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He could do this.
He knew he had to do this.
It shouldn’t be too hard to tell the guy who sort of took him under his cape about his secret.
Danny pictured himself thousands of times having this exact conversation, but it didn’t make it any easier. Not when Bruce was the only one in the manor who didn’t know about Phantom or the powers Danny had under his invisible sleeve.
The teen was also aware that no matter how much Batman said he didn’t want metas in Gotham, he would probably accept Danny in a heartbeat.
Half a heartbeat?
Right, he just needed to knock on that door and get this over with. Or maybe he could phase through it and make a surprise reveal. Or he could write a letter and leave it with Alfred while Danny packed his things on his way back to Wisconsin. Or Spittoon, maybe, if Vlad was really missing.
This should’ve been a breeze, a walk in the park, maybe a stroll on the rooftops, to keep it in the theme. He had already told all the others his tragic backstory about being half a ghost and fighting ghosts. He even confessed he hadn’t been able to save his family on time, while only sharing the dreadful details with Jason later that same night.
So why was Danny so on edge?
“Boo!” a voice called from behind and Danny almost jumped into the air with a startled yelp.
The half-ghost turned around to see Dick laughing while holding his stomach. “Does that make me an honorary Ghostbuster now?” he asked between chuckles.
Danny shushed the man and pulled him a few steps away from the door to Bruce’s office. “I’m so going to haunt you to make you trip during patrol,” he threatened in a hushed voice.
Dick placed a hand on the teen’s shoulders and squeezed softly. “Relax, Baby Ghost—”
“Baby Ghost?” Danny repeated softly. What was it with Dick and nicknames?
“—I came to save you from making a big mistake.”
Danny eyed Dick with curiosity. While he didn’t notice any ill intent, he did notice there was a playful glint in the older brother’s eye. “You’re up to something, aren’t you?”
The hand on his shoulder steered the boy away from the office’s door and into the hallway. “We just want to check something with you. Don’t worry about it.”
Danny totally worried about it.
He also felt he should’ve seen this coming. As soon as the ghost was out of the bag (out of the thermos? Bat out of the bag? Maybe he was getting rusty with his banter), he was sure everyone would want their thousands of questions answered, his powers demonstrated like a circus act, and their pranks pulled to make up for all the mischief he had subjected the Wayne children to, before the reveal.
Huh… was he in a way a Wayne child now while Vlad was missing?
Well, not legally. First Bruce would need to adopt him. And to do that, he would need to learn about his secret, as the only member of the Bat-family who wasn’t yet officially informed of Danny’s half-dead status.
Oh, no. He was circling back to that fun conversation…
As Danny’s dread and catastrophizing returned, Dick led him upstairs to a living room, or playroom or whatever they called it, where all the other Batkids were gathered and talking to each other, like it was super normal to just hang out at home on a regular Wednesday afternoon. Didn’t they have summer jobs or companies to run?
Well, except for Damian, who was too young for that and seemed to only be there begrudgingly. Maybe even to spy, out of sheer curiosity.
The room fell silent as soon as Danny entered. Jason was the first to greet the boy as Dick led him to one of the larger sofas. “Hey, Casper. Had fun hovering by B’s office?”
Danny scowled. “As if you were any better at just talking to him.”
The half-ghost sat down between Steph and Tim. It made him feel suddenly trapped, unable to run from whatever the younger group of vigilantes had in mind. Danny could only brace himself for the chaos that was sure to come.
“You haven’t told Bruce about the whole Phantom thing?” Drake asked with a raised eyebrow.
The deadpan look Danny shot him was enough of an answer.
Steph sat closer to him, leaning almost conspiratorially. “So, listen, what if you… don’t tell Bruce?” she asked.
“Or at least not yet,” Dick added with a playful glint in his eye, holding Danny’s shoulders from behind the sofa.
A look around the room let him know the others were staring expectantly for whatever answer he would give. While they looked amused by the idea, they showed no signs of half-contained laughter and preparing to yell “psych!”
