Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had started of as any other normal Thursday. Well, normal for a half-dead, post-vivisected runaway teenager anyways. But for Danny, it was normal. His Y-scar had finally healed enough for him to get a job as a barista at the coffee shop not too far from his apartment that Sam had set up for him. He was attending online high school as Daniel James Nightingale. With no ghost attacks, he had managed to pull his grades up. He'd even accelerated and was now in-line to graduate early. He had been accepted to Gotham University with a full ride scholarship and was going to be majoring in both Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering. They (Jazz, Sam, and Tucker) decided to keep to the truth as much as possible since Danny was a horrible liar. So, his official story was that he moved to Gotham because he came out as gay, and it had gone badly. Close enough to the truth. This way he would be able to look for his biological family. Too bad one quick Google search later showed that both Jack and Janet Drake were dead and had been dead for a few years. Danny didn’t know if going to look for any other family members or not.

And hadn’t that been an absolute bomb to deal with. His par…Jack and Maddie had been on another one of their benders and had left Jazz and Danny alone, again. They’d already been gone for a week or so when Danny had been in one of his curious (snooping) moods. He found a box buried in the back of their closet marked with his name on it. He pulled it out. There were dozens of pictures of Jack and Maddie with another couple, Jack and Janet Drake, if the names on the pictures were to be believed. Janet was heavily pregnant in several of the later pictures. And then there were pictures of Janet in the hospital where she was giving birth. And the first pictures of a little black-haired, blue-eyed baby with a name: Daniel James. Danny stared at the picture. Intrinsically, he knew he was looking at his baby picture. And then he found the paperwork. He was born to Janet and Jackson Drake while they were on a two-year archeological contract dig. Janet hadn’t wanted a pregnancy. So instead, they had met the Fentons who were wandering around Egypt on a ghost hunt. Janet had kept everything under the radar, and basically used the pregnancy as a surrogacy for Maddie who was unable to have another child due to the ectoplasm radiation poisoning. Once Daniel was born, both Drake parents signed over all parental rights within moments of the baby being born. Jazz had found Danny having an existential crisis only to have to comfort and reassure him that he was still her baby brother no matter what.

Anyways, back to Danny’s totally normal Thursday. At least until Scarecrow decided to be a bitch and release his newest fear gas on half of Gotham. The half of Gotham that included both Danny’s job and his apartment. Because again. Scarecrow was an angsty bitch. The coffee shop, aptly named, Blacker than My Soul (this had caused Danny to snort when he first came across the shop), had promptly shut down for the day and sent all the employees and customers out before locking the doors. Danny’s eyes grew wide as the cloud of noxious purple and red fear gas enveloped him before he could blink. He inhaled several times before he remembered that he didn’t technically need to breathe.

‘Damnit. Things were going so well too,’ he thought as he trudged his way back to his shitty rathole of an apartment. It was the best that him and his friends could do under the circumstances. Sam could only syphon off so much money from her parents before they noticed, so he had gotten a job. His little studio apartment in Crime Alley was all he could afford on his salary. He saw several of the Bat furry brigade flying through the air on their grapple lines, and for a brief moment, thought about joining them. But then thought better of it. The Anti-Ecto Control Acts were still in place, and Danny wasn’t sure if the flying furries were in league with the GIW or not. He wasn’t going to chance it though.

And that was the last thought that ran through his head before he felt something hit him. Hard. On the back of his head. It was hard enough for him to see stars. A hand wrapped around his face. He briefly wondered why the cloth smelled funny. But he wasn’t really processing anything since his head hurt so damn much. And because his head hurt, that also meant that he forgot that he didn’t have to breathe. It only took a few moments for him to go out. And then he was shoved into a stereotypical white van that screamed “kidnapper van”.

When he came to, he realized that his hands were tied to a chair with both duct tape and heavy-duty rope. Phasing the tape off was going to be a bitch because they had taped it to his bare arms, and even in his ghost form, duct tape never came off clean. His legs were similarly restrained as was his torso. He couldn’t fathom why he’d been kidnapped. He was just plain Danny Nightingale. No one knew that he might be connected to the now dead Drake family. And these guys definitely weren’t GIW.

“Oh good, the brat’s awake,” he heard a rough voice say. A not-so-gentle hand slapped him a couple of times just for good measure. Danny threw the guy a glare. The thug just laughed, apparently amused. Danny called him Cornelius in his head. Cornelius was a big burly guy who definitely could use a good dental plan. Four others came into view. All of them were in the same vein as Cornelius, except one. Danny called that guy Vlad 2.0. Vlad 2.0 was definitely the leader and gave off stranger danger vibes. The other guys, including Cornelius, just gave off regular Gotham thug vibes.

“Don’t mess with the merchandise, Johnny,” said Vlad 2.0. “I’m making the call to the Waynes now. I’m sure they’ll want proof of their missing kid.”

‘Wayne WHAT?’ Danny thought sluggishly and then let out a giggle. “I see stars,” Danny said out loud.

“How hard did you hit him, Bobby?”

“No harder than usual,” replied the thug now named Bobby.

“Shut up, the both of you. And put a gag on the brat,” Vlad 2.0 snarled.

--------

“Wayne Residence,” Alfred the butler answered.

“Well, mister butler, you seem to have misplaced a little duckling,” came the voice on the other end.

Alfred looked up to make sure that he’d heard correctly, but no, Master Timothy was indeed sitting at the table nursing another cup of coffee. Most of his wards had returned after the Scarecrow debacle and were debriefing at the dinner table. “So, this is a ransom call, I take it?” This got everyone’s attention.

“That’s right. Appears we’ve got ourselves a lost Drake brat,” the surly voice replied. A muffled “will you shove a gag on him” and some giggling came across the line. “We want 10 million in cash for the brat. 4^th Warehouse district by the docks. You have one hour. Any more than that, and I can’t guarantee the brat’ll be in one piece.” The line went dead.

“Alfred?” Bruce questioned.

“It appears that someone has mistaken a random civilian for Master Timothy,” Alfred replied calmly.

“Me, specifically?” Tim asked.

“Yes, Master Tim. They said I quote ‘A lost Drake brat’.”

“Tim, you and Dick head to the cave to suit up. The rest of you stay here in case we need back up. Jason is still out. See if we can get in touch with him to get him in route to the warehouse to scout it out,” Bruce said as he was moving into action. The rest of the Bats and Birds sprang into action.

Tim, Dick, and Bruce made their way to the Cave and were back in their suits in quick time. Oracle pulled the warehouse up on the cameras that she was able to hack. It was a fairly standard Gotham warehouse at the docks. There were no goons or thugs outside of the warehouse that could be seen. Jason had agreed to go out as Red Hood to scout out, but he hadn’t reached the warehouse yet. The three of them raced out of the Cave on their motorcycles. They were halfway there when they received confirmation that Hood had reached the warehouse to scope it out. Red Robin, Nightwing, and Batman parked their own bikes a few blocks away, and then grappled up to the rooftops and practically flew the rest of the way to the warehouse indicated.

“Hood, Report,” Batman snapped out.

“Five thugs inside. Armed with simple pistols. The hostage is tied to a chair. He appears to be a meta of some kind,” Hood reported. Batman and the other two sucked in their breaths.

“What makes you say that Little Wing?” Nightwing asked.

“They’ve put three gags on him since I’ve been here, and he keeps phasing out of them. He also appears to be…for lack of a better word, high, as I’ve heard non-stop giggling from him.”

There was a burst of “Make him shut up” and “That’s the tenth gag we’ve placed on him” and “We’re fucking trying!” coming from inside the warehouse.

“That’s our cue,” Nightwing said as he flipped off the roof.

Hood rolled his eyes but didn’t otherwise argue. Red Robin and Batman grappled after the other vigilantes. Red Hood kicked open the door, and the two thugs standing guard immediately dropped their guns and held up their hands in the universal “I Surrender” signal. When the other three thugs heard the commotion, they also quickly dropped their weapons and surrendered.

“Well, damn. I was looking forward to more of a fight,” Hood said, rather disappointedly.

“Take him. PLEASE TAKE HIM. I’ve learned more about outer space than I ever care to know. I didn’t even know that the Drake brat knew that much about space. BUT HE JUST WON’T SHUT UP!!!” Vlad 2.0 begged the vigilantes.

“B, I’ve got police about 10 minutes out,” Oracle said in their ears.

“Hn,” Batman grunted in confirmation.

Red Robin made his way over to where Danny was tied, and then he hissed and stopped short. There tied to the chair high as a kite was someone who could very easily pass as younger version of him.

“What the fuck, Replacement?” Hood growled as he also spotted Danny tied to the chair.

“I’m not replacement. I’m Danny,” Danny giggled. Batman and Nightwing drew in their breaths as they also saw what had gotten Red Robin’s attention.

“Oracle, Situation has changed. Need you to send the Batmobile. STAT! We’ve got a compromised meta that we definitely don’t need to be seen in the general public,” Nightwing called over the comms.

“Got it. Batmobile ETA 7 minutes. GCPD will get there first,” Oracle responded.

“Understood. Nightwing stay with the thugs. Hood, Red Robin you two take…Danny…out of here,” Batman ordered.

Hood and Red Robin worked to untie Danny. Danny squinted up at Hood and his eyes flashed a toxic green. “You smell funny,” Danny giggled.

What?

“What?” Hood asked out loud. Danny let his head flop on Hood’s shoulder; his eyes flashing between blue and green. Both Hood and Red Robin realized that trying to get Danny to walk under his own power wasn’t going to work. Danny was a twink so Hood just threw him over his shoulder and carried him out like a sack of potatoes. Danny giggled like a schoolgirl on a rollercoaster.

The three vigilantes and one anti-hero met on a neighboring rooftop where Danny was giggling softly to himself. Danny’s eyes were unfocused and kept flashing between blue and the toxic green that set them all on edge.

“So, Danny, why are you in Gotham?” Nightwing was the first to speak.

“Came to find my family. But they’re dead. The stars are sooo pretty,” Danny replied as he tried to catch said stars.

“And who was your family?” Nightwing asked gently.

“According to the birth certificate I found, since I was adopted, Jack and Janet Drake.”

Red Robin went absolutely still. Before anyone else could ask questions, they all heard the telltale road of the Batmobile’s engines. A nearby safehouse was agreed to as the meeting point. They figured out how to lower the still completely high Danny to the ground and got him secured into the Batmobile. Now, they just had to deal with the bomb that Danny had just dropped on their lives.

Chapter Text

Hood managed to finagle a wriggling, giggling Danny up to the safehouse. Hood would later say that it was like trying to contain a sack of potatoes and a feral cat at the same time. Hood would also like to complain to management that this isn’t what he signed up for. For record, he was supposed to be out kicking in the teeth of the bad guys. He was supposed to be a lot of things. He was NOT supposed to a goddamn babysitter for Replacement’s supposedly younger brother. A younger brother who apparently thought Hood smelled funny.

“Ok, Danny, can you tell us what happened?” Nightwing said gently, trying to coax the still very high Danny into some semblance of an interrogation.

“Bout 4 months ago, parents went on ‘nother bender ghost hunting trip. The bastards,” Danny said as he flopped his head back against the couch. “And while they were gone because ‘We should only be gone for a couple of weeks, Danny, Jazz. You’ll be fine.’ Fine my ghostly ass. Not like I can die again anyways. But I got booorrrrred. And went snooping.” This apparently sent Danny into a fit of giggles. “Found a box. MY BOX. Pictures inna box. Jack and Maddie in Egypt. Ghost hunting. Friends with Jack and Janet. Janet was preggers. J n J didn’t want the baby. Soon as I was born, gave me to Jack n Maddie. Signed their rights away.”

“And why are you in Gotham?” Nightwing prodded.

“Jack and Maddie found out I was Phantom. Ghost Vigilante back in Amity Park. They shot me outta sky, and then gave me to the GIW, who vivisected me. That fuckin’ hurts, my guy,” Danny replied as he pulled up his shirt. There on display was the puckered Y-incision scar. It looked ragged and jagged as if it had been hastily sewn shut.

“So, you’re a meta?” Batman growled.

“Nope. I’m a ghost. Being dead is a medical condition. Can’t be a meta if I’m not alive,” Danny snarked and then giggled. Apparently, he thought being dead was hilarious. Batman pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

“What about any other family members?” Red Robin asked.

“Well, Google said that the Drake parents were dead. Ain’t got no other family. Ain’t going back to Jack and Maddie. They’ll kill me again. Jazz is in college and can’t live with her. A friend of mine set me up an apartment, an ‘nother friend helped me emancipate myself from Jack and Maddie. Now I’m Danny Nightingale, and I’m in online high school right now. Since Gotham doesn’t have ghost attacks like Amity, I’m set to graduate in a couple of months. Then got a full ride to Gotham U for Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering.”

“Who is Jazz?” Red Robin asked, trying to get Danny back on track.

“Jazz is Jack and Maddie’s older daughter, but she’s still my sister. She, Sam, and Tucker are the one’s who rescued me from the GIW,” Danny stated fiercely, as if daring them to claim Jazz was anything but his sister.

“Who is the GIW? You’ve mentioned them twice,” Nightwing interjected, while holding his hands up.

Danny leaned in as if he were telling an important secret. “Ghost Investigation Ward. Government Agency. Captures and experiments on ghosts.” He blew out a raspberry as he finished telling the vigilantes.

“FUCKING HELL!” Hood exploded.

“That violates the Meta Protection Acts!” Nightwing snarled

“Not a meta. And it’s called the Anti-Ectoplasm Control Acts. All perfectly legal. Dudes, I’m so fucking hungry,” Danny stated. His pupils were no longer as blown wide open, and he was no longer prone to fits of giggles. Red Robin's fingers were typing furiously on his wrist computer to look up the acts that Danny just mentioned. “Yo, Hood, my guy. Figured out why you smell funky. You got some rank-ass ecto in you.”

Four sets of eyes snapped to Danny. “What do you mean?” Hood growled.

“Ectoplasm. Bright green, goopy stuff. Don’t know where or how you came into contact with it. But how it got stuck inside of you is rank as fuck. I could like, fix it. Might hurt a bit. Might not. Eh,” Danny said as his eyes stayed blue, and quit flickering.

“What. Do. You. Know. About. The. Lazarus. Pits?” Hood snarled lowly, his voice modulator accentuating each word.

“The laza who now?” Danny asked, very much confused. He grabbed his head as he could feel a headache building. Excuse him for coming down from a very bad high on top of being moderately concussed.

“Bright, toxic green, hot, bubbling pits. Kills the healthy, heals the sick and dying. I was dunked in one sometime after I dug myself out of my grave,” Hood explained.

Danny cocked his head to the side, trying to fight through the pain in his head. “Well, ectoplasm isn’t supposed to be bubbling or hot or in a pit. Sounds like you got dunked in a…well, basically, sewage runoff, from the Infinite Realms, but I’d have to check with my ghost doctor, Frostbite, on that. He might know. And if he doesn’t, he can find out.”

“We’ve gotten off topic. What were you doing in that warehouse?" Batman interrupted.

“How am I supposed to know? I was at work, Bat-dude, when the Scarecrow bitch attacked. The coffee shop closed down. Next thing I know there was this red and purple cloud thingy, and I forgot that I didn’t have to breathe so I might have sucked some of that cloud shit in. And then someone hit me on the back of the head. And then I think I remember them putting something else like a rag or something on my face. Still forgot that I didn’t have to breathe. When I woke up, I was in the warehouse, and they were saying something about calling the Drakes for ransom. Lost cause there. I’m just a barista who lives in Crime Alley. Can’t get much ransom out of that.” The four Gotham Bats looked at him in shock. Did Danny not know? Was he truly that naïve?

Danny let out a pained groan, and something on his face had Hood scrambling for a trashcan. He was barely able to get it shoved under Danny’s face before Danny was very violently ill. Nightwing rushed to the kitchen to get him some water for when he stopped, and Red Robin found a cloth to wash his head with. Batman was looking over Danny and could see a healed gash on the back of Danny’s head where he’d been hit. Danny heaved a few more times, and then his eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped backwards completely unconscious.

“What the absolute fuck?” Hood asked flabbergasted.

“Are we just going to ignore the fact that he was basically in the thrall of Fear Gas this entire time? And instead of being tweaked out of his mind on fear, he was basically on a truth serum,” Red Robin practically shrieked. This caused the other three to snap their eyes to him and stop whatever they were going to say.

“What?” Batman finally grunted out.

“Daniel James Drake. Born in Tanta, Egypt to Jackson and Janet Drake on October 31, 2008. All parental rights signed over to Jackson and Madeline Fenton same day. They moved to Amity Park, Illinois in 2010 where they settled down. Danny was hospitalized for a week when he was fourteen for an unspecified accident that left him with bradycardia and hypothermia. He has Lichtenburg figures that start on his middle finger of his right hand and travel up his arm and through his chest and center over his heart.” Nightwing went over to Danny and lifted his sleeve. Two years later, and those Lichtenburg scars were still visible. “Shortly after the accident, beings known as ghosts started attacking the town. Another being called, Phantom, started protecting both the ghosts and the townspeople.”

“Wait just a second, didn’t Danny say he was Phantom?” Hood interrupted.

“Mmhmm. He also said that the Fentons gave him to the Ghost Investigation Ward who vivisected him. And yes, they have a file on Phantom…haven’t been able to see that file yet. I want to wait till I’m at the Batcomputer for that,” Red Robin responded. “B, you’re not going to like the Acts he told us about, either. This is League level shit.”

“Hn,” Batman grunted.

“How long has he been operating as Phantom?” Nightwing asked while changing the cloth on Danny’s forehead. Danny whimpered in his sleep.

“From what I can tell, about two years,” Red responded.

“FUCK!!!!” Hood snarled. Batman visibly blanched.

“It gets worse. If what he’s saying about being a ghost, it means that the accident from two years ago, killed him, at least partially. And then he didn’t have anything like a mentor or training. He’s been on his own the whole time. I don’t know if anyone in Amity Park ever reached out to the Justice League, but it’s not looking good,” Red said quietly.

“FUCK!!!!” Hood exploded a second time. Everything about this kid set his teeth on edge, but at the same time, the Pit in his head had been oddly quiet.

“Baby Bird, since he’s supposedly your brother, we’ll let you take the reigns on this,” Nightwing said decisively.

“He’s already had his medical autonomy taken away once. When he wakes up, we’ll see if he wants to meet with his brother and do a DNA test. From there, we’ll see what he wants. But even if the DNA doesn't match, it sounds like he has a life already planned out. He didn’t seem like he was going to come to us for money. It sounded like he had all but given up.”

“So…the Old Man talks to the Justice League. Some of this shit should never have been left to a 14-year-old to handle by himself. Nightwing heads back to the cave to get everyone there up to speed, and Replacement and I wait here till the kid comes around and we talk to him,” Hood said with a hint of finality. “I can also make sure the kid eats something. God only knows he probably hasn’t been eating much for how light he was, carrying his twink ass over here.”

“Hn,” Batman grunted in agreement, and then both Batman and Nightwing left. “Make sure to keep comms open.” Batman reminded Hood and Red as he climbed onto his bike. He’d already given the computer in the Batmobile the order to send it away.

Hood and Red sat quietly while waiting for Danny to wake. They were each lost in their own thoughts. Red was thinking that he would have a part of his family back. But if everything that Danny had told them was true, then his life wasn’t any better. It held a shit ton of neglect and trauma on top of that. Hell, the kid had lived through being vivisected for fuck’s sake. Hood was thinking about what Danny had offered, about him fixing the Pit Rage. He was seriously thinking about taking the kid up on his offer, Batman and his stick-up-the-ass paranoia be damned.

Danny groaned as he was coming to. “Damn. What in the hell hit me?” He asked of the room in general, not really expecting anyone to answer.

“Hey Danny,” Red Robin responded. Danny whipped his head around so fast he gave the vigilante whiplash.

“Uh…I’m not in my apartment, am I?”

 “What is the last thing you remember?” Red asked instead.

“I was walking home from my job at the coffee shop, and there was some kind of Rogue attack. I think it was it was that wanna be Halloween store knock-off farmers’ fucker, Scarecrow, right?” Both Hood and Red snorted and laughed. That was a good way to describe Scarecrow for all that he was once a brilliant psychologist.

“So, you don’t remember getting caught up in the fear gas or being kidnapped afterwards?” Red asked after he calmed down.

“Is that why I feel like I got hit by a truck?”

“Well, the kidnappers did hit on the back of the head,” Hood supplied helpfully.

“Meh. Not the first time I’ve been kidnapped honestly. At least they didn’t try to clone me this time,” Danny replied.

What?

“WHAT?” Both Red and Hood squealed in unison.

“Did I say anything, like weird, while I, ya know, under this fear gas?” Danny questioned while rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous tick.

“Well kid. To tell you the truth. You were the best interrogation we’ve ever had. Didn’t have use force or break your kneecaps or anything,” Hood teased.

“Does the name Phantom mean anything to you?” Red asked around Hood’s teasing. Both vigilantes noticed how Danny blanched.

“Ummm…” Danny moved his eyes to clock the exits to see if he could make break for it.

“Don’t even try it, Casper. You basically told us your entire life story,” Hood said matter-of-factly. “Now c’mere and eat. You’re all skin and bones, even if you are a ghost.”

“What?” Danny squeaked.

“I could replay the camera footage for you, if you want,” Red said softly, hoping that Danny wasn’t about to make a break for it.

“No…I just…fuck…and I’m only half ghost. Like Schrodinger’s Boy. Half ghost, half human. I even get a magical girl transformation out of it. I’d show you, but it would bring the GIW on my ass, so I’ll hold off on that for now,” Danny said defeatedly.

“The good news is that you have a brother here in Gotham,” Red Robin said around a mouthful of food.

“Wait. WHAT? And how do you know that?” Danny asked suspiciously. “By the way, Hood, this is the best food. Ever. Even better since it didn’t come back to life and attack me.” Both vigilantes looked at each other in horror. What even was this kid’s life?!?!

“For one, his name is Timothy Drake-Wayne. He was adopted by Bruce Wayne after Jack Drake died. And I know that because as the co-CEO of Wayne Enterprises, he gets kidnapped a lot so we Bats have to rescue him all the time. We could arrange a meeting between the two of you, if you want,” Red states, hoping Danny takes the bait. “Of course, he’s going to want to run a DNA sample.”

“Yeah, I get that. But it’ll be hard. Because I’m half ghost, I have ectoplasm bonded to my DNA. So, running it will get wonky. I think. But, if you can set up a meeting, I’d be down for that. In the meantime, I’d really love to get back to my apartment. I’ve got a final for my online chemistry class to study for and a project for my AP Calculus class to submit that’s due tomorrow.”

“Danny, you’ve been exposed to fear gas and likely have a mild concussion. We can’t, in good conscience, leave you unattended,” Hood said, exasperated by Danny’s complete lack of self-care or self-preservation.

“Ok, well then, attend to me in my apartment. I mean, apparently, I’ve already told you my life’s story. So, that means you know my name, and have the access to know where I live. If you haven’t turned me over to the GIW by now, you’re not likely going to. Which means you can take me to my apartment and watch over me just as well there as you can here,” he snarked back. The two vigilantes exchanged looks. He had a point.

“Alright Casper, you’re riding with me. Red Robin will follow.” Hood sounded like he was just done. With everything. Danny leaned into Hood’s back for the ride. After all, the older man was built like a walking tank. It doesn’t take the trio long to arrive at Danny’s studio apartment, and Red Hood is once again the designated carrier as Danny is going in and out of consciousness again. They grapple up to his apartment and let themselves in through the window. Danny snorts himself awake as Hood opens the window.

“Welcome to my humble abode. It isn’t much. But it’s all mine,” Danny said unabashedly. The two vigilantes looked around in earnest. Yes, the apartment was small, but it also looked lived in. There was a small couch and a coffee table that was strewn with Danny’s notes for his classes. The kitchen was barely big enough for a stove and refrigerator. The microwave took up most of the counter space, and there was only one-sided sink. The whole space was barely big enough for one person to turn around in. In one corner, a curtain was hung, and behind that curtain was Danny’s bed. The bathroom was just big enough for a toilet, sink, and shower. And honestly, for a 16-year-old emancipated minor, it wasn’t all that bad. Hood had taken to inspecting the fridge, and he was right. There was literally no food in Danny’s fridge.

“What have you been eating, Casper?”

“Mostly ate at the coffee shop. Sometimes grab takeout on my way home. I…I…don’t really know how to cook. Jack and Maddie never really taught me. They were too caught up in their work, if they even remembered they had kids, half the time,” Danny said the last bit darkly.

“Ok, so new plan. Replacement, I’m gonna go get a few groceries so that I can make a couple of meals for us. You two get settled and shit,” Hood said as he was already on his way out of the apartment via the window.

“So, earlier you told us that you found a box with pictures. Can I see them?” Red asked, hoping he didn’t sound too eager.

“Sure, why not,” Danny replied. Because why the fuck not.

He handed Red Robin the box, and then sat down and got to work on his calculus project. Both were lost in their own worlds, when Red heard a soft thunk. He looked up to Danny asleep at his coffee table. The thunk was Danny’s head hitting the table. Red Robin put the pictures down and went over to his brother studying him. He carefully brushed back Danny’s hair so he could see more of his face. He couldn’t believe it. After all this time. He had a brother. He heard Red Hood coming up the fire escape and made his way over to the window to open it for him. He motioned for his adoptive brother to keep quiet. Hood got the message.

“Think he’ll wake if I put him in his bed. Sleeping like that can’t be comfortable?” Hood whispered.

“I think he’ll be fine. Put him to bed. God knows he needs it,” Red whispered back.

Hood went over to Danny, and very gently cradled the younger boy to his chest. Red Robin went over to the curtain and drew it back so that Hood could lay him down. Danny never even stirred. He snorted once his head was on his pillow and mumbled something about kicking Skulker’s ass, and then he stilled again. Both vigilantes heaved a sigh of relief.

“Looks like we’re having a sleepover,” Hood sighed as he put the groceries away.

“Yep,” Red replied.

Chapter Text

Danny groaned as he came back into the world of wakefulness. Red Robin and Hood watched as he went through the five stages of grief as he rubbed his hand over his face. Both vigilantes snorted quietly to themselves. This caused Danny to whip his head towards them as though he heard them.

“Ancients, you scared me half to death!” Danny exclaimed.

“Can’t kill what’s already dead, Casper,” Hood retorted. Danny snorted.

“Oh God, there’s two of them,” Red moaned.

“So that wasn’t some weird trippy dream then?” Danny asked.

“No, definitely not a dream. You up for food?” Hood asked as he snapped, crackled, and popped. Sleeping on Danny’s too-small couch was definitely one of his worst nights. -1/10 do not recommend. Add in the fact that he’d had to share with the Replacement, welp, things couldn’t have been any less comfortable.

“Dude, ghost metabolism means that I’m practically always hungry. Especially if you’re cooking. And again, the food doesn’t come back to life and attack, even better,” Danny said as he grunted and popped a few bones in his own back.

“What even does that mean? You said that last night too,” Hood asked while he began making breakfast tacos for the three of them.

“So, Jack and Maddie Fenton. World-renowned ecto-biologists. Or they wished they were in any case. What that actually means is that they study ghosts. Now, their actual study on ghosts is shit. And I mean that in the nicest way possible. If you’ve been able to access their stuff online, you’ll see it’s full of prejudices and biases. Their papers are what helped write the Anti-Ecto Control Acts. I’m, obviously, sentient and sapient.” All three men snorted. “My intelligence is sometimes questionable. But sentience and intelligence are NOT the same thing. Anyways,” Danny waved his hands in the air to reorganize his thoughts. “Ectoplasm, if not stored properly, can have some very interesting results. Mainly in that it reanimates dead things. I still have nightmares about the unionized hotdog rebellions. I won’t even talk about how Jazz had to re-kill the Thanksgiving turkey with a broom. More than once.”

“WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK.” Hood breathed out. He had a feeling that was something he was going to be saying a lot of that when it came to Danny. He already had feelings when it came to child vigilantes, but this was a whole other level of tom-fuckery. This was a literal dead…er…half-dead child who had been dead for two years.

“Yeah, it was a whole thing. Means I ate fast food a whole lot growing up. Jazz tried; she really did. But there’s only so many times I can eat burnt eggs or well burnt anything or microwaveable oatmeal before the two of us just kind of gave up on the whole kitchen/cooking thing. A couple of my friends tried to keep me fed, but again, there was only so much they could do.”

Hood made a mental note of that. Danny was entirely too skinny. He wondered if ghost metabolism was anything like speedster metabolism. He began plating the breakfast tacos that he made, and the three of them made their way to the small coffee table. Danny cleaned up his school notes and plopped himself on the floor leaving the vigilantes to take the couch. Danny began vibrating when he ate. And was he glowing?!?!

“OH MY ANCIENTS!!! Hood, if I had the money to spare, I would totally hire you as my personal chef. But you know broke high school barista. Speaking of…what time is it?”

“It’s a little after 8am,” Red responded.

“Fuck!” Danny exclaimed as he scrambled to pull some of his school notes out. Both vigilantes tensed. “Don’t mind me.” Danny explained as he rooted through the mess. “My AP Calculus project is due before noon. I didn’t get as much done as I’d hoped before everything yesterday. So now, the procrastinator extreme that I am, I have to get everything done and submitted. So, y’all are, like, free to hang out or whatev…but I’m going to be completely ignoring you while I work. Also, don’t like freak out. Sometimes, when I work, my more ghostly side tends to come out. Benefits of living alone.” Danny finally and proudly produced the notes he was looking for and then fished his laptop out of a well-worn backpack.

He set up his workstation on the coffee table, and both vigilantes were immediately forgotten just as Danny had warned them that they would be. He worked with his tongue stuck out of his mouth. But what was interesting was that whenever Red or Hood would push water, juice, or food within his reach, he would grab it and either drink it or eat it. But all of his external actions were on autopilot. From the vigilantes’ viewpoints, it was interesting to watch.

“He’s definitely got your genes, Replacement,” Hood said in wonderment. “I mean damn. Even you’re more spatially aware when you deep dive than he is. And that’s kinda scary when you think about it.”

“Yeah, it kind of is. But at the same time, maybe it’s because he feels safe,” Red mused.

Roughly two and a half hours later Danny emerged from his deep dive into his calculus homework assignment. He stretched and both vigilantes winced as his spine made noises that shouldn’t be coming from a 16-year-old. Danny blindly grabbed for whatever had been placed next to him not even registering that he still wasn’t alone.

“Oh sweet. Coffee!” Danny wiggled excitedly, a soft purring coming from somewhere in his chest.

“Umm, Danny…are you making that noise?” Red asked hesitantly.

And just as quickly as the purring started, it stopped, and Danny flushed a deep pink. “Umm, yeah. My core does that sometimes. When I’m happy. I can’t really control it.”

“What’s a core?” Red asked in what he hoped was an encouraging tone of voice. Danny had been, so far, willing to share with them, and Red was hoping that would continue.

“A core is a ghost’s everything. Like all of their internal organs: heart, brain, everything. But also like a soul. Don’t get me wrong. In my human form, I also have all of the human squishy bits. I just have an extra organ,” Danny explained after he drank half of his offered coffee.

Red Robin looked down at his phone and thumbed through a few notifications. “I just got word from Timothy Drake-Wayne. He says he’s willing to meet if you are.”

“You have his number?” Danny spluttered

“You’d be surprised,” Red deadpanned.

“You know what…that actually tracks. And yeah, I’m free today. I’m off because of the calculus stuff, plus I wanted study time for my Chem exam that’s scheduled tomorrow. Just let me know what time.”

“I’ll let him know. In the meantime, I’ve got some reports I need to finish. Hood here is going to stay with you till it’s time for you to meet Mr. Drake-Wayne,” Red stated as he slid out of the window.

Danny waited nervously in front of the coffee shop. It wasn’t his coffee shop, but in his “professional” opinion, all coffee shops were basically the same. Some were better than others, and some were absolute shit, but in the end, they were essentially overpriced coffee and pastry shops. Danny shuffled nervously from foot to foot, after having been dropped off by Red Hood with reassurance that Tim Drake-Wayne would be reasonable and calm. He’d been informed of most of the conversation between Danny and the vigilantes.

Tim walked up to the coffee shop with his phone in hand. Having to pretend this was a first-time meeting was harder than he thought. Danny had changed his clothes from when he left earlier. And now that Tim was seeing Danny in the daylight (Tim couldn’t call Gotham’s daylight hours sunny due to the smog and constant cloud cover), he could definitely see the family resemblance. Where Tim had always been said to look more like Janet, Danny looked like Jack, but there was no denying that Tim and Danny were definitely related, even if Danny did fit the whole Wayne Adoption Bait bit. It wasn’t hard to see how those thugs had mistaken him for the Drake heir.

Danny spotted Tim first. “Oh hey. You must be Tim,” he said nervously and held out his hand for a handshake.

Tim took Danny’s hand and noted the many scars on his hand. “Yeah, you must be Danny. I can’t believe Red Robin messaged me about a potential brother. Let’s go inside so we can talk.”

“Sure thing,” Danny said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Heya Tim. Who’s the new kid?” said the blonde barista working at the front.

“Hey Harley. This is Danny. Try not to scare him off, ok?” Tim replied as he placed an order for both himself and Danny.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, birdie,” Harley laughed.

Tim led Danny to a corner booth. Both young men clocked all of the potential exits, although Danny was more than happy to let Tim have the seat facing the door. They sat in awkward silence till Harley called out their order. They sat sipping on their coffees.

“So, I brought the box I found. And I’m sure you’re going to want a DNA test, but I’m sure that Red Robin told you about the ghost stuff, right?” Danny asked after his fourth sip of coffee.

“He did. I would like to see the box though, if you don’t mind,” Tim said softly. “Are there any topics about ghosts that are considered off limits or taboo?”

“There are a couple of things. First, it’s considered extremely rude and a fast way to an ass-kicking if you ask how a ghost died. If they offer the information first, you’re good. Second, all ghosts have Obsessions. It’s what keeps the ghosts anchored here in the mortal Realm. Some are super easy to figure out. Like there’s a ghost back in Amity called Box Ghost, who’s literally Obsessed with all things square, rectangular, or cubed. Others are harder to figure out. But again, asking about it is a fast pass to an ass-kicking. I’m not quite ready to tell you how I became half ghost,” Danny explained.

“Yeah, that’s fair. Umm, Red Robin said that you’re here in Gotham to go to uni?”

“Oh yeah. Mechanical and Aerospace engineering. I wanted to be an astronaut when I was younger. But the whole ghost thing kind of killed that.” Danny snorted into his coffee, and Tim smiled.

“Did you ever think to find any other family members? I mean, I’m fairly prominent here in Gotham?” Tim asked, genuinely curious as to why Danny hadn’t sought him out. If it hadn’t been for the kidnappers, their paths might not have crossed. Well, that’s a lie. Danny was Wayne Adoption Bait central, and he DID look strikingly like Tim. So, he would have been kidnapped eventually. Tim was actually surprised that he hadn’t been kidnapped prior to this.

“Well, sure I saw your name. But honestly, I thought you were like a cousin or something. And what was I going say to that? ‘Hi, I’m your cousin Danny from people who died, can we be family now?’ Sure, that would have gone well.” That caused both Danny and Tim to snort into their respective coffees. Danny had a point. “So, uh, how did you want to do the DNA test?”

“A hair sample would be fine. Red Robin has access to some advance testing methods. I’m guessing you don’t want anything to get public until both the GIW and the Anti-Ecto Control Acts are taken down?” Tim asked with barely suppressed rage.

“Yeah, being vivisected once is enough for a lifetime, er half-life. Whatever. As long as it doesn’t get out of whatever system that Red Robin uses. Because if it gets out, it WILL ping on the GIW’s system, and they’ll swarm Gotham. Hood, for sure, will ping on their sensors, and I’m thinking a couple of the other Bats will too. I’ve felt a few other liminals flying around but haven’t met all of the Gotham vigilantes to be able to tell you which ones.” This was news to Tim. If he were guessing, he would probably say it was Damian and Cass since both of them had been exposed to the Lazarus Pits as well. Tim watched as Danny reached up and pulled out a few of hairs and wrapped them in a napkin. “Just remember what I said about the ectoplasm. If you account for that, you should be fine. But hey, I’ve got a Chemistry test tomorrow, so I’m headed back to my apartment. You can tell Red Robin and Hood that they’re both welcome to check in, especially Hood if he’s gonna cook for me again. I’ve got a shift at the coffee shop after my test, so maybe we can meet again in a couple of days?”

“Yeah, I should have those DNA results back by then. Here’s my number. It was nice talking to you, Danny,” Tim said as he handed a business card with his cell number on it. Danny gave Tim his number, and they agreed to meet again in a few days.

“Well, having met him both in and out of the suit, what do you think?” Jason asked Tim as they watched Danny board a bus.

“I have no fucking clue.”

Chapter Text

“Hey Danny,” Tim said through the phone. “I got those results. If you want to meet up.” Tim’s voice was just as awkward over the phone as it was in person.

“Umm sure. I open the coffee shop at 5am tomorrow, and I’m supposed to be relieved around 3pm. That’s if my relief actually shows up. Ever since that Scarecrow asshat attacked, we’ve been short-staffed. Er. Shorter staffed. Like come on. It’s Gotham. Rogue attacks happen all the damn time. They should be used to it by now. Hell, back in Amity Park, a ghost attack could happen, and Lancer wouldn’t even dismiss class,” Danny ranted. Tim snorted. If Tim didn’t know any better, he would have sworn that Danny was a native Gothamite.

“I’ll have someone pick you up. Is it ok if we meet at the Manor?” Tim asked, interrupting Danny’s rant.

“The fuck’s the Manor?” Danny asked snarkily.

“Oh. I…I meant Wayne Manor. You know, like my last name. Drake-Wayne.”

“WAIT…WHAT?!?! LIKE BRUCE FUCKING WAYNE?!?!” DANNY yelled through the phone.

“Uh, yes. I thought you knew,” Tim replied as he pulled his phone away from his ear.

“No, why would I? It’s not like I keep up with celebrity news or anything. And up till the whole kidnapping thing, I was trying to keep a low profile. You know, half-ghost in hiding and all that. Can’t exactly do that if I suddenly show up claiming to be related to a son of Bruce Wayne, now can I?” Danny deadpanned. “Besides, I didn’t exactly know you existed till a few days ago. Well, I knew you existed, just not as a potential brother.”

“That’s one reason why I’m suggesting the Manor. It will give us some semblance of privacy. If we meet anywhere out in public, there’s always the chance that I’ll be recognized, and the paparazzi are always looking for a new story. They’ll either think that Bruce adopted another kid since you fit the profile or that we’re lovers or something along those lines,” Tim explained.

“What do you mean I fit the profile?” Danny asked, suspiciously.

“It’s a running joke in Gotham. Bruce has a type. Black-hair and blue-eyes. And that tracks with most of the kids he’s adopted. Even the family friends, but not all of them. All of the boys, Dick, Jason, Me, Damian, and Duke all have black hair. Cass also has black hair. Dick, Jason, and me have blue eyes. Damian is green-eyed. Duke and Cass have dark eyes. Dick, Jason, Me, and Cass are all adopted. Duke is a foster-to-adopt. Damian is biologically Bruce’s. Steph is blonde but also blue-eyed. Babs is red-haired, but again blue-eyed. Both Steph and Babs are family friends, but they’ve been around long enough they might as well have been adopted.”

“Oh.” Is all Danny can say to the info dump. “Question. Other than me. Have there been other random ass kidnappings that have been mistaken for a Wayne kid?” Danny said when he finally found his tongue.

“Surprisingly, no. You’re the first,” Tim answered. And truthfully, it had been surprising. There was an endless supply of black-haired, blue-eyed people in the world, and a good number of them likely resided in Gotham. That Danny had been the first one to be mistaken for a Wayne and kidnapped had been unbelievable stroke of bad luck on Danny’s part, but maybe good luck on both of their parts since it likely reunited the long-lost brothers. “Anyways, I figured it would be better to have the meeting at the Manor. So, I’ll have someone pick you up after your shift. Is that ok?” Danny hummed in agreement.

Danny didn’t know what he expected when he walked out of the coffee shop. It certainly wasn’t the slick, black sedan with the elderly gentleman standing next to it. And he certainly wasn’t expecting for the gentleman to be British or to greet him by name.

“Good afternoon, Master Daniel. I’m Alfred Pennyworth, Butler of the Wayne Estate. Master Timothy sent me to take you to the Manor,” Alfred said as Danny walked out of the coffee shop.

“Hey, Mr. Pennyworth. I would really prefer Danny, if it’s all the same. The only people who call me Daniel are the ones who are trying to kill me,” Danny replied without really thinking about it. Damn his brain-to-mouth filter. He missed the look Alfred gave him.

Alfred opened the door for Danny, and Danny crawled in the backseat. “Does that happen a lot, Master Danny?”

“Hmm, what?” Danny replied. He had been lost in thought. The GAV had never been this cool. Not even any of Vlad’s vehicles had been this cool. Vlad only wished his cars had been this cool.

“People trying to kill you. Does that happen a lot?”

“Oh well, that depends. The ghosts were only playing. They didn’t really know any better. They got better once they learned that I was essentially a baby ghost. Pandora had had field day with that. The Froot Loop. It depends on the day. Some days it was just your basic kidnapping. Some days it’s all ‘Daniel, denounce your father and be my apprentice’. And other days, he’s actively trying to kill me. Meh, just your average Monday for me.” Once again, Danny missed the look on Alfred’s face. Alfred was thinking that the more he learned about this child, the more worried he became.

“I see. And you can just call me Alfred, Master Danny,” Alfred replied instead of voicing his inner turmoil. Alfred had seen a lot of things in his life serving at the Wayne Manor. And considering that all of his charges were involved in Gotham’s nightlife, he had seen any and all manner of injuries. He had even buried a child, who had later come back to life. But this child that had just crawled into the back seat of the car said such worrying things with such a blasé attitude.

The ride to the Manor was otherwise silent. Danny was content to watch as the city of Gotham passed by him. Alfred was worrying over Danny. He knew that Master Jason had taken to feeding Danny as Red Hood, but the boy was still entirely too skinny. Alfred watched as Danny’s eyes widened in shock as they drove through the gates, and a small smile formed on Alfred’s face. Alfred parked the car in front of the Manor, and hurriedly opened the door for Danny. Alfred led Danny to a small sitting room where both Tim and Bruce were waiting.

“Um, hi,” Danny said by way of greeting.

Tim jumps up and runs over to Danny. He’d been checking in on Danny as Red Robin, and Jason had been giving him reports as Hood, but it was still good to see him. “Hey Danny. This is Bruce Wayne,” Tim started the introduction. Bruce held his hand for a handshake. Danny took it. Bruce was surprised at how cold Danny’s hands were.

“Perhaps the young Master would like something to drink?” Alfred asked as he ushered Danny further into the room.

“Orange juice, if you have any, Alfred,” Danny replied, after releasing Bruce’s hand.

Danny sat on a sofa and Tim sat next him. Bruce sat in an armchair. Danny began fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie. Give him ghost attacks any day. Normal people interactions…EW. That meant he had to be normal, even if Tim and quite likely Bruce knew about the ghost shit. Where was Jazz when he needed her? Right…Jazz was at Harvard. And Sam and Tucker were still in Amity.

“So, we got the results back. And we’re definitely brothers. You share 50% DNA with both Jack and Janet Drake, but also 50% with me, which is to be expected. It took Red Robin a few tries to isolate the DNA due to the ectoplasmic interference,” Tim said while reaching out to take Danny’s hand. Danny let him. It had been so long since he’d been touched by family (that he knew anyways. The vigilantes didn’t count). Or at least touched by family in a loving non-vivisection or harming manner. “Danny, is everything ok?” Tim asked as he leaned into Danny’s space.

“Huh, why wouldn’t it be?” Danny replied.

“You’re crying,” Tim said softly while he handed Danny a tissue.

“Oh…it’s just…I missed this…family…The last time Jack or Maddie touched me, me as Danny was probably 4 maybe 5 years ago,” Danny croaked as more tears flooded down his cheeks.

Once the flood gates had been opened, Danny couldn’t help himself, it seemed. He felt big strong arms encircle him, and he grabbed onto the body that those arms were connected to without thinking. He ugly sobbed for what felt like hours. In one fell swoop, he had lost everything. His home. His family. His Haunt. He didn’t even know how long he’d been held by the GIW, although he did know it had only been a few days, thankfully. But they’d been so close to discovering his core when Jazz and the rest of Team Phantom had raided the facility. He still hadn’t really processed everything. But here and now, in this Manor, this big man (Bruce his mind ever so helpfully supplied) and his brother were sending out waves of comfort/safe/warmth/care, and it had sent him over the edge. He hadn’t felt this safe since his accident. No, that wasn’t right. He’d never truly felt safe with the Fentons. Realistically, he knew his house was a lab disaster waiting to happen. The Fentons didn’t know the meaning of lab safety, even if they did wear their stupidly colored hazmat suits everywhere. But that was about it. Children shouldn’t have been exposed to the shit that both he and Jazz had been exposed to, even before his accident.

He eventually came out of whatever had come over him. “I’m so sorry,” he tried to apologize.

“It’s ok, chum. It’s probably just overwhelming,” Bruce said calmly, not leaving Danny’s side. Danny still leaned into him and was still holding onto Tim’s hand as if it was a lifeline.

“It’s just…I’ve never felt so…safe…before. And even before I became Phantom, living with the Fentons wasn’t exactly kosher, if you get my meaning. OSHA TRIED to get them shut down. After a few years, they just gave up. I was cleaning their lab by the time I was 6. And ectoplasm is radioactive. So, there’s that. Jack and Maddie wore hazmat suits practically 24/7, but not me or Jazz, if that tells you anything. After I became Phantom, the house’s automatic anti-ghost defense system started auto-targeting me. Jazz, Tucker, or me would have to go in every couple of days to reset it. I would sneak down to the lab and reverse engineer their weapons so it wouldn’t be lethal to ghosts. Didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like a bitch when I got hit with them. And I couldn’t always sabotage them. That’s how they managed to catch me in the first place. One of Jack’s newer weapons, the Fenton Skynet, an electrified ectoplasmic net. And yeah.” Danny finally ran out of words. Bruce and Tim sat in horrified silence. The more Tim heard about Danny’s life the worse it got. Bruce had been given a summary of what Tim and Jason had learned from Danny at the safehouse, but dear and holy gods, he wished his sons had given him a better heads’ up. And Tim…Poor Tim. The more he learned about his brother, the deeper and hotter his rage burned. His time spent blowing up League of Assassins’ bases had apparently been training for blowing up shady government organization. Both Bruce and Tim knew that if Jason got a hold of the Fentons, it would be a repeat of the duffle bag incident, and neither were sure they would stop him.

“So, now, the question is Danny, what would you like to do?” Bruce asked, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He wanted nothing more than to wrap Danny up in bubble wrap and lock him away in the Manor, but he somehow got the impression Danny wouldn’t take that lightly. “I want to say that you are always welcome here. In fact, I’m sure Alfred already has a room prepared for you.”

“I don’t want to intrude…” Danny said weakly.

“You wouldn’t be intruding. You’re family. Since you’re in online school, you could just as easily complete it here in the Manor. If you want to continue working as barista just to give you something to do outside of the Manor, we could arrange for that to happen as well. And the Justice League is working on taking down both the GIW and those horrible Acts,” Tim said, trying to imbue as much comfort as he could.

“That sounds…actually that sounds really nice,” Danny said as he swallowed thickly.

“If you want, B could take over legal guardianship of you. It would give you another layer of protection between you and the Fentons if they come looking,” Tim said calmly. He would do anything to protect his little brother.

“You do realize that they’re basically certified mad scientists, right? Like they should be on Batman’s rogue watch list. If they lived in Gotham at any rate. Are you sure you want that kind of crazy?” Danny asked hesitantly.

“Danny, chum, as Tim said, you’re family. We’ll take that risk. Let us protect you,” Bruce said as he rubbed circles in Danny’s back. Danny knocked his head against Bruce’s arm his eyes beginning to close. Emotions were hard and draining, especially since he’d kept his under lock and key for so long.

“Tha’s goo. Stayin’ I mean. Don’ have much at the partment,” Danny slurred as he tried fighting to stay awake.

“I’ll send Red Robin and Red Hood to pack your stuff up,” Tim said with finality as he watched Danny slump against Bruce in sleep. Bruce slipped from under Danny and gently picked him up. Alfred led the trio to a room that he’d set up.

“Be quick, chum. I’m sure it’ll scare him to wake up in a strange room,” Bruce called after Tim as Tim raced away to get Danny’s stuff. His brother was coming home.

Chapter Text

Bruce had called an emergency family meeting. The only person not present was Tim. The only person who knew what the meeting was about was Jason since he’d been with Tim and Danny from the beginning. The others likely knew what was coming since this was a repeated problem with Bruce. Jason is the first to arrive, and although he’s on edge about being in the same space as Bruce, he’ll do it since he’s getting a new brother. Steph and Cass arrive with each other since they’d been out shopping. Alfred arrived with Damian since Damian had been at an after-school workshop. Dick, Babs, and Duke had been the last to arrive.

“Tt. What is the meaning of this Father?” Damian demanded as he threw a glare around the room. Jason cackled. All heads, except Bruce’s whipped to him.

Bruce sighed. “Do you all remember the other day when we got a call about a random civilian being kidnapped and mistaken for Tim?” There were a chorus of “yeses” that went through the gathered family members.

“Do not tell me that you are taking in yet another stray, Father?” Damian practically growled.

“Danny is not a stray, Damian. Danny is in fact Tim’s brother.” A round of gasps went through the room. “We’ve already done the DNA tests to confirm. It turns out that Danny was given up for adoption as a baby while the Drakes were on archeological dig in Egypt. That’s why Tim never knew about Danny; he was given up the day he was born. Janet was pregnant while on the dig and apparently hid the pregnancy. Due to some unfortunate home circumstances, Danny was forced to leave. He’s been in Gotham for a few months. He originally came looking for his family, but only did a cursory search and found that the Drakes had passed away. He didn’t connect Tim Drake-Wayne with Jack and Janet Drake. He’s been staying in a small apartment in Crime Alley, finishing online school, working at a coffee shop. He’s expecting to start at Gotham University the next semester.”

“So, you’re telling us that everything he said while essentially high on Scarecrow’s fear gas was true?” Dick said shrilly. Bruce nodded. Dick dropped his head to his hands and moaned. Black-hair and blue-eyes: Check. Negligent home life: Check. Tragic back story: Check. Teenaged vigilante: Double-check. What even was this kid’s life? Everyone, except Jason, was looking at Dick and Bruce for an explanation.

“Will he be joining us at night?” Babs asked.

“He…can’t,” Bruce replied hesitantly.

“Tt. What does that mean? Can’t,” Damian asked with derision.

“There are laws in place that prevent him from being part of our nightlife.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, B, but being a vigilante ain’t exactly legal,” called Steph.

Bruce heaved another sigh. “I’m not talking about vigilantism. I’m talking about federal laws that the Justice League are working on taking down. For now, what you need to know is that there is a government organization that is sanctioned to capture and experiment on Danny’s vigilante alter ego.” A sharp hiss and intake of breath followed this statement. “While I do not care if we tell him about our nightlife activities, we’ll leave it up to him whether or not he joins us.” Damian, in particular, looked like he was about to murder some people. For all of Damian’s stoicism, the thought of government sanctioned experimentation on a person thoroughly rankled him.

“So, where are Casper and Timmers?” Jason asked breaking the shocked silence. Everyone, except Bruce and Dick, looked at Jason in confusion at the nickname.

“Danny’s been through a lot in the last couple of days and was emotionally exhausted. So, I took him upstairs to rest. Tim is with him,” Bruce replied. “Hopefully, he’ll be awake in time for supper.”

‘New brother’, signed Cass with glee.

“Yes, Cass. Danny has agreed to let me take over legal guardianship. It will provide another layer of protection for him in case his previous legal guardians come looking for him. We haven’t discussed adoption yet,” Bruce said to the giggles of everyone in the room. He sighed again. He knew about the running joke in Gotham, and Danny had certainly fit the type. The family slowly devolved into a lighthearted fight over which character in Mario Kart was better. Bruce just sat back and let the conversation wash over him.

“Before we have dinner, I wish to inform everyone that our newest member wishes to be called Danny. He stated and I quote ‘The only people who call me Daniel are the ones who are trying to kill me’,” Alfred stated as he entered the sitting room. Everyone looked up at him in varying states of shock on their faces.

“He said what?” Jason growled.

“When I asked for clarification, he told me that the ghosts didn’t know any better since he was a baby ghost, and that that particular problem has since been fixed. He did refer to another person, one he termed a 'Froot Loop'. He inferred this person kidnapped him more than once, has tried to manipulate him to denounce his family, and/or has actively tried to kill him in the past.”

“FUCK!” Jason snarled.

“Language, Master Jason,” Alfred chastised succinctly. “I haven’t had the chance to inform Master Tim of this yet. But I’ve also found that things like this don’t tend to stay secret for long in this family. Now, if you will excuse me, I’ve supper to prepare.” With that Alfred turned and walked away and disappeared into the shadows.

Danny startled awake, phased out of the blanket, rolled off the bed, and came up into a fighting stance practically all in one nearly fluid motion. Tim could tell he was in that not quite fully awake state so he slowly closed his laptop while also choreographing his movements, making sure that Danny knew that he was in the room so that Danny didn’t mistake him for an enemy.

“Huh, Tim? Wha’ hap’n’d?” Danny said blurrily, sleep thick in his voice as he finally started relaxing his fight stance.

Tim snorted and smiled happily at his brother. God. He had a little brother. Not that he didn’t count Damian, but this one hadn’t tried to murder him and was biologically related to him. “You basically passed out on Bruce. He carried you up to your room. Red Robin packed your stuff and met me so I could bring it over,” Tim replied and indicated the few duffel bags by the door so Danny could unpack them later. His apartment had been abysmally deprived of just about anything personal. There had been a few model rockets, a few posters of NASA and outer space, and few other knick-knacks. His closet had also been depressingly bare. Something that Tim was determined to fix in the upcoming days. “So, the entire family is gathered for supper. You up for meeting them?”

Danny thought about it for a moment, and then shakily nodded his head. “Yeah, I can meet them. You’ll be there?” He asked, looking at Tim hopefully.

“I’ll be right next to you,” Tim promised Danny.

The two brothers made their way down to the dining room with Danny getting more and more nervous as they went. Danny was holding onto Tim’s sleeve like it was a lifeline. The dining room was loud and boisterous and when the two brothers stepped in, it went silent. Eight pairs of eyes turned towards the two who had just entered the room.

“Man, Timbers, he looks just like you,” Dick was the first to break out of his stunned silence and cooed at both Danny and Tim. “You sure he’s not a clone?”

“Well, I’ve been cloned before, and all of them destabilized. Except for Dani. That’s Dani-with-an-i. So, pretty sure I’m not a clone,” Danny said helpfully. Jason and Tim groaned in unison. The rest of the Bat clan’s jaws had properly dropped open. Bruce looked like he was sucking a lemon.

“Master Danny, Master Tim, please have a seat,” Alfred swooped in to save the day. Tim and Danny promptly took their seats.

The dinner passed in a pleasant manner. Danny wasn’t too sure how much of what Tim had been told had been passed to the rest of Tim’s family, but they didn’t ask too many questions, other than the general “get-to-know-you” type of questions. Danny was only too happy to answer those. Danny was…overwhelmed. To say the least. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such a normal (not that he thought the Wayne family was normal. He KNEW that there was something off about them; he just hadn’t quite figured out what yet) dinner. And…And…the dinner didn’t attack him. A fact he repeated. A fact which had sent most of the Waynes into an existential crisis once Danny had yet again explained the radioactive tendencies of ectoplasm to reanimate food stored in the fridge. Alfred was utterly appalled. And other than Jason and Tim who had already heard about the reanimated food, most of the Waynes and Steph and Babs looked like they were going to be sick.

The family had decided that they were going to give Danny a few days to settle in before revealing their nightly activities. Tim had agreed with this. Danny was still healing from being vivisected, and he could tell that suddenly finding himself in the midst of the chaos that is a full family dinner was beginning to distress Danny. Danny began to shuffle in his seat, and Tim looked over at him sensing his distress.

“Hey, um. Not that this isn’t great, and um. But, um, I’m done. Thank you for, um, everything,” Danny squeaked out before retreating back to his room. Tim excused himself from the meal and chased after his brother.

“Danny, are you ok?” Tim asked as he followed his brother into his room.

“It was just…a lot. Growing up we rarely had meals together. Like as a family. Jack and Maddie were so involved in their work, they often forgot Jazz and me even existed. So, meals were just me and Jazz usually sitting in the living room doing homework over microwaveable meals. Every once in a while, they would remember, but then we would run the danger of if the food would be ecto-contaminated. The Mansons didn’t really like me…”

“The Mansons…You mean like Jeremey and Pamela Manson? You know them?” Tim interrupted.

“Yeah, their daughter, Sam, or well, she was probably introduced as Samantha, is one of my best friends. She’s part of Team Phantom, and it’s part of why her parents didn’t like me. The other part is because of Jack and Maddie. I was the kid of the local town crazies, which, incidentally, made Sam like me all the more.” Danny snorted at the memory. Tim was quiet, letting Danny talk through his almost panic attack. “Sam is all goth and activism and against the mainstream. She decided that because I wasn’t any of “that” that I would make good friend material from the get-go.”

“She sounds like a good friend,” Tim said softly.

“She really is. She’s loud and opinionated. But she was there when I needed her. I think her and Damian would get along like a house on fire. They have a lot in common. My other friend, Tucker Foley, fed me more often. But the Foleys had a bigger family and smaller budget. So, although they offered, I felt bad taking them up on that too often, ya know?”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Tim said, leaning against Danny. He did know what it meant to go hungry, if for different reasons. That was one thing that both boys knew, a neglectful family.

“It’s just that I went from just Jazz and me at meals. And then I lost everything. I haven’t even been able to call or contact them, except for one single email, since I’ve been here. To a whole ass family. It was…yeah,” Danny said around sniffles. He was not going to cry again. Damnit.

“They are chaos incarnate,” Tim said sagely, while wrapping his arms around Danny. “Oh, hey. I got you something. Meant to give it to you earlier, but kind of forgot.” Tim jumped and raced to the desk and grabbed a box that he’d placed there earlier while Danny had been sleeping. He handed the box to Danny and waited for Danny to open it.

“Tim…is this a phone?” Danny breathed out in wonderment.

“One of the latest models in WayneTech,” Tim laughed at Danny’s expression. “Benefits of being the co-CEO of Wayne Enterprises.”

And then, to Tim’s horror, Danny started taking the phone apart. He didn’t say anything, but watched as Danny dug out a small tool kit from one of the duffel bags; one of the few things he managed to pack in his mad dash for freedom. As he began to rearrange the phone’s delicate inner workings, he explains exactly what he’s doing to Tim.

“Me and electronics don’t exactly get along. Specifically, anything with voice or audio recording. So, like cameras, CCTV, wire taps, and especially phones. Computers and laptops are 50/50. That’s probably why there haven’t been anything like tabloid or other articles about me. They can’t get a clear picture. All pictures will come out really fuzzy and blurred. Unless I’m actively drawing in my aura. But that takes more energy than me just letting it out, surprisingly. Anyways, Tucker and I figured out that if we bond just a tiny bit of ectoplasm into the internal wiring of a phone, and viola. I’ve got a phone that won’t explode, literally, or go all staticky when I use it.” Danny proudly held up his new and improved latest model of Wayne Tech phone. “Hey Tim, would you like to meet them? Jazz, Sam, and Tucker, I mean?”

“I would love to,” Tim smiled at his brother.

Danny quickly downloaded the private server that Tucker had set up for Team Phantom, and then dialed. Tucker picked up on the first ring. “DANNY!!!” The other screams. “Hang on. Let me go get Sam. She’s in the other room. Then I’ll connect Jazz. Hey, who’s that with you?”

“Once you’ve got everyone on the line, I’ll explain,” Danny laughed as he watched his friend race into another room. Tim laughed with Danny. Soon enough a young woman with black hair and violet eyes appeared on the screen. The mascara on her eyes was decidedly running down as she squeezed Tucker. “It’s good to see you too, Sam,” Danny said wetly. A few moments later a red-haired young woman joined the video call. Tears immediately began streaking down her face.

“Oh, baby brother,” Jazz breathed around her own tears.

The now reunited Team Phantom spent a few moments just relishing in each other’s presence, even if it was only virtually. The two still left in Amity Park hugged each other close as tears streamed down their faces. Jazz wrapped her arms around herself, and Tim leaned against Danny.

“So, Danny are you finally going to introduce us or what?” Tucker said thickly, after he blew his nose and wiped his face.

“You guys are never going to believe this. This is my older brother, Tim Drake-Wayne.”

There was a pause. A beat. A stop in time. Almost as if Clockwork had called for a Time Out. Then, it was pure and utter chaos on the end of the line. Tucker’s face morphed into fanboy crush to end all fanboy crushes. Sam’s face morphed into something between disdain and awe that her best friend was now affiliated with money. Jazz’s face was pure relief; relief that Danny had found his family.

“Danny, how did you even find your family? The last email we got from you said that the Drake family was dead,” Jazz asked, trying not to be suspicious and ruin Danny’s newfound happiness.

“Well, about that. Apparently, about a week ago, I looked enough like Tim that I was kidnapped,” Danny started to explain

“Danny, dude, like what the fuck. That’s like the complete opposite of laying low,” Tucker snarked.

“I’m aware. Do you want me to finish or not?” Danny deadpanned. Tucker motioned for him to continue. “Anyways…The kidnappers called the Waynes, who have connections with the Bats. The Bats rescued me, and Red Robin said that I looked just like Tim. One DNA test later, and bam, I have an older brother.”

“You…of all people… agreed to a DNA test,” Sam asked, her voice full of suspicion.

“Well, let’s just say that I don’t react the same way to Scarecrow’s fear gas. And now Tim here is an unofficial part of Team Phantom,” Danny says with jazz hands. The others groaned. One of them, probably Sam, let out a string of muffled curses. “But the good news is that the Justice League is now aware of what’s been happening in Amity Park and the Anti-Ecto Control Acts and are working on taking down the acts and the GIW. Or so, I’ve been told by the Bat-brigade.”

“And you trust them?” Sam asked with narrowed eyes.

“Yeah, actually I do. I…I can’t explain it. When I got here earlier today, I’ve never felt so…so safe. And I feel that same sense of safety with the Bats, at least the ones I’ve met.”

“If you’re sure, little brother,” Jazz said with a soft smile. Danny had looked more relaxed than she’d seen in a long while. Probably before his accident.

“I am. I really am. But I’m gonna let you guys go for now. I have an early shift at my job tomorrow. Love you guys.”

“You’re still working?” Tucker exclaimed, incredulously.

“Yeah. For now, we’re holding off announcing that I’m related to Tim. At least until after the Acts and GIW are taken care of. At least if I keep going to my normal everyday job, it should keep those idiots in white at bay. Why would a ghost need a job? But if I go public, then the froot loop will see, and that’s the last thing I want right now. So, for now, I’m just Danny Nightingale. Part-time barista, full-time online student.”

“Alright, Danny-dude. But you better keep in touch, now that you have access to fancy Wayne Tech, or we’ll kill you again.” Everyone on the phone laughed at non-threat, and then they hung up.

Danny sat in the pervading silence trying to work up his courage. “Hey, um, Tim.”

“Yeah, Danny, what is it?” Tim asked softly, knowing that Danny was having a hard time expressing himself.

“Can you, um, like, um, stay, at least for a bit?” Danny asked, as he flushed in embarrassment.

“Sure. I’ll stay,” Tim replied.

Danny went into the bathroom and got ready for bed. Tim made a mad dash for his room and quickly performed his own nighttime routine. He met Danny just as Danny came out of the bathroom, his hair still wet from a shower. They both climbed into Danny’s bed, and Danny snuggled into Tim’s muscular arms. Tim started carding his hand through Danny’s hair, and it didn’t take long for Danny to nod off. Tim sent a quick message to Bruce that he would be off patrol for the night. Tim took a quick selfie of Danny snuggled into his side, which he then sent to the family groupchat. Tim put his phone on Do Not Disturb, and then pulled the blanket over himself and his brother. If he could keep the nightmares away from Danny for one night, then it would be worth it.

Chapter Text

“What in the ever-loving shite is this, mate?” Constantine screeched. Half of the League’s present members turned to look at him in confusion. “You mean to tell me that the US blood Government has all but declared war on the Infinite Realms, and WE LET THEM?!?!”

WHAT?

“WHAT?” Batman grunted out. Red Robin, Red Hood, and Nightwing all looked appropriately horrified. “Explain.”

“So, the Infinite Realms is the glue between all the dimensions. It holds the multiverse together. It’s also where all the afterlives are. Hell, Heaven, Valhalla, every afterlife of every religion of every dimension. They all exist there in the Infinite Realms. These beings called ghosts are more than likely Denizens of the Infinite Realms. These beings are exceptionally powerful on their own and have a base powerset. Flight, intangibility, and invisibility. After that, each being has individualized power sets. These Anti-Ecto Control Acts and the Ghost Investigation Ward is basically the US Government declaring war on the Denizens of the Infinite Realms.”

Every League member present blanched. Danny had been vivisected by these bastards. They had to be taken down. Batman began the meeting with a presentation that Red Robin had helped him build. Horror, anger, and rage built on the member faces as he went through his presentation. Danny had gifted him a USB flash drive that had contained most of the GIW logs of their experimentation. There was one log that Danny had asked him to leave out. After watching it on the Batcomputer, Batman had quickly agreed. It was the log containing Phantom’s vivisection and other experiments that they had run on him while they had had him in captivity. Batman wished he hadn’t watched that particular log; Danny had warned him; Batman had almost been sick. Batman had then very, very carefully hidden the log. He knew that Red Robin would snoop. Red Robin didn’t need to see that particular log.

Several of the League members asked pertinent questions. Batman and Red Robin fielded those as best as they could. Constantine was stewing. Zatana and Captain Marvel weren't far behind him. Dr. Fate was surprisingly quiet. But eventually, they had a plan. The Lanterns would take this before Oa. Since this was an interdimensional case, Oa would have precedence over the case against the GIW. Wonder Woman and Aquaman would head to the UN to forcefully put pressure on the US. Superman would have Clark Kent and Lois Lane-Kent write articles in the Daily Planet. This would help get the public on the side of the ghosts. The public loved nothing more than to decry what they believed violated basic rights. It was why the Meta Protection Acts had been passed in the first place.

“What we really need to do is summon the Ghost King to make sure that he’s not gonna have our heads,” Constantine said as the meeting was drawing to a close.

“The Ghost King?” Red Robin squeaked out. Danny hadn’t mentioned anything about a Ghost King.

