Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Drs. Fenton were supposed to be experts in the field of ghosts. Batman had asked Constantine for information, but the Brit had waved him off with an ‘I’m busy, find someone else to answer your questions’. Zatanna was next on the list who was on a mission with Captain Marvel and both were unreachable. Therefore, Batman had to take matters into his own hands.

After much research and reading obscure ghost hunters forums, the name that popped up the most was Fenton. Well it was actually the city of Amity Park that caught his attention, which was where the Fenton’s lived.

They only wanted to know about the new ghost king. A monarch of the Infinite Realms they had been told. A powerful being who would make a beneficial ally. However, other than summoning him (which apparently was a big no-no per Constantine) they had to figure out a way to contact him the old fashioned way. Or in other words, talk to the couple of scientists that managed to punch a hole directly into this being’s domain.

Batman had prepared himself for mad scientists, which is what he is used to, or perhaps the mild form of conspiracy theorists focused on ghosts instead of aliens. Either way, he was not prepared for the enthusiastic duo that had no sense of safety let alone lab procedures. This was probably worse because they had no idea why keeping specimens in the fridge where they keep their food is bad practice.
Not to mention these unpredictable people are supposed to be responsible for two children.

Cass, who had come with him, signed quickly behind their backs.

‘New siblings?’

He didn’t bother giving a response, which she mistakingly took as a yes.

The pair of Fentons went on tangents and ignored half his questions. He knew he wasn’t going to get much from them that was actually helpful. He learned how the portal works, how the weapons work, and even about the shields they had. All was useful information, however, it wasn’t what he had asked.

“Is there anyway to contact the Ghost King?”

The scientists gave him a confused look like they had no idea why he would want to do such a thing.

“Ghosts don’t want to talk. They are just mindless embodiments of past emotions and ectoplasm. They don’t have a government let alone a king. Don’t be silly,” the woman replied and dismissed just as fast.

He knew their opinions were bias based on their publishings but to completely think these beings are not sentient is going too far. If anyone is dangerous it’s these two.

The surprises didn’t end there. They had tried to leave, making it to the kitchen before the Fentons could drag them into another bigotry filled conversation. That was until the front door opened.

“Mom, Dad, I’m home! Jazz went to the library,” came a teenager’s voice. Why did it sound familiar?

Around the corner came a boy about fifteen that looked strikingly recognizable.

Batman froze at the same time the boy did as soon as they made eye contact. He looked exactly like Damian. His skin was just a shade or two lighter and his eyes were Bruce’s blue instead of Talia’s green, but he looked like a Damian with thinner arms and longer hair that falls into his eyes.

The boy’s face pales and his eyes widen in recognition and panic. He didn’t even look to be breathing.

“Dann-o!” The large orange man bellows, snapping the Damian look alike out of his frozen state violently. The man doesn’t seem to notice as he thumps over to wrap a large arm around the boys thin shoulders. He looks so small, smaller than Damian even if they look the same age.

“Look who came to ask about ghosts! Batman! And his little friend there,” he grins widely as he squeezes the boy enough to lift him off the ground.

“Ghosts? He just wants to talk about ghosts? Nothing else?” The teen asks hesitantly, clearly relieved to hear that, but a different nervousness came into the lines around his mouth.

“As far as I know. Should he want to talk about anything else?” The man asks genuinely confused.

“No!” He blurts out in alarm. “No, of course not. Just curious.”

“Well no doubt you’re curious! There’s a superhero in our kitchen!”

The teen grimaces in obvious discomfort.

“Yeah. Um, hey dad, could you let me down?”

Something in Bruce’s chest contracts at the title directed to the large man in an orange hazmat suit.

“Oh! Sorry about that, Danny-boy!”

Danny lands lightly at the sudden drop and picks up his backpack from the floor, avoiding looking in Batman’s direction. He narrows his eyes at the nervousness. Damian was confident and confrontational, Danny seemed to want to run and hide.

“Uh, actually, I agreed to meet up with Sam and Tucker, so I’m gonna go.”

A lie.

The woman Fenton frowns.

“You just got home.”

Danny rubs the back of his neck. A nervous gesture that appears to be a habit.

“Hah, well Tuck got this new tech he wants to show off but couldn’t cuz his parents won’t let him take it out the house.”

He’s already backing up slowly like he can slip away without them noticing. Knowing these parents they probably wouldn’t.

“Oh, well, okay,” Dr. Fenton says with a slight disappointed frown.

“Take a Fenton blaster with you champ!”

Danny is already halfway to the door when the man chucks a loaded gun at the teen like it’s a baseball. Black Bat takes a step forward to interfere but stops at the hand Batman holds out. They watch as Danny reaches out and snags the weapon out of the air like Damian does with a knife, and twists to cushion the momentum. He tosses the gun into his backpack like it was an extra pencil and is running out the door in the next second.

Bruce and Cass don’t stick around very long after that.

Chapter Text

His daughter’s eyes dig into the side of his face, waiting expectantly. He sees no movement from their perch on the tallest building they could find which didn’t hold a candle to the Wayne Enterprises tower. He sighs and calls his son.

“Father,” comes to greeting, colored lightly in surprise. “Shouldn’t you be investigating ways to contact the Ghost King?”

So he was in a secure location. Good.

“Do I have another son you didn’t mention?” He gets directly to the point.

He wasn’t a clone as far as he could tell. Danny had light scars on his arms that were from years ago and he had obviously been living with the Fentons for a while for him to call them Mom and Dad. His eyes were blue, not green. The reaction to realizing who was in his kitchen was curious though. He looked terrified, a very different picture to Damian’s worship when they first met.

Damian is quiet for a while and Bruce grunts in acceptance. He just met Damian’s twin.

“Why?”

Damian knew exactly what he meant. Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you hide another child from me? Did Talia tell him to keep quiet about his twin brother?

“…Danyal is dead.” Damian’s voice is tense, but Bruce can’t decipher exactly why. “There was no reason to tell you.”

Bruce grits his teeth hard to keep from snapping back. No reason for him to know about his son?

“I saw him a few hours ago.”

He’s not dead. He can’t have another dead son, another regret, another failure.

“No,” is the harsh reply full of conviction. “I saw Danyal die with my own eyes. You must have encountered a clone.”

Bruce closes his eyes. Damian had to watch his twin get mortally injured. He needs to know what happened. He needs to know how this is possible. There is one option.

“The Lazarus Pit.”

He can hear Damian suck in a breath. Bruce doesn’t understand why his son is shocked by those words, like it didn’t even cross his mind. Damian had taken a dip in the pits, why couldn’t his brother?