No. They were serious.
After all the time and effort, they wanted to keep this whole charade going? It had already been destroying Danny’s nerves. There was only so much a troll could last living under a bridge. “You’re kidding, right?”
"We just thought about how we don’t have this kind of opportunity very often,” Tim replied with a feral grin and a dangerous look in his eye. Note to self: be careful around this guy.
Danny crossed his arms. “And what opportunity is this exactly?”
“We just want to have some fun messing with the old man,” Jason said and that’s when Danny noticed the group exchanging amused looks.
It was almost like witnessing a silent conversation, mutual understanding evident between them. A sibling thing. He felt a sharp pang of sadness in his chest at the reminder, wondering if his bonding with Jazz after talking more openly about Phantom would’ve been just as tight.
Danny rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air. “Fine, what’s on your mind? Haunted office? A Christmas Carol: Summer Edition? Overshadowed Batmobile?”
“Wait, you can possess inanimate objects?” Duke asked in awe.
The Bat kids (minus Damian, who was too busy standing against the wall with arms crossed, rolling his eyes at his siblings’ antics), all looked at one another to resume the silent exchange from before, eyes now widening in surprise or concern.
Dick, the designated brother to share their plan, cleared his throat to explain. “Let’s get back on track before we freak out about what else we didn’t realize you can do. So, remember when you said you didn’t want to be a vigilante?”
“Uh, yeah?” Danny asked with suspicion.
“But you’ve already had experience being one.”
Danny sighed. “Also yeah, so?”
“Never been a Robin,” Cass interjected.
“Pointing out the obvious,” Danny said while rolling his eyes.
Dick’s smile grew wide. “But it’s a perfect point. So, how would you like to try being a bird for a day or two?”
Danny could almost hear his thoughts screeching to a halt.
What?
Danny stared in shock at all the vigilantes in the room, all of them grinning in approval (maybe not Damian). “You want me to troll Bruce into thinking I want to be a Robin?”
“It is the fastest way to get adopted,” Jason pointed out, which earned a scoff from Dick.
Tim smiled. “It would only be tempo—”
“I’m in!” Danny blurted out before the other boy could finish.
“That was fast,” Tim muttered.
“Dude, you don’t even know what the whole prank would involve,” Duke pointed out.
Danny snorted. “I think I can make an informed guess. Listen, I really don’t want to join the vigilante lifestyle, again. You know, been there—”
“We know, Casper,” Jason mumbled. “I’ve heard the speech enough times.”
“But,” Danny emphasized while raising his index finger, “I totally would like to get back at Bruce for investigating Vlad and never telling me about it.”
“Yeah, okay, that’s fair,” Steph agreed.
“My father owed you no explanation whatsoever, Fenton,” Damian spat from his corner.
“Then I don’t owe him an identity reveal,” Danny retorted with a shrug. But he knew it was a total lie. He so wanted to explain everything to Bruce, but just didn’t know how. And he had played it cool so far with the Batkids; no way was he going to admit being scared after all that’s happened. “He’s the world’s greatest detective. He can surely figure it out just fine.”
“What if B already knows?” Tim wondered out loud, adding to the dread growing in Danny’s gut.
“Might,” Cass said.
“Then this should be his cue to say something,” Dick replied with more confidence than Danny felt at the moment.
Why did Danny even agree to this? Oh, right. Being a little shit was one hell of a coping mechanism. Better than turning evil and destroying the world, in any case.
“So, we’re really doing this. It’s happening,” Duke stated.
Danny raised his hand. “Uh, how are we doing this exactly?”
“We should teach him how to be a Robin,” Jason replied, and Danny had an odd sense of déjà vu to their first talks about this topic, where Jason said some training wouldn’t hurt. How had things changed…
The room full of teens and young adults broke into grins as they finally agreed to one common goal: mess with The Batman™ and teach Danny how to take the role as his sidekick.
