Chapter Text
Danny wasn’t sure what he expected when Tim took him into the manor. He’d been there before a few times, attending dinners and game nights, but he had never really explored much of the mansion itself. Not that he didn’t want to, but there was simply never a good chance to slip away.
Besides, part of Danny was a little worried he might find something hidden in the manor if he did. He’d had one too many unfortunate encounters with Vlad, after all. So perhaps it was for the best that he stuck to the dining hall and various lounges the family chose to occupy.
Danny expected that Tim might take him to one of those lounges, or perhaps his own room. What he certainly didn’t expect, however, was for Tim to enter a dark study and walk up to a large grandfather clock in the corner.
He only grew more confused when the clock fell away, revealing a hidden passage behind it.
Any thoughts Danny had of escaping slipped away as quickly as that clock.
The passageway led into a lift and Danny crept closer to the carrier’s door as he felt the tug of gravity pull them down.
His jaw dropped when the lift doors opened.
They were in some sort of open cave system far underground. Stalactites— or was it stalagmites?— hung from the tall ceiling with bright lights studded between the structures. The cave itself was a marvel all on its own, but it paled in comparison to the technology decorating it.
The cave had been so heavily modified with technology that it wouldn’t be recognizable as a cave system were it not for the natural ceiling. Walkways, railings, and walls broke up the space, dividing it into clear sections and levels.
The first word that came to Danny’s mind was ‘lair’.
Whatever this was beneath the manor, it made Vlad’s secret lab look like a child’s nursery.
Danny wished he could have seen more of it. The walls of the carrier obstructed most of his view and it was all Danny could do to scamper around, squinting through the holes to get a better look.
Tucker would have fainted just glancing at the computer they passed. Hell, Danny felt close to doing so himself. He caught sight of a giant t-rex statue and desperately wanted to know what it was doing in a giant underground lair.
A giant underground lair beneath Wayne Manor.
A giant underground lair beneath Wayne Manor that his boyfriend knew about and had taken Danny into without realizing.
Danny couldn’t even begin to parse out what the hell that meant. He didn’t exactly have a good track record with hidden underground facilities, and Danny doubted his luck was about to turn around now.
Knowing his luck, the Waynes were probably involved with one of Gotham’s rogues. They certainly had the money for it— along with the creepy lair, apparently.
Of all the batshit things Gotham could throw at him…
Batshit.
Danny let out a surprised trill as his eyes landed on a very recognizable black vehicle. He’d seen it plenty of times while out flying.
The Batmobile.
Shit, Danny thought. He knew what that vehicle meant— the only place he could be.
Tim hadn’t led him down into just any shitty old lair. No, of all the places Danny could have wound up in on a lazy Sunday afternoon, he was in the fucking Batman’s lair.
Tim froze at the sound Danny made, pausing to lift the carrier and give him a scrutinizing look. Danny’s core was thrumming with excitement, every one of his nerves wired for sound. He stared at Tim, really stared at him and took in his features.
Plenty of the Gotham vigilantes had black hair— most of them did, he was pretty sure. If Danny thought about Tim’s long bangs and tried to place them with one of the suits…
No, it wasn’t just the hair to consider. Whoever Robin was, he was too dark-skinned and short. Nightwing, on the other hand, was much too tall.
Nestled in the middle, decked in red…
Red Robin.
Danny was hardly aware of Tim placing the carrier down on a table. He couldn’t settle down. His mind wouldn’t rest. He kept glancing around through the holes in the carrier, hungrily drinking in the details of the cave— the Batcave, he once heard someone call it .
He could even see old suits lined against one of the walls.
Danny had never considered that Tim had a grand secret to hide. He’d simply held his own secret close to his chest, sure that between the two of them, Tim could never match the skeletons buried in his closet.
Yet here he was in the Batcave, faced with a monumental secret he was never meant to know.
Danny shrunk in on himself as he considered just how livid Batman would be when he realized someone had snuck into his lair. Would he even believe it was an accident?
“Tim, what’s that?”
Danny froze as he heard a familiar voice.
Footsteps echoed in the cave as a tall figure cloaked in black and gray approached the table. The figure crouched to look inside the cat carrier and Danny couldn’t swallow down a startled chirp.
