her baby brother was in the hospital, again. It didn't matter the reason, or what happened. Danny was different now. She's seen him reset a broken leg and walk it off like it was nothing. She's watched him be thrown through brick buildings, only to come out again just fine. So if Danny was in the hospital now? She couldn't imagine what it meant, and that terrified her.

Much too soon, but also not soon enough, she was tearing through the hospital hallways. Rushing nurses for answers, and refusing to wait. She hadn't been ready to see both her mother and father waiting outside Danny's room. Neither of them were inside with him, and that rubbed her wrong in all the worse ways. She had a scolding on the tip of her tongue, questions roaring in her mind. Except they all died, the moment she really looked.

Maddie was seated, head bowed, and her own arms holding. Her own arms, not Jack's. Her always doting husband wasn't consoling his wife. Maddie's face was puffy, eyes swollen, and flushed cheeks stained with tears. There was pain in her eyes, but a guilt that the pit settling deeper into Jazz's stomach. All while Jack was standing, just a few feet away from her. His arms crossed tight over his chest, his jaw clenched, and anger radiating off him. There were tears in his eyes, he had been crying too. But that anger, it's what caught Jazz's attention.

Her always gentle and loving father, a man who only ever raised his voice when his family was at risk. A man that was the perfect image of a gentle loving giant who truly cared for his loved ones. He was angry. Not just angry, he was enraged. It was rolling off him like tidal waves, almost clearing a perfect space around the three of them as Jazz approached. Her movements slowing, her mind growing unsure of what she was going to say.

"He's going to be okay, Jazzy-bear. Go in and see him."

That was all she got. Maddie wouldn't even look her in the eyes, and Jack was refusing to look at Maddie. The target of his rage, something Jazz had never seen before between them. Despite all the fights and arguments they have had, Jack was never the angry one. Maddie always was. Before Jazz went in, she gave her father's shoulder a squeeze. A silent reassurance that no matter what, Jazz was on his side. She knew he wouldn't be in this state unless it was completely justified.

The sight of Danny in that hospital bed, wired up to machines, the beeping. It all brought back memories of the first time. Of the fear they all felt because they had all truly thought Danny was going to die. Yes he had, but he wasn't gone. He was still Danny. This time, though... this time was different. Jazz could see it in his eyes when he struggled to meet hers.

She hadn't said a word, immediately going to his side. Pressing a mother's kiss to his temple, a gentle hug, before settling on the edge of the bed. She took one of his hands in hers, eyes trained on his face. There wasn't anything physically different about Danny, not a blemish in sight. Not a wound, bruise, or cut. But he was different. His eyes held a deep pain that hadn't been there last time she saw him.

It took everything in Jazz's power not to start asking questions. To start trying to figure out what happened, and figure out how to fix it. Just like she always did, just like she was supposed to do. Jazz knew she needed to let Danny tell her when he can, when he chose to. Something had happened, and it hurt her baby brother more than his own death hurt him.

Danny had started with why he was in a hospital bed. An apparent cardiac episode. The doctors believe it was a delayed side effect of the accident. The electrocution had weakened his heart, but no one had caught it. It had only been weakened, but not changed. That wasn't until a stressful event pushed it over the edge. A stressful event. Her baby brother essentially had a heart attack, and refused to say why.

"Danny... I need to know."

Jazz finally had to make the push, to get Danny to tell her what happened. Her mind flickered to Vlad, to Sam, to Tucker. To the people in Danny's life that had such a direct impact on him. Whether it be his safety, or his happiness. She thought of school, of him being king, or all the many things that could stress Danny out so much to this point. When he answered her, after the longest pause of her life, she didn't expect what she heard.

"She hit me... Mom did. We got into a fight about Vlad and she... she slapped me."

Just like that, it all clicked into place. The tension, the anger between Maddie and Jack. The pain that was now so deep seeded into Danny's eyes. The way his bottom lip trembled, and tears had filled his eyes at the sight of her. The way he was still trying to be so strong, even when he was the victim in all this. When he didn't have to be. The way he tried to explain it away, blame himself for something that wasn't his fault.

Jazz didn't care what Danny had said. What verbal blows had been exchanged, how he had riled Maddie up to that point. It didn't matter because it was still her fault. She was the adult, she was the mother of a teenage boy. A teenage boy who has been going through more than any boy should, who has been outright acting out for a while now. There was no excuse for Maddie to have escalated verbal blows to physical. Not a single goddamn reason could make sense in Jazz's mind.

But Jack's rage? That made sense. In that moment, Jazz made a solid realization. She inherited her father's protective temper. The rush of sisterly rage that flood her system at Danny's words had her feeling almost breathless for a moment. Danny mistook it as shock, but Jazz knew better. It took all her will power to remain in place, to stay seated by his side. To keep holding his hand because that's what Danny needed.

That wasn't going to be the end of it. Even as Jazz wrapped his trembling form in her arms. Gave him a shoulder to cry on, and reassuring words as she held her brother close. Right now, her attention was on Danny. On making sure he was as alright as he could be in the aftermath, before she let that rage loose.

Jack might have his reservations about how he handled his anger. He might not want to yell at his wife, give her the reality check she needed. Jack might not be able to bring himself to that point. He might show his anger in different ways, but they weren't ways that were getting through to Maddie. That was becoming starkingly clearer the more days that ticked by.

Jazz didn't have those reservations. She spent her whole life taking care of Danny, of putting him above everyone else in her life. She had watched the way Danny had tried his hardest not to be a burden. She had watched as his mental state took a decline, as he became moodier, lashed out more. And still then, he tried his hardest not to bother anyone else with it. Even when Jazz was more than willing and happy to take on some of that weight.

"I'm not letting Danny go home if she's still there."

Jazz had wanted to rip right into Maddie the moment she left Danny's room. She had held him until he slipped back to sleep, exhausted and hurt after the day he had. She waited to make sure he was out like a light, before she left him alone. Only to find only Jack waiting for her. He knew she would find out, that she wouldn't be against causing a scene. Hell, she wouldn't be against getting CPS on the phone right this instant if she had to.

Except, Jazz knew she wouldn't have to. Not with the way Jack had pulled her into a hug after she spoke. Even when her words were dripping with righteous rage and venom, he pulled her in for his perfect Jack Fenton Bear Hugs. Jack hadn't made a single move to comfort Maddie in the brief moment Jazz had seen. But he didn't hesitate to comfort his angry daughter.

"I know. She's going to stay with her sister for a while."

His voice had been so different from usual. A soft tone that Jazz couldn't remember ever hearing before. There was still pain and anger running through his words, but there was also an understanding. An unspoken agreement between father and daughter. They both knew it, despite Jack not wanting it to be true. As much as Jack wanted his family together, wanted everyone together.

He understood, just as much as Jazz did. If the Fentons wanted to be a family, they needed to separate themselves from the true problem. It never was Danny, despite how much the boy seemed to believe it was. It wasn't Jack, and it wasn't Jazz. Ever since things had started getting harder for the family, ever since Danny's accident, and even before that.

The problem was Maddie. It had always been her, even if no one wanted to admit it. She had been the driving force behind so many of their problems. She had been the driving force that spurred the two parents to spend countless nights locked away in the lab. Leaving Jazz to take care of a baby brother when she was barely old enough to take care of herself. She had been the pressuring force to send Danny to Vlad. She was the one always pushing for what she wanted and what she needed.

Never what the family wanted. Never what her kids needed. Jazz was mad at herself for letting things get this far, for not stepping up sooner, or making a louder fuss. She had been so focus trying to keep the peace, while taking care of Danny... Jazz never realized he needed drastic change until now. Until a physical conflict pushed everyone over the edge.

"I'm sorry, Jazzy-bear. I should have noticed sooner."

A single simple apology, spoken low and emotional. It had been what broke Jazz. The tears she didn't even realize were pushing against a dam, finally flooded. In just a few small words, Jazz wasn't basically an adult any more. No, she felt like a kid again. Back when she used to be able to run crying to her parents when she needed it. After a nightmare, or a scraped knee.

In this moment, Jazz was just a little girl. A little girl clinging to her father in a hospital hallway while sobbing her heart out. After yet another giant scare of her life, and the most angry she's ever been. Jazz was soaking in her father's comfort and affection, realizing just how long she's missed it. Realizing just how long Maddie had been truly poisoning the well before anyone really put it together.

And Jazz would be damned if she let Maddie anywhere near her family again. That woman might have given birth to her, might have given her a few good memories, and it might hurt to think about removing her from her life. But Jazz needs better. Danny needs better. Jack needs better. They all need better than what Maddie can give them.

Maddie was a mother in the eyes of the world, but she is not a mom. She would never truly understand everything that went into being a mom, and she would never get to experience it. If she couldn't be there for the two kids she had now, Jazz could hope she never had another chance to screw it up. Vlad could win for all Jazz cares, as long as the only prize he truly wanted was Maddie.

The Fenton family was on a new journey starting today. A journey of rebuilding and reconnecting in a way they hadn't realized they truly lost. The Fentons might have lost one member, but they gained something so much more important. They will be a family again, no matter how much work or effort it took. Jack sent away the woman he loves, the woman he had done so much for. Jazz wouldn't let that go to waste. They will be a family again, a true honest family. Even if Jazz had to rebuild that foundation all over again by herself.

Chapter Text

Bruce couldn't say he was that surprised. Since leaving Amity, he wasn't even sure if Danny had found the communicator or not. Yet, something in Bruce's gut told him that the teen had. It was something in the way that Cujo acted, something told Bruce if Danny didn't find it, than the little pooch would show him. As days ticked by, Bruce reminded himself that.

The communicator was for emergencies, that's why Bruce left it behind. This was a small town crawling with creatures that Bruce didn't fully understand. If these ghosts caused much of an issue than Danny had some back up to call. Even if Amity managed to survive this long, it didn't mean things didn't go wrong. If Danny and the town needed support, Bruce was happy to offer it.

When the first week passed with no contact, Bruce found it harder to ignore. Which only made Bruce all the more dead set on ignoring it. Danny was fine. He has a family, he has support. Batman was like the teen's escape. A low-risk act of rebellion against his parents. That's what Bruce was trying to excuse it as. Despite the feeling his gut telling him that something was wrong.

So, Bruce threw himself into his work. Absolutely anything and everything that could use his attention, it got it. Bruce was limiting the amount of time his brain had to wander. Something he hadn't even realized he was doing. Bruce might be an amazing detective, but he was even better at trying to not notice things. It came with being a Wayne and Batman.

So when Alfred had cornered him in the cave? Bruce had immediately wanted to lash out. But it was Alfred, and he needed to hear the older man out. So he did, and things went well. Well, as well as things could go. Bruce was being forced to pay attention to things he didn't want to. But than again this was Alfred, and Bruce knew if the butler stepped in, than it was called for.