Tip #1 of Being a Robin (by the OG Robin)
Always use your banter wisely and don’t let puns fly over your head
Batman waited at the top of the rendezvous he agreed with Tim and Damian. The two boys were unusually late for patrol. The young vigilantes had asked him to give them some time to finish movie night, but to go ahead and start without them; that they would catch up with him later.
“Sorry I’m late, aerial traffic was batshit crazy,” a new voice called from behind the Dark Knight and he turned to find—
“You’re not Robin,” Bruce stated bluntly.
The black-haired teen in front of him, wearing a cheap imitation of Dick’s original Robin uniform, placed a hand on his chest and gasped. “You really said that without batting an eye, huh? Man, that’s cold.”
The tired vigilante sighed. “Danny—”
“Hey, what happened to no names on the field? That’s a grave mistake, B,” the Fake Robin interrupted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“You shouldn’t be here. It’s too dangerous,” Batman scolded the boy.
Danny snorted. “Oh, please, the other birds already trained me in combat.”
Bruce squinted under the cowl. “Are you making puns related to bats right now?”
“Oh, fangs for noticing,” Danny replied with a smile.
Batman pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t take you on patrol. I need you back in the cave before someone gets hurt.”
The last thing Bruce needed was another child in danger. Or worse.
And even if there was a chance Damian wouldn’t try to sabotage or hurt Danny for trying to take his spot, the new kid already had too much on his plate even if he didn’t know it yet. Bruce hadn’t exactly informed him about Vlad’s capture, or the offer to become an official part of the Wayne family, or the potential new rogue that was somehow connected to ghosts and possibly Masters.
Even if this was one of the infamous pranks Danny liked pulling on his kids, this certainly was not the best time for that. Not when tonight’s mission was to get a sample of the ice showing up around Gotham, to avoid the need of having Constantine look into it in person. Despite everything he had already gone through in his life, Bruce could still be hopeful.
“How’s this…” Danny started to say as he adjusted the bright green gloves on his hands, projecting a nonchalance that Bruce could see through. “If I can prove to you tonight that I can take care of myself and others, can I be your next Robin?”
The immediate answer? No.
Damian was just getting more comfortable with his place in the family and his role with both Batman and the Teen Titans. He was proud of the mantle he took and tried to make it his own, stepping away from the shadows of the former protégées who carried the name. To allow a new Robin would only lead to disaster and heartbreak, no matter how much Damian would try to hide it behind a steely attitude.
On the other hand, Danny was a suspected vigilante in Amity Park, even if there were no mentions or evidence of his hero persona in his hometown. The Justice League Dark was still looking for any kind of spell or misuse of Vlad’s powers to create so many holes in the memory of every Amity Parker they had talked to so far. So, if Bruce didn’t give Danny an outlet, it could be too dangerous to let the teen to his own devices, sneaking out to fight crime in Gotham.
He needed to assess how serious Danny was about this request.
“I thought you didn’t want to be a vigilante,” Batman pointed out.
Danny shrugged. “I guess your kids finally wore me down.”
That wasn’t enough for Bruce. “I’m not letting you come along.” He pushed the communicator in his ear. “Oracle?”
“Yes, B?” came Barbara’s quick reply.
“Where are Robin and Red Robin?”
They still weren’t here and their excuse about finishing movie night was no longer valid. Even if this was an elaborate prank or a real petition from Danny to become the next Robin, there was no doubt Damian wouldn’t agree with either situation, much less participate. Had Danny put them up for this or had it been the other way around?
“They’re all offline.” The statement would’ve been worrying if he hadn’t heard the small amusement in Barbara’s voice.
Batman took a deep breath through his nose. “I need someone closest to my location to take… my surprise sidekick back home.”
“I would but—”
“What?”
“Red Robin had to run to a late date with Codename B, which he told you about last week—”
“He didn’t,” Bruce interrupted, already pinching between his eyes.
“It’s on your agenda. But anyway, there’s also Robin’s study date with Superboy.”
“He had mentioned movie night, not going with him.”