The voice and face were all Bruce Wayne, Tim’s adoptive father. From the neck down, however… There was a very familiar suit with a cloak draped around the shoulders.
“B, I thought you’d be out on patrol by now,” Tim said, sounding annoyed.
Danny had heard Tim and his siblings refer to their father with that nickname before and never thought much of it. Now, weighing the ‘B’ in Batman with the one in Bruce, Danny wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry a little.
He’d settle for just being able to shout a loud expletive.
Somehow, he didn’t think that would be a good idea right now with the Batman staring at him like he was a particularly interesting animal at the zoo.
Honestly, Danny thought the zoo might be preferable at this point. It had been bad enough enduring the anxiety of Tim looking too closely at his ghost form, let alone considering the entire roster of Gotham vigilantes.
“What is this creature?” Bat— Bruce? B asked again more sternly.
His brows were drawn together, a deep furrow set between them and it took everything Danny had not to disappear from sight. As it was, he’d taken to sliding back under the blanket, his core thrumming wildly.
Tim sighed. “Jazz— Danny’s sister— says it’s their pet… But I don’t even think it’s an animal. Between it glowing and the shape, it seems more supernatural in nature.”
Bruce leaned in still closer, his pale blue eyes piercing through Danny’s very soul. A small whine escaped him and he sank further under the blanket.
“Hn,” the man hummed with a deep frown. He stood back up and walked across the room towards a tall computer setup with several large monitors.
“You shouldn’t have brought it here without knowing what the creature is,” he said sternly, glancing over his shoulder to look at Tim. “How do you know it isn’t a threat? Why did you bring it here?”
Tim leaned against the table in front of the carrier, letting out a long sigh. Danny could see him lift his arm to pinch at his tear ducts wearily.
“It’s some sort of pet, B, and I’m not going to let it out of the carrier. As for why I brought it…” He paused, lowering his hand, frowning. “I went to visit Danny today and he wasn’t in his apartment. His cellphone, sweatshirt, and keys were all on the desk— with that creature.”
Danny had crept out from under the blanket, but cowered back when Tim tapped the top of the carrier.
“I tried calling Jazz. She said Danny went out with a friend, but… I’m pretty sure she was lying to me. She didn’t even know what the creature was. She just told me his name is Phantom and that I should take him with me.”
“Phantom?”
Tim shrugged. “Seems like a strange name for something… small, but we’ve got a cow named Batcow so who am I to judge?”
Danny puffed up indignantly at that.
“Hn.” Bruce leaned in once more to look Danny over, his eyes lingering on Danny’s own more than anything. “I still don’t like that you brought it into the cave. You’re supposed to be resting, but now with this…” He let out a world-weary sigh.
The carrier shifted suddenly as Tim lifted it up, hoisting it away from Bruce and over to the computer’s podium.
“It’ll be fine. I’ll keep an eye on him while I do some research,” Tim muttered more to himself.
Bruce sighed again, sounding like the world’s most exhausted father. Tim had turned the carrier around and Danny watched, awestruck, as the man donned the signature cowl with its pointed ears.
“It’ll be a late night. We’re following that lead down by the docks. Keep an eye on that creature and report any issues immediately.”
“Yeah, sure B.” Tim threw the words distractedly over his shoulder.
He sat down at the chair and wheeled it close to the podium. The quick clatter of keys followed.
Bruce let out a huff before turning on his heel and headed out of Danny’s line of sight. He tried to find a better view through the holes in the side of the carrier, but the direction was blocked by a monitor.
He still heard the telltale rumble of a vehicle starting up.
~*~
The shock and awe of being inside the Batcave dimmed after about thirty minutes of listening to Tim type.
Danny could see a portion of the cave from his vantage point, and even some of the computer’s screen if he squinted through the holes in the back of the carrier, but there wasn’t much else to do. Danny wanted to explore— to fly around the cave and find all sorts of secrets hidden in the nooks and crannies.
He was in the Batcave , of all places, and confined to a little plastic box.
Danny thought several times about sneaking out of the carrier. There was no telling how long Tim would sit at the computer, or if he’d even let Danny out at this point (he had told Bruce he wouldn’t, after all). With how suspicious his boyfriend seemed over the situation, he might even try and hold onto ‘Phantom’ until he either knew Danny’s whereabouts, or Jazz came to call.