“Oh, sure mate. So, each area of the Infinite Realms has its own ruler. Like Hell is ruled over by Satan, Heaven by God, et cetera. All of those fall under the purview of the High King of Infinite Realms. Now, the last king, Pariah Dark, was a right bloody wanker. A real tyrant. Took a mess of the stronger Denizens to lock him in what was called the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. Then about a year ago, some bloody idiot released the mad tyrant. Don’t know how we,” and here Constantine stopped his rant and drawing of a summoning circle to sweep his arm at the gathered members of the League and the Justice League Dark, “didn’t hear about this. Pulled a whole damn town into the Infinite Realms for three whole days, it did.” Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin paled even further, if that were possible. They had a sneaking suspicion that they knew exactly which town Constantine was talking about. Batman was already investigating to see if the JLA had received any calls from Amity Park. “When that town blipped back into existence, Pariah Dark had been defeated in single combat. Thus, a new High King of the Infinite Realms crowned.”

Constantine sat back and looked over his summoning circle with an appraising eye. The new King had a rather odd circle, and this had been the first time Constantine had drawn it. He wanted to make sure that it was accurate. He began chanting in a language that wasn’t quite Latin but wasn’t quite any other language that could be easily identified either.

It was on the third iteration of whatever Constantine was speaking that Red Robin finally clocked the language. He leaned over to Nightwing, Hood, and Batman. “He’s speaking in Esperanto. It’s basically a dead language. Not many people speak these days,” the vigilante whispered.

The air swirled, and the temperature dropped. The sound of ice breaking crackled throughout the room. A portal opened in the ground, and a Lazarus green whirled where the summoning circle once was. Hood tensed, and Nightwing clamped his hand on his brother’s shoulder. A white booted foot stepped through the portal, followed by a second foot. The torso followed. A stylized DP in silver was on the chest plate of black armor. There were neon green highlights running down the side of the pants. Finally, the being’s head popped into existence. The being appeared to be a youngish male. He had ethereally white hair, and the same green as the portal eyes. He wore white, fingerless gloves. He wore a cape that looked like a star-lit sky with swirls of galaxies imprinted on it. His crown floated on top of his head and looked like a cross between the Aurora and glacial ice. On his right hand was a simple silver ring and black ring that looked be made of the same material as the crown.

“Be welcome your majesty, High King Phantom,” Constantine spoke as the portal closed. The four Bats went completely still.

“Oh, um. Thanks,” Phantom said nervously. His hand came up to his neck in the familiar nervous gesture. Hood groaned. Phantom’s head swiveled towards the Bats. “OH! Hiya Batman, Nightwing. Red Hood. Red Robin,” Phantom cheerily chirped.

“You’re a king?” Hood deadpanned. Phantom nodded. “Of an entire dimension?” Phantom nodded again.

“I may have…neglected to mention this,” Phantom shuffle-floated nervously; his hand repeating the neck rubbing movement.

“Fuck, you’re killing me kid. Again.” Hood made an aborted motion to rub his face but realized that he couldn’t with his helmet on. Red Robin looked like he was going to kill someone, possibly Phantom. Nightwing looked like he wanted to take Phantom and lock him up in a blanket vault. Batman looked like…well Batman.

“You’ve met King Phantom, Batman?” Wonder Woman asked, trying to establish some diplomacy.

“It’s because of Phantom that we were made aware of both the Anti-Ecto Control Acts and the Ghost Investigation Ward,” Batman said after a few deep breaths. The sound of silence invaded the conference room. Constantine inhaled and choked on his cigarette. Most of the Leaguers present were already pale, so Batman wasn’t sure if was it possible for them to get any paler but most of them gave it a valiant effort anyways.

“Please be assured, King Phantom, we are working on taking down both the Acts and the GIW,” Wonder Woman said, again trying to establish diplomacy.

“Oh, you can just call me Phantom. I don’t really stand on all the formal stuff. And technically, I’m more like a Crown Prince, since I’ve only been a ghost for like 2 years now. By ghost standards, I’m like a baby ghost.” Phantom laughed, and Nightwing made a pained noise at the back of his throat. “My Council agreed that I wouldn’t formally take the Crown until I was a hundred years dead.” Nightwing made another pained noise; Red Robin mimicked it.

‘It’s fine. That’s fine. That means I still get him for what another 97, 98 years,’ Red Robin thought to himself, trying to keep himself from spiraling into a panic attack. He felt Hood’s and Nightwing’s hands clamp on his shoulders, which helped to ground him. Realistically, he knew that his brother had died, er well, half-died. But seeing and hearing Da..Phantom speaking so easily of his death was not something Red Robin or any of the Bat clan took lightly.

“I…see, Phantom. How did you become aware of the Acts and the GIW?” Wonder Woman asked as she indicated for Phantom to take a seat.

“They operated out of the town I claimed as my Haunt, Amity Park, Illinois,” Phantom replied.

“And why was Amity Park claimed as your Haunt?” Apparently, Wonder Woman was the designated question asker.

“I had, until recently, living relatives and friends there. Don’t worry. They’re still there. But Amity Park is no longer safe for me due to the presence of the GIW,” Phantom replied sagely.

“I see. And were your friends and relatives aware of your presence?” Wonder Woman continued asking.

“That is a difficult question. The younger generation, meaning those younger than around 25, saw me as a hero. Those older would call me a menace. My living sister and two of my friends would aid me when other Denizens of the Realms would become…unruly,” Phantom responded while also trying to preserve his status as a halfa.

“And these other Denizens, did they cause trouble often?”

“That is also a difficult question. Ghost culture is one of strength. Fighting is like saying hello. Ghosts must also indulge in their Obsessions in order to be anchored to the Living Realm. Most of the ghosts who came into Amity Park were just curious. Some of the more dangerous ones didn’t realize that humans were so squishy, but they didn’t mean harm. Not truly. Most of the ghosts didn’t realize that I was a baby ghost and didn’t know that I had no clue what I was doing. That’s not to say that some of the ghosts just didn’t care. But the same could be said for humans, can it not? There are humans who are just trying to get through their life, while there are also humans who are capable of evil,” Phantom explained.

“Were there no others capable of fighting against the one who wanted to cause trouble?” Wonder Woman asked, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

“At first, it was myself and my previously mentioned team. There were a couple of scientists.” Phantom spat the term like it offended him. The Bats could understand why. “These so-called scientists developed anti-ecto weapons that could be used against the ghosts. By your laws and standards, however, these weapons would be considered inhumane and cruel, at best. These scientists are convinced that ghosts were nothing more than post-humous human consciousness and/or emotion imprinted on ectoplasm at the time of a human’s death. They were so convinced that ghosts couldn’t feel pain, that we’re not sentient or sapient.” Phantom could feel his eyes start to glow at the memory of what the Fentons had done to him, of what he’d had to listen to; of the threats he’d heard in the last year; of how the Fentons wanted to tear Phantom apart molecule by molecule. Red Robin got up from his seat and placed a steadying hand on Phantom’s shoulder. “It was because of these scientists that the Anti-Ecto Control Acts were written. They’re working with the GIW.”

“Phantom, were you ever hurt by either the GIW or these scientists?” Wonder Woman asked, her voice so soft and tender.

Phantom wanted to say no. They were still, even after what they’d done, what they’d allowed to happen, they were still his parents. Phantom wanted to defend them. “Yes. At first, the scientists were terrible shots. The male more so than the female. But they got better over the last year.” He found himself saying instead. “The GIW were always idiots. Couldn’t hit the side of a brick barn.” Phantom snorted. “But four months ago, the female shot me with an electrified net. They turned me over to the GIW. I was held in captivity for a few days. I won’t speak as to what was done to me while I was there. Maybe later if you need it for like a court case or something.”

“Phantom, what are the names of these scientists?” Wonder Woman asked, still in that same tender voice.

Phantom felt his tongue burn as he blurted out, “Jackson and Madeline Fenton. But please understand, their older daughter was part of my team. She is innocent.” Tears began streaming down Phantom’s face at the betrayal, but oddly enough, his core began thrumming at the thought that those posers were finally about to get their comeuppance.

“Thank you, Phantom,” Wonder Woman said kindly, effectively ending the meeting and dismissing the League members present.

But now, Phantom had another problem. He couldn’t exactly get home the same way. Constantine had fucked off as soon as Wonder Woman had dismissed them. And the summoning circle had been broken when Phantom had accidentally stepped through. His portalling skills were not up-to-par, so that meant that he could end up anywhere or any-when. So, he floated behind his only known contacts on how to get back to earth. Which had been a whole ordeal in and of itself.

Because they were on the Watchtower. The super-secret Justice League base. That was in SPACE. Phantom had vibrated and glowed for a whole hour once he had realized that he was in SPACE. Hood, Nightwing, and Red Robin were all laughing at him, with his face glued to the window. There might have even been a ghost (ha) of a smile on Batman’s face. Phantom left face smudges on the window.

“Come on, Phantom. Once we get to the zeta tube, we’ll make sure that no one is around. You can transform back to Danny, and we can teleport into the Bat-Cave,” Red Robin said as he gently grabbed Phantom’s hand and pulled him along like a balloon. Phantom only nodded, barely cognizant of the fact that he was being gently led away from the windows that led to SPACE. It wasn’t until they got to the area that housed the zeta tube that Phantom finally came back to himself, and then his face flushed green, which caused his freckles to light up. “I’ve never noticed that your freckles look like constellations.”

Phantom approached the zeta tubes with trepidation. The closer he got, the more he dug in his metaphorical heels. He let his transformation was over him, and then he dug in his physical heels as well. He started to hyperventilate; his breaths becoming more shallow as they got closer.

“Phantom, what’s wrong?” Red Robin, asked coaxingly, still trying to pull him to the tube.

“I…I…can’t…portal…accident…died…” and then Danny wasn’t breathing.

Oh.

OH!

OH SHIT FUCK!

“Danny. Breathe with me. In for four. Hold for four. Out for four. Come on. Breathe with me,” Nightwing said as he held his newest brother and talked him through his very real panic attack. They stood in an alcove off to the side of the area where the tubes were located. It took the better part of half an hour before Nightwing was able to calm Danny down. “You back with us, little ghostie?” Danny nodded. Nightwing hummed. “I can promise you that no one has ever died in the zeta tube. It might feel a little weird, but you’re not going to die.”

“Promise?” And damn, if his voice didn’t sound so small and vulnerable.

“Promise, buddy. If you want, you can even hold onto one of our hands.” Nightwing hated the tremor in Danny’s voice and hands as he reached for Red Robin. Red Robin took his brother’s hands and led him to the zeta tube; Danny was still wary of the teleportation device. Danny would later admit that it felt weird, but it would be a weird he could get used to.

They came out in the promised Bat-Cave. Danny saw stars. Not literally. But his eyes sparkled in awe. Even without transforming back into Phantom, he floated around the Cave. “Is that a dinosaur? A freaking giant penny?” Well, at least Danny was back to vibrating and glowing. “Hey quick question. How am I getting home?”

The four Bats exchanged a quick look, and then Batman nodded. Red Robin took off his mask.

“Huh. That explains so much.”

“You don’t have questions?” Tim asked as he strode over to Danny.

“Maybe. Sort of. Not really. It explains why Jason and Red Hood both felt the same. And why I felt the same sense of safety from both the Bats and you as the Waynes.”

Bruce, Dick, and Jason, all now out of their suits take a moment to process what Danny said. Huh. That made sense.

“Master Tim, Master Danny is miss…Oh. Where did you go, Master Danny? Your work called and said that they thought you’d been kidnapped,” Alfred said after he took a moment to calm himself down seeing that his newest grandchild was in the Cave.

“Um. I was summoned. To Space,” Danny said, with his familiar neck-rubbing gesture.

“What he means is that Constantine summoned the Ghost King, High King Phantom, to the Watchtower about the Anti-Ecto Control Acts and the GIW. Conveniently forgot to tell us that he was the Ghost King. We brought him home by zeta,” Tim said with hint of sarcasm.

“Ah,” Alfred replied calmly. It took a lot to fluster the long-time butler/grandfather of the Wayne family, but he quickly recovered.

“Danny, we didn’t mean to tell you this quickly. We were hoping to give you a few more days to settle in,” Dick said.

“I mean I get it. Secret Identities 101,” Danny replied, taking everything in stride. Dick, Jason, Bruce, and Tim were surprised at how well Danny was taking the reveal.

“Can I ask you a question? How did no one ever connect you with Phantom? It’s just a simple palette swap…” Tim let his voice fade.

“Well, Phantom is a ghost. That’s not just a play on words. Danny is alive. According to Frostbite, my yeti ghost doctor…” Danny totally missed the look that passed between the four Bats. He also missed Dick mouthing the words “yeti ghost doctor” to the other Bats. “…Halfas like me are exceedingly rare. Like once every few millennia type of rare. There was one guy back home that connected the dots, so to speak, but no one really listened to him. Jazz found out on her own, and that’s how she became part of Team Phantom. Tucker and Sam were there the day this happened. And before you ask, I really don’t want to talk about it right now. I can explain tomorrow at breakfast. Also, asking a ghost how they died is considered really rude.”

“I think that the Young Master has had enough excitement for the day. Master Danny, if you will follow me, I will show you how to get back up to the Manor,” Alfred said, stopping any further questioning. Danny smiled gratefully at his newfound grandfather and shuffled after him.

“So, that just happened,” Jason said to no one in particular.

Chapter Text

Danny finally came back to the world of wakefulness with a snort. Tim laughed at his brother. His mouth had fallen open, and drool had pooled under his chin. Danny’s hair looked absolutely wild. Tim snapped a quick picture, and Danny threw him a glare. Too bad for Danny, Tim was used to the glares of both Damian and Jason so Danny’s glare would need work for it to bother him.

“You missed supper last night. Hope you’re hungry. Alfred sent me to wake you for breakfast,” Tim said after he got done laughing at Danny.

“Yeah, I’m definitely up for Alfred’s food. Is that where Jason learned to cook?” Danny asked his brother after he emerged from the bathroom, completing his morning routine.

“Alfred has banned most of us from the kitchen. Jason is the exception. Bruce has set fire to the kitchen at least twice that I’m aware of. Dick has burned boiled water. Cass has burned herself, also more than once. Steph has caused minor explosions, and no, you don’t want to know. Duke hasn’t really been here long enough to earn a ban, and Damian is too young,” Tim said by way of explanation as the two made their way down to the dining room. Danny wondered how his new family actually survived on their own since the only people who lived full time at the Manor were Damian, Bruce, Alfred, and now himself. “I can also cook, but my skills stop at simple pasta recipes. Nothing fancy.”

“Good morning, Master Tim, Master Danny,” Alfred greeted his young charges. The rest of the family sent out their greetings as Danny and Tim made their way to their respective seats. “Just a reminder, there will be no questions until AFTER everyone has eaten. And then, you will relocate to one of the family rooms,” Alfred said with a raised eyebrow and air of finality. There were a chorus of “Yes, Alfred” that echoed around the table. Satisfied, Alfred left so that he could begin serving the meal.

The meal was pleasant and…so very ordinary. Bruce asked about Damian’s day at school. Cass signed about her practice for her upcoming ballet recital. Steph regaled the table about some rowdy patients who came through the ER at the hospital where she worked as a Nursing Assistant while she was in school to get her RN. Of course, Tim, Jason, Dick, Bruce, and Danny had nothing to offer to the conversation…for the moment. It didn’t take long for the family of vigilantes to inhale the food that was offered to them, and then they relocated to the aforementioned family room. Danny settled on a couch with Tim on one side and Jason on the other. The rest of the family made themselves comfortable on the furniture that was available, curiosity brimming in their eyes.

Danny gripped both Jason’s and Tim’s hands as he began. “So, growing up, Jack and Maddie were, or I guess I should say, are, obsessed with ghosts. That was all they ever talked about. Their various inventions littered the house. But the biggest thing that they worked on down in the lab was their portal. It was a portal to what they called the Ghost Zone. Dick, Jason, Tim, and Bruce heard it called something else yesterday. The Infinite Realms. That’s actually the proper name. But Jack and Maddie were convinced that ghosts resided in the Ghost Zone. So, the portal was going to be their crowning achievement, their magnum opus, their life’s work, maybe even Nobel Prize worthy.” Danny took a deep breath to steady himself. Tim wrapped an arm around Danny, and Jason began rubbing circles on Danny’s knee. “The day before my birthday, Jack and Maddie shouted for me and Jazz to come down to the lab. They’d done it. The portal was complete. So, we went down. Jack and Maddie turned it on. It whined and sparked. And then, it fizzled into nothing and shut back down. Jack and Maddie were so mad. It damned near ruined their marriage on sight. Jazz finally managed to convince them to get out of the house and take a couple of nights off. They rented a hotel in the neighboring town. The next day, my 14^th birthday, a couple of my friends were over. Jazz was out, tutoring some of the kids from school. So, it was just me and my two friends. I had bragged about the portal. They wanted to see it.” Danny’s hands had started to shake in his brothers’. Most of the family could put the pieces together but kept quiet. Danny seemed lost in his thoughts before finally continuing. “Tucker was hesitant about me getting closer, but still didn’t stop me. Sam wanted a picture of me standing inside it. I put on a hazmat suit, just in case, ya know. I went inside. I turned around. Sam got her picture. And then, on my way back out, because Jack couldn’t even cover the wires, I tripped. My hand fumbled against the wall trying to stop myself from faceplanting. I found the emergency “ON” button. On the gods-be-damned inside of the fucking portal. I ended up turning on the portal while I was standing inside of it.” Tim buried his face in Danny’s shoulder. He didn’t want to know, but he had to. “I don’t know how many volts of electricity passed through me; I know it was enough to knock out an entire city block. At the same time, the ectoplasm of the Realms also passed through me. So, the electricity killed me while the ectoplasm revived me in an endless cycle for a few minutes until the portal spat me out. The ectoplasm bonded to my DNA, which gave me my Phantom form. Sam and Tucker called an ambulance to take me to the hospital. Jazz met us there. Jack and Maddie never even visited because the portal was working, and it was more important than their son who may or may not have died.” The family sat in shocked silence. It was so much worse than anything they could have imagined, and they’d been around the Flashes. “The hospital diagnosed me with bradycardia and low-body temperature. Gave Jazz instructions to get me a follow-up with a heart specialist and our family doctor. Of course, those follow-ups never happened. About month after the portal opened is when the first ghosts started appearing. I felt like it was my fault that the portal opened therefore it was also my responsibility to put them back in the Realms. The Fentons did more in property damage with their GAV or Ghost Assault vehicle than the actual ghosts, yet somehow, I was the menace. It got so bad that our local news station had included a report called “Fenton Watch” as part of the weather report. This was for whenever Jack was driving, and yes, his driving really was that atrocious. And that was just his daily driving. It got worse if there were reported ghost attacks.” Danny snorted in remembrance of Lance Thunder’s reports. He would have to see if Tucker could forward some of those videos. He was sure that his new family would get a kick out watching them.

“Danny, you said yesterday that the Fentons hurt you. What did you mean by that?” Dick asked softly. Jason’s hand tightened on Danny’s.

“After the portal opened and ghosts started coming out, they changed their focus from studying ghosts to building/inventing weapons. From ecto-blasters, wrist rays, a lipstick blaster. Jack even invented a bazooka. They once invented a harpoon. The most humane invention was the Fenton Thermos. Looks like a regular soup thermos, but it was designed to capture/contain ghosts. That’s what primarily what I used, since I had my own ectoblasts. The best way to describe the Thermos is almost like a subspace or pocket dimension. It doesn’t hurt, but it IS very cramped inside. Like a very tight sleeping bag, but also with sensory deprivation. Usually, I would sneak down to the lab and sabotage the more lethal stuff and fix or change the stuff that wasn’t lethal to begin with. Like the wrist rays. Never lethal to begin with, but stings when getting shot with one. Good to use to weaken a ghost enough to put them in the Thermos. Same with the lipstick blaster. Other stuff didn’t work the way it was intended to begin with. Like Fenton Fishing Line. Jack invented it as means to capture/contain ghosts. We found out that it was about the only thing that I could use as suturing material. My ecto-contaminated blood eats through sutures or staples. Or the ecto-dejecto. Jack invented it with the purpose of burning ghosts. It actually acts as something like an Epi-Pen.”

“What happened when they found out that you were Phantom? You touched on it very briefly the day we rescued you from the kidnappers,” Tim asked, not really sure he wanted to know.

“I think they found out that I found out that I was adopted. Not entirely sure. But ever since they came back from their trip, they had increased security in the lab. I also found out that they had signed an exclusive contract with the GIW. The day they found out that I was Phantom, I had just released a couple of my rogues back into the Realms when they caught me. I fled, like I usually did. They chased me. But they had a new weapon. An ectoplasmic reinforced net, one that also arced electricity through it when activated. Something that you need to understand. The cause of a ghost’s death. It can either be their strength or their weakness. I’ll let you take a guess which one mine is.” The tension in the air was thick as they processed Danny’s words. The Bats could only imagine. “Anyways, I had been injured in the fight with my rogues, so I wasn’t as fast as I normally was. So, when they shot me out of the sky, the fall hurt. But it was the electricity that forced me back into my human form. It was at that moment that I knew I was well and truly fucked. I saw the horror and fear and eventual rage on their faces. They thought that Phantom had killed Danny and was possessing his body. And no amount of pleading or trying to explain or begging could convince them otherwise. Jazz was away at college. And Sam and Tucker couldn’t get to me in time. I watched as they gave me over to the GIW with nothing but sheer hatred on their faces.”

At some point, tears had begun streaming down Danny’s face. The Bats had no words. All of them had some sort of family trauma, but none of them had had to deal with anything close to this. Bruce and Dick had both lost their parents at a young age. Jason had dealt with an abusive father and a drug-addict mother, and then later found out that Catherine wasn’t his blood mother, which had led to his death. Cass’s father was an abusive asshole in the League of Assassins. Steph’s father was a minor villain in Gotham. Duke’s parents had died due to exposure from Joker’s Venom. And Damian had been raised as the heir to the League of Assassins. But none of them had been hunted by their parents or had their parents turn them over to a government organization in which said organization was legally authorized to complete torture and unjust, cruel, and inhumane experimentations on their own child. Tim pressed Danny’s face into his shoulder and simply let his brother cry and hold on for dear life.

They spent the rest of the day playing various games. Danny introduced them to Doomed. Cass kicked everyone’s ass. Then, they switched to Mario Kart, and Cass still kicked ass. Uno was a free-for-all, and Danny won a couple of games before Damian started throwing knives. Danny laughed when a knife was launched at him. He simply went intangible as it sailed through him. This show of Danny’s power seemed to send the rest of the family into a fit of giggles. Even Damian had a small smirk playing on his lips. Alfred eventually called them all to supper.

For the third time during the meal, Danny reached up to rub his head. He could feel a headache building, but he also felt oddly warm. “Hey, um, Tim. I don’t feel so good.”

“You ok, Danny?” Tim asked with concern lacing through his voice.

“I don’t know. I think I’m gonna go lay down. If you could bring a thermometer up later, I would appreciate it,” Danny replied as he excused himself from the table. Danny made it his room before the nausea hit. He barely made it to the bathroom before he was very violently ill. He didn’t even get to undress or follow any of his usual nighttime routine. He laid his head on the cold of the toilet seat hugging it closely as his stomach rebelled. That was how Tim found him ten minutes later.

“Danny? Hey, Danny…OH SHIT! ALFRED! BRUCE!” Tim cried out in panic. Tim heard feet pounding as he hefted the nearly unconscious form of his brother out of the bathroom.

“Noooo, Tim. Don’ feel gud,” Danny whined.

“Danny, you’re burning up,” Tim yelled. Bruce and Alfred burst through the door to see Tim trying to carry Danny.

“Tim, give him here. We’ll get him down to the Cave,” Bruce said worriedly as he gently picked up Danny’s prone form. Tim could see the rest of the Bats hovering just beyond the door.

Tim had never seen Bruce move so fast. Batman yes. But not Bruce. But Bruce was moving as fast as he could with a semi-conscious 16-year-old in his arms. He moved towards the study that held one of the many secret entrances to the Bat-Cave. The entire family was hot on Bruce’s heels. Danny would release an occasional moan against Bruce’s shoulder but was otherwise non-responsive. Bruce made a beeline for the Cave’s medbay and laid Danny down on one of the hospital beds. Alfred quickly began setting up various monitors and prepped Danny’s arm for an IV.

“Danny, chum, come on. I need you to wake up and talk to me and tell me what’s going on,” Bruce said as he gently shook Danny to wake him.

“I thi’k ghost flu,” Danny slurred.

WHAT! THE! ACTUAL! FUCK! What in the bloody hell was ghost flu? And how the fuck was it different from regular flu?

“Tim, can you contact Jasmine to see if she knows how to treat this? Or knows what his baseline vitals are?”

Tim quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Jazz. She answered on the second ring. “Hey Tim. Is something wrong?”

“Hey, Jazz, sorry to bother you. But Danny started feeling bad during supper. I found him catatonic in his bathroom. And now he’s saying that he thinks he might have ghost flu?”

“OH NO! I’ll have Tucker send you his full medical file. But here’s what I can tell you off the top of my head. Normally, his body temperature is between 93-95 degrees Fahrenheit. I think his pulse runs around 40 bpm. I’m not sure about his blood pressure, but you can probably count on it being lower than normal as well. As for medications, normal over-the-counter medications don’t work on him because of the ectoplasm. He burns through it. Since his accident, we’ve never been to any sort of doctor, so I don’t know how he would react to prescription medications. But Tucker theorizes that they would have to be either given at double strength or given at double frequency due to his ghost metabolism/biology. Again, this part is only theory, especially since the Anti-Ecto Control Acts were enacted. You should be receiving the email from Tucker shortly. Keep me updated about Danny, please?”

“I will. Thanks, Jazz. And I just got the file,” Tim said as he hung up with Jazz.

He rushed back into the med bay to relay what Jazz had told him. Bruce had called Dr. Thompkins who would be arriving in the next 15 minutes, which would give everyone enough time to look over the file that Tucker had sent. Tim quickly sent it to the Batcomputer. The file was…informative. Tucker had started tracking Danny’s health about two months after his accident. It had all of Danny’s baseline vitals, all of Tucker’s theories on how certain medications would or should work with ghost biology; it included the fact that Danny couldn’t be given regular stitches or staples; it even included the recipe for making the Fenton Fishing Line (more than one member of the Bat clan shuddered at the thought of using fishing line for suturing purposes) and the recipe for ecto-dejecto.

Dr. Thompkins arrived and was mildly surprised that her patient wasn’t a Bat or Bird. She was instructed to discard her white lab coat (Tim whispered that her patient might have trauma related to the color white) and then led into the medbay to see a young boy with the classic black-hair and blue eyes who was currently leaning over a bucket. Bruce was rubbing circles on Danny’s back. Alfred relayed Danny’s baseline vitals as well as his current health concerns to the quickly frazzling doctor. A ghost patient. Huh. New one for her. She shook her head and walked closer to Danny.

“Hey Danny. I’m Dr. Thomkins. I’m just going to a basic exam on you, ok?”

Danny looked up at her with bleary, unfocused eyes. Tim leaned into his brother and whispered in his ear. Danny nodded. Dr. Thompkins did her exam. Danny was running a fever. He would have been running a fever if his baseline vitals were normal. According to what the thermometer read his insides were practically boiling themselves. His pulse and blood pressure were also elevated. She ordered the gathered Bats to fetch as much ice as possible, even if that meant they had to go buy out the nearest stores. She asked Alfred to push a high dose of antibiotic through his IV, and then instructed him to keep him on the higher dose every four hours. She also gave him a high dose of IV Tylenol to, hopefully, start bringing his fever down.

“My main concern, right now, is how high his fever is. We need something like a bathtub or other container where we can dump him and the ice. We’ll also need a freezer down here to keep the ice in so that once the ice in the tub melt, we still have plenty of ice on hand,” Leslie said as most of the Bat clan had rushed out to buy as much ice as possible.

Tim was on his phone ordering a large upright freezer as soon as the words left Leslie’s mouth. Dick and Jason could move it down to the Cave once they got back. Alfred had disappeared to find a suitable tub or container to place Danny and his ice bath in. Danny gave a pained moan, and Tim rushed back to his side. Alfred returned with an old clawed-foot tub. Where he found the thing…well, it was Alfred, and the Bat clan had long ago acknowledged that Alfred was magic, probably immortal. So, there was that. Steph and Cass were the first to return with their haul of ice. A layer was promptly placed on the bottom of the tub, and then Danny was laid on top of it. He shivered briefly, and then sighed in relief. More ice was packed around him. Tim left Danny long enough to sign for the freezer delivery. Duke and Damian were the next to arrive back, leaving Dick and Jason last. Tim finagled Dick and Jason to get the freezer down to the Cave.

The next few days were a cycle of taking Danny to the showers adjacent to the medbay, feeding Danny, and icing Danny. While he was in the shower, the tub was drained, rinsed, and bleached, and then very thoroughly dried before being filled back up and Danny placed back in it. Danny was fed a combination of thick soups and protein shakes. Danny was never left alone. Someone was always within calling range. Danny had never felt so cared for. Danny wanted to cry. Danny hurt and ached all over. Danny was…a lot of things that he couldn’t properly express.

On the fifth day, Danny opened his blue eyes and found he didn’t ache or hurt. His head wasn’t pounding, and he didn’t feel like his stomach was trying to permanently leave his body. He was also shivering…Wait, he was SHIVERING. Shivering meant that he was cold. Shivering meant that he was no longer HOT. Danny also realized that he was wet. Danny wanted to no longer be wet.

“’Ello,” he called thickly.

“Hey, chum,” Bruce rushed to his side. “How are you feeling?”

Danny took a moment to take stock of himself. “Better. Cold. Wet. Would like to not be cold or wet.”

Bruce laughed. “I think that can be arranged.” He gently lifted Danny out of the tub and walked him over to the medbay. Alfred was already waiting for them. Alfred did a quick exam on Danny and pronounced him fit enough to be released back his room. Bruce sent a quick text to the family alerting about Danny’s improved state. “Danny, chum, I don’t think you’re quite ready to walk all the way back to your room.”

Danny huffed and pouted but accepted Bruce picking him up bridal style. By the time, they got back to Danny’s room, Danny was ready to admit that Bruce was right as he was ready to crawl in his bed and sleep. Bruce helped him slide on a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, and then Bruce led him back to his bed. Danny crawled in and let Bruce pull the blanket over him. Bruce pulled away as if to leave when Danny grabbed the sleeve of his shirt.

“Hey, Dad, will you stay?” Danny said, half asleep.

Bruce froze for half a second, and then he melted. None of his other kids called him dad, except for very rarely. Damian called him “Father”, but that was formality that he’d been trained to do. “I’d be happy to. Sleep well.” He leaned forward and placed a kiss against Danny’s forehead. Danny sighed contentedly and slid his hand from Bruce’s sleeve to Bruce’s hand.

Chapter Text

“Hey, gremlin,” Danny said softly. A smile could be heard in his voice.

“Heyla, Template,” replied a soft feminine voice.

The four Waynes and pseudo-grandfather froze. Danny had been alone in the sitting room. No one had entered the house through any of the doors, and the alarms hadn’t been triggered on any of the windows. The voice sounded like it was IN the room with Danny. So, WHO IN THE HELL WAS IN THE ROOM WITH DANNY?!?! But, at the same time, Danny didn’t seem too surprised at the new presence. In fact, he seemed…comfortable, familiar with whoever was in there with him.

“Jazz told me about what happened,” the voice sounded sad.

“Don’t blame yourself. I’m glad you weren’t there. You didn’t need to see all that anyways,” Danny replied firmly.

“But Danny, I should have…”

“Nope. You don’t get to blame yourself because you were safe. It would have been a hundred times worse if I knew that they’d gotten you too,” Danny said, still in that firm tone of voice. There was a sigh as if they weren’t sure if they believed Danny. “C’mere, gremlin.” There was a shuffle of fabric. “Look, it happened. It sucked rocks. But Jazz, Sam, and Tucker got me out. That’s all that matters. I won’t say that I’m ok because Ancients knows I’m not. I still have nightmares. But I’m getting better.”

“Hey Danny,” the voice said after a few minutes of silence.

“Hmmm,”

“Did you, like, get adopted by another froot loop?” The voice giggled.

“Be nice, gremlin. But they’re, like, kind of already my family,” Danny replied.

“I thought that the Fentons were your parents,” the voice asked, confusion lacing her voice.

“I thought so too. But I found out I was adopted. Turns out my bio-parents gave me to the Fentons when I was a baby. Even though my bio-parents are dead, I found out that I…we…have a brother,” Danny explained.

“WHAT?!?! No way!” The girl exclaimed. She sounded both excited and a tad scared.

“Don’t worry. Jazz is still our sister, regardless of biology.” Danny was quick to reassure the girl.

There were several more minutes of silence. The Waynes and Alfred were still processing the conversation.

“Hey Danny,” the girl called again. Danny hummed in acknowledgement. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Oh my Ancients! That’s a dangerous thing, gremlin,” Danny replied with a laugh. There was a yelp, and then, “No biting, you little shit. You’re worse than the raccoons, I swear. And they were feral.”

“But you still love me,” the girl said in a sing-song voice. “Anyways, I’ve been thinking about maybe settling down. Going to school. Like a real, brick-and-mortar school. Like you and Jazz did. But I can’t or don’t want to stay with Jazz. And I don’t really want to be in Amity Park…”

“NO!” Came Danny’s shout. The listening Waynes and Alfred tensed at Danny’s shout. “No,” Danny said more calmly. “Amity’s not safe. The Fentons aren’t safe.”

“I could…”

“Don’t even think about going to the froot loop,” Danny all but snarled.

“What else do you suggest then?” The girl snarked.

“Maybe, I can ask my new family. I bet they’d be happy to have you,” Danny suggested.

“Wait. Really?” There was hope in the girl’s voice.

“Hmm. Maybe. I know that Cass and Steph are always talking about adding another girl to the mix. And I know that Tim and Babs are really good with like making paperwork and stuff,” Danny said thoughtfully.

“We could be family. Like real family.” The giddiness in the girl’s voice was almost palpable. “But aren’t these guys like, froot loops?”

“I already told you to be nice. Besides, they’re way better than fucking Vlad,” Danny spat the name. But at least now the eavesdropping Waynes now had a name for the “froot loop”.

“That’s a low bar, though, Danny. Anyone’s better than Vlad,” the girl agreed. They both devolved into giggles. “But seriously, you’d think they’d take me in?”

“I haven’t talked to Da…Bruce about officially adopting me yet, but I want him to. Adopt me that is.” Bruce didn’t have tears in his eyes, no he didn’t. “And he’s my legal guardian. I’m just waiting for the Justice League to take down the Anti-Ecto Control Acts, which shouldn’t be too much longer. From what I’ve been told, the UN meeting is in like, three days, and the Justice League has been putting pressure on them to force the US to repeal the Acts. Something about withdrawing some of their support if the US doesn’t comply.”

“Does this mean that those Men in Black knock-offs are going down?” the girl sounded as feral as Danny had accused her of being.

“Yes, you feral shit gremlin raccoon. And no, you can’t be part of it,” Danny scolded.

“But Daaaannnnnny,” the girl whined.

“Dani, they have weapons from the Fentons. Which means that they have weapons that can HURT you. And I’m not just talking about the smaller stuff, like a wrist ray. Who knows what Jack and Maddie invented since I was caught and since I’ve been gone. They did some pretty bad stuff to me, Dani. I don’t want…I CAN’T to lose you.”

Welp, at least now the listening Waynes knew who the girl was. WAIT. Dani. The clone. Dani was a girl. But Danny was a male. Oh, dear and holy gods. Did Danny know what that meant? Did he know the implications behind that? Bruce looked like he was sucking both a lemon and a lime. At the same time. Dick wanted to reach for his escrima sticks. Jason was struggling to work through several breathing techniques so his vision didn’t go completely green with Pit Rage. And Tim. Tim was seriously considering breaking Bruce’s no-kill rule as soon as he found the fucker who cloned his brother. Not that he wouldn’t love his newfound sister any less. But…there would be hell to pay for the one who cloned Danny.

“Hey, Dani. Do you want to meet them? The family, I mean?” Danny asked.

“Are you sure they’ll like me?” Dani asked uncertainly.

“Damian might try to throw a knife at you because he’s just as much a feral shit gremlin as you are. But hey, I’ve already captured like 4 of them off of him. If they go through me, they’re mine. Plus, they know about me being Phantom, and they’re cool with it.”

“WAIT! THEY KNOW?!?!” Dani screeched.

Danny laughed. “Let me text Tim. They’re gonna love you. I bet Steph and Cass steal you. We can figure out what grade to put you in. I think Damian is in ninth grade. Maybe we can get you set up in the same grade and school as him. You’d probably have to take, like, a placement exam or something to make sure that’s where you actually are academically. But you’re my clone, which means you’re not stupid. You also need to decide how old you are. I know how old you were aged up to be, but Frostbite says that your core’s in flux until you decide how old you decide to be. But if you settle and we get legal paperwork, that means no more fluctuations.”

“Yeah, I get that. So, who is Damian to you?”

“He’s…I guess you would call him like my little brother. My…our older brother, Tim, was officially adopted by Bruce, and Damian is Bruce’s youngest child. I’m in-between Tim and Damian.”

“How many siblings did you get with this new family?” Dani asked incredulously.

“A lot. There’s Dick,” Danny started.

“He gets called that on purpose?” Dick snorted in the other room.

“His family wasn’t from America, and they didn’t know the English connotations to the word. Anyways, Dick is the oldest. He was Bruce’s ward when his parents died. Then, Cass was adopted from an abusive family situation. Jason was adopted when tried to steal Bruce’s tires. Tim and I’s parents were neglectful as shit, so Bruce took him in, and eventually adopted him when the Drakes died. Damian, from what I was told was with his mother until he was 10, and then was like a surprise baby who was dropped on Bruce’s doorstep one day. Duke was the newest foster before me. His parents died in a rogue attack, I think. Steph and Babs are family friends, but they might as well be adopted at this point. And then, there’s me, and now you.”

“Damn, Danny. Could you have found a bigger family?” Dani asked between snorts of laughter.

“I forgot to mention Alfred. He’s the butler but also like the family grandfather. He’s magic,” Danny said sagely. Dani snorted some more. Tim had replied to Danny that the family would be arriving so he could prepare Dani, and it would be the entire family. “The family’s on the way. Tim said it was the entire family. So, everyone I just mentioned.”

“You sure about this?” Dani asked, suddenly insecure.

“Yes, you gremlin. You’ll like them, and they’ll like you,” Danny said with quick reassurances.

“Honey, I’m home,” Dick called from the front door. He’d made a point of rushing back to the front door to make as much noise as possible so that Danny and Dani would know that they were no longer as alone as they thought.

“Hey Dick. I’m in the sitting room,” Danny called back.

The four Waynes (technically three Waynes and one Grayson) entered the sitting room where the two Dannies were located. They knew…knew that Dani was a clone, but gods they still weren’t prepared for the lookalike when they walked into the room. They could have been twins. Fortunately, the rest of the family arrived hot on the heels of Dick and the others entering the sitting room, so no one had room to say anything. Once everyone was settled, Danny made the necessary introductions.

“Everyone, this is Dani-with-an-I, my clone-sister,” Danny said easily. Then, he pointed out who each person was while Dani fiddled nervously.

“How did you two meet?” Bruce was the first to recover his surprise.

“Dani was sent to kill me.” A snort and a giggle went through the room.

“Isn’t that the case with most clones?” Steph retorted.

Danny looked at her in surprise. “You have experience with other clones?” He squeaked. Everyone in the room nodded. “Oh.” He took a moment to process. Dani nudged him to continue. “Anyways, the froot loop wanted me as his perfect son. And when I denied him, he cloned me. Most of the clones destabilized, except for Dani. He convinced her that he would save her from the same fate, if she would kidnap me and bring me back to his evil lair. Once I freed myself, the froot loop and I fought. He convinced Dani to try and kill me. That killing me was the only way to save her. Eventually I was able to convince her that the froot loop was full of shit, so she turned against him. At first, we just told everyone that she was my cousin, but that didn’t exactly feel right. So, now she’s my sister, and only Team Phantom know that she’s my clone.”

The family was silent. Not even Superman had been as much of an adult about his clone as Danny. And Superman was an adult. He was getting better, and his relationship with Superboy the first was improving. But still. And all of the clones that Talia had sent after Damian had been nothing but mindless violence and killing from the get-go. To the point to where Damian and the others had had no choice BUT to kill the clones. Not for the first time, Danny was showing an incredible amount of maturity for his age.

“Hey, um, Bruce. There are a couple of things I would like to ask you, if you have the time?” Danny said as he rubbed the back of his neck in the familiar tic.

“Do you want to talk here or up in the study?” Bruce asked with small smile.

“Here is fine,” Danny said, a little surer of himself. “First thing, Dani is wanting to finally settle down. We were wondering if she could settle in with us?”

As predicted, Steph squealed. Cass did a happy dance and was furiously signing “new sister”, and Babs was already typing on her computer.

“Dani, what’s your preferred name?” Babs asked.

“Oh well, I was named Danielle because Daniel. The froot loop didn’t have a lot of originality,” Dani replied with a snort.

“Ok. But do you want to keep that name?” Babs pressed.

Dani considered for a moment. “I’m kinda attached to being Dani. We match,” she said pointing to Danny. She and Danny shared a grin. “But I don’t have a middle name. The froot loop wasn’t that creative. I know his middle name is James. So maybe something with a J?”

Babs thought for a moment. “Ok. You two look too much alike to be anything other than twins. So, that’s what we’re going with. It will also make our cover story easier. Janet hid her pregnancy with Danny after all. And twins being separated at birth is a common story these days. As for why Danny isn’t in school and you are, we can say that you were home schooled up till recently. And we stick to Danny’s original story.” Babs looked around the room. Both Dannies were grinning like loons, and Tim was nodding in agreement. “So, for a middle name. Does any one have any suggestions?”

“Jade.”

“Juniper.”

“Jasmine.”

“Oh, Ancients, no. I have a sister that’s named Jasmine,” Dani butted in.

“Joanna.”

“Jordan or any of its spellings.”

“Jacqueline.” Dani and Danny both made faces at this suggestion. It was too close to Jack.

“Julia.”

“Jamie.”

“That one is close, but not quite,” Dani said, again interrupting the names being thrown about.

“Jane.” Dani glowed. Jackpot.

“So, Danielle Jane. Tim, are we going with Drake, Wayne, or Drake-Wayne?” Babs asked Tim.

“Danny and Dani, your thoughts?” Tim asked instead.

“Well, that leads me into the second thing I wanted to ask Bruce. I was wondering if he would adopt me. But I also want to share the same name as you, Tim, if you don’t mind,” Danny said as he flushed an adorable pink and rubbed the back of his neck. Tim bluescreened, and then when his brain rebooted, he smiled the widest smile he could manage. His brother wanted to share a name with him. Tim looked over at Bruce who was wearing a similar look.

“Daniel James Drake-Wayne and Danielle Jane Drake-Wayne. Those names have a good ring to them,” Tim said with a grin still plastered on his face.

The half-ghost and his clone…GLOWED. And PURRED.

--------

“Hey, Jase. You got a minute,” Danny asked as he walked into Jason’s library.

“Sure, Casper. What’s up?” Jason replied, putting down his copy of Pride and Prejudice. He noticed that since Danny had been moved to the Manor being part of the family had been…easier. He still had bouts of Pit Rage, but it had been getting easier. The voices in his head didn’t whisper as loudly since Danny had joined the family.

“Well, I did promise you that I could fix your ecto problem.”

What?

WHAT?

“Danny, you were under the influence of whatever the fuck Scarecrow’s fear gas was doing to you,” Jason said, trying to organize his thoughts.

“Sure. Doesn’t mean what I said was any less true. It’s taken all of my strength not to gag when I’m around you. But, like, other than Tim, you’re my favorite brother. From one undead guy to another.” Both of them snort-giggled.

“So, you really don’t know what a Lazarus Pit is?” Jason asked, curious.

“No. Up till I came to Gotham, the furthest I had been from Amity Park was when we went to visit my Aunt Alicia in Spittoon, Arkansas. So, unless there’s one in Arkansas, which I doubt, I have no fucking clue what you’re even talking about,” Danny said as he curled up on the sofa next to Jason.

Jason considered his next words. Danny already knew about their nightlife. He hadn’t yet opted to take part of it, and realistically, they, the Bats, knew why. “I guess it’s my turn for sharing my tragic backstory.” Jason heaved a sigh.

“You don’t…you don’t have to share anything you don’t want to,” Danny said, empathy, not sympathy, full in his voice. Danny was the one person who knew what it was like to die and come back. And come back wrong.

Jason nodded, appreciative of the distinction. “So, after I dug myself out of my grave, I apparently wandered around Gotham in a mindless, catatonic state. I don’t know how long before I was found by someone, not Bruce. This person belonged to group called the League of Assassins.”

“LEAGUE OF ASSASSINS?” Danny squeaked out.

“Yes, now hush. The person brought me back to their secret base, and then dunked me in what they call a Lazarus Pit. These Pits heal the sick or dying but kill the healthy. They are bright, toxic green, hot, and bubbling. And apparently, according to you, sewer water from the Infinite Realms. Not that they know that. But…Their leader has been using the Pits to essentially keep himself alive for a few centuries. And occasionally, a super trusted member of the League when they’ve been horribly injured can procure themselves a rare dunk. Now, normally, the Pit Rage only lasts a few hours to a few days. But for whatever reason, I’m the exception to the rule. Mine has lasted a few years.”

Danny looked at Jason with a thoughtful look on his face. “I think it’s because you’re a Revenant.”

“I’m a WHAT?” Jason squawked.

“Master Jason, Master Danny, I’ve brought you some refreshments,” Alfred said before Danny could actually explain anything. He set a carafe of hot tea and a tray of small sandwiches between the two brothers.

“Ok. Like, there are different types of undead beings, right?” Danny started. Jason nodded. “You’ve been calling yourself a zombie, but that’s not right. A zombie, to be technically correct, it a mindless, brain-dead being whose sole purpose in this world is to devour the living flesh of others. There are other undead beings, but they’re not important to this conversation.” Danny paused and took a bite out of a sandwich and a sip of the tea. Jason looked like he was still following the conversation. “A Revenant is something almost as rare as a Halfa and equally as cherished within the Realms. But what a Revenant is…is a spirit or soul that had unfinished business or an Obsession and was basically pulled back into their own body, without the presence of a ghost core. I think you had both, unfinished business and an Obsession.”

“That…that makes a lot of sense, actually,” Jason practically whispered. “So what, I’m possessing my own body?”

“No, nothing like that. Your soul re-bonded with your body. So, not possession or overshadowing.” Jason slumped in relief. “Now, the hard part. Whenever you came back, you didn’t come back all the way. That’s why you were catatonic. I think it’s why those Lazarus Pits were able to take a hold of you like they did.”

“So, I brought myself back just not all the way, and the Lazarus Pits finished the job, but left me kind of broken in the process?” Jason asked to clarify.

“That’s a good way of thinking about it, but essentially, yes.”

“And what does this have to do with you ‘fixing’ me?” Jason circled back to why Danny had invaded his library to begin with.

“From what you’ve described, these Lazarus Pits sound like corrupted ecto. I know I said earlier being around you makes want to gag, but I was kinda joking. In reality, I have been around ecto that’s gone bad. And you smell like that. Which is what makes me think that ectoplasm and these Lazarus Pits are connected. And on top of that, you ARE a Revenant.”

“And that means what exactly?” Jason snarked.

“I’m getting there, you walking tank,” Danny snarked back. Jason laughed. “The ecto in you got...stuck. That's the best way I can describe it. And since you don’t have a core, like me, to filter it out or pull in fresh stuff from the air, which Gotham has plenty of, you’re basically just recycling the icky stuff. So, basically what I’m going to do is pull out the bad stuff while ALSO filtering in the good stuff. Once I push in the good stuff, you will automatically start filtering ecto from the ambient shit in the air.”

“Will it hurt?” Jason would be damned if he let Danny hurt himself just make himself feel better.

“I…don’t know. Never done anything like this before,” Danny answered honestly, instead of hedging like he normally would have.

“Danny.”

“Jason.”

Jason sighed. Jason gave up first. “Fine. But if anything goes wrong, I’m totally throwing you under the bus.”

“That’s fair,” Danny said with a nod.

“So, how are we doing this?”

“I think it would be better if you were laying down. I’m not sure how you’re going to react.”

Jason hummed as he laid down. He didn’t know what to expect when Danny laid his cool hands on his chest. He was not expecting an ice bath. He was not expecting for his heart to damn near jump out of his chest. He was not expecting the Pit to throw a temper tantrum and dig its heels in. He was not expecting a literal fight for his life. It took everything in all of this training to not scream. Somewhere above his head, he heard Danny grunt, and then a soft “fucking hell” floated from somewhere to his right. And then Jason knew nothing but darkness.

“Little Wing! Little Wing!”

Oh. That was Dick’s voice. But why did he sound so worried. What the fuck happened?

Jason opened his eyes. Shit. They were in the Cave. Jason groaned. He heard two sets of heart monitors. SHIT! Why were there two sets of monitors? Who else was in the cave?

“Dickface, what happened?” Jason groaned out.

“Little Wing, we were hoping you could tell us. Alfred found you and Danny passed out in the library. Or rather, you were passed out, and Danny was having what looked like a seizure before he went unconscious. What happened?” That explained the second heart monitor. Danny must be in the other bed.

Jason didn’t know how he was going to explain Danny’s latest round of “Let’s traumatize my new family” to Dick, Tim (who he had noticed was hovering over Danny’s bed), and Bruce who had just entered the medbay. Jason groaned again which was then echoed by Danny.

“What the fuck hit me?” Danny rasped out.

“Danny, do you remember what happened?” Tim asked. “Alfred found you seizing and Jason unconscious.”

“To be honest, I didn’t know that would happen,” Danny hedged.

“Danny, stop stalling,” Tim said warningly.

“First, Jason. How do you really feel?”

Jason thought about for a moment. Then, he reached for the Pit. And for the first time since he resurrected, his head was silent. There were no vile whispers in his head telling him how Bruce didn’t love him, or how Tim replaced him, or how Batman chose the Joker over him, or how his family had pushed him out. He could finally breathe. He didn’t realize he had started crying until he was smothered in one of Dick’s famous octopus hugs.

“Jaylad, what is it?” Bruce asked softly.

“Danny took the Pit away,” he replied in sheer awe.

Chapter Text

Danny was sandwiched between Tim and Jason on the couch. After all, he was still recovering from his bout of ghost flu and whatever he’d done to get rid the corrupted ectoplasm in Jason. Dani was settled on the chaise lounge next to Damian. The rest of the family had gathered and settled on various bits of furniture and were facing the large screen TV. Today was the day. The UN Summit about the Anti-Ecto Control Acts. It was a full General Assembly, and it was an emergency session. This was it. This was the deciding factor of literally both Danny’s and Dani’s life or half-life. The only person missing was Bruce, but he was playing an important role somewhere else, and everyone understood exactly how important his role was.

“Welcome all Representatives to the 77^th Emergency Session of the UN General Assembly. This will be a full session.” The welcome was repeated in about 7 different languages. It would have taken far too long to repeat in all 200 languages of the nations represented. Most of the representatives had translators tucked in their ears anyways. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman stood to the side of the stage.

The UN President stood up and called the Assembly to order. “Today a serious matter has been brought to our attention by our friends in the Justice League. Around two years ago, the United States of America and Canada passed a series of laws named the Anti-Ectoplasmic Control Acts.” A gasp went through the gathered representatives. “The wording of these Acts state that any beings who use, are contaminated with, or produce a substance known as ectoplasm are to be turned over to the agency known as the Ghost Investigation Ward for containment, experimentation, and eventual extermination.” A shout of outrage went through the assembly room. The representatives of both the US and Canada were looking decidedly uncomfortable. Either they hadn’t actually read the exact verbiage of the Acts, or they were willfully ignorant to their respective countries’ potential genocidal acts. “Do the representatives of either country have anything to say about these horrendous Acts before we put the matter to vote before the full Assembly?”

The chosen representative, Representative Aubert, from Canada spoke first. “President McIntosh, rest assured, Canada will repeal these Acts and will do everything in our power to disband and take down this Ghost Investigation Ward. We will endeavor to work will the Justice League to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. They should never have been passed to begin with. They go against everything in the Meta Protection Acts, and everything that we, as a nation, stand for.”

The chosen representative for the US had a thoughtful look on her face before she spoke. “The Acts and the Ghost Investigation Ward have kept us safe from beings far more powerful than we could ever imagine,” began Representative Gonzalez.

“By what measurement, Representative Gonzales? So far, the only known research comes from two very, very biased so-called ecto-biologists, whose papers are so full drivel, prejudices, down right rot, it was any wonder that they were even published at all. By all accounts, the only known town that has ever encountered any ecto-entities is a small town in central Illinois, called Amity Park.” The UN President countered.

“Yes, this is true,” conceded the US representative.

“Have you even read the Acts?” The US representative show her head in the negative. “Have you, personally, encountered one of these ghosts or ecto-entities?” Another head shake. “And yet, you presume to lecture this Assembly on beings who are presumably all powerful, based on the so-called research of two crackpot scientists and a frankly shady government organization.” The US Representative flushed a deep pink in embarrassment.

Before any more arguments could be heard there was a commotion at the door. And then it was burst open. A behemoth of a man in an…was that an ORANGE HAZMAT SUIT?...ran in. He followed by a woman in teal, and yes that was indeed a HAZMAT suit. They were followed by several people in white suits. WHO WORE WHITE ANYMORE?!?! All of them had some sort of strange black goggles on their head.

Back in the Waynes’ sitting room, Danny was in a state of shock. He knew his par…Jack and Maddie…were likely to do something, but he really hadn’t expected THIS. He truly hadn’t thought that they’d be THIS stupid. There’d be no saving them. He’d gotten a frantic call from Tucker that they’d disappeared from Amity Park, and that most of the GIW had also pulled out, but no one could track their movements. Danny’s mouth dropped open in shock, and both Jason and Tim crowded as close as they could into his personal space. At least Steph’s dad was only a minor villain and stayed local to Gotham. This went so far beyond minor villain and skyrocketed right into supervillain territory. Like they would forever be on the entire Justice League’s watchlist type of supervillainy. If they didn’t end up in Blackgate or some other federal prison. Bruce wouldn’t even need to fight them for custody of Danny at this point.

“Those ghost scum have manipulated you!” Maddie yelled.

Fortunately, Batman had anticipated something like this and had multiple members of the Justice League on standby as security. All four of the Green Lanterns swept in and started containing the white-suited agents, or operatives as they called themselves. Nightwing and Flash had set up a containment area for them to be brought to and were setting up something like an identification process. Superman himself was holding down Jack, while Wonder Woman had used her Lasso on Maddie.

“You can’t do this. You’re making a mistake!” Maddie yelled while struggling against her restraints.

“Why do you think so?” Wonder Woman asked, her voice calm.

“Ghosts are nothing but post-human emotions imprinted on ectoplasm. Those ghost scum are manipulating you,” Maddie attempted to explain. She knew that if she could get Wonder Woman to see that she was right, then everything would go back to the way it should be. “They’re vile and evil.”

“How can emotions manipulate others?” Wonder Woman asked, still in that calm voice.

“Because they’re evil,” Maddie maintained.

“So you’ve said. But emotions in and of themselves are not evil and cannot think. Anger is not evil. It needs intention and direction. Same could be said for hatred, sorrow, or even joy and happiness. None of those are evil as they stand by themselves. None of those things can manipulate another. There must be something behind the emotion for manipulation to occur. There must be thought of some kind to give the emotion its forward motion,” Wonder Woman explained, as if she were explaining something to a small child. Maddie stilled. The entire Assembly stilled. Wonder Woman had a point. Representative Gonzalez looked like she was actively sucking a lemon.

Wonder Woman held out her hand, and Batman handed her a report. “This is a report from your hometown, Amity Park, Illinois. In all of the ghost attacks, a total of five-hundred and forty-three thousand American dollars was reported in property damage from the actual ghost attack. However, Dr. Madeline Fenton, between yourself, Dr. Jackson Fenton, and the Ghost Investigation Ward, a total of 2.5 million American dollars was reported in structural or property damage. And this was usually incurred AFTER the ghost attack had been otherwise contained by the hero, Phantom.” Maddie looked down in shame. “Furthermore, we have received reports that your local news station included something called Fenton Watch on the daily weather report, which was whether or not Dr. Jackson Fenton would be driving that day since his driving, with or without ghost attacks was known to cause significant property damage.”

Back at the Waynes’, the sitting room erupted into howls of laughter. Tucker had sent Danny the saved videos of the Fenton Watch reports, which had also included some of the actual recording of Jack’s driving. The Waynes had all been amazed that Danny had survived as long as he did, the portal accident notwithstanding since the GAV had been the Fentons’ daily driving vehicle in addition to their ghost hunting vehicle.

“In all of the actual ghost attacks, so long as Phantom himself responded, there was not a single casualty nor even a major human injury. Minor injuries were reported such as a few lacerations, minor broken bones, and general bumps, scrapes, and bruises. Those are to be expected in any sort of rogue or villain attack. However, the same could not be said when either yourself, Jackson Fenton, or the Ghost Investigation Ward responded to the ghost attacks. From yourself and Jackson Fenton responding, there were reports of at least 78 major or life-threatening injuries, including three permanent injuries that resulted in the victim either needing a wheelchair or other ambulatory device for the rest of their lives, and one death.” Maddie gasped and jerked. Jack slumped in Superman’s hold. “The Ghost Investigation Ward’s reports are much more severe. 103 severe injuries, of which 8 were permanent. 14 deaths.”

Like the shot heard round the world that started the American Revolution, this was the silence heard round the world. Maddie was breathing heavily. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It wasn’t…

“So, tell me. How was Phantom, a supposed imprint of emotions on ectoplasm, able to keep the amount of property damage, the severity of human casualty, and prevent human death, if there was no thought there? This tells me that all of your research is wrong. This tells me that Phantom cares for humans in a way that you, Madeline, do not,” Wonder Woman said, still in that calm, teaching voice. But those around her recognized the threat and shrank back from her.

“No, that’s not…” Maddie began. Wonder Woman quirked an eyebrow up at her. Maddie fell silent.

“Representative Gonzalez. Before we were interrupted, I believe you were about to vote on whether or not the Anti-Ectoplasmic Control Acts should be repealed and the Ghost Investigation Ward be disbanded and also investigated for their crimes against the Meta Protection Acts,” Wonder Woman said, dismissing Maddie and Jack into the custody of the Lanterns who had finished securing the operatives of the GIW.

“Ah…um…yes. I believe that the US should repeal the Acts and an investigation conducted post-haste,” Gonzalez stammered. She had felt so sure, so secure when she had walked into this Assembly. And now, she felt wrong-footed somehow. Adrift in a sea without a life raft or life preserver.

“For a final vote, all countries will now be presented with the opportunity to vote on this matter,” President McIntosh called the meeting to order. It was no surprise that an overwhelming majority voted to repeal the Acts and have the Ghost Investigation Ward disbanded and investigated. They were to be turned over to the Lanterns since they had committed what was essentially an interdimensional war crime. Same with the Fentons. Since they were the ones who had turned Phantom, the Ghost King, over to the Ghost Investigation Ward. Little did the Fentons know that Bruce Wayne would be adding charges to them.

Danny was still in a state of shock. In one fell swoop, Wonder Woman had managed to change the world’s opinion on ghosts. Granted his par…Jack and Maddie were likely going to prison, and he wasn’t too sure how he felt about that, but even so. She, Wonder Woman, had with a few vicious (or at least vicious to him) words turned their entire perception on its head. Maddie looked wrecked. Like she hadn’t known what to think anymore. And Jack looked like he’d had some kind of epiphany.

Jason and Tim still pressed close to their brother. And shockingly, Damian pressed closer to Dani. The rest of the family were happy that Danny could, if he wanted, be part of their nightlife. But also, he could just be himself without having to worry about being hunted. They could officially announce to the world the newest additions to the Wayne family without having to worry about any repercussions beyond the normal Gotham craziness. There was always the chance of a Rogue attack. It was Gotham; a Rogue attack was almost a given, especially if they were announcing new Waynes. But they wouldn’t have to deal with Danny or Dani, specifically, being targeted. Danny didn’t realize how much stress he’d been under.

“Would you like to um…see it…my Phantom form, I mean?” He asked, suddenly itching to show his family. He knew that Tim, Dick, and Jason had already seen it. But the others hadn’t, and he had a sudden need, an urge to show them. There was a resounding chorus of yes throughout the room.

Danny got up off the couch and moved to the middle of the room. He warned his family that his transformation was going to be bright, and Duke, especially, may need to either look away or close his eyes. He shook out his limbs, and then he let his transformation wash over him. Ethereal white rings washed over him. They started at his waist and split and went head-to-toe. His whole color palette inverted. He was no longer wearing his comfy lounge pants and t-shirts. He was now wearing his white boots, black pants with the neon green stripe, black-plated armor with his DP logo on the chest, and his white fingerless gloves. His white hair floated as if it were underwater, and his bright green eyes looked around the room in curiosity. His ears were pointed, like an elf’s, and his skin was blue-tinted. The only things missing were the crown, the ring, and the cape. But overall, it was still Danny.

“WOW,” Steph breathed out, being the first to break the reverent silence that had fallen over the room. “That’s soooo cool!”

And then chaos reigned supreme. Not even Alfred could control it. Danny had never felt better.

Chapter Text

What Do Mad Scientists and Lost Drake Twins Have in Common?

An Article by Clark Kent

Daily Planet

Ecto-biology is defined as the study of ectoplasm and all its traits and properties. Ectoplasm, as the world has recently discovered, is what ghosts, or ecto-entites are made of. The reason for this discovery is due to Doctors Jackson Fenton and Madeline Fenton. These ‘supposed’ doctors are ecto-biologists. They received their PhD from the University of Wisconsin where they published their thesis papers. The Doctors Fentons attacked the 77^th Emergency Session of the United Nations General Assembly two days ago. The United Nations had been made aware of active laws in the United States and Canada which severely violated the Meta Protection Acts. These laws were termed the Anti-Ectoplasmic Control Acts which stated that any humans or beings which used, produced, or were contaminated with ectoplasm were to be handed over to the Ghost Investigation Ward for containment, experimentation, and extermination. The whole reason that the Meta Protection Acts were passed were to prevent atrocities like this from happening. The Doctors Fenton claimed that the United Nations had been manipulated by ghosts and that all ghosts were evil and wanting the end of the world.

The Justice League was on site to provide security for this session. Not only did the Doctors Fenton attack, but so did multiple agents or operatives of this so-called government agency, Ghost Investigation Ward. Flash, Nightwing, Martian Manhunter, and several other Justice League members worked on containing the agressors. Superman restrained Jackson Fenton, and Wonder Woman restrained Madeline Fenton. When Madeline Fenton tried to appeal to Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman turned her own reasoning against the doctor. By the end of the meeting, the US and Canada as well as the majority of the UN had voted to repeal the horrid Anti-Ectoplasmic Control Acts.

During the investigation into the Doctors Fenton, it was discovered that they had two children. Their older child was college-aged and was already out of the house. This reporter reached out to her, and she was only too happy to speak to me, although she did wish to remain anonymous stating that she had legally changed her name due to not only how they, (she wouldn’t even call them her parents, she would only say their name), treated her growing up, but also how they treated her little brother.

“Growing up, there was lots of neglect. I can recognize now that how we grew up was not normal. Sure, I thought that maybe it was a little weird when I was there. But once I got out and started hanging around my friends here at college, I realized that they were borderline abusive, and definitely downright neglectful. I basically raised my little brother. I bought him school clothes. I cooked him breakfast. I made sure that he did his homework. And when he got sick, I was the one who took care of him. Jack and Maddie were too busy in their lab that they never even noticed. And once the ghost attacks started, it got ten times worse.

And then my little brother. My sweet little brother. Four and half months ago. He came out to them. Four months ago, they tested his ectoplasm contamination levels. He apparently tested ‘too high’ or some other bullshit…excuse my language…and they tried to turn him over to the GIW. It just so happened on a week when I was home. Me, and two of his friends got him out. We were able to rush a Minor Emancipation through the court system in Cook County. Then, we packed him up and shipped him off to Gotham. He couldn’t even contact me or his friends for fear that they would find him.” For a few minutes, she just cries over the phone. I give her all the time she needs to compose herself. “A week ago, I finally, finally got a call from him. I got to see him, even if it was only a video call. He said that he found his family.”

“What do you mean he found his family?” I asked.

“Just before Jack and Maddie pulled what they pulled, my little brother and I found out that he was actually adopted. It was the reason we actually sent him to Gotham. His birth family was from there. I was so happy for him. But, I told him that he was still my little brother no matter what.”

“And how did he find his family, if you don’t me asking?”

“That’s his story.”

Which brings me to Wayne Manor. I’ve interviewed more than one adoptee of Bruce Wayne. I had no idea I would be interviewing Tim Drake-Wayne’s younger siblings, a set of fraternal twins. Daniel James Drake-Wayne and Danielle Jane Drake-Wayne. Twins who had been separated at birth, an all-too-common story, and given up for adoption. Daniel, call me Danny, and Danielle, call me Dani, (share a grin between themselves) seem a little nervous. Danny leans towards Tim, and Dani is leaning on Cassandra Cain-Wayne.

“Danny, I talked to your sister. She told me that your parents…”

“Jack and Maddie. They’re not my parents,” he replied. There’s a little venom in his voice. Not that I can blame him. Parents who would not only kick their child out for being part of the LGBTQIA+ community but would also turn them over to a government agency that would condone experimentation on them do not deserve their child’s love.

“Right. My apologies. She told me that Jack and Maddie adopted you. Let’s start with that, shall we?”

Danny nods, and Tim squeezes his hand. “So, Jack and Maddie were in Egypt for one of their ghost hunts. This was way before ghosts were even proven to be real. They met another couple there. This couple was Jack and Janet Drake. Jack and Janet were on some kind of archeological contract dig and couldn’t come back to the States for a while. Janet ended up pregnant with me and Dani. Jack and Janet didn’t want the babies, but Jack and Maddie only wanted one of them. That’s how I ended up with the Fentons. Dani ended up with another couple. But as soon as they got back to the States, they dumped her in the foster system.”

Dani takes up the story from that point. “I was basically like a foster family bingo card. Every few weeks to months, I would get dumped to another family. Sometimes, I would go as long as six months. That’s why I’m not in the same grade as Danny. My schooling got so messed up as a consequence of jumping around so much. Sometimes I was homeschooled, but the fosters didn’t always update the systems like they should have, and when I did attend a regular school, I wasn’t there long enough to affect anything like a GPA or finish a grade level or anything. I’m just thankful that the placement test that Gotham Academy let me take has me at the ninth-grade level and not lower. I would be mortified if I was any further behind my brother.”

“Hey, you’re not stupid. You can’t help that the foster system is vastly underfunded and under-prepared and overpopulated that cases like yours get lost in it,” Danny gently chided his twin. Dani swallowed thickly and nodded. I can see tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

“That leads me to my next question. How did you find Tim?”

Danny laughs. It’s a full and genuine laugh that seems to relieve some of the tension that had settled in the room. “Well. Funny story. Once I got to Gotham, I did a basic Google search about my bio-parents. I was kind of bummed to find out that they were both dead. And yes, I knew that there was a Tim Drake-Wayne, but I kind of figured he was a cousin or something, and I really, really didn’t know how to approach THAT. So, I figured that since I was here, I could focus on school and work. A couple of weeks ago, I was on my way home from work, when some random goons thought I was Tim. They kidnapped me and contacted the Waynes. The Waynes alerted Batman who rescued me. Batman realized that I really did look like Bruce Wayne’s third son, and they arranged a meeting. Next thing you know, I have a brother.”

