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Danny glanced between his shopping list and the shelves around him. If he could find the rest of the items Jazz needed, he could finally turn in for the night and finish his research paper. The problem he was running into at the moment was locating the ancients forsaken canned pumpkin. He’d walked up and down the aisle several times already and had just about had it. He could find the canned pumpkin mix but he knew his sister would throw a fit if he brought that home for them to make the pies with.
He just about phased through the shelves in front of him when a loud voice cut through the intercom.
“Attention all shoppers. I have Jason here at the front of the store with me. He told his brother this morning that he had to go help his friend Dan redo the wiring for his smoke detector tonight. The first problem Jason has is that he doesn’t have a friend named Dan. The second problem is his brother is now insisting that Dan come over for dinner tonight. Jason is offering...” The microphone scratches a bit as the employee’s voice quiets a little. “How much are you offering?” There’s a low murmur and the man comes back saying, “Jason is offering $100 cash to any man that’s willing to be called Dan for an hour or two. He also said you’ll get free food and dessert. If you’re interested, please come up to the customer service desk. Thank you.”
Danny snorted, looking back at the cans in front of where he was crouched. He was shaking his head when the man’s voice came back on the overhead speakers. “One last thing. Dan needs to be able to walk with a little bit of a limp. Jason says he’ll cover all the details on the way to dinner.”
He bit the inside of his cheek in contemplation. On one hand, he really needed to be getting home to work on his paper but on the other…well, he couldn’t deny that he’d never needed much convincing to mess with others. Regardless of whether or not the act was discovered or not.
Whatever Jason was trying to hide from his brother, it was serious enough that the guy resorted to finding outside help. At a grocery store no less.
With a sigh of exasperation at himself, Danny stood and pushed his cart toward the front of the store. He was only missing the pumpkin, so all in all, it hadn’t turned out to be that bad of a grocery run. Jazz could survive another night without it. Hopefully.
Even if she was upset, he had a feeling that no matter what happened, whatever dinner had in store for him, it would be a lot more exciting than what he’d originally planned.
He walked up to the deserted customer service desk, taking in the tired man behind the counter and the taller man leaned against the wall, arms crossed across his chest. The man against the wall let off a liminal aura. Strong enough that he’d probably been close to dying, maybe even managed to cross the line entirely before coming back. The ectoplasm that clung to the man felt…off.
Regardless, Danny smiled and said, “Hey, I’m here for the announcement that was just made for…Jason?”
The worker grinned and gestured to the other man, “He’s right here! You two talk while I get your stuff rung up.”
Danny nodded his appreciation, pushing his cart closer to the desk, “Thanks.” While he pulled his few items up onto the counter, he turned to Jason with a knowing smile, “Siblings can be unbearably nosey.”
The man let out an amused sounding huff, “Nosey is one word for it.”
“So, what do you need me to do tonight?” Danny asked, sliding his card into the chip reader when prompted.
Jason shrugged, “Mostly just need to convince my family that Dan actually exists.”
Danny accepted his receipt with a smile and grabbed the bags with his purchases. He turned back to the man and nodded toward the exit, “Sounds good to me! Any reason in particular for my supposed limp?”
The man rubbed the back of his head, “That was my attempt at a reason for why Dan couldn’t come to dinner. Said you’d been mugged.”
“Well, that I can run with. I’ve never been mugged before, but there’s a first time for everything! When’s dinner supposed to be?” Danny asked.
Jason hesitated, “Half an hour ago.”
He let out a startled laugh, “Ah, so a very last minute solution. Got it.”
“Honestly, I was planning on just not showing up,” Jason said.
Danny unlocked his car, opened the trunk and set his bags inside, “What changed your mind?”
“Blackmail,” the man grumbled.
He had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing, “That sucks. But fear not! I’m here to con your family and eat their food.” That earned him a smile. “So, should I follow you there? Or are you wanting to carpool?”
“You can follow me. I’m not gonna leave either of us stranded there at the mercy of my family,” Jason said. “My bike’s just a couple cars down from here.”
Nodding, Danny closed the trunk and got into the driver's seat, pulling out of his parking spot. He pulled forward until he spotted Jason pulling on gloves after securing his helmet over his head. Luckily, the late hour meant that there wasn’t much traffic while he waited. When the man finally backed into the road, Danny’s mind was thinking up different ways he could play this.
He snickered to himself when he caught sight of the open knee brace sitting in his passenger seat.
Jazz had an unfortunate run in with a baby ghost and got bowled over in the process of getting her to the Zone which led her to wearing the brace for the last couple of days. She’d finally gotten fed up with it the day before and left it behind in the car.