“No,” Damian whispers like it was taboo to talk about.

“It’s probable.”

“No. Grandfather wouldn’t allow it,” he says like that explains everything. In a way it does, but not the why.

“He is your brother, Ra’s’ grandson as well.”

Damian grunts like he’s punched something in frustration.

“Danyal was weak. He wasn’t strong enough to survive so he didn’t deserve a second chance,” Damian grits out as the words poison his tongue.

Bruce is quiet for a while listening to Damian’s breathing slow and mentally processing what was said.

“That’s Ra’s talking.”

“…Yes.”

“You don’t mean that.”

Damian doesn’t respond.

Bruce pinches the bridge of his nose. He sighs again.

“I will speak with him.”

“Father, don’t,” Damian says a little too fast. “If it is truly Danyal, then he had the means to contact you for years and didn’t. Obviously he didn’t want to be found.”

Bruce pauses, a horrible feeling settling in his stomach.

“Damian, what aren’t you telling me?” He asks slowly.

He’s giving him a chance to tell the truth. Bruce will find out eventually, he always does, but it would be nice to hear it from Damian first, not his twin.

“Father… I think you would be better off not knowing.”

He was stalling. Bruce could also hear the tremor in his voice.

“I’ve known you’ve done… regrettable things in the past. You are still my son,” he tries to reassure the best he can.

“He won’t want to come with you anyway.”

“Damian.”

“Father.”

Bruce sighs through his nose. Clearly he wasn’t getting anywhere.

“Fine. I’ll tell you how it goes.”

“Don’t-“

“Stay safe on patrol.”

He hangs up before his son could continue trying to convince him not to make contact with his other blood son.

It was dark now. They were never out this early but they had hoped to find a sliver of Danny (or Danyal) or even a ghost to help the investigation. For a town supposedly infested with ghosts, they hadn’t seen one since arriving, other than little green blobs that floated in packs every once in a while.

The two bats patrolled that night until early morning, only encountering a glowing guy and girl on a motorcycle tearing up the roads as well as the sky. They were unfortunately unable to stop the duo or get any questions answered before they lost track of them when they disappeared into thin air on their own.

It appears as though they were going to have to try a different approach.

Chapter Text

Danny was screwed.

Batman was here. His Father had found him. If Father knew where he was, then Mother most likely knew too.

Maybe Batman really was here to talk about ghosts with the Fentons, maybe he was being paranoid.

No. He wasn’t that lucky. Danny saw Batman’s reaction to seeing him. He and Damian are twins, of course he would notice they look almost exactly alike.

Would he send the League? Batman doesn’t kill, Danny knew this, but that doesn’t mean he won’t contact Mother.

Why would he though? He has Damian. Father has the better twin, the perfect son. Damian was always better, one step ahead, succeeding first and always getting Grandfather’s praise. Danny was pathetic compared to his twin. He never excelled at anything. Damian was proficient at the sword, his favorite weapon, while Danny was just passable in every aspect, not outstanding nor recognizable.

Danny lived in Damian’s shadow, but how he looked up to his twin. He was Damian’s cheerleader, his support, his partner. He was envious of Damian’s skill of course, but that didn’t mean he didn’t love his brother. They worked so well together in fights, out-classing and outsmarting the enemy. The Demon Twins they were called, and Danny relished in having that with his brother, the connection that no one else could even come close to. He missed it like missing his own arm. He missed his brother.

He wonders about Damian sometimes. In the middle of the night when the memories of his time at Nanda Parbat is all he can think about, he’d jump to the computer and look up any articles or pictures of Damian Wayne living in Gotham with their Father. After exhausting that search, he’d look up Batman and Robin. He’d read articles and forum posts about the cases they solved and the fights they won.

He always felt homesick after those long nights. The loss of his brother glaringly obvious like a fire alarm. Danny would imagine what it would be like if he reached out or went to live with them. Did Damian force their Father to get any animal he could save? What was Father even like? Danny knew he was strong and smart and skilled, but did he like coffee or tea or both? Did he read the newspaper in the mornings or listen to the news on TV? Did Damian get along with the kids Father had taken in? Would Danny and Damian climb up to the roof on clear nights to stargaze like they used to?

So many unanswered questions that will remain a mystery.

He knew they stuck around last night, he could practically feel Batman’s presence in his haunt. Danny decided not to go out last night, even when he felt his ghost sense go off, he crossed his fingers and when he heard Johnny and Kitty whooping as they drove past, he breathed a sigh of relief. They wouldn’t harm anyone and would eventually go back to the Zone when they got bored. Despite that being the only disturbance, Danny couldn’t sleep at all. Tossing and turning and quietly sharpening his knives he kept in a secret place in his closet. His shuriken were also a favorite as his aim was always precise. Anything he could throw was always something he had on his person, but the knives around his ankles and torso were always a permanent fixture. Damian had his katana, which Danny could appreciate when he was feeling dramatic, but he always went toward the smaller weapons that could still deal significant damage.

Batman let Damian keep his sword, would he let Danny keep his knives? No. Stop it, he wasn’t going with him. He couldn’t go home with him, home to Dami.

It was unfortunate he couldn’t hide forever in his room. His parents didn’t buy his sick act and pushed him out the door to go to school. Surprisingly he wasn’t intercepted on his route there, nor pulled when he got there. Danny didn’t get his hopes up because he was a realistic person, which worked out when he spotted the girl that had accompanied his Father yesterday standing outside his school. He knew it was her even if she wasn’t wearing her black suit by the way her eyes followed him.

Danny frowns but sighs in acceptance.

“Hey guys, I don’t think I can hang out today. Maybe tomorrow,” he tells his friends convincingly.

“Are you okay?” Sam asks.

Okay, maybe not as convincing as he thought.

“Yeah, I think so. Just weird. Gonna try and get some sleep or something.”

Sam narrows her eyes but lets it go. He gives them both a reassuring smile and heads towards the girl. He slows to a stop ten feet away and angles his body slightly to make a smaller target. She studies him a moment, making him frown and tense, before she nods and turns on her heel. He follows.

Chapter Text

Danny wanted to smack himself. He caught himself several times running his fingers through his hair and straightening his NASA sweatshirt that he was thankful had no stains. Why was he nervous? It was just his Father, just Batman. No big deal. It’s not like he needs to impress him or anything.

Ancients, was he sweating?

The two of them reach the local motel not far from the mall and she leads him to the room at the far end. She hasn’t spoken a word, but he knows her name is Cassandra Wayne, adopted daughter of Bruce Wayne. She looked familiar in a different sense and hoped it wasn’t League related, but probably was.