I turn to Dani. “And you Dani. How did you realize that you were a missing Drake?”

“My latest foster family had enrolled me in Gotham Middle School because that was where my last public-school record said I was. All of my classmates would tease me about how much I looked like Tim Drake-Wayne. Said I could be his clone or something.” Danny, Dani, and Tim snort at her comment. “Last week, I snuck out of school and made my way to Wayne Enterprises. As soon as I entered the building, I was ushered into his office. Tim was surprised. He brought me back here to the Manor. A few days later the DNA test came back. Not only was Tim my brother, but so was Danny. Bruce was able to get me away from my latest foster failure. And now I have a wonderful family. Finally.”

And that’s what Mad Scientists have in common with the lost Drake Twins.

-------------------------------------------

“Hey, Red,” Phantom started with a semi-strained voice.

“What’s up, Phantom?” Red Robin turned towards where his brother was floating. He landed on a roof and could actually see a sheen of sweat forming on his brother's forehead. “Are you ok?”

“Quick question. The panic button, tracker, and comm that we’ve been working on specifically for me. Are any and/or all of them working?”

“I’ve got the prototypes working. Why, what’s wrong?” Red asked, growing more and more concerned with Phantom’s line of questioning.

“Do you have any of them with you, like right now this very moment?”

“I have one of each. Phantom. You’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

“I need you to give me them. PLEASE,” Phantom cried desperately. Red Robin reached into his pouch and procured the items that Phantom asked about. “So…I don’t have much time. But I’m about to go poof. I will activate all three as soon as I can.”

“PHANTOM! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE ABOUT TO GO POOF?!?!” Red Robin screeched. The comms in Red’s ear went silent.

“I’m being summoned…” And with that a bright light enveloped Phantom, and like he said, he poofed. He was gone.

“Red Robin, Report,” Batman grunted out.

“Phan…Phantom…gone…” Red Robin wheezed out.

“B, Hood is closest to his location, and I can reroute him and have him there in 2 minutes,” Oracle chimed in.

“Hn,” Batman grunted.

“Already on it. I have visual.” Hood had already been in motion the moment he realized what Phantom meant when he said that he was going to “poof”. “Replacement…Replacement…REPLACEMENT!” Hood yelled at the other vigilante and got no response. “RED ROBIN!” Finally, he got an acknowledgement. “I need you to breathe with me. In for 5. Hold for 7. Out for 5. In for 5. Hold for 7. Out for 5. In for 5. Hold for 7. Out for 5.” Hood repeated this cycle for several minutes until he heard the roar of the Batmobile beneath him. “Red Robin, come on. You back with me?” Red Robin nodded numbly. Hood sighed.

“Ok, kid. Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to make a harness and lower you to the Batmobile, OK?” Red Robin nodded again. Hood got to work using the cape of Red Robin and the grapple line of both of their grappling hooks. It was a shoddy patchwork job, but it would hold until they got to the ground. Batman and Robin were there waiting and took Red Robin and placed him in the backseat. He was still barely functional. “I’ll meet you back at the Cave.”

“Hn,” Batman grunted. Both Batman and Robin jumped into the Batmobile and vanished into the night.

Hood used his bike’s auto-navigation feature to summon it to him so he could make his way back to the Cave. By the time he got back, Alfred was fussing over the nearly catatonic Tim; Bruce was being his emotionally constipated self; Dick was fluttering about; Damian was scowling in the corner; Cass and Steph were both curled up on a couch holding onto each other. Everyone looked up at Jason as he approached the medbay where Tim had been taken to be looked over.

“Jason, Report,” Bruce finally snapped out.

“Phantom was summoned. Fortunately, he managed to get the comm, tracker, and panic button from Tim just before he disappeared,” Jason replied succinctly. Tim wheezed, and Dick rushed into the medbay to re-calm Tim down.

“Hey guys,” Steph called from the Batcomputer. “Phantom’s everything just activated.”

Everyone rushed out to see where the hell he’d been summoned to.

Nanda Parbat. He’d been summoned by Ra’s Al Ghul.

WHAT! THE! FUCK!

-------------------------------------------

Phantom stepped through the portal in all of his kingly regalia. He looked around the room in interest. He’d never been summoned to a place like this. It was occasionally high school girls’ rooms late at night when they were having a sleepover. More than likely, it was a cult who wanted world domination or something along those lines. And they almost always got the summoning circle wrong. Made his mouth taste like the time he had to eat Dash Baxter’s underwear. This summoning circle was still wrong, but at least his mouth only tasted like he’d eaten a two-day old moldy ham sandwich, which ewww, but still. Better than most.

He was in a cave looking room. There was a familiar pull next to him. He glanced down at the summoning circle, and yep. Pariah Dark’s name was etched in the runes. And oh…there was no binding circle. Cool. Cool. Wait. Did they use a blood sacrifice? Double EWWWWW. And why were there ninjas all around him? Granted the ninjas were kinda cool, but ninjas were so last century. And why did they all feel liminal. And someone was talking to him. Talking to him about living forever and eternal youth.

“Woah, hold up. Imma stop you right there,” Phantom said while holding up a hand. As he brought his hand up, he managed to activate his panic button, his tracker, and put his comm in his ear while also activating it. The man talking to him looked absolutely offended. The ninjas all tensed and put their hands on their swords. Phantom took a moment to really look at the man. He was dressed in a green and gold robe. He had black hair with a white stripe around the base of it. His eyes were green, almost the same green as his. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties. And suddenly it clicked for Phantom. He was in the League of Assassins, and the man was the leader. No wonder he gave off total froot loop vibes, but worse. Like froot loop part two, electric boogaloo. He looked to his left, and yep. That must be the famous Lazarus Pits, or one of them. And yep, again. They were totally sewer water run-off from the Infinite Realms. Oh wait, froot loop was talking at him again.

“Great and mighty Pariah Dark…”

“Not Pariah Dark, my dude.” A scowl appeared on froot loop’s face. (Where had he seen that scowl before?) Phantom was totally going to love being the chaos gremlin he was to this man. At least Vlad had grown somewhat desensitized to Phantom’s taunts over the years. “Name’s Phantom, High King of the Infinite Realms, Newly Born Ancient of Space. Bringer of Peace. Defeater of the Mad Tyrant. Balance Between Life and Death. Chosen of the Realms. Beloved Halfing of Lady Gotham.” There was a hiss in his ear.

“I…see,” froot loop replied slowly.

“And you are?” Phantom inquired.

“I am Ra’s Al Ghul.” There was another hiss in Phantom’s ear. “As I mentioned earlier, I have summoned you, High King Phantom to grant me immortality and eternal youth.”

“Yeah, I got that. But no can do, froot loop.” A third hiss accompanied the name along with a couple of giggles.

Ra’s scowled again. (Damn, where did Phantom know that scowl from. He would swear that he’d seen it before.) “And why not? I followed the summoning…”

“Yeah no…You followed Pariah’s summoning. Again. Not Pariah. But also, what part of Ghost implies that I can grant you immortality. Like seriously dude, all souls eventually have to come to me. Even you.”

“What are you, a child?” Ra’s snarled.

“Umm. Yeah. I died. When I was 14. Of course I’m a child.” Phantom deadpanned. Snorts and giggles sounded off in his ear. Phantom had to fight to keep his own face straight. And of course, he didn’t mention his halfa status. Ra’s looked like he was sucking a lemon.

“You mean to tell me a CHILD defeated the previous Ghost King,” he asked in utter disbelief.

“What like it’s hard?” This time his ear was covered in full belly laughs. He didn’t mention that he’d almost died, like all the way, during his fight with Pariah, and he also didn’t mention that he’d had help, but this version of the froot loop didn’t need know those particular details.

“So, if I challenge you, I can become the new king,” Ra’s asked with a calculative look on his face.

“Hold on a minute there, hoss,” Phantom said bringing his hands up in the classic time-out motion. The sucking lemon expression was back on Ra’s face, and Phantom was going deaf from the laughter in his ear. “Being Ghost King implies a certain state of alive-ness or rather unalive-ness. Which contradicts your previous request for immortality. And did you miss the whole Chosen of the Realms when I was reciting my titles.”

Ra’s growled. And then drew his sword. He full on attacked Phantom who simply turned intangible and stepped out of the summoning circle. This seemed to make Ra’s even madder. Ra’s signaled for his assassins to attack en masse. So, Phantom, being the feral shit he was, grinned. There were too many teeth in his grin, and his eyes began to glow. He conjured an ice sword, knowing that with all of the ectoplasm in the air, even if it was slightly rotten, he wouldn’t be running out of power any time soon. And then the fight was joined in earnest. But he didn’t fight with just his sword. More than one assassin who got too close came away missing a limb or two. Phantom’s mouth was bloody and not because an assassin was lucky enough to get a hit in on him there.

Ra’s was growing more and more furious by the second. This was NOT supposed to be how this went. He was Ra’s Al Ghul fucking damnit. He was the Demon’s Head. He was supposed to be the most powerful man in the world.

Phantom was growing bored. His family informed him that they were less than 5 minutes out. “Hey, froot loop. I bet I can really piss you off.” There were calls in his ears to not do anything stupid, but by this time stupid was pretty much his middle name.

Ra’s watched in horror as the Ghost King floated over to the middle of his precious Lazarus Pit. He watched as the boy began glowing, and the Pits began…RESONATING???????...What in the absolute hell…What was the boy…child…king doing? He was sucking up the Pits. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! That was his Pit. How would he be able to maintain his youth? But somewhere deep in Ra’s soul, he knew…KNEW…that this boy, Phantom wasn’t just sucking up this one Pit. A commotion at the entrance the cave’s mouth housing the Pit caught his attention. Of course, the Bats would show up. They watched in horror as well. But Phantom didn’t stop. The Pits continued to swirl up and into Phantom. After a few minutes, the cave fell silent. And all that was left of the Pits was a muddy hole. Not a speck of green was left.

Phantom noticed his family had arrived, but he also noticed that he was beginning to not feel so great. “R’d R’b’n…,” he slurred.

Red Robin panicked for half a second before he turned to Batman and snapped his cape off the man’s back and ran full pelt into the crater; the rest of the Bats right behind him. Phantom began dropping from the air. Red Robin caught Phantom and swaddled the cape around him just as his transformation rings wrapped around him. Red Robin unhooked his own cape and quickly made sure that no part of Danny was visible. Red Robin passed Danny to Hood who would be better able to carry his brother and run, and then the Bats were moving once again. But surprisingly, they were able to leave unimpeded. Granted, that was probably because the assassins were afraid of getting bitten again. And Ra’s was in too much shock to give an order. So, they made it back to the Batplane without any further issue. The flight back to Gotham was silent as each of the vigilantes processed exactly what Danny had done.

Danny moaned. His head felt like it was stuffed full of cotton, and his throat was on fire. He felt like he had the ghost flu again. He would have thought that if his memories didn’t come rushing back to him. He groaned again just for good measure. Tim flicked his head.

“Ow. What was that for?” Danny groused.

“Because you, dear brother, are an absolute idiot,” Tim replied.

“Here, here,” said Jason as he entered the medbay. “Hey, Casper. You feeling any better?”

“Not really. That was some really rancid ecto.”

“Again, you’re an idiot, Brother Mine.” Tim flicked Danny’s head again.

“Master Tim, don’t antagonize your brother in the medbay,” said Alfred as he walked in to check on his patient.

“Yes, Alfred,” Tim said without remorse. Alfred raised an eyebrow at that, but Tim looked at him in defiance. Alfred sighed. “Master Danny, are you feeling well enough to be released back to your room?”

“Yeah, I would like that. Thank you, Alfred.”

“You’re welcome.”

Jason had to help Danny back to his room as he admitted that his legs felt like Jell-O. By the time, they reached they reached the elevator, Jason decided it was best to just carry Danny since he was practically a limp noodle anyways. Jason chuckled at Danny’s protests. Tim flicked Danny’s forehead a third time. When they got to his room, they had a veritable audience. Dick, Bruce, and Damian had joined Jason and Tim.

“Danny, does being summoned happen often?”

“It hasn’t happened since I’ve been living here with you guys,” Danny hedged.

“Danny,” Tim said flatly.

“Tim.”

“Danny, answer the question.”

Danny deflated. “Besides, being summoned by the Justice League, the last time I was summoned was about two months ago. All-in-all, it took about ten minutes. Some cultists wanted the usual. Kill everyone and take over the world.”

“DANNY!!!!” Everyone in the room exclaimed.

“And why didn’t we hear about this?” Bruce finally asked.

“If you’re asking we, as in the Bats, it’s because it wasn’t in Gotham. I think it was somewhere in Star City. It might have been in Jump City. I forget.”

“WHAT?!?!” another in-unison exclamation. Danny shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. Tim facepalmed. Bruce, Dick, and Jason all just sighed.

“How many times and where are you summoned?” Tim asked while pulling out a laptop out of…somewhere.

“Right after I became Ghost King, I was summoned, like a lot. Apparently, since Pariah was locked in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep, he couldn’t be summoned. Which is good thing. But once the title passed to me, all of those summons caught up to me.” Danny actually looked sheepish.

“That still doesn’t answer the question,” Tim chastised.

“I can’t give you the answer you’re wanting. I never really keep track. Mostly because it’s so random. Usually at night. Sometimes, it’s like high school sleepovers. Those are usually fun. Most of the time it some random cult wanting me to destroy the city they’re in, destroy the world, or give them the power to destroy the world. Which like really sucks. I’m a Protector Spirit. I couldn’t give them that kind of power, even if I wanted to. At least, the high schoolers really just want like company or something.”

The five others in the room collectively sighed. What even was his life? Not even the Bat colony was as complicated as Danny’s seemed to be.

“Question. Do we have to worry about Ra’s summoning you again?” Jason asked worriedly.

“Not really?” Danny posed the statement as a question. “Once a person or group summons me, they leave something like an imprint or signature behind. So, I can tell who is summoning me. And that person or group can’t be withing a certain radius of the summoning circle, although I can’t you the exact distance. That means if they’ve summoned me before, and it was someone that I didn’t like I can refuse the summon. I can’t refuse the initial summon.”

“Danny, I think we need to talk about an internal, permanent tracker,” Tim suggested.

“I wouldn’t be opposed. I know better than most the summonings don’t always go as planned. Plus, the GIW is still out there. I’m not stupid enough to believe that just because they’ve been officially disbanded doesn’t mean that they’ve given up. Agent Alpha, Agent K, and Agent O were especially nasty.”

“Do you know who they were?” Bruce asked.

“No, I never saw them outside of their suits,” Danny replied with a sigh of his own.

“What was the nicest summoning you’ve attended?” Damian asked.

“Ooh, that one’s easy. It was the one done by the sad trench coat man,” Danny said happily.

“Sad trench coat man?” Jason parroted back.

“Yeah, you know. The one who summoned me for the Justice League. He actually got my summoning circle right. And he’s the first one to do so. The only thing that could have been improved was if he’d offered a cookie or something. But otherwise, 9/10 would recommend.”

“Danny, do you mean Constantine?” Dick wheezed out. There was no way that he could be talking about the conman.

“Oh, was that his name? All I really remember about him besides him being the sad trench coat man was that he was maybe British…”

Yep, Danny was totally describing Constantine. It took Jason all of 3 seconds to process before he devolved into full on belly laughing. Sad trench coat man was the perfect way to describe Constantine, and the next time he saw the man, Jason was going to call the conman that to his face. Tim, Dick, and Bruce were soon laughing with him. Damian quirked his lips up, even if he refused to laugh.

Danny yawned, and the others took that as their signal to let him rest. Danny reached out to grab Tim’s sleeve. Tim turned back and slipped into the bed with Danny with a sigh. Danny had had a few bad nightmares during the last few days while he’d been recovering from being summoned by Ra’s, and Tim knew that Danny still didn’t want to be left alone. Tim didn’t exactly blame Danny. Being the Ghost King was nothing but a front, but underneath he was still a scared 16-year-old. Danny settled in next to Tim, and it didn’t take either of them long to fall asleep.

Chapter Text

Vlad was NOT having a good time. Daniel had disappeared without a trace four months ago. He’d heard some rather disturbing rumors, but he didn’t really want those to be true. The only way that he was going to get to bottom of it was (a violent shudder racked his body at the thought) going to go and talk to Jack and Maddie. He was not opposed to speaking with his dear Madeline, but the thought of enduring that boorish oaf, Jack, was not a pleasant thought. He took another look at himself in the mirror to make sure his gray hair was impeccable before he left his castle via portal and opened another portal near Amity Park.

He trekked into the quaint little city and immediately noticed several things. First, the people were…happier…Yes, they seemed to be happier about something. Second, there was a distinct lack of white kidnapper vans and people in glaring white suits tromping about. Third, there were no ghosts. This normally wouldn’t have been cause for alarm, but to Vlad, it raised his hackles. There were ALWAYS ghosts, even if they were the cute little blob ghosts floating around. Vlad couldn’t sense ANY of those around.

He made his way to the familiar FentonWorks house. The monstrosity of the UFO-like contraption was still sitting on top of it. The sign was still lit up and blinking. Everything about the house was as familiar as it could be, but as he got closer, Vlad couldn’t help the cold chill the crept up his spine. Something unsettled him, and in the deepest depths of his mind, he admitted that it took a lot to unsettle him. After all, there were few beings more powerful than him, Daniel notwithstanding.

Vlad knocked on the door, and no one answered. That unsettling feeling crept deeper into his bones. He looked around to make sure no one was watching him, and then he phased into the house. It was empty. That was unusual. He took his time. He knew that Jasmine was off at college, but Maddie and Jack wouldn’t dare to go too far from their precious portal. He made his way down to their lab and found it abandoned as well. He went to their garage, and then his heart sunk. The GAV was gone.

Vlad made his was back into the main streets of Amity. The celebration was still going on. He stopped someone to see what was going on.

“Oh, Mister Masters. We’re celebrating the downfall of the GIW. Here, you can read all about it,” said the random citizen that Vlad had stopped.

He shoved a newspaper article in Vlad’s face. It was a Daily Planet article. It talked about how Jack and Maddie had attacked the UN Summit. Vlad felt a pit form in his stomach. Oh Ancients! Surely, surely, they wouldn’t have been that stupid. He reread the article. But it continued to say the same thing. The Justice League had somehow found out about the Anti-Ecto Control Acts and the GIW. The UN had voted to repeal the Anti-Ecto Control Acts and disband the GIW. The GIW were being investigated. But due to their actions at the UN Summit, Jack (and Vlad couldn’t care less about Jack) and Maddie had been arrested and were being held, pending several investigations.

“Fudgesicles!” Vlad exclaimed.

If the Justice League began investigating the GIW, they would see that at one point, he was one their primary backers. Granted, he hadn’t been since Daniel had disappeared, but still. His hand gripped the newspaper tight as he fled back to his castle. He knew that he didn’t have much time. He raced through his castle and began panic-packing. He knew that he would have to find a place in the Infinite Realms. He split himself into multiple duplicates and began throwing his most important things into boxes. While his duplicates were frantically packing, he reread the article for the umpteenth time. And then he read the full article. And saw the picture. There, staring at him, mocking him, in all their glory, was Daniel and Danielle. They had been adopted by that himbo Brucie Wayne. But how had Daniel convinced that nincompoop to adopt him? And Drake? Like Jack and Janet Drake? Vlad knew of them, if only barely. Vlad reread the article. Again. Daniel was…Daniel was NOT his precious Maddie’s. How was that possible? No, that couldn’t be. He took after Jack. But…He looked again at the picture. There smiling up at him was indeed Daniel and an older boy. The caption said that the boy was one Timothy Drake-Wayne.

‘Hmm, an older brother, perhaps,’ Vlad thought to himself. According to the article that was exactly what this Timothy was claiming to be. Wayne was a big name. If Daniel was claiming to be part of the Wayne family, then he would have had to agree to a DNA test. But Daniel wouldn’t have done that. Because the Anti-Ecto Control Acts were still in place when he must have found his so-called brother. Vlad frowned at the headache forming. At the same time, Vlad knew that Daniel wouldn’t stoop to overshadowing the boy or Brucie Wayne. So, he must have done something else to ingratiate himself into their family, and then convince Danielle to go along with it.

Vlad finished his packing, and then looked around his Packers memorabilia infested castle one last time. He got an intruder alert on his CCTV system. “Butter brickle!” Vlad shouted. He thought he had more time before those goody two shoes from the Justice League showed up. Coming up the driveway was none other than at least one Green Lantern and a Flash.

Vlad and his duplicates flitted down to his portal in the basement of the castle with his stuff. He flung his things into the portal and then set the portal to self-destruct as the doors closed behind him. Vlad felt the destruction of the portal as the doors slid closed behind him. Now, he just had to find somewhere in the Realms to hide and then he could fetch both Daniel and Danielle.

‘Don’t worry, Little Badger. We’ll be reunited soon,’ Vlad thought as he dived deeper into the Realms.

------------------

“Hey Hood,” Phantom called. He and Hood had teamed up with each other for a patrol.

“Hey Casper,” Hood called back with a cheerful wave. “I’m surprised Red Robin and Penny One let you out of their sight.”

“I was going a little stir crazy. I promised not to get into anything too crazy. That’s why I’m with you,” he replied.

“You do realize that Karma’s a bitch and will laugh at you for saying something like that, right?” Hood looked at Phantom like he’d grown a second head, facepalmed and then sighed. Didn’t he know that this was GOTHAM? Saying something like that was practically a guarantee that something fucked was going to happen.

And right on time, their communicators went off: Arkham Breakout. The Joker was loose.

Hood waited for his vision to be flooded with green rage as it usually did whenever the Joker was mentioned, but the only anger was the usual anger at the thought that his killer was loose. Again. Phantom looked at his brother curiously. Hood shook his head in awe. He still couldn’t believe that Phantom had gotten rid of his Pit Rage.

“Alright Casper. Other than Scarecrow, this is your first Rogue. And it’s your first Rogue as a Bat. Or well, Bat-Adjacent. So, I’m going to need you to listen to what I say.” Phantom nodded.

Hood raced away on his bike, and Phantom floated beside him. Oracle had informed them that Joker was headed to a warehouse close to the docks near Crime Alley. Hood growled. Crime Alley was HIS, and that clown fucker DARED to intrude. By the time they reached the appropriate warehouse, Batman, Spoiler and Black Bat were waiting. There were several goons milling about on the outside of the warehouse, and thermal imaging showed them that there were at least twenty more inside, plus at least 3 hostages. The Joker was inside an inner office.

Batman gave a signal to the others, and they began moving in. Whatever Joker was planning they couldn’t wait for much longer. Phantom would take care of getting the hostages to safety, and then he could come back and help once the hostages were safely away. Batman, Spoiler, Black Bat, and Red Hood would take out the goons. Phantom went invisible and intangible as he phased into the building.

The first steps of the plan went off without a hitch. But then, somehow, things go sideways. Because of course they did. The goons were the first to notice the hostages were gone, so naturally they had to make some noise. This alerted the Joker.

“Batsy! So glad you could come to the party,” The megalomaniac intoned.

Hood tensed at hearing Joker’s voice, but the green stayed away. Batman, Spoiler, and Black Bat were similarly tensed. And then, the clown lifted his handy, dandy, trusty crowbar. Then, it was nothing but a flurry of movement as the goons clashed against the Bats. Joker himself weaved in and out trying to rush Hood. All of the Bats are too busy to get to Hood’s side to help him. No one noticed the temperature in warehouse started to plummet.

There was a sound. A screech. A Wail.

Batman would later describe it as something closer to Black Canary’s Cry. The windows in the warehouse rattled, and all of the goons were stunned. Most of them were frozen in place. Literally. Batman and the other vigilantes were similarly stunned. Joker, however, was not, even though his ears were bleeding. He took full advantage of Hood’s distracted stated and attempted to swing his crowbar at the back of Hood’s head.

There was a second screech, but nowhere near as powerful as the first, and Joker went flying backwards and crumpled into a jumbled heap against the wall.

“STAY AWAY FROM HIM, YOU ASSHOLE!” Phantom screamed as he faded back into visibility. Phantom could feel the fear roiling off of Hood which was what had prompted Phantom to react. Phantom’s form began to flicker and twist into something more…eldritch. There were too many teeth that were way too sharp; eyes that could see into the depths of the soul; Phantom grew two onyx horns and an additional two arms; and the shadows were filled with stars while also being impossibly dark. He stood over Joker’s unmoving form and growled; a low and menacing thing that sent shivers up the spines of everyone present.

Hood cautiously approached Phantom and laid his hand on the eldritch godling’s shoulder. “Phantom. It’s fine. See, I’m ok,” Hood said lowly, in a calming tone. Phantom turned and hissed at Hood, but Hood didn’t flinch or waiver, just kept reassuring Phantom that the other vigilantes were fine; that the goons were all tied up; and it was safe for him to come back. After a few minutes, Phantom flickered a second time and began shrinking into himself and was finally back in his original form.

He turned to look at where he power-punched the Joker and let out a startled eep. “OH SHIT! PLEASE DON’T TELL ME HE’S DEAD?!?!” Phantom cried.

Spoiler looked up at him from where she was examining Joker, “He’s not.” Phantom sighed in relief. “He’s got quite a few broken bones, and likely a spinal injury. He probably won’t be breaking out of Arkham for a very long time. That is if he recovers. You pack quite a punch there, Ghost Boy!” Spoiler said, like a proud mother.

“Phantom. What happened?” Batman grunted out.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d rather report back at base, if we could.”

“Hn,” Batman grunted in reply. The vigilantes wrapped up turning the goons and Joker to the waiting police and other first responders. Commissioner Gordon didn’t comment on Joker’s state, although a ghost (ha) of a smile could be seen playing on his lips as he was wheeled into the ambulance. Both Batman and Gordon knew that news of Joker’s demise would reach Gotham’s streets within hours.

“Alright, Casper, what the hell was that at the warehouse?” Jason asked once they had all gathered in the training area and had had their showers. Even the family members who hadn’t responded were gathered.

“I think it was a mini-Wail,” Danny replied.

“A what?” Tim asked.

“My Ghostly Wail. But like a mini version of it. I honestly didn’t know I could do that,” Danny said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Danny, what do you mean you didn’t know you could do that?” Tim asked his brother in shock.

“So, I kinda hate clowns. Back in Amity Park, there was a circus that came through called Circus Gothica. The Ringmaster was this creep called Freakshow. He had a staff that could mind control ghosts. Me, being a half ghost, fell under the spell of the staff. Freakshow was using the ghosts to commit crimes, like bank robberies and jewel heists, in the towns that the circus went through. When he came through Amity, I got caught. He almost killed my friend Sam. Eventually, my friends managed to break his staff. I was able to defeat him. When I saw Joker standing behind Jason and felt his fear, I kinda freaked out.” Danny explained.

“Yeah…I get that. But what does that have to do with you not knowing what you could do?” Tim asked shakily.

“When I first got my powers, I was getting a new one like every few days. Even Frostbite, my ghost doctor, says I may never stop developing new powers.”

“How many powers do you have?” Bruce asked.

“I…don’t know?” Danny phrased it as a question.

“HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW?” Tim yelled in exasperation.

“So, all ghosts have basic powers. Flight, invisibility, overshadowing, and intangibility. Then, after that, each ghost has their own set of individual powers. Mine that I can remember are: Super strength, super hearing but not like on par with Superman, healing factor, durability, speed again not as fast as the Flash family, ectoblasts, ghost shields, ghost sense, cryokinesis, electrokinesis, pyrokinesis, photokinesis, telekinesis, and my Ghostly Wail.”

“Holy shit,” someone breathed out, probably Steph.

“Yeah. Although the electrokinesis, pyrokinesis, and photokinesis are very weak. Especially the pyrokinesis since I have an ice core.

“And you said that what you did in the warehouse was a mini version of your Ghostly Wail? What even is that?” Jason asked.

“It’s basically a sonic blast built of my ectoplasm. I usually use it as a last resort attack because it drains so much of my power that I fall unconscious afterwards and that causes me to de-transform. But, like I said earlier, I kinda freaked out when I saw Joker behind Jason. I also kind of instinctually knew that if I used my full Wail that it would cause the warehouse to implode, killing everyone inside. So, new power I guess,” Danny finished with another neck rub and jazz hands.

“Danny, you’re killing me. Again,” Jason snarked. Granted, the snark was probably due to the adrenaline wearing off, so Danny didn’t pay it any mind.

“You could have been really hurt,” Tim said with a shaky breath.

Danny looked at his family in confusion. And then, it hit him. He wasn’t used to people worry for him. Sure, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker worried about him, but they’d also been around him long enough to know that he could tank just about anything. In the last few months, their worry had started to fade into the background. And Ancients knew that the Fentons certainly hadn’t worried about him that much, especially once he got old enough to care for himself. He looked at each member of his new family again. And yep, they were each radiating that same sense of worry.

“Umm. You do realize that there’s not much that can actually hurt me, right?” His family looked up at him in shock. Apparently, they hadn’t considered that. “I mean yes, there are things that can. The weapons that the Fentons invent, obviously, can hurt because ectoplasm can hurt ectoplasm. There’s also a special space rock called ectoranium that comes from one of Saturn’s moons. Rarer than even Kryptonite. And the last one is an extinct flower called Blood Blossoms. Those can actually kill me all the way. They’re supposed to be extinct. Yet somehow the Fentons and the Froot Loop seem to have some on hand. I wouldn’t be surprised if the sad trench coat man managed to get some, either. Occultists like him always manage to find the weirdest shit.”

‘Uh oh,’ Danny thought. ‘I think I broke them.’

“Daniel James Drake-Wayne,” Tim began, practically growling the name out.

“OH SHIT! HE JUST GOT FULL NAMED!” Steph cackled.

“You’ve been living in Gotham for four months. And up till you got kidnapped, how did you deal with the craziness that is Gotham? You can’t tell me that you didn’t get mugged, robbed, or held up at least once, and if you say that then you’re a lying liar who lies,” Tim said in a dangerously low voice.

“Um, usually I would turn parts of myself intangible. Kept my wallet and phone phased into either my chest or thigh. Sometimes, I would turn the weapon intangible. Sometimes, I would fly to work. My baseline powers weren’t enough to pull in the GIW, especially with the high level of ambient ecto that Gotham has.”

“Sometimes, Danny, you scare us. And I was raised to be the prince an assassin cult,” Damian said flatly.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Tim,” Danny began as he clicked submit on his essay that was due for his English class. He had gotten a lot of help from Jason.

“What’s up, Danny?” Tim responded. He was working from home, not wanting to be to far away from Danny. His brother was still showing symptoms of whatever he’d done in Nanda Parbat, and they were still working on those internal trackers. Between the Nanda Parbat incident and the Joker incident, Danny had been summoned twice more. Thankfully, both of them had been in cities with fellow Justice League members who had access to zeta tubes, and both Superman and Superboy had been introduced to Danny and Phantom to keep an ear out for him in case he ended up somewhere in trouble. Which was highly likely.

“Can I you a question?” he asked while rubbing the back of his neck, a sure a sign that he was nervous about what he about to ask.

“Sure,” Tim said, closing his laptop and stretching.

“What…what were our parents like?” he asked, stumbling over the words a bit.

Tim sighed. He knew that this question would come up eventually. And he didn’t know if Danny was hoping that he had a better childhood, or if he was jealous of having had wonderful and loving parents. “Are you sure you want to know? It may not be the story you want to hear.” Tim said with uncertainty. Danny nodded in return. Tim sighed again. “To start, I was generally raised to be the perfect Drake heir. That is when they were home.” Danny frowned at this. “Danny, you have to understand. There’s a reason why I never knew you existed. They barely wanted ME. I only existed because it was expected of them to have an heir, someone who could inherit Drake Industries. I looked into their contract, the one they had when Janet was pregnant with you. She was allowed maternity leave. She could have come back to the States at any time.”

“Oh,” Danny said sadly. Tim leaned into hug his brother.

“Janet treated me like I was some kind of exotic pet, when she acknowledged my existence. And Jack, when he was sober rather ignored me. When he was drunk, he was either using me as his personal punching bag or entertaining someone other than Janet behind closed doors. By the time I was 4, I barely even recognized their faces since they were gone more than they were home. I had nannies and caretakers and tutors. By the time I was 6, I was deemed old enough to take care of myself, so the housekeeper would come by everyday and cook and clean, but she left at night. That’s how I ended up following Bruce and Dick around Gotham with my camera at night. And no one noticed.” Tim swallowed thickly. Danny retuned the hug Tim had given him earlier. “By the time I was 9, I no longer had anyone coming in to care for me. I was expected to be able to care for myself. Sure, they hired help to care for the house in general, but not for me, specifically. When Jason died, they never even noticed when I took over being Robin. I had been Robin for a couple of years before something changed. They came home from one of their trips. They were attacked. Poison. Janet died almost immediately. DOA by the time they got her to the hospital. Jack was in a coma. Bruce tried to take me in then, but I made up an uncle so that I could keep living at Drake Manor.” Both Tim and Danny shared a shudder.

“So, being an idiot is genetic, then?” Danny huffed at his brother.

Tim let out an indignant squawk before continuing. “Jack eventually recovered. But six months later, he remarried. I wasn’t fond of my new stepmother, and the feeling was rather mutual. That marriage, to no one’s surprise, didn’t last long, as Jack died from another attack 3 months later. Since he hadn’t had the presence of mind to change his will and hadn’t been married long enough according to New Jersey law, she didn’t get anything. Of course, she tried, gold digger that she was. I finally relented to Bruce taking me in. It made more sense since I was Robin.”

“I’m sorry, Tim,” Danny finally filled in the silence that had settled in the room. “I was kind of hoping that at least one of us would have had a semi-normal childhood. But you know, for all that the Fentons were neglectful as shit at least they claimed me as theirs. And there were times when they legitimately tried. The rare camping trip with Jack. Maddie would tuck me into bed when I would get sick. That type of thing. It didn’t get really bad until they got re-focused on their portal. That’s when everything else kind of faded into the background.”

“Meh. It’s not like it’s a competition on who had the worst childhood. Although I do think you’re winning on ‘What The Fuck’ lottery. Or was it bingo?” Tim laughed, a little on the wet side, but he reckoned it was better than the tears that were threatening to fall.

------------------

“Danny, I say this in the nicest way possible…but what the fuck?” Jason exclaimed as he walked into the Cave.

Danny had appropriated a portion of lab space (Bruce gave it to him after Danny told him that he felt restless if he couldn’t tinker) to work on some of the ghost hunting weapons from the blueprints that Tucker had sent him. He knew that it was only a matter of time before some of the ghosts tracked him down, and he wanted to be ahead of the game when that happened. He had already remade the thermos. It would have a larger capacity and was also somehow more humane than the previous version. When Jason had walked in, he was working on streamlining the specter deflectors, the wrist rays, and a few of the smaller ghost hunting weapons.

“Does that go on the ‘What the fuck bingo’ bingo card Tim was telling me about?” Danny laughed as he pulled a blueprint towards him to recheck some of the calculations.

“You know, mad scientist was on mine,” Jason snarked. “But seriously, Casper, what is all of this?”

“Well, I figured it was only a matter of time before my rogues start tracking me down. Before that starts happening, I wanted to get ahead of the game and get some of the more humane ghost hunting weapons built for the Bats. I have the Boo-Staff for Tim, some guns for you, a sword for Damian, and some brass knuckle type devices for Bruce. I’m still working on some stuff for the girls and Dick, although Dick’s escrima sticks when they’re electrified should work well enough.” At this, Danny pulled a face. “Right now, I’m working on expanding the capacity of the thermos.”

“So, what does all of this do?” Jason looked around in interest.

“Unlike what the Fentons invent, this stuff is used to weaken ghosts enough to get them into a thermos. Ghosts can tank pretty much anything, and your regular weapons can’t hit them. But at the same time, unless you weaken them, the thermos can’t contain them. Here’s the thing. There’s only one way to kill a ghost, and that’s to crush their core. But among ghost kind, core crushing is sacrilege, or the evil of all evils. That’s why the previous Ghost King was only locked in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep even though he was a tyrant. It’s why I worked so hard to rescue the other ghosts that were captured by the Fentons and the GIW. Sure, they were my rogues and caused me hell, but they didn’t deserve that.”

Danny didn’t notice how tense he had become till Jason and Dick, who had come in during Danny’s rant, caged him in between them in a hug. He went stiff before he limp-noodled between them. The Fentons had never cared about the cost of what they did. All they cared about was their own delusions, and no one could ever tell them any different. Jazz had tried. Often. The GIW cared even less about their path of destruction. Wonder Woman’s report at the UN summit had proven THAT.

Danny takes a deep breath to steady himself. “Anyways, Dick, I should have something close to your escrima sticks, if not tomorrow, then in a couple of days. I’ll need to work with Steph and Cass to get their preferences, and I should have a thermos for everyone by patrol tonight. In any case, there’s enough ecto-blasters and wrist rays for everyone.” Danny flapped his hands to wave off the concern of his older brothers. Dick and Jason stepped away from Danny getting the hint.

The rest of the afternoon passed relatively quickly. True to his word, Danny completed enough thermoses for all of the immediate Bat clan to get one. He would still have to make some for the Birds of Prey and the other members of the Bat family that he hadn’t yet met, but those could wait. Dick and Jason and eventually the rest of the family wandered in and watched Danny work. There was a morbid curiosity in watching him work. He didn’t have access to ectoplasm that powered the weapons, so every once in a while, he would transform into his Phantom form and nick his arm or prick his finger so that his ectoplasm could be dripped into the weapon he was working on. His cuts would heal almost as soon as he made them. But Danny seemed pleased with himself, so no one made a move to stop, however much they wanted to.

Danny handed a thermos to each of his siblings as they got ready for their patrol and explained the operating mechanisms. He handed Tim his Boo-Staff; Jason the guns he had designed; and watched in utter delight as Damian did a few katas with his new katana. Dick picked up a couple of the blasters, and both Steph and Cass were happy to take the batarangs that Danny had modified. For Bruce, Danny held out what looked to be brass knuckles.

“I know your stance against guns, so I made these for you,” he said as he handed the knuckles to Bruce. Bruce took them carefully and inspected them.

“These are really well made,” Bruce said after his inspection. Danny’s whole face lit up like a firework had gone off.

Danny rushed in and hugged Bruce tight. “Thanks, Dad.” Bruce froze for all of a whole second before wrapping his arms around Danny in a tight embrace.

“Guys. There are reports of two green, glowing robots floating over the city,” Oracle called over the comms.

“I need a description. Are they both robots or is one a robot and the other an amalgamation of assorted electronics?” Phantom asked.

“One is a giant robot that keeps screaming about being the greatest hunter and something about mounting the ‘Whelp’s pelt on his wall’, and the other is an amalgamation of electronics,” Oracle reported.

“Ok. The robot one is Skulker. By whelp, he means me. He’s relatively easy to beat. His head is his weakness. Knock it off and then you can soup him. Just watch for his shoulder missiles. The other is Technus. Red Robin, specifically, will need to deal with him.”

“Why me?” Red Robin asked, already enroute to the coordinates that Oracle had given him.

“So, Technus’s whole deal is Master of Technology. But his weakness is that he should have an ethernet port on the back of his neck. If you can plug your wrist computer into it, then you can download a virus into him. It will cause him to lose control over all of the other electronics, and he will start glitching out, making him weak enough to soup into a thermos.”

“And you seem so sure that this port will exist?” Red Robin asked sarcastically.

“I mean yeah. In the two years I’ve been fighting him, he’s not once learned to NOT have that port. That’s how Tucker and I have ALWAYS been able to defeat him. Maybe it has something to do with him being the ghost of Nikolai Tesla. Not sure.” There was silence over the comms as everyone processes the bomb that Phantom had just dropped on them.

With a plan formulated, the Bats separated into teams. Red Hood and Spoiler were closer to Skulker’s location and grappled off to face him, while Red Robin and Black Bat made their way to Technus. Red Hood signaled to Spoiler to basically deal with Skulker like Luke in Empire Strikes Back when he was dealing with AT-AT Walker. Spoiler grinned with manic glee. She fired her grapple at the building opposite of the ghost and then began looping around him. Hood was using his new acquired blaster guns that were given to him by his newest brother to keep Skulker off balance. It took them a few minutes, but eventually Hood got a good shot on Skulker’s power unit, and it malfunctioned. Between the malfunctioning power unit, and him getting entangled in Spoiler’s grapple line, he went down. Hood and Spoiler pried his head off, and then Spoiler unclipped her shiny new thermos and sucked the ghost up in a blinding flash of light.

“Holy shit,” she breathed out.

“HELL YEAH!” Hood crowed.

On the other side of the city, Red Robin and Black Bat battled against several TVs, laptops, two washing machines, one dishwasher, two bulky computer screens, and two standing freezers. Red Robin swore he could see several smaller appliances mixed in the amalgamation as well. He signaled to Black Bat to keep the ghost’s attention on her; she nodded. They sprung into action like a well oiled machine. Black Bat did a good job of keeping Technus’s attention centered on her while Red Robin used his grapple to climb onto his shoulders. And just like Phantom claimed, there was indeed an ethernet port on the back of the ghost’s neck. Red Robin wasted no time plugging his wrist computer into the port. As he began downloading a Trojan virus, Technus start bucking. Red Robin felt like he was starring in a rodeo.

“You cannot defeat me. I am the Master of Technology!” Technus screeched.

“Maybe the master of failing technology,” Reb Robin couldn’t help but quip. Black Bat snorted, and there were groans over the comms in his ear. Phantom practically cackled like a madman. A few moments later and all of the appliances under Technus’s control crashed to the ground. The ghost’s face started glitching uncontrollably. Red Robin flipped off and used that momentum to open up his thermos and suck up the ghost.

‘Good job’, sign Black Bat.

“GET OFF ME, YOU FUCKING FROOT LOOP!” Phantom yelled. Everyone’s comms went silent.

“Phantom, report,” Batman grunted.

“Come now, Daniel. I don’t know how you convinced that playboy Brucie Wayne to take you in, nor I do care about your so-called claim to be a brother to one of his sons. We both know that you are Maddie’s son through and through,” Plasmius said in his smooth, slimy voice.

“That BITCH isn’t my mother. And I will NEVER be your son. I found my family, you asswipe,” Phantom snarled.

“Phantom, help will arrive to your location in approximately 6 minutes. Can you hold on for that long?” Oracle said in his ear.

“Help will be too far away from you, Daniel,” Plasmius answered in his stead.

“NO! Not this time. I have spent two fucking years fighting your schemes. Two fucking years of being kidnapped, tortured, and chased. It’s all your fault! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THE GIW INTO AMITY PARK! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO FUNDED THEM! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO PUT A FUCKING BOUNTY ON MY HEAD! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO HELPED THE FENTONS PASS THOSE GODDAMNED LAWS! HELL, AT THIS POINT, I WOULDN’T EVEN BE SURPRISED IF YOU WERE SOMEHOW BEHIND THEM FINDING OUT ABOUT ME!”

Each exclamation was punctuated by a burst of green coming from Phantom. Plasmius yelped in surprise and pain. Phantom was moving faster than Plasmius had ever seen. The Crown of Ice (no longer the Crown of Fire) and Ring of Peace (renamed from Ring of Rage) appeared on Phantom’s form. He began to morph into his eldritch form. His kingly regalia flickered into place. Plasmius’s face morphed into one of true fear.

“FRIGHT KNIGHT! TO ME!” Phantom called into the abyss of the night sky. Plasmius’s red eyes went wide as saucers while Phantom conjured a shield around him to contain him. The rest of the Bats appeared on the building adjacent to where Phantom was floating in mid-air watching for a signal that Phantom needed them to intervene.

A rip in reality appeared to Phantom’s left. It swirled the same green of the Lazarus Pits, and the waiting Bats all tensed. A pitch black…HOLY SHIT THAT WAS AN ALICORN!!!!!!!...came flying through the portal. It was huge with bat-like wing with flaming green mane and tail. Sitting on top of the Alicorn was a Knight in the same black armor with a flaming purple headdress and cape. The Alicorn and Knight came to a stop next to Phantom where the knight dismounted and knelt in front of Phantom.

“My Liege, you have summoned me?” The Knight asked from his kneeling position.

“Rise, Fright Knight. I have brought you here to sentence Vladimir Plasmius.” Phantom turned to Plasmius who was pounding on the shield in pure terror. “Vladimir Masters, also known as Vladimir Plasmius, deranged Halfa, for crimes against the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Infinite Realms, for releasing the mad tyrant, Pariah Dark, for harming and ending of human lives on this side of the Veil, for the Ending of no less than twelve ghost animals and Denizens of the Realms, I hereby sentence you to one thousand years, as they pass in the Living Realm, in the Nightmare Realm. If you serve your time peacefully and survive, I shall summon you back to review your sentence. Fright Knight!”

At this, the Knight took out a large, glowing green sword, and swung it at Plasmius just as Phantom released his shield. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Plasmius seemed to cave inwards, and then his whole being vanished into thin air as a scream hovered in the air. The Knight then turned to Phantom as if waiting for further orders. The Alicorn had drifted over towards the waiting Bats. Robin, of course, held his hand out towards the animal with a sugar cube in his hand.

“Her name is Nightmare,” the Knight said as the alicorn took the proffered sugar cube. Phantom snorted.

“She’s magnificent,” Robin breathed out.

“Indeed, she is, Young One,” Fright Knight laughed. For once, Robin didn’t bristle at being called young. He could sense the age rolling off the Knight in front of him. “My liege, you have found quite a wonderful Fraid. That they would come to help you so quickly. Is this your new Haunt? It is quite different from your previous one.” He looked about him curiously, noting each of the Bats; his gaze lingering on Hood and Red Robin.

“Yeah, Frighty. I am making this my Haunt. Lady Gotham…” Fright Knight looked at his king in surprise, and Phantom nodded. “…is only too happy to share, especially since her Knights are part of my Fraid. Oh, if you don’t mind, could you take Skulker and Technus back with you. I don’t have access to a portal here.” Fright Knight nodded. Phantom floated over to Red Robin and Spoiler who both handed over their thermoses. Phantom floated back to Fright Knight and pushed the button to release the captured ghosts. As soon as both ghosts were released, Fright Knight caught hold of them.

“Lady Gotham is wise indeed, sire. If you have no further need of me?” Phantom nodded, and then just as quickly as he appeared, the Fright Knight was gone, taking the two miscreants with him.

“What the fuck?!?!” Hood breathed out.

“Hn. Cave,” Batman grunted. Everyone dispersed. They didn’t know what the fuck just happened, but they all knew that they were in for one hell of a story.

Once they reconvened back in the cave, Alfred made sure that they were all properly washed and out of uniform. They all gathered in the lounge area while looking at Danny expectantly. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Let me start with Skulker and Technus. Those are the easy ones although I’m not sure how they got out of the Realms. Unless Plasmius released them, which is highly likely. Anyways,” Danny flapped his hands to get himself back on track, “Skulker always claimed to be the Realms greatest hunter. His Obsession is hunting rare prey. We normally had a truce where I would go into the Realms, and we would make a game of it. Sort of like hide-n-seek since Halfas are considered something like endangered species in the Realms. I’m guessing that Plasmius paid him off in upgraded weapons or something.”

“Fuck, Danny. You’re Rogues are somehow more terrifying than Gotham’s,” Tim said in a sort of shocked awe.

“Technus’s whole Obsession is technology. Like I said, we, Tucker, Sam, and I, think he’s the ghost of Nikolai Tesla. His whole schtick is anything related to electronics or technology. And you saw what he was capable of. But of all my rogues, he’s also one of the easiest to beat because of that weakness that’s so easy to exploit.”

“So, who was the one you were fighting with?” Dick asked. “You called him two different names, one of which I’ve actually heard of.”

“Vlad Masters or Plasmius. He’s…” Danny heaved a sigh. The whole thing with Vlad was extremely complicated although he no longer had to worry about keeping his truce with Vlad. Danny sighed again. “Jack and Maddie went to college with him. And we’ve already established that they are obsessed with ghosts. They’ve always been obsessed, even back then. They built their proto portal with Vlad. And just like the one that killed me, the proto portal didn’t work. I don’t know the specifics, but I do know that it either backfired or misfired. Either way, it caused Vlad to end up with what he called a severe case of ecto-acne. He ended up dropping out of college and was hospitalized for years. The ectoplasm radiation eventually turned him into something like a Halfa. He has both a human form, which you’ve probably seen as Vlad Masters, and a ghost form, which you saw tonight.”

“So, how does that end up correlating with what happened tonight?” Bruce asked, trying to piece together the puzzle.

“Just after I became a Halfa, there was a college reunion. Of course, Jack and Maddie were invited, and they brought me and Jazz. Vlad and I recognized each other as half-ghosts immediately. But Vlad’s primary Obsession has always been Maddie, which somehow translated itself to me. He was always trying to kill Jack so Maddie would marry him, and then I could be his son. He didn’t like me refusing. It was denying his Obsession. Funnily enough, that’s how we got Dani. He thought that if he couldn’t have me, he would clone me. All of the other clones destabilized. But you know the rest of the story about Dani.”

“And I’m a ray of fucking sunshine,” Dani called as she floated down to the Cave, and into Danny’s arms. Danny snorted. She checked her brother over for any injuries, and then settled herself on his shoulders like the gremlin she was.

"What will happen to him now?" asked Jason.

"So, Fright Knight is the Spirit of Fear and Halloween. His sword is called the Soul Shredder. Don't worry, it doesn't actually shred any souls. What it does do is send any it pierces to a Nightmare Realm for however long Fright Knight determines. The person in the Realm won't die; they're just forced to live through their worst nightmares for however long they're there."

"Remind me to never make you that mad," Jason snarked, and the rest of the Bat clan nodded in vigorous agreement.

As with everything that came out of Danny’s mouth in regard to his previous life, the Bat clan sat in stunned silence. Every time they thought they would be ok with whatever he dumped on them, he proved them wrong. And Bruce hadn’t been able to find any records of anyone calling the Justice League for help. It was almost as if Amity Park existed on the map but was otherwise in a blackhole.

“Danny, did you or anyone else ever try to call the Justice League?” Tim finally asked. It bothered him as well that no one had ever tried to reach out; that his brother had gone through so much ALONE.

“Tucker tried about three months after the portal opened, but all he ever got was static. I think it has something to do with the ectoplasm in the air. Jack and Maddie were lax, and I mean REALLY lax about keeping the damn thing shut, so ectoplasm leaked into the air more often than not. I know Vlad had a portal in his mansion in Amity Park when he was the mayor and also one in his Castle that in Wisconsin.”

“What will happen to those portals?” Tim asked.

“I mean, technically, I think he named me heir to his company, Dalv Co. because he’s creeper. Tucker probably has access to or can get access to those records. If he has a portal, we need to shut it down. Leaving it functional is a Bad Thing.”

“How likely is he to have left it unsecured?”

Danny paused to think about it. Vlad was nothing if not very practical and particular about lab and portal safety. “His portal will be secure. At least until we can get to it. So, not something we have to worry about tonight. I can call Tucker tomorrow. Or we can make a day trip of it.”

The rest of the Bat clan nodded. The adrenaline of the night was catching up to everyone, and they were beginning to feel it. Yawns were seen around the room. Danny’s normally present glow was beginning to diminish, and he was no longer floating like he normally did.

“I do believe it’s time for bed. Everything else can wait for the morning,” Alfred said sagely as he appeared from the shadows. Everyone agreed as they all began to make their way up to their room.

“Hey, Danny,” Dani started as the two walked side by side once they were alone.

“What’s up gremlin?” He replied softly, holding onto her. He knew how much the whole affair with Vlad was really affecting her.

“Is he really gone?” she asked in a small voice.

“Yeah, he is. Frighty will make sure he never bothers us again.”

Chapter Text

“What the fuck!?!?” Jason breathed out as he looked up at the UFO-like structure that perched on top of the two-story brown brick building. Dick, Tim, and Bruce looked on in horrified agreement. Danny rubbed the back of his neck in sheepish embarrassment.

“That would be Fenton Works for you,” Danny finally said as he walked up to the front door.

Before he could unlock the door, there were twin cries of “DANNY” and then he was tackled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The four Waynes tensed for a fight but quickly untensed upon seeing Danny laughing and crying and hugging his “attackers”. Danny had tears running down his face, and the two teens were in a similar state. The other boy was a light skinned African-American young man who was wearing a yellow shirt, tan cargo pants, and red beret. He had teal eyes and glasses. The girl had large violet eyes and was dressed mostly in black.

“Tuck! Sam! Man, I’ve missed you guys so much!” Danny said as he untangled from the dogpile. “Let me introduce you to my family.” He helped his friends up and then turned to face his family. “Sam, Tuck, this is my dad, Bruce, and three of my siblings, Dick, Jason, and you’ve sort of already met Tim. Guys, these are my two closest friends. They were there the day of my accident. Sam Manson and Tucker Foley.”

“I hope you haven’t forgotten about me, little brother,” said a familiar voice behind Danny. Danny whipped around so fast he was floating. Then, it was his turn to attempt at tackling the speaker. The four Waynes were taken aback as the young woman could have passed as a younger version of Babs. She had the same red hair and almost the same color blue eyes. But this young woman was standing, and she was tall. Like almost as tall as Jason. Somehow, she had managed to keep her footing, but then the Waynes noticed she had braced herself as if she was expecting Danny to float-tackle her. Danny was crying again.

“Jazz! I thought you were in school!” Danny said through his sobs.

“Tim texted me and said you were coming. I thought it would be a good surprise,” Jazz said as she clung just as hard to Danny. Sam and Tucker had soft smiles on their faces, and the four Waynes stood there in happy silence while Danny was reunited with Team Phantom.

“Danny, dude, do you want me to make sure the security system won’t shoot you when you go in?” Tucker said as Danny and Jazz finally broke apart.

“Yeah, let me unlock the door first,” Danny replied as he walked back up to the front door. He phased his hand through the various locks and then opened the door. The Waynes watched as Tucker walked in and opened a panel about halfway down the hall. He pushed a few buttons, and then everyone outside heard an automated voice call out that the automatic ghost defense system was disabled. Danny slumped in relief. The four Waynes shared a grim look. Danny had told them about the defense system, but they hadn’t quite believed it.

Danny turned around and ushered his new family in. “Do you want the grand tour?” he asked with a laugh.

“We’d be happy to see your home, Danny,” Tim chimed in.

He walked in as a wave of nostalgia rushed over him. He showed his new family the living room and kitchen. Tucker, Sam, and Jazz piped up about the adventures of the reanimated food. Everyone shuddered in horror. He and Jazz showed them the upstairs, and he told them about how he would stash things in the walls or under the floorboards. Tim looked around in awe at all the space memorabilia.

“You really ARE a space nerd,” Tim laughed at his younger brother.

“Yeah. I actually wanted to be an astronaut before the accident. In fact, I used to go to space camp and everything. I even I had tentative acceptance offers and everything. All I had to was keep my grades up in high school, and then I was set for a full ride to whichever college I wanted. The accident kinda killed that.” Danny and Jason snorted. Everyone else groaned. “That’s why I went into Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. I figured since I can’t go to space anymore, I can at least help others reach the stars.” There was a sound of intense, wishful longing in Danny’s voice that tears pricked the eyes of everyone in the room.

He walked out and threw a baleful glare at Jack and Maddie’s room. Damian would have been proud of his glare. Finally, it was time. He led them down to the lab. He trembled as he stood before the entrance to the lab. Jazz came up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder. The gesture gave him both comfort and courage. He opened the door and walked in. Various weapons were strewn about, and there was evidence of previous experiments blowing up tossed in the corners. But the most glaring thing that stood out in the lab was the large metal doors. The Fentons had, thankfully, secured the portal before their mad dash and subsequent arrest in New York. A wave of nausea rushed over the four men as they looked at it. This was where Danny had died. Unlike the warehouse in Ethiopia where Jason had died and was no longer standing, this was still an active reminder that a child had died. One that had seen constant use; one in which the Drs. Fenton had remained ignorant that their invention had killed their youngest child.

Tucker rushed over to the computer, Tim hot on his heels. They both plugged in a flash drive and began downloading all of the files on the computer. Then, once all of the files were copied to the flash drives, Tucker wiped the computer clean. Tim looked over it and nodded. Between the two of them, they made sure that there was no possible chance of recovering any data from it.

“Danny, what do you want to do with the portal?” Tucker asked.

Danny looked at it thoughtfully. It had so much history, but at the same time it was the cause of so much grief. “I’m gonna destroy it. Everyone, stand behind me,” he commanded after a few moments of looking at it intensely.

He threw up two layers of his ectoshield, and then he charged up his ectoblasts. He waited until they were as large as disco balls, and then fired them right at the portal. There was a blink, and then the whole damned thing caved inward. There was a sonic boom, and then it was gone, smoke billowing out from it as it collapsed in on itself. Other than the sonic boom, there was no other sign that the portal had ever existed. The metal frame was blackened and twisted, and the wall behind it was scorched, but it was a wall once more. Danny sagged forward, and Tim raced forward and caught him before he faceplanted. He turned a grateful smile towards his brother. He whispered in Tim’s ear to help him back upstairs, which Tim was only too happy to do.

“What needs to be done now is that we need catalog all of the weapons that they still have here,” Danny said once he regained some of his strength.

“Danny’s right. There’s a whole weapon vault down in the basement. Danny or Tucker could let you know what needs to be destroyed and what can be taken,” Jazz agreed. Tucker nodded.

“Don’t forget the weapons cache up here,” Sam pointed out. Danny facepalmed; Tucker looked like he was sucking a lemon; and Jazz looked like she was contemplating murder. “We also need to do something with the Ops Center.”

“Ops Center?” Tim squeaked out.

“The UFO on top. It actually disconnects from the building and acts like a slow-flying blimp,” Jazz explained.

“Holy FUCK!” Jason gasped. “You weren’t kidding about your parents being mad scientists.” Team Phantom snorted in unison.

“I mean, they DID attack the UN Summit, and you’re JUST NOW realizing that?” Danny snarked. Everyone laughed, even though Danny and Jazz had tears in their eyes.

“Jazz, I want you to know, even though you’re an adult now, my house is always open to you. You're Danny’s family, which means that you’re our family too,” Bruce said once he noticed that Jazz and Danny had gotten control of their tears. Jazz looked up at him in surprise.

“Are you offering to adopt me, Mr. Wayne?” She asked in shock. Jason, Dick, and Tim cackled softly from where they perched in the corners.

“You can call me Bruce. If that’s what you want. If not, that’s fine too. I can help support you in college. Again, if you want.”

Jazz shook off her shock. She had been thinking about changing her name anyways. The gods only knew she definitely didn’t want to be associated with the Fentons anymore. But she wasn’t sure that she wanted to be associated with such a high-profile name like Wayne either. She looked at Danny, but he gave her a look as if to say, ‘it’s your choice.’ She gave him a look back that said, ‘you’re not helping.’ Danny snorted.

“To be honest, Bruce, I was considering changing my name. But I don’t think I’m ready for being a part of the Wayne lifestyle just yet. But I am considering changing schools. Gotham University has one of the best psychology programs in the world, and my scholarship won’t transfer. I wouldn’t mind the help with school costs,” Jazz after coming to a decision.

“We can be school buddies,” Danny said happily. Jazz chuckled.

“I would be happy to,” Bruce said with a small smile. “The same goes for you two, Sam and Tucker. The Manor will be open to you, whenever you come to Gotham.”

Sam and Tucker (mostly Tucker since his fanboy crush was in the same room with him) had dropped their jaws open. Sam didn’t necessarily need the Wayne money, but she would use Danny’s connection to them just to spite her parents and ruthlessly so, especially since they had long hated her friendship with Danny. She couldn’t wait to tell them that he was a Wayne, and she had an open invitation to Wayne Manor. Tucker, on the other hand, could use the money, and Tim already had plans to offer him an WE Internship, when he graduated high school.

Danny wandered back upstairs to his room. Jazz followed. He stared at his room with hollow eyes. “I can’t believe it’s really come to this, Jazzy.” She bumped her shoulder against his.

“I know, little brother. I know. I had always hoped that things would be different. That they would see you as their son if they found out. Do you want me to help you pack your things?” She asked softly, the tears that she had held back earlier now streaming down her face. Danny nodded. She dove into his closet, and together, they started packing. They didn’t bother with any of his clothes, since Tim and Bruce had already bought him a whole new closet full. But he did pack up all of his model rockets and books about space. Some of his books had been rare copies, and he wanted to take them with him back to Gotham.

“It’s kind of bittersweet, you know. Being here like this,” he said as he packed the last of his stuff that he wanted to take.

“I know. Let’s go back downstairs. Nasty Burger waits for no one.” Danny smiled. He missed Nasty Burger. Batburger was good, but Nasty was better, and he would die (again) on that hill. “Once we get the Ops Center taken care of, I’ll see about putting the house up for sale or something. Maybe we can like pour cement in the basement or something,” Jazz suggested. Danny nodded. He didn’t particularly care what happened to the house. He had no love for the Fentons anymore, as much as that thought broke his heart and made his core thrum in sadness.

“So, Danny, what’s good to eat around here?” Dick asked as he and Jazz reappeared at the bottom of the stairs.

“I want Nasty Burger,” he replied.

“The fuck’s Nasty Burger???? Is it really called that?” Jason asked, appalled.

All four Amity Parkers laughed. “It used to be Tasty Burger, but the sign was vandalized, and the ‘T’ was change to an ‘N’. The management was too cheap to change it back, and it stuck. It’s the best burger joint around,” Tucker explained after he go done laughing.

“Sure, why not,” Dick chirped happily. He was always up for new experiences. The rest of Danny’s new family quickly agreed. Those from Amity Park piled into Jazz’s car, while those from Gotham followed behind in the rental Bruce had arranged.

They walked into the fast-food restaurant, and Danny immediately felt everyone stare at him. He heard the whispers surround him as he approached the cashier stand but ignored them. Val was working the register and had been playing on her phone when they walked in so when the whispers finally registered in her ears, she looked up in shock. She jumped over the counted and slammed into Danny, grabbing him up in a near bone-crushing hug.

“DANNY! OH MY GOD! Where have you been?” Valerie shouted. If he didn’t have the other guests attention before, he certainly had it now.

“Hey, Val,” Danny said as they finally separated.

“Fenton?” said a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy. Danny turned to face him.

“Hey Dash, Kwan, Star, Paulina,” Danny called out as he rubbed the back of his neck. Almost everyone in the restaurant stared at him in shock.

“But how? The Fentons were saying that Phantom killed you and was possessing your body, and that they’d finally captured Phantom, and turned him over to the GIW?” Val finally asked what everyone was thinking.

“Well, the Fentons are obviously full of shit and crazy as fuck. I mean they were the local mad scientists for a reason. Or did you miss the whole attacking the UN Summit thing?” Danny bit out sarcastically.

After that, the manager of the Nasty Burger came out and gave Danny an awkward side hug, and then insisted he get his meal for free. The Waynes and the Amity Parkers pulled two booths together while they ate. There was a fierce debate between Dick, Jason, and Danny about which burger was better. Danny maintained that Nasty was better. Dick said that they both tasted good while Jason fiercely defended Batburger.

“Yeah, but the fact that Nasty sauce is combustible wins hands down,” Danny finally snapped out. The Gothamites looked at him in horror.

“Danny, what the fuck?” Tim breathed out.

“Oh yeah, it gets maintained in a pressurized pot. If it gets above a certain point, it can explode,” Tucker said offhandedly. The Gotham natives swiveled their heads to him and paled further.

“But that’s what gives it its flavor,” Danny agreed. Jazz and Sam nodded.

“Again, what the fuck.” This time it was Jason, but it wasn’t a question.

--------------------------

“What the fuck!?!?” Jason breathed out as he looked up at the castle that loomed over them as they pulled into the circle drive. They knew that Vlad Masters was rich, but come on, a castle…that was overdoing it. Before they left Amity, they had stopped by the Mayor’s Mansion to make sure that the portal there had been shut down. It hadn’t so Danny repeated the process of imploding it like he did the Fenton portal. Now, he and the Waynes were staring at the monstrosity that was Vlad’s Wisconsin castle. Danny snorted at Jason’s comment.

“You think this is bad, just wait till you see the inside,” Danny said, dipping into his ghostly vibes to give the warning a bit of an ominous tone. The Waynes just looked at him, not sure if they actually wanted to go inside. He cackled like a proper mad villain would. Tim smacked him on the back of his head.

They walked into the castle and Jason repeated his curse. It was a Packers memorabilia nightmare. Danny cackled again at their faces. Danny led them on a tour of the castle. Everywhere they looked was loaded with the green and gold of the Green Bay Packers merchandise. Danny told them that he attempted to buy the football team, but they wouldn’t sell the team to him, even though Vlad had tried overshadowing the manager. The team threatened to riot if the sale went through so Vlad had had to back out of the purchase. The Waynes chuckled.

“Did he do that a lot, overshadow others to get what he wanted?” Bruce asked when he stopped laughing.

Danny looked thoughtful for a moment before he finally answered. “Yes. In fact, that’s actually how he made all of his money. He would scout out business that were doing good or were projected to do good. He would go in with an ironclad contract in his favor and have one of his duplicates overshadow whoever he was meeting with to sign the contract. The other business would be sold for pennies on the dollar. Once the meeting was done, the other person would have no memory of the meeting. There were a few who tried to sue, but again, ironclad contract.” Bruce and Tim both looked like they were sucking lemons after Danny finished his explanation of how Vlad had come into his money. They both knew that his rise to money had been suspicious, they just didn’t realize how bad it was.

“So, what will happen to his company now? Dalv Co, wasn’t it?” Tim asked.

“Tucker and I found out that he did for sure name me heir to his company. And I sure as hell don’t want it. Dani said she doesn’t either. I was thinking of either selling it back to the original owners, or maybe having Tucker take over.”

Tim and Bruce had one of their silent conversations before Bruce spoke up. “Why not both. Have Tucker take your place as the heir to the company, and then see if any of the previous owners want to step in as a board of directors. We can tell them that Vlad had mind manipulation powers. Tim and I will be with you the whole way.”

Before Bruce could say anything, Danny’s breath puffed out in a blue mist. Everyone present, except Danny tensed and looked around.

“Hey Dairy King,” Danny called out. The Waynes looked around, and then in front of them a short, portly man with glowing, green skin and a large piece of cheese on his head appeared in front of Danny. He had a stereotypical red royal robe and scepter.

“Hello, young Phantom. I’ve heard about Plasmius. What’s going to happen to my castle now?” he asked a little plaintively.

“Well, once we sell all of the Packers’ shit, then I was thinking about restoring this place to its original look. I could set up some kind of trust fund, and then donate it to the Wisconsin Historical Site or something.” The ghost began glowing, showing he was happy at the compromise that Danny had offered. “If that happens, I’ll let them know about you, so you can stay since this is your Haunt.”

“You’d do that for me, Phantom?” Dairy King squeaked out in happiness. Danny nodded.

“We can set up the funds from Dalv Co.,” Tim said as he watched the ghost and half ghost interact.