Jazz… she was going to absolutely flip once she realized she accidentally told one of the Gotham vigilantes to take him home. Months of carefully hiding his presence dashed to bits over a stupid little prank.
Danny didn’t even want to think about the level of scrutinizing Batman would place him under once he was no longer preoccupied by his patrol.
Still, Danny couldn’t help but watch Tim work through the bars of the carrier. He sat curled near the front, watching how his boyfriend’s brow furrowed in concentration. He didn’t blink much, too focused on his task, and Danny traced those dark bruises beneath his eyes with a new understanding.
He thought of what Bruce had said before leaving, wondering why Tim should be resting. Was he overworking himself? Had he been injured while fighting crime? He seemed fine, other than those dark circles, but Danny wasn’t sure what to think anymore. He was looking at the same Tim he’d fallen in love with, but it was like rereading a favorite novel and realizing you had somehow missed out on half of the story.
Coming from where he had in Amity, Danny understood the complications of living a double life. He wouldn’t necessarily compare chasing after ghosts to the work Tim and his fellow bats did, but it was a similar enough situation.
Danny was glad he at least never had to deal with complicated case work or the police. If a ghost was causing trouble, all he usually had to do was bite the problem until it stopped.
Not that Danny had fought a ghost in a long while. It had been nice, spending his time as a ghost curled up on his warm desk, rather than biting Skulker’s ankles.
Danny doubted that Tim’s vigilante work involved much biting and green lasers, but it was clear he readily threw himself into his job with the same gusto. Danny could just imagine him dressed in costume, the whiteout eyes of his domino mask narrowed in concentration. Danny always knew his boyfriend was a hard worker and a selfless person, but now, watching him mumble to himself as he typed, Danny felt like he was falling in love all over again.
Tim would glance his way every once in a while, pausing in his typing to watch him. It made Danny nervous whenever those sharp sapphire eyes landed on his own. He’d trill nervously in reply— and feel his core thrum happily whenever Tim offered him a rare smile, small as they were.
Danny wasn’t sure how much time passed. He started to zone out at some point, curled up with his face tucked into his tail, when he heard footsteps echoing in the quiet cave.
“Master Tim, should you not be resting?” came the familiar voice of Alfred Pennyworth.
How strange to realize that kindly, posh man was so thoroughly involved in the vigilante business going on beneath the manor.
Tim sighed in frustration. “Sorry, Alfred, but I need to do some more research. I’m worried about Danny. I can’t find anything about this Dora friend Jazz’s mentioned, and the more I look into their past the more… discrepancies I’m finding.”
Danny couldn’t help but notice he failed to mention Bruce’s order to keep an eye on him.
Alfred hummed thoughtfully. “I hope everything is well. Until then, please try to take it easy. I expect you have not eaten this evening?”
Tim froze up, grimacing. “I thought I’d surprise Danny and take him out to dinner, so… no. Not with how this night has gone.”
Danny sunk a little deeper into the carrier, weighed with guilt. Had he not been sleeping on his desk, none of this mess would’ve occurred.
It was undeniably cool, being in the Batcave, but Tim deserved to show him this on his own terms (assuming he ever did).
There was a clattering sound as Alfred set down something Danny couldn’t see on the desk. Sniffing the air, he caught the delicious aroma of ham and cheese.
“I’m not sure what your… little friend eats, but hopefully something here will be suitable.”
“Thanks, Alfred, you’re the best,” Tim said, his tone sincere.
Alfred nodded, his eyes lingering on Danny briefly before flickering back to Tim. “I expect you to get some rest before Master Bruce has returned.”
With that the butler left, slipping out of Danny’s line of sight as his footsteps faded towards the elevator.
“Of course it’s tea…” Danny heard Tim grumble as he grabbed the items on the tray Alfred left.
Danny clambered up the side of the carrier to get a better look through the little holes. He could see a tray with several ham sandwiches, a bowl of fruit, a plate of vegetables, and little slices of ham set off to the side. His mouth watered just looking at the spread. He assumed a lot of it was meant for him, based on what Alfred said. Probably not the sandwiches, but the separate pieces were a safe bet.
Tim took a few bites of one of the sandwiches, humming appreciatively. Danny suddenly realized just how hungry he was. He hadn’t eaten much after getting up in the morning, and he certainly hadn’t had anything since getting scooped into the carrier.