So as days passed, Bruce tried harder. Don't get him wrong, Bruce heard Alfred's words. He knew what Alfred was trying to say, at least Bruce thinks he did. But he doesn't want to think about it, so he tossed himself a bit further into work while trying to include Danny into it. If Bruce couldn't forget the strange teen, than he could try to do good with it.

Except, none of it worked. Bruce found himself getting more tempted to check in on Amity Park news. To do a quick search of Danny's name. To try and find any update on how the teen was doing. But, he couldn't bring himself to do it. If Danny's name, or even his families, was nowhere in the news, that would be a good thing. Bruce wasn't sure how he could handle it if he saw something in the news over there about the teen and his family.

So, in the end, Bruce wasn't doing much better after his talk with Alfred. It would be so easy for Bruce to learn everything he needed to know about the Fentons. Nothing was off limits when you had money and happened to be Batman. Problem was, Bruce wasn't stupid. Doing something like that was bound to only make a mess of an already fragile situation.

He didn't need to know the current situation of the Fenton family. What he did need to know was the connection between the Fentons and Masters. Bruce wasn't going to go digging around for modern news, instead he was going to go digging into their past. And that's exactly what he did.

Bruce started the search on just Vladimir Masters, starting from as far back as he could go. At the start, Vlad seemed like any average son of immigrant parents. First generation American that seemed to be doing everything he could to make his family proud of him. Old news articled of winning competitions, things that many parents would be proud of.

It was somewhere from High school to college that things changed. Vlad's name started to weed out of the local newspapers, his existence settled to essentially nothing. Then college came around, and more articles appeared. A few of them were old college tabloids, poking fun at a ghost hunting club being brought to the University of Wisconsin. One that was founded and created by Vlad Masters, Maddie Walker, and Jack Fenton.

That was the connection. Vlad had been best friends with Danny's parents. Something about finding out how far back the three went did nothing to resolve the weight in Bruce's gut. He didn't like this, not one bit.

That feeling only grew stronger when Bruce hit the accident. A prototype machine had gone haywire in the University's lab, the only one injured had been Vlad. It was clear to Bruce that this had to be Vlad's turning point. There were a few small articles of interviews involving Maddie and Jack, but the whole thing was clearly suppressed. The University, the students involved, everyone did everything they could to keep it all as quiet as possible.

Vlad didn't pop up in the news against until years later, much too many years for a supposedly simple accident. In that time, Jack and Maddie had made their own moves. Their names still popping up in occasional scientific articles, and even a wedding website.

It didn't take a detective to put the pieces together. Vlad Masters had been abandoned by his supposed best friends. Bruce couldn't think of a reason for Vlad's return back into the Fenton family's lives that wasn't malice in some way. So much time had passed, too much time for Vlad's sudden reappearance. It only made Bruce feel worse about the situation, his mind running a mile a minute on all the possible reasoning behind Vlad's actions.

Each thought that raced through Bruce's mind only seemed to be worse than the last. Each one kept coming back to the one common denominator that Bruce had found. Danny. The teen seemed to be the only active link between Vlad and the Fentons. There was a few paper trails of Dalv. Co and FentonWorks being in business together. A few transactional work, Vlad helping fund Jack and Maddie's work.

Except that's were it all seemed to end. Even as Bruce found himself back at the computer almost nightly. Searching for any new activity from Dalv. Co. to FentonWorks, or any other companies not under Vlad's control. Except Vlad wasn't stupid. He knew how to cover his tracks, in a way that made it hard for even Bruce to follow.

As much as Bruce didn't like the idea, he could think of one person that could help him crack the mystery of Vladimir Masters. One person that had pieced together the secrets of Wayne Manor with little to no help. Tim Drake. Tim was resourceful and driven, even before Bruce had any hand in helping train him.

It wasn't often that Bruce found himself turning to his own kids for help. But sometimes a fresh pair of eyes is all it takes to unravel the threads to a web. Tim could reach corners that Bruce didn't have the time, means, or connection to do so. If Bruce wanted to get everything he could on Vlad, before the man even steps foot in Gotham, he'll need some extra help.

Bruce had never felt more relieved that he enlisted the help of Tim on his search. It wasn't just because Tim was bound to bring forward results. It was because Gotham seemed to have other plans for Bruce Wayne's time, instead of cyber-stalking a possible rogue coming to Gotham.

First there was the Joker, always insistent on getting Bruce's attention somehow. A convoluted and complexed partnership with the Riddler that kept Bruce occupied for three whole days. It was something that hit Bruce hard. So many lives had been at risk, so many innocent people put in the line of danger and terror. They managed to save the majority. But that didn't make the blood on the streets any easier to swallow.

Of course, Bruce couldn't catch a break just yet. Not even a day of rest, and suddenly Wayne Enterprise was under attack by the press. A new scandal, a new rumor, the held essentially no weight whatsoever, yet the press was attracted to it like vultures. Bruce was supposedly selling out user data to any one and everyone that asks for it and had the right price tag.

Any person that laid hands on Wayne tech, that placed in their information, was supposedly at risk of losing all privacy and safety.

It wasn't hard to shut down the rumor. A few well placed ditsy moments, a quick glimpse over the security measures put in place to keep customers safe. The recently upgraded security system, a sweep for any leaks, and nothing was founded. His system was perfectly secure, the way he always intended to make it. It took a few days, and massive work on his PR team, before the outrage settled.

The busy days made it easier for Bruce to push a few things to the back of his mind. Like a certain little small town, and impending threat coming into his home. Vlad had barely been a blimp in Bruce's mind during that time. Too focused on Gotham and his company to let his mind wonder. But as the dust settled, more of Bruce's other concerns came back to the surface.

First, there was still the matter of Masters and his mysterious life. Which quickly gained traction the moment Tim had slunk into the cave at an ungodly hour. Of course, Bruce was just as awake as his ward was. Tim barely said a word as he dropped a drive onto the table. Bruce watched Tim paused, taking a large drink of whatever heart attack inducing mixture was in his mug, before speaking.

"That's all I could find. Don't let Masters set roots."

That was more than enough for both of them. The two returning back to their own respective tasks. With Tim's words, Bruce expected the file to be bare bones. Not much more than the things he found out himself. Except, he should have expected more from Tim. He shouldn't have doubted his ability to track down information the way that he does.

The file was more than Bruce could have expected, could have hoped for. It would take him a few hours just to weed through it all. Tim had even gone as far as to leave footnotes of his own thoughts and suspicious. One suspicion Tim had was the same thought that crossed Bruce's mind during his search. Vlad's life had seemed to change the most following his accident. It wasn't hard to assume one thing from it considering Vlad's sudden rise in money and power.

Vlad Masters may very well be a metahuman.

Chapter Text

Danny hated the way everything was going. Ever since his release from the hospital, everyone has been treating him like a ticking time bomb. Like one wrong move and Danny was going to collapse to the ground again. He had wanted to keep the hospital visit as quiet as possible, except this was a small town. Before he was even discharged, everyone in town seemed to know he had a supposedly weak heart now. That so much as a little argument could send the teen to the ground.

It wasn't fair. None of it was fair. Everyone was either avoiding him like the plague, or doting on him like he was completely useless. Teachers at school didn't seem to want to even scold Danny. His bullies have taken to completely avoid him, no one wanting to risk being the reason poor weak Danny Fenton dies. It was ironic, and horrible. Danny couldn't help but feel completely pissed off at the state of things.

Sam and Tucker have been the closest to normal that Danny could hope for. At first, they had bombarded him with questions and concern. But just like the initial portal accident, it took a few minutes of Danny doubling down on being fine before they let it go a bit. Danny was certain they didn't believe him, not with the way the two shared a look. They stopped asking, and right now that's what Danny wanted everyone to do.

"What happened?"

Sam had been the first one to broach the topic, one that Danny really didn't want to relive, but these were his best friends. He felt like he hid so much from them as is, and with... with Maddie not being home right now, Danny had to tell them. He could only imagine how hurt the two would feel if they found out later. So that's how Danny ripped the bandage off. Seat on the floor of Sam's room, the trio sat around in a small circle.

Danny had an idea of what to expect from his friends. He knew Sam would be pissed, that she would be ready to march down to wherever Maddie is holed up and give her a piece of her mind. So when her face grew red with anger, and Danny could practically see the rage building, he expected it. This was Sam, his hotheaded goth friend that never liked standing by when her friends are hurt.

What Danny hadn't expected was for Tucker to be right next to Sam on it. He seemed just as angry, just as ready to tear Maddie a new one. Tucker, his usually levelheaded if not nervous techno geek of a friend, looked ready to join Sam on the hunt. That threw Danny off more than anything, had him feeling just a tad worried. Tucker didn't even seem this angry when Dash had broken his PDA once and got off without consequence.

Danny tried to backtrack before either of his friend could speak up. He wasn't mad at his mom, not truly... not really. It was his fault, Danny knew he had hit a raw nerve with what he had said. He shouldn't have stooped that low, he should have known better. His mother was trying her best, she just wanted what's best for him. It's not her fault she didn't know the full story behind Vlad.

"Danny, dude, stop! It doesn't matter what you said! Maddie hit you. Your own mother, and this isn't like... it's not like when she sees you as Phantom. She hit you, Danny. That's just not... she can't just..."

It was clear Tucker was getting heated, and flustered when he cut Danny off. Tucker had stood from the floor, starting to pace around Sam's bedroom as he seemed to struggle and stumble over his words. It made Danny feel worse, like maybe he shouldn't have told them. Things were already so tense and awkward in his own home, and Danny was already stressing about Jazz and Jack being angry, or even hating, Maddie. He couldn't add to that growing number.

"I think what Tuck is trying to say is... Maddie's your mom, Danny. It's her job to keep arguments and fights civil, but she didn't. That's not on you, it's on her. You didn't do anything wrong."

There it was, that same line that even Jazz and Jack had told Danny since the moment he was discharged. It's not his fault. But that wasn't true, was it? Danny could have stopped all of this from happening. If he had just kept his mouth shut, or just went with Vlad. Truly how bad could it have been anyways? It wasn't like he was going to a completely new country with the older halfa. It was just a few states away, if Danny had just stopped fight then things would still be normal.

"It's not like she tugged your ear, or gave you a spanking, which I don't condone either... but Danny, she hit you. In your face. She looked at you, and chose to do that, it's just not-"

Danny had enough, he couldn't handle this. Not right now, not when his own family was falling apart at the seams. When the whole town seemed to be watching the town weirdos just a bit more closely. Not when Danny had to now juggle being the ghost king, high school, and keeping his family together. He needed to figure out how to fix this, to change it back to how things used to be.

"Will you two just stay out of it!? This isn't your family, okay! You don't get to stand there and tell me what is and isn't okay!"