Cassandra opens the door after a single quick and sharp knock. Danny slides into the room smoothly, noting the two windows at the back of the room and keeping his back to the wall. Bruce Wayne sits at the tiny desk against the opposite wall with a laptop open in front of him. The man finished what he was typing and turns to give his full attention. He doesn’t stand, just turns the chair to better face Danny.

“Hello, Danyal.”

Danny flinches. He wasn’t prepared for that. He should have been, but it’s been years since he’s heard that name. It takes him a moment to remove the cotton in his throat and calm his heart. Bruce studies him with a slight frown.

“It’s Danny now,” he corrects, his voice more wobbly than he had hoped. “Danny Fenton.”

Cassandra sits delicately on the edge of the bed furthest from Danny, he appreciates the gesture.

Bruce makes a sound from the back of his throat. It sounds displeased.

“The Fentons.”

Danny bristles.

“Yes,” he challenges.

“Do you like living with them?” He actually sounds doubtful.

“If I didn’t I wouldn’t still be there.” Because it’s true. If Danny thought it wouldn’t work out well, he would have moved on to find a different place to hide.

“Dr. Fenton threw a loaded gun at your head,” he points out like Danny wasn’t there.

“I caught it, didn’t I?”

The man’s frown deepens but it doesn’t give Danny as much satisfaction as he was hoping for.

“They are irresponsible and single-minded. The lab is a hazard and I doubt there is any food in that house that is edible. It’s unacceptable.”

Danny’s jaw flexes in irritation. He can’t even refute any of that. He knew his parents were incompetent and overall negligent, but he knew that going in. It gave him the opportunity to slip away in the background. It’s not like he wasn’t taught to take care of himself.

“I’m sorry my choice in family is disappointing, Father,” he snaps back.
It was a low blow. He knew that, but he wasn’t about to hold back when his decisions were being scrutinized. This was the first time even meeting his Father, what did Bruce Wayne know about his life?

His Father adjusts in his seat, the only indication he was uncomfortable. His frown seemed permanently attached. He clears his throat to move on.

“This is my daughter, Cassandra. I adopted her a few years ago,” he belatedly introduces.

Danny glances over at her, looking her over critically as if he hadn’t done that on the way over here.

“I’m aware.”

The girl gives him a small smile and lifts her hand to wave.

“Cass,” she says simply.

Danny nods in acceptance. “Danny.”

“I have adopted other children as well. Mostly boys, but there are a few extras that are part of the family too.”

Danny stares. What was Father trying to accomplish?

“I’m sure you’ll get along with a few of them. Damian seems attached to Dick, my oldest. He’s quite energetic, but maybe you’ll get along with Duke, the newest to the family. He’s got a more laidback personality I think.”

Okay, what the fuck? He was sure his expression was reflecting that.

“Can we cut the bullshit? Why are you here? What do you want?”

Bruce’s lips thin into a straight line. He’s not impressed with his attitude, which was fine. Really. Danny wasn’t impressed with whatever this was.

“I wanted to meet my son.”

“I told you to cut the bullshit,” Danny practically snarls. “You didn’t know I existed until yesterday when you saw me, don’t pretend to know everything, Father. I know Damian didn’t say a word about me.”

“Why is that?” Bruce asks immediately.

“Does it bother you? Not knowing every little detail even if it doesn’t concern you?”

“What happened to my two sons does concern me,” he growls back.

Danny absently registers the signature Bat glare, but honestly he’s faced scarier in his life. Danny glares back until he leans back a little, arms crossed.

“Why are you here?” He asks again, much more controlled. “Are you really here to talk about ghosts?”

Bruce grunts after a moment, leaning back as well.

“What do you know?”

“A lot,” Danny replies back smugly, “and my information is actually accurate, thank you very much.”

His parents were geniuses and pioneers of their untraveled field, but they were also idiots with their heads so far up their asses they didn’t know which way was up.

“Do you know anything about the new Ghost King?”

Danny blinks, an eyebrow slowly arching up at the question. No…. life couldn’t be this ironic, right?

“Sure. Why do you want to know? How did you even know there was a new monarch?”

“There is a ghost a part of Justice League Dark called Deadman.” Danny snorts at the unoriginality not that he can judge. Bruce seems to relax at the teenager action. “He informed Constantine who informed us. According to Deadman, this new king is more reasonable than the last and would be willing to discuss an alliance with the Justice League.”

Danny opens his mouth and closes it to tap his thumb against his lips in thought.

“Okay, so a couple of things. When you said Constantine, that wouldn’t happen to be John Constantine, would it?” He asks curiously. The same John Constantine that has a whole stack of paperwork back at Phantom’s Keep because he has a habit of selling his soul, or body part, or first born child to any demon or entity he sees.

“Yes,” Bruce answers cautiously. He’s obviously suspicious of how Danny knew that, but he didn’t care.

A wide grin splits across his face and Danny has to hold back an excited giggle.

“I need to meet him,” he declares, because hey, if he’s giving information, he would like something return thank you.

“Why?”

Danny waves him off, “Don’t worry about it, but if you want information on King Phantom, then I want to meet John Constantine.”

Danny watches his fingers twitch with the need to log the sliver of information he just got and weighing his options.

“I will introduce you, only if you explain why.”

Danny scowls, but it comes out as more of a pout. Cass puts her hand to her mouth in a silent laugh. Danny sends her a dirty look that only seems to make her laugh harder. He huffs.

“Fine, but later.” He slides his backpack off and dumbs it on the floor by the bed before flopping down to sit on the mattress. He leans back on his hands to get comfortable, they were gonna be here a while.

Chapter Text

“So Phantom is a ghost who protects Amity Park, it’s his haunt. Ever since the portal opened he’s shown up anytime there was a ghost attack and defeated them to protect the people from harm. Despite what my parents say, he’s not a menace or evil or whatever, he’s just trying to do his best. Ghosts in general aren’t evil, they are just like people, some are good, some are bad, and some are just trying to exist,” Danny explains with sincerity. Bruce can see the passion shining through, the same spark when Damian talks about his art or animals.

He ignores the ‘my parents’ as much as he can, but that feeling is still there even after he’s pushed it way down.

“Your ‘parents’ seem to believe ghosts are not sentient,” he can’t help but point out.
Danny frowns, catching the dig but not rising to the challenge.

“They are wrong. Obviously. The only thing they’re good at is making weapons to hurt them. Don’t listen to anything they say concerning actual ghosts. That’s my specialty.”

“You speak with them?”

“All the time,” he shrugs like it’s not a big deal he communicates with inter-dimensional beings regularly.