Danny chirped impatiently when he took another bite of the sandwich.
Tim chuckled, setting the sandwich down. “Hungry, then?” he asked.
Danny chirped again, more loudly this time. He scratched at the carrier with his little claws, digging them into the plastic.
He was half dead, not a plant, of course he was hungry.
“Alright, alright, I got it.”
Tim looked over the assembled pieces of food and back to Danny, considering. His hand hovered over the ham before grabbing a handful of vegetables instead. He swiveled in his chair, rolling it in front of the carrier.
Danny tried not to show his immediate disdain for the food in Tim’s hands, but it was difficult when he could smell asparagus, of all things, when there was perfectly good ham sitting on the tray. Danny liked plenty of seasoned vegetables, but the assortment in Tim’s hands had been meant for a supposed animal and definitely hadn’t undergone the same love as the sandwiches.
Danny felt transported back to Sam and Tucker’s arguments over lunch.
Tim tried to offer him bits of the vegetables through the bars of the carrier. He held the pieces tentatively, making sure his fingers weren’t close enough to be bitten.
Danny just sat and watched him, making no move to grab the bits of asparagus and carrot shoved through the bars of his cage. The carrot was honestly very tempting, but Danny wasn’t about to take it and risk Tim not giving him some of the ham and fruit.
“So are you a carnivore then?” Tim muttered more to himself.
He withdrew the pieces of vegetable and deposited them back on the tray, wiping his hands on a napkin. He picked up bits of the ham instead and Danny couldn’t resist letting out a happy trill when he brought them to the carrier. It was the same ham in Tim’s sandwiches and the smoky aroma had him salivating.
Danny snapped up the pieces of ham as soon as they were pressed through the bars of the carrier. Tim quickly withdrew his hand, but Danny didn’t pay anymore attention to his reaction. He was too busy scarfing down the bits of ham, glad to have something in his stomach.
“Alright, so I’m going to assume you liked that,” Tim mused.
Danny looked up at him, feeling suddenly very self conscious when he caught the amused smirk on his boyfriend’s face. Right now Tim had no idea it was Danny in the carrier, going buckwild for pieces of ham, but what about if (when) he learned the truth?
Danny was faced with the mortifying realization that his boyfriend had just seen him beg for deli meat like a little stray cat.
Tucker and Sam were going to have a fucking field day once they learned. They always said he acted like an unhinged raccoon when he was transformed. Danny wanted to vehemently deny that sentiment, but there were only so many times he could feel the siren’s call of sleeping in a box or biting a ghost before he had to admit there was some validity to their claims.
Tim carefully shoved more ham through the carrier door and Danny did his best to not seem as thrilled about it as his little, thrumming core wanted him to be.
Danny was just hoping that Tim might offer him some of the strawberries on the dish when he heard a quiet, tinny voice. Tim immediately straightened, his hand flying to his ear as he tapped what Danny could only assume was some sort of earpiece.
“What happened?” Tim asked, his voice as tense as the lines in his shoulders.
“… hurt. Coming back… Replacement.” The voice was difficult to hear through the small earpiece, and what Danny could make out sounded modified.
Tim sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. “On it,” he said.
In a moment he was gone, hurrying off out of sight. Danny tried to follow him with his eyes, but the computer screens really didn’t help.
Instead, he started to reassess his options. If Danny was quick, he could probably slip out of the carrier and leave the door open to make it look like he’d somehow tricked the lock. Then he could explore and—
The sound of a motorcycle engine ground those plans to a swift halt.
Straining his ears towards the sound, Danny wondered which bat he could expect, and in what state they might arrive in. He had distinctly heard the word hurt , and judging by the way Tim raced off it was possible he was prepping whatever supplies they had to handle an injury.
Danny didn’t have to wait long for an answer. No sooner had he begun to list the Gotham vigilantes in his head when he caught sight of a bright red helmet.
The Red Hood’s motorcycle skidded to a halt, the screech of the tires coinciding with a small shriek from Danny. He’d always liked Red Hood. Even before moving to Gotham, there had always been something about the vigilante that resonated with him. That had only increased over the last few months. Danny did his damndest to keep his distance from the vigilantes, too worried they’d freak out if his invisibility slipped and they caught sight of him floating, but he had heard plenty of stories. Red Hood did good by the people of Gotham.