That would help sell it. At the next traffic light, once he’d come to a stop, he grabbed the brace and secured it over his jeans. He’d barely finished fastening the lower strap around the top of his calf when the light turned green. The further he drove though, the higher his eyebrows raised and let out a low whistle when Jason’s motorcycle turned into the long driveway leading to Wayne Manor.
The house was beautiful and he could feel the moment he passed over the boundary line separating the property from the public. He felt the house spirit flutter around him curiously.
Once he and Jason parked in the front of the house, he met the other man at the bottom of the stairs, “You know, you could have mentioned you were Jason Todd.”
He remembered researching people they should know before he and Jazz officially moved to Gotham. Most of the details were completely forgotten, but he did recall multiple articles that talked about Jason Todd being found alive and coming back home to his family after being presumed dead when caught in an attack with one of the city’s rogues.
Jason shrugged uncomfortably, “Does that change anything?”
“Nah. There’s only one thing I love more than messing with people,” Danny shook his head with a grin. “Messing with rich people.”
They walked up the stairs and moments after Jason knocked on the imposing door, he caught sight of the brace on Danny’s leg and had to choke back a laugh when a butler answered with a formal bow, “Master Jason, Mr. Dan. So glad the two of you could make it. Please, come on in.”
Jason gave the man a smile, “Nice to see you too, Alfie. Bruce isn’t giving you too much grief is he?”
“Of course not,” Alfred said with a twinkle in his eye, “Nothing I can’t handle. Right this way.”
Danny studied the foyer and hall the butler led them through, walking with a purposefully uneven gait. Whoever designed the manor, Vlad needed to talk to. Plus, with the way the house spirit twirled around the butler with a fierce kind of protectiveness, a way that Vlad’s house ghoul could never replicate, Danny decided that he actually didn’t mind the grandeur as much as he thought he would.
They were led further down the hall and when they rounded the corner to the dining room, Danny blinked at the scene unfolding inside.
Danny had assumed that since dinner had supposedly started over half an hour ago, they’d be coming in halfway through the meal but it appeared as if no one had even brought food in yet. The table was set with beautiful plates and glasses, polished silverware placed on top of dark fabric napkins. The muted orange of the place settings and the green accents on the plates gave the room a cozy feel, mirroring the fall weather outside.
But really, what drew his attention more than all of that, was the young teen brandishing a golden ornate candelabra like it was a sword while looming over a young adult who just laid on the floor with his arms cushioning his head. There was also a young man and woman seated at the table in quiet conversation. Neither of them seemed surprised at the display of chaos in front of them.
Alfred cleared his throat, “Master Damian, I believe we’ve talked about this before. I’m going to request that you put that back where it belongs. You’ll be joining me afterwards for clean-up.”
The young teen grumbled, but placed the candelabra back onto the table while the man on the floor popped up with a wide smile, “Jason! You made it!”
Jason ignored the man, instead turning to the butler, “Where’s Bruce?”
“He got a call just a few minutes before you arrived, so he should be returning soon. For now, please seat yourselves and I’ll be bringing your dinner in shortly,” Alfred bowed and left through a doorway on the wall to his left. Danny assumed it probably led to the kitchen.
“You must be Dan!” the man who’d been on the floor held out his hand and said, “I’m Dick. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Oh,” he fumbled, but managed to shake the offered hand before saying, “Yeah, nice to meet you. Danny Fenton.”
Damian stalked toward the table and chided Jason and Dick, pointing at the brace around Danny’s knee, “You two can do the introductions at the table instead of forcing our guest to stand on his injured leg. Goodness, Todd. What kind of host are you?”
Scoffing, Jason nudged Danny toward a chair across from the young man and woman who’d wrapped up their conversation to look at them, “That’s ridiculous, kid. If I don’t live here, then I’m incapable of being the host. As I do not in fact live here, I’m not hosting.” Danny sat across from the woman, smiling before turning back to Jason as the man continued. “Really, Dick’s the one being a bad host. He’s legally an adult, therefore, he should have taken the fact that my friend’s a cripple.”
“Hey!” Danny smacked Jason’s shoulder when the man sat down next to him. “I’m not fully a cripple. Just half of one, thank you very much.” Honestly, all things considered, he kind of was kinda a cripple. He was half dead after all. Now there was a thought…could the dead qualify for the handicapped parking? Death should totally be considered a medical condition.
The house spirit swept back into the room and swirled around his head, tittering like laughter.