“So you have a way of contacting King Phantom?”

“I- well-“ he cuts himself off as he pulls his backpack into his lap and starts digging through it. He pulls out the gun they saw yesterday, a thermos, some school notebooks- “Aha!”

Lastly, he pulls out L-shaped wireless headphones. They were silver with green balls at the end.

“These are the Fenton phones. We use them to keep in touch when we patrol. I can let you borrow them, I’m sure there’s an extra pair laying around the basement. You should try to get in touch at night, that’s usually when he does his rounds,” he explains while handing them over easily.

“We didn’t see him last night.”

Danny tries to hide his cringe.

“Yeah, well his king duties are pretty new so he’s been busy. Plus he can probably feel you in his haunt so he’s being cautious. I’ll let him know ahead of time to hop on the phones. You’re not going to hurt him, right? Just talk?”

“We intend to form an alliance, it would be counterintuitive to attack him,” Bruce replies with a smidge of teasing. Now that Danny seems to be in his element, he’s much more relaxed.

Danny sighs in relief, clearly worried.

“Okay, that’s good. Why do you want to form an alliance with him anyway? You guys never showed interest in ghosts before,” he wisely asks, tilting his head like a puppy, or a bird.

Danny was so much more expressive than Bruce was expecting, but he supposed it was unfair to compare the twins.

“We heard about the Ghost King from Deadman and only when we were investigating did we learned there is an entire dimension that is home to these beings. If King Phantom is as powerful as the magic users say, then it would be valuable to have him on our side,” he explains.

Danny leans back with an oddly embarrassed expression.

“I wouldn’t say he’s that powerful. Really he’s just a regular ghost most of the time, a peacemaker. He doesn’t have any real command over the ghosts, they’ll always just do what they want, he just tries to keep them in line,” he shrugs.

Bruce hums, “How do you know so much about him?”

Danny looks away and shrugs again.

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, what will you do for him?”

Bruce stares back, an eyebrow raised. He wasn’t summoning the being, why would he need an offering?

“You know, for the alliance? Nothing can happen right now, something has to change. What are you going to propose? What’s your offer?”

Bruce frowns. What was he missing?

“We would offer our friendship, our connections, possibly any resources, and we would get the same in return. Information is valuable. What else would we offer to gain his favor?”

Danny looks at him like he’s grown a second head. The teen glances over at Cass and then back. He shakes his head and barks a laugh like he can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“Do you… Do you seriously not know?”

“Know what?”

“I don’t- You’re joking, I can’t believe- Are you serious?” He asks incredulously. “You’re Batman! Are you seriously telling me you came all the way to Amity Park to write up an alliance without doing your homework?”

“Explain.”

Danny throws his hands in the air and stands to pace.

“‘Explain’. Yeah, sure, ‘cuz why the fuck not?”

“Language.”

The teen actually turns and sticks his tongue out at Bruce childishly. If the topic wasn’t so serious, he might have even smiled at that.

“Ugh, whatever. This is- ridiculous. Give me that. Give me your computer,” he demands with an impatient hand.

“A please would be nice,” Bruce comments lightly before handing it over after minimizing anything important.

“Yeah, well, an informed diplomat would be nice too, but I guess we can’t all get what we want.”

The teen grumbles under his breath as he types harshly to pull something up. He huffs in satisfaction after a few minutes and hands it back with several tabs open.

“There. I’ve done your homework for you, now you just have to read it. I wish someone would do my homework,” he sulks.

The information given was shocking to say the least. An Anti-Ecto Act, a branch of the government called GIW who were glorified ghost hunters, and the amount of Amity Park news articles talking about the damage this organization has accomplished. Cass reads quickly over his shoulder and Danny gets comfortable on the bed playing on his phone.

He’s ashamed to say none of this came up in his research and all it took was a simple Google search to pull up. He’d have to look into the firewalls that kept all of this off the nationwide internet and only allowed the citizens of Amity Park to view.

Perhaps there were a few more things his son can teach them.

Chapter Text

Danny spends most of his afternoon with his father going over the newfound information on the government’s involvement with ghosts and even any cultural no-no’s he should know about.

“Never ask a ghost how they died. Never.”

Bruce even persuaded him to stay for dinner, ordering from the Chinese restaurant Danny frequently gets when Mom decides to cook. Cass was pretty chill, watching them talk like watching a tennis match, not contributing much but every once in a while they’d glance at her and she’d nod in understanding.

The topic branched into more ghost related that they couldn’t get from the Fentons.

“So ghosts have obsessions, right? It’s why they are still here, it’s what they exist for. Like the Box Ghost is literally obsessed with boxes or anything square shaped. Or like Skulker is obsessed with hunting, wanting to prove he’s the best by capturing the rarest prey. Some are more obvious than others, but when you figure it out, you can kinda use it against them to defeat them. Beat them at their own game, ya know? Most of the time it crosses over from when they were alive. I’m pretty sure Mom and Dad’s obsession with ghosts will turn them into what they hate most,” Danny grins in a twisted sense of humor.

He sees Bruce try to give him a smile at the poor joke but it falls flat. Yea, it doesn’t take a genius to pick up he’s uncomfortable around the topic of the Fentons or their legal guardianship over him.

Danny tries again.

“Maybe you’ll be the ghost of justice. Or maybe just bats,” he teases with a smirk.

His father seems to appreciate the effort.

“Perhaps. Justice is important to me. However, what about just a hobby or interest?”

“Nah, pretty sure it’s gotta be a passion. Something you think about constantly. Ghosts are made of emotions along with ectoplasm, so they have to be strong feelings for something specific for it to cross over into their next life.”

Bruce hums in thought.

“Like the Joker with his jokes.”

Danny nods, understanding that his father isn’t happy to hear his biggest rogue might come back after he’s dead.

“Jason seemed hellbent on getting revenge when he came back,” Bruce adds quietly but thoughtfully.

It takes him a moment to realize he was looking for Danny’s opinion.

“Well I personally don’t think that was specific to Jason. Anyone would want revenge for being brutally murdered but a crazy clown.”

Bruce carefully keeps a blank face and Danny cringes at the poor word choice.

“It was more the Pit Rage pushing it to the extreme I like to believe.”

Danny ruminates on that for a moment.

“If you ask Phantom tonight, he might be able to take a look at Jason to see if he can help with that. From my own experience, it seems like the Lazarus Pits are corrupted and probably really old ectoplasm. I’ve learned that there are natural portals to the Ghost Zone, or Infinite Realms, that pop up randomly for only a short time, that’s how objects from this world end up there and sometimes ghosts slip through as well. But there are also times where there are ‘leaks’ of ectoplasm to the material world. My guess is that the pits are a result of one of these leaks. Like a contaminated stagnant pool compared to the ocean. My point is that maybe there is a way to filter out the bad ectoplasm from Jason’s system. It’s just a theory of course, but it’s worth a shot, right?”