They only spent a few days at the castle. It didn’t take them long to sell the Packers memorabilia. Vlad had, surprisingly, good taste and lots of collectible stuff that sold for good money. By the time they had sold everything, Danny had collected almost half of million dollars. Vlad may have spent more than that collecting it, but Danny didn’t really care. As he watched the last of the boxes leave, he heaved a sigh.

“What was that for?” Tim asked as he bumped his shoulder.

“It’s just really hitting me, you know. I don’t regret what I did to Vlad. He was a fucking asshole from the moment I met him. He was trying to kill Jack, fuck Maddie, and wanted to make me his son. He routinely kidnapped, tortured, and tried to kill me. But seeing the castle like this…it’s just…me and Dani are really the only two of our kind, and even then, Dani doesn’t really count. As a clone, the Realms consider her a mirror-borne rather a true halfa like me. Yes, she does have both a human form and ghost form, but she wasn’t born a human; she was created. Which in the Infinite Realms apparently makes a big difference in how she’s classified. Like I told Jazz back in Amity, it’s all just kind of bittersweet.” Danny heaved another sigh.

Tim kind of understood, but also not really. He’d lost both parents, but he wasn’t an endangered species. He hadn’t had to leave his home behind. But he was still here with his brother, supporting him in any way he could. “Come on, Danny. Let’s go home.”

Danny turned and surveyed the castle once more. The entrance to the creepy villain basement had been entirely sealed off, and just like the other portals, Danny had destroyed the last man-made portal. He turned to Tim with a sad and melancholic smile on his face and nodded. Gotham was fast becoming his haunt and it was time to get back to it.

Chapter Text

New Management of Dalv Co & Its New Heir

By Clark Kent

In a surprising turn of events, Vladimir Masters has announced his early retirement from his company, Dalv Co, siting health reasons. He said that watching his friends from college getting arrested at the UN Summit was the final straw for his already failing health. “I’ve loved Jack and Maddie for many years, and seeing them getting arrested, well my poor heart just couldn’t stand it. I had been named as the godfather to their children, but neither of them wants anything to do with me. And that’s all my fault, I suppose. I’ve treated them rather poorly, I suppose, especially Daniel. And then come to find out that Daniel wasn’t even Maddie’s to begin with…well, I’d rather just retire and leave my company to someone who will actually appreciate it.”

“What do you mean by that, Mr. Masters?” I asked.

“Call me, Vlad,” he stated after a cough. “I found out that Daniel was adopted by Maddie and is actually related to Timothy Drake-Wayne in Gotham. In fact, I found this out from your previous article, Mr. Kent. I don’t think Daniel will accept an apology, which is why I’m giving my company to someone else. I know Brucie will take care of him. But his friend, Mr. Foley may not have anyone looking out for him. It’s the least I can do for all the grief I’ve caused both Daniel and Danielle over the last couple of years. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Mr. Kent, I need to finish packing. I’ve donated this castle back to the Wisconsin Historical Preservation Society, and I’m moving to my cabin in Colorado where I'll live the rest of my days in peace.”

“HOLY SHIT!!!” Danny crowed. Sam and Tucker looked up at him expectantly. He shoved the newspaper article in their faces. They had come to Gotham for a visit. Actually, they had come to Gotham because Bruce had decided to throw a gala, but potato, potaytoh. “I can’t believe Clark would blatantly lie like that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving it, and it’s a great way to announce Tucker as the heir to Dalv Co.” Danny wiped a tear from his face as he finished laughing.

“By the way Sam, what did your parents say about all this?” Tucker asked waving his hand in his and Danny’s direction.

“They were absolutely flabbergasted. They didn’t want to believe me when I told them that Danny was a Wayne until I showed them the first article. I think after this article, or well, after the gala tonight where you officially hand over Dalv Co, they’re probably going to have a coronary,” Sam said with a wicked grin on her face. She’d had to face too many of her parents’ rants about how neither Tucker nor Danny was good enough for their precious Sammykins, especially Danny. Danny had NEVER been good enough, and now here he was part of one of the wealthiest families in the world. Tucker’s soon-to-be wealth would be on par with the Mansons.

“Danny, are you really sure that you trust them?” Sam finally asked the thought that had been bugging her since she learned that Danny had been adopted by Bruce Wayne.

“Trust me, Sam, after tonight’s press conference and gala, everything will make sense. You’ll just have to wait till then,” Danny attempted to mollify one of his closest friends and former girlfriend.

He knew that Tim and Bruce were planning to bring Sam and Tucker into the Bat fold since they had been instrumental to Team Phantom from the get-go. Bruce was going to offer a scholarship to Gotham Academy for them both so that they would have an excuse to move to Gotham. And then Tucker, if he was up for it, was going to be offered a chance to work with Babs as a secondary guy in the chair type. And Sam was beginning to develop florapathy from her time being overshadowed by Undergrowth. If she could get training by Poison Ivy, Bruce was planning on using her powers to help counter the various toxins and poisons used by the rogues and villains of Gotham. Both of them already had names to use in the field, it was just a matter of practice actually using them. But Danny couldn’t tell them that. They would have to wait until Bruce and Tim did their spectacular reveal since it was their secret and not Danny’s.

Sam threw her friend a glare and then huffed. “Fine. But if this is another Vlad situation, I’m so souping you. For a month. Got it, Ghost Boy.” Danny threw his hands up in surrender and laughed again.

“Come on, Tucker. We’ve got to go get ready. At least, Sam, you’re not wearing pastels,” Danny laughed as he ran out of Sam’s room that Alfred had prepared for her at the Manor. The two boys ran out before Sam could launch her boot at them.

Two hours later and both boys emerged from Danny’s room in their suits. Danny’s suit was a dark navy blue with a matching tie that off set his ice blue eyes. Tucker wore a charcoal gray suit and a red tie. Sam emerged from her room wearing a royal purple dress. She had black gloves that came up to her elbows and a black choker with a bat dangling on it. Her dark makeup made her violet eye pop. She threw another glower at her two best friends as they walked down the hall and towards the stairs where the rest of the Wayne brood was waiting for them. Tim ran up to Danny and straightened his tie while Alfred did the same for Tucker.

Alfred led the gang to the waiting limo. Danny sat between Tim and Tucker, while Dani sat next to Sam. Bruce, Damian, and Cass filed in and filled up the rest of the spaces. The rest of the Wayne brood would be responsible for finding their own way to the venue for the press conference and gala, but they had all expressed their solidarity to Danny that they would be there for him. It was his and Dani’s first official debut, and their new family wanted to be there in support for them. Sam continued to glower at the Waynes, but they were used to being glared at (thank you, Damian) so they ignored her.

They pulled up to the venue and filed out. Sam clung to both Tucker and Danny. The lights flashed as the trio walked down the red carpet. Bruce was behind them flashing his “Brucie” persona. The rest of the Wayne brood looked on at Brucie’s antics in disgust and were just so done with all of his shit. Danny and Dani were cackling behind their hands since they knew it was all an act. Poor Tucker just looked so lost.

Brucie let everyone mingle for a while before he made his way to the podium that had been set up for the occasion. “I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight. Tonight, we celebrate two new additions to the Wayne family. Daniel and Danielle Drake-Wayne, twins who were separated at birth and who were recently reunited with their older brother Timothy Drake-Wayne. Daniel. Danielle. Please, join me.”

The two Dannies joined Brucie at the podium. More camera flashes went off. The press was eating up the reveal of the long-lost Drake twins. Bruce had made sure that Both Lois and Clark were there too keep most of the press vultures at bay, and both Dannies made an attempt to keep their ghostly aura in check, at least when they knew that Lois and Clark were taking pictures, so that they would get semi-decent pictures.

Danny pulled out his notecards for his speech and then stepped in front of the microphone. “As my Dad said, we want to thank you for joining us here tonight.” There were multiple coos rippling through the audience when Danny mentioned Bruce as his Dad. “I spoke with my godfather, Vladimir Masters, at length about both my future and the future of his beloved company, Dalv Co.” Danny glanced down at his notecard to make sure he was in the right spot. Tim had been a big help in writing his speech. “Running a company has never been a dream of mine. I’ve already been accepted to Gotham University for a Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering scholarship and have no plans on altering or changing those courses. I’ve always dreamt about space, and that continues to be my dream. Though it pains me that my godfather is in such poor health…” Both Dannies had to fight a snort from coming out of their mouths at that statement. But Tim had insisted that it be put in “to look the part” as Tim had said. Danny’s enhanced hearing caught both Sam and Tucker quietly giggling at the comment. “…that he had to retire and leave Dalv Co to me. On that note, Tucker Foley, please join me at the podium.”

Danny watched as his first ever friend joined him. Tucker brushed imaginary dust off as he made his way to the podium. They hugged once they were united to another round of coos and flashes of cameras. “Thank you, Danny, for having me.” Tucker said, as he faced the cameras and podium.           

“Tucker, you are here today to receive Dalv Co, in its entirety.” Tucker gasped. Sam gasped. The audience gasped. The only ones who weren’t surprised by this information were the Waynes and Dani. “A new board of directors has been chosen and its mission statement has been revamped. A fund has already been set up for you. And in a few years’ time, should you wish it, the CEO position is yours for the taking. If you don’t, well, a plan has been put in place for that too. Do you accept?”

Tucker looked at his best friend in disbelief. He knew what had really happened to Vlad. It wasn’t that he disagreed with Danny’s decision; Vlad had more than needed what Danny did to him. Tucker just wasn’t sure if he was ready for the responsibility of a company like Dalv Co. But then he looked at Danny’s face. He knew then at that moment, if nothing else, Danny would always have his back. He nodded, and then out loud, “It would be my honor. Thank you for trusting me with this.”

“I wouldn’t trust with it anyone else,” Danny mustered all of the sincerity as he could as he passed the deed to Dalv Co over to Tucker and watched as he signed it. More cameras flashed, and by the time the formalities were done, both boys thought they’d been flashbanged. Tim and Bruce came up to the podium and gently led them down to their table.

Danny plonked himself down, and Tucker was right behind him. “Thank the Ancients I’m never going to be CEO of anything!” Danny grumbled. His family and Sam laughed at him.

“I can’t believe I agreed to that,” Tucker said once he was able to see again.

“Can I ask you something?” Jason spoke up. Danny looked at him and then nodded. “Why do you guys from Amity Park say ‘Ancients’ instead of ‘God’ or whatever?”

Danny looked around to make sure that no one was paying particular attention to their table before explaining. “So, in one of our trips to the Realms, we met Pandora. Yes, that Pandora, the one with the box. Anyways, Pandora always said it, and it kind of rubbed off on us.”

“But what exactly are Ancients?” Tim asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Ancients, in ghost terms, are the embodiment of concepts. They’re called Neverborn, meaning they were never alive to begin with. Pandora, the Ancient of Ancient Greece, Dorathea of Medieval Europe, Clockwork, Ghost Master of Time, although that one you would have also heard as Kronos, Saturn, or the Egyptian Thoth. Fright Knight, that you’ve met, is also an Ancient,” Danny explained.

“So, basically gods then,” Jason deadpanned. The rest of the table looked on in semi-horrified silence.

“Um, question. Have you had to fight any of these Ancients?” Dick squeaked out, hoping against all hope that Danny would answer in the negative.

“My first Ancient fight was Vortex, the Ancient of Weather & Storms. Trust me when I say having to relive your death is NOT fun.” Dick and Jason both made pained sounds in the back of their throat. “My next Ancient fight was Undergrowth, the Ancient of Nature. At first, he totally kicked my ass. But then, I found out that I had an ice core and about froze myself to my second death.” Another pained sound, this time from nearly the whole table, except from Sam and Tucker. “I had to go to the Far Frozen to learn how to control my ice powers. When I got back to Amity, I was able to defeat Undergrowth. My last Ancient was against Nocturn, the Ancient of Sleeping & Dreams. That one was a lot harder because he gets his powers from giving people good dreams. It took me a while to realize I was in a dream, but once I did, I was able to break out and wake everyone else up, and then we kicked his ass.” The whole table, again except Tucker and Sam, were sweating metaphorical bullets. Sure, all of them had punched gods and demi-gods more than once, but they’d also had a team of superpowered heroes backing them up. Danny had beat three gods all by himself. Well, not by himself, but three normal, human teenagers with no training didn’t exactly count.

“Danny, you’re forgetting Pariah Dark. I think he technically counted as an Ancient,” Tucker added helpfully.

“And even though you don’t fight Pandora, she is your teacher and sparring partner,” Sam decided it was her turn to add to the conversation. The rest of the table was just so done. So so so done.

Danny and Tucker had decided that it was time for them to get up and mingle with the crowd. Either Dick or Tim made sure to no one got too close to either younger boy. And there were plenty of wolves who would have loved to try and take advantage of their naiveté. Dick and Tim would simply redirect without being too obvious while still allowing Danny and Tucker to feel things out.

Dick saw Danny’s ear twitch and watched as he grabbed Tucker’s arm and guided them both seamlessly through the crowd and to the source of an argument. Dick tapped his comm to let the others know of a possible alert just in case a vigilante or two needed to respond.

“Sammykins, you don’t understand,” came a shrill voice just as Danny, Tucker, Dick and Tim edged close enough to be within hearing distance.

“I do understand, MOTHER!” The word was as some kind of epithet or slur. Mrs. Manson paled at heat in her daughter’s voice. “You’ve treated my friends like shit for years. And now, that they’re attached to names and money, you’re finally listening to me! That’s complete and utter BULLSHIT!”

“SAMMYKINS! WATCH YOUR MOUTH YOUNG LADY!” MRS. Manson shrilled.

“I WILL NOT! DANNY WAS WORTH HIS WEIGHT IN GOLD WHEN HE WAS FENTON! AND YOU DIDN’T CARE! YOU JUST THOUGHT HE WAS TRASH! YOU THOUGHT TUCKER WAS ONLY MARGINALLY BETTER. BUT ONLY BECAUSE HE WASN’T THE SON OF THE…!” Sam looked over at Danny and then clicked her jaw shut.

“Samantha Manson, if you don’t stop right this instant, I’ll…” Mr. Manson stepped up to defend his wife.

“YOU’LL WHAT, EXACTLY, FATHER?!?” Again, Sam made it sound like an insult. “Be careful your bigotry is showing.” She sneered. At realizing the scene they had created, both senior Mansons paled.

“You know,” Dick said casually as he sauntered up close to Sam where she had finally pressed close to Danny for support. “Almost none of Bruce’s kids are biologically his. In fact, I was born and raised in the circus until my parents died. It’s a well-known fact that Jason was adopted after he tried to steal Bruce’s tires. Cass came from a poor home situation. And Bruce didn’t even know Damian existed until he was 10. Tim was the only one of Bruce’s kids who came from money, but even then, Tim’s parents weren’t winning any awards for parents of the year. Duke came to us after his parents died in a rogue attack.”

Tim sidled into the conversation. He was simmering towards hatred of the Mansons for how they talked about his brother. “You’re basically saying that your better than everyone else just because you have money.”

“No…that’s…we didn’t…it’s not…” Mrs. Manson, Pamela, stammered.

“You do realize that Wayne Enterprises has no less than thirty different charity enterprises, which are all managed by the Martha Wayne Foundation. What can you say your cellophane toothpick money has done for the greater good of the community?” Tim asked. Sam looked at him in surprise and let a wicked smirk flit across her face. She knew that her parents had done nothing with their money, which was why she hadn’t felt bad siphoning some of it to fund Danny’s apartment when he first moved to Gotham. “Wayne Enterprises has made more roads towards green energy and reducing our carbon footprint in the last couple of years than your entire operation will achieve in the next twenty,” Tim said viciously. Both Mansons looked at the floor in shame, while Sam looked like she was about to start crowing in victory.

“Just so you know, Mr. and Mrs. Manson, everything I’ve achieved here in Gotham so far, has been done under my own power,” Danny said in the sudden silence, his voice low and intense. (Everything except the apartment, but they didn’t need to know that particular detail of Danny’s life.) “My completing high school early. Getting accepted to Gotham University with a full-ride scholarship. I did all of that on my own. Without help. I don’t need Bruce Wayne’s money. I’m beyond grateful that he’s adopted me, and I’m happy to have the family that I do now. But up till a few weeks ago, they didn’t even know I existed. My scholarship and acceptance letter came well before my adoption. Let that sink in.”

Pamela spluttered and grabbed her husband’s arm. “Jeremy, I’m not feeling so well. I think it’s time we left.” She turned with a swirl of her frilly, pastel pink skirt and flounced out, her husband trailing behind her. Sam finally let the tension leech out of her, and the crow that she’d been holding in made its way out.

“That was the best thing ever. And if never see them again, it’ll be too soon,” she huffed as Danny led her back to their table.

Strangely enough, or strangely for Gotham anyway, there was no rogue or villain attack on the gala. The rest of the night passed peacefully. By the time everyone else was leaving, Danny, Sam, and Tucker were exhausted, but Danny knew that there was still more to go. As they climbed back into the limo that would take them back to the Manor, Danny shook them back awake. They grumbled, but Danny assured them that it would be worth it. Sam threw him a glare, but she settled and leaned against Tucker. The drive back to the Manor didn’t seem to take as long as the drive out to the venue had.

Bruce led the trio through the hallways while Danny was slightly snickering behind him. Bruce hid a smile as he turned into the study. He went to the grandfather clock and worked the mechanism that would reveal the hidden entrance to the Cave. Both Tucker and Sam looked at the entrance in trepidation. Bruce heard Sam whisper something about another “Vlad situation” which Danny hastily reassured his friend to trust him and follow the billionaire.

“THE BATCAVE IS REAL?!?!” Tucker shrieked once they emerged from the elevator. He turned to looked at his best friend who was laughing at him. Sam was in just as much shock as Tucker.

“Sam, Tucker, please come down here. We have lots of things to discuss,” Bruce called from the lower platform.

By the time the two had reached the lower platform, Tucker was as starstruck as it was possible to be. “Wes was right. We totally should have listened to him,” he murmured. Bruce and Tim looked at him sharply, but Danny whispered that he would explain later.

After that Bruce launched into his spiel about how he wanted both Sam and Tucker to move to Gotham and be a part of the Bat brigade. Tucker would work with Oracle (this was promptly followed by a shout of “Oracle’s real?!?!” and “Yes, Tucker, she’s very much real”), while Sam would receive training from Poison Ivy (this was followed by “Hell Yeah!”). Tucker and Sam would be enrolled at Gotham Academy with Dani (another shout of “Hell yeah” by Dani).

The trio finally made their way up to Danny’s room and were in bed for their traditional cuddle pile. It had been a long day. They had begun to doze off, knowing that Danny had a full and potentially heartbreaking day the next day when Sam sat bolt upright, glaring at Danny.

“Danny! It’s because they’re the Bats! That’s why you trusted them with the DNA test, isn’t it?” She demanded, voicing the sudden thought that had occurred to her.

Danny wiped the sleepiness from his eyes. “Sort of. Remember when I told you how I was kidnapped for being mistaken as Tim?” Both Tucker and Sam nodded. “So, the full story is that Scarecrow had just broken out of Arkham and had gassed the part of Gotham where my work was located. Apparently, my ghost biology turns fear gas into a wonky sort of truth serum while also making me high as hell.” Tucker and Sam gasped and then giggled at the grimace on Danny’s face. “Yeah, that’s a thing. Anyways, trying to get home before the attack was in full swing, I was kidnapped and subsequently rescued by Jason, Dick, Bruce, and Tim. Basically dropped my whole life story on them. The only thing I didn’t tell them was how I became Phantom. Tim, who was Red Robin, told me that he had an in with Tim…” Tucker and Sam snorted, and Danny let out a small cackle. “The irony is not lost on me now in retrospect. Red Robin assured me that their system was inhouse and was basically hack proof. That’s the only reason I agreed. And well, it worked.”

“You never did tell us how you find out that you were adopted,” Tucker asked, also now wide awake.

So, the trio spent the next hour or so going over how Danny found out he was adopted and his life in Gotham. They eventually drifted off into the depths of sleep. For the first time in nearly five months, Danny slept deeply and without nightmares or sleep paralysis plaguing him. For the first time since he left Amity Park, Danny felt himself fully relax. Sure, he’d felt safe being in Wayne Manor, but he still felt like the other shoe was about to drop. But now his Fraid was complete and in one space. Well, mostly. But Jazz would be transferring schools when the semester ended so it wouldn’t be too much longer.

“Master Danny, Miss Sam, Master Tucker, it’s time for breakfast, and Master Danny has an appointment to keep,” Alfred called as he knocked on the door. The trio got up, and Sam and Tucker made their way to their own rooms so they could get ready. They would be spending the day being tourists in Gotham. Dick and Damian had volunteered to show them around while Jason, Bruce, and Tim went up with Danny to the Watchtower.

Danny waited nervously by the zeta tubes for his dad and brothers to change into their uniforms. He was glad that both Jason and Tim had agreed to go. They were his favorite brothers for a reason. Hood, Red Robin, and Batman emerged from the changing room, and the Danny switched to Phantom. He was in his regular Phantom form, but there had been changes to his uniform. He was no longer wearing the hazmat suit. Between Danny, Tim, and Frostbite, they had figured out how to make Kevlar in ectoplasmic form. Every Bat and Bird felt much better seeing their family member in something other than a flimsy hazmat suit anyway. His new suit still sported his stylized silver DP logo, but that was centered in a neon green Bat logo. His pants were black cargo pants with a green pinstripe running down the side of each leg. He now also sported the same utility belt, in silver, that the Bats and Birds all wore.

Tim trotted over to Danny and put a hand on his shoulder to ground him. He could see how nervous his brother was. “Danny, are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yeah, I think I need to. If only for closure, you know,” Danny said with a slight wobble in his voice. Tim pressed close to his brother before stepping away and leading him to entrance of the zeta tubes. Danny eyed it warily. He still didn’t like the tubes, but he would put up with them in order to get up to the Watchtower.

“Ok, Phantom, once you’re inside, you can switch back. I’ve got control of the cameras and audio on your side of the room. You’ll have about 10 minutes before an alarm will trigger once they enter,” Red Robin looked over at his brother, worry clear in his eyes, but Phantom rolled his shoulders and straightened his back with a stoic look in his eyes. Sensing that he wouldn’t be able to change his brother’s mind, Red Robin led Phantom towards the prisoner visitation area.

Phantom stepped inside the room and was immediately thankful that he would be separated from the Fentons by a thick wall of plexiglass? Maybe. Phantom wasn’t entirely sure was the material was, but he’d been assured by both Batman and Superman that it had been tested and was Kryptonian approved. Phantom put the comm in his ear and switched back to Danny. Danny was comforted by the thought he had some measure of protection between him and his former parents. He sat in the chair and waited for the Fentons to be brought in. He didn’t have to wait long.

Superman and Martian Manhunter brought the Fentons into the visitation cell. It looked strange to see them wearing something other than their traditional orange and teal hazmat suits and goggles. They walked in wearing teal jumpsuits, and both of them had meta suppressant collars on them. Danny had told Bruce that even though they weren’t metas, they had been exposed to enough ectoplasm that they were likely strong Liminals and what that would entail. Neither Doctor Fenton looked particularly thrilled with their situation.

Jack was the first to clock Danny’s presence on the other side of the glass. “Da…Danny?”

Maddie’s violet eyes locked on to Danny’s blue eye, and she glared. “What do you want, ghost scum?”

“Mads, wait. Can I ask you a question?” Jack asked. Danny nodded. “Why are you possessing Danny?”

Danny scoffed. “You don’t get it. It’s not overshadowing or possession. You literally saw me transform,” Danny said with a bite of sarcasm lacing his words.

“You’re wrong! Phantom was the first ghost to come out of the portal,” Maddie all but yelled, narrowing her eyes at Danny.

“You know, for some of smartest people I know, you two sure are dumb. You’ve been around ghosts for two years now. You KNOW what overshadowing looks like. It sure as fuck doesn’t involve an anime girl transformation,” Danny said with a frown. Jack and Maddie stiffened in their seats. “Did you even listen to Wonder Woman when you attacked the UN Summit?”

Maddie actually looked down in shame. She had asked for a transcript of the newscast. It had been, surprisingly, provided to her. She had read and reread both the transcript and the report that Wonder Woman had read about the statistics of Amity Park. She hadn’t realized that she and her husband had been responsible for so much property damage, and worse yet that people had died because of them. She looked closely at what she thought was ghost scum sitting across from her.

“You never even thought about how your portal just magically started working, did you?” Danny asked gripping his left arm tight in his right hand. Maddie and Jack could see the faint scarring of Lichtenberg figures running from his middle finger and branching all the way up his arm. It swept up his neck, almost up to his eye, and Maddie could tell it likely went down to his chest.

“What do you mean? The portal just turned by itself, didn’t it?” Jack asked, uncertainly looking at Maddie for confirmation. But Maddie shook her head. She’d gone back down to the lab just before they’d left for their hotel to doublecheck their calculations. Nothing had seemed amiss. The portal should have worked. The fact that it didn’t meant that something somewhere went wrong.

“No. We messed something up,” Maddie answered. Danny nodded. He waited to see if she could work it out. He could see the wheels turning in her head. “The secondary ON button. We never pushed it. That’s why it didn’t work.”

“Hmm. Keep going,” Danny pushed.

Maddie’s eyes widened in shock. “NO! OH NO!” She crumpled, tears streaming down her face.

“What did you do to her?” Jack demanded.

“I didn’t do anything. She just realized what happened to your oh-so-precious-portal that tore your family apart. Isn’t that right, Madeline?” Danny put as much venom in his voice as he could muster.

“Jack, we never turned the power off. So, whoever pushed the secondary ON button would’ve been hit by thousands of volts of electricity. It should have kill…” Her voice trailed off as she took in Danny’s Lichtenberg scars again. Jack turned to face Danny, finally seeing the same thing that Maddie was.

“That’s right. The electricity killed me, but the ectoplasm brought me back to life. In an endless cycle until the overload shorted out 6 city blocks and the portal spat me out. You never even came to visit me in the hospital.”

Maddie and Jack jerked like the chairs they’d been sitting were suddenly electrified. Surely, they wouldn’t have missed something like that. Maddie thought back two years ago when the portal first opened. She and Jack had been in their hotel room in Elmerton. She’d gotten a call from Jazz stating that Danny was being taken to the hospital because something had happened to the portal. They rushed home. The portal was working. Maddie couldn’t recall seeing Jazz or Danny for a few days after that. Maddie clasped her hands to her mouth. She began ugly sobbing; Jack just there in numb disbelief.

“What happens now?” Maddie asked in a small voice after she regained her composure.

“From what I understand, since the Infinite Realms are considered another dimension, you and Jack are to be handed over to the Lanterns and Oa to stand trial there. Not even the Ghost King will be able to intercede on your behalf, and from what I’ve been told, he doesn’t necessarily want to. You won’t be alone, though. Most of the GIW agents that have been rounded up will be there with you,” Danny said a little coldly.

“Danny…I…I’m soo…” Maddie started.

“DON’T!” Danny shouted. “You’re not sorry. Ghosts, even half-ghosts like me, are made up of emotions, and I can tell that you’re not sorry. Maybe you regret that I was the who opened the portal. But you don’t regret the portal being opened.” Danny’s own tears began trailing down his cheeks. “Did you ever even once consider me yours?”

Jack and Maddie’s silence filled the room. It was answer enough.

“Goodbye.”

Chapter Text

“Phantom?” Superman called uncertainly as he flew into the summoning site. Phantom’s trackers, comms and panic button had all been knocked offline by the magic of the summoning for some reason. But Phantom had given a shout, as he’d been trained to do, before he went silent.

“Supes? Help,” came the weak reply.

Superman quickly activated his x-ray vision so that he could see what, exactly, he was dealing with. Cultists. Of course, it’s cultists. Superman heaved a sigh. He sent a signal back to the Bats and to the Watchtower to alert them of their location. They were somewhere in Northern Canada…he thought. He hoped that summoning Phantom was the only magic that the cultists had on hand otherwise things were going to get messy and fast since the Kryptonian and magic didn’t exactly get along.

“I’m coming Phantom. Help is on the way,” Superman responded, and then he swept into action.

He rushed into the fray using his cold breath to freeze the cultists to the ground. He didn’t hold back to knock some of them unconscious. He even used his laser eyes once or twice (he really wished he could have killed those dang cultists for how weak and broken Phantom looked. And yes, he said dang, because Superman would never cuss. Ma Kent would have his hide if she ever found out that he used cuss words, thank you very much).

By the time help had arrived, Superman had most of the cultists under control. Wonder Woman, Batman, and Nightwing swept in and quickly found the stragglers. Superman had crossed over to the summoning circle. It was lined with the petals and buds of a strange looking flower. They looked like red rosebuds, with a purple-trimmed black stem and leaves. Some of the buds and petals were burning and were releasing a red vapor into the air. Superman gently flew, being careful not to disturb to arrangement, over to Phantom who curled into a fetal position, looking like he was in agony.

“Phantom, what can I do for you?” He asked as he placed a hand on the ghost’s shoulder.

“Flowers. Poisonous,” the half-ghost rasped out. Batman and Nightwing raced over while Superman blanched.

“Bats, we’ve got to get him to the Watchtower. He says the flowers are poisonous,” Superman reported as Nightwing fussed over his brother.

“Go,” Batman grunted out. Superman nodded, and then gently cradled the halfa into his arms.

“Hang on, Phantom. I’m going direct to the Watchtower,” Superman informed the halfa who was hanging limply in his arms. Phantom managed to nod before he lost his battle with consciousness. Superman blinked as a bright light surrounded the half-ghost in his arms. Suddenly, Superman was no longer holding a cold, white-haired, being with no heartbeat, who weighed very little. He was now holding a warm, black-haired teenager; one he very distinctly remembered interviewing a few weeks ago. Danny groaned weakly in his arms, which spurned Superman to fly faster.

“Watchtower, I’m coming in hot. Ready the medbay,” Superman called out over his comms.

He heard a flurry of movement as he approached the space base. The hangar door was open, and he rushed through to medbay. Flash and Martian Manhunter and a team of the Watchtower’s medical professionals were waiting for him as he appeared at the entrance. He carefully laid Danny down on the bed that had been provided for him. Superman stepped back as the medical team swooped in and began hooking Danny up to various monitors. Danny groaned, a pitiful sound, and then the medical team were scrambling to put a sick bucket underneath his face as he started spasming and vomiting. He threw up blood and something else. It was green-flecked, and Superman swore it almost otherworldly.

“Superman,” he heard in his comm unit. Nightwing’s voice.

“Yes?” he answered.

“Oracle will be patching through Phantom’s medical file so you can get it to the medical team. Red Robin should be arriving on station shortly. Batman and I will meet you there,” Nightwing explained.

Superman repeated this information to the waiting medical team. One of the computers in the room beeped, and the chief medical officer rushed over and began reading Danny’s medical file. The doctor barked out new orders to stabilize Danny. It seemed to help as Danny was no longer throwing up green-flecked blood and flopped back, another pain moan escaping his lips. The door to the room whooshed open, and there stood a very frantic Red Robin who looked like he had barely put his uniform on before rushing to the station. It was very off-putting, seeing the normally very put-together teenager so very thoroughly rumpled.

Red Robin rushed over to Danny’s side and grabbed his hand. “Hey Danny. I’m here,” he said softly while carding his hands through the younger boy’s hair.

Danny attempted to opened his eyes and focus them. “Red?” he slurred. His eyes closed again, and he whined, a high-pitched keening noise. Red Robin shook Danny’s shoulder, and Danny opened his eyes again.

“Hey. I need you to tell me what we need to do for you,” Red Robin whispered into his brother’s ears.

“Ectoplasm…” Danny managed to get out before he started dry heaving again. Then, he lost his battle with consciousness once again.

Superman and Red Robin were determined to remain at Danny’s side, if only so that they could give themselves comfort. Batman and almost the entirety of the Bat-brigade rushed into the medical wing of the Watchtower a couple of hours later. A few had remained behind to ensure that Gotham had coverage, but even Damian had rushed to the zeta tubes, anxiously awaiting the moment Batman arrived in the Batplane.

Danny had an IV running with neon green fluid being pushed through it. Hood shoved Red Robin to the side so that he could be closer to the boy. Hood looked at the various monitors on the boy before giving a gruff scoff that came out weird due to the modulator in his helmet. Red Robin rolled his eyes at the older vigilante but otherwise didn’t protest being roughly moved out of the way.

Once it seemed like Danny had stabilized, most of the Bat clan filtered back to Gotham. After all, crime didn’t stop just because one of them was badly hurt. Hood, Red Robin, and Superman remained on the Watchtower and would alternate who be at Danny’s side, just in case he woke up. Hood made calls to his lieutenants to make sure Crime Alley would be well covered for a few days; Red Robin could work on WE stuff from the space station; and Superboy had agreed to cover Metropolis for Superman.

Superman was standing vigil over Danny when Danny groaned. Superman turned to see Danny’s ice blue eyes staring at him. “Hey Supes,” Danny called to the Big Blue Boy Scout.

Superman flew over to Danny’s bed and quickly checked over the young man’s vitals. Realizing that his fever had broken, and all of his other vitals were normal, Superman pressed the call button to get the attention of one of the medical team so that they could disconnect him from some of his machines. The chief medical officer and two nurses appeared in Danny’s room shortly after Superman pressed the call button. They checked Danny’s vitals and were happy with what they found. They disconnected most of the machines but left the IV and blood pressure machine connected.

Superman and Danny sat in silence for a while before Danny looked up at the Boy Scout. “Ask your question, Supes. As long as you don’t ask how I died,” he said weakly. Superman passed him a cup of water and helped Danny hold the straw while he took a few sips.

“Your twin sister. She’s not really your twin, is she?” Superman asked haltingly.

Danny sighed. He pushed the button on the bed so that he could sit up a bit. “Are you sure you want to know? It’s not…It’s not a happy story,” he replied with a sad smile. Superman nodded. Danny heaved another sigh and then motioned for Superman to make himself comfortable.

“So, that part in your article about Vlad going to college with the Fentons was the truth. But it’s a bit darker than that. Vlad blamed Jack for the accident that turned him into a halfa, but the truth is Maddie was just as much responsible as Jack, but Jack was just easier to blame, if only because Jack’s a bit more airheaded. You have to understand. They’re both inventors. They’re both scientists. But even back in college Vlad loved Maddie, but Maddie loved Jack. Unrequited love and all that. So, when the Fenton’s proto portal blew up in Vlad’s face, it was easier to blame Jack, and Jack alone, than to blame both or even to blame Maddie,” Danny began his explanation.

“Ok, but what does that have to do with you and your sister?” Superman asked, confused.

“Everything. Did Batman fill you in on ghosts’ Obsessions?” Superman nodded. “Vlad’s main Obsession was Power, but his secondary Obsession was Maddie, which then translated itself onto me when he found out that I was also a halfa. If he could get rid of Jack, then Maddie would fall into his arms, and so would her children. Jazz was almost the spitting image of Maddie, except her eyes, but she was a girl. And then there was me. Even though everyone always claimed I looked like Jack, I was still a boy, and a halfa to boot. Misplaced and antiquated misogyny and all that. But Vlad…He went about it the wrong way. He wanted to control me. He wanted Power over me. And when I didn’t bow down to him…well, let’s just say, we basically became something like archnemeses.”

“Oh,” Superman said, dumbly.

“Yeah. Didn’t help that I was 15. So, you know, teenage rebellion and all that. Jack thought him harmless. Maddie just thought he was a creep. When he realized that I wasn’t going ever be under his thumb, that’s when he got the bright idea to kidnap me, torture me, and the end result, was a bunch of clones. Most of them destabilized right in front of my eyes. Dani was the only one who survived. Apparently, cloning a half-ghost is extremely difficult. And as is apparently the rule with clones, she tried to kill me.” Superman did a sharp intake of breath, but Danny wasn't bothered. “Yeah, it was a whole thing. But, between me, my actual sister, and my two best friends, we managed to convince her that Vlad was well…Vlad.”

“Kon-El and I, we didn’t have the greatest of starts,” Superman said with a sad lilt in his voice.

“Nothing you can do or say to him will EVER be as bad as what the Fentons did or said to me,” Danny said while he laid a hand on Superman’s.

“What?”

“Right after the portal opened, I listened to the Fentons talk about how they were going to tear Phantom apart molecule by molecule or how they were doing to dissect him if they were ever going to get their hands on him.” Superman met Danny’s eyes, horrified. “They built weapons that were meant to destroy ghosts that I would have to go in later and sabotage. You’ve written the articles, Superman, about the Anti-Ecto Control Acts and the GIW.” Superman’s eyes grew wide. He remembered when Constantine had first summoned the ghost to the Watchtower and what he’d said about the scientists hurting him and about how he’d been held in captivity by the GIW. Danny nodded. “So, I’ll say this again. Whatever you’ve said or done to your clone, will NEVER be as bad as that.”

“How can I make it up to him?” the Super asked.

Danny thought about what he wanted to say before he answered. “When Dani realized that Vlad was a Froot Loop, she travelled a lot last year. It was only recently that she realized that she wanted to settle down and try to have a real life. I’m not saying do the same thing with him. But the first thing that you need to do is realize that he’s just as much a victim in this as you. I’m not invalidating your feelings on this. Trust me. When it happened to me, I was angry and scared and really wanted to punch something.”

“That I can understand,” Superman said with a snort.

“But at the same time, punching Dani wouldn’t have solved the problem; wouldn’t have made the problem go away; and would have likely made it worse. Also, again, I was 15, and my house wasn’t safe for me, so it damn sure wouldn’t have been safe for another half-ghost. So, I did the only I could at the time. I let her go. She wanted to travel anyways.” Danny heaved a sigh and looked at the window that opened into his room.

“What do I do to fix this?” Superman repeated his question.

“For starters, help me bust outta this joint,” Danny leaned forward conspiratorially whisper into Superman’s ear. The Super looked over at Red Robin, who merely nodded. Superman unhooked the blood pressure machine but kept the IV line intact. He gently scooped up the boy, while Red Robin raced over to grab the IV pole. Danny giggled. Superman held him while Red Robin walked next to them pushing Danny’s IV pole. They made their way to the monitor room since, technically, Superman was on duty.

Reb Robin had managed to get a domino mask on his brother before they entered the monitor room, and then they entered. Danny was impressed. He was sandwiched between the two heroes, who both fussed over him. Danny’s eyes flicked over the several screens as he watched the various heroes and vigilantes all over the world do their thing. His core started purring, but it was slightly muted as it was still recovering from the blood blossom poisoning.

Danny tensed and then violently stood up, pointing at one screen. Superman and Red Robin looked up at the screen he was looking at to see a giant, glowing green plant monster currently wreaking havoc in Star City. The plant monster could rival any of Ivy’s any day. Both heroes heard Danny growl. It was a feral thing that struck fear in their hearts.

“FUCKING UNDERGROWTH!!!” Danny snarled. Red Robin placed a grounding hand on his shoulder.

“Danny, stop and think for a minute. You can’t. You’re still recovering from being fucking poisoned. But. You’re not alone in this anymore. Tell me how to beat that thing,” Red Robin while cradling Danny’s face to his. Danny’s eyes flashed a toxic green that made Red Robin suck in a breath before Danny sank back down to his chair.

“Ice. He’s weak to ice. Superman, if you and Superboy use your freeze breath, that should weaken him enough, and then Red Robin can suck him up in the thermos I made. Red can bring him back to me so I can send him back where he belongs,” Danny said, tiredly. Superman and Red Robin nodded at each other.

Danny watched the screen as both Supers and Red Robin appeared on the appropriate screen. Superman and Superboy used their freezing breath to ice the ghost as much as possible. They would also, on occasion, swoop in and use their laser eyes or punch the bastard. The battle between the Ancient and the two Supers was as quick as it was rough before Red Robin finally had his chance. The Ancient toppled to the ground, and Red Robin unclicked his thermos from his belt and pointed it at the downed ghost. A beam of bluish white light erupted from the thermos as it sucked in the downed ghost. Red Robin slumped in weary triumph. It had been his second ghost fight (his first without someone who actually knew what they were doing against a ghost), but damn, he’d almost rather fight fucking Joker than whatever fresh hell this was. And Danny had faced this thing alone?!?!

Superboy flew over to Red Robin and asked if he wanted a ride back up to the Watchtower. He mutely assented. He was so done with the day. First, he had lost a lead in a major drug trafficking ring him and Jason had been working on. Then, Danny had been summoned late in the afternoon to bum-fucked northern Canada out in the middle of nowhere. Thank whatever gods were listening that Superman had been able to get to him quickly. Then, come to find out, that Danny had been poisoned by those fucking cultists. And now here he was cleaning up after a ghost. Red Robin was exhausted. He could only imagine how his younger brother felt.

Superman was already at Danny’s side, fussing over the younger boy. During their fight, Danny seemed to have lost whatever strength he’d gained and was close to losing consciousness again. Superman scooped him up in the same bridal carry, while Red Robin was once again pushing the IV pole. The four of them made their way back to Danny’s room in the medical wing, and Superman laid him back down on his bed.

“Superman, wait,” Danny called after the Kryptonian.

Superman turned back towards the young man. “What is it?”

“I never answered your question from earlier.” Superman looked at Danny in confusion before he remembered what he’d asked. “Just remember, that he’s as much of a victim in this as you are. Think of it more like a secret pregnancy or something. Like what happened with Bruce and Damian. And then maybe start by apologizing for how you started off. And go from there. The last thing to remember is that the only person who deserves your anger who the one who violated you,” Danny said, and then his eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep.

“Red Robin, when did your brother get so wise?” Superman asked the older teen.

And for the second time in his life, Red Robin answered, “I have no fucking clue.”

Chapter Text

“Morning, Damian,” Danny called out as the younger boy walked into the dining room.

“Good morning,” Damian replied. “Are you planning to do anything stupid today?”

“Baby bat!” Dick exclaimed in mock horror.

“Tt. Daniel does seem the type, and his self-preservation instincts are worse than even Drake’s” Damian sneered. Danny held his chest in mock offense at being full-named and then broke out in giggles to let the rest of the table know that he wasn’t really offended. Sam and Tucker nodded in agreement with Damian; Danny deserved it.

“Well, I was thinking I could show you Cujo, if you want,” Danny finally replied once he stopped giggling. The entire table looked at him in interest.

“Who’s Cujo?” Tim asked.

“Cujo is a ghost dog that considers me his boy,” Danny explained flippantly.

“A…ghost…dog?” Damian asked darkly. Danny looked up from his eggs and gulped, realizing the danger that he’d waded into.

“If the Masters and Mistresses will finish their breakfast, they can finish this conversation in the family. room.” Danny silently thanked Alfred for the save. There was a chorus of “Yes, Alfred” that answered the unspoken warning, and then Alfred turned and went back to his kitchen sanctuary.

“Explain. Ghost dog. Now.” Damian demanded once the family was seated in the family room.

Danny took his preferred seat between Tim and Jason. Damian was in an armchair with Alfred the cat in his lap. Bruce was in another armchair across from Damian. Dick was busy tying himself into a human pretzel in front of the fireplace, and Steph and Cass took their place on the loveseat. Sam and Tucker were wrapped around each other in a beanbag. Alfred walked in with a tray of hot chocolate as if he knew that Danny was about to traumatize his family. Again. Which, fair. About everything out of Danny’s mouth was traumatizing in some form or another.

Danny heaved a sigh before he began. “Back in Amity, there was a company called Axion Labs. They had employed guard dogs as part of their security. When Vlad bought out Axion, they upgraded their security systems to be automated. Vlad decided that they didn’t…” Danny took a deep breath because he knew that his family, especially Jason and Damian were likely to react badly to what he was going to say next. “…need the dogs anymore. And instead of doing something humane with them, like trying to adopt them out or finding them other jobs, they were put down. And not…not nicely either.”

The entire family did a sharp intake of breath, and Damian went stiff, his hands clenching into fists in his lap. Damian was glad that Danny had already taken care of the man, or he would be seriously reconsidering his father’s no-kill rule. Jason and Tim were right there with him. Danny let his family process things for a moment before he continued. Dani wrapped herself around Damian like a shawl.

“When Cujo first start haunting Axion Labs, he caused a lot of problems and property damage, but I, as Phantom, was blamed for the damage, if only because I was visible and Cujo was long gone. Valerie’s dad got blamed for not stopping me, and he lost his job. Vlad manipulated Valerie and gave her a ghost hunting suit. So, Valerie became Red Huntress, and Red Huntress had a serious grudge against ghosts in general, but Phantom in particular. Valerie liked Danny, but Huntress hated Phantom. It’s ironic when you consider that Valerie and Danny dated for all of like 2 weeks. Anyways, Cujo kept ‘attacking’ Axion Labs. I eventually figured out that he wasn’t attacking at all. He was looking for his Obsession. When he was alive, he had a squeaky toy, in the shape of a teddy bear. It had gotten bricked up behind a wall when Axion got rid of the dogs, and Cujo was just trying to find it. Once I found it and reunited it with Cujo, he left Axion alone. Since I was the one who found his toy, he basically claimed me as his boy. He finds me when he wants to play; comes and goes as he wants; although if I call him, he will almost always come. I have to warn you though. He has 2 modes. Cute puppy and Eldritch horror. “

“Danny, before you call your eldritch ghost dog. I have a couple of questions.” Dick finally unwound himself from being a human pretzel and plopped himself down with Sam and Tucker. Danny nodded. “Back when you called that Fright Knight to you, you and he said some things that didn’t quite make sense. Would you mind explaining?”

“Sure, I don’t mind,” Danny said as he leaned against the brick wall that was Jason. Jason ruffled Danny’s hair in return.

“Fright Knight said that you found a…what did he call it?” Dick closed his eyes trying to remember the word.

“Fraid. He called you my Fraid.” Dick nodded and the rest of the family suddenly looked very interested in what Danny had to say. “Ghosts don’t necessarily keep family or blood bonds the same way Livings do. There are a variety of reasons for that. Different beliefs, different times of death, whether or not they become a ghost at all.”

“Why does that matter?” Tim asked.

“So, the Infinite Realms is the Afterlife of all afterlives. But…the caveat is that the Catholic Heaven is different from the Christian Heaven. Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhism, et cetera. Every religion that believes in an afterlife of some kind is in the Infinite Realms. And then there’s becoming a ghost, which can only be done under very specific circumstances. There has to be a lot of ectoplasm in the area and high emotional output at the time of death, usually the more negative emotions like fear, pain, hatred, anger. What that means is that blood families can and often do get split up. You might have someone end up in Hell, someone else end up in the Catholic Heaven, and someone else becomes a ghost.”

Everyone in the room, except Dani, Sam, and Tucker, paled. They hadn’t even thought about the implications of what Danny had told them before. None of them were particularly religious, although Bruce was Jewish, and Jason and Tim were both sparingly Catholic. And all of them had a high probability of reaching an early grave due to their nightlife. Danny had also told them before that Gotham had plenty of ambient ectoplasm.

“That’s where ghost Fraids come in. Fraids are bonds formed by ghosts that may or may not contain blood relatives. Just another word for found family. Fright Knight called you my Fraid because you’re my found family, and I’ve bonded to you. Think of it like a duckling imprinting on a momma duck,” Danny said with a blush that lit up his constellation freckles. Everyone in the room cooed at him.

“Little ghostie, that’s adorable,” Dick sprang up and glomped Danny in one of his octopus hugs. The room erupted into laughter. Danny let out an indignant squawk. Dick unwound himself and went back to where he was sitting with Sam and Tucker.  “My next question. You said something about Lady Gotham. As if Gotham were a person.”

“Not a person. A City Spirit,” Danny answered.

What.

WHAT!?!

“The FUCK???” Jason gasped like a fish out of water. Sam and Tucker snickered.

“Some of the older cities, or those that have higher concentrations of ambient ecto have the potential to develop a City Spirit. Have you ever noticed when the shadows seem that much darker, or you’ve had a close call when you should have bought it?” All of the gathered vigilantes nodded. “That was Lady Gotham. You’re her Knights. That’s like actual titles. Knights of Gotham. Not every city will develop a City Spirit. Amity was close, but now that I’m gone and the portals are closed, I don’t think that will happen. The only other City Spirits that I’m aware of are London, Las Vegas, Houston, New Orleans, Paris, and Tokyo.” The family took a moment to digest this news. “OOOH. In the Realms, there’s even a Ghost Gotham. Most Gothamites go there when they die here, especially since in Ghost Gotham they don’t have to worry about rogue or villain attacks. The Realms won’t let something like that happen there.” The Amity Parkers watched as their new family all bluescreened. And then the four from Amity Park lost it. They found the look on the faces of the Waynes absolutely hilarious.

“Tt, I believe you were going to introduce us to your dog, Danny,” Damian prompted.

“Oh, right. This would be better if we did this out in the garden,” Danny replied as he jumped from where he was sandwiched between his brothers. He didn’t wait to see if his family followed, but he also knew that their intrinsic curiosity would pretty much force them follow.

“Just no one freak out, ok?” Danny asked uncertainly. Everyone nodded. “CUJO COME!” He called out. There was a loud bark that seemingly came from nowhere and everywhere all at once. And then Danny was being tackled by a two-story giant, Lazarus green dog with red glowing eyes. Danny’s laughter filled the garden as he was subjected to doggy licks. “Cujo, small boy. Be small.” And the two-story eldritch horror, as Danny had described him, shrank into the cutest ghost dog that the Wayne family had ever seen. (Granted, the only ghost dog they’d ever seen, but whatever.) Cujo floated between each member of the Wayne family while they each tried to entice the puppy to come to them.

Alfred looked out over his garden and smiled serenely.

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“Agent Alpha, we have a spike in ectoplasmic readings at the Wayne Manor,” Agent K reported.

“You think it’s Phantom?” asked the once formidable leader of the GIW.

“It’s more than just Phantom. From the readings, there are likely at least 3 ectoplasmic scum located at the Manor. If we act now, we can catch them all off guard. Brucie Wayne won’t even know what hit him.”

“Then, we head to Wayne Manor, post haste,” Agent Alpha responded with a feral grin.

He knew that Phanom was once again within his grasp. He could taste it. Within moments, ten white vans, each with 5 agents inside, rushed towards Bristol. It didn’t take them long to reach the long bridge that would take them to the large Manor, especially since they broke all traffic laws standing in their way. What were a few measly traffic laws when ghost scum threatened to take over the world? When Phantom had already gotten its grubby claws in Gotham’s White Prince?

The gothic Manor came into view, and the first van in the caravan barreled through the gate. The first 5 agents burst through the door, and alarms started blaring throughout the Manor. They followed the ecto signature that was plugged into the Fenton Finder that had been given to them by the Fentons before their arrest. They barely met any resistance before they got to the gardens where the ecto signatures were the strongest. It was there that they encountered the first of the barriers to their goal. It was the elderly butler of the estate. The butler was wielding a 12-gauge shotgun and was able to get 3 shots off before he was subdued.

Unfortunately, the sounds of gunfire attracted the ire of several of the local Gotham vigilantes. Agent Alpha presumed they must have been brainwashed by Phantom if they came to its rescue. Agent Alpha was not prepared to fight against well-trained vigilantes. Ghost scum were brainless beings who knew nothing but how to throw a punch. This…this was different. Vigilantes were trained in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat. The first on the scene was the gun wielding maniac, Red Hood. But, hmm…that was odd. The Fenton Finder pinged on it.

Several agents realized that Red Hood was pinging on the Fenton Finder and opened fire on it using their blasters. The ghost scum grunted in pain but didn’t stop firing on the agents. Soon the ghost scum was joined by several other of the Gotham vigilantes. The black and blue one, Agent Alpha believed that one to be Nightwing, the Stabby Robin, even Batman himself, joined the fray. Agent Alpha ignored them all to search for his prize.

Agent Alpha passed through the absurdly large Manor with his head on a constant swivel. The Fenton Finder would random ping as if the ghost scum was on the move, which was highly likely since the damn thing could phase through walls using its intangibility and invisibility. He signaled to the agents that were still able to follow him to remain silent as he’d gotten a particularly strong ping from the Fenton Finder. He burst through a door, and there he saw it. The human host that Phantom had been possessing. The poor boy had died, and Phantom had used his body as its own. Standing in front of the ghost scum was a snarling, second ghost scum. It must have been the reason why the Fenton Finder spiked such a large ecto signature. Agent Alpha cackled in unrestrained, manic glee.

“FINALLY!” He yelled. He stepped to the side as he heard Agent O had whipped out the last weapon that the Fentons had gifted them before their arrest, a silver and green harpoon with barbed tips.

Agent O pulled the trigger, and the harpoon whirled through the air on a straight trajectory towards the towering menace that looked like a dog. All 4 agents present watched in slow motion as Phantom ran forward and shoved the thing out of the way. The harpoon went straight through the human’s body and clanked on the floor. The agents whooped in celebration of a successful ghost hunt, even if their prey had been a different ghost. Phantom had always been their primary target so it was no small loss that the other ghost wasn’t hit.

There was a scream of “DANNY!” from somewhere behind the agents, and then their world went black.

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“DANNY!!!” Red Robin screamed as he watched the harpoon impale his brother in his human form. And not for the first time, he regretted agreeing to Batman’s no-kill rule. Hood was right behind him and began shooting the four GIW agents that had somehow escaped from the others and had branched off to search to more obscure areas of the Manor. Which meant that they had found Danny and Cujo in the smaller library. Red Robin heard Hood fire several more shots but couldn’t care less as he raced forward to catch his brother before he could hit the ground.

“NO! NO! NO! NO!” Red Robin shrieked as Danny’s blood began soaking through his clothes and into Red Robin’s uniform. Red Robin’s world was nothing more than the black-haired, blue-eyed boy who was clinging to him with tears in his eyes.

“Tim. Hurts,” Danny whined.

“HOLY FUCKING SHITBALLS!” Hood exclaimed once he finished securing the agents. “Give him here, Red! Grab the harpoon. Try to keep it steady.” Hood looked at both of his younger brothers. Red’s hands were shaking, and Danny’s eyes were unfocused, and the light was fading from them, quickly. But Red had obeyed, and that was all that mattered.

Hood scooped up Danny, and Red Robin picked up the damning harpoon. Both were careful not to jostle Danny too much as they raced through the hallways to get to the secret entrance to get to the Cave. The agents that had infiltrated the Manor had been collected by members of the Green Lantern Corp so that they could be transported to Oa for trial. Superman had been especially mad since the attack had come right on the heels of the summoning, and he knew that Danny hadn’t really recovered.

Danny hung limply in Hood’s arms as they entered the Cave. His blood left a trail as it ran down Hood’s chest. Red Robin had both the harpoon and the weapon it had been fired from since it had been attached with a chain. Thankfully, Dr. Thomkins was already in the Cave waiting. Hood and Red Robin heard a gasp as they approached the medbay.

“Oh my God!” She exclaimed once she was able to get a proper look at Danny. “Quickly! Lay him on his side! Alfred, get the X-ray! Before we pull it out, we’ll have to see if it went through any vital organs!” She snapped out orders. The gathered vigilantes were thankful that Dr. Thomkins had seen the worst of their injuries and hadn’t panicked seeing Danny’s.

The x-ray showed that nothing vital had been pierced, however parts of his intestines had been nicked when the harpoon passed through. Dr. Thomkins gave the order to cut the chain so that it could be pulled back through Danny’s body. He gave a weak groan at the action but otherwise remained unconscious. Red Robin had never gotten out of uniform so quickly. He raced back to Danny’s side, tears streaming down his face. Dr. Thomkins and Alfred worked in tense silence, while everyone else waited outside the medbay in the lounge area.

“Now, we wait,” Dr. Thomkins said once the chain was pulled free and the gaping hole in Danny’s abdomen had been patched up to the best of her ability.

“Dr. Thomkins, if we can wake him up and get him to transform into Phantom, it will kickstart his healing,” Sam stammered. The good doctor nodded, her lips in a thin line.

Tim was already shaking Danny, trying valiantly to get him to wake. He let several thin, pained groans but didn’t wake. “Come on, Danny. I know you’re hurting, but you’ve got open your eyes,” Tim cried desperately.

“Tim,” Danny finally slurred.

“Hey. You’ve got to transform into Phantom,” Tim sobbed while carding his hand through his brother’s damp hair.

“Hurts,” Danny whined.

“I know. But it’ll hurt less if you transform,” Tim lied. Tim knew that his brother would still be in pain no matter which form he was in.

Danny let his transformation rings wash over him, and then he fell back to the bed. He looked at his brother in betrayal. “Still hurts,” he whined again.

“I know. But I’ll be here till it doesn’t,” Tim replied. Every other member of the Bat clan chimed in that they would be too. Danny felt his core begin to purr as he drifted back into unconsciousness at the thought that he had so many people caring for him.

Chapter Text

The first thing Danny became aware of as he slowly awoke was the pain. Granted, it was nowhere near the amount of pain as that time he was vivisected, but still. The second thing he noted was the gentle thrum of conversations flowing around him. He tensed as he felt a weight on his hand but just as quickly untensed as he realized that he was not being restrained; it was just that, a weight. He focused his eyes on the weight to realize that it was Bruce. Danny followed the hand up to Bruce’s tired blue eyes. His eye bags had eye bags.

“Hey chum. How are you feeling?” Bruce asked as he got up to get Danny some water. Danny’s most recent x-rays had shown that the nicks in his intestines had healed quite nicely so water was safe to be ingested.

“Dad, hurts,” Danny whined after he had a few sips of the proffered water. Tim and Jason came rushing in at Danny’s voice.

“I know. I know. Let me get Alfred, and we’ll see what we can do about it not hurting,” Bruce replied with a watery laugh. He was practically beating himself up at failing to protect another child. One who had gotten brutally injured in HIS house. But that child still called him Dad. Bruce didn’t think he deserved Danny’s kindness, but Danny hadn’t raged at him. Danny had only whined and leaned into Bruce’s touch as he ruffled Danny’s hair.

“I’m already aware that the Young Master is awake,” Alfred said as he approached the medbay. “Are you wanting something for the pain, Master Danny?”

“Yes, please,” Danny murmured.

“As soon as we change your dressings. And perhaps a rinse off. Master Jason. Master Tim. If you’ll be of assistance.” Alfred began direct Jason and Tim where he needed their help.

Tim began unwinding the bandages around Danny’s abdomen with Jason holding Danny up in mid-air. Danny hissed and whined a few times as the bandages pulled at the stitches beneath, but it didn’t take long for his wound to be fully exposed. Alfred checked over the wound pleased that Danny’s healing factor had kicked in. There was no longer a gaping wound that left a see-through hole in his abdominal cavity. The stitches would need to be left in for another few days, but otherwise, the wound was healing well, and would leave minimal scarring. Alfred left and then reappeared with a bucket of warm soapy water to give Danny a wash over since he couldn’t take a shower yet. Danny sent him a look of wordless thanks. Alfred and Jason very gently used the rags and towels that Alfred had brought with him to wash and dry Danny.

Danny had tear tracks running down his cheeks and was trembling by the time they had gotten him rebandaged, but he took it almost soundlessly, and he was finally changed into soft pajamas. Afterall, he’d had to learn how to bandage and stitch himself quietly or risk outing himself as Phantom to the Fentons. Too bad Danny already knew how that went. Jason laid Danny back down on the medical bed, and Danny let out a sigh of relief. Jason carded his rough calloused hands through his brother’s hair. Danny was, by far, the most touch-starved out of all of his siblings and wasn’t afraid of asking for affection, unlike the rest of his dysfunctional family.

“It’s ok, Casper. Alfie will get you all right as rain,” Jason said thickly. He hated when his siblings got hurt, even the Demon Brat, although he’d never admit it out loud. Tim had replaced Bruce and was holding Danny’s hand. Alfred reattached the monitors and Danny’s IV line. And then Alfred pushed some of the meta-level pain killers that they kept in stock for Duke at double the dosage since Dr. Thomkins had said it would be safe enough to do so through Danny’s IV.

“Right you are, Master Jason. You should be feeling a bit better, now that the pain medication is in your system,” Alfred intoned, looking over Danny once more. Alfred nodded to himself, satisfied with what he was seeing. Danny glared at his hand where the IV line connected but otherwise let his family fuss over him.

“When can I go to my bed?” Danny asked petulantly.

Bruce and Alfred exchanged looks over Danny’s head. He’d been down in the medbay, floating in and out consciousness for a little over a week. But Danny was definitely stronger than he had been since he’d taken the harpoon. Cujo, in his small form, was cuddled into Danny’s side. Alfred heaved a sigh. Apparently, this charge was no different from any of the other young Masters and Misses of the Manor who wished to leave his expert care too soon.

“Master Danny, I’ll only allow you upstairs if you promise to listen to mine and Dr. Thomkins orders,” Alfred finally conceded. Danny truly did take after his older brother, even if it was by accident.

“I promise. You can even set a guard on me,” Danny replied fervently. He would have agreed to anything just to get out of the sterile and boring medbay.

“Very well. Master Bruce, if you’ll be so kind as to carry him. Master Tim, you follow behind with his IV line. Master Jason, you can bring the monitors.” Alfred swept ahead of strange quartet to ensure that his family had unobstructed access to get Danny back to his room. Danny was half asleep in Bruce’s arms by the time they get to his room. Bruce laid him down, and Danny let out a soft whine.

“It’s ok, chum. Jason and Tim are both here. I’ll be down the hall if you need anything,” Bruce said gently patting Danny on his back, like patting a small child back to sleep. That was exactly what Danny needed as he relaxed into the touch, and within moments, soft snores filled the air. Bruce, Tim, and Jason exchanged small smiles, and then Bruce slipped out of the room.

Jason sent out a message to his lieutenants to make sure his turf was appropriately covered. He’d been in and out of the area around Crime Alley since Danny had taken the harpoon, but now that he was just sleeping and not unconscious, Jason wanted to be there for the little man. He waited for a few minutes and made sure that his lieutenants had everything well in hand before putting his phone on ‘Do Not Disturb.’ His family could still reach him for emergencies, but they also knew he was at the Manor, so it didn’t really matter.

“Hey, Timbit,” Jason whispered after they’d been alone together for a little over 2 hours. Danny was still sleeping, and Jason had grown so restless that not even Emma could occupy his mind.

Tim looked up at his brother and could tell that something was bothering him, so he closed his laptop. “What’s up?” He replied just as softly. Danny snorted but otherwise didn’t wake.

“About Titan’s Tower. I…fuck…that…you…I…” Jason stammered. He took a deep breath. “Fuck why is this so fucking hard?” He mumbled. “I shouldn’ta done what I did. You didn’t deserve that. My whole thing is ‘don’t hurt/kill kids’ and ‘No more dead Robins’, and I ‘bout made you both.”

Tim’s jaw dropped open. He had never expected an apology from Jason. Their relation had gotten better, even before Danny had been brought into the family. But Tim still had moments of apprehension and was still wary of being alone with Jason. That was especially true when his eyes would start glowing green. But now that Tim thought about it for a moment, Jason’s eyes hadn’t glowed since Danny had done whatever it was that he’d done to take Jason’s Pit Madness away. But Jason didn’t apologize. Ever. In fact, no one in the family had ever apologized to Tim. For anything.

“Umm, Jay…” Tim started.

“Nope. It’s my turn, Timbers. This family is dysfunctional as hell, and we’re all emotionally constipated. Course, B’s the worst of us. But Talia brainwashed me into believing that I’d been replaced. And there was something in the Pit. I don’t know if the Pit was sentient, or if there were other ghosts in the Pit. Danny never did explain. All I know is that on top of Talia’s brainwashing, whenever my eyes would glow green, it was literally the Pits in my head. Telling me that Bruce didn’t love me; that I’d been replaced; that I wasn’t wanted; and a whole bunch of other bullshit. On top of the Rage. When I saw you in the Tower, it was like everything that Talia and the Pit told me was true. I don’t remember much of what I did, but I remember enough. And I remember it was BAD. And you didn’t deserve none of that.”

Both siblings heaved a sigh and sat in silence for a moment. “Thank you, Jay,” Tim finally breathed out, tears sparkling in the corners of his eyes.

“Now, I’m going to go find Dickface. I heard ‘bout what he did to you when B went missing in the timestream. This whole family has done you wrong. And it’s time we started fixing it.” Jason heaved himself up and out of the chair, while Tim sat there slack jawed. Whatever he’d been expecting from Jason, it wasn’t that.

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“Dickface! Demon Brat!” Jason hollered, making Dick and Damian come to a stop in their sparring session. They looked at him with confusion on their faces because Jason’s face was reading anger, and neither of Wayne siblings was quite sure what they’ve done (this time) to anger the walking brick shit house.

“Little Wing, what brings you down here? I would have thought you’d still be up with Danny,” Dick said as Jason made his way down to the sparring mats.

“Ya, I was. But the three of us have some things we need to talk about,” Jason grumbled. Dick and Damian looked at Jason, and seeing that he was serious, went and washed up and then met him in the lounge area.

“Tt. This had better be worth interrupting my sparring time, Todd,” Damian sneered at his older brother.

“Sit. Both of ya. We’ll be having words. And you’ll both be listenin’,” Jason commanded imperiously. Dick and Damian sat.

“I’ve brought the young Masters some refreshments for your conversation,” Alfred said as he appeared out of the elevator with the snack cart. All three siblings thanked the grandfather/butler, and then he disappeared like he’d never been there to begin with.

“What’s this about, Little Wing?” Dick asked again.

“It’s about how you handled Tim, Damian, and Robin,” Jason said bluntly and without preamble. Damian stiffened in his seat. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. But…You’ve both done Tim dirty.” Damian bristled at the implication. “None of that Demon Brat. And you neither, Dickwad. I said you were gonna listen. Dickwing, I understand you were stressed when B got lost in the timestream. But to accuse Timmers of everything that you did, and then just to rip Robin away from and not even tell him…that was low, even for you, Dick. Think back when you found out B gave Robin to me and how you felt about it?” Dick opened his mouth to say something, but clacked his mouth closed, his face twisted in an ugly grimace. “Ya. And then you go and do the same shit. But more n’ that. Even B has said Timberlina is second to none in the detective business and has bested him on occasion. So, why in God’s name wouldn’t you listen to him when he said that B wasn’t dead? And better yet. All it took was your word for most of the Justice League to turn on him.”

Jason watched Dick’s face carefully to make sure that Dick was actually listening. Jason could see the beginnings of small tears pricking Dick’s eyes, so Jason figured that he’d gotten the gears turning in Dick’s head. It was time to switch targets. Damian was already sitting stiffly with his hands tightly clenched into fists, but when Jason turned his full attention on him, Damian felt, for the first time, like a prey being caught by a much, much larger predator.

“Dem…Damian. Imma be honest with you. I know a lot of your behavior is the League talking. But. I also know that you’ve been with this fucked up family long enough to see that what was said and done to in the League wasn’t right.” Damian slowly nodded. He had, indeed, been able to see that most of what he’d taught was, on a fundamental level, wrong. “What you’ve done…been doing to Tim, don’t matter why, it matters that you’ve done out of spite. It ain’t right, and you know it. B would never have any of us prove ourselves to him to be worthy being his heir. That’s not how he works. I could understand why you thought that when you first got here. But, four years later, and you’re still acting like Tim is something beneath you or trying to take your place. When it was you who took his.” Damian looked thoughtful at Jason’s words. They sounded bad when phrased like that.