“So,” the teen across from him started, “do you actually prefer to go by Danny instead of Dan?”
Danny shrugged, considering. He’d never gone by Dan, especially since he met his future evil self as the both of them going by the same name would get confusing really fast. But in this case, Jason’s story would work best if he went along with it, so he said, “I’m honestly fine with anything other than Daniel.”
“Cass,” the woman cut in, hand over her chest. Then she motioned to the man beside her, “Tim.”
The teen next to her flushed, “Sorry, I should have introduced myself.”
Jason cut in, “Wow. So what I’m seeing is that all of you are bad hosts outside of Cass and Alfred. Good going guys. Great first impressions.”
“Like you’re any better with etiquette, Todd,” Damian said from his seat next to Tim. “You barely even tell your own family about anything. We didn’t even know Fenton existed before yesterday.”
“Well, I’m here now if you guys have any questions,” Danny offered.
Dick grinned at him, “How Jason got a friend like you is unclear, but I think it’s a good thing. He’s hardly told us anything about you though! The only things we were told was your name, the fact that apparently you needed help with a smoke detector, and that you’ve been mugged.”
“Well, I suppose those would be some of my more notable qualities!” Danny said with a shrug. “Although they’re not the most flattering.” With that, he shot Jason a teasing glance.
Jason shrugged unapologetically, “Not my fault you’re a disaster. The only thing you’ve got going for you is the fact that you actually buy ingredients instead of pre-packaged meals.”
Danny smiled, “You actually paid attention to my groceries?”
“Just making sure you didn’t send yourself into an early grave,” Jason muttered, crossing his arms across his chest defensively.
That startled a laugh that came straight from his core and he chose to ignore the looks of confusion he received, saying, “I make real meals thank you very much. But none of my groceries from tonight were for me. Jazz wanted me to pick up some stuff so we could make pumpkin pie and a couple dishes that feel festive for the fall season.”
Cass tilted her head at him in question, “Jazz?”
“My sister,” Danny explained. “We live near Gotham University where we’re both attending.”
Tim leaned forward in interest, “What are you studying?”
“I’m working on getting my undergraduate in planetary science but hoping to eventually get my master’s in astrophysics,” Danny said.
Dick let out a low whistle, “Dang. So you’re smart.” Then he turned to Jason with a raised brow, “How’d you become friends again?”
Jason apparently decided to take offense at that and swung his arm into the other man’s neck, sending both Dick and the chair tipping backward. With a squawk, he landed with a thud. Danny just stared at Jason, sending unimpressed vibes his way. Unfortunately, it failed to catch the other man’s attention.
It seemed, however, that Jason caught someone else’s attention as a grunt from the dining room door had everyone in the room pausing.
Danny turned and took in the sight of the billionaire. His frame was rather imposing but he seemed to be dressed more casually than Danny had been expecting. Even with that though, the man seemed to command the room regardless of his dress. Wearing a dark gray turtle neck and a simple black suit coat with matching slacks, hair styled loosely, with well worn black loafers, he still managed to bring a presence that seemed larger than he really was.
It could be a rich person thing, but Danny highly doubted it. If he stopped to ponder on it more, he’d say it’s more similar to…a hero maybe. The presence of someone like Diana Prince. Even when she wasn’t with her Wonder Woman gear, she commanded the room. That’s what this felt like.
Really, nothing like the photos he’d seen in all his media searches. Nothing like all of the tuxedos, cuff links, gelled hair, polished dress shoes that looked like they’d never been worn, airy smiles, champagne glasses, and sharp words with sharper teeth.
Here, the man almost looked…soft. Warm. Exasperated.
“Boys, please,” Bruce said with a shake of his head. “We’ve talked about this.”
While Jason and Dick busied themselves with bickering under their breaths at each other, Danny stood and reached out a hand to Bruce, “Mr. Wayne, it’s so nice to meet you. Jason doesn’t speak of his family often, but I’ve heard good things about you.”
Bruce hid his surprise well, but Danny caught it. Hopefully he’d read Jason correctly. He was very confident in reading people, even without Frostbite’s training. Maybe Jason was just more emotionally constipated than he’d thought. He could work with that, though.
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you as well. Dan, right?” Bruce asked.
“Yes, sir. Danny Fenton,” he agreed.
Bruce shook his head, “Bruce is fine. No need to call me sir.”
Danny caught Tim’s near silent whisper of, “So polite! Jason, where’d you find this guy?”
“Bruce, then,” Danny relented. “Thank you for having me over.”
Bruce gestured back to the table where Jason was grinning and Tim was pulled away from the table, holding his shin, “Please, sit. Alfred will bring out dinner shortly.”