Bruce looks like he’s physically trying to hold back the hopefulness blossoming inside him.

“Do you think that would work?”

“I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to try,” he shrugs, “but no promises. This is uncharted territory after all.”

Bruce nods, “I will ask him.”

Danny smiles widely. “Great! Let me know how it turns out.”

“Since you know King Phantom, why don’t you accompany us tonight? You could introduce us.”

Danny hates how hopeful he sounded. He winces.

“Sorry, I can’t. But you’ll be fine, promise. I’ll be there in spirit.”

Watching Bruce’s shoulders slump a fraction was like a punch to the stomach.

“I understand.”

Danny ducks his head and plays with the string of his hoodie.

He sees Cass make a gesture to Bruce out the corner of his eye. Then hears his father clear his throat.

“I assume you like NASA?”

Danny’s eyebrows shoot up before looking down at the emblem on his sweatshirt.

“Oh, uh, yea. I like space. Like really like space. I used to want to be an astronaut when I was younger.”

“Not now?” He asks with what appears to be genuine interest.

“It’s not really an option anymore, but maybe if I pull my grades up I can go to college for aerospace engineering and help other people go to space. Maybe minor in astrophysics or astronomy. But we’ll see.”

Bruce raises an eyebrow impressed.

“That’s quite an ambition, but I’m sure you’ll have no problem getting there. If you need any help financially, I can certainly help in that department.”

Danny frowns at the offer.

“I don’t want your money. I won’t ask for it. I know you have other kids to put through college. It’s fine.”

He was well aware how many children his father had to provide for, let alone his extracurriculars and his donations to the Justice League. Sure, he might be a little jealous, but it’s not like he would show it.

Bruce frowns. He seems to do that a lot.

“You are my son, too, Danny. I want to make sure you’re happy.”

He wants to call BS. To be difficult and snap back as he had done when he first entered the room. Things were different though. Did they bond over ghosts? Probably, which was kinda predictable. Plus the declaration that he accepted Danny as his son caused a flurry of butterflies in his stomach.

Instead, he focuses on the ugly pattern on the bedspread, his knee bouncing with nerves.

“Is Damian happy?” He asks quietly, heart pounding just asking the small question.
His twin had been at the back of his mind ever since he found out his father was here. Danny couldn’t stand having this long, and peaceful, conversation with him and not ask about Damian. His ahki.

“You could always ask him, you know,” Father offers.

Danny just shakes his head and looks away, not bothering to hide his disappointment. Damian wouldn’t want to speak with him. He was a disgrace to the Al Ghul name and paid for it. The fact he was alive right now (at least half way) was a miracle in itself.

The silence drags on a little too long, making it terribly awkward. Danny can’t get his twin out of his head and had no idea how to change the subject, while Bruce was looking more and more constipated by the minute.

“I know he enjoys art,” Bruce suddenly says.

Danny hesitantly perks up at any information about his brother.

“What kind of art?”

They were never allowed such useless activities in the League. It was always training or studying.

“Painting mostly, but I’ve seen a few sketches as well. He’s quite talented,” he says proudly.

“Really? What kinds of things does he paint?”

“Landscapes, people, animals. Realistic of course. Not abstract.”

Danny straightens even more, leaning a bit forward.

“He still likes animals? He always admired them but you know. Did he get a pet?”

“Many,” Bruce confirms fondly. “Dog, cat, cow. Every once in a while I’ll catch him sneaking something else into the manor and we have to have another talk about how many pets he can reasonably have and take care of. Just two months ago it was a bunny he found in the backyard.”

Danny can’t help but laugh. That sounded like Dami.

“You let him keep a cow?”

Bruce sighs, but he sounds far from annoyed.

“Batcow has her own barn. He found her on a mission at a slaughterhouse. From that moment he declared himself vegetarian.”

Danny smiles widely at his brother’s dramatics. Always going to the extreme with the dedication to boot. He was always committed to any decision he made.

“What about your other kids? Is Damian okay with them? I know you said he likes the oldest, but what about the others?”

Bruce chuckles awkwardly.

“That was a little rough in the beginning, but he’s mellowed out now, especially after making friends with Superman’s son. It took him a while to start acting his age.”

Danny cringes at that. Yea, after listening to Jazz go on and on about psychology mumbo jumbo, he realized that Grandfather and Mother really messed them up.

“It took me a while to train the… murder instinct out of me. Damian definitely would have had it worse. He didn’t kill anyone, right? Or permanently disable?”

He silently thought of their cousin and her inability to see out of one eye because of his brother. He didn’t see a problem with it when it happened, but looking back it was some twisted mentality they had drilled into them.

“No. A few attempts though,” Father answers, eyeing Danny carefully. He relaxes a smidge.

“Then he must not have been trying that hard. That’s good. Just establishing dominance and hierarchy then.”

Father studies him for a few moments longer, Danny unable to interrupt whatever the man was thinking. He leans forward in his chair, elbows on his knees to get closer to Danny’s slouched height.

“Why did you never contact me?”

Danny blinks. Was that not obvious?

“Because I didn’t want the League to find me. Still don’t.”

“I wouldn’t have sent you back there, Danny.”

He raises an eyebrow in doubt.

“You would have contacted Mother and then she would know where I was, like she knows where I am now,” he explains slowly like speaking with a child.

“I haven’t contacted Talia,” Bruce denies.

Danny just gives him a closed smile.

“You don’t have to lie, Father. I understand. You are Mother’s Beloved.”

“I am not,” his voice taking on a short edge. Danny almost believes him.

“I appreciate the head start though. I’m glad I was able to meet with you and know how Dami is doing.”

He wasn’t just sharpening knives last night. He was gathering supplies and adding to his to-go bag he keeps hidden. He made plans to shut down the portal and destroy any tech in the basement, especially tools that could track him. As soon as he gets through his meeting as Phantom tonight, he’ll be on his way across the country, this time not having to use public travel.

“You’re running.”

“Of course. It worked pretty well the first time, until you found me that is,” he shrugs like none of this bothered him.

“You don’t have to. You could come home. With us. You could see your brother again and meet everyone else. We will protect you.”

Ancients, that sounded tempting. That sounded amazing, but also too good to be true. Father actually looked sincere.