Danny hadn't planned to cut Sam off, or to yell at the two of them. But it felt like too much. Danny's chest felt tight, there was this strange deep pain somewhere inside him. One that had Danny feeling like he was struggling to breathe. Even just pulling himself up to his feet felt like a struggle. He knew he was breathing hard, and based on how warm he felt, his face had to have been flushed too.

But that didn't stop Danny. He grabbed his bag, barely tossing it onto his shoulder as he tried to get his shaking knees to listen to him. He could feel the familiar sting behind his eyes, the growing pressure of tears that wanted to come out. The sensation only made Danny feel angrier, crying seemed to be the only thing he was good at right now. The tightness and pain in his chest seemed to intensify, making it all the more harder to breathe. Danny felt like he was going to faint, but he couldn't. Not again, not so soon...

"Whoa, whoa, dude... I'm sorry, I didn't mean... Just stop, Danny. Hold on."

Tucker was the first one by his side, hands coming to grasp Danny's shoulders. It did nothing to calm Danny down. Danny instinctively tried to pull away, his hand pushing Tucker back. He was struggling to catch his breath, his lungs felt like they had no space to expand. Like his body suddenly didn't know how to function right. The strange feeling in his chest only seemed to grow more insistent, more aggressive as Danny tried to remove himself completely.

"N-no... I need to go home... I'm fine, just, let me..."

Danny could barely even speak either, his eyes screwing closed in an attempt to keep the tears at bay. His knees only seemed to grow weaker, his body threatening to give out under his weight. This wasn't right. Nothing was right. Danny wasn't supposed to feel like this, he was supposed to fine. It wasn't a big deal, but everything felt so wrong. It was all wrong, so very wrong, and Danny didn't know how to fix it. How to get things back together, and...

Suddenly the tightness in his chest seemed to almost vanish completely. A sharp inhale of breath followed the sudden release of pain and pressure. Danny hadn't realized he started crying until once he stopped feeling like he was suffocating. It took another moment for him to notice the tight grip of arms around him. Sam and Tucker. They were hugging him, tight.

Danny found himself melting into it. His tense body relaxing into a tired tremble as he wrapped his own arms around them. Danny wouldn't have guessed that a hug would have fixed him, but it did. He felt like he could think again, like he could function. Like the weight of the world wasn't pressing down on his chest. And it wasn't just the hug that was doing it.

It was what Danny was feeling. His two friends had essentially wrapped their comforting weight around him, squeezing tight like any moment Danny would float away. And Danny could feel it. Feel the concern, fear, and care radiating from his friends. The emotions washing over Danny like a soothing balm, his body seeming to suddenly heal away his aches and pains.

Danny's core was thrumming happily in his chest. He could feel it, a familiar good feeling. Nothing like that deep aching pain he was feeling just a moment again, and Danny found himself clinging to it. He didn't even process it when suddenly the three of them were back on the ground. His friends holding him tight in the silence that had settling. It seemed like this was something they all needed, even if Danny felt like he was taking the most out of it.

"We're sorry, Danny."

The words weren't needed, but it didn't hurt either. Danny exhaled, pressing his face into whoever's shoulder he got to first. It just happened to be Sam's. He didn't bother trying to speak, or think of an actual response. The trio remained silent as they simply sat there. Letting the moment sit with no rush, until Danny's grip on the two finally started to relax. His body finally exiting that strange flight or fight mode it had been just moments ago. If there was one thing the trio knew how to do, was overcoming tense moments as best as they can once it ended. And Tucker was faster on the draw this time.

"Dude, are you purring?"

Danny felt bone tired when he finally made his way back home that night. Except, it wasn't the same level of exhaustion he usually felt. Danny felt good for once, tired but good. Despite that, he couldn't help the dread from seeping back into his mind. Since his discharge, things have been awkward. Both Jazz and Jack take to doting over him, while also walking on eggshells. Like they were worried that they might be the next person to send Danny to the hospital.

When Danny slipped through the front door, he was hoping everyone would be asleep. He didn't feel like sneaking into his own room, but he also wasn't sure if he could handle anymore emotional conversation. He knew they needed to truly talk about things. For now, both of them accepted Danny's "not now" response, but that would only get him so far.

Danny didn't like his mother being gone. Yes, he often fought with her. She was the source of some of his anger and struggles, but that didn't mean Danny wanted her gone. Not having her around the house felt wrong. Maddie shouldn't have been the one ostracized, Danny felt like it should be him. Jack should have had to kick her out, not when it was Danny's fault anyways. It didn't matter what anyone told him, he knew the truth.

When Danny walked further into the house, he caught the muffled goodbyes as Jack was hanging up the phone. His dad looking up like he had just been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. There was just a brief moment of silence between them, almost like they both were trying to come up with an excuse for what they were doing. Danny hadn't expected his dad to be right there, and he was certain Jack hadn't expected him to walk in.

"Fudge?"

Just like that the strange tense softened a bit around them. It was still there, and part of Danny wanted to just curl up in bed and sleep the day away. The idea of doing something relatively normal with his dad had Danny nodding. Before long, the two of them were sat at the kitchen table, a batch of Jack's homemade fudge between them. It was silent for longer than that, Danny kept his gaze down casted while munching away on the sweet treat.

It was far from normal, but it was still better than nothing at all. Yet Danny couldn't help feeling guilty for sitting here. Jack had sent away the woman he loves because of Danny. Danny had caused this rift between them all, and still he sat here like he deserved it. Danny was quickly getting lost in his own head, despite trying not to be. That's why when Jack spoke up, Danny actually jumped at the sudden break in silence.

"Danny, is there anything I should know? Anything going on with you?"

The question wasn't accusatory, Jack sounded genuinely concerned. Danny barely noticed the glance towards the phone Jack made before their gazes locked. It was such a simple question, yet Danny could think of a million and one things to say in response. So many thinks he knows he should tell his father about. Things that he really shouldn't be keeping between a group of kids. 

But each thought that came to mind made his throat feel tight with anxiety, trapping the words inside. He couldn't imagine telling his parents about Phantom, about his position in the zone, or about Vlad and everything that comes with it. That whole side of his life felt wrong to even think about saying to his dad. And Danny couldn't think about what else to say. He couldn't tell Jack about how him and Maddie only made things harder. About how inferior he felt when it came to their family, or how invisible he sometimes felt.

Instead Danny swallowed down the last of the fudge in his mouth, meeting his father's gaze. Danny's voice tremble with the sear worry he felt as he spoke the one thing that felt normal enough to say. Something that might make things harder, but not nearly as harder as all the others. The only thing that felt remotely normal in all of Danny's daily fears and stressors.

"I... I want to drop out of school, dad. I've been thinking about just getting my GED." 

Chapter Text

Life was hectic, just as it usually was for Bruce Wayne. Juggling the double life he leads was stress enough, but adding on top of it the Amity Park set, made it just a bit harder. Bruce found himself being reminded by Alfred more often to take a break. It went as far as his kids off-handedly mentioning it to him when they visit. Yet, Bruce's mind was too preoccupied with two specific names.

Danny Fenton and Vlad Masters.

With Vlad, things were complicated. Tim's research had uncovered a plethora of hidden clues. Pieces of a puzzle that made everything fit almost seamlessly together. Of course Bruce was still missing specific details, the more specific got, the harder it was to find. Bruce was certain that Vlad was a metahuman. The accident had to have changed him.

Something about the man's new abilities was likely the reason he managed to become rich over night. Paired with his impeccable ability to sniff out the weaknesses of his competition. It still left Masters shrouded in mystery, but it was a mystery Bruce was pulling into the light. There was more, a lot more in the information Tim gave him.

Things that had Bruce's skin crawling at just the implications of it alone. He didn't have the time to pull apart every wrong thing Vlad has under his belt. Not yet. He needed to get enough evidence, enough solid proof. Something that Masters wouldn't be able to just wave away with a simple excuse. Taking down Masters was going to take some time and thorough planning.

As much as Bruce would love to handle it with a swiftness, nip it in the bud, he knew he couldn't. Vlad was much too smart, much to meticulous to make it that easy. Much less with the influence and fear he had throughout the business world, things just couldn't be easy. In the end, it didn't matter. Bruce was going to do everything he could to save the world from Vlad Masters.

As much as Bruce would love to be holed up in the cave, working on things day and night, he knew better. He's gone a long way the way he used to handle things, and he wasn't going to slip back. Not now. Not after all the work his kids, Alfred, and himself put into this family. It's truly the only reason Bruce was eating his breakfast in the dining room, still in his pajamas, and still half-asleep.

"Hey B, you got a sec?"

Which also left Bruce open for any kids currently in the manor to find him. He barely had to look up, recognizing the voice and step patterns instantly. Still in the middle of a bite, Bruce made a confirming noise, motioning to the seat across from him. Despite knowing that Jason was going to stay standing. It was clear it was a quick chat, especially once Bruce actually looked up and saw the phone pressed to Jason's ear.

"Any open internships at Wayne Enterprise? Manson has been asking around, but no one seems open."

It takes Bruce's still sluggish mind a moment to piece together who Jason was talking about. Manson... that was the family with the old money. They usually pop up during galas or auctions. Usually keeping a low profile, but still being a well enough name in the community. Bruce needed to get better at remembering with kids of rich people his kids had befriended.

If Bruce was remembering right, Samantha Manson was their daughter. Their rebellious goth daughter, which seemed right up Jason's alley. Bruce nodded, wiping his face with a napkin as he turned to face Jason.

"Yea, I'm sure Lucius could find an opening somewhere. Does Sam have much experience?"

She really didn't need to be all that experienced, if she was willing to learn than Bruce was more than happy to give her an internship. It was no problem, and if Jason was asking, it had to be somewhat important. Bruce couldn't quite remember where the Manson family was located, they always seemed to be traveling, and Bruce only ever reached out to them for fundraising auctions.

"Nah, not for her. She's got this friend she's trying to help. Apparently his great at mechanical engineering. Can he get a spot, or not?"

"Okay. Just tell her to have him call me or the company, mention Manson, and we'll find something."

And with that, Jason was off to do whatever it is he was doing. Bruce didn't really pay attention to what it was Jason said into the phone as he walked away. It had been a struggle, but Bruce was getting better at letting his kids have their privacy. He didn't need to know absolutely everything about their lives, not when it only caused turmoil in the past. Bruce made a mental note to speak with Lucius once he got back to the office.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Wayne. But the security is having a bit of an issue with the new system, and it doesn't seem like they can get it themselves..."

Another problem, like any other day. Bruce had barely even settled down when the nervous assistant knocked on his door. He would say he was a scary person, but Bruce couldn't but feel like all his employees were always so hesitant to speak to him. He could understand it, he had all the power, do anything to piss him off and Bruce could fire you in an instant.