The house spirit swirled around the man playfully before weaving between Cass and Tim to settle across the backs of their chairs.
Danny smiled and retook his seat while Bruce took his place at the head of the table. Dick had righted his chair and was sitting back in his previous spot, smiling in dramatized innocence while Tim scowled at Jason, chair still pushed away from the table. Cass watched Jason with rapt attention and curiosity. Probably because Jason was acting rather smug about all of this. Granted, Danny was here to dupe the man’s family but to really sell the whole fake friend façade, it was part of his duty to make up stories to share with the family. It was only right. And really, it would help make the man’s smugness seem less suspicious.
“Soooo,” Tim drawled, dragging his eyes away from Jason and redirected his attention to Danny. “Tell us about yourself!”
Danny asked, “Sure, what would you like to know?”
“Whatever you’d like,” Dick said with a shrug. “Family, more about your hobbies, where you’re from, how you two met. Take your pick!”
“Okay, um…let’s see,” Danny murmured. “Well, I’m originally from Illinois but like I’d mentioned earlier, I moved here with my sister to attend Gotham University where I’m working on my undergraduate. Hm, I like anything to do with space…I like it when I’m not getting mugged which, in Gotham, is a big ask as I’ve come to learn…oh! And I met Jason at a grocery store! He needed help-“
Jason slapped a hand across Danny’s mouth while his cheeks flushed a light pink.
“Jason,” Bruce’s face remained level but Danny could hear the warning all the same.
Not one to let others have all the fun, he moved his head to the side, hands holding Jason’s arm in a firm grip away from his mouth and said, “Don’t worry about it! I know how he gets when he’s embarrassed.” He shot Jason a side eye, “He’s really just-“
Jason managed to slap his hand back over his mouth and talked loudly over him, “Anyway! You guys can back off now! I came and you’ve met him, so you all can shove it. No more interrogations.”
“Right,” Dick said dryly from the man’s other side, “because harassing your friend is more polite than us asking questions.”
“Master Jason,” Alfred’s voice cut off whatever Jason’s retort would have been with quiet disapproval. “I don’t think I need to remind you to mind your manners. Please refrain from becoming physical while dinner is served. If you feel the need to rough house, the sitting room is not far from here and perfectly adequate for such endeavors after we have concluded our meal.”
Danny smiled when that immediately got Jason to remove his hand with an embarrassed, “Sorry, Alfred.” It was clear who truly ran the house. It honestly made him like the family all the more. So different from Vlad and the rest of high society he’d experienced. No one batted an eye at the butler's gentle but firm correction.
“Thank you, Alfred,” Bruce murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips, a stark contrast to the exasperated sigh he’d let out moments before.
As Alfred placed a plate before him, Danny caught the tail end of a whispered comment from Cass, directed at Tim. “...airy. Insubstantial?” Her eyes, usually so sharp and observant, held a curious, almost assessing quality as she glanced back to her plate and up at Danny.
The way she spoke…it was like a whisper of air, a fleeting shadow. It was a strange observation, and it made the hairs on his arms stand up just a little. Could she sense…something?
Bruce cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “So, Danny, you mentioned you’re from Illinois. What brought you to Gotham for university?”
Danny took a bite of the chicken, savoring the rich flavor before answering. “Well, Mr—Bruce,” he corrected himself quickly, offering a nervous smile. “Gotham University has an amazing planetary science program. And my sister, Jazz, got into their psychology program. We decided to make the move together. It’s been… an experience, living here.” He chuckled, thinking of the sheer chaos that was everyday Gotham. Ghosts camping out on every corner, vying for his attention. It almost made Amity Park seem quaint. Almost.
“An experience indeed,” Bruce agreed, a faint smile playing on his lips. “And you’re enjoying your studies?”
“Absolutely,” Danny said enthusiastically. “Learning about exoplanets, stellar formation, the cosmic web… it’s all just so fascinating. There’s so much out there we don’t understand, so much to discover.”
“So, you’re looking to explore the cosmos,” Tim piped up, momentarily forgetting his bruised shin. “That’s ambitious. Most people just want to get out of Gotham.”
“Well, I figure if I’m going to be surrounded by weirdness, it might as well be cosmic weirdness,” Danny quipped, earning a snort from Jason. “Besides, it’s a good way to avoid getting mugged. Hard to get mugged when you’re studying a black hole in a galaxy millions of light-years away.” He didn’t bother correcting them on the assumption that he’d like to make it to space himself. That dream had been buried a long time ago. He’d have to settle and be content to help others make it to the stars.