“He should hate us. He should run away from us as fast as possible and as far as possible. Hell, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he went solo. But he didn’t. Not only that. He brought us Danny, who in turn brought us Dani, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz, and granted, whole fuck ton of trauma. But that kid has been hella good for this family, like something we didn’t know was missing finally slotting into place.”

“I…shall retire to my room before patrol tonight. You’ve given me much to think about.” Then, Damian left Dick and Jason alone in the Cave. Dick followed Damian in a sort of stilted silence.

“B, quit lurking, ya fucking cryptid,” Jason called out to the shadows. Bruce emerged from one of the side tunnels with a stricken look on his face. “Don’t give me that look. I know what’s going on in that big head of yours. I don’t know exactly what you said or did to Tim when I was dead or with the League, but I know that none of it was good. All he wanted was to prove himself good enough for you, for Robin, for the Drakes, or for whoever. Tim…he’s too fucking good for us, yeah. All we can do now is ‘pologize and move forward. So, get your head out of your ass.”

“Yeah, you’re right, Jaylad. We have so much to make up for,” Bruce responded as he made his way back upstairs and to Danny’s room.

Bruce poked his head in his newest son’s room, and a soft smile played on his lips. The two brothers were curled around each other, sound asleep. Danny’s mouth was open, and he was snoring slightly, but both of them looked as peaceful as they could be, given their lives and nightmares. Bruce snapped a quick picture and sent it to the family group chat. He sat down in the chair that Tim had vacated and began working on some WE things that needed his attention. For a small moment, life was good.

Chapter Text

“Hey Dad,” Danny asked as he opened the door to Bruce’s study. He winced as lowered himself on the sofa.

“Hey, chum. What’s up?” Bruce replied as he looked up from some WE work on his laptop that he was working on. Bruce ran an appraising eye over him to make sure that he hadn’t injured himself since he was still healing from the harpoon incident.

“Do you have a few minutes? I need to talk to you,” Danny said while rubbing he back of his neck.

“Sure,” Bruce said, closing his laptop. He made sure to save anything important before shutting down. His children didn’t interrupt often, but when they did, he tried to make time for them, and this was the first time that Danny had interrupted so Bruce knew that it had to be important.

“Is there any way that you can call like a family meeting sometime before Halloween? It’s not like an emergency or anything, but it is kind of important. Just some stuff that you need to know.”

“Danny, it’s ok. If it’s important to you, then it’s important to us. I’ll let the others know. We should have some time in the next couple nights.” Bruce had walked around his desk and wrapped his arms around his newest son. Danny leaned against Bruce in a way that none of his other children ever did.

“Thanks, Dad. Sorry for bothering you.”

And then Danny disappeared back out the door, actually phasing through it like a ghost (ha). Bruce hid a small smile, and then sent out quick text to all of the children, including Babs and Steph saying that Danny had requested a family meeting. They were all quick to respond that they would be in attendance the following night. It still surprised Bruce how much they rallied for Danny’s sake.

They were all gathered in the familiar sitting room. Danny had chosen this time to sit between Sam and Tucker, which was surprising. Dani was sprawled across the three teens. The rest of the family took their favored seats, and Jazz was called via a laptop that Danny had setup. She was due to transfer to Gotham at the start of the next semester, so she only had a couple more months before her move. Alfred came in with snacks and refreshments.

“Ok, Danny. What’s this all about?” Bruce asked kindly.

Danny’s hands were shaking as he held Sam’s and Tucker’s. He took a deep breath to steady himself. “So, my birthday is coming up.” There were nods all around. “I’m not like expecting anything special, especially since I know that that day will be busy for you guys. But that’s not what this about.”

“Danny, of course, we’re going to a have party for you,” Tim interjected.

“No, that’s not…” Danny took another deep breath. “I’ve told you how I opened the portal.” Everyone in the room nodded. “It was on my birthday. In ghost culture, this is known as a Death Day.” A wince went through the room. “Yeah, it’s as pleasant as it sounds. Last year was my first Death Day. It wasn’t…well…” He looked to Sam and Tucker for help flapping his hands uselessly.

“On their Death Day, ghosts are forced to relive their deaths. And usually, ghosts don’t form under peaceful conditions. So, can you imagine having a portal to the afterlife open on top of you while being electrocuted?”  Sam explained softly. Everyone, except Tucker, Dani, and Jazz, sucked in their breaths. Jason, in particular, looked horribly stricken. “Last year, we were so sure that the Fentons would catch us then because well…Anyways, somehow we managed to play it off like Danny had a bad case of the flu or something. Not that the Fentons would have cared either way. But since you know about Phantom, we thought you deserved to know especially since he won’t be available to help with patrol that day.”

“This obviously means that Danny won’t be patrolling on Halloween. Sam and I won’t be available either. It would be helpful if either Tim, Jason, or both could stay behind, but we also understand just how crazy Gotham is during this time of the year,” Tucker continued.

“Is there anything we can do that will help make things better?” Bruce finally asked.

“We’re not really sure. We’ve asked Frostbite. He’s said that being around Danny’s Fraid or helping Danny indulge in his Obsessions might lessen the pains, but it won’t make them go away completely.” The trio exchanged a look, and then Danny nodded decisively before Tucker continued. “Danny is rare in that he has two Obsessions. We think it’s a Halfa thing. Most ghosts only have one Obsession, but Vlad had two, and Danny and Dani both have two. Danny’s primary Obsession is protection, which he obviously can’t indulge in on Halloween. Not in Gotham. His other Obsession, if you haven’t noticed, is Space. Last year, we didn’t know anything about Death Days. It wasn’t till after that we sought out Frostbite, and he was able to give us this information.”

“We’ll make arrangements. I can call in Batwing, Bluebird, and Batwoman. Babs, maybe you can coordinate with the Birds of Prey. I’ll even see if some of the League can pitch in. Danny, you’re not alone this time,” Bruce said with a hint of his Batman growl. Everyone in the room had the same look of determination on their faces. Danny’s core felt warmed by the care his family was showing and began purring in response.

“I…I…didn’t…mean to disrupt,” Danny stammered.

“Danny, you’re family. That means if you need something, you’re not disrupting anything,” Dick was quick to reassure his brother. Dick wrapped himself around Danny, leaning over the back of the couch where the trio from Amity Park had ensconced themselves. Dani had since floated over to Damian and had settled herself upside down next to him.

Ideas for coverage on Halloween were thrown out. Red Robin and Red Hood would need to make some appearances, but they could also cut their patrol short, or start later in the night. Babs had confirmation that Selena, Harley, and Ivy would help with patrol. Batwing and Batwoman would also be out, while Bluebird would be on call. Hal Jordan would be on call, as well as Superboy. Bruce felt they were as prepared as possible.

Side note: They were NOT prepared.

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Danny woke through his haze of pain, aware that something was wrong. Tim and Jason were nowhere to be found, although they had said that they’d be home before 8pm. Danny glanced at his phone and glowered. It read 7:45pm, but his core buzzed angrily. Something was wrong, deeply and horribly wrong. Sam and Tucker were sleeping fitfully next to him, so he knew it wasn’t that. A wave of pain wracked his body, and he bit his tongue to keep from screaming. He could feel the currents of electricity running through him, and his Lichtenberg figures lit up in a sickly, ectoplasmic green. It didn’t help matters that a storm, the weather reports were saying that it was a Category 1 Hurricane that had swung wildly north, was raging outside.

Danny tugged on his buzzing core, forcing his Phantom transformation to the front. He nearly screamed as Phantom took the place of Danny. Tucker stirred and looked up at him wide-eyed.

“Danny, what’s wrong?” Tucker asked, suddenly wide awake. He knew that Danny wouldn’t transform on his Death Day, unless it was a Pariah Dark type of emergency.

“Not sure. But something is wrong. Can you get down to the Cave so we can check?” Tucker nodded and grabbed some shoes.

They raced through the hallways and down to the Cave in record time. Phantom’s core was buzzing harder, while his Death Day pains continue to roil through him. Tucker quickly pulled on a spare domino and slipped in front of the Batcomputer. It was easy for him to slide into the guy-in-the-chair since he’d been doing it for Danny for so long. His long fingers flew over the keyboard, and he had several of the cameras up and running.

“Oracle, Pharaoh and Phantom are in the Cave. What’s the situation?” Pharaoh called out over the comms. Phantom had his comms on and heard the intake of breath.

“Oracle, I know what I’m getting into. Now, please,” Phantom practically begged.

“Red Robin is missing. Two-Face has him and has threatened him with a bomb. Said that if they see any hint of a Bat, the bomb will go off. Hood, Batman, and Black Bat are outside the warehouse, but Two-Face has over fifty goons covering the warehouse. There’s also been several robberies, and much more mayhem than usual, even for Halloween. Green Lantern and Superboy are here, but we just can’t keep up,” Oracle responded tiredly.

Phantom was off before Oracle had finished. He followed the incessant tugging of his core. He flew as fast as he could in his state to the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Gotham. His flight looked like the old Atari game of Pong in how he bounced up and down, almost like he was hitting invisible walls and bouncing off of them. By the time he got to the warehouse, he felt bruised and hoped he hadn’t popped any of his stitches. But that was a future Danny/Phantom problem. Right now, he had a big brother to rescue.

He landed silently next to Batman, who looked at him as stoic as ever. Pharaoh and Oracle were still coordinating on the comms. Phantom wasn’t really listening; the pull of his core was too strong; too overwhelming. Phantom’s form began to flicker, and he felt himself begin to lose his control over his original Phantom form.

“Umm, Casper…You ok there?” Hood asked uncertainly.

“NO ONE TOUCHES THAT WHICH IS MINE!” Phantom growled, and then his control was gone.

He flickered once, and the Bats all watched as he morphed into the being that had taken down the Joker. With a second growl, Phantom’s eldritch form disappeared as he invoked his invisibility. Before any of the Bats could call after him, he swooped into the warehouse, full of fury and rage. Screams began ringing from the warehouse. The Bats waiting in the wings took it as their cue to race in. Most of the goons were already down, unconscious. However, some of them seemed to be missing…pieces. It was as if a wild animal had gotten a hold of them. There were no life-threatening injuries that could be seen, although there was always a risk of the goons bleeding out if the paramedics didn’t arrive on scene fairly quickly. Another feral snarl caught their attention.

Red Robin was bleeding from several wounds, but what had caught their attention was the very large bomb planted at his feet. It wasn’t Two-Face’s usual set-up either. But that didn’t seem to stop or hinder Phantom. Phantom simply picked up the whole thing, used a claw to tear a rip in reality…it was greengreengreen…oh god so much green. It was the Lazarus Pits!

“WHAT THE FUCK!!!” Hood growled.

Phantom turned his luminescent eyes on the Bat clan, and then simply chucked the bomb through the tear. Everyone in the room shouted at him to stop, but Phantom closed the tear just as the timer on the bomb reached zero. A small puff of smoke escaped the tear before it fully closed. Two-Face then made the mistake of pointing an M4 Carbine to Red Robin’s head. Apparently, the feral snarls emitting from Phantom hadn’t been enough of a warning. Phantom flickered back into invisibility, and then just as Joker had done, Two-Face went flying with a sucker punch to the face. Phantom’s eldritch form curled gently around Red Robin.

“Hey, Phantom. I need you to come back to me,” Red Robin cooed softly. Phantom growled. “Phantom,” Red Robin said sternly. “I know some of those gunshots connected. Plus, with today being the day it is, come on. Come back to me.” Phantom huffed as if words were too hard. Red Robin reached up to touch Phantom’s face, and Phantom hissed and pulled back. “No, none of that. Batman and Hood, come over here,” he ordered.

Both vigilantes followed Red Robin’s lead and drew nearer the eldritch horror that was their newest family member. Nightwing dropped into the warehouse just as they got within arms’ reach, so Red Robin motioned for him to get closer as well. “Touch him. Let him know that we’re not afraid of him. That he’s safe. That I’m safe. Bring him back to us.”

The four vigilantes began murmuring to Phantom in earnest how much he meant to them, how they weren’t scared of him, how he needed to come back. Hood leaned his whole weight on Phantom’s form, while Nightwing attempted to wrap him in an octopus hug. Batman simply carded rough, gloved fingers through white hair, and Red Robin held his forehead to Phantom’s. Phantom snarled and growled. In the background, paramedics worked to remove the goons that had been bitten. At least the vigilantes had secured them before their impromptu cuddle pile with their eldritch horror. But it was Gotham, and eh, they’d definitely seen weirder shit.

“R’d R’n,” Phantom slurred his form swirling and condensing back into a more humanoid form.

“I’m here Phantom. I’m here,” Red Robin comforted the half-ghost as he continued to condense into his normal Phantom form. Then, the vigilantes watched in horror as his transformation rings appeared around his waist. Batman quickly snapped his cape off and swaddled Phantom as had been done once before, in Nanda Parbat. Red Robin also snapped his cape off, just in case. Nightwing called for the Batmobile. Batman held the swaddled Phantom bridal style, and he let out several pained moans.

“Easy, Phantom. We’ll be back in the Cave shortly,” Batman said softly. The other three vigilantes gaped at him. Batman actually used his words. Nightwing was, surprisingly, in the driver’s seat while Batman continued to hold Danny.

“B’tm’n, hurts,” Danny moaned.

Batman just held Danny tight as they raced through the streets of Gotham. Alfred was waiting for them as they pulled into the Cave. Batman jumped out of the Batmobile before it came to a complete stop. He rushed over to the medbay where Alfred and Dr. Thomkins was waiting to check over both Tim, who had removed his mask, and Danny.

Most of Tim’s wounds just needed bandaging, although two of them needed stitching, and he was showing signs of a mild concussion. Danny, however, had suffered several gunshots as well as popping several of his stitches from the harpoon incident. In his rage to get to his brother, he had forgotten to go intangible. But for some reason, his healing factor wasn’t quite the same as it had been in Amity Park. Danny thought it might be due to the lower amount of ectoplasm in the air. Tim allowed Alfred to stitch him while Dr. Thomkins tended to the more serious wounds Danny had obtained.

“Is Tim safe?” Danny called out, not seeming to be aware of being back in the Cave or the medbay.

“Danny.” Danny scrunched up his nose at his name, but his eyes remained blurry and unfocused. “Danny, I’m right here,” Tim said as he finally took his place by Danny’s side, carding his hands through Danny’s black hair. Danny keened at the touch. He blinked a few times, and then he really tried to focus on the face attached to the hand. He smiled a dopey smile when he realized it was his brother.

“Hey Tim,” Danny said drunkenly.

“Hey, idiot brother mine.” Danny blew a raspberry at his brother. Jason laughed in the background, and Damian couldn’t help a snort that escaped him. “Get some sleep Danny. One of will be here when you wake up.”

Yes, their newest member truly was an idiot, but that was a tomorrow problem.

Chapter Text

Danny slowly opened his eyes to the realization that he was warm and in what could only be described as a cuddle pile. His core let out a series of happy trills before settling on his usual contented purr. Several sleepy and happy snorts greeted his purr, letting him know that he was, indeed, surrounded by his Fraid. The purr of his core got louder. Danny hadn’t remembered being pulled into a cuddle pile. In fact, the last thing he remembered was Tim being trouble on his birthday/Death Day and going full eldritch horror to rescue him. How long ago had that been?

“Hey, you’re finally awake,” Tim said as he rubbed his eyes and sat up. There were several grumbles around them as he did so.

“Yeah. How long was I out?” Danny asked, also rubbing his sleep-crusted eyes.

“A little over two days,” Bruce replied walking into the room that housed the impromptu cuddle pile.

Bruce did a quick head check to make sure that everyone was accounted for and then nodded to himself. Dick, Jason, Jazz, and Cass were on the outside of the pile acting like perimeter guards. Babs, Steph, Damian, and Duke made up the middle circle, while Sam, Tucker, Dani, and Danny completed the inner circle. Jazz had been flown out on an emergency case for a few days while Danny recovered; she was doing well enough in her classes that she could afford to miss a few days. Last night’s patrol had gone smoothly, but Danny, for some reason, had been exceptionally clingy, so it had been decided that he needed a cuddle pile. Jazz speculated that it was because Danny had been forced to transform into Phantom on his Death Day and something had happened to Tim that had made Danny so clingy. Which, fair. The Bat fam was still learning about all things ghost related, but that also meant that Danny himself was still learning about all things ghost related.

“How are you feeling, chum?” Bruce asked Danny as he shifted intangibly through the pile and floated up towards him.

“If I’m being honest, like I could eat a house and then sleep another week,” Danny replied with a fanged grin.

“Man, that does sound good. I wish…alsdhfasd,” Dick was suddenly cut off as three people suddenly jumped on him, and he found no less than four hands on his mouth. The rest of the Bat clan looked on his stupefied horror as Jazz, Sam, and Tucker unwound themselves from where they’d launched themselves at Dick.

“What the fuck was that?” Jason asked in exasperated awe.

“Language, Master Jason,” Alfred chided as he walked in. “Breakfast is ready in the dining room.” Alfred then turned and disappeared back the way he came from. At the mention of food, everyone perked up, and then the race was on to see who could get to the table first.

Once they were sat in their favorite chairs and had food in front of their faces, Jason repeated his question. “So, what was that with Dickwad when you stopped him from saying, ‘I wish…’?”

The Amity Parkers, except for Dani, all exchanged glances, communicating silently before Danny took a gulp of his coffee and sighing. “Ok. So, some backstory is necessary for this one. You know how the genie in Aladdin grants wishes, right?” Everyone at the table nods. “And say someone says, ‘I wish’ and then suddenly there’s like a million deer running around if someone wished for like a million bucks or something, right?” Again, everyone nods. “But the genie in Aladdin has rules and restrictions. They can only grant three wishes, no wishing for unlimited wishes, no killing anyone, no bringing anyone back from the dead, and no making anyone fall in love.” Another nod accompanied this to indicate that everyone still understood. “But there is a ghost genie, Desiree. Because she’s a ghost, she’s not bound by those rules. She’ll twist your wishes to suit her power. Bu also, granting wishes is what gives her her powers. We’ve had to fight her a few times. You can imagine we’re just a little paranoid about anyone saying the words, ‘I wish’. For example, a girl back in Amity, in fact, she was at Nasty Burger that day we went back, the Latina girl, Paulina, she wished that she could be cute and popular. Desiree turned her into basically a walking, talking anime-like girl doll thing that looked like Paulina. Granted the doll was very cute and popular, but at the end of the day, it was a doll and not a living, breathing girl.”

“What. The. Fuck.” Jason gaped at Danny.

“Oh yeah. She once turned Dash into a monster because he wished he could crush the opposing football team,” Sam continued.

“Both Sam and I have also had our wishes turned against us. It wasn’t…pretty,” Tucker said softly. Someone, probably Dick, whistled softly in the background. Bruce looked like someone had just revived and killed Ace, the Batdog. Again.

“I’m fairly certain that most of my rogues were contained in the Infinite Realms when I destroyed all of the manmade portals, but there’s always a chance that one of them could have found a natural portal. And Wulf and Cujo can both create portals, which means that there’s always a possibility that one of them could have escaped, either by forcing Wulf or Cujo or by slipping through when Cujo sought me out,” Danny further explained.

“So, you’ve never uttered ‘I wish’?” Tim asked.

“Not since Desiree, and she was like the sixth ghost I fought, and I was still getting the hang of my powers. My ghost sense would only warn us that a ghost was nearby, just not which one.” Danny sounded done with the whole thing. Not that any of the Waynes could blame him. For once, Dick was speechless. Bruce pinched his nose. For all that he was glad that Danny was in their lives, sometimes he wished that Danny could keep his mouth shut. Just once. Bruce had realized that where Danny was concerned, for the first time in forever, he did NOT have a need to know. And wasn’t that a scary thing to realize? Tim had confided in Bruce that he had felt much the same way.

The family congregated in the familiar sitting room and began playing rounds of Mario Kart. Bruce kept a careful watch on the clock before he called a stop to their tournament. Everyone grumped at being interrupted, but the Waynes quickly quieted their mouthing when they realized why Bruce had stopped them. They had never really gotten to celebrate Danny’s birthday, so Bruce had rented out the Observatory for them. The weather forecast had stated that the night was supposed to be one of the rare clear nights, and there was a meteor shower due, so it was actually (hopefully) a surprise for Danny.

The entire family piled into the vehicle that Bruce had been forced to buy. It was one of those 15-seater van, and of course, like everything else that Bruce did, this van had been specially designed and was considered top the line for its class and model. And of course, like all of the Wayne vehicles, it was in a sleek black so that it wouldn’t easily stand out in Gotham. But this van had also been designed so that Babs could fit her wheelchair in, if she ever rode with them. The ride to the Observatory was all mild threats and absolute chaos. Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping to prevent the building headache he could sense. Alfred looked over at him from the driver’s seat and gave him a quiet snort. It wasn't dignified by any means, but Bruce got the message, even so. Bruce had asked for this. Maybe not in so many words, but in his proclivity in always taking in “strays” as Damian was prone to remind him, Bruce’s family had grown beyond his imagination. Bruce wouldn’t change a thing though.

Alfred pulled the van up in front of the Observatory, and then the infighting began for who would be the first out of the van. Danny and Dani won by simply phasing out. They stood beside the van waiting for the rest of the family to realize that they’d lost. It was utter chaos was Dick realized that the twins had used their powers to escape.

“That is NO FAIR,” Dick whined. Danny and Dani gave him grins that were just a little too wide and held a few too many teeth. Because they were nothing if not chaos incarnate. Dick simply facepalmed because he’d walked right into that, and he knew it.

Danny’s eyes sparkled with unfettered joy. He latched onto Bruce and began pulling the man towards the entrance. If he used a bit of his superstrength, Bruce merely laughed at him. He could feel his son literally vibrating in his excitement. It was a surprise that Danny hadn’t started floating just yet, and both Tim and Tucker were close by...just in case.

Danny pulled Bruce and Tim to the exhibits while also info dumping about each of them. He was so knowledgeable that they had gained an audience. Somehow, Danny had become an informal guide to the rest of the Bat clan. They didn’t even need the guide that Bruce had hired. Bruce quietly waved the young man away with a smile but made a mental note to still give the man a hefty tip. Danny was positively beaming as they made their way to the theater. Danny was so far gone in his Space Obsession that he didn’t even hear the snickers of his family. But they were about to watch the movie, “The Myths of Ancient Stars”, and frankly, Danny couldn’t have been happier.

And of course, that’s when the universe decided that’s when it needed to fuck with Danny.

The screen began playing nothing but snowy static, and then Danny’s ghost sense went off. Suddenly, a loud ripping sound went through the theater, and then there were no less than half a dozen Observants crowding into the space. The Bat clan all tensed, seeing the Observants for the first time. Danny had described them once but seeing them in person was a sight (ha) to behold. They were green-skinned and a single floating eyeball. They wore a white robe that was trimmed in gold with a high-collared black cape. The Bat clan got the impression that they were sneering even though they didn’t have mouths or any other identifying facial features to sneer with. Danny immediately floated up and transformed into his kingly Phantom form. The Crown of Ice floated above his white hair, and the Ring of Peace encircled his right index finger. He snarled at them. It was feral. It promised pain. It promised to bring their nightmares to life. It…surprisingly soothed the hearts of the Bat clan.

“WHAT ARE YOU FLOATING FUCKERS DOING HERE?” Phantom growled.

The Observant that was closest to Danny sneered even more, if that was possible. “Prince Phantom, we have come because according to…”

“NO!” The Observant stared at Phantom. “Imma stop you right there, Eye-sly. Nope. Not happening. There is a Council established to handle any issues until I’m of age. The Realms ruled themselves for over two millennia while Pariah Dark was locked in his Sarcophagus. You are NOT going to start shit now, just because there’s suddenly a king, prince, whatever the fuck you want to call me, who’s accessible just to do your dirty work. I WILL NOT BE YOUR PUPPET OR BITCH!” The last sentence had come out staticky and somewhat garbled as Danny slipped into Ghost Speak. The Observants all flinched. “FRIGHT KNIGHT!” If it were possible for ghosts to pale, the Observants achieved it.

And for the second time, the Bat clan got to see Knight of the King. “My liege?” He asked

“It seems as though several pests have interrupted my birthday celebration with my Fraid,” Phantom sounded bored, as if he were explaining literal dogshit to someone. The black Knight looked around to where Phantom had pointed to see the Observants cowering in a corner.

“Indeed. Pandora will be most displeased with this development,” Fright Knight replied in the same tone. Phantom nodded.

“See that they are returned to where the belong. And inform my Council. I was GUARANTEED another 98 years before having to deal with…this. If it were truly important, CW would have sent word.”

“As you command.” Fright Knight pulled out his sword, Soul Shredder, and in one beautifully frightening arc, pulled all six of the Observants into a Nightmare Realm. “I shall release them once I am in front of your Council so that they may face their punishment.” His voice had dropped from the static into more normal tones. Phantom nodded, and Fright Knight blinked out of existence. Phantom took another look around to make sure that the threat had passed before transforming back into Danny. Once Danny was human again, the movie resumed playing on the projector screen.

“So, we’re just gonna ignore all that?” Jason snarked.

Danny merely sighed. How was he going to explain that? He didn’t even know. He heaved another sigh. His eyes strayed to the screen where the credits were now rolling past. “Can we…just wait till we get home? It’s my birthday celebration, after all,” Danny whined.

It was Bruce’s turn to sigh. As much as he wanted information, Danny had a point. But this also wound back to what he was thinking earlier, in that where Danny was concerned, he didn’t necessarily want to know more. Because knowing more meant more trauma for everyone involved. “It can wait. We still have to visit the gift shop,” Bruce said after having made his decision. Danny sent him a look full of gratitude.

They meandered in the gift shop for another forty five minutes before everyone had their chosen gifts. Dick found a new coffee cup. Jason found new Wonder Woman hoodie. Tim bought a new game that had looked interesting. Damian got some art supplies. Duke found a pair of space-themed sunglasses. Cass got herself a green alien figurine in a tutu. Steph found glitter slime. Babs found the perfect headset. Jazz picked up a new psychology book. Sam was interested in a Gotham themed Tarot card set. Tucker picked up what could only be described as a psychedelic keyboard. Dani picked up one of the miniature wind tunnel machines. And Danny got two different star projectors, three new models of various rocket ships that he would have build and paint, several more packets of glow-in-the-dark stars for his ceiling, three space posters, a space themed hoodie that said “I Need More Space” across the front, and two little ghost plushies. Danny said the ghost plushies looked like blob ghosts. The other Amity Parkers cackled because he was right.

Once more they’d piled back into the van that would take them back to Wayne Manor. Danny remained steadfastly silent; determined that his family would NOT be able to interrogate him until they reached home. They tried. Oh, how they tried. They were the Bats and Birds, fucking damnit. But Danny was the Ghost King. He could out-stubborn them all just out of pure spite. He hadn’t defeated what amounted to gods and prevented world-ending threats basically on his own to feel threatened by mere mortals. Jazz, Sam, Tucker, and Dani were wishing (well, not wishing, never wishing, but something along those lines) that they had popcorn for the show. As soon as the van pulled into the garage, Danny phased out of the van and flew up to his room. He knew that he couldn’t avoid his family forever, but he at least wanted a few minutes to organize his thoughts.

“Danny, you can’t hide in here forever,” Tim scolded as he knocked on Danny’s door.

“Wasn’t hiding in here forever,” Danny pouted as he opened the door. Tim flicked his brother on the forehead.

“Sure. Sure. Come on. Everyone’s waiting for us.”

“Fuck. Ok.” Danny heaved a sigh and then realized he’d done a lot of that in the last couple of hours. Danny linked his arm into Tim’s and let Tim lead him into the correct room. He took his usual seat between his favorite brothers. He looked around at each of his Fraid. “Are you sure you really want to know?”

“Danny, nothing you can say will scare us away from you,” Dick said with conviction.

“Tt, Danny you’ve already proven that everything you say is traumatizing to some degree. This is just another exercise in that,” Damian said with a slight sneer.

Danny exchanged a look with Sam, Tucker, and Jazz. Even they didn’t know the whole story. “Last year, our school administered a thing called the career aptitude test or C.A.T. I was super stressed between my already failing classes and the ghost fights, and it was just a really bad time. Just before the test, I came across the answers to it, and yes, I cheated on it. My teacher, Mr. Lancer, caught me, and called the Fentons to meet him at the Nasty Burger. Jazz, Sam, and Tucker were there too. We’ve already explained how the Nasty Sauce can combust. On that day, it happened. It took out the Nasty Burger, killing everyone inside, including everyone I just mentioned. The only reason I survived was because of my ghost half.”

“Danny, that never happened,” Jazz looked at her younger brother in confusion.

“I’m not done, Jazz. Just let me explain.” Jazz nodded; her eyebrows scrunched in thought. “In my grief, I fled to Vlad, figuring that he would understand since he was a halfa like me. But I was consumed by my grief. Eventually, I asked Vlad to separate Fenton and Phantom using the Ghost Gauntlets.” The four Amity Parkers gasped in shock. Tim and Jason looked at Danny in horror. The rest of the family were stupefied. “Phantom immediately turned on Vlad and used the Gauntlets to separate Vlad and Plasmius. Phantom and Plasmius merged becoming a new being called Dark Danny or Dark Phantom. Dan killed Danny, but left Vlad alive. For the next 10 years, Dan rampaged and killed pretty much the whole world. Then Clockwork found me in Present Day before I had cheated. CW sent me to the future to try and beat Dan. Got my ass handed to me. Then Dan trapped me in the future and took my place in the past to try make the Nasty Burger explosion happen to ensure he would be created. I managed to get back to the past and then kicked his ass, trapping him in a Fenton Thermos. But doing this meant that Dan was now outside of the timestream.”

“What does that have to with what happened at the Observatory?” Tim asked.

“The floating eyeballs, officially the Observants. Unlike CW who can see all possible timelines in every dimension, the Observants can only see one timeline at a time. So, they saw the timeline where Dan got created, got spooked, and then sent CW to kill me. When that didn’t happen, and then when I won the title of Ghost King by Right of Conquest, well, it means that they hate me, but also that I have more power/authority than them. They hate me because they fear that I might one day turn into Dan, but also because I’m not a full ghost, and also because I’m still an infant, ghost-wise. And also because I have more power than them. But at the same time, I AM their King. It’s honestly kinda fucked. They don’t want me to be King, but at the same time, they want me to the job.”

“Damn Danny,” Jason breathed out.

“Yeah. Fortunately, my Council agreed to give me the rest of my human lifetime or until I become a full ghost before I take up the full mantle of the Ghost King. The Observants just like to pretend they have the power to push.”

“Can we ask who all is on your Council?” Bruce asked. He was regretting even pushing as much as he had.

“Pandora, the Ancient of Ancient Greece. She’s also my combat instructor. Frostbite, Chief of the Far Frozen, and my personal physician. Nocturn, the Ancient of Sleeping and Dreams. Vortex, the Ancient of Weather and Storms. Dorathea, the Ancient of Medieval Europe. Undergrowth was part of my Council, but after what he pulled a few weeks ago, he been suspended. And Clockwork.”

“Um, Danny, haven’t you like fought most of these?” Tim’s voice rose several pitches by the time he was done.

“Yeah. I only fought Dorathea because she was under the spell of her amulet. But the other Ancients I’ve fought and won against. Earned their respect. Doesn’t mean that they’re bad advisors. I’ve never fought against Pandora or Frostbite. Actually helped both of them. And Clockwork may be a cryptic bastard, but he’s been my Alfred since I became a halfa.”

Everyone in the room was silent. No one quite knew how to respond to the trauma dumpster fire that was Danny’s life. While Jazz, Sam, and Tucker had always suspected something had happened, they had never gotten the whole story. And of course, the Bats were still new to the whole ghost thing. Maybe one day they would learn to stop asking Danny about his life before. Maybe. That was still up for debate. They slowly dispersed to their respective rooms. Danny had given them much to think about, and even more trauma.

Tim followed Danny to his room. “Danny, I just wanted to let you know that you’re not the only one who has fought an evil future version of themself.”

WHAT.

“WHAT?” Danny whisper shouted.

Tim moved them both to the bed. “Yeah. I did, too. I became Batman in that future. He told me that he did some things that Batman would never do. I fought him. And I won. So, you’re not as alone as you think.” Danny leaned against his brother, completely drained and exhausted.

“Thank you,” Danny whispered, and then proceeded to pull Tim down for snuggles. Tim squawked in surprised and then gave into Danny’s need to be comforted. He set an alarm so that they could get up to get ready for patrol, and then they were both asleep.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Damian,” Danny turned to his younger brother.

“Yes, Danny?”

“I just wanted to, um, say thank you. For, um, coming with me. You didn’t have to, um, come with me,” Danny said while rubbing the back of his neck in his signature move.

“Danny, if I didn’t want to come with you, I wouldn’t have come,” Damian replied.

“Thank you. I know that I’ve been taking up everyone’s time lately, and I know how busy you all are. But I appreciate this all the same,” Danny said earnestly.

Damian didn’t have anything to offer him after that. They meandered in silence for a few minutes, sipping slowly on their hot, spiced apple cider. It was Damian’s first time trying the warm drink. Danny had insisted that he try it. Aunt Alicia may not have like him all that much, but she did make some damn good apple cider. And while this recipe was an exact match to his aunt’s, it was close. Danny made a pleased humming sound as they passed another vendor in the market square.

“Danny, while you have the self-preservation instincts of an amoeba…” Danny made an indignant squawk, but otherwise didn’t refute Damian’s claim. “…and seem to attract trouble to you like an especially strong magnet, I find your company tolerable. You’re definitely the better Drake.” Danny felt himself blush. That was high praise coming from Damian.

They lapsed once again into comfortable silence. Danny had wanted to go to a small fall Festival that was being held in Robinson Park just before Thanksgiving, and Damian had been the only one available who could go with him. But he found he didn’t really mind. In fact, he had been wanting to spend some time with the younger boy anyways, so it all worked out in the end.

“May I ask you a question?”

“You just did,” Danny said with a wide grin.

“Tt. Really, Danny.” Damian glowered at his older brother. Danny shoved his shoulder lightly but indicated that he could continue. “Why do you dislike your full name so much?”

“Ah. Let’s find a place to sit. I have a feeling that this is more of a cultural thing,” Danny explained while looking around for a bench or picnic table. He found what he was looking for and dragged Damian over to an unoccupied table. “For me personally, Vlad always said my name as more an insult or like a cat throwing up. That’s why I dislike Daniel so much. Vlad…he did a lot of things to me, never sexually, or at least that I’m aware of. But I’m not stupid. I know that you can’t create a clone of the opposite gender without adding reproductive DNA into the sequence. Whether it was mine or his, I don’t know. And I’ll never ask.”

Damian got a pinched look on his face. If Danny hadn’t already taken care of the man, Damian would have seriously considered rescinding his father’s no-kill rule. “You are certain he never did anything to you?”

“Of that much, yes, I am. He may have been a lot of things, but I know he would never have stooped that low. Can I ask why you don’t like nicknames?”

“I raised by essentially a cult of assassins. Do you remember when you were summoned by the League of Assassins?” Damian watched as Danny nodded. “Ra’s al Ghul was my grandfather.” Danny’s mouth formed an “o” of surprise. “In our culture, we were taught that we must always be formal. Anything less was met with punishment. When Richard called me ‘Dami’ for the first time, not only did I dislike it, I feared that either he would be punished for doing so, or I would be for allowing it, or we both would be.”

Danny hummed in agreement. “I can see that. But in more western cultures like in Europe or here in America, nicknames are pretty standard. For a lot of reasons. Some of it is like me, name trauma. Some of it is due to simply not liking their name. And sometimes, it’s simply easier to say the nickname than it is to say the full name. I knew a girl back in Amity who told me that when she was born her mom told her that her full name was too big for her tiny little baby body, and that’s how she got her nickname. Plus, parents like to use the full name to let the child know when they’re really in trouble.” Danny finished with a laugh.

“I…see. Thank you, Danny. None of our other siblings have ever bothered to explain. They all just started calling me ‘Dami’ or some other derivative from the beginning, and it irritated me.”

“I get that. Ignoring someone’s preferences, especially for their name, can be almost demeaning in a way,” Danny agreed with a sigh.

“I don’t think I would mind if you called me Dami. You didn’t automatically assume that you had permission.”

“That’s because I’ve heard you correct the others when they say it. So, I figured it was something you didn’t like. In the same way I didn’t like Daniel. I wasn’t about to use a name you didn't like. That would be just wrong,” Danny huffed at his younger brother.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before they got up to deposit their trash in the appropriate receptacle. They wandered the festival for a bit longer, made a few purchases, Danny even made Damian smile (not laugh) before they began making their way back to where Alfred should have been waiting to take them home.

They never made it back to the entrance of the park.

Danny felt something hit the back of his head and gave a bark of a warning to Damian. He struggled briefly and heard the sounds of Damian struggling before his world went dark. He woke up to the smell of salt water and piss in the air. He heard Damian snarling and swearing nearby. He glanced down at himself. Well, Fuck. He was tied to a chair. ‘At least this time they didn’t use duct tape,’ he thought to himself.

“Dami,” he whisper-shouted, hoping to get the younger boy’s attention.

“Danny, are you unharmed?” Damian replied in the same tone. Good, at least Damian was able to hear Danny’s whisper.

Danny took a moment to take good stock of himself. His head was hurting, which indicated a head wound. The back of his neck felt sticky, but he knew with his accelerate healing whatever wound had been inflicted would have either halfway healed or mostly healed, depending on how badly he’d been hit. He took another look around. They were in a warehouse. Because of course they were. But at the same time, they didn’t seem to be heavily guarded either. A wickedly impish plan flitted across Danny’s plan. The smile that formed on his face could have given the Joker wet dreams for years.

“Dami, I have an idea. How about we give these guys some payback before our family arrives?”

“And how do we do that?” Damian asked, interested despite himself.

“We’re similar enough that I bet that they won’t even notice. I can create duplicates and hold them for about twenty minutes. That’s more than enough time for some mild chaos. I can put one in my place, and then one in your place. If I make you a sword of ice and then make you invisible as long as I’m holding you, we can haunt them, do some mild damage, and then when the others arrive, we can slide back into place.”

Damian looked at Danny and shared his grin. He nodded. It wasn’t often that he got to indulge in his wilder thoughts of mayhem and carnage. For a brief moment he allowed himself to think that this might even be fun. He watched as Danny phased out of his bindings and then went invisible. Damian felt a sensation akin to being dunked in ice wash over him as Danny phased him out of his own bindings. He watched as his brother created duplicates of himself and placed them in their respective chairs. They weren’t perfect duplicates, but Damian also knew that the quality of the goons in Gotham weren’t spectacular. The duplicates would pass muster for the time being.

“What happens now?” He questioned his hovering partner in crime.

“Let me make you some weapons real quick. What do you prefer?”

“I would prefer a wakizashi, since we are in close quarters, and some knives, in case I need to throw them, if you are able.”

Danny nodded. He’d seen Damian’s wakizashi and knew that he could replicate it. It may not be as precise as Damian’s, but it would be close enough. Danny was slightly afraid that when he started making the weapons the light would catch the attention of their kidnappers but for once, luck was on their side. No one looked in their direction. He was able to make Damian his wakizashi and made a xiphos for himself. He was also able to make two daggers and five knives for Damian as well as several shuriken and a dozen throwing stars.

“You are quite proficient in your ice making,” Damian complimented Danny.

“I have to practice, or I’ll literally freeze over,” Danny said offhandedly, testing the heft of his xiphos. Damian looked at him in shock because…WHAT. He didn’t have time to unpack that right now, but he would absolutely be bringing that up when they returned back to the Manor. “I can only keep you invisible if I’m touching you. But if you’d rather go off on your own, that’s fine too.”

Damian thought about it for a moment before he replied. “It would be better if we stuck together. I do not wish to explain any further injuries.” Danny hummed in agreement.

He took a hold of Damian’s shoulder and then made both of them invisible and intangible. He floated them silently to the closest goon. Damian used his wakizashi to impale the goon through the shoulder; Danny iced him to the floor. Neither cared too much if he bled out. They figured that’s what he deserved for kidnapping them. His shout alerted the others, but Danny just let a bit of his eldritch-ness bleed through. The shadows got a bit darker. Damian used this to his advantage and dropped from Danny’s touch.

He attacked three more goons in quick succession, quickly rendering them immobile. Danny, himself, was having an absolute blast. He used his ice with wild abandon, knowing that it wouldn’t melt until he wanted it to. While he didn’t injure the goons in the same way that Damian did, he had no qualms about incasing them up to their neck in ice. If they suffered from hypothermia afterwards, well no skin off his back. Danny’s sensitive ears twitched as he heard the sound of a grapple gun being fired. He floated over to where Damian had taken down the last goon and grabbed him. Damian was about to protest when he realized what Danny was doing.

Danny quickly dismissed the duplicates and then put Damian and himself back into the restraints as if they’d been there the whole time. When Signal, Nightwing, and Red Hood came flying through the windows of the warehouse (because of course they came through the windows), Danny couldn’t help himself. He started cackling like mad. He chanced a glance at Damian and found Damian with a small smirk on his face. The vigilantes looked around and saw the absolute destruction that had been caused. Nightwing just facepalmed.

“You two absolute menaces,” Hood sighed. He didn’t bother untying them, knowing that Danny could free both of and already had based on the number of goons in ice. Danny only cackled harder.

Nightwing and Signal rounded up the goons (there over 20 of them) and alerted both GCPD and EMS that they would need to be picked up. Neither boy had been gentle in their ministrations; both having to work out some aggression issues. Neither had taken well to being kidnapped although in Damian’s case it had been a semi-regular thing. Didn’t mean that they had to like it.

Once all of the goons were appropriately handled, Danny phased out of his bindings for the second time and cheerily bounced over to Damian and did the same thing to him. By that time, they were both grinning like loons. On one hand, the older men were happy to see Damian so freely expressing himself, but on the other hand, they kind of wished that it didn’t have to be under such dire circumstances. Nightwing contacted Alfred to let him know where to pick up the two younger boys with a shake of his head.

Tim rushed out of the Manor’s doors when the car pulled up the driveway. Alfred hadn’t even gotten the car in park before he was pulling the door open and yoinking Danny out. He turned Danny around and around to check him over for injuries. He noted the sticky, dried blood on the back of his neck. His fingers ghosted over the goose egg knot on the back of his head and noted Danny’s wince when he did so.

“Cease this at once, Drake,” Damian sneered at his brother’s mother-henning. “Danny exhausted his powers on top of being injured. We will take him down to the Cave so we can monitor him closely,” Damian said with finality, hooking his hand into Danny’s. Danny squawked in protest but otherwise followed behind both of his brothers compliantly. Tim had latched onto his other hand. Wait, when had that happened? Oh well, Danny wasn’t too bothered about it. Alfred appeared in front of them as he led them over to the medbay.

Danny reluctantly took up occupancy on the cot. “At this rate, this cot might as well have my name etched into it,” he joked. Tim and Damian glared at him. But it did seem, at least to him, that he’d seen more of the medbay than he had of the actual Manor.

“Drake, were you aware that Daniel…” Damian threw another glare at Danny.

“OH SHIT! Full named,” Steph came in and crowed.

“Language Miss Stephanie,” Alfred chided while looking over the now healed knot on Danny’s head. Damian seemed to have gotten off unscathed. Danny, however, did appear to be suffering from a mild concussion.

“Yes. Daniel has to use his ice powers with regularity, or he runs the risk of freezing himself,” Damian informed the family and folded his arms across his family.

“SNITCH!” Danny snarked, but there was little heat in his yell.

“Daniel James Drake-Wayne.” Tim said in a low, flat voice. Every Bat in the room stilled. Danny stopped breathing.

“Yes?”

“Explain. NOW!”

“So, I’ve told how cores are a ghost’s everything, their heart, brain, all their internal organs, but also their soul.” Everyone in the room nodded. “Cores also act as the ghost’s power base or where their element lies. Dani’s has a wind core. Vlad had an electric core. I have an ice core. But because I’m so overpowered and also gaining new powers all the time, if I don’t burn off some of my energy in the form of using my ice powers, I run the risk of literally freezing over. It’s how we found out I had an ice core to begin with. When Undergrowth first attacked, I got my ass handed to me. My core hadn’t fully settled. I was licking my wounds when I started to get really cold. Somehow, I made it to Frostbite. In a month-long crash course, he taught me how to control my ice. Apparently, ice cores are kind of rare. When it was all said and done, Frostbite warned me that if I didn’t use my powers regularly, I would run the risk of literally encasing myself in ice with no way of getting out.”

His family, except Sam and Tucker, looked at him utterly horrified. None had ever been at risk of killing themselves from their own powers. Jason, of course, ran the risk of killing others when the Pit Rage got too bad, but this…this was something else.

“WHY…Why do you insist on traumatizing us?” Dick, who had finally gotten out of his Nightwing suit, squeaked out.

Danny merely grinned, like feral chaos gremlin he was.

Chapter Text

“This has been the best Thanksgiving EVER!” Danny exclaimed, laying back against the couch patting his overstuffed belly that was bulging slightly from where he’d overeaten.

Tim looked at his brother with half-lidded eyes and blinked at him as if he couldn’t believe he’d heard him right. “You think this is good?” He swept his arm around to indicate the chaos that was surround them. Damian had just thrown a knife at Steph in their game of Monopoly. Jason, Sam, Tucker, Dick and Cass were involved in a tense game of Mario Kart, and it looked like Cass and Sam were going to draw for first place. Duke was trying to play mediator between Damian and Steph. And Dani was cackling at the general chaos that was a Wayne family dinner.

“Well, yeah. Back with the Fentons, it was always a bet on whether they would forget they had kids or if they would bring the turkey back to life,” Danny huffed.

Tucker looked back at them and said, “Don’t forget that one time they did both.” Then he blue-shelled Sam who flipped him off.

“Oh, right. There’s that,” Danny said casually.

Jason looked up from his controller to ask, “Are we talking a newly dead turkey or what?” There was a sort of morbid curiosity that went through the room.

“Oh no. Like one time it was one of those Thanksgiving dinners-in-a-box thing, like what you can buy from Cracker Barrel or something. Where all you have to do is pull everything out of the box and reheat it, either in the oven, on the stove, or in the microwave. We don’t even know how the damn thing was screaming its war cry as it charged. Ectoplasm does weird shit.”

Once again, Danny’s family had a look of absolute horror on their faces. Jason sorely regretted asking. Danny had told him once that Jazz had had to kill the turkey with a broom. He had thought Danny was joking. God, how he wished that Danny was joking. Judging from Sam and Tucker’s faces, he was dead (ha) serious.

“I have a question,” Sam called as she crossed the finish line a few seconds before Cass. “Do we do anything for Black Friday?”

Everyone in the room looked at each other before Dick finally spoke up. “Not really. Gothamites tend to get intense about Black Friday sales. So, it’s usually an all-hands on deck type of day. It’s not usually a day we let Duke patrol alone. Even if we do brave the crowds, it’s not usually worth it. As bad as Gotham is, somehow it gets worse over this particular weekend.”

“That…that tracks, actually. Who’d have thought that Gotham would be just as bad as Amity?” Danny snickered. Sam and Tucker joined him.

What.

WHAT?!?!

“WHAT?!?!” Steph screeched.

“Oh yeah. Pretty much the only sacred time is the Yule Truce. Other than that, ghosts could and often did attack anytime and anywhere. And for some reason, large crowds seemed to draw them in. So, Black Friday was almost guaranteed for a ghost attack.”

“Will everything be ok this year?” Bruce asked with concern.

“It should be. I destroyed both of the Amity portals, and the one Vlad had in his castle. JLD would let you know if there any ghosts causing trouble,” Danny replied waving his hands as if to wave the problem away.

Danny woke the next morning feeling great for a change, and he got to sleep later than normal. Patrol had gone smoothly; no one had gotten hurt; nothing major had happened; and Alfred had made special cookies. Danny’s core started purring as he woke. He lazed in bed before his bladder made its needs urgently known and forced Danny to get up. The smell of breakfast was a secondary need that made him hurry through his morning routine. He was in such a good mood.

At least he was, until Dick walked into the room singing “All I Want For Christmas Is You” at the top of his lungs, loudly and off-key. He was also wearing one of the tackiest and ugliest Christmas sweaters that Danny had ever seen. It was red, green, purple, and yellow, and had three llamas wearing Santa hats. It also had a small string of battery powered lights blinking across it.

Danny froze for a moment before he transformed into Phantom and then rocketed up and out of the Manor. The rest of the family devolved into utter chaos. Not even Alfred’s unflappable presence could calm them. Sam and Tucker were the only ones who remained unphased. They watched the family attempt to run around like proverbial chickens with their heads cut off. Sam finally got tired of them essentially panicking and gave an ear-piercing shrill whistle. This got everyone to stop in their tracks and turn their heads towards her.

“Before everyone disappears, maybe you should sit down and listen to find out why Danny just ran away, yeah?” She snarked. Tim was the first to slump back down in his seat. The rest of the vigilante family quickly followed suit.

“What are we missing?” Bruce asked, all Batman in that moment.

“You have to understand. Danny’s never had what you would call a normal Christmas experience. But it’s so much worse than that. You already know that he was bullied for being the kid of the local town mad scientists. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton had, for the most part, an almost picture-perfect marriage. A happy home, two kids, and almost no fighting. However. Every year starting December 1^st through December 31^st, they would start fighting about whether or not Santa was real.” Tucker began the explanation, having known Danny the longest.

“Oh no,” Tim whispered. A looked of dawning horror flashed across his face.

“Oh yes. And unfortunately, this also meant that the fights didn’t stay behind closed doors. Which also meant that Mr. and Mrs. Fenton didn’t just ruin Danny and Jazz's Christmas experience; they attempted to ruin so many others anytime they were out in public. This also meant even more bullying for Danny during December. I can’t tell you how many times they got kicked out of the Amity Park mall for causing a scene at the Santa Village. But it doesn’t stop there. When Danny was little, a dog peed on him on Christmas Day, and the Fentons never even noticed. Jazz was the one who had to change him and clean him up. They were like 4 and 2, respectively. Jazz and Danny often ran the risk of being left behind, forgotten, or abandoned in public if the Fentons’ fighting got bad. I can’t tell you how many times either my mom or dad would have to pick them because they’d been left behind. It was bad,” Tucker continued.

“Sometime after I joined the friend group, the Fentons’ fight changed to whether Santa was a ghost or not. Which means that the fights got even nastier, if that was possible. And then last year, Danny was already in a bad mood because of well everything. There was a ghost attack. His name was Ghost Writer. He trapped Danny, as Danny not Phantom, in a very twisted version of ‘The Night Before Christmas’. Everything wrong that Ghost Writer caused got blamed on Danny. And because of this happened in the Mortal Realm, and Ghost Writer was basically using his power as like some kind of omniscient narrator, that only Danny could hear, Danny couldn’t even fight him as Phantom. Eventually Danny won. But it basically cemented Danny’s Christmas trauma,” Sam concluded.

Tim hung his head in his hands. Bruce, even though he was Jewish looked pained. Dick looked like someone had just kicked his dog, Haly. Jason looked like someone had just told him that Joker had killed several of his street kids in Crime Alley. Cass and Steph merely clung to each other. Duke looked like he about to be sick with a migraine from hell. And poor Damian didn’t know what to think. He knew what Christmas was of course, but he didn’t really understand all of the little intricacies of the holiday since it wasn’t something that had been celebrated within in the LOA.

“We have to find him. We have to let him know that this year will be different,” Tim said as he stood up, a determined glint in his eye. Jason stood up with him. They made their way down to the Cave so Tim could activate the trackers he’d implanted in Danny, with Danny’s permission of course.

-------------------

Phantom was flying at his top speed west. He didn’t know where he was going; he just knew that he needed to get out of the Manor when Dick had shown up in that god-awful sweater singing that horrendous song. Green tears streamed down his face as he flew in the cold November morning. He felt a light tugging on his core, like a warm hug or a cup of hot chocolate coming in from a snowball fight. He followed it down and landed behind a small building that looked like a hardware store. The sign on the storefront read “Smallville General Store”. There was an old beat-up pick-up truck parked in front of the store that called to Phantom. He took a chance and transformed back into Danny and crawled in the back of the truck underneath an old, weathered tarp. A few moments later, he heard the bell of the store’s door tinkle as it opened, and an older man walked out and towards the truck. He heard someone get into the driver’s seat and start the truck. The sound of the truck’s engine and the gentle yet slightly bumpy road lulled Danny into a fitful sleep.

“OH MY!” Came a soft, feminine, older woman’s gasp as she lifted the tarp covering Danny. Danny blinked up at her, trying to wake up his sleep addled brain. “Oh, you poor thing. Come inside. You must be frozen. I’ll get you some hot cocoa.” Danny’s stomach chose that moment to make its complaints about having missed breakfast known. LOUDLY. The woman chuckled. Danny flushed pink in embarrassment, but she merely reached out her hand to take his and pulled him out of the bed of the truck. “I think some breakfast is due as well.”

She bustled him into the warm kitchen, ignoring his protests and sat him down at the table. She worked around the kitchen like it was her domain as much as Alfred did. Before long, Danny had a steaming cup of cocoa sat in front of him along with a plate heaped full of eggs, bacon, and two biscuits. He ate slowly, enjoying the food as much as he would a plate of Alfred’s breakfast. Sometimes simple fare was just as good as gourmet food.

“Now, youngun’ what’s got you so spooked?” She asked as she sat down next to him with a cup of coffee in front of her.

“I…I…” Tears started streaming down Danny’s cheeks again. She reached out to pry Danny’s hands from his cup and take them in her own. Her hands were rough and calloused from many years working on her farm.

“Easy now,” she said as she pulled the young man into a hug as he cried. She held him until she felt his shoulders still and his sobs turned into hiccups. “There. Feel better?” He nodded against her chest and pulled away.

“It’s just my new family reminded me that Christmas is coming, and I’ve not exactly had any good memories of Christmas. Or well the month of December, for that matter. And I guess I kind of freaked out and ran away,” Danny finally explained.

“Have you talked to them about this?”

“Not really,” Danny admitted. “It just seems like every time I say something about my life before I found my older brother, it’s…well, I didn’t exactly have a good life, you know.”

Before he could elaborate, he caught the sound of two different footsteps rapidly approaching the front door. Danny made to stand up, but the woman put her hand on his shoulder and kept him seated. He could have phased out of her hold, but that would have outed his secret to someone outside of this family, and that wasn’t risk he was willing to take.

“Calm yourself. That’s just Clark and Conner,” she said instead. “Oh, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Martha. But you can call me Ma.”

“Danny.”

The door was all but ripped off its hinges as a tall and buff man ran inside. He was followed by a younger version of him and the older man who been driving the truck. The tall man’s eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for something and then locked on Danny.

“Danny!” Clark exclaimed.

“Superman?” Danny asked in confusion. He looked at the younger man and asked, “Superboy?”

“Clark, Conner, you two know this young man?” Ma asked.

Clark slumped in relief. “He’s Bruce’s newest kid. Gave the whole family quite a shock when he ran away. Didn’t know he got this far from Gotham. That’s why they called me when his trackers pinged in Smallville.”

Ma narrowed her eyes at Danny. He’d called both her son and grandson by their superhero name. “And do you ‘work’ with Clark and Conner?”

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. “Um. I started off in a small town called Amity Park, in Illinois, where my adoptive family was from before I found out that I was related to Tim Drake-Wayne.” Ma looked at Danny and then back at Clark, her eyes narrowed and calculating. Then she gasped.

“All of those articles about the Ghost Investigation Ward, the Anti-Ecto Control Acts, when the Fentons attacked the UN Summit, and the one about Dalv Co. Those were all about you, weren’t they?”

She pulled Danny in for another hard hug. He leaned against her; touch starved as he was. He nodded against her as she ran her fingers through his hair. His core began purring. Martha, the saint that she was, didn’t even question the rumbling that came from the small boy in her arms. Clark moved to make himself a cup of coffee. He’d gotten a frantic call from Tim, and he’d flown out of his house in Metropolis before he’d even gotten the chance to eat breakfast. Conner had been right behind him.

Conner called Tim to let the Waynes know that Danny was safe while Clark downed his coffee. Clark leaned down and kissed his mom on the forehead and ruffled Danny’s hair. He gave his Pa a side hug and did the same with Conner before rushing out the door saying that he was going to be late for his job at the Daily Planet. The older adults just laughed at him as he flew out.

“You good enough to go home, youngling?” Ma asked Danny while still holding onto him. Danny heaved a sigh but otherwise nodded. “Kon, you make sure he gets home safe, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Kon replied. Kon and Danny stepped out onto the front porch.

“Um, Ma, Kon, you might want to close your eyes. This will be bright.” Danny waited for both of them to close their eyes before he transformed back into Phantom for the second time that morning. “Ok. It’s safe now.”

Kon had already seen Phantom, but Ma stood in awe of the young man who now floated at her doorstep. Danny’s wispy tail flicked in agitation. But Ma’s hand came to rest against Phantom’s cheek, and he leaned against the touch. She didn’t pull away at the coldness that permeated his whole body in Phantom form. She didn’t flinch or otherwise show any signs of being afraid of him.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“You come back, any time. Tell Alfred and Timothy to bring you back. Kon can bring you anytime you want. And if all the Christmas talk gets too much for you, well, my door is always open.”

Phantom flung his arms around Ma and hugged her tight. He whispered another thank you before flying off with Kon. They didn’t talk on the flight back to Gotham, but then they didn’t need to. They played air tag on the way back and had a few races. Phantom felt much lighter by the time they landed in front of Wayne Manor. Tim and Jason rushed out of the front door and nearly bowled him over. He didn’t even get the chance to transform back into Danny before he was sandwiched in the arms of his big brothers. And once again, his core betrayed him and started purring at the contact. He practically melted into the touch and allowed his transformation to wash over him. Kon’s laughter brought him out of his brain-mush/melty state.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Tim pulled away first. “Thanks, Kon.”

Tim and Jason pulled Danny back into the Manor, never letting their hands go far from Danny, as if afraid he would disappear again if they did. Danny let himself be pulled into the familiar sitting room. He plopped down on the couch, glad to be sandwiched between his two favorite siblings. Danny knew what was coming now. The classic Bat interrogation. It wasn’t something he was looking forward to being on the other side of.

Next to him, Tim sighed. “Danny, you really scared us. But Sam and Tucker filled us in.” Danny sucked in a breath and took a moment to look around. No one seemed mad or angry with him. He flared his ghost aura a tiny bit, and sure enough, he felt the worry and fear. He looked at Dick to see that he’d changed from his sweater to a neutral gray turtleneck.

“Oh,” was all he could muster.

They spent the rest of the day brainstorming ideas of how to make this year’s December pass easier for Danny. Danny didn’t know if he could handle working at the coffee shop, listening to Christmas songs on an endless horrible loop while also watching humanity lose itself in what was supposed to be the happiest time of the year. So, it was proposed that Dr. Thomkins would write him a note of some kind claiming that he’d caught some kind of rarer strain of the flu and would need to be off for an extended period of time. This would allow Danny to limit his exposure to the public, unless he wanted to go shopping or go out with his siblings. Alfred would still decorate the Manor, but Danny wouldn’t have to participate in the decorating, unless he wanted to.

After everything was said and done, Danny was almost, almost, looking forward to this Christmas season.

Chapter Text

Tim and Danny walked into the coffee shop where Danny worked. It was almost reminiscent of their first meeting as Tim and Danny, if Danny hadn’t been leaning against Tim to help keep Danny upright or if Danny wasn’t wearing a paper face mask. After everything that Danny had been through in the last couple of months, he almost felt like he was coming down with either ghost flu (again), regular flu, or even walking pneumonia. Which actually helped with why they were now walking into Danny’s coffee shop.

“Hey, Perla. Is Martin or Grady in? I need to talk to one of them?” Danny said, a little breathlessly, as a cough threatened to rattle around in his chest. The barista looked up at Danny alarmed and about jumped the counter.

“Yeah, actually, they’re both here. I’ll go get them. ¡Siéntate idiota! Before you hurt yourself.” She ran around the counter and grabbed Danny’s arm and pulled him to his usual corner booth and plopped him down. Tim smiled indulgently at her. He knew that Danny looked rough, and Danny had admitted to feeling as rough as he looked.

Tim and Danny didn’t have to wait too long for the managers that Danny had asked for to come out from the back of the coffee shop. Martin was a young twenty something young man with hints of an Asian descent. He claimed that he was from somewhere in the South Pacific, but he also like to make jokes that he was like Heinz 57, a mix of everything from Asia, a little Chinese, a little Japanese, and a little Filipino. Danny never knew if he was serious so he never laughed at those jokes. Grady was a broad-shouldered African American who definitely should have been making bank playing defensive linebacker for the Gotham Knights as he stood at an impressive 6ft 7in tall and had the muscles to back it up. But he always claimed that the smell of fresh made coffee calmed something in his soul while the thought of violence (Danny snorted at that since he live in GOTHAM, of all places) almost made him cry. But Grady had been owner/manager of Blacker Than My Soul for almost 4 years, and in that time, it had only been subjected to a single robbery, and that had been near the start of its opening. Grady didn’t count rogue attacks because those affected all of Gotham.

“Hey Danny, you doing ok?” Martin asked with concern. Danny definitely looked rough. His hair lacked its usual luster; his eye bags had eye bags; and Martin could hear just the tiniest rattle when Danny breathed. He was…concerned. Danny had been an almost model employee, hardly ever called in or missed work, even with the eight hundred million rogue attacks that Gotham suffered.

“Not really. That’s kind of why I’m here,” Danny said with a sigh. Tim reached into his pocket and pulled out the carefully worded note from Dr. Thomkins. It explained that Danny had contracted basically walking pneumonia, which explained the face mask.

Grady took the note while Martin read it over Grady’s shoulder. They were both silent for a moment before Martin grunted. Tim snorted. It was such a Batman-esque snort that Tim couldn’t help it. Both older men looked up from the note and truly studied Danny for a moment. Martin reread the note and then nodded sharply. The two men looked at each other in unspoken agreement.

“Danny, you’re one of the best workers we have. So, you take whatever time you need. We’ll make it work. If you think you’re feeling up to a shift, just come in. If not, just text us an update,” Grady said with an air of finality.

“Thank you. I didn’t really want to quit. I kind of like working here. But the last couple of months have been really stressful, personal wise. Maybe, once I get over whatever this is…” Danny knew that he’d feel better come January 1^st once the horrible “Christmas” season came to an end. “…I can come back to full time.”

“No rush, Danny. Take care of yourself,” Martin said and clapped Danny on the shoulder as he got up from where he’d sat down. Then he walked back to the back of the café because he’d seen a bus park nearby and knew that the café was about to get slammed. Perla brought both Tim and Danny a Death-spresso made to Danny’s specifications. Both teens profusely thanked her, but she merely rolled her eyes.

“Ay, Diós mio. Two caffeinated putas. Just what the world needs,” she muttered under her breath as she walked away from the table. Danny gave her a grin, even if she couldn’t see it. The two boys took their drinks and walked out of the café.

The two brothers ambled slowly down the street, not in any big hurry to get back to the Manor. Technically, only Danny lived at the Manor full time as Tim had long since moved out, but Tim found he’d been spending more time at the Manor in the last few months. It probably had a lot to do with Danny’s presence. In fact, as they walked, Danny leaning at bit more on his older brother, Tim reflected, it absolutely had everything to do with Danny. Danny had brought them together in so many ways. He’d cured Jason of his Pit Rage; he’d made Damian less stabby; he even managed to make Bruce, of all people, start using his actual words. Even Dick had been acting weird, or well, weird for Dick.

The sound of screeching tires broke boys out of their reverie. Neither had time to react before the van came to halt right to them and several goons with burlap sacks on their heads jumped out of the black van and grabbed the both of them. Tim and Danny both fought back, but they were simply overwhelmed by sheer numbers. The last thing that both boys saw and heard was something hard being hit to the back of their heads.

‘Fucking damnit! Again?!?!’ Danny thought as his thoughts faded to black, and his body went limp.

Tim was the first one conscious, which wasn’t really surprising. Considering. Danny really was coming down with…something. He’d been put through the ringer since joining the Wayne family, but he hadn’t once complained about it. It was almost like he expected his life to go tits up at drop of a dime. And wasn’t that just sad. And why was there a pink circus elephant floating above his head? He hadn’t watched Dumbo in years. He took another look around, and when he saw the windows were now below him, he realized that he had a concussion. Great. He heard Danny groan. Tim didn’t dare shake his head, knowing that would make the pain in his head worse.

“Danny!” Tim called trying to get his brother’s attention.

“Fiku,” came the muffled response. Tim wasn’t sure what language Danny had resorted to, but a cuss was still recognizable regardless of the language, although if Danny was no longer cussing in English that likely meant he also had a concussion.

“Danny!” Tim called again.

“Ah. The brothers are awake, I see,” Came a disjointed voice. Both boys looked around and squinted into the darkness. Danny was the first to recognize the voice.

“Are you fucking kidding me? It just had to be the farmers’ reject,” Danny bit out. Tim hissed.

“You dare to insult me, boy,” Scarecrow came up to Danny and grabbed his chin.

“Don’t touch him,” Tim snarled, but Scarecrow ignored the older Wayne boy.

“Oh, but I have so many plans for you both. I have a new Fear Toxin that I’ve been waiting to try. Shall we get started?” Scarecrow crooned.

He snapped his hand out, and one of his goons brought him two canisters. Scarecrow made sure that his goons had their gas masks secured before opening the cannisters in front of the two teenagers. The gas roiled out in a neon electric blue. Tim held his breath, but from the coughing gasps coming from where he knew Danny was restrained, he didn’t hold out hope that Danny had stopped breathing. Eventually, Tim, too, had to take in a breath. Scarecrow began cackling once he knew that both boys had succumbed to breathing in his newest Fear Toxin.

“Now, tell me. What are you afraid of?” Scarecrow asked Danny. He still held onto Danny’s chin.

Danny looked up at him, and his eyes flashed green. Scarecrow startled back. “Do you really want to know?” Danny growled out.

“YES! Tell me everything.”

Tim whimpered, but otherwise held his tongue. Danny had no such qualms. “Vivisection.”

“That is a very specific fear,” Scarecrow said slowly. How could one be afraid of vivisection? He didn’t understand. He cocked his head to the side.

Danny’s eyes flashed green again, and then he gave in to the toxin. He proceeded to tell Scarecrow everything. How the GIW cut into him with ectoranium laced scalpels. How his skin bubbled and melted at the contact. How they used a blood blossom infused chest spreader. How they dug his eyes out to see if they would regenerate (they did in 3 hours and 47 minutes and 52 seconds). The sound of the circular saw as it cut through his femur. The sound of tendons and muscles ripping. The citrus and ozone smell of ectoplasm mixing with the iron and rust smell of blood. The feeling of his muscles contracting as they forced thousands of volts of electricity through him time and time again to see how his ectoplasm would react. The smell of burning flesh as they did so.

Somewhere in the background, Danny noted several people retching. Danny didn’t care. This was his trauma. He could relive it however he wanted to. If Scarecrow wanted to know what he was afraid of, then by God and holy hell, Danny was going to make damned sure Scarecrow got what he wanted. He detailed the feeling of hands pulling out his intestines as he was force fed so that they could see how it moved through his system. How those same hands pulled and squirmed as they crawled through all of his internal organs.