Except, Bruce has never really done it. Not without it being massively warranted. He figured by now his track record would have put his employees at ease. He wasn't exactly a fan of them always speaking to him like he was holding the string to a guillotine they were trapped in. Maybe he should give them all a raise, or a bonus? That was a thought conversation for another time, Bruce would just have to reach out to a few people, maybe they'll have some good ideas. Maybe Oliver would.

As for the problem, it seemed pretty simple. A security keycard hadn't been activated prior to usage, which sent the system a red alert when it was attempted to be use. Bruce really does need to get everyone up to date on this system. He didn't think it would have been much of an issue, a lot of the new adjustments were more internal than external. He hadn't expected it to make his employees lives more complicate.

So Bruce took a little trip down to the security office, it seemed like Bruce was going to visiting the family today at this route. It went smoothly, just as it does whenever Bruce had to speak to one of the Fox family members. A quick chat with Luke, and Bruce had the retraining session in the schedule. If this doesn't fix the problem, than Bruce might as well just redo the system all together.

As annoying as that would be, it was much better than hearing about another security issue so often. The system was supposed to take care of itself, only alert when the problem was immediate or legit. Bruce figured tonight, when he was back at the cave, he would run his own diagnostic. Make sure the issue was user error and nothing else.

With Vlad breathing down his neck, Bruce couldn't be too careful. Bruce still needed to pinpoint Masters exact abilities, and figure out how he used them to bring down full empires. Wayne Enterprise is as solid of a company as it could be, but Bruce also knew that in the world of business those odds can change very quickly if you aren't paying attention enough.

The drop down to Lucius went just as smoothly. Bruce hadn't realized it, with everything going on, but a good bit of their interns have left to pursue other job options, having spent as long as they needed under Wayne Enterprise. That didn't bother Bruce at all, the most he ever really wants for his employees is to find something they'd enjoy.

With Wayne Enterprise's competitive pay and benefits, applications weren't an uncommon thing. It's not exactly hard to fill in emptied positions, and Bruce knew that simply by how often he can see a new face wondering the halls of the company. His hiring department never had many issues. However, when it came to interns, Bruce liked to get the opinion of the person who would likely work closely with the interns.

"Well, how good is this kid?"

Bruce probably should have asked more questions when Jason approached him. But Bruce also knew that Lucius was just as good at judging characters as his own family. After all, Lucius didn't just work for Bruce Wayne, he worked for Batman too. Lucius was a big stepping stone it getting Batman to where he was today, and Bruce will always feel grateful for the man.

"Not sure, but he's supposedly got a knack for mechanical engineering... trial period?"

It really didn't take much for Lucius to agree to a new intern. Especially these days with less help needed with the Batman tech. Of course, Lucius did scold him slightly for not being more thorough. After all, how was he supposed to find out if this new intern is a plant if Bruce doesn't vet them first. It was all in good nature, Bruce and Lucius had more than enough of an understanding.

Besides, Bruce would be surprised if Vlad had any hands in the Manson family. They were largely out of the realm of Vlad's usual choices by the seems of it. He went after families that had a stake in something, and the Manson's were the epitome of a stake free, risk free, carefree rich family. Too many investments, royalties that kept them up float with little to no fear whatsoever.

There was only one thing that Bruce was making a point to try an ignore as he went through his normal routine. Danny. His mind still couldn't help drifting off to thinking about the teen. Wondering all the same questions and concerns that always filled his mind. But also, the way Danny only seemed to grow more intertwined in Vlad's life the more that Bruce unlocks.

It would be so easy for Bruce to set up an alert system, to get updates anytime something changes or comes up under Danny's name. If this had been years ago, Bruce might have done that. He wouldn't have thought twice about it. But now, Bruce knew he can't overstep. It's not his place to. That didn't make the concern and care he felt any easier to deal with.

Bruce still couldn't tell how he felt that the communicator had yet to be used. It was complicated, a good and bad thing all at once. Bruce couldn't know how Danny was doing now. If the presentation went well, if his parents were doing alright, if Jazz got into any colleges, or if bullies were still a massive issue. Bruce felt like he knew so much about Danny, but he also knew he barely knew anything.

As the days ticked by with no word from Danny, Bruce found himself thinking about the teen more. Settling down for the night, and always looking towards the communicator. Bruce could reach out. It was a two-way communicator after all. He could try to ring Danny on it.

But what if Danny threw it away? What if Danny never found it? Or if Danny kept it buried deep and far, and there was no way for Bruce to actually get into contact with him?

Those questions... Bruce didn't want to find out the answer for. As smart and observant as Bruce can be, he wasn't perfect. The park meetings might not have been much for Danny as it had been for Bruce. The man hadn't realized how much he actually needed it until it was over. For Danny, Bruce could have just been something the teen put up with.

But that wasn't a thought line that Bruce wanted to get into. He wanted to keep thinking, believing, that those night time chats helped the both of them in ways they hadn't expected. Bruce focused on the moments where it was clear that it help Danny. Bruce thought back to the last time he had spoken with the teen. The night ending in a hug, something that hadn't happened any other night.

Bruce pointedly didn't think about why Danny hadn't shown up the following night, on Batman's last night in Amity. Didn't think about what he had seen between Vlad and Danny that night. A thought did cross Bruce's mind though, he could reach out to Danny as Bruce Wayne. Offer the teen an internship at Wayne Enterprise, chalk it up to how much Bruce liked the little bit of Danny's work he had seen.

It was logical, it made sense. But it might also still be overreaching. Bruce knew he probably needed another opinion before he did anything. If anyone, he might talk to Alfred, the older man was never afraid to tell Bruce outright if he was being stupid. Especially if Bruce asks him for the honest opinion.

It didn't matter either way. All of it was for another day, Bruce will deal with it tomorrow. Instead, he slipped the communicator back into his nightstand. Settling down for bed, and trying not to think about the million and one things he had to deal with in the following days and months.

Chapter Text

Life was feeling more than a little hectic for Danny right now, more than usual. Some good things came out of it. Jack had been surprisingly okay with the idea of Danny wanting to drop out of high school and get his GED instead. If it had been Maddie, Danny knew she would have been so against the idea. But his father wasn't. Jack had asked him about college, and Danny had been completely honest.

He wasn't sure that was a route he wanted to take, and Jack seemed to understand. It was a bit awkward, and Danny started worrying if Jack had figured something else out, if he had something else on mind to talk about. Despite that, the conversation had gone well, really well. Danny promised his dad that he would at least finished the current year, and start his senior year before he came to the decision of what to do. And Jack had asked to be the one to talk to Maddie about it, and Danny was more than willing to let him deal with his mother.

That wasn't the source of Danny's current stress and anxiety. No, right now his computer was his worry. More specifically, there was a video call Danny was waiting on. A video call that can and will end any chances of a decent future if he failed it.

When Sam first called him to tell him about what she had been doing. Behind Danny's back, she used her parents name and connections to try and find something to help him with the Dalv. Co. situation. Part of Danny wanted to be mad, he hadn't asked her for the help, and he can handle things on his own. But other part of Danny was touched. His core thrumming at the realization.

Sam had actually thought of him, even without Danny prompting it whatsoever. It's not likely Danny didn't think his friends cared or thought about him. It was more like he just doesn't expect people to go out of their way for things that didn't affect them. Danny had only complained a handful of times about Maddie and her stress about him having a good internship.

Wayne Enterprises is a perfect internship on an application. It didn't matter if it was a college application or a job one, the Wayne name carried a lot of weight in the world. Now, Danny was a little hesitant about working under another billionaire. But Bruce hadn't been so bad the brief interactions that Danny had. Bruce didn't like Vlad, which meant Danny was less likely to have to deal with Vlad there.

It didn't make it any less anxiety inducing. Especially since Danny would be talking to someone new. He had called Wayne Enterprise, dropped Sam's name, and was almost instantly given a time for the interview. After he had mentioned being out of state, which didn't seem to be an issue either. It was too smooth for Danny's liking and he can only imagine this interview going horribly.

"What is your experience?"

That was the first question to hit Danny after a quick introduction. A question that felt so loaded, that Danny wasn't even sure he could answer. What experiences did he have? It was nothing he could think was worth mentioning. He didn't have any direct true work, not quite. The closest thing was his short time time as an intern at Dalv. Co.

"I spent did a bit of an internship with another tech company... but my parents are scientists and inventors. I spent most of my life tinkering and working with them on somethings. I've built a few prototypes as well, and I've edited and improved prior created inventions."

Danny felt so out of his depth as he spoke, each word felt more like a question than an actual answer. Lucius seemed like a serious man, and every word Danny said felt like he was digging a deeper hole. Like he was wasting this man's time by even trying for this internship. Danny didn't have the experience, and he's nowhere near the level of someone who should work at Wayne Enterprise. Even if it's just an intern.

"What's the first thing you've ever made that made you proud?"

Danny hadn't expected to that question. What has he made that actually made him proud? It took a moment, a moment longer than Danny would have like, for something to pop into his head. It might be a stupid thing to say, something that could easily get him knocked off the possible list of being accepted. But it was the only thing Danny could think about.

Before he could doubt himself, Danny started to talk. Recounting a simple thing he had created. It wasn't anything too special, it had been a small simple ring that detected active ectoplasm around the user. Danny had created it for Sam and Tucker, something to warn his friends about nearby ghosts if Danny wasn't around to do it. It had been such a simple design, but Danny had felt elated when it worked. When the ring had started to glow near him, when he had sealed it in an ecto-proof container and it had immediately dimmed into nothing.

It was a feeling Danny hadn't felt again, but it would be a hard one to forget. It had been so simple, but Danny was just happy to have created something that helped. It wasn't like his parents inventions, it did cause any harm to anything. It was just a detection system, something Danny thought of when the ghosts attacks were more common. More dangerous.

Once Danny started to talk, it was like the ice had broken. The tension in the interview seemed to drop drastically, and Danny found himself rambling more than anything. Lucius asked some questions, sure, but he had just let Danny talk. A few times Danny felt like he should stop, he'd look at the man in his computer. Lucius was actively listening, watching Danny in a way that didn't come off negative.

And so, Danny found himself still talking.

The Zone had become Danny's safe space in a sense. When it wasn't revolved around the politics and struggle of being king, Danny loves the Zone. His own personal haunt had appeared among the floating rocks when Danny had officially been crowned king, it was almost like the Zone had accepted him. A simple Astronomy Tower, smaller than the average, but just the right size for just Danny.

Sometimes when the living world became too much for Danny, he'd retreat into the Zone. Settle down on the couch by the window, and just unwind to the sight of the green and purple scenery around him. Often times, Danny would doze off. Catching some much needed rest where he could, but it was never planned. His body forcing him more than anything. Other times, Danny would have an unexpected visitor.