Dick leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Speaking of getting mugged, Jason, didn’t you have a story about Danny and a particularly…unfortunate encounter with a Gotham alleyway?”
Jason choked on his water, glaring at Dick. “No! I did not! And if I did, it’s not for public consumption!”
Danny, however, took the bait, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Oh, you mean the time Jason tried to ‘save’ me from a particularly aggressive pigeon?” He feigned a thoughtful expression. “Or was it the one where he mistook a discarded mannequin for a mugger and tried to disarm it with a baguette?”
Bruce raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement in his gaze. Tim let out a snort of laughter, and even Cass’s lips twitched upwards.
Jason, meanwhile, had gone a rather alarming shade of pink. “Danny, I swear, if you finish that story, I will tell them about your…incident with the ice cream truck.”
Danny’s eyes widened playfully. “You wouldn’t dare!” He shot back, his voice thick with mock horror. “That was a very sensitive situation!”
“Sensitive situation?” Dick echoed, practically vibrating with curiosity. “Now that sounds like a story.”
Alfred, ever the voice of reason, interjected smoothly, “Master Jason, Mr. Danny, perhaps we can save the more…spirited anecdotes for after dessert? We wouldn’t want to spoil the appetite.” He offered a small, knowing smile that suggested he was just as entertained as everyone else, but knew how to maintain decorum.
Danny nodded, chastened, though his grin never quite faded. “Right, Alfred. Sorry.” He took another bite of chicken, then subtly glanced around the table. He noticed Bruce watching him, a thoughtful expression on his face. He also noticed the way Tim and Dick seemed to exchange quick, almost imperceptible glances, like they were sharing an inside joke or a silent conversation. Cass, as she’d been doing since he entered the room, was just…observing.
He thought about her comment again. And the fluidity with which these people moved, the way they reacted to Jason’s outbursts with practiced calm. The way Bruce seemed to command the room without even trying. The way Dick had effortlessly righted his chair after Jason’s initial assault and even the original assault conducted by the youngest Wayne. The almost preternatural awareness in Cass’s eyes.
It was more than just a rich family with a penchant for dramatics. He’d seen enough weirdness in Amity Park to know when something was…off. And the Wayne family, for all their casual attire and domestic squabbles, were definitely off.
A part of him, the part that was a ghost-fighting superhero and accidental King of the Realms, was already starting to put the pieces together, even if he didn't quite know what picture they formed yet. He glanced across the table at Cass and studied her while she nodded along to a story Dick had started sharing, something about a new burger place. The media had very little on the girl but they were correct in their reports of her quiet presence. It was a little unnerving just how much she seemed to stare into your soul.
Danny’s eyes flicked over to Tim as she shifted to spoon more veggies onto his plate but got stuck on the scar on the boy’s neck. It had a vague green glow that told him that if he was a ghost at the moment or if he was studying it closer, that there was an ecto-signature. He’d seen a scar like that recently. At least, he’s pretty sure he had. The question was, where?
“No, I’d rather not, Grayson,” Damian said with enough force to drag Danny’s attention away from Tim. “If I wanted to question my ethics, I could do it from the comfort of my own home.”
Dick just grinned, “Hey, I’m not saying you should try the burgers. I was just going to offer to get you ice cream from the parlor next door.”
Danny watched as the house spirit drifted further down the table as if to soothe Damian. Surprisingly, it seemed to work as he relaxed his shoulders and picked his fork back up to continue eating, “I’d…be okay with that.”
Tim and Jason exchanged exasperated looks that were quickly cut off by Bruce and Danny hid his smile as he took a sip of water. He nearly choked when he suddenly recalled where he’d seen the scar.
About two weeks prior, Red Robin had been redirecting traffic away from a hostage situation that was going down at the shopping center near Danny’s apartment and he’d stopped to study the young hero from a distance. He’d been curious about the city’s protectors as he’d never interacted with anyone else who’d actually work to help him while living in Amity. Just observing how different it was that the citizens interacted with the Bats versus how people interacted with him as Phantom. He couldn’t imagine having such an established presence where the city worked with him. His core ached at the thought.
It had only been a minute or two that he’d sat there observing, but it was enough to see a scar or two imbued with ectoplasm glowing faintly through his suit. The one on Red Robin's neck had been covered by a high collar but now that he’d noticed the scar on Tim’s neck, it was all Danny could think about. Lots of people had scars but very few were tainted with ectoplasm. Really, he wouldn’t know for certain unless he stopped to study the signature that Tim’s scar had.