“No one could survive that!” Scarecrow finally exclaimed as Danny came to a stop.

And then, in some part of Danny’s brain, the part that had been rewired in ectoplasm, grinned like the little shit he was. He stopped his heart and stopped breathing. The whole “commit to the bit” ran through his brain as he said, “What makes you think I did?”

What.

WHAT?

“WHAT?!?!” Scarecrow screeched.

“If you don’t believe me, you can check my pulse. I’m not even breathing right now.”

Danny glared at the once-renowned psychologist, daring him to do exactly that. Scarecrow took Danny’s wrist and found the pulse point. Not finding a pulse there, he moved his hand to the pulse point under Danny’s chin. Scarecrow violently flinched when he still couldn’t find a pulse in the boy. He also noted that the boy wasn’t breathing, just like he claimed. Scarecrow felt like he was going to follow in the footsteps of his goons and be sick.

“I don’t think so, Jonathan Lionel Crane. You will wait here, like a good little boy. You will return to Arkham, and you will STAY PUT. You will cause no further trouble. AND YOU WILL SPEAK NOTHING OF THIS ENCOUNTER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

Scarecrow could do nothing but nod at the order that came from the boy. Whatever this boy was, he wasn’t human. Black Bat and Spoiler busted open the door to the warehouse (because where else would they be but in a fucking warehouse), and promptly secured all of the goons. Most of them were begging to be arrested anyways. Scarecrow didn’t even put up a fight when Spoiler put her handcuffs on him. Black Bat went over to Tim and realized that he was deep in the throes of Fear Toxin.

“Easy, brother. Home soon,” she said softly, hoping that he could hear her. Tim whimpered but went limp in his restraints. Danny’s toxic green eyes watched both vigilantes warily. Spoiler bounded over to where Danny was tied up, but he growled at her and gnashed his teeth at her when she got too close. Spoiler busied herself picking up the cannisters so that an accurate antitoxin could be formulated when they got back to the cave. Black Bat had already released Tim and had pressed bandages to his head.

“Oracle. Can you reach Hood?” Spoiler called into her comms.

Spoiler heard some clicks in her ears, and then Hood’s rough voice came through her comm. “I hear you. What’s the situation?”

“Tim and Danny Drake-Wayne were kidnapped by Scarecrow. They were both exposed to his newest Fear Toxin, and both appear to have concussions. Danny won’t let either me or Black Bat anywhere near him. Maybe you can help get him home?” Spoiler replied. She heard muffled cursing before Hood replied that he’d be there within a few minutes.

Not even four minutes later, both vigilantes heard the tell-tale roaring of Hood’s custom bike roaring into the actual warehouse. Hood pulled up in front of where Danny was still restrained to his chair. Any time Black Bat or Spoiler got near him, he would growl and snarl at them. He kept his eyes locked on Tim as if worried they would hurt him, but he also didn’t phase himself out of his restraints, like he’d forgotten he could. The moment Hood stepped in front of him, his eyes lost their toxic glow, and Danny slumped forward. Hood was barely fast enough to keep him from toppling the chair over.

“FUCK!” Hood exclaimed. “Oracle, can you send the Batmobile? Both our boys need to get to the Cave ASAP. RR is responsive but not lucid. Casper is unresponsive. And Scarecrow tested a new Fear Toxin on them.”

“Roger that, Hood. Batmobile ETA is 8 minutes. Oracle out.”

The three vigilantes waited with bated breath. Tim was full on whimpering; whatever he was seeing in his nightmares was sending his heart rate spiking. Danny had gone catatonic. He hadn’t restarted his breathing or his heart, and the vigilantes were worried if that would cause long-term damage in his human form. Those 8 minutes seemed like a lifetime. As soon as both Danny and Tim were loaded into the Batmobile, Spoiler and Black Bat took off on their motorcycles, leaving Hood to drive the Batmobile.

By the time Hood pulled the Batmobile into the Cave, Spoiler was already in the lab running an analysis to create an antidote. The centrifuge beeped as Dick and Bruce unloaded Tim and Danny from the Batmobile. Alfred was waiting in the medbay for both his charges while Steph worked with Cass. Jason, now out of his helmet, paced impatiently, having nothing to do and no way to help.

Steph handed the antidote to Alfred so that it could be administered. Tim almost immediately stopped whining and whimpering. He groaned and then blinked a few times. A muttered “fuck” went unchastised for once. Then he sat upright, remembering exactly WHY he was in the cave. He swiveled his head around trying to seek out his brother. He would have thrown himself out of the bed, if Bruce hadn’t been there to hold him down.

“Easy, chum. Alfred’s administering the antidote now. Give it a few minutes,” Bruce rumbled.

“You don’t understand! The things Danny said. It…it was…I…couldn’t…” Tears started streaming down Tim’s cheeks. Even in the throes of his own fear delusions, he’d heard most of what Danny had said to Scarecrow. Bruce held his third son in his arms as Tim sobbed. Tim only hoped that Babs hadn’t hacked his phone to record what had happened. But realistically, Tim didn’t hold out much hope for that. Both Drake-Wayne boys had gone missing. While Tim had activated his panic button and tracker before he’d gone unconscious, he was pretty sure Danny hadn’t done the same. So, Tim knew that Babs had probably hacked his phone. Judging from the looks on Alfred and Bruce’s faces, they’d overheard what Danny had said.

Alfred finally managed to get an IV line started on Danny, and then pushed the antidote through the IV, instead of injecting it directly, like he’d done with Tim. He’d also started Danny on an infusion of ectoplasm, just in case. Danny seized for a moment before he uncoiled. His eyes opened, but they were hazy and unfocused. Tim begged Bruce to push the two beds together, if only so he could reassure himself that his brother was there. The contact seemed to help Danny become cognizant of his surroundings, and he drew in a long, hard breath. The rest of the family released the tension they’d been holding in their bodies. The monitors that Alfred had attached to Danny showed that his heart had restarted. Danny’s blue eyes locked onto Tim’s, and a soft smile flitted across his face. And then he went unconscious again.

At least he was breathing, and his heart was beating. Everything else could wait till he woke again.

Chapter Text

Danny fidgeted with the hem of his NASA hoodie in the seat of the plane. He looked over at Tim who was in the seat next to him, but Tim was as relaxed as he could be. Danny turned around in his seat to look at Jason, but Jason was asleep or at least pretending to be. The bastard.

“Danny, calm down. Diana will love you. She’s basically like our aunt,” Tim said after the third time Danny squirmed in his seat, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

“But what if…”

“Danny, she’s already met your alter ego, and didn’t turn on you then, did she?” Tim reasoned. Danny shook his head. But then he frowned. When had he met Diana as Phantom? His eyes widened as the realization struck him

“Wait. Wait. Wait. Is Diana…” Danny trailed off, not wanting to speak her hero identity out loud just in case someone was listening to what they were saying. Tim nodded. “Oh,” he said numbly.

Tim snickered at his brother’s expression. Danny pouted up at him. Tim thought his brother looked adorable. Before either boy could process any further ribbing, the flight attendant came across the speakers and stated that they would be landing in DC in roughly 15 minutes. Danny used a slight bit of intangibility to poke Jason awake. Jason did NOT appreciate the metaphorical ice bath Danny dunked him in. Danny giggled like a 5year old. The flight attendant walking by to collect the last bit of trash smiled fondly at the brothers’ antics.

Diana was waiting for the three of them when the disembarked from the plane. “Well met, young warriors. Tim, who is this?” Diana asked after she hugged both Jason and Tim.

“Aunt Diana, this is my brother, Danny. Danny, this is Diana Prince,” Tim introduced the two while still holding onto Danny’s shoulders. Tim could tell that Danny was tense; his shoulders were tight and hitched almost up to his ears. Diana had led them to her car by this time so when Danny crawled in the back seat she was able to turn to him and give him an appraising eye.

“Question, young warrior. Would you perhaps be the same young man that Constantine summoned a couple of months ago in relation to the GIW and the Anti-Ecto Control Acts?” she asked softly.

“Yes ma’am,” he whispered, shrinking in on himself.

“Be at ease. Though I am curious at your appearance,” Diana huffed a laugh at him.

Since they were in the safety of Diana’s car, and Tim trusted her, and she was the one who essentially brought the Fentons to justice, Danny would trust her too. “I’m what the other ghosts call a Halfa. Half human. Half ghost.”

Diana turned and started her car. They drove through the streets of DC in relative quiet. She drove past the National Mall and to her apartment which was apparently not that far from the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. Which made sense when Danny thought about it. She was a well-respected curator for the museum so of course she would live nearby. Her apartment was warmly and brightly furnished. Her couch was a warm navy sectional with a chaise lounge at one end. There were several very real and also very cursed artifacts that Diana had that were, thankfully, encased behind glass and sealed by the JLD.

“You know, Tucker would love to get his hands on this one,” Danny pointed to an Egyptian artifact.

“Hmm, why’s that?” Tim came up to Danny and inspected the artifact that Danny was looking at. Diana came up behind them and looked on in interest as well.

“Well, you know Tucker is the however many great grandson of an Egyptian pharaoh. His name was Duulaman.” Diana gasped. She’d heard some not-so-great things about Duulaman. “Yeah, that. One time, we were on a field trip, and a ghost mummy noticed how Tuck looked like him and managed to get his scepter into Tuck’s hands, which basically reincarnated Duulaman into Tuck’s head. I had to fight the evil pharaoh, but somehow, now him and Tuck have something akin to a symbiotic relationship.”

“Fucking hell, Casper. You can’t just drop bombs on us like that,” Jason mumbled while pinching the bridge of his nose. Diana threw a look of disappointment at Jason for the cuss word, and he mumbled an apology.

“Would now be a bad time to tell you that Sam kinda got ghost-adopted by Undergrowth?”

What?

WHAT?!?!

“WHAT. THE. FUCK!” Jason rasped. Because again. Danny’s over here just casually dropping info bombs. Another disappointed looked from Diana was thrown at Jason, followed by another muffled apology.

“Can you please explain, young one?” Diana said with all the patience in the world.

“Oh, um, sure. So, Undergrowth is one of the Ancients. Ancients are Neverborn ghosts who are for all intents and purposes Gods. They are born from the concept of consciousness throughout the multiverse. Undergrowth is the Ancient of Nature. He was one of the last Ancients that invaded Amity Park before I got captured by the GIW. He overshadowed a lot of the people there, including Sam. But because Sam and Tucker were there the day of my accident that turned me into Phantom and have been by my side from the beginning with the various ghost fights, both Sam and Tucker are a little more liminal than others. So, when I defeated Undergrowth, Sam’s liminality was already strong, and got stronger thanks to Undergrowth overshadowing her for the month it took me to get my ice core under control. After I beat Undergrowth, he more or less declared Sam his ghost-granddaughter. That’s why she’s training with Ivy. The Green that Ivy is always referring to is basically Undergrowth.” Danny heard both Tim and Jason do a sharp intake of breath.

“You are quite strong then, yes?” Diana asked, trying to be diplomatic.

“Yeah. I’m always developing new powers. I gave Dad a list of my powers that I know of, but even then, it’s not comprehensive. Or well, it’s as comprehensive as it can be considering that tomorrow I could develop a new power. When I became Crown Prince of the Infinite Realms, it came with quite a power boost,” Danny replied.

They spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying Diana’s company. Diana proved to be a good cook, and no one brought up the dreaded winter holiday that Danny hated so much. But at the same time, he also found that his usual grinchyness was slightly faded since being with the Waynes. He was still jaded against the holiday, but at the same time, they weren’t pushing him to join in their festivities, and they weren’t arguing about Santa or anything else in his presence and had kept the decorations in the Manor to a tasteful set. And Dick hadn’t wore any more of his horrid sweaters. At least, not when he was around the Manor or Danny. The paparazzi had had a field day with him out and about Gotham in some of his sweaters, but he’d always changed by the time he’d popped in at the Manor.

The next morning, Diana took them all into the museum where she worked as a special treat. Her coworkers looked on in awe as three of the fabled Waynes walked in beside her, calling her “Aunt Diana”. Danny and Jason had taken to wandering around the museum. Tim had set up shop on WE laptop on an empty desk in Diana’s office. Even though he was “technically” on vacation, there were a couple of last-minute emails that Lucius had sent him that absolutely needed his attention.

Danny shivered as two older men in black business suits passed them looking at some of the exhibits. Danny pulled Jason near him and hovered slightly to whisper in his older brother’s ear. “Jason, we need to find Aunt Diana. NOW,” he whispered urgently while side-eyeing the two men. They didn’t quite set off his ghost sense, but it was something close. Jason looked down at his little brother (in every sense of the word since Damian had recently gotten a growth spurt and had shot up about four inches, placing him above Danny, but below Tim) and nodded.

Danny burst into Diana’s office without knocking. “Aunt Diana. Please tell me you have security cameras in here!” Danny whispered yelled as he burst through the door.

“I do, young warrior. Tell me, what has got you so upset?” She replied as she stood up from her desk and walked over to a panel embedded in the wall. She flipped a switch to reveal a wall of nothing but cameras. Tim closed his laptop and stretched. His back and neck making popping sounds as he moved. Danny was watching the panel of cameras intently. Tim had only seen him do that once before, when Undergrowth had attacked Star City.

“There. Those two men. They didn’t quite set off my ghost sense. But something close,” Danny said, pointing to the two men who had appeared on the screen. Diana hissed.

“Ares and Hades. What are they doing here?” She spat the Grecian Gods’ names as though they were cursed. Perhaps, they were.

“Diana, is there somewhere I can transform?” Danny all but demanded of the Themysciran princess.

“I have my personal bathroom, just through that door there,” Diana replied, her eyebrow cocked in curiosity.

“What are you thinking, Casper?” Jason asked out loud.

“For now, Tim, go get those two. Jason, you can be the muscle security. I’ll explain more after I transform,” Danny said as he dashed towards the aforementioned door. The four older people saw a flash of light under the door and felt the ambient temperature of the room drop about ten degrees. Then, Phantom floated back out, however, he was in his full kingly regalia.

“Phantom. What?” Tim asked, stupefied.

“They shouldn’t be here,” Phantom growled out.

HUH?

“Timothy, GO GET THEM!”

Phantom was all king in that moment, and everyone in the room knew it as he gave Tim his “marching” orders. Tim found his back straightening up, and he walked out the door. Jason didn’t need to be told what to do. He had played the part of hired muscle enough to know what to do. He picked a spot next to an empty display case and leaned against the wall, arms crossed against his chest, face set in his perpetual Resting Bitch mode. Diana resumed her place behind her desk, while Danny made himself an honest-to-Ancients throne. It looked like a cross between something J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin would dream up. Jason didn’t know if he should be impressed or terrified. Probably both.

The throne stood approximately 8 feet tall, and its blue-green ice glimmered in the fluorescent lights. There were spikes that resembled various weapons ranging from swords to pikes to maces. Jason could even swear he saw a trebuchet and a gatling gun embedded down the sides of the throne. Jason definitely saw the Milky Way swirling (Jason would later swear that the galaxy was actually moving, and Danny, the little shit, was just being a cryptic bastard) as the backdrop against which Phantom leaned as he sat down, his back ramrod straight and his face blank.

Tim ushered the two men in, his best business professional face on. Or as Jason called it, the Gala Suck Ass face. Tim couldn’t really argue that point either because he knew exactly what face he was wearing. As the two gods walked in, Jason almost felt like he had to kneel but somehow, he kept himself upright. There was an immense sense of force or pressure in the air, and Jason thanked whatever gods were listening that he was no longer under the influence of the Pits. Because he knew that if he were, his eyes would have been glowing green, and he would have drawn blood by now.

“Hades. Ares. What are you doing here?” Phantom drawled. There was an echoey overlay in his speech that both Tim and Jason had only heard a few times, and they both knew that he was beyond pissed. Diana cast a curious glance at the youngest person in the room.

“Ah, King Phantom, we’ve merely come to say hello to our dear relative,” Hades answered in a smarmy, slimy voice. Jason felt goosepimples ripple down his arms and shiver rip down his spine.

“And does the Princess Claim the relationship?” Phantom turned his bright green eyes towards Diana. Diana startled at the attention.

“I am not certain what you mean,” she asked for clarification.

“Hades and Ares know exactly what Law they are trying to break. No being bound by and to the Infinite Realms may Claim a relationship to one bound in the Mortal Realm without their knowledge OR consent. Nor may beings as powerful as gods or Ancients interfere in Mortal Realms. Those laws have been in effect for almost eight months.” Phantom proceeded to prop his head up on his hand, as if he were bored.

“Forgive us, Your Highness. We meant no offense. We merely…” Ares held his hands up in a signal, attempting to mollify the king before them.

“DO NOT PATRONIZE ME, OLYMPIAN! AND DO NOT DARE TO FEIGN IGNORANCE, ARES OF OLYMPUS! I know what you and those of Olympus have done on Earth 347. A whole camp dedicated to nothing but those of half-blooded lineages. Camp Half-Blood, I believe. But you Olympians abandon them. Or only Claim them if they prove themselves useful. So, I’ve passed a Law stating that you can no longer do such things. Unless, the Princess, herself, Claims your so-called relationship, you have no further business here.” Phantom’s eyes were glowing, and his white hair floated as if a gentle breeze blew through, even though they were inside.

Diana cocked her head to the side, processing what Phantom had said. She was, technically, related to both Hades and Ares. But did she really want to claim the relationship? But the way Phantom had said the word, claim. It held some meaning…something important. As she thought about it, she decided that she didn’t want the relationship. She had her sisters, mother, and aunt on Themyscira. She had her found family within the Justice League. Deep in her heart, she knew that if she Claimed the relationship between the two gods, nothing good would come it.

“King Phantom, I do not Claim them,” she spoke slowly and clearly. “Nor do I give or have given them permission to be in MY city or in this Earth.”

The two gods swiveled their heads to her, affronted and offended. Before either of them could speak, Phantom floated up from his throne. “Return to your Lairs at once! It would be a shame if I have to call a council meeting to deal with you. Or worse, Fright Knight.”

In a flash of grayish-purple light, the two men disappeared. Jason and Tim both sagged to their knees. Phantom dismissed the unholy amalgamation of a throne, and then went back into the restroom so that he could transform back into Danny. When he reemerged, both Jason and Tim had managed to drag themselves into a couch in Diana’s office, while Diana herself was sprawled across an armchair.

“WHAT. THE. ABSOLUTE. FUCK!” Jason rasped out.

Diana didn’t even have the heart to scold him.

Chapter Text

The three brothers and Diana were safely ensconced back in Diana’s apartment. Diana had ordered a plethora of Indian food to be delivered, having been informed of Danny’s enhanced metabolism. Tim and Jason could pack away a good amount of food as well, so Diana had made sure to order plenty. What didn’t get eaten could always be packed away for leftovers, but somehow, she got the feeling that there wouldn’t be too many leftovers. The delivery driver was tipped heftily, considering the amount of food he’d had to carry.

Once they were settled with their respective dishes, Jason opened his mouth to speak. “Aunty Di, I’m gonna say this up front. I apologize for what’s about to come out of my mouth. But Danny. What in the ever-loving FUCK was that? And don’t give me that ghost bullshit. Because FUCK THAT SHIT!” Jason looked at Danny, deadpan and just SO DONE. Tim mirrored his expression. Diana was more disappointed in the cuss words coming from Jason’s mouth, but considering she didn’t know the full extent of trauma-dumping that Danny had subjected his new family to over the last few months, well, Jason and Tim could almost (almost) be excused.

“I will admit to being curious about what happened as well,” Diana stated before Jason could continue his tirade. Both older Wayne brothers snorted. “Please explain, young warrior.”

“So, after the whole Undergrowth/Sam thing, Pandora and a few of the other Ancients who aren’t on my Council brought it to my attention just how much of a problem that sort of thing is or could be. Ancients or gods adopting or having kids in the Mortal Realm. That wouldn’t be a problem in and of itself. It’s what comes after that’s the problem. Mortals who get adopted or Claimed or demigods, well, as you know, Aunt Diana, they’re exceedingly powerful. While the Ancients tend to be a little more vested in those they Claim, for example, Undergrowth has only Claimed Sam and peripherally Ivy as his heirs. Clockwork and Pandora have kinda Claimed me, and Duulaman has Claimed Tuck, Olympians tend to fuck and forget.” Danny winced at the wording, but he didn’t know how else to get his point across.

“Umm…WHAT?” Tim exclaimed.

“So, like in our world, the myths of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome and the gods of old and like Hercules, Achilles, and Perseus are some examples of demigods. And they are just that…myths and stories and legends of old. But in the Earth that I mentioned, Earth 347, they’re real and alive. And in that world, the Olympian gods more or less do what they want. Who’s gonna tell them no? Sure, there are normal people, too. But like I mentioned, there’s a whole magically hidden space dedicated to those who are descendants of the gods. They call it Camp Half-Blood. Think of everything you’ve ever learned about Greek Mythology. Satyrs. Fauns. Demigods. Full-blooded gods. Even the descendants of Medusa and Arachne. They’re all there.”

“Whoa,” Jason breathed out due to the info dump. Tim’s mouth dropped open in a little “o” of surprise. Diana looked pensive.

“Young one, what does this have to do with Hades and Ares Claiming me?” Diana asked the million-dollar question.

“That ties back into what they’re doing on Earth 347. For most of the descendants, it’s kind of like how the metagene here operates. Their bloodline power is mostly dormant until a situation or traumatic event more or less forces them to activate their powers. So, when a god or Ancient Claims them, it’s usually under duress or stressful situations. And most Ancients or gods aren’t exactly thinking of ways to better the mortal. Instead, they’re thinking of ways to increase their own power. Sure, there are some, like Clockwork and Pandora Claim’s over me, they are truly trying to help me. But Aunt Diana, can you imagine if you had allowed Hades and Ares to Claim you? You’re incredibly powerful. They would have been able to manipulate your power, both within the Justice League and in Themyscira, to possibly dominate the world.”

Everyone sat in stunned silence as they pondered the implications of what Danny had just said. Tim’s mind was working in overdrive. This was supposed to be a vacation, damnit. He wasn’t supposed to be subjected to info (trauma) dumps like this. Hades and Ares had made a power grab right under the Justice League’s nose. It was pure coincidence that Danny had been there to stop them, even if Tim didn’t necessarily believe in coincidences. They were gods, and then Danny had just casually pulled an Uno reverse on them by out-fucking-ranking them. Like what the hell. He was only 16. Freshly turned 16 at that. None of this should have been foisted off on his plate to begin with.

Diana reached across the space and gently flicked his ear. “You are thinking very loudly, young nephew.” Tim yelped in surprise. Jason and Danny laughed at their brother. Diana had a playful smile on her face.

“It’s just with everything that Danny has gone through he still manages to drop new bombs on us,” Tim let out a shaky breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding. Tim watched as Danny rubbed the back of his neck in the ever so familiar gesture. It gave Tim some semblance of comfort.

“And to think, I haven’t even scratched the surface on half of my rogues,” Danny laughed. Jason and Tim looked at their newest brother in horror. They weren’t sure if they really wanted to know. Danny laughed harder at the look on his brothers’ faces.

Diana gave a small cough. “We’ve gotten off topic. But it’s also getting late. Boys, I’ve got some air mattresses set up in the spare room. Please be gentle with them. Of course, you’re also welcome to sleep on my couch. According to Hal and Barry, it’s one of the comfiest couches ever. I wouldn’t know.”

Jason decided that he would take the couch, leaving the bedroom to younger boys. Danny and Tim pushed the mattresses together, and then covered them in the sheets that Diana had provided. Danny piled the extra blankets that Diana had given them high while Tim huffed a laugh at his brother. Jason peeked his head in and chortled. Danny may as well have been the Princess and the Pea for all the blankets he’d piled on their combined bed.

Danny woke the next morning surprisingly well rested. The smell of bacon cooking drew him out of his blanket nest, and he shambled out of the bedroom. Diana was sitting at the table while Jason was hunched over the stove cooking what looked to be a feast fit for an army. He had French toast, bacon, ham, and was working on pancakes and eggs as Danny sat next to Diana. Tim shuffled behind Danny and made a beeline for the coffee machine. Diana let out an inelegant snort as Tim zombie-shuffled, not quite caffeinated yet, to a seat between Diana and Danny, his coffee cradled carefully so as to not spill a single drop.

“Shall we continue our discussion from last night?” Diana asked after she had eaten a bite of her French toast. Danny hummed in assent. “What, exactly, would have happened if I had let Ares and Hades Claim me?”

“So, I already told you that they could manipulated you or your power to try and take over the world, right?” Diana and the others nodded. “But it’s slightly more complicated than that. There’s a difference between a demigod and a descendant. A demigod is one who is half god and half mortal. Whereas a descendant is someone who might have the blood of that god or whatever. Like Tucker is a descendant of Duulaman, but you would be considered a demigod, being the child of Zeus.”

“I see. And that makes a difference?” Diana asked after a sip of her coffee.

Danny nodded. “It does. Descendants, often times, don’t inherit powers or abilities. Or if they do, they’re muted or mutated. Going back to Tucker, if Hotep Ra had never given Tucker Duulaman’s scepter, he’d never have woken his abilities. Sure, he’s liminal because of being there the day of my accident which had given him some technopathy, but with Duulaman in his head, his technopathy has increased tenfold. But demigods almost always have powers or abilities. Not always, but usually. As I’ve said, when an Ancient or a god Claims a mortal, it comes with a power boost. But that power boost goes both ways. So, the mortal gets a power boost, but so does the Ancient or god. But. It’s not a two-way street. Sure, the mortal gets a power boost. But the god or Ancient gets an exponential boost. It’s not a one-to-one ratio.”

“No wonder Ares and Hades were so interested in Claiming Aunt Diana,” Tim breathed out, finally awake after his third swiftly inhaled cup of coffee.

“Exactly. Aunt Diana is really powerful. If she’d been Claimed by those two, they’d have gotten so powerful, even I would have a hard time fighting them. I could have beaten them, but it would have been hard. Like harder than my fight with Pariah Dark, and I had an experimental exosuit on that nearly killed me all the way at the time. And I had help.” Tim and Jason had identical looks of horror displayed on their faces again, and Tim was choking on his coffee. Oops.

“Tell me, Danny. Do you often have the habit of saying such worrying things?” Diana asked with an unreadable expression on her face.

“YES! Aunty Di, the number of heart attacks he’s given us since we met him. Casper here is bound and determined to make us all ghosts like him,” Jason nearly shouted in his exasperation. Danny just grinned at his brothers. Diana shook her head in dismay. “It doesn’t help that he can just go poof because he can be freaking summoned. The last summoning nearly killed him because the damned cultists had access to something that could poison him.” Diana heaved a sigh.

“Have you, perhaps, thought of seeing a therapist to process of your trauma?”

“That’ll happen over my dead body,” Danny all but growled out. The three older heroes shivered as Danny unconsciously unleashed some of his frost and dropped the ambient room temperature several degrees. When Danny noticed, he immediately stammered out apologies and brought the temperature back to where it should have been. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”

“Why does the thought of therapy distress you so?” Diana asked while pulling Danny in for a hug.

It was Danny’s turn to heave a sigh. “Not long after I became a Halfa, my school hired a new counselor, Penelope Spectra.” Jason and Tim both stifled curses. “Yeah, ghosts aren’t very creative when it comes to their names. Spectra was a Shade impersonating a human. She gets her powers by absorbing the emotions of others, especially the darker emotions: doubt, depression, hatred, anger. She caused a bunch of the students to have a major depressive episode and nearly killed Jazz during one of the school’s pep rallies.”

The four of them sat in silence for a few minutes, stewing over the newest trauma bomb from Danny’s prior life. Diana was trying to figure out how to get Danny in contact with Dinah. Jason and Tim were silently begging Danny for NO MORE. PLEASE NO MORE. Thankfully, Tim’s intrusive thoughts won out.

“Danny, hang on a sec. Didn’t you say that both Pandora and Clockwork Claimed you?” Tim shrieked.

“Yes. But also no.”

“That literally makes no sense,” Tim exclaimed as he threw his hands in the air.

“Think of like, they Claimed me as far as like, paperwork, goes. Just so that no one else gets the bright idea of trying to Claim me. They can’t really Claim me because I’m their boss, but it does prevent things like power grabs.”

“That…wow.” For once, Tim seemed to be at a loss for words.

Thank whatever gods deigned to listen for Diana. “What about this Law you mentioned? What does this have to do with anything?”

“Ah. That.” Danny replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “I made so that a Claiming has to be acknowledged by both sides. Informed consent and all that. On Earth 347, the Olympians were especially bad about just having kids, and then practically forgetting about them or abandoning them or whatever. ‘It’s safer this way.’ Or ‘I didn’t know.’ Or ‘My duties are to <insert duty here bs>.’ They were all just excuses to essentially to not keep it in their pants. Zeus is the worst. No offense, Aunt Diana. The Law is there to protect the child as much to protect everything else.”

“So, if I had not acknowledged Hades and Ares Claims, then nothing would have happened?”

“Not really. They probably would have tried harder, but you’re strong enough that you probably could have held them off on your own, or least held them off long enough for me to come in. Because I would have felt that kind of power snap.” Jason and Tim both made similar strangled noises.

“It seems you have broken your brothers," Diana said, smothering her giggles behind her hand.

“You have no clue, Aunty Di. He just does that. So many bombs. And that doesn’t even cover the shenanigans. So many shenanigans,” Jason snarked.

Danny just let some of his ghost eldritchness bleed through as he grinned.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Danny,” Duke called about halfway through the meal.

And since it was a full meal with everyone present, including some guests, everyone turned to look at Danny. Clark and Lois had joined and were sitting next to Bruce. Jon was sitting next to Damian. Kon was sitting next to Tim. Jazz had finally moved to Gotham for her next semester at Gotham University. She was spending the few weeks between semesters at the Manor. Bruce may or may not have “donated” extra money to the university to ensure that Jazz had a single room dorm for the next semester. The dorm room could have passed for a large studio apartment.

“Oh, hey Duke. What’s up?” Danny rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable with being the center of attention.

“Are you feeling ok, man?” Dude asked, concern lacing his voice. Bruce and Tim narrowed their eyes at Danny as if trying to see into his very core.

“Um…Why do you ask?”

“Well, it’s just your glow has been really dimmed lately,” Duke explained.

“My…glow?” Danny asked nose scrunched up in confusion.

“Has no one ever told you that I’m a meta?” Duke exclaimed, a look of incredulous disbelief on his face. Danny shook his head. “Wow. Oh ok. So, yeah, I’m a meta. My main abilities are: photokinesis, umbrakinesis, and what I call ghost vision. That’s where I can see trails of where light was or where it will be. Other metas have a glow about them. So, do you, Jason, and Dani. I’m guessing it has something to do with the ectoplasm. Before you got here, Jason’s glow was more of a toxic, acidy green. Now, it’s more neon, springy green. Dani’s has always been more of a turquoise, greenish-blue. When you first got here, your glow was all of the colors of the Aurora: greens, blues, purples, and the slightest tinge of pink and very, VERY bright. But now, it’s more of a dull winter-green.”

“Danny, be honest,” Jazz said sternly, in only a manner that bespoke of years of practice handling Danny could speak of.

Danny took a moment to really take stock of himself. He knew that he’d been sleeping a lot more than normal. And he felt exhausted even when he got a lot of sleep. He’d been eating more than normal too. But he still felt sluggish and almost feverish at times. He knew he felt off and had been since the Harpoon Incident. He rubbed the back of his neck again.

“Um, truthfully, I’ve been feeling, well, off since before my birthday.” He said birthday since he knew that Death Day wouldn’t have been appreciated in the current company, and given that it was Christmas Eve, he was trying not to bring down the mood.

“Danny, when was the last time you actually checked in with Frostbite?” Jazz said, turning her full attention towards her brother, a frown marring her face. Sam and Tucker also tuned into the conversation, knowing that it had been a while since Danny had gone to the Realms and were prepared to call their friend out if he attempted to hedge or lie about it.

Danny heaved a sigh. “I haven’t actually seen him since before I got to Gotham. I’ve talked to him a few times, like to work on armor for my Phantom form, but haven’t had a full check-up in a while.” The three full Amity Parkers just look at him deadpan.

“Is that a problem?” Dick asked.

“Frostbite has been Danny’s primary care provider since Danny helped him. He knows more about Halfa biology than any other being in existence,” Sam explained.

“But I thought that Halfas were rare?” Dick scrunched his nose in confusion.

“They are, but Frostbite is a Neverborn. He was around when Pariah Dark went on a rampage and got rid of the Halfas that were around at the time. There was some kind of prophecy that said that a Halfa would usurp the throne. That’s why he killed them all. It took a whole slew of other Ancients to lock him up in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. But last year, Vlad got power hungry and stole the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage. He was under the impression that having both was what made him king. He ended up giving the Ring to one of our friends but kept the crown. It wasn’t until Pariah pulled Amity into the Realms that Vlad realized that he fu…messed up. I stole the Fentons’ experimental exoskeleton power-mech suit. Pariah Dark issued a challenge, and I answered. He said something about ‘accepting my terms’, but honestly, I wasn’t paying much attention. I was too worried about the fact that my whole town had just been pulled into another dimension, and a whole horde of ghosts was threatening my friends and family. We fought each other; the exosuit was draining my power with each blast. I finally managed to get him back into the Sarcophagus, and Vlad locked it again. What I didn’t know, at the time, was that constituted Right of Conquest.”

Several people had stopped eating by this point, entirely too vested in Danny’s story. Constantine had been entirely too unhelpful to tell exactly how Phantom had become the Ghost King. All he had been able to tell the Justice League was that the power change had happened about a year ago and had knocked all of the magic users flat on their asses for a few days. Like that had been useful, Constantine. Bruce pinched his nose, trying to stave of a headache, not that it was helping. Tim was also pinching his nose.

‘EVERY DAMN TIME THAT BOY OPENS HIS MOUTH’ Bruce thought as he moved to massaging his temples. He vaguely heard one of his many children, probably Jason, snickering at his misfortune. Out loud he asked, “And how do we get you in contact with this Frostbite?”

“Oh, I can make my own portals, but if anyone is wanting to go with me, it would be better if we had something like the Specter Speeder or other type of vehicle built,” Danny replied with a flap of his hand.

“Specter Speeder?!?!” Tim wheezed out. Steph cackled at the name, and Dick looked like a kicked puppy.

“Yeah, the Fentons weren’t the greatest with the naming conventions. Everything is some kind of ghost-related name or Fenton-something,” Danny said flippantly.

Dick let out a sound that sounded remarkably like a deflated balloon. “Is that WHAT everyone thinks of Bat-everything?”

“YES!!!!” All of the Bats and Birds at the tables promptly yelled (except Bruce, who had only indulged in the naming conventions of a tiny, rage-filled eight-year-old to make him shut the fuck up).

“Wait! Are you telling me you have the blueprints for this Speeder vehicle?” Tim continued his wheezing, almost as if he was in shock.

“Um yeah. So should you. The day we raided Fenton Works. Both you and Tucker plugged a flash drive into their computer in the lab. I saw you download all of their blueprints, and even if you didn’t, I know that Tucker snagged them. I can build anything on that drive.” Danny looked at his older brother in disbelief. Tim returned the stare. “Um, remember spent almost two whole years reverse engineering their stuff so that it wouldn’t kill me all the way,” he said with a wince.

“If we get you the materials, how long would it take you to build this Speeder?” Bruce asked, a calculating look on his face.

Was he interested in traveling to another dimension? Yes. Was he going to allow one of his children to travel there alone? HELL NO. Was he going with said child? Yes. Did it bother him that said child had been in this dimension before? Also yes. Was he above throwing a fit to be able to go to said dimension? No, no he was not.

“I could probably have it done in a few days. A week tops. If Tim and Tucker help, we can probably have it built in like 4 days. But. I’m not going anywhere until after New Years,” Danny declared.

“Little brother,” Jazz started.

“Nope. Nuh uh. No. Don’t you little brother me. You know time gets wonky in the Realms. What could be thirty minutes there could be a whole week here,” Danny snarked. Jazz deflated. She knew he was right.

Surprisingly, or surprisingly for Danny, the Christmas holiday passed in a pleasant manner. It was one of the first Christmases for Danny that was associated with happiness. No ghost attacks. No parents screaming about Santa (whether he was real or a ghost) in the background. No Vlad. Bruce, Damian, and Sam celebrated Hanukkah in a quiet ceremony. Jason, Cass, Dick, and Duke went to a small midnight Mass. Tim, Jazz, Danny, Tucker, and Dani simply waited till Christmas morning to open presents with everyone since they didn’t believe in any one religion. Steph and Babs celebrated with their own small families with promises that they’d be at the Manor sometime later. (Rumors have it that Danny was still in awe three weeks later.)

-------------

“Danny, I say this in the nicest way possible…but what the fuck?” Jason exclaimed as he walked into the Cave. Jason paused for a moment as a tingle of dèjá vu rippled down his spine. “Haven’t we had this conversation before?”

Danny paused his welding as he considered Jason’s words. “Um, yeah. It was back when you discovered I was a mad scientist in the making and said that it was on your bingo card.” Jason laughed. “By the way, has anyone won that?”

“Cass was close, but then Sam and Tucker came in, and the damn thing had to be updated. They may not be Robins, but they’re still Capes or close enough to it. Because the three of you say the most unhinged shit. Since the update, I’m tied with Tim and Cass,” Jason huffed. Danny grinned up at the walking brick shithouse.

But. The Specter Speeder 2.0 had come along rather nicely. Instead of being done in the tacky silver and green accents that screamed Fenton, Danny, Tim, and Bruce had decided to build the Speeder from the same material as the Batplane. The Speeder actually looked more like Batplane 2.0, but Danny was insistent on calling the Speeder. It had all of the internal storage space of the Batplane, but Danny had modified it to use condensed ectoplasm as the power source; something that had made Tim insanely jealous because of how efficient it made the vehicle.

“I’ve got to weld down a few more panels, and then Tuck and Tim have to do run through. After that, she’ll be ready to fly,” Danny said as he patted the side of the Speeder with pride. Jason reached out and ruffled Danny’s hair. Danny’s core began purring at the contact.

“So, who’ll be going with you, Casper?” Jason asked after a few minutes.

“Well, I know Dad and Tim both want to go.” Jason snorted. Of course, those obsessive bastards would want to go. “But I was also thinking you should go too.”

“Huh. What?” he said unintelligibly, while pointing at himself.

“Yes. You. I would like Frostbite to take a look at you. I know I was able to filter out all that gunky ectoplasm out of you, but since you’re a Revenant, I want to make sure that you’re not having any trouble filtering the ambient ecto, especially since you don’t have a core to help with the filtration process.” Danny had leaned towards Jason to confer his earnestness.

Jason held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, I’ll go if it means that damn much to you. You can turn off the Puss-in-Boots eyes. You little shit.” Once again, Danny merely grinned up at his older brother.

“That should do it, Tuck, Tim. Fire it up,” Danny called over the comms.

His friend and brother were sitting in the cockpit of the Speeder running their diagnostic program on the now finalized Speeder. The finalized Speeder looked like a cross between a Stealth Bomber and the Batplane. There were silver accents that ran down the sides of the wings. On the top center of the hull, was Danny’s DP Bat logo in silver. The Bat clan thought the Speeder wouldn’t be camouflaged in the night sky with all of the silver accents, but Danny had somehow integrated a fucking cloaking device, like something straight out of a Klingon Bird of Prey from Star Trek. Not for the first time, the Bat clan was so very glad that Danny was thorough on the side of good.

Tucker and Tim finally ran through all of their diagnostic program and pronounced the Speeder fit for flying. Danny whooped and did a loop in the air. It had only taken the three of them a little over three days in the end. A whole day sooner than originally predicted. Danny was proud of himself. Tim and Tucker walked out, both wearing identical grins knowing that they’d had a hand in building this masterpiece. Bruce came down to the Cave to inspect the finished product. The three teenagers waited anxiously for him to complete his inspection, and when he gave his seal of approval, he was met with an armful of half-ghost hugging him tight. It was yet another reminder that Danny was much more tactile than all of his other children.

“Masters Bruce, Jason, Tim, and Tucker, I’ve been informed that you’ll be needing these,” Alfred called as he appeared in the cave holding four thick parkas and an assortment of hats and gloves. The three Waynes looked at him in utter confusion while Tucker took the thick jacket meant for him and picked out his own hat and pair of gloves. He didn’t put them on, but he did drape them over his arms.

“What in the ever-loving fuck?”

“Language, Master Jason,” Alfred scolded with the eyebrow of disappointment raised.

“Sorry Alfie. Danny, answer the question.”

Danny giggled. And because he embodied the term chaos gremlin, “So, Frostbite lives in the Far Frozen. Think Antarctic temperatures. He’s also a yeti.”

Tucker snorted at his friend. The only reason he was going was because he was also familiar with the Infinite Realms. While Danny did have the capability to open Portals into the Realms, his proficiency to open them where he wanted them was still in the works, especially since he was opening a portal from somewhere New. Thus, Tucker would be co-piloting the Speeder with Tim. All three of the Gotham vigilantes had decided to go in full gear; Tucker had decided against dress up. Frostbite already knew who he was, so he didn’t feel a need to cover anything up.

Danny floated up and transformed into Phantom. Then, he let one of his hands form black-tipped claws, and he reached forward and pinched and tore downwards. The air around Phantom’s claws shivered, and there was a sound of thunder as reality suddenly split in half. The three Waynes, especially Jason, tensed as they were looking at the toxic green of a Lazarus Pit just hanging in the air. Tucker bounded up the ramp of the Speeder and began the pre-flight checklist (even though he’d completed it just a few moments ago). The vigilantes composed themselves and followed Tucker. Red Robin slid in next to Tucker while Batman and Hood buckled themselves behind the two teenagers. Phantom activated his comm.

“Phantom to Speeder, Check?”

“We hear you, Phantom. Speeder ready for flight. Red Robin at the helm,” Red Robin replied.

The Speeder rose with no fuss. Phantom darted forward into the Realms for the first time in nearly 7 months. The Speeder followed. The Realms pulsed as it welcomed its Prince back into its embrace. Phantom took a deep, unnecessary, breath, simply breathing in the pure ectoplasm of the Realms. His core pulsed out a greeting. Then, he asked the Realms to guide them to the Far Frozen since he didn’t recognize any of the doors or landmarks where he’d opened the portal. The Realms responded with a here/follow/show/come pulse that left Phantom slightly giddy and lightheaded.

“Speeder, be advised that the Realms has agreed to show us the way to the Far Frozen. I’d like to pick up speed, if possible,” Phantom called over the comms.

“Copy that Phantom. Lead the way,” Red Robin responded. And then they were off. Red Robin watched as Phantom performed barrel rolls, loops, dives, twists, and other aerial acrobatics. It was the first time he’d truly seen Phantom let go. A small smile played on Red Robin’s lips as he watched the half-ghost play. Beside him, Tucker was watching the same show but with a much wider smile.

“He’s really happy. It’s been a while since he’s really let loose like that you know,” Tucker said softly while watching Phantom perform another double loop upside down. “But I guess I should give you some heads up about where we’re going since he was being a little shit about it. Like he said, we’re heading to the Far Frozen. Like the name implies, the place is literally frozen over. Frostbite is the Chief of the Far Frozen. And like Phantom said, he’s also a yeti. He stands about 9 feet tall and mostly white fur. Despite his fangs, he’s actually really friendly. The outside looks like it came straight out a winter wonderland. The inside is like a mix match of modern technology and something that should belong in a cave painting.”

The three vigilantes sat in stunned silence for a moment. Red Robin was totally contemplating on whether or not that counted on going on the WTF Bingo card. It would put him a square closer and incidentally pull him ahead of both Jason and Cass. Batman moved to pinch his nose only to be stopped by the cowl, and Hood was visibly drooping his head into his hands. Red Robin couldn’t blame either one.

“Phantom to Speeder. We’re approaching the Far Frozen. There’s a clearing at the Speeder’s 2 o’clock that should be large enough to land.”

“Copy that Phantom. I see the clearing. Landing now,” Tucker replied. He expertly turned the Speeder towards the clearing and landed it in a matter of moments.

They were instantly met with a booming sound of “Great One!” reverberating throughout the clearing as a 9-foot-tall white honest-to-fucking-gods yeti walked in. He had white fur, two blue ice horn, a blue ice prosthetic arm in which the bones could be seen. He wore a dark blue cape and had a gold band encircling one arm. He had a gold and blue kilt/loin cloth around his waist. The vigilantes had tensed for a fight, but seeing Phantom had all but tackled the yeti, and the yeti letting Phantom climb up his shoulders as if Phantom weighed nothing (which to the giant snow monster, the ghost child, he probably didn’t weigh anything), allowed the vigilantes to relax.

“Welcome to the Far Frozen, friends of the Great One. I am Chief Frostbite,” he said as he extended a large, fluffy paw. Red Robin was the first to take the extended paw.

“Frostbite, that’s my brother, Red Robin. And behind him is my dad, Batman and one of my other brothers, Red Hood. You remember Tucker,” Phantom introduced the group.

“Hmm. Well met, Knights of Gotham. Lady Gotham speaks well of you. I did not realize that the Great One was family?”

“It turns out that the Fentons adopted me when I was a baby. Red Robin, Red Hood, and Batman as well the other Knights of Gotham have become my Fraid,” Phantom explained with an easy, dopey smile.

“Such wonderful new, Great One. Let us adjourn inside where it is warmer.” Frostbite turned and led the way into an igloo looking structure. As they got passed the entrance, they realized that Tucker wasn’t kidding. It looked like a cross between a cave and Dr. Thompkin’s office. “Now, tell me. What bring you here?”

“I can’t just come see you, Frostbite?” Phantom asked with an innocent expression. Frostbite leveled a deadpan expression at him while the vigilantes and Tucker snorted at him. Phantom held up his hands in surrender. “Ok. Ok. First, we’re here for Hood. He’s a Revenant and want to make sure he’s filtering the ambient ecto of Gotham properly. He had some pretty rotten ectoplasm stuck in him when we met. I think I got most of it out, but we would like for you to check to make sure.”

Frostbite took a measuring look at Hood. “I see. Red Hooded One, please remove your outer jackets. You may retain your shirt. I am going to perform something similar to an x-ray or MRI. Or that’s what the Great One says the machine resembles.”

Hood had a few moments of trepidation before he sat down on the exam table. Frostbite brought out a machine that did, indeed, resemble a digital x-ray machine. It let out a low hum as it revolved around him. Phantom floated upside down, his white hair waving in a non-existent breeze. He was watching a screen that had several lines in varying colors with intense interest.

“Good news, Young Revenant. You are processing the ambient ectoplasm without problems. Whatever corruption you encountered before has been filtered out. Well done, Great One.” Phantom blushed a deep green, and his constellation freckles lit up at the compliment. Hood jumped down from the table and indicated for Phantom to take his place. “Now, Great One. What seems to be your problem?”

“I’ve been feeling sluggish. Eating more than usual. Sleeping more too.”

“He hasn’t mentioned that he’s been poisoned by blood blossomed. He absorbed over twenty pools of corrupted ectoplasm that we call Lazarus Pits. Had the ghost flu. Was exposed to what we call Fear Toxin twice made by one of our Rogues in Gotham. It’s chemical gas that’s supposed to induce one’s greatest fears that apparently reacts differently to his biology. And took a harpoon that was made by the Fentons through his abdominal cavity. And that all of that has happened in the span of less than four months.” Red Robin shot his brother a dirty look while Phantom stuck his tongue out. Children.

“Great One,” Frostbite said with a frown of disapproval. Phantom pouted up at the giant yeti. Frostbite pushed Phantom down so that he was laying prone on the exam table. The machine whirled and hummed. After longer than it had taken for Hood, it finally clicked and whistled letting Frostbite know that it had finished with whatever examination it had done. Frostbite’s frown had deepened.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Phantom asked as he sat up.

“Great One. What. Have. You. Done.” Oh. Frostbite was mad. Like mad mad.

“Is there a problem?” Batman was in Batman mode.

Frostbite took a deep, rather unnecessary, breath to steady himself. He turned his large eyes towards the waiting vigilantes. “Do you trust them, Great One?” Phantom nodded. “Bat One, the Great One has micro-cracks all across his core.” Both Tucker and Phantom did a sharp intake of breath at this information.

“What exactly does that mean?” Batman asked.

“A ghost’s core is the only organ for a ghost. It is their everything, their entire being. For Living beings, it would be the equivalent of your brain, heart, and all other organs that are necessary for life. But it is also their soul and source of power. When a core breaks or shatters, that means Final Death for the ghost in question. Within the Infinite Realms, it is considered a most horrific crime to purposefully shatter a core of another ghost. The one called Plasmius was guilty of such crime.” Another sharp intake of breath, but from the vigilantes this time. Frostbite nodded. “Young Phantom’s core is showing early signs of beginning to crack. Thank the Ancients that it was caught soon enough to reverse the process. Great One, you are also showing signs of ectoplasm deficiency.”

“WHAT?!?! But how? We made sure I went to a city with high levels of ambient ecto,” Phantom ranted.

“That may be true, Young Phantom. But. You have been through a great deal since moving to Gotham. And I can see that you have been indulging in your Obsession, perhaps more than you were in Amity Park. Yes?” Phantom nodded. “Between indulging your Obsession and your core cracks, you are in quite the state.”

“His Obsession?” Red Robin interjected.

“Phantom has two Obsessions. The first is Protection. Which means that he fits in quite well among the Knights of Gotham. The second is Space and is how he became the Ancient of Space.”

“And how do we fix the core cracks and the ectoplasm deficiency?” Batman asked.

“The answer to both is provide him with a steady supply of pure ectoplasm. The best way for him to receive the pure ectoplasm would be for him to ingest it.”

“But Frostbite, the only way for me to gain a steady supply of ectoplasm would be to build a new portal!!!” Phantom exclaimed, aghast. Red Robin placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“Phantom, it’ll be ok. This time, you’ll have me, Batman, Tucker, and several others working with you to help build the portal to make sure nothing happens. We can even call in Flash. You won’t be alone. And no one will have to die this time,” Red Robin said soothingly. He could see green tears building up in the corners of Phantom’s eyes at the prospect of having to build another potential death trap of a portal. Phantom leaned into the hand on his shoulder.

And for the first time in a very, very long time Phantom (Danny) realized that he truly wasn’t alone. Sure, after the accident, he had Sam and Tucker (and later Jazz) as supports. But this…this was different. Tim and Bruce were just as smart as the Fentons and would never allow an accident like what had killed him to happen. The new portal wouldn’t be built out of spare and junk parts. He would have access to all of the best and top of the line materials. Bruce and Tim would have someone oversee (if they weren’t overseeing it themselves) the project from start to finish. And that someone would know what they were doing. It wouldn’t be a pair of quack scientists or a kid who had had to learn how to reverse engineer for self-preservation. His core let out a purr because he knew that it was going to be ok.

The Realms sent him a wave of gentle peace/calm/care/happy that made him sleepy. He asked the Realms to guide his portal as close to Gotham as possible. The Realms happily complied. He mustered all of the strength he could to open a portal. He was pleased to note that the portal opened not too far from Wayne Tower. He flew intangibly into the Speeder and then allowed his transformation to overtake him. He leaned against Batman as his eyelids drooped. Batman scooped Danny up and cradled Danny against the Kevlar armor. Red Robin informed them that approximately 7 hours had passed since they left even though for them it felt like only about 2 hours. No wonder Danny had said time was wonky.

They made it back to the cave without any problems. As soon as they had entered Gotham’s air space, Red Robin had activated the cloaking device so they wouldn’t be spotted. When they entered the Cave, Bruce pulled his cowl off and disembarked from the Speeder, holding Danny. Dick came running up to group and worried frown playing across his face, seeing Bruce holding Danny.

“Don’t worry, chum. He’s just tired. Got a bit of bad news. But nothing we can’t take care of. Can you take him so I can get changed?”

Dick nodded and was then handed a very cuddly, sleepy Danny. Dick pressed a kiss to Danny’s forehead as he carried the teenager up to his room. Danny snorted as he was laid in his bed. Dick snapped a quick picture to send to the group chat. He couldn’t help it. Danny was just so adorable. Dick pressed another kiss to his head and then closed the door as he snuck out. Sure, something was wrong with their newest brother, but they would fix it. Like they always did.

Chapter Text

“Oi! Bats! What in the bloody hell did I walk into this time?” Constantine called as he walked out of the zeta tube in the Cave. He damned near fell on his arse from the death aura permeating the place. One of the Bat Brats^TM was bent over a table looking at what appeared to be some blueprints. Constantine didn’t know which one that was, but he’d long since lost count of how many brats Bats collected. The man had a Problem with a capital “P”. The kid at the table looked up him, and Constantine could have sworn his blue eyes were glowing for a second.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?” Danny screeched.

Tim, Jason, and Dick came pelting at a full sprint into the area where Danny was working upon hearing Danny’s call of distress. Constanine held up his hands in surrender, hoping beyond hope that he wasn’t about to be tackled by three of the Bats. Dick was holding his escrima sticks, and they were electrified. Jason was holding both of his favorite pistols with the safety off. And Tim had pulled out his bo staff. All of them were in battle-ready stances.

“Danny, are you ok?” Tim rushed over to Danny’s side and was checking him over for any new injuries.

“I’m fine. Was just startled. His soul has more holes in it than my gym socks in freshman year. And he smells worse than Jason did before I fixed his corrupted ecto. Like seriously, what the fuck.” Danny cast another side-eye at the magician.

“What the hell do you mean?” John demanded as he ran his hands through his hair. “What even am I doing here?”

Bruce chose that moment to appear in the Cave with Alfred right behind him. “Constantine,” Bruce used his Batman gravelly growl to greet the Brit.

“Ah, Mister Constantine. Master Bruce. Children. I’ve brought refreshments. Tea, sandwiches, and cookies for desserts,” Alfred said as he wheeled the snack cart down to where Danny had been working. Alfred ushered his five charges and one guest to the lounge area so that they could have their imminent conversation about why they had called the conman to the Cave.

“So, what was so damn important that you dragged me all the damn way to bloody Gotham, Bats?” John drawled as he attempted to light up a cigarette only to find it frozen over. “Bloody hell.” Danny cackled. Dick, Tim, and Jason looked at him before laughing as well. Bruce just let out a Tired Dad sigh.

“We asked you here so you can map out the best ley line for us to build a portal,” Danny said when he caught his breath.

“A fucking what?” John gasped out. “TO WHERE?” He was now standing, his hands pulling his hair.

Danny grinned, like the gremlin he was. He knew that Constantine hadn’t met him in his human form, so he decided to mess with the conman a bit. “To the Ghost Zone, better known as the Infinite Realms.” John promptly collapsed.

“Tim, your brother is a menace,” Jason said as he poked the Brit in the cheek to wake him up. Danny merely cackled again. The present Bat Clan members would have been worried about Joker Venom exposure if they didn’t already know that Danny tended to lean into his eldritch horror tendencies, which including cackling like the Wicked Witch of the West, whenever he was highly pleased with something.

“Don’t blame me. I am NOT responsible for how he grew up. According to Jazz, he came to us that way,” Tim replied sarcastically.

“Ugh,” John groaned as he regained consciousness. He could have sworn the unnamed Bat Brat^TM had said that they were building a portal to the Infinite Realms, but that couldn’t be it, right? No one was that stupid. Right?

RIGHT?

Please, for the love of all that’s holy tell him that the Bats weren’t that stupid.

RIGHT?

OH, who was he kidding? That’s exactly the kind of fucked up thing that either Bats himself or one of his brood would say. He looked around the room and sighed. He needed a drink or twenty. But he got the feeling that if he reached for one of his five flasks, they would be just as frozen as his cigarette. He rubbed his hands through his hair, wincing at a few tender spots where he’d pulled at his hair in his blind panic.

“Let me get this straight. You want me to help you build a portal to the Infinite Realms?” John asked, just to make sure he had his facts straight.

“No. We want you to locate the best ley line here in the Cave for us to build the portal. We’ll take care of actually building the portal,” Danny snarked. The “duh” was implied.

“Building a portal like that is impossible,” John said around another groan.

“No, it’s not. I have the blueprints. The Fentons did it twice before. Granted the first one kinda blew up in their partner’s face. But the second one actually worked. It’s how all the ghosts managed to attack Amity Park,” Danny bit back.

John felt like he was going to faint. Again. How has JLD missed that? How in the FUCK had that been missed? The Fentons…shit he knew that name. That was the name of those quack scientists who attacked the UN Summit and who were also transported to Oa for interdimensional war crimes. John had to take a few deep breaths to steady himself. NOPE. NO THANK YOU. FUCK THAT SHIT. He wanted no part of that. He made a move as to get up and leave but found his muscles locked in place.

“John Constantine. Hellblazer. Laughing Magician. Conman. Sad Trench Coat Man. Sit your ass back down. We’re not done!” John looked at the as yet unnamed Bat Brat^TM to see that his eyes were glowing a toxic green, and his black hair was standing on ends as though someone had just rubbed a balloon through it for a static effect. Bruce was fighting a smile, but Dick, Jason, and Tim had no such qualms and were actively laughing at John. John hated them all.

“Master Danny, please don’t use ghostspeak, and scare our guests,” Alfred came in and refreshed everyone’s tea and scolded the teen whose eyes had been glowing and were now back to an icy blue. Danny ducked his head and murmured a soft “yes, Alfred” and accepted his steaming cup of tea.

Fuck him running. Did Alfred say the kid had used ghostspeak? Only the Denizens of the Realms or those like Hood could use ghostspeak. Which meant that this kid was either dead or dead-adjacent. But John at least knew enough to not ask. Fuck. He really needed that drink.

“Can I at least ask WHY we’re trying to build a portal to the Realms?” John asked instead of the twenty million other questions bouncing around in his head.

He noticed the now named Danny exchange a look with Bats before nodding. “I need to ingest pure ectoplasm, and the only way to obtain pure ectoplasm is from the Realms. I can make my own portals, but they’re not ideal for being able to extract ectoplasm.”

John’s head exploded in pain. There’s no way he just heard this kid with the freaky glowing green eyes, eyes that he’d only seen once before on Hood who was DANGEROUS when his eyes glowed like that, say that he needed to ingest ectoplasm. Not only that, but this kid can make his own fucking portals. To the Infinite Fucking Realms. John took a moment before mentally saying Fuck it and grabbed his nearest flask. Surprisingly it didn’t ice over, but Bruce did give him a very disapproving stare as he downed half of it. It didn’t make the pain go away, but it did at least made him slightly more functional.

John took a moment after his drink to study the newest member of the spooky brigade. Something wasn’t adding up, and John didn’t like it. His eyes roved over the teenager several times before he took another long swig from his flask. He was mid-swallow when his brain caught up to what his eyes were telling him. He choked and spit his vodka medley out at the same time.

“BLOODY FUCKING HELL! ONLY YOU, BATS, WOULD ADOPT THE KING OF INFINITE FUCKING REALMS!”

 John spluttered as he finally realized why the death aura had been so strong in the Cave and why the kid had given him the heebie jeebies. Danny was cackling again. In truth, John knew that most of the furry brigade were death-touched, Hood most of all, and Lady Gotham was the scariest City Spirit of them all. But…It was no wonder that the kid (if he was even a kid since there was Evidence that Phantom had been around in Ancient Rome, China, and Egypt) needed a portal and ectoplasm. John wasn’t sure if it was because of time travel shenanigans or if it was because the being in front of him was actually an Ancient who just pretending to be a kid. After all, someone who could kick Pariah Dark’s ass should probably be treated with all due respect.

“Unlike the Fentons, who just willy nilly punched a hole through reality into the Infinite Realms, making Amity Park a literal hot spot for ghosts and other Denizens of the Realms, we’re trying to do this the right way,” Danny explained. “Now, don’t get me wrong. Both Amity and Gotham are thin spots in the Veil Between. The Fentons ultimately decided on Amity because the Veil was just a tiny bit thinner there.”

“Which is why you need a ley line. Right. Right. Bloody hell. How are you going to keep Denizens from coming out of the portal once it’s been built?” John said out loud. In his head he was thinking, ‘They’re all of bunch of bloody damn wankers.’

“We’re not building a full-scale portal. The Fentons’ portal was 10ft tall, 6ft wide, and set 4 feet deep into the wall. Since all we’re needing this portal for is ectoplasm extraction, we’re scaling it down by a lot. If I need to travel there, I can just make my own portals. Most Denizens won’t bother shape-shifting to fit through the smaller portal. The second line of defense is going to be a ghost shield installed in front of the portal. The plan is for it encircle the entire portal. I’m also planning to have a Thermos set up to auto-capture and contain any Denizens that do somehow come through. One of us will get an alert so that the portal can be closed and then the Denizen can be released back into the Realms through a tube or something. I haven’t quite worked that bit out yet.”

John groaned. These damn Yanks were all crazy; he knew that. But somehow Bats and his brats were the worst of them. “Alright, ye git. I’ll find your damn ley line. Little shit.”

John walked around the Cave and down several tunnels. He avoided the main tunnels as those were too high traffic areas and wouldn’t be good, even if they were on a ley line. His eyes were glowing gold as his locator spell flowed from his fingertips. He finally found a spot not too far off from the main Cave in one of the off-shoot tunnels. He called the Bat Brat^TM over and informed the kid of his findings. The Brat held a few odd-looking contraptions over the spot that John had indicated and the nodded sharply.

“Thank you. This will do nicely,” Danny said with an easy smile. John let out a shaky breath and then opened another portal and stepped through with a muttered “bloody fucking hell.” Danny and the others laughed at him while Bruce just sighed.

“The Masters will come up for dinner. Please be sure to wash up properly,” Alfred instructed his son and grandchildren. He waited for them to respond before he trekked back up to the dining room so that he could finish the meal preparations. The Waynes followed a bit more demurely, although Jason was a bit breathless by the time they got to the table from laughing so hard.

“Wanna share with the class?” Steph looked between the four men as they sat down. It was one of the rare full family dinners, so the table was full.

“Danny called Constantine ‘Sad Trench Coat Man’ to his face.” Jason started laughing again, wiping tears from his eyes. Granted, he had wanted the pleasure of doing that, but the opportunity hadn’t come up. Still, the look on the magician’s face was priceless. He was hoping that some of the recording equipment in the Cave was able to get a shot of it. He would have to ask Tim or Babs about it later. The table erupted in laughter. The Amity Parkers hadn’t met Constantine yet, but knowing how much of a chaos gremlin Danny was, well they could imagine the man’s reaction to Danny.

The entire family was back down in the Cave, suiting up for their patrol. Danny transformed into Phantom getting himself ready. Tucker took his place at the Batcomputer as Pharaoh. Sam would be going out with Spoiler as Chaos. Jazz had decided that she would rather focus on school, but she did wish her family to be safe. Before Phantom could float out after Hood, he was stopped by Red Robin.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Red Robin demanded. He almost sounded like a parent who caught their child attempting to sneak out after being grounded.

“Uh, patrol?” Phantom rubbed the back of his neck.

“Nope. Not tonight. Tonight, we’re going to the Watchtower. Come on,” Red Robin walked over to the zeta tube. Phantom eyed them distastefully before entering one. He still didn’t like the sensation of the transporter tube scrambling his molecules, but he would put up with it to get to space. Red Robin was waiting for him as he stepped out of the tube, blinking the spots out of his eyes. Red Robin grabbed Phantom’s hand to lead him to the monitor room, knowing that if he didn’t Phantom would get sidetracked by every window between the tubes and the monitor room.

“Well met, Red Robin.” Phantom heard a warm voice greet his brother. Phantom entered the room, and almost squeed in utter joy. That was Martian Manhunter. OH ANCIENTS! THAT WAS MARTIAN MANHUNTER! The green-skinned Martian began to chuckle which caused Phantom to blush. Has Manhunter been able to read his thoughts? Or had Phantom projected them? No, wait. Manhunter was an empath. Shit. Phantom’s flushed deepened so that his cheeks were nearly purple, and his freckles were practically glowing. It looked like a star-speckled night sky but on flesh. “Who have you brought with you?” He asked looking at Phantom with a grin playing on his face.

“Manhunter, this is Phantom. Phantom, Martian Manhunter,” Red said with a laugh. He’d caught Phantom’s geeking out and knew why he was fan-boying.

“I see from your logo that you are a part of Batman’s group. I did not realize he gained a new protégé. But I do not recognize the logo inside of the Bat emblem,” Manhunter replied after shaking Phantom’s hand.

“He’s a recent addition. Are you on monitor duty tonight?” Red asked. Manhunter nodded. “Good. Phantom has been benched from patrolling for a while. But at the same time, it would be extremely detrimental to his health for him to not be doing something to protect others. Monitor duty on the Watchtower was the perfect solution.” Phantom glared at his brother and folded his arms across his chest. But he was in SPACE so he couldn’t stay mad at his brother for too long.

“That is an odd way to phrase him being benched from patrol. Usually, patrol is what is detrimental one’s health, yes?” Manhunter looked to Red for further explanation. He tried to poke at Phantom’s mind only to find an impenetrable wall.

“I’m going to let him explain. I’ve got to get back to Gotham for my own patrol. Phantom, I’ll be back at the end of patrol to bring you back to the Cave.” Phantom stuck his tongue out his brother but turned towards Martian Manhunter so that the elder could begin to explain his duties.

Martian Manhunter led Phantom towards a wall of nothing but various screens. Each of them showing various parts of the world. Manhunter sat down in a chair and used his telekinesis to pull another chair next to him. He motioned for Phantom to join him in front of the screens.

“Our duty is to watch the screens. If we see something, we alert that city’s hero, if they are not already present so the hero can respond. If the city doesn’t have a hero, we alert Superman, Superboy, or one of the Speedsters, Flash, Kid Flash, or Impulse. If none of them are available, you will sound a general alert on the Watchtower by pressing this button.” Manhunter indicated a button on a keyboard. “One of the founding members of the League will respond. You will report what’s going on, and where it is. The League member will then assign someone to respond to the incident. Any questions?”

“What if it would be faster for me to respond?” Phantom asked with a stubborn set to his jaw.

Manhunter placed a placating hand on his shoulder. “I believe Red Robin would be very unhappy with us both if that were to happen, yes?” Phantom slumped in defeat. Tim was scary as fuck when he was mad, and Phantom had given him anti-ghost tech. The worst that Jazz could do was soup him. The worst that Tim could do…nope, not thinking about that.

“You’re right. I just…” Phantom looked away in shame for having to be benched.

“May I ask why Red Robin said it would be detrimental for you to not be helping?” Manhunter asked instead of acknowledging Phantom’s embarrassment.

“Have you heard of ghosts?” Danny deflected.

“Yes, I’ve been kept informed. They preferred to be called Denizens. Correct?”

“Some of them yes. But the more common term for someone like me is ghost. Ghosts have Obsessions that keep them tethered to the Mortal Realm. Without fulfilling their Obsession, a ghost will Fade. Final Death. Right now, my core has been damaged, and unfortunately, my Primary Obsession would put me in danger, especially in Gotham, if I try to indulge in it. So, I’m guessing Batman and Red Robin came up with this plan as way for me to kind of indulge in my Primary Obsession, but I also get the advantage of indulging in my Secondary Obsession. Win-win for me.”