"Hey dipstick... you alright?"

Danny's eyes landed on Johnny, a bit surprised to see the ghost. Johnny 13 wasn't an often visitor, and when he visited there was always a reason. Danny automatically scanned the area for Shadow, catching no sight of the other ghost anywhere. Danny had instantly responded saying he was fine, he really needed people to stop asking him that. He never thought the news would reach the Zone, but these days Danny couldn't be surprised.

"No, I mean... like, you feel alright? Physically? You don't feel right, man." Johnny's response only confused Danny even more, his mind racing for what Johnny could be talking about. Danny was in his ghost form, he was Phantom right now, any issues with his heart shouldn't be able to be picked up. He essentially had no heart right now, not a beating one anyways.

Danny hadn't even gotten the chance to respond before the motorcyclist was step into his space. Pressing a hand against Danny's chest. The initial contact felt normal, but after a second Danny felt a strange feeling wash over him, pulling a sharp gasp from the halfa. At the same time, Johnny made a less than positive noise, ripping his hand away from Danny before gripping the teen's wrist.

It happened so fast. One moment Danny was in his own haunt, and the next he was in the Clock Tower. Johnny had ignored every question Danny tried to ask, telling him that there wasn't time, and this was too important to waste time on explanations. In all honesty, Danny felt like Johnny just didn't want to have this conversation with him.

"You were right. He's all yours."

Nope, not happening. Danny didn't care what Clockwork had said, and he wasn't about to spend time agonizing on something that wasn't a big deal. There was far too much to do, and Danny was fine. Sure, sometimes his chest did hurt and he felt like he was going to collapse. But that barely happened. He only passed out once, and the thing that happened at Sam's place was just a panic attack.

That's it, that's all it was. Besides, a little crack couldn't be that big of a deal, right? If his core really was damaged, it'll just heal. Like Clockwork had said, Danny just needed to reinforce his obsession. Danny was certain his obsession was protecting his town, his home, his people. So, he just had fix things at home. If his supposedly weak heart was due to a crack to his core, which happened when he fought with Maddie, than all he had to do was fix things with her.

Danny could do that. He'll call his mother, and apologize. Tell her how sorry he was, and how he knew he crossed a line. That Jack and Jazz had jumped the gun by kicking her out. It wasn't a big deal, it was just a slap. It was nothing compared to all the other injuries Danny had sustained since the accident. Danny had literally died! A slap shouldn't be this big of a deal. He was just being dramatic, his core was being dramatic.

"Dad... when is mom coming back?" Danny felt like a kid disturbing his parents while they were sleeping. The moment the question left his mouth, Danny regretted it. He instantly saw the way his father's shoulders had tensed as Jack set aside the item he had been tinkering with. Danny felt like it's been ages since he step back down into the lab, and the air felt so different than he was used to.

"I'm... I'm not sure, Danny-boy. She'll come back when she's ready."

Something about Jack's tone made Danny felt even worse. His chest felt a little tighter now, but Danny wasn't going to focus on that. It wasn't important, instead he focused on his breathing. He couldn't have another breakdown, he couldn't. Right now, Danny just needed to fix the mess that he had caused. It didn't matter how, but he needed to.

"I'm not mad at her. I don't want mom to stay away because of me..."

That had instantly gotten a reaction of Danny, Jack spinning around like he had just been shocked. Danny had just blinked when his father was standing in front of him, large hands gently grasping Danny's shoulders. The tightness didn't go away, but it was overshadowed by a thrum Danny felt deep in his chest. He could feel emotions starting to flow from the point of contact, and Danny couldn't help hating this ability in the moment.

"It's not because of you, Danny. I need you to understand that. Your mother didn't leave because of you, she did because of herself. Maddie..." Jack paused, seemingly searching for the right words to say. Danny didn't full believe his dad's words. If Maddie had left for herself, than why did she leave after Danny had been hit? She hadn't even come into his room to check on him. The last time Danny saw Maddie was when the fight happened. "She just needs some time to think, okay? She'll come back. Your mother would never leave her family forever."

Danny couldn't think of anything to say. Jack's concern and care was radiating through his shoulders, and Danny's core was threatening to sing at the feeling. After finding out about his newfound ability to purr, Danny really didn't want to accidentally do that right now. So instead, Danny simply swallowed and nodded in response. Jack felt like he was telling the truth, and really when had his dad ever really lie to him?

It was just hard for Danny to really believe it. He wanted to speak to Maddie, despite the idea sparking his nerves. This was his mother, he had no reason to be so worried about fixing things with her. The moment of tension and reassurance passed almost as quickly as it came. Jack backing away, and seeming almost as unsure as Danny felt.

"How about we go on a trip? Just you and me. If you're going to get your GED, than missing a few weeks won't be a big deal. Right? We can go anywhere you want."

That wasn't something Danny expected. He couldn't really remember the last time him and Jack had done something that was just the two of them. Something that wasn't just a short time frame. Jack was offering a trip, a few weeks of one. Maybe Jack was just trying to distract from the glaringly obvious absence in the home, or maybe he did want to spend time with Danny.

"Actually, I, uhm... I got accepted for an internship at Wayne Enterprises. I was going to do the work long distance, but..." The idea of going to Gotham so close to when Vlad was going to go himself, did unsettle Danny a bit. Except Danny wouldn't be with Vlad. He'd be working in a different company, and he'd be with Jack. The idea of going with some of his support system there was something that did ease a lot of Danny's concern about going anywhere near Gotham. But before Danny could even continue, Jack at jumped in.

"Wayne Enterprise! Danny, that's amazing! It's even better than Dalv. Co." Jack was ecstatic, his face broken out into a familiar grin. Danny really should have expected Jack's excitement, but he hadn't expected Jack to brush Vlad's own company to the side like that. It was like all idea of Danny working with Vlad immediately went out the window. "Gotham it is! I'll get it started, handle your school. We're going to Jersey!"

Jack continued to ramble on about his own excitement of going to Gotham with his son, going on about all the sights he wanted to take Danny to see. He hadn't realize how much about Gotham, or New Jersey as whole, that his dad knew about. Danny couldn't help his own excitement bubbling in his chest, Jack was always so infectious like that.

In that moment, it was like all tension, pain, and stress just seemed to vanish. Danny felt good for the first time since Batman's exit from Amity Park. Danny was going to Gotham with his dad. They were going to spend time together, relax. Danny pointedly tried to ignore the voice in the back of his head telling him that he'll be closer to Batman. That there was a chance that Danny could see the cape crusader once again.

And for a moment, Danny wasn't even thinking about the stress of things going on in his own family.

Chapter Text

Bruce was tired, how could he not be? It was like everywhere he turned, there was something to deal with. The days and nights all seemed to blend together, leaving Bruce feeling exhausted and overrun. There was some upsides to his busy schedule. It left little room for his mind to wonder, to think about things that were far from his control. Bruce found it easier to focus on each task at hand. Each press conference, each meeting, each dinner, each rogue, each patrol...

Except, things were now starting to slow down. Bruce was certain that Vlad was behind a lot of the issues that arise within his company. He knew his company was far from perfect, but that didn't change the fact that he never had these many issues and scandals revolving around Wayne Enterprises so clustered. Too many security issues, too many 'leaked' information that turned out false. It was a lot, but if anyone could handle it, it was Bruce.

It was hard, not that he would admit it to anyone, but things were finally stabilizing. His company wasn't negatively in the eye of the public, he just got praised for a charity fundraiser, and his rogues have been pretty easy to deal with. It didn't make Bruce feel any better. His paranoia and suspicion has been on a rise. The looming threat of whatever it was that Vlad Masters had planned was a constant reminder that he couldn't rest.

Now, Bruce wasn't completely in the dark. In a sense, all he had was a theory. But all the pieces fit almost too perfectly for it not to be the truth. With his own research, paired with what Tim had managed to find, Bruce was certain that Vlad's power had something to do with ghosts. The man hadn't made his shift in life until after his accident in college. An accident that had to do with ghostly properties.

Now there were two main ideas driving Bruce's theory. If Vlad had been infected with Ectoplasm, it could explain how Vlad did the things he did. If it had contributed to altering Vlad's DNA in some way, lead him to develop certain abilities, it would explain a lot. The second idea, was Vlad had found a way to control ghosts. Use them as pawns for his game.

It would be easy to confirm the moment Bruce could get a sample of Vlad's DNA. If he could just analyze it, it would eliminate one of Bruce's theories. The downside was that Bruce would need to spend more time with Vlad. Get closer to the other businessman, and get the man to let his guard down. If things went well, it would be easy. Bruce was hoping on the bet that Vlad didn't know as much about him as Bruce knew about Vlad.

But that was a spiral for Bruce to go down later tonight. Right now, he needed to meet the apparently promising new intern. Within the first few video calls, Lucius was already singing the praises of a promising young man. Bruce trusted Lucius' opinion as much as he trusted his close family, if the man believed the intern was great, than the intern was.

However, with everything going on with Vlad, Bruce couldn't be too safe. He'd been too distracted lately to check in with Lucius and the intern, save for the occasional chats with Lucius. As much as Bruce rather focus on more important things, he couldn't neglect anything on his to-do list. It's the only reason that Bruce was on his elevator, heading down to Lucius' lab.

"Hey, Lucius... I've finally..." Bruce's words died out as he glance around the empty workspace. He glanced down his watch, noting the fact that Lucius should currently be here. With a sigh, Bruce moved further into the lab. His gaze flickered over multiple different prints and plans, only paying attention so much as he does. He figured it wouldn't be long before Lucius came back, the man was probably on a quick break if anything. If it was serious, Bruce would know by now.

"Oh... uh, Bruce?" Bruce jolted at the sudden sound of a voice behind him. He hadn't even felt anyone come up behind him, setting him further on edge. It wasn't until Bruce turned to see none other than Danny stand before him. Danny, the actual teen from Amity Park. Bruce was both happy to see the teen relatively alive and well, while also finding himself feeling confused and suspicious on how the kid was here right now. "I didn't know you were coming in today... Uh, Lucius went out to grab a cup of coffee..."

Now, Bruce wasn't sure how to feel. Part of him wanted to go into the same conversation topics he used to have with Danny under the trees in the park. The other part reminded him that right now, he was Bruce. He was in no position to slip up or risk anyone new finding out about his identity.

"Danny! I hadn't realized you were the new intern... Wayne Enterprise could use someone of your brains." Bruce slipped himself back into his public persona. Charming smile, easy words, and comfortability. He was going to try to get closer to Danny without the suit, try and understand what the teen was doing in Gotham all of a sudden. Bruce made a mental note to try and find the teen during his late night activities if he failed.