“Movie night ended a while ago, B. Anyway, there’s also Red Hood who had a mission with the Outlaws. Nightwing had a break on a case in Blüdhaven. The girls are on their night off. And you know Signal is asleep."
“So everyone had an excuse to miss tonight’s patrol?” He finally asked.
“They talked about it at the cave and that’s why Fake Robin offered. He already had all his shots and got some training, so I wouldn’t worry about him going feral.”
“Hn.”
Bruce turned to Danny, who just had an innocent smile plastered on his face. “Guess you’re stuck with me, B. But don’t worry, I can definitely throw a punch.”
Bruce scowled. He would not let this happen. “I’ll take you to the cave myself, if it’s necessary.”
Danny stared at him in concern, the innocence now going to his worried eyes. “And leave the people of Gotham in danger when everyone’s off patrol or elsewhere tonight?”
“I’ll do it to keep you safe,” Batman said through gritted teeth.
“B, c’mon, I promise I won’t get in your way,” Danny pleaded, giving Batman the biggest puppy eyes he could muster. “Give me just one chance. You already allowed the others to just… parkour into the Robin suit. Why can’t I try too? I even prepared some good banter. You’ll be spooked by how well I prepared!”
Bruce gave him the most dad-tired sigh he had managed to date. Bruce hadn’t tested Danny’s skills yet and the kid had a point, but he couldn’t voice out loud his agreement. Instead, he just closed his eyes as he tapped into his comm. “Oracle?”
“Want me to keep an escape route ready for Fake Robin?”
Sometimes it was like Barbara could read his mind and gave a soft hum in reply.
Danny gave Bruce his largest smile. “Don’t worry, if things get too dangerous, I can leave at the drop of a bat.”
Bruce was already regretting this.
Tip #2 of Being a Robin (by a formerly Dead Robin)
Grapple with style and leverage all the fun toys
Bruce tried to make a new plan for tonight’s patrol to include Danny’s potential lack of skills. It could also be a good opportunity to disincentivize the kid from following the path of the previous Robins. There were so many things he recalled and regretted, especially with what happened to Jason.
First, he needed to make sure Danny could at least use his gear correctly. It seemed he wasn’t packing much in the flimsy utility belt he wore.
“If you made it all the way here, I’m assuming the others taught you how to use a grappling hook,” Batman asked.
“Of course!” Danny cheered, pulling out the grappling gun from his belt. He held it in front of Bruce with a shit-eating grin. “I was trained by someone who said he would never tire out of showing me the ropes.”
Bruce stared at the teen and thought about the best approach. That night they were all supposed to continue looking for the new ice-powered rogue. It could be very dangerous to take Danny along, but he could ask him to keep guard somewhere out of harm’s way, which most likely would be a rooftop.
“Can you follow me?” he asked more patiently, easing up on the intimidation. He had to remind himself that Danny could potentially become a part of his family for good, so he didn’t want to scare him away.
Danny beamed again. “Sure! You say fly and I ask how high, boss man.”
Bruce aimed to grapple to the next roof, one that was high enough to test the boy’s grasp of how to climb and swing between buildings while still keeping him relatively safe. He waited for Danny to point and shoot, expecting a few tries before he got it right. However, that didn’t happen since Danny perfectly reached the target without hesitation. How long had he been practicing? Was there some truth to the suspicions that he was a vigilante before?
As he saw Danny reach the roof right behind him, Bruce realized the boy had a particular way to handle himself in the air, maneuvering gracefully, almost weightless. Like flying. His style was nothing like what he saw in the previous Robins. He had seen his own children fail in their first runs, on more than one occasion. Scrapped knees, bumped heads, broken ribs…
“So, what are we working on, B?” Danny asked as he followed Bruce closely to the next building, this time jumping without gear. The ease on Danny’s jumps continued as they landed on the warehouse listed for their research.
“We’re collecting evidence. We haven’t been able to get ahold of a sample of the ice left by a potential new rogue in Gotham.” Bruce wasn’t sure how much he was willing to share with this apparently new sidekick, but if he had been aware of Masters’ situation enough to want to get away from him, Bruce supposed the kid might know enough to share some insight. “We think it’s related to ghosts.”