However, with everything that’s happened in the past, Danny doesn’t know if it’s the smart move. Maybe Father didn’t contact Mother, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t know anyway. She has her ways of getting information. Would it be worth the risk? Should he stay in Amity Park, leave and never come back, or go with Father to Gotham city? He could always escape to the Ghost Zone for a few months, maybe years before starting over again, but he wasn’t completely dead yet and wanted to stay on the living plane thank you.

“Damian wouldn’t approve,” Danny realizes, eyes downcast.

“He would have to adjust, but he would be happy to have you by his side again,” Father assures, but Danny has a feeling he really doesn’t know how Damian would react to him showing up at the front door.

Danny thinks about it for a long minute. A little too long because his phone starts ringing. He quickly fishes it out of his pocket and glances at the time. The late numbers make him cringe. He answers as he throws everything he dumped out earlier back into his backpack.

“I know, I know. It’s late. I’m coming home soon.”

“Where are you?” Jazz demands. “You didn’t tell anyone where you were going, not even Sam and Tucker. What’s up with that? Are you okay?”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m fine, okay? Be back in like ten. Don’t wait up.” He hangs up before she can get another word in, knowing she will in fact wait for him. Most likely by the front door. He glances back at his father who’s watching him with an unknown expression on his face. “Look, I gotta go, but I’ll think about it. Just- Talk to Dami about it. Please.”

Bruce nods and holds out a business card.

“My personal number is on the back.”

Danny flips it over and sure enough, there is a cell phone number and a house number. He swallows at the weight of this offer. Of course he could have always found his father’s contact information, but to be given it as an invitation was something else entirely. He shoves it deep into his pocket so he doesn’t lose it.

“Thanks, um, I guess I’ll see you around, maybe,” he says awkwardly, taking a few steps to the door. Father follows him before catching himself and planting his feet, hands in his pockets. “Nice meeting you, Cass,” he doesn’t forget to say with a wave.
She waves back, smiling like she knows something he doesn’t.

Danny opens the door to leave, but pauses at the threshold. He curses mentally.
Turning on his heel, he marches back to his father to wrap his arms around the man’s middle. If this was his last time seeing him as Danny, he was going to hug his father.

Bruce seems stunned, but quickly places his arms easily around his back and shoulders.

The embrace only lasted a few seconds, but by the time Danny pulls away he knows Bruce’s muscles are like stone and he smells faintly of coffee, metal, and some rich cologne that tickles his nose. He tries to hide his blush but probably doesn’t succeed.

“Just in case,” he mutters before dunking his head and leaving swiftly through the door and into the night.

Chapter Text

It doesn’t take Bruce long to compile the list of new information Danny had given him and add it to the existing file. He adds his own notes and any information he can remember from their conversation. He had the recording of course, but that could be done later.

Cass had diligently enclosed Danny’s water bottle from dinner in a clear plastic bag for confirmation testing later, not that they didn’t already know what the results would be.

“He is scared,” she says quietly.

Bruce glances at the small window at the bottom of the screen. The red dot was still in the same place since Danny arrived back ‘home’. FentonWorks, the monstrosity of a building. A place he didn’t feel comfortable leaving his child. If Danny were living with a loving and ‘normal’ family, he would have left it alone (despite any hardships that may be) because he would know he was safer, but although the Fentons appear loving, their home situation is anything but safe. His son didn’t disagree that they were incompetent, but he also made it clear that he chose them purposefully.

Bruce hums to her statement.

Danny was indeed scared. Scared enough to run again it seemed. If he knew what happened in the League that led the boy here, then maybe they could help. He would help regardless, but knowing how would make his job that much easier.

It must be bad if Danny was avoiding the subject like Clark does with Kryptonite and Damian was unapologetically being tightlipped. What had Talia done? What had Ra’s done?

Was it a mission gone wrong? No, too easy. Damian was convinced Danny was dead, saw it with his own eyes he said. Perhaps Danny did die and Talia, behind her father’s back, placed Danny in the Pit to revive him and dropped him off in the states to be away from Ra’s’ ever watchful eye. That seemed to be the most likely theory. But then why would Danny be so afraid of Talia finding him if she was the one to get him out? It didn’t quite add up.

Whatever the truth was, the time was running out fast if Danny was planning to make his way out of Amity Park soon. If he wasn’t already meeting with King Phantom tonight, Bruce would be trying to pry more information out of his son.

His son. God, it was like Damian all over again. He knew Damian’s reasoning, but it still felt like a betrayal to have this important information withheld for so long. Damian had no intention of telling him about his twin. Bruce understood. It was a logical decision to mitigate emotional trauma and grief for a son he had never even met. It doesn’t erase the hurt he refuses to acknowledge though.

It was different now. Bruce knewDanny. At least parts of him.

Danny was passionate about the stars and space, enough to want to revolve a possible career around the subject. He fidgeted a lot, bouncing his knee, tapping his leg, pulling on the strings of his hoodie, rubbing the back of his neck. The teen was constantly moving, unless he’s surprised, then he freezes and blinks like he’s processing what just occurred. Danny was expressive like that, never hiding his emotions, the good and the bad. That certainly was something he learned after leaving the League. He wasn’t as high-strong as his twin, seeming like the person to roll with the punches. He was right-handed, preferred blue pens and pencils, from his fashion choices he liked casual and comfort over the clean-cut pieces Damian leans toward, and his favorite color is either purple or red after seeing those colors pop up in several of his possessions just on his person.

There was so much he had learned about his son in the short time together, not even broaching his extensive knowledge on ghosts or how he got it.

Bruce knew Danny now and he wasn’t about to let him go without a fight, or at least an explanation.

He glances at the clock and then out the window. The sun had set in his musing. He turns to tell Cass to suit up, but see she already has. She even went through the liberty of laying out his own suit on the bed.

The tired man sighs and gives his daughter an appreciative smile. She returns it with a thumbs-up.

It doesn’t take long to get dressed and go over his notes one last time, thinking of what needed to be said and questions that needed to be answered. He checks his equipment one last time and nods to Black Bat.

They are out the window and onto the streets in moments. With only a few clicks, he’s synced up the Fenton Phones with his cowl and initiated the connection.

A young girl, teenager by the sounds of it, seems to be in the middle of a rant.

“-have no idea what they are even protesting. How embarrassing is that! To go to a rally and not know what the cause was. These idiots didn’t know a thing about the marine life in the great lakes. They were just there to be there, with no purpose whatsoever!”

Batman checks to make sure this is the correct line of communication Danny had given, but there weren’t any other frequencies like a normal radio.

“What a nightmare,” another voice says sarcastically. It sounded like Danny’s voice in a large empty room with the eerie echoing behind it.