The two spent the rest of the shift watching the monitors and talking. Phantom found Manhunter incredibly easy to speak to. And Manhunter was all too happy to talk to someone who was eager to learn about Martian culture. Most humans looked at Martian Manhunter and his culture as if it were something to be studied but never truly understood. Phantom wanted to learn, to understand. As they talked, Manhunter eventually informed the young Halfa that he had permission to call him J’onn. Phantom’s glow brightened in happiness at the honor.

Phantom had gotten the hang of the monitor system when the automated voice announced Red Robin’s return to the Watchtower. Phantom’s glow never dimmed, and his core had begun purring about an hour after the Gotham vigilante had left. Red Robin let a smile play on his lip as he watched Phantom speak animatedly with J’onn.

“Young Phantom, it appears that our time for the night has come to an end. I will be up here the rest of the week. Good night,” J’onn bid farewell to the Halfa.

“Night, J’onn. See you tomorrow,” Phantom replied beginning to visibly droop.

“I take it you had fun?” Red Robin asked. Phantom nodded rubbing his eyes to try and stay awake.

“He’s from MARS!” Phantom exclaimed just before he entered the zeta tube. Red Robin heard J’onn’s faint laugh as he, too, entered the zeta tube. As they exited, Red Robin turned to his brother. “You know Superman is Kryptonian, right?”

Phantom let his transformation rings wash over him, but his glow was no less dimmed. And he was still a few feet in the air. “HE’S AN ALIEN!!! AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME???”

Several others had returned to the Cave by this point, and they all started laughing at Danny’s theatrics. Only Sam and Tucker were left in confusion. Had Amity really been in that much of an information blackout or that behind? As the rest of the vigilantes laughed at them, the answer was yes, yes it was. Dick finally took pity on the younger trio and filled them in on what they knew about Superman and his origins. Danny almost had stars in his eyes again, but it was ruined by a jaw-cracking yawn.

Tim led his brother upstairs. Danny was valiantly fighting off sleep, but even just those few hours in space had helped. Tim could tell that his glow had brightened considerably when he was in his Phantom form. He’d have Duke check at breakfast in the morning to make sure. They said their goodnights at Danny’s door. Danny was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Chapter Text

“Timbers, can I speak with you?” Both Tim and Danny turned to look at the interloper in a weird synchronous movement. Dick shuddered at the movement. It reminded him of the twins from the movie “The Shining” even though Danny and Tim weren’t twins.

Tim huffed at the eldest Bat. “What do you want Dick? We were kind of in the middle of something,” Tim said with a slight edge to his voice. Dick couldn’t really blame Tim for that edge. He was the reason Tim had that edge to begin with. Dick winced, knowing it was his fault.

“I, uh, just wanted to talk to you, Baby Bird,” Dick replied holding his hands up in what he hoped was a placating manner. He watched as Danny leaned in close to Tim and whispered something in his ear, and then the half-ghost floated up and through the Cave’s ceiling. “Sorry to interrupt…”

“It was nothing. We were just testing some of Danny’s powers. He’s got so many that even he doesn’t remember what they are sometimes. Plus, he said that there have been times when his powers have been shorted out for whatever reason. So, we were coming up with ways to make sure he could still protect himself if that ever happened again. Now, what did you want?” Tim narrowed his eyes at his eldest brother, wary of interacting with him. Dick had never threatened bodily harm on Tim, but at the same time, Dick had been the one who had taken everything Tim had ever loved away at the time when he needed Dick the most. Tim wasn’t about to let that happen again, even if it meant he had to take Danny and run, he would. He already had twelve different contingency plans laid out and ready, and with Danny’s ghost powers to aid him, the Bats and Birds would never be able to find them.

Dick led Tim over to the lounge area and sat down. Alfred appeared with a tray of tea and snack and then disappeared back into the shadows, like magic. Dick winced again at the look Tim was giving him and heaved a sigh. He ran his fingers through his hair. It stood on its ends by the time he was done.

“Tim, do you remember right after Danny had that horrible harpoon incident?” Dick started, watching Tim’s face intensely. Tim nodded, still eyeing him warily. Dick deserved it. “Jay cornered me and Dami down here in the cave and made me realize that I’ve been an absolutely shitty brother to you. I was too wrapped up in Jason coming back, in him being alive, and then Bruce was gone, and Damian had just been dropped off, and we were trying to deprogram him from the League, and that’s an even shittier excuse. And I’m gonna shut up now.” Dick paused his guilt fueled rambling. But Tim the little asshole, hadn’t stopped it either.

“Oh no. Don’t stop on my account. You were doing so well,” Tim purred, with a shit-eating grin.

There was a reason the rest of the Bats were worried about Tim going super-villain. Of course, if he did, Jason would be the one handing him the C4, and now Danny would probably be there making him invisible and shit. And Tucker would be the guy-in-the-chair, not that Tim needed a tech support person, but Tucker would go wherever Danny went. And then add in Sam with her plant powers and Dani. Gods, Dani was just as chaotic as her now twin. Dick shuddered as he realized just how close they’d gotten to unleashing unbridled chaos on the world.

Dick finally reached and took Tim’s hands in his. “Timmy, I’m…sorry. I should have been better. B has said, many times, that you’re just as good of a detective, if not better, as he is. And I knew what kind of home life you had. And I was mad as hell when B took Robin away from me. I come home to find another kid wearing my colors. And B didn’t even tell me about it. Then I go and do the same shit to you. Not only that, but I never listened to you when you told me how Damian was trying to kill you or how he would speak down to you and demean you. You’re such a strong person, Timbers.” Dick was full on crying now. Tim was relishing every minute of it.

But Tim was not a cruel person, so he finally took mercy on poor abused Dick. He brushed his hands along Dick’s cheeks and wiped his brother’s tears away. “I already forgave you. A long time ago. Yeah sure, I was considering going solo, but you’re still my family. And besides, if I had gone solo, I don’t think we would have met Danny. Or the others. We didn’t know it, but they’re exactly what this family needed to bring us together.” Dick pulled his younger brother into one of his famous octopus hugs, and surprisingly, Tim allowed it.

“Thank you, Tim. Thank you,” Dick breathed out around his sniffles.

“Well come on. We’ve got patrol tonight. Danny’s been itching for patrol, even if B and I still think it’s a horrible idea. But he says that just monitoring from the Watchtower isn’t enough anymore,” Tim said with a clap of his hands as he stood up and headed towards the changing room.

-------------

“Danny, I wish to speak with you,” Damian asked as he saw the half-ghost float through the floor from the Cave. He knew that the halfa had been sparring with Drake, but he had wished to speak with his newest brother alone. He just hadn’t had a moment to do so.

“Huh?” Danny returned to the visible spectrum and saw Damian waiting for him. “Oh, sure, Dami. What’s up?” Damian turned on his heel and led the halfa to the Manor’s smaller library. Danny trailed behind the younger boy thoroughly confused. Damian took up residence in one of the fluffy armchairs and waited for Danny to do the same. A few moments later Alfred appeared out of the shadows with a small tray of tea and snacks for the two boys.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, enjoying their drinks and pre-patrol snacks. “Todd has informed me that I have done serious harm to Drake. Richard seemed to agree with Todd. But as you are new to the family, I feel you can be objective and therefore, I seek your council,” Damian spoke softly as he looked at his teacup, refusing to meet Danny’s eyes for fear of the judgement he might see there. His hands didn’t tremble as he held his teacup tightly. For some reason, he almost feared rejection or judgement from this brother more than anything else.

“Hmm. That’s a tough question, Dami. Before I answer your question, can I ask some of my own?” Damian nodded. “What was it like when you first got here? I’m not going to judge you or anything. I’m just trying to understand.”

Damian frowned, before setting his cup down. “As you know, Ra’s al Ghul was my grandfather. I was trained to be his heir. Everything I did was expected to be met with perfection. Punishments were meted out if I failed in any regard. I trained from dawn till late in the evening, and in many things. Weapons. Languages. Stealth. Espionage. Assassination. And my punishments, if I failed a mission or a training, were harsh. I believe the term blood, sweat, and tears in the literal sense applies here.” Danny sucked in a breath. Damian nodded. “I was also raised that bloodlines were the be all and end all. Grandfather had three children, my mother, my aunt, and my uncle, yet it was I who was chosen as his heir. Why not my uncle? Why not my uncle’s child? Or my aunt’s children? But apparently, I was the only one of ‘acceptable’ bloodline. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was, quite literally, grown in a test tube, and Mother hand selected my genes, and I was grown in an artificial womb. I do not know, and even if I ask, Mother will most certainly lie.” Damian took a deep breath and looked up at Danny.

“So, coming here and seeing your bio-dad with a whole bunch of adopted kids was a shock, huh?” Danny asked, choosing his words carefully.

“Yes. Back in the League, we were taught that to earn our place, it had to be done with blades and bloodshed. I had been taught that Robin was mine by birthright. I…attacked Drake because Robin was mine,” Damian admitted, swallowing thickly.

“Robin was originally Dick’s, yes?” Damian nodded at Danny’s question. “And how did Dick pass the title down?”

“From my understanding, Father gave it to Todd when Richard and Father were fighting, and Richard took up the mantle of Nightwing. There was a fight over it, if the story I was told is correct.”

“And how did Tim get the Robin title from Jason?”

“Jason was dead when Drake took over. It’s part of why Todd called Drake ‘Replacement’ for so long. But Father had gotten severely violent with Todd’s passing. Richard refused to work with Father, and Drake knew Father needed a partner to reign him in. Drake forced himself into the Robin mantle.”

Danny heaved a sigh. Did no one in this family actually talk about their issues? FUCK. He could sense a pattern, but still had to ask the next question. “And how did you get the Robin mantle?”

“It was given to me by Richard when Father disappeared into the timestream, and we thought him dead. It is my birthright as the son of the Bat,” Damian said haughtily.

“Did Dick tell Tim that he was giving it to you?”

Damian opened his mouth to retort but clacked his jaw closed. Richard hadn’t told Drake. He’d just given Robin to Damian because Damian had demanded it. Because Richard was convinced that Drake was slowly going insane, insisting that Bruce was alive. Because Drake had lost so many people in such a short time. Then Drake had gone missing. Then Father had reappeared. And Drake’s friends hadn’t died but were merely trapped in the future.

“I am meant to be Batman’s partner. It is my birthright,” Damian insisted.

“Maybe. But Robin was Dick’s first, which apparently ISN’T tied to the Wayne name Or Batman specifically. So, it shouldn’t have been given to you. At least not without talking to Tim about it first. And who says that Batman can’t have more than one partner at a time?” Danny questioned. Damian drew in a deep breath. “Let’s shelve that for now. You came here and thought Tim was standing in your way to get what you wanted. What happened?”

“I…do not wish to talk about it,” Damian admitted, guilt sitting heavy in his stomach. He had thrown Drake off the dinosaur in the Cave. He’d cut the grappling line. He’d tried to have Drake’s name removed from Wayne Enterprises as CO-CEO. Multiple times. He’d left Drake alone in multiple rogue fights when he knew that the rogue in question would have been handled better with a teammate. Damian had lost count of how many times he’d tried to stab Drake with the intent of killing him. Damian felt his cheeks and ears get warm as he finally acknowledged his wrongs.

“You don’t have to talk to me about it, Dami. But I think you can see now how wrong you’ve been,” Danny said softly, reaching out to grab ahold of Damian’s hand. Damian let him. “I’m new to the family; that much is true. And yes, I’ve given the family a whole shit ton of trauma. But, if you want to talk about it, I’m all ears.” Damian’s hands shook slightly in the hands of the older boy, but he didn’t remove them.

“Thank you, Danny. How does one apologize for their wrongdoings?”

“If you’re really sorry, sometimes the words, ‘I’m sorry’ are enough. If you don’t feel that’s enough for the situation, maybe paint Tim something from your heart. As long as the intent is there, I think he’ll understand.”

Damian nodded as a sudden understanding rushed into his head. “Thank you, Danny. I have to inform Father that I won’t be patrolling tonight. Be safe since you are still recovering.” Then, the little former assassin disappeared out the door. Danny huffed a laugh at his younger brother and floated back down to the Cave hoping that Dick and Tim were done with their talk.

----------

“Reports of floating boxes and screams of ‘Beware’ coming from the shipping warehouse on 34^th street,” Oracle called over the comms.

Phantom groaned. Loudly. The comms went silent for a change.

“Casper wanna share with the class?” Hood snarked.

“That would be Boxy. Or uh, Box Ghost. He’s mostly harmless. A menace, but mostly harmless.”

“Is that the one you me told was Obsessed with all things square, rectangular, or cubed?” Red Robin asked in shock.

“Yep. That would be him.” Everyone on comms groaned in unison.

“I’m 5 minutes out,” Nightwing chirped out.

“I’m close as well. Nightwing should be able to handle Boxy, but I want to be nearby. Just in case,” Phantom chimed in.

Everyone else gave their confirmation, and then Phantom was flying in the direction of the indicated warehouse. The two vigilantes met on top of the neighboring warehouse. Phantom breathed out an icy mist. Nightwing looked at the younger vigilante curiously.

“That my ghost sense. Let’s me know that we’re for sure dealing with a ghost,” Phantom explained. Nightwing nodded. Phantom held out his hand for the black and blue vigilante so that he could phase them both into the building. Nightwing took, and they were both falling through the roof.

“BEWARE! I AM THE BOX GHOST!” A stocky man with blue skin, a gray shirt, dark overalls, and wearing a beanie yelled out as they came into view.

“Really,” Phantom deadpanned at the ghost and was just so done with his shit. Beside him, Nightwing snickered at his younger brother.

“Oh, Ghost Child. I did not realize you were here,” Box Ghost replied, a frightened look on his face.

“How are y’all even getting out of the Realms? I closed the portals…” Phantom demanded.

“And that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it twerp?” said a menacing voice behind the two vigilantes.

Phantom let out a noise that was a cross between a squeak and a meep. Nightwing brought out his newly made ghost-version of his escrima sticks and electrified them. The new ghost looked at the sticks and narrowed his eyes.

“You gave them anti-ghost tech,” the other ghost that looked oddly like an older version of Phantom snarled. This ghost was stockier; his hair was longer and looked like fire where Phantom’s looked like it was underwater; he was taller, almost as tall as Red Hood; his eyes were red instead of green; and the most damning was the stark black cape. When Phantom was in his King regalia, his cape looked like the night sky.

“Of course, I did, Dan. I couldn’t leave my family and Fraid defenseless against ghosts and others from the Realms because I knew that wherever I went trouble would follow,” Phantom growled back, charging up an ectoblast.

Dan stopped in his tracks. “Fraid? Family?” He asked, confusion clear on his face.

Phantom realized that Dan didn’t know. He still thought that the Fentons were his family. Maybe, just maybe if Phantom could explain. “The explosion of the Nasty Burger. It never happened. Instead, the Fentons sold me to the Guys in White. I…I was vivisected.” There were several sharp intakes of breath through the comms. Nightwing inched closer to Phantom and took his hand. “Sam, Tucker, and Jazz got me out, and I fled to Gotham to find my bio-family.”

“The Fentons weren’t our family?” Dan asked in a small voice, folding in on himself.

“No, we were adopted. And now, they’re serving their time for…for…everything they’ve done. One of the Green Lanterns took them to Oa,” Phantom patiently explained, hoping beyond hope that he was reaching this other part of himself.

“And the other fucker?” Dan asked in a rough voice.

“He attacked me here in Gotham. And suddenly, I realized that everything bad that had happened, besides me becoming Phantom, like Valerie becoming Red Huntress, the GIW coming to Amity, the Anti-Ecto Acts getting passed, the million-dollar bounty on my head, not to mention all of the times he tried to kill Jack, the kidnapping, the assault. He even Ended a few ghosts. I used my authority as Ghost King to sentence him to a thousand years within a Nightmare Realm via Fright Knight.”

“Right. I forgot that we were the Ghost King. So, what happens now?” Dan asked, all fight drained out of him.

It was about that time that there was a flash of light surrounding Dan, and a toxic green sticky note floated down in front of Phantom. Floating in front of them was now a Phantom-sized Dan. He was still stocky, instead of a twink like Phantom.

The Phantom with the Bat logo across his chest groaned as he read the sticky note out loud, “Congratulations. It’s a boy. All is as it should be. CW.” Dan groaned in unison with all of the other Bats on the comms.

“So, what we now have another half-ghost to add to the family?” Red Robin asked as he dropped in beside Nightwing and Phantom.

“Wait. What do you mean another? How many are there?” Dan asked, his form settling into a sixteen-year-old’s body. He looked down at his hands and curled them into fists as if he were seeing them for the first time.

“You would be the third,” Red Robin answered.

“FUCKING WHAT?” Dan screeched.

“Oh yeah. You weren’t around when the Froot Loop cloned me,” Phantom snickered. Dan looked like he was about to implode. “Wraith, when she’s out. I’m still Phantom. If you want to join us, you can choose a name.” Phantom shot a grin at his new/old brother. He was leery about the alternate version of him joining the Bats, but Clockwork was being a meddling bastard again. And Danny knew better than to try and best the Ancient of Time.

“Your outfit…uh…is…uh…different,” Dan stuttered out.

“Yep. Frostbite helped me make it.”

“Who the fuck is Frostbite?” Dan yelped.

“As entertaining as this is, maybe this is a conversation better suited to the Cave,” Red Robin interrupted before Phantom or Dan could get any further into their existential crisis. Besides, Red knew his brother well enough to know that Phantom loved dropping bombs on others to know where this was going. Red pinched the bridge of his nose in an imitation of a move he’d often seen Batman doing in reference to Phantom.

“Sure. Tag. You’re it,” Phantom darted forward and tagged Dan and flew off towards the Cave.

Dan spluttered a moment before following. They left trails of light in their wake. Nightwing and Red Robin exchanged looks before following at a more leisurely pace with their grapples. Both older vigilantes heard Batman grumble in their ears (Phantom heard it too), but they all ignored his grumbling (his children usually did). Phantom was at least smart enough to take Dan through one of the street entrances to the Cave instead of straight to the Manor.

Wraith, Pharaoh, Chaos were waiting for them when they got to the Cave. The rest of the Bats joined them soon after Phantom and Dan floated in through one of the access tunnels. Dan looked around the Cave in stunted awe. He turned to look at Phantom and pointed at the dinosaur that said, “What the fuck?!?!” Phantom responded with a gesture that said, “I know, right?!?!” They seemed to be communicating telepathically like actual twins. Dan looked closely at Pharaoh and Chaos, as if he could almost but not quite recognize them. Phantom shot him a look that promised an explanation.

“Phantom,” Batman grunted. Phantom merely smiled at his dad. Batman pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Short explanation. Clockwork, the Ancient of Time de-aged Dan and locked him to my age. And basically ordered me to take care of him. That’s how you got out, isn’t it?” Phantom said, looking at his alternate self. Dan nodded. A round of groans accompanied this.

Dan allowed his own transformation rings to wash over him, and they were now looking at Danny as if he’d suddenly developed the desire to do extreme sports or illegal steroids or both. But everything else about Dan was the same. Same color eyes. Same color hair, although his hair was longer. His choice of civilian clothing more or less mirrored what Danny wore daily.

“Hiya, Dan. I’m Dani. That’s Dani-with-an-I,” Dani chirped as she transformed back into her human half and floated over to the third halfa.

Tucker retracted his own armor, and Sam did the same. Dan gaped at both of them. He knew those faces. Jazz emerged from the elevator. And it hit him like a brick to the face that this was truly his family, his Fraid, all in one place. Dan shuddered as the Fraid bonds between Dani, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, and Danny snapped into place. He knew that it would take some time before the bonds with the rest of the Bats formed. But now, he had all the time in the world.

Danny allowed his transformation to wash over him, and although Dan stood taller than him, Danny rushed to hug Dan.

“I’ll get started on the paperwork. We’ll call Clark tomorrow. Did you have a preference for a name?” Tim asked as he came out of the changing room.

Dan considered a moment before looking at Danny. “What are their names?”

“She’s Danielle Jane and he’s Daniel James. They both have mine and Bruce’s last names. Drake-Wayne,” Tim answered.

Dan looked deep in thought before he brightened. “Dante Janus Drake-Wayne. And what’s my cover story?”

“At least that’s the easy part. Danny was given up for adoption at birth. The cover story we came up with for Dani was twins separated at birth. We can just add to that. Say something like it was actually triplets, but your birth was never officially recorded and then you were stolen from the hospital minutes or hours after you were born. You’ve been in and out of reform homes, juvenile detention, foster care, etc., until recently when you ran away and made your way to Gotham. That’s where you found the old article from the Daily Planet about the Drake-Wayne twins and realized that you look suspiciously like them. Clark will be able to spin it so that it’s not a PR nightmare,” Tim said matter-of-factly.

Bruce looked like he was sucking a lemon, but everyone else was laughing at how quickly Tim came up with Dan’s cover story. Jason was bent double for how hard he was laughing. Alfred came down to dismiss the group back up to their respective rooms. And of course, because Alfred was magic, he informed Dan that he already had a room made up for him, right next to Danny’s.

“Master Tim, Master Damian has requested your presence in his room,” Alfred informed Tim as the Bats dispersed either upstairs or back to their own apartments. Tim threw the butler/grandfather a look, but he merely repeated the request.

“Demon Brat,” Tim called softly as he knocked on Damian’s door.

The door creaked open, and Tim gaped at Damian’s red rimmed eyes. Damian’s hand snaked out and grabbed Tim’s wrist in a vice-like grip, and the younger boy yanked the older boy into his room. Tim let out a small squeak and stumbled a bit at the action. He quickly found his footing and placed his back against the now closed door, eyeing Damian warily.

“Timothy, after speaking with two of our brothers and reflecting on my actions from the last four years, I have found that I have done you a…disservice. I have a gift for you,” Damian said stiffly as though he were reciting a speech.

He turned on his heels and moved to his desk. There he brought out a canvas that was covered with a thin cloth. He brought it back to Tim and shoved it into Tim’s hands. Tim took it like it was either about to bite him or poisoned. Both were also possibilities. Tim carefully unwrapped the canvas and gasped in shock. He was looking at one of Damian’s paintings. The background was obviously a starry sky as seen from Nanda Parbat. The foreground was Danny in his Phantom form leaning against Tim in his Red Robin costume. They were sitting on top of Wayne Enterprises, and the rest of Gotham was underneath them. If Tim looked carefully, he could see the words “I’m Sorry” in a beautiful calligraphy painted into the Gotham skyline.

Tears pricked the corners of Tim’s eyes as he stared at the painting. “Thank you, Damian,” he whispered. He looked up from his gift and carefully placed the painting on the desk. Telegraphing his movements, Tim carefully pulled Damian into an awkward hug. The hug only lasted a few seconds; neither comfortable with prolonged touch from the other. Tim slipped out of Damian’s room, hugging the painting close to his chest. Today had been a day chock full of surprises, but both Dick and Damian had apologized; he’d gained yet another brother; and he’d hadn’t been stabbed. He had a slight headache (thank you, Danny/Dan), but he could live with that.

Tomorrow was going to be one hell of an interesting day.

Chapter Text

“Welcome in, Mister Clark,” Alfred said as he opened the door for Clark.

Clark gave the butler his thanks as he handed the man his coat. Alfred showed him to a very familiar sitting room. Bruce and Tim were there, as were the twins, but there was a new face. This new face looked more like Dani but was unmistakably Danny as well. The boy was stockier with more muscle and longer hair, and his eyes were a darker blue. Clark looked between the four official Waynes and one extra teenager; his eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

“What?” Clark asked. Danny and Dani cackled, but the as yet unnamed teenager pouted up at Clark and glared at his siblings(?).

Bruce sighed, but Tim spoke up. “Clark that’s Dante Janus. Goes by Dan. Do you want the whole story or just the official story?”

Clark sighed, “Give me the whole story, and then we’ll parse out the official story.”

Danny cackled again. “So, the short version is that Dan here is a future alternate version of me. Due to the Ghost Master of Time and time fuckery, he got locked into a 16-year-old…”

“God, Danny, you’re absolute shit at explanations,” Tim snarked, though there was little heat in his words and his eyes were twinkling with mischief. Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. Clark noticed that he had a little more gray hair on his head.

“The truth is, Clark, there was an incident in which Danny was presented with an opportunity to cheat on a test. He took that opportunity, and it blew up in his face. Literally. In his grief, he fled to the only other of his kind, Vladimir Masters. But that went rather badly. Danny begged Vlad to use a Fenton device to pull Phantom out of Danny. It worked, a little too well. Phantom then turned on Vlad and separated Vlad from his ghost half. Phantom’s ghost and Plasmius’s ghost merged, creating Dan. For the next 10 years, a grief and rage filled Dan destroyed the Earth as we know it. That sound about right?” Both Dan and Danny nodded.

“There were some pockets of resistance, but not many because the GIW had information about ghosts locked down. Gotham was one such place. Amity, of course, had a ghost shield. And a few others. Gotham scared me. Mainly because of Red Robin and Red Hood and the one they called the Stabby Robin. Scary little fuckers,” Dan explained. This set Danny off. Dan threw his maybe-brother another glare.

“Sam, Tucker, and I ended up in the future, again thanks to time fuckery, where I met an adult Dan. We fought. Sam and Tucker removed their Time Medallions and were sent back to the present. Dan then placed the Time Medallion inside of me where it couldn’t be removed, and then sent me into the Realms, while he took my place back in the present to ensure that he got created. Eventually, I got out of the Realms and was able to get back to the present. The two of us duked it out, and eventually, I put Dan in soup time. But that ALSO meant that Dan now existed outside of the timestream. I gave him to Clockwork to take care of. But now that I’m settled in with the Waynes, Clockwork has decided that Dan needed to be rehabilitated and to let Dan out of the thermos and de-aged him and sent him to me,” Danny finished.

Clark looked between the three, and then realized why Bruce was pinching the bridge of his nose. “Rao, Tim. Is anyone in your family normal?” Clark realized his mistake immediately. All three Dannies cackled like Joker Venom had been set off, and Tim looked so done with their shit. Bruce was pinching his nose again; something he looked to be doing quite often if the indents on his nose were any indication.

Clark reached for a topic of conversation that would bring things back to a safe or comfortable zone. A lightbulb went off over his head as he said, “So uh, what’s the official story?” Nailed it.

“Official story isn’t too much different than what we published originally. Dan was the first born of the triplets. His birth wasn’t recorded because Danny came so quickly afterwards. In all of the panic of having a multiple birth, Dan was kidnapped from the hospital, so officially there were only two children recorded born to Janet Drake. Tanta, Egypt is a smaller city so their facilities aren’t likely up to date, and even if they were, Janet would have paid them off at any rate. Dan spent the next 16 years bouncing from foster home to group home to juvie. He finally ran away from his latest placement and ended up in Gotham. He spent some time on the streets and ended up running for one of the gangs. While in the gang, he came across your old article about Danny and Dani, and then had the not-so-smart idea to try and kidnap and trap Danny in a warehouse. They fought each other, but realized they looked too much alike. Danny was able to talk Dan down, one DNA test later and now we have triplets,” Tim completed the narrative with a flourish.

Clark can’t help but repeat the nose-pinching gesture. Now, he knows where Bruce got it from and why there’s more gray hairs in his head. “Ok, I think I can make this work. How soon do you want the article printed?”

Tim and Bruce exchanged looks for a moment before Bruce spoke up. “Make it three days. Danny says he needs some time with Dan to get him acclimated to being 16”

“Plus, I have to take Dan into the Realms for a few spars. Let him get his angst and rage out of his system. And then take him to Frostbite for new armor if he’s going to be working with the Bats,” Danny explained. Dan continued to glare. In that moment, Clark was glad that he only had Jon, even if he was mending his relationship with Kon.

“Ok, I’ll get it printed. It was nice meeting you, Dan.” Clark held his hand out to the surly teenager, who shook it albeit reluctantly. Clark noticed that his grip was strong, and his hands were calloused. Clark could tell that Dan really wanted to test his strength and would have if Danny hadn’t elbowed his brother, HARD, in the gut. Dan wheezed out and let go of Clark’s hand, his eyes flashing red. He launched himself at Danny, and the two were off. Danny ripped a hole in reality at Bruce and Tim’s cry of horror, and then they were gone.

“Oh, don’t worry about them. They’ll be fine. Dan may be strong, but Danny has only gotten stronger. They went to the Realms so that they didn’t destroy anything here. They’ll be back when Dan’s got all that pent up aggression worked out of his system,” Dani explained, completely unbothered. Bruce looked like he was about to argue, but Dani held up her hand, “Look, I get it. Dan and Danny were both “Ghost King”, but Danny is the One True King. He’s the only one that was chosen by the Realms, and since they’re in the Realms, the Realms won’t let anything happen to him.” Bruce and Tim didn’t look much more reassured, but Dani remained calm and relaxed. “Remember, I’m part Danny and Vlad too. Danny will be fine,” she said as she hopped up and waltzed out of the room. Bruce and Tim gaped after her.

Alfred walked Clark to the front door after securing a promise to have the article written in the timeframe that they’d agreed upon. Clark gave an exceptionally strong hug to both Jon and Kon when he walked into his house that evening. He couldn’t even imagine the kind of chaos that Danny and his sibling would bring to the Wayne household. Clark shook his head. He had an article to write.

When Twins Become Triplets

By Clark Kent

In a surprising turn of events, I was once again invited to Wayne Manor to announce to the world yet another Wayne adoption by world-renowned philanthropist, Bruce Wayne. Imagine my surprise when I walked into Wayne Manor and was greeted by the twins that I had previously interviewed and saw a teenager that looked so much Daniel and Danielle, yet I realized that I hadn’t met this teen. He was promptly introduced as Dante Janus Drake-Wayne, an undiscovered Triplet to the previously announced Drake-Wayne twins.

Dante’s, Dan he corrected me, story is not much different from Dani’s, but at the same time much more tragic. Dan was the first born at a small hospital in Tanta, Egypt. Danny was in a rush to make his presence known so Dan’s birth hadn’t had time to be recorded. In the rush to get Danny delivered, Dan was abducted from the hospital. By the time Dani was delivered, the staff had forgotten that there was a third child.

From there, Dan found himself in several abusive homes which unfortunately ended up with him receiving a record and bouncing around the foster system. When Dan was just thirteen, Dan ran away from his last group home and made his way to Gotham where he spent the last three years on the streets. Dan ended up being a runner for the local gangs, and surprisingly kept himself off the radar of the local vigilantes. He kept this up for the next three years until he saw my previous article about the reunited Drake-Wayne twins. It was then that something clicked for Dan.

Dan, in a misguided attempt to reunited with his family, attempted to kidnap Danny. When Danny saw Dan, the two teenagers brawled before Danny was able to subdue his brother. They talked to each other, and Dan agreed to a DNA test. It came as no shock when the DNA test revealed that they were brothers. Dan told Danny about his early days and what he could remember. Fortunately, his kidnappers kept his birthday, and that’s how it was discovered that Dan was the eldest of the triplets.

Danny and Dani beamed at me the entire time during the interview while Dan seemed a little dour. Both Tim and Bruce seemed a little shell-shocked to have gained yet another hidden sibling in such a short time. The rest of the Wayne Brood, especially Damian, had taken the appearance of Dan with aplomb. Damian was heard demanding a spar with Dan which elicited a laugh from the older boy. As the triplets rushed out of the room, laughter rang through the once empty halls of Wayne Manor. Alfred, ever the true patriarch and long-standing butler and grandfatherly figure of the family, was seen in the shadows looking on in fond exasperation. Bruce heaved a Tired Dad^TM at the antics of his children. A distant shout was heard, and then Tim rushed to join in the fun.

I don’t know much, but I do know that the appearance of Daniel, Danielle, and Dante Drake-Wayne and their addition to the Wayne family has been good for the Wayne brood. The once empty Manor has never been as full, and its halls and rooms have never seen as much love and laughter. In just the few short meetings I’ve had with the twins, and now meeting Dan, I could see their vibrant personalities. Danny is a sunshine child and a joy to be around. Dani is a whirlwind and throws herself into everything she enjoys with enthusiasm. While Dan is a stoic presence who has your back. Each of the triplets has their own unique personality, but they also revolve around each other like a miniature planetary system. It was nice to be invited to be a part of their introduction. Not all family reunions turn out as nice, and not all siblings like each other. But for once, the Drake-Waynes and the Waynes have been blessed.

Chapter Text

“Hey everyone!” Red Robin called as he entered the T-shaped tower in San Fransisco. Phantom, Spectre, and Wraith were right behind him. Bart, Cassie, and Kon all jumped up at Tim’s shout. Bart and Cassie were both in defensive positions as they didn’t know the three people with Red Robin. Kon was the only one who didn’t react since he’d met Phantom before and knew Danny and Dani in their civilian identities.

“Hey Phantom. Looks like you’ve got some new family members?” Kon asked which seemed to ease the others’ tension.

“Yep. This is Spectre and Wraith,” Phantom said with a grin.

“You guys can change if you want. I’m gonna go get comfortable,” Red Robin said with a wave of his hand, and then disappeared down a hallway.

“You guys might wanna close your eyes. This will be bright,” Phantom explained. Kon closed his eyes, and watching him do so, Bart and Cassie followed suit. The triplets allowed their transformation to wash over them. Even with their eyes closed, the three other young heroes were left blinking spots away when they opened their eyes.

Tim came back in the room in civvies and saw that Dan, Danny, and Dani had transformed. “Guys, I would like to introduce you to my little siblings, Dante, Daniel, and Danielle. Dante goes by Dan. Daniel goes by Danny, and Danielle goes by Dani. I’m sure you read the article about how Janet kept her pregnancy with them a secret.” There were nods all around. “That’s not exactly the truth. Truth is that she was only pregnant with Danny. Dan is alternate version of Danny who’s been sent to Danny for rehabilitation. Dani is a clone of Danny.”

“That doesn’t get confusing with you all having the same name?” Bart blurted out.

“Sure it does. But I chose my name, so that means that they get to choose their names too,” Danny defended. “And ultimately, they’re part me. Later on, if they want to change their names, that’s up to them.” Dan and Dani gave their brother a pinched look as if the thought of changing their names hadn’t occurred to them, but had been something they might have wanted.

“You…you wouldn’t mind, if I went by Ellie?” Dani asked uncertainly.

“Why would I mind? You were only named Danielle because of the Froot Loop. If you want to be Ellie, to be something that is your own name, why would I mind?”

Kon looked at Danny in absolute shock. He knew that Clark had spoken with Danny about being cloned, but he didn’t realize that Danny had been so mature about his clone. Although he and Clark had begun working towards a better relationship, it was still a rocky road. But on the other hand, Clark had started looking at Kon as something like a kid, although  step-child would be more appropriate. But Clark was legitimately trying, and Kon appreciated the effort he was putting in.

Tim led the Dannies over to a lounge area where a large flatscreen tv had been installed. Several gaming systems were also installed with the tv. Dan hadn’t gotten much experience with gaming, so Tim wanted to give him a somewhat normal teenager experience. Danny plopped himself on one of the beanbags, and Dan followed suit. He was still trying to adjust to being in the human world. Dan had a slight frown marring his face as he toyed with one of the controllers, but Tim could see the determination and curiosity sparking in his eyes.

The rest of the team filed in and filled in the other seats. Kon and Ellie, of course, had chosen seats next to each other, saying something about clone solidarity and having to stick with each other. Tim had snorted at that. But they did have something in common in that they weren’t true clones, since they both had the DNA of two people instead of just one original donor. Just something more for them to bond over.

The rest of the day passed with laughter and insults being tossed around. Tim ordered several rounds of pizza and other delivery. He found that his heart was much lighter than had been in a while. Danny was even looking better. Tim could still see him rubbing his chest where his core was located every once in a while, but Danny seemed brighter. Tim would have to make sure and ask Duke when they got back to Gotham to check Danny’s aura.

The blaring alarms startled everyone in the lounge area. Tim was the first to react, reaching for his tablet to see what the problem was.

Amazo.

FUCK!

SHIT FUCKING FUCK!

Cassie, Kon, and Bart would be almost useless against the android since he could copy their powers. Not to mention what powers Ivo had managed to keep downloaded in the android from his last fight with the Justice League. In fact, most of the Justice League’s heavy hitters, like Superman and Wonder Woman, would be useless in a fight against Amazo. Didn’t mean that Tim hadn’t called them in because they could still be useful to evacuate the civilians in the area.

However, the look on the transformed Phantom siblings did NOT bring the newly dressed Red Robin any measure of comfort. Wraith’s outfit looked similar to Phantom’s, although she wore a black crop top instead of a full Kevlar armor suit. But she still had the white Bat logo across her chest and the neon green DP logo embedded inside the Bat. She had the same white boots, a white belt with the same Bat/DP logo, and white fingerless gloves. She wore black cargo pants with neon green stripes down the side.

Spectre, on the other hand, looked nothing like his siblings. His uniform looked like something Red Hood would have used. Spectre wore a dark red jacket with a hood. Underneath the jacket, he had charcoal gray Kevlar armor. He did have the Bat/DP logo displayed across his chest. Instead of fingerless gloves, his gloves ended in claws, and across the knuckles were small spikes. Spectre wore a face mask across the lower part of his face so that only his red eyes could be seen. He wore dark brown combat boots to complete his look.

Phantom was dressed in normal Phantom look. A solid black Kevlar piece, not too dissimilar from Batman’s armor with the Bat/DP logo in white across his chest. White fingerless gloves, white belt, and white boots. The green stripe down the sides of the pants completed his look. Both Phantom and Wraith had agreed to begin wearing domino masks, but unlike the usual black domino masks that the Bats normally wore, Phantom and Wraith were wearing a domino that matched their hair. This only served to accent their glowing eyes, which Red Robin supposed was the point. The eyes would serve to freak out the bad guys. Red Robin wondered briefly for the nth time why he couldn’t have any normal family members.

The three Phantom siblings phased out of the tower before Red Robin could stop them. Red Robin gave a shout for Superboy so that he could follow his chaos gremlins that had replaced his siblings. Superboy and Impulse ran into the room to see Reb Robin practically panicked. A quick scan of the room revealed why. His siblings were gone. Superboy picked up Red Robin in a princess carry, and then they were quick to follow his directions to the scene of the latest attack.

When they arrived, they found Flash, Kid Flash, Wonder Woman, and Superman helping to evacuate the civilians in the area. Martian Manhunter, all four of the Green Lanterns, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Aquaman are taking turns attempting to attack Amazo, but each time they attacked Amazo redirected their attack with one of the heroes’ weaknesses. Kryponite for Superman. Fire for both Manhunter and Aquaman. Attacks against the constructs of the Lanterns. Amazo had launched something that had clogged Black Canary’s throat. And Green Arrow, for all of his arrows, was still merely human, much like Batman, and his arrows weren’t doing much damage against the android.

Before any of the heroes could launch another attack, a green-domed shield popped into existence around the android, effectively cutting him off from attacking as well. The Phantom siblings appeared inside the fucking shield. Because of course they did. Where else would Red Robin’s chaos goblins who pretended to be siblings be?

“Ah ah ah, Mister Android. That’s not very nice,” Wraith scolded, waggling her finger back and forth in a “no-no” motion.

“Wraith, I think we should let Spectre have this one. He’s still got some aggression issues to work out,” Phantom called out. Wraith looked at her brother and then nodded. “Spectre, just make sure not to kill him.”

Phantom made a “go on” gesture towards Spectre, whose eyes flashed a bright red, and he nodded in agreement before he began wailing on the android. The two traded heavy blows while Phantom maintained the shield that prevented the other heroes from entering the battle, but it also prevented either Spectre or Amazo from leaving the containment field. Red Robin grappled up the building next to Phantom to get a bird’s eye (hehehe) view of the fight. Just outside of the shield.

Spectre fought just as dirty as Phantom and could tank Amazo’s hits. Oddly enough, Amazo couldn’t copy any of Spectre’s powers. Not that Red Robin could see him using any of his powers. Spectre seemed content to just powerhouse his way through the fight. Red Robin heard his teammates snicker at Spectre as the ghost BIT Amazo’s shoulder, and the android let out a snarl that promised pain. If he could actually get a hold of Spectre. But Spectre had been a ghost for longer than Phantom and as such, had a better understanding of his abilities. He ALSO had a lot of aggression to work out, according to Phantom.

The ripping of metal pulled Red Robin’s attention back to the battle. Oh look. Spectre had ripped one of Amazo’s legs off. Phantom, though, was looking worryingly pale. Granted, he was always pale in Phantom form, but it seemed as though he was getting paler. Red Robin noticed a sheen of green sweat across the ghost’s forehead. He grunted as something collided with the shield, and Red Robin could see cracks beginning to form across the surface of the dome. Spectre looked like he was getting tired too.

Red Robin brought a hand up to his comm unit. “Get ready. The shield is about to go down.” Red Robin heard several assents in his ear. He stepped over to Phantom and was mildly surprised when his hand made contact with the ghost as he put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Easy Phantom. It’s ok. Release the shield.” Phantom whined at the effort but did as his brother instructed him to. Phantom literally sagged in relief as the shield dissipated. Spectre took two more pot shots at Amazo before the android crumpled into a heap, wires sparking where the ghost had pulled out some of his inner mechanics.

The android was still “alive” in the sense that he could still somewhat function, but Spectre had made sure that he could no longer copy any of the heroes’ powers or moves. And the android was missing two limbs. Spectre’s ectoplasm had burned and smelted the metal away in pieces in a way that not even Superman’s heat vision could copy. The older heroes worked quickly to lock up what remained of Amazo, while the Young Justice members congregated around Red Robin and the Phantom triplets.

“That was so crash!” Impulse yelled as he zipped up to Spectre. Spectre sent a feral grin to the other teenager.

Phantom could tell that Spectre’s core was more stable from the fight. Spectre felt it too. But. Phantom was no longer floating, and Red Robin could see that his glow had visibly dimmed. So, he made an announcement that Young Justice would reconvene back the tower. He asked Superboy if Superboy would be willing to fly with Phantom to ensure that he got back since it was entirely possible that Phantom’s powers would start to short out. Phantom huffed and halfheartedly glared at Red Robin.

By the time the triplets made it back to the tower, Phantom’s transformation rings had popped into existence several times, and it was only by sheer strength of will that he didn’t transform back into Danny. Superboy got Phantom into the tower before Phantom lost his will and transformed with a grunt of pain. Danny began rubbing his chest over the spot where his core was.

“Twerp being a dipshit. Why doesn’t that surprise me,” Dan snarked, voice full of sarcasm as he floated in behind Kon who had taken Danny over to a beanbag chair. But Red Robin could hear the concern in his voice; it was just that sarcasm was his way of showing his concern. Or Tim (he had undressed almost as fast as Bart) felt that Dan being a sarcastic ass was his way of showing concern. Fortunately, Tim had brought a supply of ectoplasm with him and was able to get Danny set up with an ecto-smoothie.

Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman showed up in the tower not long after Danny drifted off to sleep, both Dan and Ellie in a cuddle pile with their brother. Tim wanted to be in the pile too, but he also knew that Batman would show up and want a report. So that’s what Tim did. For the next however many minutes. Might have been hours. Wonder Woman finally, finally seemed to get the hint with Tim’s begging eyes and headed Batman off. Tim joined his siblings in the cuddle pile.

Danny opened one bleary eye and quickly snatched Tim into the middle of the pile. He let out an indignant squawk but otherwise let himself be pulled down. It didn’t take Tim long to find a comfortable position, and then he, too, was going out. Right before oblivion took him under Tim was fairly certain he heard a camera shutter going off. He found the strength to flip the person off and heard a faint snicker, and then the lights were dimmed, and Danny snuggled in closer to him. Tim felt Kon use his TTK to throw a blanket over the group. And that was his last thought.

Chapter Text

“Hey, little brother,” Jazz called as the four teens walked out of the zeta tubes. She waved to Ellie and Dan. She ran a critical eye over the triplets as she’d heard about their exploits in California. While both Ellie and Dani looked good, Danny looked…dim…Jazz heaved a sigh. Of course, her little brother would have done something to cause his natural glow to dim a bit, even if he was still healing.

No one, not even Frostbite, knew why Danny was healing so slowly. But unfortunately, simply sending him to the Watchtower for monitoring duty hadn’t been enough to fulfil his Protection Obsession for long. Jazz thought it had something to do with the Fentons’ utter betrayal, and Danny’s lack of acceptance. Sure, he claimed to have accepted it. He had even recounted his heart-wrenching confrontation with them on the Watchtower before they were taken away to Oa. But Jazz speculated that deep down he hadn’t truly processed Jack and Maddie’s betrayal. But Jazz also knew that if she tried to bring it up to Danny, he would shut down on her. Or push her away. Sometimes it was hard for to separate being his big sister and trying to psychoanalyze him.

“Hey, Jazzypants!” Danny responded and flew into her arms. “What are you doing here?” He asked as he floated back.

“It’s spring break. Thought we could spend a little time together,” Jazz replied, still holding onto her little brother.

“Cool,” Danny remarked with a grin.

“Hey Jazz. Guess what?” Ellie exclaimed. Jazz smiled at the younger girl’s exuberance but motioned for her to continue, knowing that Ellie didn’t actually want Jazz to play the guessing game. “I’m going by Ellie now. Still keeping Danielle. Just not going by Dani.”

“I’m so happy for you,” Jazz cooed at her little sister.

As for Jazz, even though she had officially decided to not take the Wayne name, she was still treated as part of the family. Much like Steph or Babs. But she had officially changed her last name because she no longer wanted to be associated with the Fentons. Instead, she had gone a rather non-traditional route. She had taken Tim’s original last name, Drake, and part of her family’s last name, Nightingale, from when her family had been the Fentonnightingales, and had hyphenated her name. She was now Jasmine Rachel Drake-Nightingale. She didn’t know what she would do if she ever got married, but she figured that was a Future Jazz problem. Jazz figured that taking this name would keep the paparazzi off her since she wasn’t associated with the Wayne name, and she could have a somewhat normal student life while in Gotham. Not that she thought anything about Gotham was normal. Just that without being associated with the name Fenton or Wayne, she would be less likely to be kidnapped or harassed because of either of the famous or infamous last names. She heaved a sigh and shook her head. She had other things to worry about.

Ellie launched into a tale about their recent escapade in California. Danny and Dan would interject their own version on occasion, but mostly the two boys were happy to let Ellie take point. Occasionally, Jazz would see Tim or one of the other Waynes shake their head. Jazz didn’t know if they were shaking their head in awe or disappointment that they didn’t get to see it firsthand. Probably both. Jazz was able to sneak a glance at the eldest of the trio. He looked…peaceful. Calm. Something that she hadn’t expected to see on his face. Like his core had settled. He looked up and met her eyes and nodded.

This filled Jazz’s heart with joy. To know that her little brother was no longer Dark Dan was thrilling and filled her with hope. Somehow, the triplets had settled well with the Waynes. It made Jazz so happy. A notification on her phone pulled her from her thoughts. She glanced down and frowned.

“Hey Danny. Do you know if Aunt Alicia knows about Jack and Maddie?” Jazz and in the lull of conversation.

Danny’s head snapped up from where he’d been talking to Sam and Tucker about the newest DOOMED level, looking like a deer caught in headlights. He scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, I haven’t told her. I don’t even have her number.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. For some reason, I had her Divorce-versary marked in my calendar. Don’t ask me why. It’s coming up soon, and I was just wondering if, like we should make plans to call or something,” Jazz speculated out loud. Jazz could see that they had the whole family’s attention.

“I think we should.” And then Danny got that shit-eating grin on his face that Jazz just knew the next words out of his mouth would be ones to cause absolute chaos. “We should go see her instead.” Jazz felt an instant headache bloom right behind her left eye, and that same eye started twitching.

Jazz didn’t even know where to start. The chaos in the room was immediate, which Danny, the chaos goblin that he was, knew and incited. Everyone was speaking over each other. Jazz couldn’t make out a single word. Danny just sat there with that same shit-eating grin, reveling in the chaos that he created, the little bastard. She picked up the throw pillow behind her and chucked it at his head. He merely cackled as he let it pass through him.

Jazz sighed and then whistled to gain everyone’s attention. The room stilled as all the eyes turned to her. “Danny, do you even remember how to get to Aunt Alicia’s?”

“Sure I do. I’ve never had more fun than when we had to jump out of the airplane, even though I can fly,” Danny replied. The rest of the Wayne brood looked on in slightly horrified silence.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN JUMPED FROM AN AIRPLANE?” Tim screeched into the silence. This set Danny to cackling again.

Jazz heaved another sigh. “Our Aunt Alicia is Maddie’s older sister. She lives in Spittoon, Arkansas. The only way to get to her cabin is, yes, by parachuting out of a pontoon plane. Last year, we overheard Maddie and Jack fighting. We thought they were talking about getting a divorce. What they were actually talking about was Aunt Alicia’s Divorice-versary. Her 10 year anniversary of being divorced. We ended up having a really nice time. But since it’s out in the middle of nowhere, I’m not sure if she knows about what’s been happening to Jack and Maddie. She deserves to know, and she deserves to hear it from us.” Jazz ran a hand down her face. Danny sombered at the thought.

The rest of the morning was spent attempting to plan a trip to Spittoon. As Tim had snarked, it was a logistical nightmare. Aunt Alicia would just as soon shoot Bruce, Dick, and Jason since she had some sort of weird misandry going on. They weren’t sure about taking Dan and Ellie, again, didn’t want to overwhelm her. Bruce was exceedingly reluctant to let his children go off into an unknown situation without at least some kind of back-up present. Yes, Jazz, you DO count as one of Bruce’s children, even though you don’t carry the Wayne name.

It was finally decided that Cass, Jazz, and the triplets would fly out on the Batplane to Spittoon. The area was well wooded and hidden so Cass would be able to find a place to land and hide the plane outside of the town. Then, they could hike into the town and find a ride out to Alicia’s cabin. There Jazz would be able to “explain” the triplets. Cass would have a comm, and all of them would have their trackers and panic buttons.

Tim was a little anxious letting the triplets, especially Danny, go without him, but he also realized that they had been alone before, and eventually they would be adults and would want to set out on their own. And then Danny threw a wrench by inviting Tim. He gaped at his little brother. Danny merely cackled. He said that he wanted to invite his big brother to meet the pre-Wayne family member who didn’t look at him like he was something less than human. Alicia had never particularly liked Jack, but she had given both Danny and Jazz a warm welcome when they had met her. Danny had also told the Waynes that Alicia had taken both Jazz and him aside and told them privately that if they ever needed a place to stay or things ever got out of hand in Amity, her place would be open. But somehow, both Jack and Maddie had heard it anyways. That seemed to settle things in Tim’s heart.

Black Bat and Red Robin piloted the Batplane with familiar ease. Jazz fidgeted; Spectre scowled; Wraith and Phantom were playing some type of card game. Jazz was the only one not in a costume although Bruce had forced her into a domino mask. Jazz looked like she wanted to say something, anything, but couldn’t find the words. She opened her mouth and closed it several times and wrung her hands. Another few minutes of her fidgeting before Danny sort of exploded.

“ANCIENTS JAZZ! Will you stop!!! We’re going to see Aunt Alicia, not the Joker or Spectra or Freakshow. Aunt Alicia will understand. If she doesn’t, then she’s just as bad as Maddie or Jack. But that’s why you’re going to be the one explaining things. Because as Red likes to say, I’m shit at explaining things. Besides, she did tell us that we were always welcome if things got to be too much for us back in Amity. I never took her up on it because I figured Jack and Maddie would look for me there since she said that in front of them.”

Jazz took a deep breath or five before she responded. “Yeah, you’re right. I…just…I’m worried.”

“What would all your fancy psychology books say about this?” Phantom retorted.

“It’s not my place to worry about or manage her reactions.”

“And?” Danny gestured for her to continue. Years of listening to her psychoanalyze him or reading her psychology and parenting books out loud had rubbed off on him. See, Jazz, he was listening, despite his many, many eye rolls and raspberries that might have said otherwise.

“And it’s not my responsibility to manage others’ expectations,” Jazz finished with a huff. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and decidedly did NOT pout.

The rest of the flight passed in relative silence. Phantom and Wraith had gotten bored of their game and had fallen asleep against each other. Phantom’s mouth was wide open, and Wraith was light snoring. Spectre wasn’t sleeping per se, but his eyes were closed. Every so often, he’d crack an eye open and check on his siblings, and then he’d go back into his meditative stance or whatever it was that he was doing. Jazz was too keyed up to even attempt at resting. She didn’t know how the vigilantes did this kind of thing on a regular basis.

“Close. Straps,” Black Bat announced in her soft voice over the comms. Jazz strapped herself down, while Spectre shook the others awake to repeat the process. The Batplane landed in a wooded area as planned. Then Black Bat engaged the cloaking mechanism so that it became practically invisible.

Cass and Tim changed clothes back into civvies, and all three of the Phantom siblings transformed back into their human halves. Jazz let Cass help her take off the domino. And then group walked off the plane. They were greeted with a small cacophony of noise. Which was surprising considering the noise the engines of the plane must have made when they landed. But birdsong, insect buzzing, and the rustling of leaves wafted through the forest as though the Batplane hadn’t disturbed the area. Perhaps it hadn’t.

The walk into Spittoon was…something. Tim had seen movies that were set in what was supposed to be the Old West or a tiny town lost to time. But he had never actually expected to see one in person. There was an honest to goodness store with a sign over that said general store. A saloon with multiple hitching posts outside of it. The only thing that seemed to be updated on the saloon were the doors. Most of the vehicles looked to be from the 60s or 70s. Tim would have bet actual money that there wasn’t a vehicle newer than 1990.

From there, the trek to Alicia’s cabin seemed to fly by. Alicia Walker was a broad-shouldered woman with the same orange hair as Maddie, although she had light blue eyes instead of the violet eyes that Maddie sported. She wore a pink checkered shirt under a pair of overalls and was working in her garden when the group walked up. Alicia heard their footsteps and turned with a shovel in her hand. When she saw Jazz and Danny, she dropped the shovel and ran up to both of them and grabbed them up in a back-breaking hug.

“Jazz! Danny! Been worried about you kids,” Alicia exclaimed when she broke apart from the hug. Then she saw Ellie, Dan, Tim, and Cass and looked back at Jazz and Danny for an explanation.

“I can explain. Let’s go inside,” Jazz said with her hands raised, hoping to placate her aunt.

Alicia nodded slowly and turned and led the way for group to follow. Once inside, she offered them drinks and snacks. Jazz sat on a wooden chair, stolen from the dining table. Tim and Cass leaned against a wall, while the triplets filled up the couch. Alicia took up rocking chair that she’d pulled in from the porch. The silence was both awkward and stifling.

“Alright, Jazz. Explain,” Alicia said with a heavy sigh.

With a sigh of her own, Jazz did. Haltingly and slowly. She told her aunt how she and Danny had found out about Danny’s adoption. How Jack and Maddie had attacked the UN Summit and then had been arrested. Not only arrested, but taken away by the Justice League. How they were so obsessed with ghosts that they could no longer acknowledge the harm they’d done to their children. Jazz had to edit out the vigilante parts of their lives, but that was something she was used to doing. By the time Jazz was done, Alicia was gripping her glass tightly. She never much liked Jack, but she’d had hoped that Maddie wouldn’t have fallen so low. Alicia wasn’t so naïve as to believe that it was only Jack’s influence; he was just the catalyst that exacerbated the issue.

Alicia sat in stunned silence for a few minutes before getting up and pacing a few minutes to process everything. But once she felt she had a great handle on her feelings, she realized that though she would miss Maddie, she wasn’t particularly hurt by this revelation. They had been growing apart as they got older, and the last time they had visited Alicia had a feeling that something like this was bound to happen.

So, Alicia did the only thing she knew. She called for a celebration. The other locals from Spittoon were quick to arrive with their instruments. Jazz and Danny were mildly surprised by their aunt’s actions. And yes, Alicia had told Danny that he was still her nephew, regardless of blood-relations. She’d even told Tim, Dan, and Ellie that they could call her aunt as well. The party lasted long into the night. As these things were wont to do. Alicia finally called it a night when she realized that the youngsters had started fading, and Danny and Ellie had almost faceplanted into their rhubarb pie.

Alicia pulled out her whole stash of blankets and pillows. Thankfully, her neighbors had also lent her a bunch of extras as well. Jazz ended up sleeping in the spare room with Cass. While the triplets and Tim repeated their cuddle pile from their California trip. Alicia moved her rocking chair back to her porch and sat watching the moon surround itself by twinkling stars. She heaved a sigh and ran a hand through her messy hair and down her face. She realized that since Jazz and Danny had arrived, she’s been sighing a lot.

The floorboard creaked behind her. “I know yer there, Danny,” she said without turning around. She heard his soft huffing laugh as he sat on the porch swing. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Alicia spoke again. “Yer don’t have to tell me nothin’ but haveta ask. Did my idiot sister hurt ya?”

Danny sat quietly for a moment while he thought about what he was going to tell his aunt. “You know how they always worked with ectoplasm, right?” Alicia nodded. “They always did tests on me and Jazz. Things like blood draws and whatnot. To test our ecto-contamination levels is what they always told us. After the portal opened, the house was flooded with ectoplasm. Maddie and Jack always wore their hazmat suits. But they didn’t think to have the same precautions for me and Jazz. It didn’t help that my bedroom was directly over the portal, or that I was always helping Phantom fight the other ghosts. So, I was exposed to even more ectoplasm. About eight months ago, they tested my ecto-contamination levels and said that I’d crossed some kind of ‘threshold’.” Danny made air quotes at the word.

Alicia grimaced. She knew her sister’s hatred of ghosts well. After all, their dad had been murdered by a ghost. She knew she wouldn’t like what her nephew was going to say, but she had to ask. “Danny, what happen’d?”

He shook his head. “They, Maddie and Jack, sold me to a government agency called the Ghost Investigation Ward. I was there for a few days. Then, I managed to escape and make my way to Gotham where I eventually found Tim.”

Danny refused to tell Alicia what the GIW had done to him. It was bad enough that he’d traumatized his new family with what the GIW had done; he was about to subject his old family to that. He knew that Jazz was listening, and it was likely that Tim, Dan, Ellie, and Cass were listening as well. Tim, Cass, and Dan certainly didn’t need a rehash.

Alicia, to her credit, didn’t push or prod for more information. But she also knew that Danny wasn’t telling her the whole truth. But that was fine. He and Jazz were happy and healthy, and that was all that mattered. She stretched and shoved up and off her chair. She realized that she was finally ready for sleep. She leaned over Danny and ruffled his hair.

“Come on, kiddo. It was bedtime a while ago.”

Danny huffed at her but leaned into her touch. She opened the door for him, and he shuffled forward back into the cabin. She realized then that she and her nieces and nephews would be ok. Danny had been hurt; maybe Jazz too. But. She could tell that they were better. They both radiated a sort of glow that she hadn’t seen since her wedding day and subsequent Divorce Day. Tomorrow would hold new problems, new issues, or new threats. But for tonight. Tonight. She would sleep with her family under her roof. And let tomorrow worry about itself.                                                                                                                             

Chapter Text

“Danny, Dick wants to know if you would like to meet his old team?” Tim asked, looking up from his tablet.

“His old team?” Danny looked up at his brother from his laptop where he was working on submitting some forms needed for Gotham U. His graduation from high school was coming up within the next month, and although he was taking the summer off, the university still required some forms to be submitted before the fall semester began, especially since he was on scholarship. There had been a few complications due to his name change, but Tim had helped walk him through everything that he needed.

“Yeah, the original Teen Titans. Dick wants to know if you would like to meet them,” Tim replied to clear Danny’s confusion. And then, Danny’s face lit up in recognition.

“Really! When can we go?” He practically yelled in his excitement. He also began floating about 3 feet in the air, much to Tim’s amusement. His freckles were lit up, and his hair had puffed up like something out of a Ghibli movie. Tim shook his head at his brother’s antics.

“Not sure. Let me text Dick. It was his idea, and it’s his team. Although Starfire mostly operates with Jason’s Outlaws; Raven is under Dark; Cyborg is one of the main tech and cyber security operators for the League; and Beast Boy is under the main part of the League,” Tim informed his balloon of a brother, who had begun bobbing just like a helium balloon. Duke and Steph snickered while they were watching Danny’s antics. “Ellie. Dan. Do you two want to come as well?”

“Nah. Jazz, Sam, Cass, and Steph promised to take me shopping,” Ellie looked up from her Switch with a mischievous glint in her eye.

“I promised Pandora that I would swing by, so she could use me to help train her Legionnaires. Gonna be gone for a few days,” Dan replied lazily. Danny grinned at his brother, knowing that he was about to get the shit beaten out of him. He wasn’t sure if Dan knew he was about to get his ass kicked. Danny remembered being target practice for Pandora’s Legionnaires. His bruises had bruises. FOR DAYS. Even with his advanced healing factor.

“Dick says we can leave tomorrow.”

Danny whooped and did loops in the air. His eyes flashed green. Everyone else in the room, long since used to his emotional displays, ignored him, although Tim would occasionally tense or flinch when Danny’s eyes flashed green. But Tim had confided in Danny that it was a Tim thing and nothing that Danny needed to be overly concerned about. This was especially true since Jason had apologized.

The next morning dawned bright and clear for once in Gotham. Dick woke his little brothers. Tim appeared and grumbled at Dick’s overzealousness. Danny, though, appeared at the door already dressed and ready and barely able to keep his feet planted on the ground. Dick and Tim both had to reach out occasionally and pull Danny back down. Dick was just happy to get to spend time with two of his little brothers.

Dick and Tim got dressed in the changing room down in the cave. After they reappeared, Danny transformed into his Phantom form. Tim handed him a watch looking device and informed his brother that it was a prototype for tracking core fluctuations. Danny asked how he had made it, and Tim told him that he had worked very closely with Tucker and had occasionally contacted Frostbite to make sure that Tim understood how core readings worked. Danny’s core purred in response to Tim’s care.

The three made their way to the zeta tube, and although Danny’s anxiety over the tubes had dwindled significantly, he still didn’t like the feeling of the zeta tubes. He had to admit that traveling by them made things easier. But Danny didn’t think that he would ever like them. They were too similar to the death trap that was Jack and Maddie’s Ghost Zone Portal. They popped out in the familiar T-shaped tower.

“Friend Nightwing!” A red-headed woman shrieked as they entered the common area. Four other heads turned to the newcomers as the trio walked in. Raven gave Phantom a weird look but otherwise kept her mouth shut.

“Guys, you know Red Robin, but this is Phantom, another new little brother,” Nightwing said pulling Phantom into his side.

“Ah, so you’re Phantom. It’s nice being able to put a face to a name. Although I’m wondering why Bats put you on the reserve JL list. Usually, you have to be 18 for that,” Cyborg commented after shaking Phantom’s hand.

“That’s probably because I’m a heavy hitter. Think Superman meets Martian powers with few of their weaknesses,” Phantom said while rubbing the back of his neck. “He should have added Wraith and Spectre on there as well since we all have the same powerset.”

“I’d wondered about that. Well, it’s nice to meet you. It’s unusual for Bats to adopt so many at once,” Cyborg said with a laugh.

“Do you want to change?” Nightwing asked both of his brothers after they finished the round of introductions. As expected, both of his younger brothers nodded. Red Robin went to his usual room while Phantom just instructed the others to close their eyes so that he could transform. Once he was back to being Danny, Raven gave him another side-eye. Danny decided that was a problem for Future Danny.

“Man, that was awesome! How does that work?” Beast Boy, or Garfield, ran around Danny changing from a cat into a dog into an eagle back to a cat and then back into his human shape in the span of a few seconds. It almost made Danny dizzy watching him. Danny laughed at the other man.

Tim came back out in civvies, a Gotham U hoodie and loose blue jeans, and both Victor and Kory gasped at the resemblance between Danny and Tim. Tim sat on the couch, and of course, Danny sat next to him. The Titans filed in around them, with Rachel taking the seat farthest from Danny. Victor was dressed in loose gray sweats. Kory had on black jeans and a lavender top. Rachel was wearing a black hoodie, with black jeans, and black combat boots. Danny privately thought she looked like a darker version of Sam. Garfield was wearing a black and white t-shirt with gray-washed ripped jeans. Dick came back out of his room wearing classic Nightwing sweats; Danny snorted at his eldest brother. Danny, of course, was wearing his go-to NASA tee and regular jeans.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with the team getting to know each other. Then, they broke out the game console for a round of Mario Kart. At least, this round of Mario Kart wasn’t as violent as playing back home in Wayne Manor. Dick ordered a dozen pizzas for the group, and when it was delivered, he made sure to tip really well. He remembered all too well what the delivery driver would have to go through to get to Titan Tower, plus carrying twelve pizzas couldn’t have been easy.

The next morning Dick explained that Danny had wanted to get some training with Garfield on his shapeshifting. But Dick also wanted to run the whole team through their paces to make sure they had kept up with their individual training. Plus, he wanted to see how they would hold up against Danny/Phantom. Garfield was practically vibrating at the thought of a new sparring buddy as they gathered in the training room.

“So, I’ve been told that I can mold my ectoplasm, basically like shapeshifting. I know that I have 3 forms, but I would like to be able to shift to something not so eldritch,” Danny explained.

“Got it,” Garfield said as he shifted into an elephant. Rachel threw another glare at Danny when he mentioned being eldritch. At some point, Danny knew that he was going to have pull her aside and get to the bottom of her glares and side-eyes.

Dick began the match, and Garfield carefully helped Danny begin his shifting training. Rachel, Victor, and Kory sat to the side watching with keen interest. Tim was on his laptop taking notes. Tim had also made sure that Danny was wearing his core tracking device so that Tim could track any core fluctuations. Garfield instructed Danny to picture an animal that he knows well; that it would be the easiest for him to shift his form into that animal.

The air around Danny shimmered greenly as Danny concentrated, and then with a pop, a small, green-faced purple back gorilla was in the training area. Garfield stopped short and gaped at Danny. Everyone crowded around the teenager to gawk at him.

“Dude! You’re that teenager who discovered the purple back gorilla was a female! And discovered their language! They did an article about you in Genius Magazine and everything!” Garfield cried. Tim and Dick looked at their brother in amazement. Danny rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Um, yeah. It was for an extra credit homework project. My friend, Sam, suggested that we spend the night at the local zoo. One of my rogues ended up hunting me down there. I got trapped in the enclosure, and she helped kicked his ass. Then I learned that Sampson was actually Delilah. We’ve been sort of friends ever since. They’re even moving her to Gotham since that’s my new home,” Danny explained.

“That’s amazing, Danny,” Dick gushed. He reached out and ruffled the younger boy’s hair. Danny let out an indignant squawk and batted the elder’s hand away while glaring at him. Dick just laughed at his little brother.

After a few more minutes discussing the purple back gorilla, Dick got the training back on track. It was interesting to watch Danny spar against both Kory and Rachel. Kory got her powers from emotions, much in the same manner that Danny fueled his own powers. Kory could grapple with Danny, and his intangibility was 50/50 at best.

When facing off against Rachel, his invisibility didn’t work at all. A steady chant of “Azarath! Metrion! Zinthos!” filled the arena. Because her spell was like looking at whirlpools of darkness, it kept knocking invisible Danny back into the visible spectrum. They didn’t engage in hand-to-hand combat, Dick whistled appreciatively when they both floated down exhausted.