Fake Robin perked up at the mention of ghosts, his blue eyes attentive. “Oh, wow, ghosts? Suffering specters, Batman!”
Bruce hoped his tired stare was somehow conveyed despite the cowl covering most of his face. “You’re overdoing it.”
“Uh, let’s get these ghosts to move on?” Danny shrugged.
“Let’s just focus. If you really want to work with me, you need to know how to use your gear to gather evidence.” He stares at the boy and the suit that is definitely not equipped for the new challenges he had prepared his kids for. “But you don’t—”
“Don’t worry, B, I’m on it!” Danny exclaimed as he looked into his utility belt and produced—
“Is that a forensic kit?” the Bat deadpanned.
“Uh, yeah?”
There was a beat of silence as Bruce tried to process the absurdity of it. “How did that fit in there?”
He realized his new companion should be renamed the Chaotic Robin as the kid’s smile widened. “Ah, just because I’m wearing this knock-off suit, it doesn’t mean I don’t get to play with the fun toys from the Bat Burger happy meal.”
Bruce was actually impressed by the attitude, the way the kid had been prepared. There was no doubt his other children had participated in his training somehow, perhaps helping him perfect skills he had previously acquired in Amity Park.
Batman turned around and looked down into the warehouse using a window on the rooftop, which gave them a perfect view of the iceberg below, guarded by two cops. If they were of the uncorrupt kind, it was yet to be determined.
This particular piece appeared a night ago, so the rogue apparently had no time to make it disappear like they had done with others in the past. Bruce’s hoped the sample he took this time wouldn’t disappear just as the others had in the cave.
Without facing his companion, Bruce spoke in a quiet voice to avoid being heard by the cops below. “If you’re ready, we’ll scout this location for any signs of danger. I will leave you here to look out, but—”
“Already way ahead of you,” Danny said behind him, holding an evidence bag with what looked like a piece of ice.
Tip #3 of Being a Robin (by the Feral Robin)
Gaslight your way in and out of any situation to have everything under control
“Where did you get that?” Bruce asked after a beat, looking at the fragment that matched all the ephemeral pieces of ice he had collected before.
The boy shrugged and Bruce was reminded of Dick’s sassy attitude when he used this mantle all those years ago. “I was told Robin is magic, and a magician never reveals his secrets.”
There was a brief pause, a silence that grew between them until Danny cackled. “I’m messing with you, B. I saw some fragments by that door. See?”
The boy pointed at the exit that led to the roof, where there was another small iceberg hidden behind the door. How had they all missed it in the first sweep of the place?
“That wasn’t there last night,” Bruce voiced his concern out loud. It could mean the rogue had returned in the last few hours. It was a shame they couldn’t determine how long the ice had been there since it didn’t have a logical behavior, like other types of ice. For one, it didn’t melt. It also had a faint glow they still couldn’t explain, which made it look almost ethereal.
“Well, at least you have the evidence you were looking for, right? Guess I won’t have to wing it as a vigilant bird,” Danny said with a proud smile.
This was a very lucky break and Bruce was starting to get a startling suspicion. The sound of commotion below caught their attention. They peeked down into the building through the windows on the roof. The iceberg that had been guarded mere loments ago had disappeared. “How—”
“Uh, B?” Danny called and Bruce turned around.
Just like the ice inside the warehouse, the smaller piece behind the door to the roof was also gone. His eyes then went to the bag in his hands. The ice was no longer there.
How could this have happened? This was the first time they had been close to the ice disappearance, but no evidence of what triggered it. Was it some kind of timer? Did that mean the ice on the roof’s exit had been there the whole time? Or was it connected to the rogue and they had been under someone’s watch the whole time? After all, Bruce had his suspicions that, if Masters was involved with the supernatural and using an ice creature of some kind, it could very well be leaving a message for Danny.