Danny was a mix of being standoffish and embarrassed as he spoke to Bruce. The teen kept shifting his weight, fidgeting with different paperwork as he tried to make a good impression. It was kind of endearing to Bruce. He had already met Danny, had made some progress as Bruce. Yet the teen seemed so on edge with his presence. Bruce had to remind himself that technically he was Danny's boss now, and in a different city.

It wasn't like before. Bruce wasn't just some random rich guy touring the streets of a small town. This was the big city. This was Bruce's city. Danny's reaction was understandable, but it made something in Bruce's gut clench. He didn't like the idea of Danny feeling uncomfortable with him. He didn't like not being able to help the teen feel comfortable and okay.

"Relax, Danny. I'm happy to see you're the intern that Lucius took on. I've been a bit busy, and only just now got a chance to come down and meet you." Bruce spoke, resting a comforting hand on the rambling teen's shoulder. Bruce choose to ignore the way Danny tensed under his touch, and shifted away. He couldn't take it to heart, he knew he couldn't. That didn't stop the uncomfortable feeling in Bruce's chest, or the way his lips tried to turn his false smile into a frown. Now wasn't the time, it wasn't.

The rest of Bruce's time was filled with Danny nervously rambling on about the things he was working on with Lucius. Seemingly trying to prove his place here at Wayne Enterprise. Bruce understood, he really did. He just didn't like it.

Bruce spent that time trying to ease Danny's nerves. Reminding the boy that he was still the same man that he met outside of the Nasty Burger. That Bruce wasn't a hardass, he wasn't going to throw a hissy fit if Danny wasn't working every second of his time at the building. Bruce hated that he barely got much insight on what was happening with Danny.

"Oh, we're just taking a family trip so I figured I could see the office while I'm here... Lucius said it was okay..." That was the most of an explanation that Bruce got. Danny seemed more closed off than usual, even to Bruce's civilian identity. The chat at both Dalv. Co. and Nasty burger was a drastic difference from now. Which only had the father side of Bruce's brain running wild.

Despite that, Bruce kept all his concern inside. He ran things on a light and easy way. He kept the conversation focused on Wayne Enterprises, and how much Danny was enjoying his time. As well as how Danny felt about Gotham so far. Bruce did learn that this was only Danny's third day in the city. That the teen wasn't completely sure how long they would be here, but it was likely to be for a few days longer.

Bruce also learned that Danny's dad wanted to meet him, to meet the esteem Bruce Wayne and the man behind Danny's internship. He would be lying with the idea of meeting Danny's father didn't make him nervous.

Bruce has been roaming the streets of Gotham for three hours now. Three hours without a single sight of the strange teen. He couldn't be too surprised, the average teenager wouldn't want to explore the unknown city alone. Except, Bruce was certain that Danny was far from average. The kid seemed to live for his late night visits with Cujo, so what's to say he wasn't somewhere in Gotham right now?

Somewhere that was dangerous and unsafe. A place where most Gothamites would avoid at this hour, but Danny didn't know that. It had the man feeling extra anxious, extra on edge. It was unfair, and Bruce knew it. He couldn't control how Danny spent his time, but he wished he knew how the teen was doing it. Wished he knew that Danny was safely tucked away in bed at a safe hotel in Gotham.

Bruce wasn't sure if he felt relieved or concerned when he finally found Danny perched on a rooftop, looking over the lights of the city. Before Bruce approached, he noted the fire escape. The ladder pulled down to the ground, a likely way that the teen had managed to climb up here. Along with that, Bruce was impressed by Danny's lack of fear of heights. It might just be a thing for Amity Parkers, but Gothamites were a different story. Bruce couldn't count on one hand how many citizens were terrified of heights.

Bruce didn't say a word as he walk towards the teen, his steps heavy and echoing off of the roof. He didn't want to spook the boy, making his presence known before he sat down beside the boy. Bruce's gaze was glued on the light of Gotham, a sight that was already searing into his brain. There was silence for longer than Bruce would have liked. He was teetering on the edge of breaking that silence when someone else broke it for him.

"Gotham is so pretty at night." He turned his head to look at Danny, taking a second to let the teen's words sink it. It was so nonchalant, so different from how Danny sounded earlier that day. Now, Bruce knew he could roll with it. He could continue this offhanded conversation like they were still in Amity Park. Like there hadn't been a gap since the last time they spoke. Like Danny didn't use the communicator that he left behind.

"Why are you here?" The question left Bruce before he could stop it. It's been a question burning on his mind since he spoke to Danny at the office. He had no expectations that the teen would answer, but it was better than not trying at all. Even as Bruce felt like he shouldn't have asked when Danny took a moment to answer.

"My... my mom, she did something... so my dad thought it would be a good time to get out of Amity." Bruce perked up when Danny actually started to answer. Latching onto every word, soaking in every detail he could. Bruce won't want to admit it, but he needed this answer the same way he needed to breathe. "I wasn't sure if you'd find me... but, honestly? I've been up here the past three nights... kind of hoping you would."

Bruce didn't want to focus on it, but it felt like his heart was melting at Danny's confession. The kid wanted to see him, to talk to him, just as much as Bruce wanted it. Needed it at this point, but that wasn't neither here or there. Instead, Bruce focused on Danny's body language. The kid seemed closed off, but not completely. Like he wanted to talk about something, but was worried to. So, Bruce figured he should give Danny the opening.

"What did she do?"

For a moment, Bruce thought he asked the wrong question. Danny had tensed immediately, staying quiet for a moment that had Bruce seconding guessing himself. In a way that Bruce hadn't felt in a long while. That was until the teen exhaled deeply, muscled seeming to slack as any type of concern or anxiety seemed to melt away.

"She... my mom hit me..." Bruce felt a rush of anger at the confession and maybe Danny felt it, because he suddenly looked at Bruce, eyes wide and shielded as he started to ramble. "It wasn't anything, it really wasn't. It was barely even a slap, but... it changed things. My dad... he sent her away for a bit and I'm just... I'm here because he's finally listening. My dad, he's best friends with Vlad, and he's finally listening to the fact that I hate him. I hate Vlad so much..."

Bruce moved before he could think, he couldn't think about the fact that Danny might not need it. But something in Bruce's gut told him this was the right move. Something in a split second that had Bruce wrapping his armored arms around the teen, pulling Danny in close for a hug. It mirrored the last and only hugged they shared back in Amity.

The scenario, the atmosphere, the location was all different. All wrong, but it was enough. Bruce knew it the moment Danny seemed to melt into the hug, wrapping his own arms around the man. Around Batman. Bruce was angry, yes. He couldn't stand the idea of Danny's own mother laying a hand on him. But Bruce was also happy, happy to hear that Danny wasn't alone.

Danny had his father. Hearing the fact that Danny's dad has taken his kid's side made it a lot less daunting to meet the man in his civilian persona. Bruce actually felt himself looking forward to it. He wanted to meet the man, the see the man that raised the amazing boy in front of him. The one that contributed heavily in Danny's being. Bruce might not know much about the man, but from what he had deduced, Danny's father had a larger positive impacted on Danny's life compared to his mother.

"I'm glad you're here. That you have a father that is listening, and helping. You and your family are welcomed in Gotham for as long as you need."

Chapter Text

Danny was enjoying his time in Gotham a lot more than he would have expected. Yes, things were tensed. He was scared and anxious everywhere he turned. It seemed to increase the day he walked into the lab at Wayne Enterprise, and found none other than Bruce Wayne standing among his work.

It was hard for Danny to relax when he spoke to Bruce, and it made Danny angry with himself just a little more than usual. Bruce was chill, or as chill as a billionaire can be. He wasn't on the level that Sam was, but Bruce was a hundred times better than Vlad any day. It's why Danny felt so bad being so awkward during the whole encounter. He didn't want Bruce to think he hated him, the man had the ability to fire him.

But it was hard. Danny felt like he couldn't do anything right lately. Everything that he had to do in the living world seemed to have some sort of backlash. In the ghostly world, it's been a little less tense. But Danny's duties still weighed heavily on him. As much as he didn't want to think about or deal with the supposed crack in his core, it did award him with some time off as being king.

He hated the idea at first, despised it. How was he supposed be a good king when something as small as a crack had him sitting on the bench? But Stopwatch had insisted he needed it, and Pandora had threatened him if he tried to work as a king before he healed up. Alongside the fact a few other ghostly friends that were less than happy to see him trying to rule when he wasn't at his best.

So it left him with no other option but to take the time off. Danny didn't want to focus on it. It would heal in time, right? There was no reason to fret. His core wasn't really broke, it was just cracked. It was a minuscule thing, something that didn't really matter. Danny wasn't fully a ghost, so it won't affect him the way it affected his allies. It would be be less serious for him, it was the only thing that made sense. Danny was still partially human, he wouldn't have the full affect.

Except, when Batman had hugged him, Danny felt that familiar wave of warmth and comfort that seemed to hug his core. It seemed to press his core in a way that made it feel right again. As well as filling Danny with a comfort that had him feeling slightly guilty.

Danny felt that familiar feeling when Sam and Tucker had embraced him when he was going through a panic attack. When his father had embraced him before the trip. When Batman had hugged him for the first time. It was all so similar, although they were different based on who it was hugging him. The foundation was still the same, the support and help he felt.

Danny hadn't expected to tell Batman about what happened between him and Maddie. He was trying his hardest not to think about it, not to feel about it. Maddie still hadn't spoken to him since that night, and Danny didn't feel like he could handle this right now. Except when Batman had asked, Danny couldn't bring himself to lie. The vigilante has been nothing but helpful, and Danny already felt so guilty about everything he was hiding.

So, he answered honestly. A hug was the last thing he had expected, but it was what he needed. Despite the turmoil that he felt, Danny was content. He still felt happier and more relaxed in Gotham. Here, with just his father. Yes, Danny wished that Jazz could be here too. But he also knew that Jazz wouldn't always be here. She had a life she needed to live. Jack, on the other hand, was supposed to always be there for his kids.

And right now, Jack was showing up in ways that Danny wasn't expecting.

"Mr. Wayne said he'd be happy to meet you." Danny couldn't contain his grin as he saw his father light up. The idea of meeting Bruce seemed like a dream come true for his father. It wasn't the same for Danny, he couldn't understand wanting to see a billionaire so badly. Especially when Jack was already best friends with one of them. But Danny tried to understand, equating it to how excited he felt when he could see Batman. And before he met Batman, it was the equivalent of meeting the Flash in his mind.

"Perfect! We'll make a day of it! It'll be like take your father to work day!"

Danny couldn't help but laugh at his father's enthusiasm. A laughter that was mirrored by Jack himself. Danny used to think his father didn't notice a lot of things, that he just went for anything that was jovial or neutral. But these past few days had taught Danny a lot. A lot about how much his father truly tried to pay attention to his kids. How much Jack tried to do his best.