So while Jason gruffly patted his back and he coughed, Danny decided he didn’t want to know. “Sorry,” he coughed out, “wrong pipe.”
Tim laughed lightly, “Happens to the best of us.”
The conversation shifted around him as Bruce started talking about something relating to Wayne Enterprises in response to a question Damian asked and Jason started bickering with Dick. With his throat cleared now, and his attention back on his dinner, Danny’s mind whirled as much he wished it didn’t.
There were hundreds of clips on the internet of the Bat-clan. Batman, Robin, Red Robin, Batgirl, Signal, possibly Red Hood, and potentially Nightwing. Really, with how sneaky the vigilantes of Gotham were, there could be a dozen more that he didn’t know about. The problem was that now that he was thinking about it, he couldn’t not hear how similar the voices around him were to the voices he’d listened to on the internet when he first arrived in Gotham.
Because Tim was definitely Red Robin, he’d eat his thermos if Damian wasn’t Robin, and Bruce was without a doubt Batman. Danny was certain Cass, Jason and Dick were vigilantes as well but he was actively trying to not think about it. Although when Alfred came back in to clear off their places, he couldn’t help but wonder if the man was in on it as well. He must be, but Danny wasn’t certain to what capacity. The man seemed the most sane out of everyone else.
Jason nudged him in the shoulder and he startled, “Sorry, what?”
Dick leaned forward to see him around Jason, “Oh, I was just asking if you and your sister had any plans for the Halloween season! We don’t typically do any of the horror stuff, but they have this fun festival next week where they’ll have all of these ghost, monster, and witch themed stalls and activities. We didn’t get to go last year, but we were thinking about going this time around.”
“That sounds so cool!” Danny smiled, “Since it’s just the two of us, we were going to have a quieter holiday, but that sounds like a lot of fun.”
While Dick smiled and started talking about the different stalls they usually set up, Danny’s mind recalled how smooth Dick had been when Damian had him pinned to the ground or when Jason had knocked him back. He was built with the strength and ease of a gymnast.
Danny supposed Nightwing really was a Bat despite what the arguments online said.
It hadn’t even been a week since Danny ate dinner with the Waynes and he was regretting so much.
The day had been a pleasant one so far all things considered. The rain had waited until he was securely inside for his classes and he even had time to catch lunch with Jazz before she had to run off to her classes. He’d even gotten some of his shopping done without getting rained on. That left him with the rest of his evening to himself and he’d made the poor decision to stretch his legs.
He hadn’t even gotten to the end of the block before he’d been mugged (this time for real). The only thing he actually had with him was his phone and wallet. However, as soon as he’d been dragged into the alley way, Danny realized that he had a problem. Since becoming king, he’d learned that he could store things in the Realms with these little ‘pocket dimensions’ and he’d decided to store both his phone and his wallet in the Realms.
Not necessarily a big problem as that meant they were safe.
But he had two glaring problems he came to realize in the span of a breath and was forced to acknowledge that things had just become a lot more dangerous for him. Because first and foremost, the guy gripping the front of his hoodie was definitely not here for polite conversation. And second, he genuinely had nothing to give him.
“Phone. Wallet,” the man snarled, shoving him back against the damp brick wall, knife pointed at him threateningly. Another figure hovered near the alley entrance, pretending to keep watch while very obviously enjoying the power trip.
Danny lifted his hands slowly, heart pounding—not out of fear, exactly, but frustration. Really? He hadn’t even made it a full week since the dinner and here he was, out on the streets, getting robbed.
“I—uh,” he started, forcing his voice to shake just enough to sell it. “Look, man, I don’t have anything on me.”
The grip tightened. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not,” Danny said quickly. “Promise! I—I left my wallet at home. Phone too. I was just taking a walk before heading back.”
The mugger scoffed. “Yeah? And I’m the mayor.”
Danny swallowed. He could feel it now, the familiar hum under his skin, his core reacting to the spike of adrenaline. Ectoplasm stirred, eager and sharp, pressing against his ribs like it wanted out. Now was not a great time for this. He just wanted to go home and pretend he was normal.
The second guy snorted and jerked his head sharply toward Danny. “Check his pockets.”
The first one did and with each pocket checked, flipped inside out and checked again, the more agitated he became. And really, how rude. What kind of manners were they teaching muggers these days? Stealing was one thing but leaving all his pockets sticking out, turned outward, was unnecessarily cruel.
And uncomfortable…moreso for his eyes and soul than for his physical comfort.