But Danny was not scared; only surprised. Perhaps even pretending to be so.
“Should we go or…?” the boy asked, losing all concern for the situation.
Batman squinted with suspicion.
Tip #4 of Being a Robin (by the Briefest Robin)
Learn how to manage the crime part of crime fighting
“We should move,” Bruce said.
Danny followed closely, even as the older vigilante took out his grappling hook and moved to the next taller building for a better vantage point. He had a growing theory and he wanted to make sure first.
“Where are we going, B? You kinda froze up on the investigation back there,” the boy commented as he stepped by his side.
Looking around with his scanners to check for any presence nearby, Bruce walked until he practically loomed over the Robin by his side. “Someone might be following us.”
Danny’s eyes widened. “Blundering bad boys, Batman! How did you get that impression?”
Bruce silently reminded himself to be patient. “I think someone’s after you.”
The temporary Robin gasped. “You mean… that over there was a nice gift for me? Cool, but why?”
Bruce ignored the wordplay. “Because Vlad Masters might be involved.” Danny’s confused reaction was genuine. At least he hadn’t been aware. “He might have been sending warning signs to criminal groups to steer them away from you. That’s why the GCPD has been involved; to avoid a potential gang war.”
Danny blanched. “Wait, what?”
Bruce walked towards the edge of the rooftop, his cape covering him completely as he looked at the zone they were in. “The warehouses belong to different criminal groups across Gotham. The ice might be an intimidation tactic or a way to pinpoint areas under surveillance. It might not be a random occurrence.”
"Are you sure about that?” the boy asked with hesitation.
The look on this new Robin was paler than usual, the worry in his eyes more evident with each passing second. His mind was probably overthinking. So maybe Danny did know more than he let on.
“Do you have a different theory?” Batman challenged.
Danny rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the city below. Avoidance, nervousness. Neither a good sign so far. “No, but I’m not sure I agree. I almost memorized the map of criminal activity with Steph. She said something about how important it was to know who’s who in Gotham’s most wanted.”
Bruce squinted. “You were given confidential case information?”
“Oh, no, just… an overview?” Danny fidgeted.
“Then you are aware of why this case is worrying?”
Danny’s expression went through many changes as he processed this information. “I mean, these are only small-time crooks and petty criminals from what I understand. This wouldn’t start a gang war. I think.”
This was technical admittance about his knowledge of the ice case they had been working on for the past month. “Most of these small-time goons collaborate with bigger criminals.”
Danny gaped. In a way, that had been the final nail in the coffin.
Tip #5 of Being a Robin (by the Stabby Robin)
Assert dominance and do not let anyone forget how incompetent they are
“I think you’re jumping to conclusions, boss man,” Danny said as he recovered from the initial shock. “And to be totally honest? I think you’re even making this up. No offense.”
Bruce narrowed his eyes. He was still processing what this would mean. How he could convey how it could be dangerous if Danny didn’t disclose what he knew.
“What do you know about the case? Since you seem to be so well-informed,” Batman questioned the boy.
“Me?” he asked with some indignation. “I’m just following the details your other birds in the flock gave me. If there’s something I got wrong out of all of this situation, ask them, not me.”
“Then you confess they did share additional intel,” Bruce pointed out. He found the best way to get a confession was always to poke at the discrepancies, look deeper into the holes.
The question seemed to have put an invisible weight on the teen, his mouth opening and closing to produce words that wouldn’t come out. Eventually, a resigned huff is what released some of the tension on his now-slumped shoulders.
“In my defense, I didn’t know that part of your rules to become a Robin,” Danny said under his breath. “I didn’t think anything of it because, what kind of detective wouldn’t get all the case information beforehand?”
“I would question what kind of civilian would go pretending to be a detective,” Bruce shot back, projecting a more intimidating posture to the kid. The man leaned closer, enough to analyze every reaction on this temporary Robin’s face. “But that would imply that you were a mere civilian.”
Danny took a step back and raised his gloved hands in front of him in a placating gesture. “Hold on, what are you implying here? That I’m involved somehow?”