Most people would chastise a parent for letting their child roam the streets of a new city alone. Not Danny, though. He loved the fact that Jack trusted him enough to roam and defend himself no matter what. Danny would hate it if he was stuck being chaperoned by his father, having to wait to go out then. It didn't rub Danny the wrong way, instead it made him feel better. Jack trusted him, even after the mess that has been the past couple years.

Gotham was beautiful. It was a drastic difference from Amity Park, but Danny loved it just as much so far. The city was always bustling, even with all the crime and dangers around every corner. All the different people and families that still roamed the streets during the day and night was a sight. He couldn't help people watching as he made his way through the streets.

Danny wasn't sure why, but he enjoyed watching Gothamites go about doing mundane things. Watching the parents trying to wrangle feisty kids, watching some simply doing errands, heading to work. There wasn't much normal news that traveled outside of Gotham to other cities and states. Most things he had heard about the city was on the weird and terrifying side of things. Normality was surprisingly comforting.

Especially compared to the strangeness that wrapped Amity Park on the daily.

For now, Danny was just glad to have found a decent coffeeshop with decent pricing. Danny was surprised it didn't affect the barista when he asked for the insane, and possibly illegal, amount of added shots to his coffee. Maybe Danny wasn't so weird here in Gotham, compared to Amity. Over-caffeination might just be a normal thing for these people, and Danny wasn't going to complain.

The coffee was exactly what Danny needed as he took a large drink, settling into a booth in the corner of the shop. Hotel coffee was good, but there was just something better about getting his insane amount of caffeine from a public shop. It didn't take long for Danny to settle down for the next hour or two. His laptop perched open in front of him, his coffee within easy reach.

Just like that, Danny was in his own world. It wasn't tough work, just typing up a mock presentation for a device. It wasn't in creation yet, Danny hadn't even started up with the basic building blocks. Lucius had liked the idea he pitched, a small device the size of a pocket watch. Something that look inconspicuous, could be mistaken for a simple paperweight, except it was far from it.

Danny had wrestled with the idea for a bit, unsure what he could pitch when Lucius told him that was his next task. His first official task that wasn't simply looking over Lucius' own work, or tweaking some of the prior existing items. The premise was to protect the citizens of Gotham. With how many news articles that Danny had seen about the citizens being drugged with a variety of different things, he thought about the idea of an early detection system.

For now it was only in for the concept of airborne drugs. In theory, the device would shift in color when the quality of air around it changed. When a new compound was introduced, and the color would depend on the concentration and intensity. This would be a lot easier to do if Danny had any samples of the type of drugs that were often used.

Maybe Danny could ask Batman about getting a few samples. If he could manage to get the device to shift color based on what drug was being detected, if he could program the chemical compounds into the device... okay, Danny was getting ahead of himself. He wasn't in the making phase, just the theoretical phase. Lucius was teaching him the best way to pitch ideas, to get the company to back putting money into the creation.

"I usually sit here." Danny had been so focused on his work, he actually jumped at the sudden voice speaking to him. It took a moment for Danny's brain to reboot and focus on the sudden person now sitting across from him. Maybe Danny blinked owlishly at the dude for longer than he'd like, but he wasn't ready for a sudden social interaction. "But I'll be nice, we can share. The name's Tim."

That was not what Danny expected, and he wasn't sure how he felt at first. He was looking forward to some personal time before going back to the hotel, and then the office. Maybe it's been a bit too long since he spoke to someone new around his age, or maybe it was just the casual way Tim just settled into the seat. Like it was any other average day, like he did it constantly.

"You're that new intern, right? You're the talk of the office." Now that surprised Danny, he didn't think his name was being spread around that much. Bruce hadn't even realized Danny was the new intern.

"Oh, I didn't realize people talked about me... Do you work at Wayne Enterprises too?" Danny asked once his brain fully kicked back on. Out of habit, he half closed his laptop, focusing his attention fully on Tim.

"You could say that. I'm one of Bruce's kids." Tim responded like it was something Danny should have known, and he couldn't help the way his mind tried to supply a list of Bruce's kids. Danny never put much effort into looking into Bruce Wayne's life, but he knew the man had quite the reputation for taking kids in like pets. Danny still wasn't sure how he felt about that, something about it reminded him too much about his own billionaire problem. "What you working on?"

Danny found himself blinking owlishly at Tim once again at the question. Listen, he knew the Wayne family couldn't be completely stupid and idiotic. Hell, Bruce kind of showed it in the way he looked over Danny's blueprints with a keen eye. There was an intelligence to the man, and Danny couldn't be surprised. Wayne Enterprise was a monster of a company, and he couldn't imagine it being run by a truly oblivious idiot. Not unless Bruce was just a pretty face to the name.

"Oh, uh... I don't think you'll be interested." Danny brushed off the question, shaking his head slightly. He lifted his screen just enough to glance over the rough schematics and document he had typed up. It wasn't just that Danny didn't think this Tim guy would be truly interested. He didn't feel confident in what he had. It was so out of his usual realm of work, and it all felt so... rough. "It's nothing really, Lucius had me doing."

Tim's stare set Danny's nerves on edge. He didn't like how this dude seemed to stare straight through him, like he could just tell what Danny was truly thinking and feeling. The slight chuckle that left Tim almost had Danny packing up his things and leaving in that moment. He didn't really truly know this guy, and yea maybe Bruce did have a son name Tim, but that doesn't mean it was this Tim.

"I don't know you, Danny. But if my brother vouches for you, and Lucius is already giving you projects, I think it's worth something."

Danny didn't like how serious his dad looked when he returned back to the hotel room. It had quickly replaced the content mood he had been in. Tim had managed to get Danny to give him a bit of information on the mock up that he had been doing, and it had gone surprisingly well. Tim had given Danny more advice and help that he had expected, and in the end he had felt a little bit better about showing it to Lucius later.

But when he had walked in, saw his father seated on one of the beds, his face more serious than Danny was used to seeing... it was off putting. It set an anxiety in Danny's chest, reminding him of all the things that were going on in his family. Even a break to Gotham wasn't going to put a pause to it all.

"Dad? Is... is everything okay?" Danny asked, his voice more tentative than he had aimed for as he dropped his bag on the table. He made his way over to the other bed, sitting across from his father. He wringed his fingers, even as Jack gave him a small smile, trying to ease the tension. This was something Danny didn't like, he had a bad feeling.

"Everything's fine, Danny. I just... I don't want to make you tell me something if you don't feel comfortable to..." Jack started, and Danny knew it was true. His father wasn't one to force his kids to talk about things. Always trying to ease every argument that happened with Maddie. Each time she tried to pull information out of Danny. "But I know something. Something I just confirmed while you were gone. I want to give you the chance to tell me."

Danny felt his chest tighten, his core throbbing in his chest as his mind raced for what it was his dad might have figured out. There just felt like there was so much, so many different things, and Danny didn't want to risk admitting the wrong secret. He swallowed thickly, gaze shifting away from Jack. "Dad, I don't..."

Before Danny could finish, Jack reached out, placing a comforting hand on his knee. "You know when you go to a hospital, they run all kinds of tests, looking for anything that could be the cause... I got a call about it when were still in Amity." Danny felt his chest tighten even more, panic rising in his chest.

How hadn't he thought about that? The hospital had drawn blood, it would have had to be tested, and they wouldn't have... they would have noticed an anomaly. The memory of Danny catching his father at the end of a call, the look on his father's face... it all fell together, and Danny was partially tempted to just vanish. It would be easy, right? Jack wouldn't expect it, and by the time he reacted Danny couldn't be far from here.

"Hey, Danny, breathe. It's okay." Jack's comforting and concerned voice broke through Danny's panic, large hands cupping his face and pulling his gaze back to meet Jack's. The teen couldn't help the way his eyes filled with tears at the concern, love, and understanding swirling in Jack's eyes. Let alone the way he felt those emotions flooding his system from where Jack held him. "I'm not mad, I'm not going to do anything. I just... I want to understand, Danny-boy. I want to help, anyway I can."

That did it for Danny, the tears falling over the edge. Jack trying to help, not judging. He didn't go straight for any of the devices they brought with them to Gotham. He didn't go all scientist mode like Danny had expected. His father looked, felt, almost desperate. It made Danny feel even worse about hiding this. Did he really think his parents, his father, could hurt him if he found out the truth? Did he really have that little faith in Jack?

"I'm sorry, dad..." Danny choked out, forcing the words out as his breathing struggled to stay steady. His core throbbed in painful but soothing way, something odd that made it even harder for Danny to think. "After the accident, I just... I didn't know what to do. I didn't want you and mom to hate me." The pained and understanding look on Jack's face made Danny feel even worse, like the bottom barrel of a son.

Chapter Text

Since the moment Jack found out that Maddie was pregnant, he had tried his best to be a good father. He grew up in a good home in his own eyes, his family was always supportive of him for the most part. Yes, when he's focus shifted to ghosts, things got rocky. And sure, he doesn't talk to his brothers all that often, especially after the passing of his mother, she had been the glue that kept them all together.

He wanted to do better for his kids, give them more support and love than he might have had. Not that he will ever talk ill of his family, he still loves them to death, even if he found himself estranged from it all. For the longest time, Jack thought he was doing that. Thought that his family was happy and as tight knit as possible.

People might thing he was much more daft than he was, but as days passed, Jack realized he truly was blind to a lot of the problems in his family. He thought the tense between Maddie and Danny would past, that it was just teenage angst, and eventually things would go back to normal. The memory of the conversation he had with Jazz that day at the hospital was a wake-up call that Jack didn't even realize he needed.

Danny was so neglected, so ignored. Jazz was given responsibilities she should never have had, she had to grow up so fast, give up her childhood for her baby brother. It hurt Jack to think about it, to accept the truth of the situation. He wants to be able to call himself a good father, to say he did his best for his kids. But he didn't. He let his work, and Maddie, cloud him so much that he didn't realize how much he truly let things happen. How complacent he was.

"I... I can't tell you everything, dad. Not right now... but that accident, it changed me..."

Danny's words from their conversation circled through Jack's mind as he stared down at the whiskey before him. That accident had done more than just damage Danny's heart, had changed his DNA. Danny didn't have to say it outright, but Jack was a scientist. Ectoplasm was his main study, and it was clear that it was now in Danny's blood, in his structure. Enough for the hospital to call him about an abnormality, enough for Jack, just using trace amounts of Danny's saliva, to detect it.

It made so much sense now, all the pieces clicking together in a way that had Jack feeling horrible for not noticing sooner. The way, following the incident, all their inventions seemed to target Danny whenever he was around. The way his son started to be more shifty and jumpy around anything ghost related. The accidents that followed, and accidental tripping of the security system. The way Danny started getting more into working with their inventions...