As the first thug started roughing him up more, his ghost sense flaring instinctively, causing some of the shadows around them to creep closer and grow colder. “What the—” the mugger yanked his hand back like he’d been burned, staring at Danny with narrowed eyes. “What kind of trick is this?”
Danny forced a shaky laugh. “I told you, man. I don’t have anything.”
The alley lights flickered and Danny squeezed his eyes shut for a fraction of a second. Crap.
“Did you see that?” the second guy muttered.
The first mugger’s grip loosened, voice laced with uncertainty. “You some kinda freak?”
Danny opened his eyes, pulse roaring in his ears. The shadows along the alley walls felt heavier now, tugging at him, responding to the pull of his core. He could slip out of this in half a second. Go intangible, drop through the ground, be gone before they even processed it.
But Gotham was known for being a no meta zone. Technically, he couldn’t be considered a meta as the only thing he had going for him was a medical condition. Death. It was a chronic sort of diagnosis, so there was nothing to be done about that but the line between meta toleration and ghost toleration seemed to be blurred. That line made him wary of being found out.
He honestly just wanted one city to not be actively hunting him down. Amity Park was enough for him.
He shifted his weight carefully, trying to keep a nervous countenance. “Look, I swear, I don’t want any trouble. Just—just let me go, okay?”
“I don’t like this.” The second guy took a step back. “Let’s bail.”
The first hesitated and started moving back with his knife still raised. The muggers startled when a dark shape suddenly dropped down from the fire escape above them, like gravity had personally offended him.
“Hands up,” the figure demanded, standing tall and imposing as the man placed himself directly between the thugs and Danny. The black and blue suit was confirmation to him that Nightwing really did work in Gotham.
Another shadow came from above, becoming detached from the darkness to land right next to Danny in a smooth, controlled crouch, bo-staff already in hand. The man wore red-trimmed armor as his eyes glowed faintly through a domino mask. Red Robin.
Danny’s stomach dropped.
“Oh,” Nightwing said lightly, glancing over his shoulder. “Hey. You okay?”
Danny nodded a little too fast. “Yep. Totally. Great timing.”
The muggers bolted.
Red Robin moved first—precise, efficient, gone in a blur of motion after the lookout. Nightwing followed a heartbeat later, disarming and pinning the first guy with practiced ease.
Danny pressed himself back against the wall, trying very hard to look like a normal college student and not someone whose core was still buzzing like it wanted to burst out of his chest.
Nightwing tied the guy up and tapped his comm. “GCPD’s on the way.”
Red Robin reappeared moments later, shoving the second mugger to the ground beside his accomplice, complaining. “This guy didn’t even try to use his knife. He threw it at me, like that was his first knee jerk response.”
Nightwing turned back to Danny, giving him a once-over. His gaze lingered just a second too long on Danny’s face, then his knee where he’d previously worn his brace. “You sure you’re okay?” Nightwing asked again, more carefully this time.
Danny swallowed. He could feel the scrutiny. The same sort of sharp attention that Cass had given him at the table.
“Yeah,” he said, managing a small smile. “Just…bad luck.”
Red Robin tilted his head slightly, giving Danny complete sight of the glowing green seeping through the neck of his costume. That faint ecto-signature seemed to pulse lightly, like a heartbeat, reacting to him. He felt it like a brush of static across his skin.
Red Robin’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. “You live nearby?”
“A couple blocks,” Danny said. “I was just heading home.”
Nightwing nodded. “We can walk you.”
His heart sank and he tried protesting, “That’s really not necessary—”
“It’s not a problem,” Nightwing cut in easily. “It’s on our patrol route.”
Red Robin didn’t say anything. He just kept looking at Danny like he was trying to solve a puzzle that didn’t quite fit together.
Danny forced himself to relax, trying to soothe his core and to keep distance from the shadows. Please don’t notice, he thought. Because the last thing he needed was for the entire Wayne family to realize that Jason Todd’s fake limping friend Dan was something else entirely.
Nightwing waited just long enough for Danny to realize protesting again would only make him look more suspicious. “…Okay,” Danny said finally, forcing a sheepish smile. “If you insist.”
Red Robin fell into step on Danny’s other side as Nightwing took the lead, casually herding him out of the alley and back toward the streetlights. Danny was acutely aware of how boxed in he suddenly felt—two trained vigilantes flanking him, both hyper-aware, both clearly clocking something off about him even if they didn’t know what yet.
This was going great. Truly. Stellar decision-making, Fenton.
They walked in silence for half a block before Nightwing spoke again, tone easy. “You live near Gotham U?”