“Don’t get smart with me, ghost boy,” the girl snarks back. “I spent my weekend expecting to being meaningful work but ended up surrounded by idiots who just wanted to get high.”

“Not that we aren’t sympathetic, Chaos, but-“

“We’ve heard about it constantly since you got back!” A different male voice finishes the well-meaning commentary with clear annoyance. “You’ve gone over this a million times already!”

“Well it seems I’m the only one in this group that cares about the environment. Maybe if you got off your lazy-“

“Not to interrupt or anything, but how are we doing on the west side?” possibly Danny asks, obviously de-escalating the situation and preventing a fight.

The other males voice sighs in relief and ‘Chaos’ huffs.

“Just a few blobs. Saw a herd of ectopi, but they weren’t doing anything.”

“Good. Pharaoh, what about the east?”

“Nothing to report so far. I might just call it an early night if this keeps up. Still got that history paper to write,” the other teen boy replies.

“You still haven’t started?” Chaos judges. “I told you you should have started last week.”

“Well obviously I didn’t, so I might as well head home now. Have a good night, Phantom. See you guys tomorrow. Pharaoh signing off.”

Batman hears a beep to indicate he disconnected.

It’s silent for a few minutes to the point where he considers saying something. He waits a few more minutes.

“I get that you’re pissed about your protest being lame, but maybe don’t take it out on him, alright? You know his parents are already pushing MIT.”

Chaos growls into the mic.

“He’s the one that blew his top.”

“You know he had a point. You’ve been non-stop complaining about it since you got back, but guess what? It’s over, it’s done. All you can do is the hope the next one is better, or maybe consider organizing your own protest. Make your anger productive.”

Chaos scoffs, “You sound like someone we know.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes she makes sense. Just- Listen, I think Pharaoh had the right idea. It’s a slow night, why don’t you go home and get some rest.”

She seems reluctant, but his easy tone makes her soften just a bit.

“Fine. You’ll call us if you need backup.” It wasn’t a question.

“I will.”

Chaos sighs, “Okay. Goodnight, ghost boy. See you tomorrow.”

“See you.”

There is the click sound again and knows Phantom (Danny?) is alone. He goes to break the silence.

“Batman.”

Phantom beats him to it and it only makes him more suspicious.

“Phantom,” he greets back, voice gruff with his modifier.

“Top of the mall.”

“Acknowledged.”

Batman directs his partner in the direction of the location after pulling up the map of the town for more precise directions. They make it there in fifteen minutes. They were the first to arrive according to the empty roof, but he knows better by the prickle on the back of his neck that comes from being watched.

“King Phantom,” he greets the empty air.

“Batman,” Phantom addresses, voice echoing like he was still talking through echoes and static, “and here I thought no hero would step foot in Amity.”

The figure appears before them like he had been floating there the whole time. He probably was.

The being had lightly tanned skin with glowing green freckles that resembled constellations. He was a teenager in shape and face. Toxic green eyes burned into the whites of his cowl and white hair puffed around his head like a halo from gravity not having any effect on it or its host. He wore a simple suit made from a material he knew shouldn’t hold up in a fight but at least it covered him from his neck down. Gloves and boots complete the ensemble. Batman makes sure to note the symbol on his chest.

What Bruce couldn’t ignore was the uncanny resemblance to his son who he spoke with just hours before now.

Ghosts he could understand. There was enough abnormality in the world, what was another? Plus there was science to back it up. Highly bias science, but it was there.

What he couldn’t understand was how Danny could both be alive and well (he felt the teen’s heartbeat and warmth and breath when he hugged Bruce. He knew his son was alive.) while at the same time the ghost floating before him claiming to be the King of the Infinite Realms. It didn't make sense. How?

Chapter Text

“How?” was his simple question.

Phantom tilts his head curiously and raises both eyebrows in mild surprise.

“That was quick. I guess they don’t call you the Greatest Detective for nothing,” Danny replies calmly like this wasn’t pulling the rug from underneath his feet.

“How?” Batman punctuates.

Danny honestly rolls his eyes as if Bruce was somehow being ridiculous. The teen pulls up his legs to crisscross them in midair like he was lounging at home.

“Oh, come on, like its that hard to figure out. Look at who I live with.”

Batman supposes it is obvious, but he needs specifics.

Danny huffs like explaining is such a chore and it reminds Bruce of when his other kids were younger and complained and whined about filling out reports.

“Let’s just say I found out the hard way that they decided to put the ‘ON’ button on the inside of the portal.”

Batman’s heart squeezes tighter. He consciously reminds himself to breathe. Damian was right in a way. His twin was dead.

“Ancients, don’t be so dramatic. I’m not deaddead, only a little bit. The other ghosts call me a halfa, half human and half ghost. Look-“

Phantom settles back on the ground easily, but he could tell gravity still had no effect on the teen. The not-completely-ghost holds his arms out to the side, presenting himself to his audience. Before Bruce can fully process the information given, a bright light encircles his son. He blinks away the after image and sees Danny standing there wearing the same clothes they saw him in a few hours earlier.

“See? I got a pulse and everything,” Danny grins widely, oblivious to the internal battle inside Batman.

Black Bat carefully approaches and gently presses her fingers to the teen’s wrist.

“Slow.”

Danny shrugs, neither bothered nor surprised.

“Yea. After the accident all my stats are on the low side, but I feel fine so it’s whatever.”

This kid was going to give him a heart attack. Maybe a stroke.

He called it an accident and moved on, like it wasn’t a combination of idiocy and negligence that literally led to death, which could have easily been prevented if Danny wasn’t living with those dimwitted liabilities.

“You’re not living there anymore.”

Danny turns to him with a tilt of his head.

“Huh?”

“You will not stay in that house any longer,” Bruce states, because it is a demand, not a request. He can’t stand the thought of Danny spending one more day under those people’s roof, calling him son, and risking him getting hurt any more than he already is. He won’t allow it.

The nervous but carefree demeanor changes quickly in the teen. Danny’s eyes narrow, seeming to glow in the darkness despite being in human form at the moment.

“You can’t just tell me what to do,” his voice is chilled, but not cold, giving Bruce the time to correct himself. He doesn’t see the need to.

“I am your father.”

“I met you yesterday.”

Black Bat backs off silently, giving them both space.

Bruce takes a much needed deep breath, “Those people have hurt you. Despite how unintentional it may appear, they are still responsible.”

“Those ‘people’ are my parents,” Danny grits out, fists tightening at his sides. “They love me! What happened wasn’t their fault, it was mine!”

“It should have never happened!”

“You aren’t listening to me!”