While the nervous edge had all the earmarks of a near-confession, there was also something else in Danny’s scowl. It looked like anger, a mirror image of so many times he had seen it in Dick or Jason.
Batman stood tall but took another step back, giving the boy back more space but also making clear his authority. “I’m just stating the facts. You’re withholding information.”
The tension grew between them, the temperature dropping despite the heatwave that had struck the city as per custom in the summer. There was something about Danny that suddenly felt dangerous, like approaching a wild animal ready to attack.
Bruce knew how to wait for the right moment to act. He remained stoic, unwavering, allowing Danny to make the first move.
Tip #6 of Being a Robin (by Re-Tired Robin)
How to quit before you’re in too deep in this mess
The teen chose to walk backwards, keeping a wider distance from Bruce.
“Alright, you win,” Danny grumbled. “For the record, I never wanted to be a Robin, you know? I retired for a reason. And then I found out about you guys and I thought… ‘maybe I can get a second chance with B; this can be fun’, and it has been fun, y’know? But… I was wrong.” The boy paused and stared at him with pain and dejection, but Bruce has the impression that it was dialed up for the sake of dramatic impact. “None of that matters when I can’t really fit in.”
An exaggerated and saddened sigh escaped from Danny’s lips. “If you can’t trust me enough as your partner, then I guess I’ll just… go.”
The teen walked closer to the edge, taking the mask off and holding it in his hands before he took another step. Bruce’s eyes widened as he saw the kid take the plunge.
“No!!” Bruce yelled as he dashed towards the edge, getting his grappling gun ready to dive for Danny and climb back up. He had to be quick. He couldn’t fail again.
The unmasked face of one Danny Fenton rose from the spot where he had dropped. “What?” he asked almost annoyed.
Bruce, heart still in his throat, peeked over the ledge and saw that—“Are you… floating?”
Danny smiled and created an icy ladder to climb back onto the roof—ice like the one he had been looking into. “Nah, I was falling with style.”
Bruce took a deep breath, his soul returning to his body as the picture became clearer. “You’re a meta.”
Danny scrunched up his nose. “Uh, no? Just half dead?”
Half dead? Part ghost perhaps? Wasn’t that what Masters’ claimed to be? He needed to look into this in detail. It all appeared to be connected to whatever the Fentons had been working on. He wondered why Masters hadn’t said a thing about Danny, or what role he had played in how the teen acquired his powers. Masters had said he was involved in an accident that—
“Wait…” Danny said and put a stop to his current train of thought. “You didn’t know? You hadn’t figured it out?” A beat with no answer. “Seriously? Your weren’t, I don’t know, waiting for me to come clean and all that?”
Bruce didn’t consider himself as someone too proud to admit he didn’t know everything. But this was one of those rare occasions where he wasn’t too inclined to reveal his lack of knowledge.
“I had the necessary information but respected your privacy,” Bruce said as vaguely as possible instead.
Danny put on his mask again and crossed his arms heroically in front of his chest with a grin. “Yeah, you tell yourself that, B.”
Bruce figured he would never live it down with his kids. He also finally had answers about where the ice had come from, so tonight’s mission had been rendered useless.
Ignoring his improvised sidekick’s words, he turned around to descend from the roof with the help of his cape and reach the Batmobile’s location. Danny followed with ease. Of course, he had skills to make him more graceful in the air.
Danny continued asking questions about why Bruce thought ghosts were involved or why he made the connection to Vlad. All of which Bruce refused to reply beyond a grunt.
As soon as they got into the vehicle to head back to the manor, Danny touched his communicator to share a short message with Barbara. Or so Bruce thought…
“Hey, guys? Can you believe B didn’t know about my whole situation? Someone owes me $50 bucks.”
Ah. The others were in the know.
Bruce sighed for the umpteenth time that night, turning off his comms as he heard a flurry of replies. He glanced at his companion, his sheepish grin making it hard for Bruce to get too mad at the boy.