“Yeah,” Danny replied. “Just off Robinson. Old apartment building. Questionable plumbing. Gho—” He caught himself. “Uh. Drafty. Really drafty.”
Red Robin made a small sound, something between a hum and a thoughtful noise and Danny found he did not like that sound one bit.
Nightwing glanced back over his shoulder, eyebrows lifting. “Rough neighborhood?”
Danny barked out a laugh before he could stop himself. “You could say that. Though honestly, tonight’s not even in the top ten worst things that’ve happened to me in an alley.”
That earned him a look. Not an alarmed one. Not even suspicious.
Just interested.
Red Robin slowed half a step, eyes narrowing again. “It’s best to turn in earlier in the evening to avoid some of the crime. There are less people out once the sun starts to dip.”
Danny shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets and immediately remembering they were still turned inside out. He fixed them with an awkward tug. “Noted. I guess I’m still getting used to things here. I grew up in a smaller town, so things were a little different.”
“Yeah?” Nightwing prompted. “It’s helpful to know at least some self defense when living in a city like Gotham.”
“I know a little,” Danny defended lightly. “The place I grew up in was a little off too, so I get it. You eventually learn how to adapt.”
Which was true, just not in the way they probably thought.
They reached the corner near Danny’s building, the air humming with the edge of his haunt, buzzing faintly in his chest. His core reached out to the boundary with an aching yearning, wanting him to step into safety already. He kept walking like nothing was wrong.
Red Robin tilted his head though. Squinted his eyes at the air in front of them. “So,” Red Robin said casually, “does your building always do that?”
Danny’s stomach dropped. “Do…what?” he asked, carefully neutral.
Nightwing slowed, glancing around. The streetlight at the corner flickered, dimmed, then steadied again. Breath puffed faintly in the cool air—except Danny’s, which didn’t fog at all. He hoped neither vigilante noticed.
“Huh,” Nightwing murmured. “Temperature dip.”
Danny forced a laugh. “Old wiring?” he offered weakly. “Or, uh. Bad insulation. It’s a historic building.”
Red Robin’s gaze swung back to him and he mumbled under his breath. Danny heard it all the same. “The cold started when you stepped onto the block.”
Danny could practically hear his core thudding in his ears now, a low, resonant pulse that wanted him inside already. Home. Safe. Warded. The shadows at the edge of the sidewalk crept closer, stretching toward him like curious fingers.
Taking a deliberate step forward, putting space between himself and the alley behind them, he said, “Thanks for walking me back. I really appreciate it.”
The air hummed and Danny’s core pulsed harder, reacting to the scrutiny, to the faint green glow leaking through Red Robin’s collar like a challenge. He felt it resonate, like their two ecto-signatures were brushing a little too close, sending a shiver up his spine.
Red Robin stiffened.
“…Did you feel that?” he asked quietly.
Nightwing frowned. “Feel what?”
Red Robin didn’t answer. He was staring at Danny now, eyes sharp behind the mask. Danny exhaled, long and careful. The shadows stilled, retreating a fraction as he consciously reined himself in.
“I’m not sure I felt anything,” he said quietly.
Red Robin hesitated, then stepped back half a pace. “Your building?” he asked.
Danny nodded toward the darkened entrance ahead. “Yeah. Right there.” Another flicker of the streetlight. The cold eased the moment Danny stepped onto the stoop, like the block itself exhaled in relief.
Nightwing raised a brow at that, muttering a quiet, “…Interesting.”
Danny forced a crooked smile. “Told you. Drafty.”
Nightwing huffed a quiet laugh and waved him forward. “Get inside. Lock your door.”
“Will do,” he agreed but as Danny turned to unlock the door, Red Robin spoke again, softer this time.
“Be careful out here,” he said. “Gotham notices things that don’t belong.”
Danny paused, hand on the handle and he glanced back over his shoulder, eyes glowing faintly green in the low light before he could stop it.
“So do I,” he replied.
Then he slipped inside, the door shutting with a solid click that cut off the cold, the shadows, and the Bat’s questions—for now.
Outside, he caught sight of the rooftop across the street, Nightwing standing close with Red Robin. They looked to be bickering about something, most likely him, but soon were off flying through the buildings.
“Well,” he muttered to himself as he started up the stairs, “that could have gone better.”
Once in his shared apartment with Jazz, he stood there in the entryway for a full thirty seconds, listening to his heartbeat slow and his core finally settle. Then he groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face.
“Fantastic,” he muttered. “Just…fantastic.”
Because now he was on the Bat-family’s radar.
And Jason Todd’s “fake friend Dan” was officially a liability.