“I am listening,” he insists. “It is not your fault they decided to keep a lab in the basement, to handle their deadly inventions like toys, to keep highly toxic substances in the kitchen, and it is not your fault they left a reactive portalaccessible to children. They are dangerous, Danny, and you shouldn’t be around them.”

Danny is shaking in rage, biting his lip hard to keep from shouting back. The anger is familiar on his face, looking so much like Damian that it both soothes him and depresses him.

“I can take care of myself,” Danny says, voice quiet but tight with restraint.

“Look at what has happened-“

“You have no right!” Danny explodes, eyes alight in glowing green so similar to Jason’s that he tenses to prepare for an attack. The teen doesn’t attack though. Not physically at least. “You have no right to come barging into my life and tell me what to do like you know what’s best for me! You don’t know me! You have no idea what I’ve been through! I have built my life here by myself. I have learned my powers with no one’s help. I grew up in the League for crying out loud! I know danger and how to handle it. I know how to protect myself. And others. I know when to run and hide. I know when and how to fight. I know hardship and I knowdeath, I’ve been surrounded by it my entire life. So don’t tell me what I can and can’t do.”

There is a fierce fire in his eyes, a determination, that he sees in his kids, that he sees in himself. It silences the words in his mouth and leaves his chest feeling uncomfortable.

Danny huffs at the lack of reaction from the great Batman. Without warning he transforms back into Phantom.

“Anyway,” he says, trying to gain control of the conversation again, “you didn’t come to Amity Park for me, you came to discuss relations, so let’s do that.”

“Danny-“

“I assume you finished reading the material I gave you. My terms for even considering a treaty are the extermination of the Anti-Ecto Acts and preferably the dismantling of the GIW. This is non-negotiable.”

His son’s tone quickly switches to professional, even his stance straightening to remind him of how Diana presents herself. He respectfully does the same even if he wants to continue persuading his son to come home.

“I will discuss it with the other members of the Justice League, however, I see no reason those terms will not be met,” he assures.

Danny nods in relief and understanding.

“Only after those two items have been dealt with will I agree to a meeting between myself and the Justice League. Although I am named King of the Ghost Zone and Infinite Realms, I am still in training to take all of my responsibilities. I will have two of my advisors accompany me to this meeting to assist me. I also request that one of your royals be present as they will understand proper procedure and respectful diplomacy.”

“Will Princess Diana of Themyscira be sufficient?”

Danny’s lips turn up suspiciously. Bruce senses mischievousness in the air.

“She will be acceptable.”

Batman takes a moment to orient his thoughts.

“I have questions.”

Danny lifts a dark eyebrow.

“I am not surprised. I will answer to the best of my ability if I choose to answer at all.”

His speaking reminds Bruce of a more patient and respectful Damian. It is clearly of royalty’s standards if nothing else. Danny did say he was being trained.

“How did you become king?”

Danny quietly groans as he slumps a little, coming out of his professional demeanor.

“Well, it was stupid and I wasn’t even trying to become king, but long story short, I defeated the old king in single combat so I got his position,” Danny shrugs, ‘what can you do?’ said in the action.

“Why did you defeat him?”

“’Cuz he was a tyrant who wanted to enslave everyone on the planet. I mean, his name was literally Pariah Dark, so…”

Batman grunts in understanding.

“How dangerous are these beings?”

Danny stiffens in discomfort at the question.

“Well it depends, but honestly they aren’t that bad. The peaceful ones stay in the Zone and the rowdy ones just want to mess around. Some of the powerful ones can be a bit difficult to behave though. It isn’t your problem anyway, they’re my responsibility so I take care of any wayward ghosties.”

“I would like to be prepared,” Batman insists.

“I’ll tell you which weapons to get from my parents. There are some good ones to deter and protect against us, but I don’t approve of the more lethal weapons they have built,” Danny turns serious towards the end.

“I understand.”

That seems to appease him for the moment.

“What powers should we prepare for?”

Danny runs a hand through his white hair.

“Well there’s invisibility, intangibility, flight, and overshadowing. Those are the basics, but most ghosts also have the ability to manipulate ectoplasm to shoot or use as weapons. And then there are the different powers unique to individual ghosts usually directly based on their obsession.”

Batman was glad this was recorded. He anticipated quite a bit of information needing to be logged after this meeting.

“Overshadowing?”

“It’s like possession. It’s when a ghost can take over a person’s body and they kinda just take a nap while it’s happening. They don’t remember anything. But don’t worry, the Fenton Specter Deflector really works, trust me.”

That’s concerning.

“What are your unique powers?”

He had a feeling the obsession talk was a taboo topic similar to asking a ghost how they died.

Phantom cringes and rubs the back of his neck.

“Honestly, I don’t really remember them all? I keep developing new ones because I’m still growing, or that’s what Frostbite said when I asked, and because I’m me, I kind of gain new powers when necessary. Like if I’m fighting a new ghost and they have a weird power, then I’ll most likely gain something to beat them. I don’t know, it’s weird.”

Batman raises an eyebrow, not that Danny could see, and let’s that sink in. His son was no doubt extremely powerful. He wondered how he would fair against Superman. Did he even want to test it?

He quietly contemplates his next question. Bruce felt unusually unprepared heading into this conversation, but as they progressed with getting answers, more questions arose.

However, before he could ask any Danny gasps and a wisp of mist leaves his lips like it was a cold, winter night instead of the end of May.

Phantom becomes alert, glancing around looking for any threats. Perhaps an internal alert system?

Black Bat spots the culprit first, facing the flying green ghost hurtling towards them. It appeared to be a mutated animal of some sort, but even Batman couldn’t determine what it was supposed to be.

It comes screeching to a halt in front of Phantom with a loud squawk looking quite agitated. Phantom furrowed his eyebrows in concern rather than aggression, listening to the strange ghost like he could understand the animalistic sounds as words.

Then Phantom opened his mouth and something other than words escaped. The noise was both beautiful and disorienting to listen to. With nothing to compare it to, Batman could not begin to describe what it sounded like to someone who’s never heard this form of communication.

The animal ghost and Phantom exchange vastly different noises, but still able to understand one another, before he raises more into the air and then stops abruptly to turn to them, as if he forgot they were just having a conversation.

“I’ve got to go. I’ll send you a list of approved inventions to get from my parents. Just text me if you have any other questions,” Danny instructs briefly before shooting off to follow the frantic ghost who seemed to have come to him for help.

Bruce watches his son fly away from him with a stoic expression. He turns off the recording device.

Black Bat is at his elbow, a small hand on his arm in silent support. His daughter always knew.

He sighs.

“Let’s head back for the night.”