Getting the Batmobile started, Bruce kept his eyes on the road. “We’ll talk about this back in the cave.”
When Danny and Bruce arrived to the cave, everyone was seated in front of the Batcomputer, eating popcorn and other snacks. The teen smiled at the sight of all the Batkids just having fun and relaxing while already half-suited for patrol. A perfect balance of the two sides of their chaotic lives.
Danny climbed out of the Batmobile, still wearing the whole Faux Robin outfit. He made a small vow in front of the group of young vigilantes, who clapped and cheered at the boy. Except for Damian, who rolled his eyes.
Bruce took off the cowl and glared at the group who had pretended to be busy for tonight’s patrol. “You dismissed your duties for a prank.”
Oh, right. The ride back hadn’t been as fun as the whole night trolling Bruce. The scolding he already got and the warning that he would have an extensive conversation about his life as Phantom made Danny a little anxious, but he knew the worst had already passed. Despite the rough exterior, Bruce wasn’t that spooky.
“Aww, come on, the case was already closed, Bruce,” Steph chimed in.
“And you have to hand it to Danny, B,” Dick said as he ruffled the teen’s hair. “His job as a Robin sent chills down my spine.”
The gesture sent a wave of warmth in Danny’s chest. It was like finally being able to be himself with the Waynes, a family who didn’t have to take him into their home and still welcomed him with arms wide open.
Even if one of them was not as enthusiastic.
“The most inferior Robin so far,” Damian exclaimed as he left to the dressing area, probably to take back the mantle that was “rightfully his” as he finished getting his gear ready for the real patrol.
"Don’t think this won’t have any consequences,” Bruce said, turning to face Danny with a stern look.
Danny sighed and walked next to Jason to grab some of his popcorn. “Yeah, Alfred already has me feeding the bats in the cave for a month. The ones that cling on the ceiling, not the ones that banter into the night.” Dick snorted. “What else you got?”
“I’ll double it,” Bruce said simply, leaving no room for argument.
As the others winced or “oofed” on Danny’s behalf, he just nodded. “Fair.”
Danny then stretched, popping a few bones in his back that took away his remaining tension. “Well, it was all a hoot, but I should really get some sleep now.” He yawned as if to make his point. “I’m not used to being up so late anymore, y’know?”
“You did a great job, Inviso-bill,” Jason said with a small punch on his arm.
“Or should we call him Ghost Robin?” Steph added in.
“How about Dead Robin?” Tim said with a pensive look.
“Nah, that’s already taken,” Jason added with a snort.
While Danny could appreciate the undead humor with a barely suppressed chuckle, he noticed not everyone vibed with it. Specially not Bruce, who looked like a kicked puppy.
“Not morbid at all,” Duke mumbled.
“How about Re-tired Robin? Oh! One Hit Wonder?” Danny added as he took off the cape and the pixie boots. How had Dick been able to run across the rooftops of Gotham in this?
“You’re not seriously thinking about leaving the cave barefoot, are you?” Bruce scolded the teen.
“Yeah, Danny, you might catch a cold,” Dick said in amusement.
Danny looked around the cave and shrugged. “Guess I’ll die.”
Twin rings of light appeared around his waist. There was a collective gasp and a couple of curses from his audience as the light traveled in opposite directions through his body, leaving behind a white-haired and green-eyed kid in a black-and-white jumpsuit.
Danny stared at the shock and confusion on the faces of everyone in the room (except Jason’s). “Wait, didn’t I show you the whole Phantom magic girl anime transformation sequence before?”
Jason burst out laughing while Bruce was the first to recover. “Hold on, your hero name was Phantom?”
There was a beat of silence while Cass touched his shoulder to see if he was still tangible enough. Danny knew this would be a long night so he settled for the best course of action. “Yeah, don’t let all of this haunt you, okay? Catch you on the other side!”
As he flew through the cave’s ceiling, he barely caught Dick’s words. “Oh, no. He’s worse than me. This is beautiful!”