“Little Ghostie, you did well!” Dick remarked after everyone had their cooling off showers. “Everyone did well. I’ll order us some Chinese take-out.” With that he disappeared.

“Hey, uh, Rachel, um, Raven. Can I talk to you?” Danny said called after the young woman. She nodded, a frown marring her pale face. They walked to a small room set off to the side. An oval table with a few chairs was inside. Rachel sat on one side, and Danny took the other.

“What did you want?” Rachel asked stiffly, folding her arms across her chest.

“I wanted to ask why you’re being so weird around me,” Danny said bluntly.

“Hmm. You radiate an immense Death Aura. It makes me uneasy,” she huffed at the other.

“Huh. You can sense that?” She nodded. “Maybe that’s because I’m what’s called a Halfa. Half-human, half-ghost, but I’m also the Ghost King.”

It was like a switch flipped. Her eyes turned a deep red, even darker than Dan’s when he was being emotional. Danny could see she was fighting something, but he didn’t know what. There were sounds coming from her mouth that were distinctly not human. If Danny had to guess, he would say that they were somewhere on the demonic scale, although he couldn’t say for certain since he didn’t have much experience dealing with demons.

Rachel let out a piercing scream as the red gemstone on her forehead began glowing. A dark, writhing mass-like portal opened out of the gemstone. Out stepped a being that stood taller than any other entity that Danny had ever faced. This being had jet black hair and horns, six baleful yellow eyes, and fire red skin. In a flash, Danny transformed into his Kingly Phantom form.

Red Robin sprinted into the room just as Trigon powered up an electrical blast and fired it at Phantom. Unfortunately for Phantom, his electrokinesis was paired with a hellfire blast. It hit Phantom square in the chest and blasted him clean through the wall. Red Robin shouted after his brother, but Trigon was gone. Danny had de-transformed and had made a crater where he landed.

Red Robin rushed outside yelling for Kon and Superman. He’d already updated Bruce. When he got to Danny’s side, his form was flickering in and out of his Phantom form. But the thing that worried Red Robin the most was the faint cracks all across Danny’s skin.

Just as both Superboy and Superman landed, Beast Boy and Cyborg came running outside. “Uh guys. We have a problem. Deathstroke was seen in the area around the Chinese restaurant where Dick went to get our food. And Dick is missing.”

Tim felt a pit open in his stomach. His little brother was badly injured, and his older brother was missing.

Well. Fuck.

Chapter Text

Danny woke up in pain. This was nothing new. He’d long since grown used to waking up in pain. Danny also woke up with Tim’s face scrunched up above him as his head bobbled on his shoulders while he slept. Again, this was nothing new. In the almost eight months that he’d been with his brother, Danny had spent more time unconscious than not, and he knew Tim was about to have an aneurysm because of him. Danny also woke in what appeared to be something like a hospital bed, like what could be found in the Cave’s infirmary. Once again, this was nothing new. What WAS new was not recognizing the ceiling above him.

Danny groaned. Or well attempted to groan. His throat felt like he’d been swallowing sandpaper and sawdust. His head gave a throb like someone was working a jackhammer inside his skull. But apparently, he made just enough noise that Tim’s eyes flew open, and Danny was met with an armful of an older brother.

“Danny! You’ve been out for nearly 2 days! I’ve been so worried!” Tim exclaimed once he pulled back.

“That…that tracks,” Danny said after taking an internal stock of himself.

The demon, Tricut, or something, Danny hadn’t really gotten a name out of the demon before he’d gotten smacked down. The demon hadn’t even monologued at him…which RUDE. Didn’t the demon know the rules of villainy. He was supposed to announce why he was there in a monologue which would give the heroes a chance to counteract or counterattack.

“Danny are you even listening to me?” Tim huffed, flicking Danny’s forehead. Tim finally handed Danny some well-needed water for his dry throat, instructing his little brother to sip it slowly. Danny took the cup in shaking hands.

“Ow,” he muttered half-heartedly. Danny directed a glare at his older brother, but Tim was typing  at his laptop and didn’t notice. “Where are we anyways?”

“Fortunately, Titan Tower has an infirmary. B made sure that it was up-to-date,” Tim automatically replied without looking up. He seemed to be even more stressed and sleep deprived, which was a feat in and of itself.

“Tim. What happened?” Danny asked, pushing himself up. It was then that he noticed the faintly glowing green cracks racing across his skin. ‘Huh…that…that can’t be good,’ he thought to himself.

“WHAT HAPPENED?!?! WHAT HAPPENED?!?!” Tim shrieked, pulling at his hair. Danny reached up and grabbed his brother’s hands before he managed to do any damage. Tim took a few deep breaths to calm himself, realizing that Danny had been unconscious for two days and didn’t know. “That demon you were fighting. That was Trigon, leader of Azarath. Raven is his daughter. He used her as a sort of portal. While the two of you were fighting him, or more like getting your asses handed to you, one of Dick’s old Rogues showed up. A right twat called Deathstroke.

Deathstroke is…he’s hard to explain. He’s a mercenary assassin. When Dick first establish the Teen Titans, he wanted Dick as an apprentice. Put Dick through hell. Made him turn on the Titans at one point.” Danny sucked in a breath. Tim nodded. “Yeah, it was bad. Dick never came back from getting food. We think Deathstroke has him. The problem is that all of our trackers and comms went offline.”

“Fuck,” Danny muttered.

“Yeah, fuck,” Tim said as he went back to working on his laptop.

“What’re you working on?”

“I’m trying triangulate where Deathstroke might have taken Dick, especially since Dick was in his civvies,” Tim replied absentmindedly.

“I can track him.”

Tim’s head shot up, and his blue eyes locked on his brothers. Tim’s mouth opened in shock. “What. Do. You. Mean. You. Can. Track. Him?” Tim asked in the silence, punctuating each word.

“Dick is part of my Fraid. Granted his Fraid bond isn’t as strong as mine with you and Jason, but the point is that he’s still Fraid. I can use the Fraid bond as a sort of tracker or homing beacon,” Danny said while rubbing the back of his neck.

“Fine. This is fine. I’m fine,” Tim muttered. Tim rubbed his hands against his eyes until he saw spots. “But. First. Do you have any way to contact Frostbite without actually going to the Realms?”

“Yeah, Tucker set up a communicator.”

“Ok. I’m gonna get B on the line, along with the others. Then, we can get back our older brother,” Tim said as he snapped his laptop closed.

The sound of running feet caught Danny’s attention. His door burst open, and the other former Teen Titans burst in. Or well most of them. Three out of five of them. Danny didn’t see Raven, and he hoped that she was ok. Beast Boy was currently in the shape of a bloodhound, Cyborg was wearing a different set of sweats, and Starfire almost like an Amazonian. Batman came swooping in, silently as always, behind them. Superman and Superboy were right behind Batman.

“Danny says he has a way to track Dick,” Tim said without any preamble. Six pairs of eyes turned to focus on Danny. Danny fidgeted uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

“Dick’s Fraid. Ghost Family. I can track him through my bond with him,” Danny explained with another neck rub.

“Hn,” Batman grunted out which was Batspeak for “Robin Report.”

-----------

“Really, Slade, this is what you go with? I thought you were over trying to get me as your apprentice?” Dick quipped around a busted lip.

“You misunderstand, Little Robin. There’s no one coming for you. We’re in a lead and Kryptonite lined underground bunker. Superman and his little clone can’t hear or see you. I’ve disabled all of your trackers. No one is coming,” Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, purred sarcastically.

“My family and teammates will NEVER stop searching for me,” Dick spat. He could feel blood caking around his busted lip, but he could also feel blood slowly leaking from where Slade had hit him on the head. He was internally cussing himself out because he should have been more spatially aware. His head gave a pulse of pain, but he refused to give Slade the satisfaction of knowing just how much he was hurting.

Dick tried to take stock of where he was beyond the supposed underground bunker. Slade knew him well enough to not let him roam freely so he was tied down with a mixture of ropes, chains, and leather. Dick even felt duct tape just for good measure. He forced his body to relax. He and Slade had been through this before. Slade couldn’t hurt him. Not really. And Dick knew that Bruce and the other would never give up him. Tim hadn’t given up on Bruce when he was lost in the timestream even when all evidence pointed to him being dead. There was a body for Ancients’ sake…well, fuck. Danny was rubbing off on him because now he was saying “Ancients” like their resident ghost.

But the point was. Tim hadn’t given up. Had traipsed around the world, blowing up League of Assassin bases, losing his spleen in the process, just to prove Bruce wasn’t dead. Tim’s relationship with the rest of the family had suffered as a result, but Dick knew his family. He knew Bruce and Tim, and now with the addition of Danny. They would come for him. There wasn’t any doubt in his mind.

Dick lost track of time. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been held captive. Slade would feed some concoction of gruel, and then he would make sure to take him for bathroom breaks. Dick hated it. Hated it with a passion. He felt like a little child who needed to be led by the hand, never to be let out of the teacher’s sight or hand. Fucking damnit. He kept telling himself he just had to hold on. Someone would come and rescue him.  

Slade opened the door for yet another feeding time. Dick was beginning to lose feeling in his hands. His toes were tingling. That was never a good sign. His head was still throbbing. He was pretty sure he was concussed. But his head wound didn’t seem to be bleeding any more, not that Slade had bandaged any of his wounds. Hell, he hadn’t even given Dick a change of clothes. The bastard.

-------

Batman listened to those around him construct a plan to rescue Dick. He had to think of him as DICK not Nightwing since he was taken as Dick. He was in civvies. Batman felt his jaw clench at the reminder that his eldest son had been taken by a mercenary assassin. He was sure that if he weren’t wearing his gauntlets, his fingernails would be embedded in the palm of his hand and drawing blood. He tuned back into the conversation.

“And we’re sure that Deathstroke will have Kryptonite on hand?” Superman asked.

“From Nightwing’s file on him, yes. He’s a master planner. Deathstroke knows that we Bats are associated with the Justice League in general and the Supers in particular. He probably would have contacted Luthor for some Kryptonite. He’s probably also got Nightwing in a lead-lined underground bunker,” Red Robin explained.

“Wait. What is Kryptonite?” Phantom asked. The room went silent. Superman spluttered. Phantom’s cheeks turned a dark green, indicating his blush. “I mean, I know it’s a space rock, but like what is it?”

“Superman. Superboy. Step out. I’ll show him,” Red Robin demanded. The two Supers looked at Red Robin and then slunk away. From a special lead-lined pocket on his utility belt, Red Robin pulled out a small chunk of glowing green rock. He handed it to Phantom. “This is Kryptonite. What it is is pieces of Krypton that was irradiated to hell and back when Krypton blew up and landed on our earth.”

“That…that is like basically crystalized ectoplasm. It smells yummy. Like cotton candy or pop rocks,” Phantom said in a strained voice. His pupils had dilated until his normally green eyes were almost solid black.

Red Robin hastily put the chunk of Kryptonite away. Phantom huffed at his brother and keened a whine. “BAD PHANTOM! You can’t eat the radioactive and/or possibly poisonous space rock,” Red Robin huffed as he flicked his brother on the forehead. Phantom whined again, although his eyes were slowly returning back to their normal Lazarus green. Red Robin exchanged a look with Batman. With that single glance, they knew that they would have to keep their entire stock of Kryptonite on lockdown; maybe even put it under a ghost shield.

“Focus,” Batman grunted sharply.

Both Red Robin and Phantom straightened. Batman watched as Phantom surreptitiously stuck his tongue out at Red Robin. Batman almost cracked a smile. Almost. But he forced himself to remain in the stoic visage of Batman while his boys, mostly Red Robin, resumed their report after recalling the two Kryptonians. After that, plans were made.

Superman and Superboy would remain outside because Red Robin was very sure that Deathstroke would have Kryptonite inside where he was holding Dick. Cyborg had provided very useful information regarding the rogue mercenary. How their previous fights had gone. How he had used certain weapons. What his tactics were likely to be. Batman felt like they had a solid plan.

Phantom pulled on his core to follow his Fraid bond to Dick. Batman noted the wince which morphed into a grimace. A sheen of green sweat beaded on Phantom’s forehead. He’d closed his eyes in order to concentrate. Then, from the center of his chest where his core was located a small silver blue thread appeared. Phantom’s eyes popped open; they were no longer ectoplasmic green. They were ice crystal blue.

But they had been prepared for this. Batman was with Superman. Red Robin was being held by Starfire. Superboy held Cyborg, and Beast Boy was rapidly morphing from animal to animal. Phantom jerked and then was off like he’d been shot out of a cannon. The rest of the team followed. Even if they lost him, Red Robin had activated Phantom’s trackers. Just in case.

Phantom’s Fraid bond took the group roughly two hundred miles from where Dick had been taken. And as predicted, they found an underground bunker positively reeking of Kryptonite and lined in lead. Batman, Red Robin, and Cyborg’s sensors all caught multiple traps laid out and waiting as well. Several land mines, explosives of unknown origin, turrets that Cyborg was certain the ammo was laced with poison, multiple trip wires. The list was nearly endless. But Batman felt they were ready.

Phantom’s eyes finally faded back to their steady green. He rubbed a hand over the center of his chest. Batman wanted, oh so very desperately, to keep him from charging inside. But on the other hand, he knew that the team, and his son, would need Phantom’s unpredictableness. Batman and Red Robin were fairly certain Deathstroke didn’t know about Phantom. Or if he did, he didn't know the full extent of Phantom’s capabilities.

The two Supers were NOT happy about having to wait on the sidelines, but they were as prepared as possible. Phantom went invisible and intangible and followed the silver-blue Fraid thread towards where Dick was being held. Dick was huddled as best as he could in his bindings on the sparse bed that Deathstroke had provided with a rampaging fever. For all of Deathstroke’s care, he hadn’t quite done enough, and a couple of Dick’s wounds had gotten infected, and he was still fighting the aftereffects of the concussion.

Dick’s eyes blearily attempted to focus on Phantom. He stiffened as he felt the temperature drop in the cell. His eyes, at last, found the blurred outline that was Phantom’s invisible form. He made a strangled noise but felt Phantom’s cool hand stamp out the sound as his little brother placed it over his mouth. Dick nodded once to indicate he got the message. Phantom took a moment to phase Dick’s bindings off. Dick shivered as the cool wash of Phantom’s intangibility spread to him.

“RR and Batman are waiting just outside, as well as your old team. I think they are itching to take down Deathstroke,” Phantom whispered in Dick’s ear as he floated the both of them through the door.

Sure enough, Dick caught the sound of fighting. He desperately wanted to join and feebly struggled in Phantom’s hold, but Phantom kept his grip tight and didn’t falter. Dick tried to protest, but his brain was mush, and his throat felt like he’d been chugging sandpaper for ten days straight. Phantom dropped Dick into the waiting arms of Superman, whose grip was both gentle and firm. Dick stopped struggling to get free and sighed.

The sound of fighting and gunshots drew nearer. Superman floated further back. Dick resisted the urge to snap at Superman. A pained grunt that had to be from Phantom met all of their ears. Dick’s fevered brain kicked into overprotective mode. He ramped up his struggles to get out of Superman’s hold, but he wasn’t called the Man of Steel for nothing. Dick pleaded for Superman to let him go, but Superman turned “deaf” ears towards the now weeping bundle in his arms.

A few moments later, Cyborg came trotting out looking a little battered. But he was holding the same chains and ropes that had just been used to hold Dick. In the middle of those chains was Deathstroke. His orange and black mask was cracked and dented. There was blood splattered across his armor, but Dick knew that Deathstroke had a healing factor, so none of his wounds were currently bleeding. Fucking bastard. At least, he was walking with a slight limp.

Dick couldn’t help the vicious grin that spread across his face. “Told you they were coming for me,” he gloated. Batman glared at his eldest, but Dick couldn’t find it in himself to really care.

Deathstroke was handed off to Wonder Woman to be taken to Mount Justice for containment. Zatana and Constantine had also been working on new containment wards on the cells there. This was the perfect opportunity to test both the security of the cell itself and the wards. With Deathstroke in custody, Batman and the others were able to turn their attention the other threat that had appeared. Trigon.

Superboy took Dick up to the Watchtower for medical treatment, much to the other man’s vehement protests. But both Red Robin and Phantom had threatened to get Penny One involved which cowed Dick into compliance. No one could make the Bats behave like a disappointed Alfred. Dick muttered curses as he hung semi limply in the younger Super’s arms while they flew off. This made flying arrangements a little more difficult, but they made it work. Superman still carried Batman. Cyborg switched to Starfire, while Phantom carried Red Robin. Beast Boy had chosen a peregrine hawk.

They found Trigon rampaging in San Francisco. Several members of the Justice League were already on site, but they weren’t doing much damage to the demon. Before they could stop him, Phantom morphed into his Eldritch form. Two black horns erupted from Phantom’s head. Two arms sprouted from his side. A dozen eyes popped open. His jaw unhinged, and there were at least three rows of teeth on both jaws. And those teeth looked impossibly sharp. A glowing crown made of crystalline blue-green ice floated above his horns.

Phantom shrieked his rage at the demon. Trigon turned all six eyes on the intruder. They traded blows back and forth. The Justice League watched in horror as the green cracks across Phantom’s inky black skin became more pronounced. Red Robin sat terrified as Trigon backhanded Phantom through several buildings. Phantom’s landing made a crater several feet wide and about four feet deep.

Red Robin raced to the crater. But Phantom’s body wasn’t THERE.

IT…HE WASN’T THERE!!!!

Instead, he found a marble-esque looking ball, about the size of a golf ball rolling around what was essentially ground zero. It was blue, green, dark purple, and deep mahogany. Almost like bruises and blood mixed with ice and ectoplasm. There was also bits of black swirling around it. Red Robin could see a crack almost splitting the ball in two, but thankfully, the crack hadn’t quite achieved a full split. Red Robin let out a strangled sob as he realized exactly WHAT he was seeing.

Phantom’s Core.

Frostbite had warned them that if Phantom had gotten to the point where he was so badly injured or his Core continued to not heal properly, Phantom would retreat into his Core. Red Robin picked up the literal representation of Phantom’s soul with shaking hands. He heard the sound of the battle rage around him, but his priority now was to get Phantom’s Core away from the danger. He called for Superboy, knowing that the Super would have returned from the Watchtower.

“KON! KON!” He screamed, his throat shredding, not caring about codenames in the field. He coughed up blood and spat it out. Superboy landed next to him. He stumbled into the clone’s arms, sobbing onto his chest. “Get me to Gotham!”

“Rob?”

“No time, Kon. Get. Me. To. Gotham. Now!” Red Robin barked out the order. Superboy swept Red Robin up in his arms. Red Robin sent a brief coded message to Batman explaining his and Phantom’s absence. Then, as he and Superboy flew east, he cradled the Core to his chest, tears leaking from his mask in droves.

Chapter Text

Batman received the brief coded message from Red Robin and looked up just as Superboy was a speck in the distant sky. Batman could just barely make out Red Robin being carried bridal style in Super’s arms. Batman turned his attention back to the current battle raging around him and grit his teeth. He could NOT panic, nor could he worry about both of his sons. He began coordinating the battle through his Justice League communicator. There were still too many variables in the field at the moment.

But the thing with the Justice League, they had all learned to work together in critical moments like this. They had learned to take Batman’s orders without question. Sure, they might grumble and complain, but they still completed their assigned tasks. They knew that without working together, lives could be lost.

Batman watched as Trigon knocked Superman through three buildings and gave a sympathetic wince. Superman would be down for a bit, if he would be returning at all. But Wonder Woman, who had returned from securing Deathstroke, all four of the Green Lanterns, Martian Manhunter, Constantine, Captain Marvel were able to keep the demon contained. They were even able to get in a few good hits on the demon.

With both Dick and Raven out of the fight, the remaining original Titans had thrown themselves against Trigon with a vengeance. Batman watched in stunned silence as Starfire unleashed a particularly violent attack on the demon, and he stumbled and fell. Cyborg and Beast boy began pummeling the demon with fury and vengeance stamped on their faces.

Cyborg used his plasma arm cannon to blast several holes into the demon, even though Batman could see the arm begin to glow red as though it were overheating. Beast Boy was currently in the form of a purple back gorilla and would switch with Cyborg’s shots. Starfire would swoop in with her starbolts, each one a direct hit to the demon’s chest and head. Batman recalled Martian Manhunter and the Green Lanterns as well as Constantine and Captain Marvel.

Starfire let out a shriek of rage, and her starbolt glowed an eerie electric green, a color that Batman had never seen before. It sent a shiver down his spine. Trigon tried to crawl away, but Beast Boy body slammed him as he transformed into a blue (green) whale and belly flopped on the demon. Beast Boy rolled to the side as Starfire and Cyborg both unleashed their attacks.

A dust cloud rose up from the crater that had been created from their explosion. Before Batman could switch his cowl to a different mode, Superman used his super breath to blow the dust away. There, lying in the center of the crater, was the once proud Trigon. One of his horns was missing and the other cracked in half. It looked like one of his legs was broken. Half of his face was caved in. Black blood was bleeding sluggishly from holes across his chest, arm, and stomach. He was also missing his entire right arm.

Cyborg's arm cannon was looking distinctly melty, but he didn’t seem to mind. Beast Boy plopped down on the ground, winded. And Starfire was no longer floating. All three of them bore a look of self-righteous smugness that Batman couldn’t blame them for. As he approached the trio, he heard them on the phone with Dick and Raven. Their voices held barely contained vicious glee at being able to knock the demon off his warpath, even down two members.

Before Batman could too close the air crackled with electricity and death. A swirling Lazarus green portal opened just to the left of where Trigon was laying. Batman and the other Justice League members tensed, readying for another fight. Out of the portal stepped a woman who appeared to be well over nine feet tall, with cyan blue skin and four arms. She was dressed in ancient Greek armor. She had flaming purple hair coming from the top of her helm and fierce red eyes. Strapped to her side was a xiphos, and she carried a dory in one of her hands.

“Greetings, Heroes of Earth. I am Lady Pandora of the Infinite Realms. I have been sent to collect the one called Trigon to stand trial for his crimes against High Crown Prince Phantom and his crimes against the Balance of the Veil,” the woman, Pandora, intoned. Her voice carried in a weirdly layered tone laced with static.

“What crimes did Trigon commit?” Wonder Woman, ever the pacifist, asked as Pandora began tying up the demon. The bindings that Pandora used were a mix of the same toxic green that had formed the portal that she had appeared out of and a deep dark blue.

“He has caused the High Prince to retreat into his core. Coring a Realms Denizen is tantamount to treason. Trigon did not issue a formal challenge for the throne. Additionally, his multiple attacks have caused a disruption in the Balance of the Veil,” Pandora patiently explained while Trigon raged. Pandora simply placed a blue gag in his mouth.

“We don’t kill,” Batman grunted out.

“Worry not, Knight of Lady Gotham. Trigon, as demon, is considered, however unfortunately, a denizen of the Realm. He will survive within the Realms. For now, he will be taken to the Dungeon in Phantom’s Keep. Phantom’s Council will decide his fate. But rest assured. Prince Phantom does not like to End others, even if they have caused him harm. In two days, according to your time, I will return to give you an update.”

Pandora manhandled the now bound and silenced Trigon, and another portal opened, and with a swirl of her non-existent cape, Pandora left with flourish. Trigon was kicking and screaming the entire time. Batman and those gathered with him felt some of the tension leave their bodies as the portal snapped shut behind Pandora.

Batman still hadn’t heard from Red Robin and couldn’t check with Superman to see if he could hear Superboy or Red Robin’s hearts to see if they’d made it back to Gotham. So, he did what he did best. He turned his attention to the clean up efforts in front of him. He hated it. Fortunately, the Green Lanterns were able to keep Trigon from demolishing too many buildings, and Superman and the Flash were able to evacuate the surrounding area so that the casualties weren’t as high as they could have been.

Superman landed beside the Dark Knight and clapped a hand on his shoulder. Batman looked up from this wrist gauntlet to see what the Boy Scout wanted. Superman cocked his head to the side to indicate that he wanted to speak somewhere a little more private. Batman followed after. A whispered conversation followed with Superman urging his comrade to follow his sons to Gotham. Superman informed Batman that both Superboy and Red Robin had made it to Gotham, but shortly after arriving in the gloomy city, both of their heartbeats suddenly winked out of existence.

Batman breathed a small sigh of relief, realizing that Red Robin must have taken the other Kryptonian with him in the Bat Speeder to get Phantom into the Infinite Realms. Batman informed Superman where they had gone. With one last look around, Batman asked his friend to fly him to the nearest zeta tube so that he could get back to Gotham and finally have that breakdown that was so desperately needed. And so he could check on Dick.

“Welcome back, Master Bruce, Mister Clark,” Alfred’s stoic voice greeted them as they stepped out of the zeta tube.

Batman finally pulled his cowl off and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took large strides over to the infirmary where Dick was playing games on his phone, having been released from the Watchtower’s medical care.

“Hey, B. Alfie’s being mean to me. He won’t let me go home,” Dick whined and pouted up at his mentor. That’s how Bruce knew that Dick was concussed and sicker that he knew. Bruce sighed.

“Dick, chum, you’re going to stay in the Manor at least until your brothers come home. Do you even know what happened?” Bruce asked after he ruffled Dick’s hair.

“Um, I was getting food for the Titans, and then…um…” Dick trailed off. “Danny was there…”

“Dick, Deathstroke kidnapped and had you for 2 days before Danny was able to track you. While he had you, we were also trying to fight Trigon,” Bruce carefully explained. Dick was beginning to lean against the heavy Kevlar armor while Bruce carded rough hands through Dick’s hair.

“Oh,” was all Dick could say to that. Then he sat up straight. “Where are Timtam and Dannarino?”

“Danny was hurt, so Tim and Kon took him to see his doctor in the Infinite Realms,” Bruce explained. Dick keened a whined. “I know, chum. I’m going to see if I can contact the Bat Speeder.”

Batman took a few precious moments, after the arched eyebrow from Alfred, to take a quick shower and get out of his uniform. Clark did the same. While he was attempting to connect with the Speeder, Alfred was giving him a check-up. He had a few lacerations that needed stitching, and Alfred wrapped an ice pack around his knee since it was already a lovely dark purple from where he’d wrenched it. Clark was offered some Kryptonian-strength pain killers for his headache and overall general body aches from being thrown through several buildings.

Alfred set down cups of hot chamomile tea in front of both men while Bruce worked on connecting with the Speeder. After about five minutes Superboy picked up although Bruce could tell that he’d been coached through the process by Red Robin.

“Uh, go for uh the Speeder,” Superboy’s voice crackled down the comm line.

“B, we’re close to the Far Frozen. I’ll have Chief Frostbite contact you once we have further information. Speeder out,” Red Robin said succinctly, and then the line cut out.

And no matter how Batman tried, he could not reconnect with the Speeder. He thought he might really go insane since one son was injured, although he was currently resting at the conference table; Alfred had let him out of the infirmary. Another son was injured so badly that he had to be taken to a different dimension just to be treated, while a third son was traveling with the second son.

“Come on, Bruce. Let’s get Dickiebird upstairs. Then, we can worry about Tim, Kon, and Danny,” Clark said as he swept Dick up into his arms. Dick let out a small protest as Clark carried him in a princess carry, but Clark ignored it. “Dick, you’re injured. I’m going to carry you whether you want me to or not.”

Dick stopped his protesting and dropped his head to Clark’s broad chest. Dick was almost asleep by the time Alfred led the trio to Dick’s room. Alfred opened the door, and Clark gently laid the younger man down on the king-sized bed after Alfred had pulled the covers back. Bruce pressed a kiss to the top of Dick’s head, and the three of them snuck out to the sounds of Dick’s quiet snores. Alfred promised that he would check in on Dick frequently. Clark also promised that he would keep an ear, literally, trained on Dick’s room. Clark followed Alfred to his own room (he had his own assigned room since he stayed at the Manor often enough that he was no longer considered a guest) while Bruce broke off and went next door to his room.

Bruce didn’t think that he’d be able to sleep, but he was more tired than he knew because as soon as he laid down, his eyes fluttered shut. It was only the when he heard a knock coming from his door that he realized that he had, indeed, fallen asleep and slept through all of his alarms. Or more likely, Alfred had come in his room at some point and turned off his alarms. Bruce pulled up his cell phone and looked at the time. He was shocked to see that it was close to noon. He knew that Alfred would have already called Wayne Enterprise to excuse both him and Tim. Bruce didn’t know what he would do without Alfred.

Bruce got up and completed his morning routine in the bathroom and then wrapped a robe around him before exiting his room. He found Clark and Dick in the breakfast nook looking like they had just woken up as well. He sat in his usual spot, and Alfred promptly served him some coffee. Bruce thanked his faithful butler. A few moments later Alfred served the three of them a hearty breakfast consisting of toast, bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns, with an assortment of jams and jellies to go with the toast.

They ate in silence before Bruce asked “Dick, how are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a truck,” Dick mumbled around a mouthful of toast.

Which fair.

But at least Dick no longer sounded quite as concussed which was a blessing. His pupils were still uneven, and Alfred had already sternly told everyone that Dick was under “house arrest”. Dick hadn’t protested too much, but that was probably because he could actually remember what had happened to him. Bruce could tell that his son likely had a raging headache which was why after Dick ate only half of his breakfast Bruce sent him back up to his room. Dick went without complaint. Now, Bruce and Clark were left to worry about Tim, Danny, and Kon as they made their way down to the Cave.

“B, Clark, glad you’re there. It’s nothing good,” Tim, without his mask, was waiting for them on the computer screen as they walked out of the elevator.

Bruce’s heart sank as he looked at Clark for comfort. Clark wrapped an arm around him and led him to the chair in front of the computer. Kon was standing in a near mirror image of Bruce and Clark. They both looked heartbroken and worn. Bruce forced himself to not sob but leaned heavily into Clark’s warm, strong arms. He just hoped that Danny would survive. Bruce didn’t think he could handle another dead…dead again…permanently dead son.

Chapter Text

Red Robin cradled Phantom’s Core wrapped in his cape closely to his chest. Tears were streaming unchecked down his face. Superboy was trying to talk to him, but Red Robin couldn’t answer him. His little brother had been reduced to nothing but a glowing golf-ball sized marble. The colors in the Core swirled, but thankfully the crack that ran down the center remained unchanged. Red Robin didn’t even realize that they were back in Gotham until Superboy sat him down on a medical cot in the Cave’s infirmary.

“Master Tim, are you hurt?” Alfred’s voice finally broke through his spiraling thoughts.

“Al…” Tim hiccupped and then coughed and spat out a glob of blood. Alfred was ready with a small basin and a cup of water. “Alfie, Phantom…” was all Tim could gasp out while holding out Phantom’s Core. Alfred gasped but did not take the Core from Tim. He understood that to touch a ghost’s Core was considered sacred, and he did not have the same Fraid bond with Phantom that Master Tim did.

“Mister Kon, I need you fetch several things for me. This way we can help both Master Tim and Master Danny.” The butler looked up at the Kryptonian who was nodding so hard that if he wasn’t a Kryptonian, even half of one, Alfred would have been afraid of his neck breaking.

Over the next several minutes, Alfred and Kon worked in near silence. The only sounds breaking the quiet were Alfred’s precise instructions to the Super. Help Master Tim out of his Red Robin uniform. Fetch these cushions and blankets from upstairs. Hold Tim just so in order for Alfred to clean and bandage his wounds. Put these clothes and jackets on Master Tim. See that black binder with the green ghost on it. It matches a vehicle in the vehicle bay. Follow the directions in the binder to prep the vehicle. Please and thank you.

“Master Tim, if you will, Mister Kon is needing your help with the Bat Speeder,” Alfred said as he pulled Tim’s arm through one of the thickest parkas he had in the Manor.

“You can’t take Danny away from me,” Tim nearly snarled. Tim slow blinked a few times before realizing that Alfred wasn’t trying to take Danny’s Core. His grandfather was simply trying to get Tim dressed in something warmer. “Sorry, Alfred.”

“It’s quite alright, my boy. Let’s bring him home,” Alfred said and then patted Tim’s shoulder. Tim nodded and placed Danny’s Core into the pouch that Alfred had made. Then, he tucked that pouch inside his jacket and shirts so that it sat against his chest. The only thing that separated Danny’s Core was the silk fabric of the pouch. Tim hoped that Danny could feel Tim’s heartbeat and warmth of Tim’s skin.

Tim boarded the Bat Speeder and ran through the pre-flight checks a second time. Kon had already done the preliminary checks, but Tim just wanted to make sure. After all, the only other time Tim had been in the Speeder was with Tucker co-piloting. Tim opened the comm channel to Alfred who would be manning the mad-made portal opening. It was nerve-racking. Tim clenched his fist before Kon took his hand and forcibly made him un-ball his hand from fear of Tim breaking skin. Tim sent a grateful look to the Super.

 “Red Robin to Ground Control. Speeder ready for takeoff,” Tim called through the comms.

“The Portal will open at my mark, Red Robin. Godspeed,” came the cool and calm and utterly unflappable reply.

Tim said whatever prayers to any gods that might listen, and then he heard the signal and saw the unmistakable flare of the neon green of the portal’s opening. Tim threw the Speeder’s controls forward and felt the Speeder jolt as it surged through the portal. He heard Alfred’s voice crack, just a tiny bit as the doors closed behind them, and he fought to contain his panic. For a small moment, he felt truly alone, but then Kon’s strong arms wrapped around him, and he let his head drop back against the other’s chest. For just a moment.

Then, Tim shook his head and wiped his eyes. It felt VERY different piloting the Speeder on his own without Tucker or Danny or any other member of Team Phantom with him. Tim wasn’t too entirely sure that he could remember the way to the Far Frozen. He felt…something…wrap around the controls of the speeder and very gently guide it towards the appropriate pathway and door. Like the Infinite Realms themselves were guiding the King’s Fraid.

Which. Tim wasn’t too sure if he wanted to continue that thought. A shudder ran through him.

“Rob, you good?” Kon asked softly.

“Not at all, Kon. But, I think that the Realms is helping me get Danny to his doctor. How are YOU holding up? I wasn’t too sure how this place would interact with your biology?” Tim responded, finally turning towards his best friend.

“I’m not sure. I feel…not bad, but not really great either. This place is…doesn’t quite feel like Kryptonite but it doesn’t not feel like it either,” Kon said slowly, trying to gather his thoughts.

Tim thought about it a moment, and then remembered Danny’s reaction to a chunk of Kryptonite when he’d shown it him right before rescuing Dick. “I think it might be because Kryptonite and ectoplasm may be chemically similar. Kind of how the Lazarus Pits were corrupted ectoplasm. When we get to see Chief Frostbite, Danny’s doctor, I can ask him,” Tim finally said out loud, while mulling over his thoughts.

The controls of the Speeder jerked, and they flew through a door that looked like something straight out Frozen. The door was blue with icicles hanging off it and a giant snowflake centered in the middle of it. The Speeder phased through the door, and two teenaged heroes found themselves in the middle of a winter wonderland. There was snow and ice everywhere. Tim was glad that Alfred had helped into a parka before leaving the Cave. He looked over at where Kon was sitting and could see the other thinking the same thing. In the little pouch against his chest, Danny’s Core began rolling around, as if sensing where they were.

Tim landed the Speeder in approximately the same space where they had landed before. He gave a very brief warning to Kon about the giant yetis they were about to meet, and then he opened the Speeder’s hatch. Kon stood on wobbly legs as he followed Tim down to the waiting line of actual fucking yetis throwing a glare at Tim for not giving him more of heads up. Tim, the little bastard, just laughed a little.

Chief Frostbite started to boom out his usual greeting, but when he realized that Phantom was not with them, a frown formed on his face. “Brother of Phantom, and Young Mirrorborn, Welcome. Let’s get you inside, and then you can tell me what brings you here.”

“Th—th-thankkk y-y-you, Fr-fr-fros-s-sttbi-bite,” Tim said between chattering teeth. Even with the parka on, the frozen air bit into his bones and into his soul. Kon didn’t look like he was doing much better. Tim didn’t know if it was because of the ectoplasm or the cold.

They followed after the Yeti, and thankfully the inside of the facility was much warmer than the outside. Tim breathed a sigh of relief as the warmer air unthawed his exposed nose. Frostbite led them to a room not too dissimilar from an office or study. Frostbite sat in one of the winged armchairs and motioned for the two boys to take the other chairs. Tim did so, and suddenly, the weight of the Core against his chest and the exhaustion he’d been fighting for the last few days made itself very known. Tim didn’t even realize he started crying until he felt Kon’s warm arms slip around his shoulders.

It took him a few minutes to stop, and when he did, he looked up and saw that Frostbite had brought him and Kon something warm to drink. Tim suspected it was hot chocolate, considering it had marshmallows on top. There was also a tray of snacks on the coffee table that sat between where Tim and Kon were sitting across from Frostbite. Tim reached out and chugged most of his drink, and sure enough it was hot chocolate. Then, he took a few more minutes to compose himself before facing Frostbite.

He took a deep breath, and then with careful hands (Tim would never admit that they were shaking like a leaf in a hurricane) pulled out the pouch containing the Core. He saw Frostbite’s frown deepen as if he could sense what was inside.

“Frostbite, a few days ago, our older brother, Richard, took me and Phantom to see his original hero team. While there, the demon king from Azarath, Trigon, used his daughter as a portal to attack Earth. Simultaneously, one of Richard’s old enemies kidnapped him. As you know, Phantom was already under immense stress, and well…”

As he was speaking, Tim slowly unfurled the pouch and felt the Core drop into his hands. He kept his eyes trained on the yeti and saw his yellow eyes widen in shock and horror. The yeti’s paw reached out, and with great care, took the glowing orb from Tim’s hand. Tim could see green tears pooling in the corners of the yeti’s eyes, and Tim felt tears streaking down his own cheeks. Again.

Tim watched as Frostbite carefully inspected Phantom’s Core, turning it over in each paw to see every angle. He was stricken to see the crack but also relieved to note that Phantom’s Core hadn’t cracked all the way through. At the same time, he didn’t seem to like the colors swirling throughout it either. Tim was almost afraid to ask. Almost.

“Frostbite,” Tim spoke softly.

“Yes, Young Red,” Frostbite hummed.

“What do the colors mean?”

“Hmm. That is a difficult question to answer. Normally, a ghost’s Core is reflective of their element. A fire Core would be reds, oranges, and yellows. A shadow Core would blacks and grays. For example, as of right now Phantom has an ice Core, so it should look like an iceberg or a glacier mixed with ectoplasm. Blues, whites, and greens.”

Tim nodded to indicate that he understood. He looked at his brother’s Core but didn’t see any of the colors Frostbite was talking about. What he saw was something more akin to an Aurora Borealis than something aligned with ice.

Tim said as much out loud. “Phantom’s Core looks like an Aurora, not ice.”

“Indeed it does.” Frostbite heaved a sigh and stood up.

He motioned for Tim and Kon to follow suit. He led them to a different part of the facility. The room that Frostbite led them to looked like a VIP private hospital room that contained what looked like a CADMUS cloning pod, if Tim didn’t know any better. He felt Kon stiffen beside him and placed a warning hand on his arm to calm the other down.

“Easy, Kon. It’s not what you think. This is a de-icing chamber. We have one back in the Cave,” Tim explained before Kon could get too upset.

“What…what is it used for?” Kon said thickly, no doubt forcing himself to push down horrible memories of his time in CADMUS labs.

Frostbite turned and answered, “Normally, it is used when the Great One has not been able to release enough ice and is in danger of freezing himself. However, we will change the settings on it, and it will allow us to immerse the Great One’s Core into pure ectoplasm. This will, hopefully, allow the Great One to reform.”

Tim narrowed his eyes at the giant yeti. “You don’t think he will reform?” He asked suspiciously.

“I have theories. As does Second Princess Jasmine. Would you care to hear them?” Tim nodded. “Princess Jasmine theorizes that since the Great One has not truly accepted his parents’ betrayal, that has lent itself to the Core cracking and not healing properly. Seeing the Great One’s Core, I am inclined to agree. However, seeing the colors, I believe that the Great One is also undergoing a metamorphosis of a sort.”

“What kind of metamorphosis?” Tim demanded with a raised eyebrow.

“You said yourself that his Core looks to be an Aurora. One of the Great One’s obsessions is Space. I believe that he is transforming into an Ancient,” Frostbite patiently explained.

“But he’s already the Ghost King, er, well the Crown Prince. How does him becoming an Ancient change things?”

“That, I do not know. With how deep the crack in his core is, I’m not even entirely certain he will make a full recovery.”

Tim heaved a sigh and fought to keep himself from crying. Again. “Is there somewhere I can make a call?”

“OH YES. The Tuck One set up equipment on one of his trips here,” Frostbite said with enthusiasm. Then, he led Tim and Kon to computer array that was almost as advanced as the Batcomputer. Tim gaped at for a moment before he realized that Tucker had been the one to set it up.

He dialed into the Batcomputer and waited. He didn’t have long to wait before he saw Bruce and Clark appear on the screen. “B, Clark, glad you’re there. It’s nothing good,” Tim said without preamble as the two men walked out of the elevator.

Tim could see the moment Bruce’s heart sank as he looked at Clark for comfort. Clark wrapped an arm around him and led him to the chair in front of the computer. Tim leaned into Kon for support as he relayed what Frostbite had told him. And once again, Tim’s eyes were wet with tears. He’d just found his little brother; he couldn’t lose him now. He didn’t think his family could survive the death of another kid. It barely held together when Jason had died. Tim watched as Bruce curled into Clark’s arms.

“Clark, can I trust you to relay this to the rest of the family?”

Clark looked up, startled to be addressed, but nodded. They talked for a few minutes before Tim closed the connection. He was thankful for Kon’s warm presence behind him. He wondered if Frostbite had anything for a headache because he had a feeling he would be getting a lot of those while he was here.

Kon coughed and made a gagging sound. Tim turned to look at his friend and noticed that Kon wasn’t looking so good. As much as he didn’t want to, he knew that he would have to take Kon back to the Cave. He marched off to find Frostbite to inform the Yeti of his decision. He also knew that he would be coming back. There was no way in hell that he would be leaving his little brother behind. Maybe he could bring back either Damian or Jason. Danny had seemed to bond with both of them.

“Ah, Young Red One, and Young Mirrorborn. Did you find the computer to your liking?” Frostbite asked. He was watching Phantom’s Core closely, but Tim didn’t see any changes.

“We did. Can I ask why you call me a ‘Mirrorborn’?” Kon questioned curiously.

“A Mirrorborn refers to one who is…hmm…how to put this so that I won’t offend you. I can sense that you are not on good terms with those who should have been what in your world would have been your parents.” Kon frowned. “Do you know First Princess Danielle?” Frostbite segued instead. Kon and Tim both nodded. “Danielle is a Mirrorborn of our Great One.”

“Mirrorborn would be mean a clone, then?” Tim asked, guessing the meaning from the clues.

Frostbite perked up. “Is that the Living term?” Tim and Kon nodded. “Ah. Mirrorborn refers then to one who was made as a mirror of the original but is still their own person with their own soul. Most Mirrorborn are made as a one-to-one copy of the original. But Princess Danielle and you, Young Mirrorborn, are not. That is not such a bad thing. It just makes you more unique.”

Tim decided that he liked the term Mirrorborn much better than “clone”. Clone, he decided, was an ugly epithet. Tim then informed Frostbite of what he needed to do. Kon, of course, protested saying that he felt fine. But when Tim explained that Kon was possibly suffering from Kryptonite exposure and what Kryptonite was, Frostbite had a horrified expression on his face. Tim took out the piece of Kryptonite he kept stored on his tool belt and handed it to the yeti while he led the Super back to the Speeder.

Kon was still protesting as they approached the portal, but Tim was having none of it. He wondered how much time had passed in the Living Realm and who would be manning the controls of the portal. Tim let his mind wander as he piloted the Speeder. He’d been given too many things to think about, and he was so very tired. Then, a thought occurred to him. If Jazz and Dani were both considered Princesses in the Infinite Realms, did that also make him a Prince? Huh, he would have to ask Danny about that WHEN he woke up. Because Tim firmly believed that Danny would wake up. It was when, not if.

“Speeder to Cave, approaching portal for entrance. If someone could open it, I would appreciate it,” Tim called over the comm connecting the Speeder to the Cave.

“Glad to hear your voice, Baby bird. Door will open in 5,” Dick’s voice sounded tired over the comms. Tim knew just by hearing his voice that he couldn’t have been gone that long then.

Dick counted down then seconds and then the interior of the Cave appeared. Tim pushed the Speeder through, and he could see the difference in Kon almost immediately. Kon sagged in relief in being out of the ectoplasm rich environment, even if he didn’t complain. Tim lovingly slapped his best friend on the back of the head as the Speeder landed in its dedicated spot.

The whole family was there waiting, anxiety written on all of their faces. Jazz pushed them and rushed forwards searching for Danny. Dani, Dan, Sam, and Tucker were right behind the redhead. When Jazz didn’t see her little brother, she collapsed on the floor, wailing heart wrenching sobs and pulling her hair. Cass strode over to her and grabbed her hands to keep her from doing any damage. The rest of Team Phantom curled around her to attempt to help mitigate her grief. Danny may not have been her brother by blood, but he was still her little brother.

Alfred appeared out of the shadows with a cart full of drinks and other refreshments. “Master Tim. Mister Kon. Glad to see you’ve returned. Master Tim, shall I suggest a shower and something to eat and drink before you leave us again,” Alfred said polite and in a manner that said “this was NOT a suggestion at all but an implicit order and if you don’t comply then, I’ll make you”. Tim gulped and immediately headed for the showers. Alfred nodded in satisfaction.

About fifteen minutes later Tim reappeared with a damp towel draped across his shoulders. Team Phantom was no longer on the floor, and the rest of the family had gathered at the conference table, so Tim made his way there. Tim sat gingerly in one of the office chairs that were scattered around the table and sunk down. He was tired and weary. But he still had things to do.

Those gathered at least let him enjoy his decaf (fuck you, Alfred, but not really) coffee and finger sandwiches Alfred had provided. He ate quietly and let the ambient noise around him attempt to silence the noise rattling around in his head. It didn’t succeed, but it was nice being around family again.

“Timothy. Timothy. TIMOTHY!” Damian yelled. Tim owlishly blinked up at his younger brother. Damian’s green eyes stared in concern at Tim.

“Sorry, Baby Bat. I was distracted,” he answered.

“No, you are sleep deprived. There is a difference. I was asking you who you want to go with you when you return to the Realms. But it is clear that you are in no state to return,” Damian stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tim bristled. He would NOT be staying, not with Phan…Danny in such a fragile state. Tim didn’t know when Danny would reform, but he was bound and determined to be there when his brother came back. Damian held up his hand to prevent the inevitable argument from Tim.

“From what you have told us Danny is not likely to come out of his Core within the next six hours. You will choose whoever is going with you to the Realms. With that information, you will sleep. I will wake you in precisely six hours. While you are sleeping, we will prepare for departure. Once you are awake, the person you have chosen and yourself will board the Speeder and depart. Does this sound acceptable?” Damian glared at Tim until he acquiesced.

“Fine, but if you don’t wake me up, I’ll pour water on all of your blades and leave them somewhere so they can rust,” Tim threatened. Damian nodded and held out his hand for the traditional handshake.

As much as he wanted Jason to go with him, he also knew that Jason had several commitments in Crime Alley that couldn’t be put off or done by other members of the Bat family. So, he reluctantly asked Damian to go with him. Damian puffed up his chest and preened in pride, and then he sent Tim to find somewhere to sleep. The younger boy promised again that he would wake the other up in exactly six hours.

Tim felt hands shaking him, and he came up swinging.

“Calm yourself, Timothy. I gave you my word that I would wake you when it was time to leave,” Damian said as he caught Tim’s fist.

Tim’s breath hitched in his chest, and he panted for a moment. He couldn’t believe that the allotted six hours had already passed. He couldn't believe that he had really fallen asleep. He knew he was tired, but he didn’t think he had been that exhausted. Had he been that exhausted? Meh, probably. The last week had been an absolute wrecking ball clusterfuck.

When Tim boarded the Speeder for the second time, he noted that it contained significantly more supplies than before. It held a microwave (Tim wasn’t even certain that there was a place to plug it in, until Tucker explained that it had been modified to run on ectoplasm but without the risk of bringing the food it heated up back to life), two actual suitcases for changes of clothing, and two bags for their individual toiletries. The thing that surprised Tim the most was the containers of food. It looked like Jason and Alfred had raided the Manor’s pantry and freezer and had cooked everything in stock. There were easily over three weeks’ worth of food. There were even softer foods like soups and porridges for when Danny woke up. It was all stored neatly in the freezer that Tim had ordered back when Danny had gotten the ghost flu. The freezer had been secured by a system of ratchet straps and bungee cords, but Tim was certain that it was secure enough to make the trip back to the Far Frozen.

Tim was back in the pilot seat doing the pre-flight checks with Damian in the copilot seat. Bruce walked onboard and laid his hand on each of his son’s shoulders. “Bring him home,” he said quietly. Then he turned and walked off stiffly. Tim looked at Damian, who merely nodded. It was time to go get their brother.

Chapter Text

As Tim and Damian flew through the portal, Tim glanced at Damian. He could see the younger boy stiffen in his seat. Tim wondered what he thought of the Infinite Realms, if they reminded him of the Lazarus Pits like they did Jason. He wondered if Damian would have a reaction like Jason did too. It didn’t take long for Damian to start looking around in awe. And once again, Tim felt something gently guide the Speeder’s control towards the correct path.

Tim felt some of the tension leak out of his shoulders the closer the Speeder got to the familiar door of the Far Frozen. As they made their approach, Tim got up from the pilot’s seat and handed Damian his heavy winter gear.

“Damian, put this on. It’s cold where we’re going,” Tim said as he shrugged on his own coat.

“Thank you, Timothy,” Damian said with a small nod.

“Oh, I should warn you. Danny’s doctor is a yeti,” Tim said with a smirk.

With that, the Speeder jolted as it flew through the door that marked the territory of the Far Frozen lands. Tim navigated to the same spot he’d previously landed in. He could still see the markings of Speeder’s landing gear from the last time.

“Prince Red! Welcome Back,” boomed out Frostbite.

‘Well, that answers that question,’ Tim thought to himself.

“Hi, Frostbite. This is another brother of mine, Danny’s, and Red Hood’s. This is Damian,” Tim introduced the two, watching as Damian’s eyes practically bulge out of his skull. He could tell his younger brother was just itching to run his hands through the yeti’s fur. Not that Tim could blame him. That was a giant fucking yeti.

“Well met, Young Prince Damian. It is so nice to know the Great One has found his Fraid. Come. You must be cold,” Frostbite said as he bustled the two humans inside the much warmer facilities. Damian looked at Tim in confusion at being addressed with the royal title.

“Has there been any changes?” Tim asked once he was able to shed his coat.

Frostbite turned somber eyes towards him. “The Great One has not come out of his Core yet, Young One. But the cracks in his Core are smaller. There is hope yet.”

Tim and Damian were led to a well-furnished room. A first glance, it looked like a room straight out of some medieval romance novel. Two four poster queen sized beds were on opposite walls. Both beds were draped in green (of course the sheets and blankets were green, everything was green) sheets and blankets with plump pillows at the head of the bed.

But the show piece of the room was the case that held Danny’s Core. It still looked like a CADMUS cloning pod, or the cloning pods the League of Assassins must have used because Tim saw Damian go ramrod straight when he noticed the case.

“Easy, Baby Bat. It’s not a cloning pod. It’s like our de-icing chamber we have the Cave,” Tim hastily explained.

Frostbite turned to them because that the second time Tim had explained the chamber in such a manner. “Do all Livings have such an issue with Mirrorborn?” he asked in curiosity.

“Hmm. The truth is in the Living Realm most Mirrorborn are created with nefarious purposes in mind. They are created with the intention of replacing the original who are often in places of leadership or are heroes. Those who create the Mirrorborn implant mind control codes so that the Mirrorborn will act…as you familiar with the term sleeper cell agent?” Tim asked as he placed his duffel bag on a bed.

The yeti shook his head. “Forgive me, Prince Red. I am not.”

“I didn’t think you would be. Do you know what a spy or assassin is?” These terms received a nod. “A sleeper cell agent is someone who is essentially a spy or assassin, but they don’t know they’re that those things. So, the sleeper cell goes about their day normally until a code word or phrase is spoken, and then it’s like their brain goes to sleep, and they’re being mind controlled into doing what they were programmed to do. Steal valuable information or an important object. Kill someone. Whatever it may be. Then, once the objective has been completed, they may or may not wake up.”

“That’s sounds horrible,” The yeti stated as another yeti knocked on the door. Frostbite opened it, and Tim saw that it was a cart of some of the refreshments that they had brought from the Cave for him and Damian. Tim was glad to be receiving a warm meal and drinks, although a brief part of him wondered how they knew to heat it up and what kind of technology they used.

“My Mother created several…Mirrorborn…and used them as a means to try and get me to rejoin her cause. One of them killed me when I refused. I was fortunate to have been revived by a shard of the Chaos Crystal,” Damian stated like he stated a mission report.

Frostbite looked at the youngest Bat with something akin to horror plastered on his face, if a yeti could be described as having such an expressive face. “Youngling, would you allow my husband, Hailwind to examine you once you have settled?”

“Why?” Damian asked with narrowed eyes.

“There are many records in the Royal Library of the Chaos Crystal, none of them have anything good to say about it. You also have encountered the same corrupted ectoplasm as the Red Hooded one,” Frostbite patiently explained. Damian seemed to relax, or what passed as relaxed for Damian, and he nodded up at the giant yeti.

And then, Damian and Tim were alone. Tim pressed his face up to the case so that he could inspect Danny’s Core. The colors in his Core had changed even more to look like the colors of an Aurora than before. Tim believed that Frostbite was correct in his hypothesis about Danny’s Core type changing from Ice to Space.

It was horrible. It was beautiful. It was absolutely fucking terrifying.

“Timothy. I believe that Danny would not want us to shed tears for him,” Damian said, though his eyes were suspiciously shiny in the corners. Tim chose to ignore it.

Tim placed his hand on the pod. “Hey, Danny. Me and Damian are here, and we’re planning to be here for a while. You’ve got us all kind of worried about you, Little Brother.”

Danny’s Core pulsed as if it could hear Tim’s voice.

Damian thought so too. “Say something to him again, Timothy. I believe Danny can hear you.”

“Kon would have stayed, but I think ectoplasm is too closely related to Kryptonite, and it was making him sick, so I had to send him home. Frostbite asked for a sample of Kryptonite so that he could run some tests. I gave him the piece I had in my utility pouch.”

Damian came up to the pod and placed his hand on the pod. “I should inform you that I am quite angry with you, Daniel.” This received a purple pulse of light from Danny’s Core. “You did not bring me to meet your yeti doctor before this even knowing how fond I am of animals and those with fur. However, I will forgive this transgression since Frostbite is introducing me to his husband, Hailwind.”

A mix of blue and green pulses came from Danny’s core. It gave Tim the impression that Danny was laughing at Damian. Tim also got the sense that Danny was asking why Damian needed to meet the other yeti, and he told Damian as much. “Tell him about the Chaos shard.”

Damian raised an eyebrow at his older brother. “Do you think that wise?”

“I do. I think that some part of Danny can hear us and maybe even understand us,” Tim said as he stepped away from Danny’s pod and began unpacking.

Tucker had gifted him a laptop capable of operating within the Realms. He found several of Jason’s favorite books, a few of Dick’s hoodies, a few of Duke’s mangas, a DVD from Cass and Steph, and Bruce had included a small journal. Tim knew that Damian’s bag would look similar to his, and the bag for Danny would hold even more stuff. Tim saw Damian mirror his unpacking and nodded slightly. They were there for however long it took Danny to recover.

A knock on the door made both him and Damian snap their heads up. Tim called out for whoever was on the other side to enter, knowing it was probably Frostbite returning. Frostbite entered the room, followed by another yeti. Unlike Frostbite, this yeti’s fur was more blue in color than white, and he had both arms instead of one being made of crystalline ice.

“Greetings, Fraid Brothers of the Great One.” Danny’s Core pulsed yellow, like it was angry or embarrassed. Tim had to fight to suppress a giggle; he could just see how his little brother’s cheeks would light up in a pink blush in human form or a dark purple in ghost form. Hailwind continued, ignoring the light show. “I am Hailwind. My husband tells me that you wish to tell me about your exposure to the Chaos Crystal.”

Damian frowned and swallowed thickly. He glanced at his brother for encouragement. Tim nodded and gestured for him to place his hand on Danny’s pod. Damian pulled a stool over to the pod so that he could make himself comfortable and then stretched his hand out so that his palm could make contact with the glass. Hailwind and Frostbite looked on in avid curiosity.

“Danny can hear us. Touching the pod helps communicate with him,” Tim explained.

“I see. Please continue then. I’ll make a note of it,” Frostbite said with the calm professionalism Tim would have expected of a human doctor. He was grateful for it.

“My Grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul controlled what we call Lazarus Pits. Danny has called them pits of corrupted ectoplasm. But, they heal the sick or dying, kill the healthy, and as a side effect, one is prone to fits of what was termed Pit Madness or Pit Rage. For most, this would last only a few hours or a few days. For our older brother, Red Hood, it lasted a few years until Danny could filter out the corrupted ectoplasm.”

Both yetis nodded to indicate that they were understanding. “As Timothy has explained, most of those who create Mirrorborn, do so with purpose of replacing the original. My mother was dissatisfied with the fact that I was no longer her mindless puppet. Now, before all of that had happened, my mother was in possession of a Shard of the Chaos Crystal. She used it to artificially age me up about 2 years. After I was sent to live with my father, I began to realize that some of the things she was teaching me were…narrow-minded at best. And, unfortunately, I had done great harm to several of my family members.”

Tim wrapped an arm around Damian, as he could see the younger boy’s fist clench in his lap, although  he never took his other hand off Danny’s pod. Danny’s Core was pulsing in warm colors like navy blue, forest green, and rich purple. It had a calming effect.

“My mother sent multiple Mirrorborn to kill me. Most of them were mindless and soulless. One of them had been aged up to a full adult and was successful in killing me, however temporary. I am unsure of the exact mechanics used to bring me back to life. I was informed that the Shard of the Chaos Crystal was involved. I merely remember Heretic, the name of the Mirrorborn, shoving his sword through my chest one moment, and the next moment I woke up in the Cave. Our eldest brother was screaming profanities at my mother. And even our Father looked like he was willing to break his No-Killing Rule.”

Neither yeti had anything to say to that, so they sat in silence for a few minutes. “Here’s what I know of the Chaos Crystal. It is an incredibly powerful wishing relic hailing from the Sphere of the Gods. Within the Realms, these gods rule over their own sector, however they answer to the High King. Much how the Christian God rules over Heaven and Lucifer rules Hell, but eventually, they will answer to the power of the Infinite Realms. Now, I cannot tell you which gods created the Chaos Crystal. Pariah Dark destroyed much of our history in his reign,” Hailwind said sadly.

Damian felt himself slump in defeat until a blue-white paw covered his clenched fist. He looked up into yellow-green eyes.

“It is not hopeless, Youngling. Just because the records on who created the Crystal are gone, doesn’t mean that all of our records are gone. Just as we treated the Red Hooded one, we can treat you as well.”

Damian released the tension he didn’t realize he’d been holding in his shoulder. And Danny’s Core pulsed a bright pink, as if in agreement. Hailwind and Frostbite chuckled at Danny’s antics.

“It appears that Prince Red is correct. The Great One can hear us. This is great news,” Frostbite boomed out.

“Frostbite, instead of calling me ‘Prince Red’, would be there any way to just call me Tim?” Tim asked, although Danny had once explained that getting the yetis to call him anything other than “Great One” was impossible.

Frostbite hunched down in front of both Tim and Damian. “In the eyes of the Realms, you are Royalty. Both of you. And all who are Fraid to the Great One. The Bat One, The Red Hooded One, the two of you, Princess Danielle, Prince Dante, Princess Jasmine, and any others the Great One considers part of his Fraid. Now, as for the line of succession, the throne is won by trial by combat. While Prince Dante could technically be considered in line for the throne, the Realms does not see him as its King, and Princess Danielle has stated that she has no desire to defeat her brother, nor does she have the strength to do so.”

“So, we’re all royalty in the Realms, but none of us are in line for the throne, unless we issue a formal challenge and defeat Danny in single combat?” Tim clarified.

“That is correct, Prince Tim,” Frostbite beamed. Tim sighed. Damian puffed out his chest at being recognized as royalty. Tim wondered if Damian would become insufferable over this. He had been getting better about the whole blood son and heir to the Demon’s Head thing. This just might prove to be a setback. Tim glanced at Danny’s core which seemed to have settled in a aquamarine blue color.

Damian coughed. “We were discussing my treatment. What will that entail?”

“Apologies, Prince Damian. At this point you have two options. The first option would take longer, but would ensure that you are able to stay closer to the Great One. The second option would be faster but would take you out of this room,” Hailwind explained.

“What are my options?” Damian asked, looking at Danny’s Core, which remained steady in its aquamarine color.

“The first option is an intravenous infusion of something similar to ectoplasm. This will simultaneously flush out the corrupted ectoplasm and will stabilize the effects of the Chaos Shard. I’m sure you’ve noticed some side effects. Chronic pain, headaches, occasional blurry or double vision, numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, and absence seizures,” Hailwind listed off a series of symptoms that sounded an awful lot like everyday things a vigilante would suffer from. NO WONDER it had been missed in Damian, especially since he definitely took after Bruce and most of the Bat family and tended to hide his injuries if he thought that they would bench him.

“The other option would be similar to sitting in a hot tub. Or at least that is what the Great One told the Aether-plasma pools look like.” Hailwind noted that the two Princes had visibly flinch at the mention of the Aether-plasma pools. “Is there a problem with the pools?”

“It’s just that these pools sound too much like the Lazarus pits. Can I ask why the pools would be the faster option instead of the infusion?” Tim said, shaking his head to dispel any thought that the yeti would hurt him and Damian. Danny trusted them, and he had to trust Danny.

“Ah.” Hailwind, thankfully, didn’t say anything further about the Lazarus Pits. “The Great One once asked the same question when he had to spend time in the purple Aether-plasma pool. The reason is that the pools expose your entire system to the plasma and allow it to infuse via osmosis. When you swim in the pools, the plasma can enter through your skin and can be diffused throughout the entire body at the same time. And if the person in the pool is able to dunk their head under, even if for only a short while, it will speed up the process. While the intravenous infusion only allows a small amount of plasma to transfuse at a time.”

“May I have some time to speak with my brother before deciding on which treatment to receive?” Damian asked, and Danny’s Core pulsed a dark, forest green.

Hailwind reassured the brothers that they would have all the time they needed to discuss matters, and then both yetis took their leave. Damian and Tim took their time discussing each option. Damian, much like Tim, didn’t want to be too far away from Danny, however, the plasma pools seemed like the better option, if only because they both knew that the moment Danny came out of his Core, their family would be chomping at the bit to see him again.

Eventually, they decided on the pool. Danny’s Core seemed like this decision as well. Tim opened his laptop and began logging all of the different colors and what he thought they meant. A different yeti brought them more food, which they ate in relative silence. Damian brought out his katana and began practicing some of his katas while Tim was still logging the colors. Tim eventually called Damian over so that they could call the Cave.

“Sons, any word?” Bruce’s voice was rough and raspy. Tim knew he was taking this hard.

“Actually yes. While Danny is still in his Core, he can hear us, and sort of interact with us. Also, the cracks in his core are noticeably smaller. Frostbite’s husband says that he can help Damian with the side effects of the Shard of the Chaos Crystal. Frostbite isn’t sure how long Danny will be in his core, and Hailwind, that Frostbite’s husband, says that Damian’s treatment will take about 1 week Earth time,” Tim reported. He could see Bruce visibly relax, knowing that while Danny still wasn’t out of the woods yet, he was improving.

“That’s good. Take care of yourselves,” Bruce said before he disconnected.

The two Bats crawled into their chosen beds, although Tim was pretty sure he wouldn’t be sleeping any time soon. Danny’s Core, in its vat of pure green ectoplasm, had decided to project both a map of the Milky Way and an Aurora Borealis. It soothed a deep ache in Tim, knowing that his little brother was still there.

“Sleep, Timothy. You will do Danny a disservice by staying awake,” Damian mumbled sleepily.

“I know, Baby Bat. It’s just…”

“Just nothing. I have already informed Frostbite of your proclivity towards choosing insomnia. Alfred gave me some sleeping agents, which I handed off to Frostbite earlier. I WILL fetch the giant yeti and get him to force you to sleep, if you cannot do so yourself,” Damian stated as he turned luminous green eyes towards his older brother. Tim huffed but conceded the point. They would be busy in the coming days anyway.

Time became soup. Or at least it did for Tim. He didn’t have much to do, except for logging the colors of Danny’s Core. He would occasionally explore the yeti village, and the yetis were always pleasant and super respectful. But he made sure to never wander too far or too long. Damian, for his part, reported that after his first dunk in the pool of Aether-plasma, he felt off. Neither good nor bad, just different. Damian said that the plasma that the pool was a deep, rich mahogany color that occasionally looked purple and was the only reason that he agreed to it since it didn’t remind him of the Lazarus Pits. It had scared Tim, though, because Damian had slept for several hours; something that Damian had rarely done. Thankfully, Hailwind had reassured Tim that was part of the process of flushing out corrupted ectoplasm and stabilizing the Shard.

Damian had just come in from another dunk in the pool. Hailwind said that he would likely only need one more, and even then, that was only if Damian wanted it. His treatment was basically complete. Frostbite came into their shared space and checked on Danny’s Core, as he usually did at this time of day. Frostbite looked over the display panels and then cycled the ectoplasm out.

“Good news, Young Princes. The Great One should be reemerging from his Core just any minute now,” Frostbite exclaimed with a gleeful smile on his face.

Once the ectoplasm was fully drained from the pod, Frostbite opened the hatch, and with gentle paws, pulled Danny’s Core out and placed it on a purple pillow. The Core floated up about six feet in the air and then flared much like a solar flare. Tim and Damian both cried out and had to shield their eyes.

The person that emerged from Danny’s Core was still recognizably Danny, but…Older. Like Dan when he first appeared.

His hair fanned about him like a white halo or maybe a flame. He was broad shouldered and muscular. His hero suit was still the same, still reflected the DP within the Bat symbol, but the crown on his head had morphed. It no longer looked like an Aurora with ice. It was now an Aurora mixed with a galaxy interspersed with twinkling lights that mimicked stars. When he opened his eyes, they were swirling vortices of the night sky. But the biggest change that Tim noted was that Danny appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties instead of sixteen. Even the two yetis seemed surprised at this change in Danny/Phantom.

Tim had no clue how he was going to explain this to the rest of the Bat family. Of course, Danny was still his little brother. Nothing could change that. Not even if he’d just aged ten years. Tim turned to the yetis to question if this was temporary. But they were too stunned at his appearance to have an answer for him.

“Tim? Damian?” Danny’s deep baritone voice croaked at them as his luminous eyes locked on his brothers.

Well, FUCK!