Then there was another train of thought that Jack really didn't want to think about. Just the notion of it had him downing his glass in one go, sliding it on the counter and motioning the bartender for another. It made his heart ache, his chest feel tight, and the tingle of threatening tears to arise. Everything that's happened since Danny's accident was making sense, and so did another thing.

The sudden arrival of Phantom. The ghostly being that seemed to be everywhere in Amity park, at every ghost sighting and attack. The way the spirit was so young, and was often spotted around the school. Jack didn't want to think about it, think about the implications of this train of thought. But he also couldn't just shut down his scientific mind. He wished more than anything that this was just correlation and not causation.

Yet, he couldn't shake the horrible feeling that seeped into his bones after that conversation. The what ifs that plagued his mind since the moment Danny confirmed everything Jack already knew. If Phantom was related to Danny's accident, if Phantom was Danny... Jack wasn't sure if his heart could handle it. It was one thing for his son to be ecto-contaminated, to have it in his DNA. It was another for his son to have a ghostly alter ego because it could only mean one thing.

Danny would have to be dead to a degree.

And Jack wasn't prepared to deal with it. To think about those implications, to think about all the ways that could stop Danny's development. As well as not wanting to think about how all this would have had to be going on under his own roof, and he didn't have a clue about it. All the times him and Maddie took shots at Phantom as the spirit fled from them. Each time they made a comment about wanting to pull Phantom apart in front of Danny, that thought alone made him sick to his stomach.

Jack knew drinking wasn't going to fix anything, but he needed something. Anything to help soften the weight and pain he felt in this moment. In just a few weeks, the illusion he had about his family was crumbling, and Jack didn't know if he could handle it. But that didn't matter. Jack had to handle it, he was going to handle it. He was going to be a better father for Jazz and Danny, and he wasn't going to let his work, or Maddie, get in the way of any of it again.

"I know you need time, and I know things are fragile right now..." Jack spoke into the phone, reclining in the motel chair. He would be lying if he said he didn't miss Maddie. She wasn't just his wife, but his best friend, his science partner. But everything that happened had brought so much to light for him, and he didn't think things could be the same after. "But the kids need you too, Mads. You're their mother, and Danny deserves an explanation and apology for what happened."

There was a beat following Jack's words, the line uncomfortably quiet for too long. "I know... I didn't realize how much I've been ignoring, Jack." Maddie's voice was softer than Jack was used to hearing, and that only added to the pain he felt in his chest. He exhaled softly, closing his eyes and focusing solely on the conversation. "I've been talking a lot with Alicia about things, and... I think space is for the best."

Jack couldn't help the anger that flared inside him at Maddie's response. Space was the problem. They gave their kids so much space that there was no bridge between them, not something with a stable foundation. Maddie needed to focus on herself, and Jack understood that, he really did. But when you're a parent, no matter what, your kids should always come first in his eyes.

"No, Maddie. You need to talk to Danny." Jack's voice came out harsher than he meant for it to, but he needed her to understand. Every time Maddie got brought up, Jack didn't miss the way Danny would tense, the way his son would grow anxious in just a split second. That alone told Jack that the information he had about Danny's changes wasn't something he was going to share with her. He would have to keep a secret, for the first time, from the woman he once loved more than anything. "I don't think you should come home, but you can't just ignore this. Danny thinks all of this is his fault."

"It's not!" Maddie's voice cut in before Jack even finished his sentence. He could hear the shake in her voice, the hitches in her breathing, and he knew if he was there he would see tears running down her face. They were best friends before they were a couple, they knew each other too well to not know things like this. "Oh my god, I really fucked this up, didn't I, Jack?"

The anger vanished as quickly as it came at Maddie's vulnerable response. Another sigh left Jack, and he pressed his fingers against his temple. He felt for her, he truly did. He didn't like that Maddie was hurting, but he also couldn't help how angry he was. How much he did find himself blaming her for so much, even if he knew realistically it was on the both of them. The imagine of Maddie laying her hands on Danny replayed in Jack's mind, and each time he found himself feeling more bitter towards her.

"But you can fix this, Mads. You just need to try." Jack tried again, his hand dropping to grip the arm of the chair in a white-knuckle grip. He knew this call was a bad idea, he had things he had to do today, and he couldn't risk bringing lingering emotions into it. But he also knew how much not hearing from Maddie was affecting Danny. "Listen... I can let a lot of things slide, you know me. But this... hitting Danny like that? I don't think I can."

A choked sound followed Jack's admission, and he knew she was fighting back sobs. He could just imagine Maddie's face in this moment. Nose scrunched up, jaw clenched, eyes puffy and red from tears that stained her cheeks. It wasn't often that Jack saw her cry, she was much too prideful for that, but it was enough times that he knew it all too well.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I know I messed up big time, and I know I broke this family apart." Maddie's tone was only getting shakier, less steady and far from how she usually sound. It brought tears to Jack's eyes hearing her talk about herself like this. Maddie has always been so sure about herself, so fierce in a way that added to why Jack fell so hard for her. Hearing her blame herself only made it harder for Jack to keep steady. He wasn't used to being this serious so often, and that was part of the problem. "I'll talk to Danny. I'll come back home, talk to him in person. He deserves more than just a phone call."

"We aren't home right now." Jack corrected with another exhale. At this rate, his lungs might collapse from all the sighing he's been doing. God, Jack hated having to do this. Having to be so serious and adult all the time, but he could do it. He would do it, he is doing it. As uncomfortable as it felt, he needs to for his kids, for Danny. "I took Danny out of Amity, I think a change of pace would be good for him, just for a bit... he got an internship with Wayne Enterprises."

Maddie's surprised gasp filtered loudly through the phone and Jack couldn't help the swell of pride that flooded his chest. He had been just as surprised, but so happy for Danny. Especially after he realized the true tension between his son and his college best friend. "That's amazing! I didn't even know he was sending out applications and working towards it..." Maddie's voice trailed off for a moment, the sudden spike of prideful energy that filled her voice faded near the end, and Jack had a feeling he wasn't going to like where she was going to go. "But what about Vlad? Danny was doing so good under Vlad's wing, and with Dalv. Co. making waves, it could be even better on his resume."

"Can you stop it, for once, god damn!?" Jack didn't mean to snap, but it did make him feel a little bit better as he did. His grip on his phone and the chair tightened, he could feel the wood creaking under his hold. Jack had always pushed Danny to get closer to Vlad because he wanted his two favorite guys to get along, but he didn't care about Danny having an internship with his godfather. "Danny had made it so clear that he didn't feel comfortable with Vlad, and we should have listened. We shouldn't have pushed him to spend time with him. I love Vladdie as much as the next guy, but I can't keep forcing Danny into situations like this."

The call went dead silent for a moment, and Jack had a feeling Maddie muted herself. There wasn't even so much as some static or breathing. Jack really hoped he was just overthinking it, but he wouldn't be surprised if Alicia was listening over Maddie's shoulder. His sister-in-law never liked him much, and probably would have been happier if Maddie ended up with someone more like Vlad. Even then, Jack tried his hardest to be friendly and civil.

"You're right..." Maddie's voice held a hint of bitterness that Jack couldn't miss. He knew she didn't like being called out, or being wrong. He loved it as much as it was infuriating sometimes. "He's working under Bruce Wayne's name now, he'll be okay... just fine... I've, uh, gotta go, Jack. I'll call later."

Jack didn't even get a chance to say anything before the call ended. Before he could even realize it, he chucking his phone onto the bed. The device bounced off the mattress and hit the wall with a harsh thud. With a curse, Jack immediately got up and retrieved his phone. There was a small crack on the bottom corner, but aside from that it looked relatively unharmed.

God, Jack found himself wishing he could talk to his older brother. To have someone he felt safe and comfortable enough to vent about everything going on. But the idea of calling him up all of a sudden like this? Jack just couldn't do that. If, and when, they reconnect, he didn't want it to be just because of this. The older Fenton has always been a shoulder for Jack growing up, but he knew it had to have been a drain. Especially knowing how Jazz has been feeling lately.

"Dad, just be cool, okay?" Danny's anxiousness was endearing to Jack, adding a lightness to the heavy emotional day he's been having. He knew Danny was more concerned about Jack embarrassing him, than anything else. Not that he could blame his son, it was a Jack Fenton guarantee most of the time. But Jack was trying to be better, do better for his family. "I'll let you know when Bruce can meet you, but this is still where I work, and..."

"I know, I know. I'll be on my best behavior, promise." Jack spoke up when Danny trailed off, giving the teen a beaming smile as he ruffled Danny's hair. He laughed as Danny pouted, stepping away from his touch to fix his hair. It was rare to see Danny so worked up about something like this, and it gave Jack the feeling that this internship might be the best thing to happen to Danny in a while. And his boy deserved it.

Danny coughed awkwardly for a moment, before leading Jack into the lab he worked in. Jack held his tongue as Danny spoke through all the things he was working on. Showing Jack the blueprints and paperwork that he had created. As Jack's eyes scanned over everything, he felt so much pride for his son. Danny was doing so much better than Jack had expected, and it made Jack realize he didn't give his son enough credit.

He knew Danny was a bright boy, even if his grades didn't reflect it like most kids. Jack just didn't realize how much of the work they did had rubbed of on Danny. The blueprints and paperwork were a little crude, something that would need a little more refining. But it was an amazing foundation, something that could easily find it's way into official documents once cleaned up a tad.

"Oh, what's this?" Jack broke his silence, picking up a small packet that laid away from the rest of what Danny was showing him. His eyes scanned the words, intrigue filling him as he did. It was clearly a rough draft from the amount of scratched out words, and eraser marks that littered the page. The name wasn't much to go off either, just the simple word "detection". For a moment, Jack thought it might be ghost related, but as he noticed a list of items to the side, it all clicked. "This is for Gotham? Air quality control?'

Danny's cheeks flushed immediately at Jack's words, his gaze shifting the floor in the way he always did whenever he felt embarrassed. Or inadequate as Jack was starting to realize. "It's nothing... there's not even a prototype yet. Lucius just wanted me to make a mock up presentation, and with how much airborne drugs this place has... I thought an early detection device would be good for the citizens."

Jack's face broke out into a large grin, unable to stop himself as he pulled Danny into a patent bear hug. Danny sputtered for a moment, but settled quicker than Jack had expected. He was used to his kids usually fighting his hugs, especially in places outside of the privacy of their home. The way Danny's arms returned the hug with fierce strength had Jack feeling better.

He might have messed up a lot, and he wasn't the perfect father that he wanted to be. But he was trying to change things, and little moments like this with Danny had Jack feeling like he was actually doing it. He was making changes enough that Danny was probably noticing, and it was doing good. Jack needed this, needed his son to know he would always be there for him. No matter what. All he needed to do was build that bridge with Jazz too.

"That's amazing, Danny-boy! I want to hear everything!"