Danny watched, awestruck, as Hood hopped off of his motorcycle and lifted someone else off the back of it. It immediately dragged him back to the present, remembering that someone had been hurt.
That someone appeared to be Robin, though if he was hurt he wasn’t acting like it much. The kid couldn’t be taller than 5’2” and was fighting to squirm out of Hood’s grasp.
“Let me go, Todd!’ Robin spat, kicking out his legs to try and trip the much taller vigilante. “I do not need assistance.”
Ancients, Danny could just hear Damian in every word.
‘Todd’ didn’t stop for the complaints. He kept going, half-carrying Robin away from the motorcycle and down a metal walkway to the side.
“I don’t want to hear it. I’m not getting Alfred on my ass cause you wanted to keep fighting after getting a knife in your shoulder.”
Danny just barely caught a glimpse of red staining Robin’s uniform when the pair turned the corner and walked out of his line of sight.
“The wound is not deep,” Robin protested.
“Tell that to Alfred, kiddo.”
Danny strained his ears to try and follow their conversation, but their footsteps faded away, echoing down a distant path Danny couldn’t see. He laid back down in the carrier with a huff, resigned to waiting for Tim and the others to get back.
For them to get back… What was he going to do when they did? Could he really afford to sit around waiting for them, when he had a perfect opportunity to escape?
(Danny tried to ignore the fact that he could have gone invisible and slipped through the carrier at any time.)
Tim already thought he was related to the supernatural. What harm would slipping away now do?
Before Danny could decide one way or the other, footsteps came back towards the computer.
It was Tim, looking frustrated and… limping slightly. Why was Tim limping? Had he been limping at all earlier?
He gave Danny a wry grin as he flopped back down in the computer chair and let out a frustrated sigh. He scooted closer to the keys and immediately launched back into his work as though nothing had happened.
Danny crept closer, wondering if everything was alright. He gave a little chirp, trying to get Tim’s attention, but he hardly spared a glance before becoming reabsorbed with one of the screens. Danny couldn’t make much sense of what was on the monitor, other than a giant wall of text that hurt his eyes to look at.
More footsteps echoed from the path Hood and Robin had taken. Craning his neck, Danny was surprised to see Red Hood walking slowly with his helmet tucked under his arm and what looked like a red domino mask in his hand.
Danny recognized him immediately, his eyes locking onto the white patch of hair over Jason Todd’s face. Danny hadn’t been around Jason much, but he still braced himself, expecting the nervous flutter of his core and the strange, nasty scent he got whenever the guy was close. Enough to make him cringe and—
Danny coughed, feeling the familiar chill of his ghost sense coil up his throat. It was as familiar as it was… wrong. Wrong in the way it didn’t quite pass his lips, and wrong in the way his sense was going off in the Batcave, of all places.
Danny tensed, immediately on his guard, searching around for the source. He hadn’t had to deal with many ghosts since leaving Amity. Gotham was his territory now, and the only ghosts that dared to haunt it were the blob ghosts that lingered around cemeteries and hospitals. Without the ectoplasm-rich air of Amity, or a stable portal to cross through, ghosts weren’t much of a concern.
Yet here Danny was, feeling an entity much more substantial than a blob ghost. And still it felt wrong in a way he couldn’t quite explain. Something twisted and off that sent a shiver down his spine…
The feeling choked his senses as Jason drew closer and Danny realized, with a sinking sense of dread in his core, that it all centered directly on his boyfriend’s brother. Danny couldn’t help but hiss in displeasure. The feeling that radiated off of Jason was damn near putrid. It cloyed at his senses, a turbulent onslaught of wrong wrong wrong.
Nevermind the smell. It was magnified tenfold in this form, worse than anything Danny had experienced when human. The closest thing he could compare it to was a bucket of ectoplasm samples Jack once left in the sun during a particularly hot July.
Did Jason really have a core? Why did it feel like something that had been dunked in rank tar and set on fire?
“Alfred’s not happy that you took off back to the computer, you know,” Jason said as he drew near, completely unaware of the hell he was putting Danny’s senses through.
“Yeah, well, I’m busy,” was Tim’s curt reply.
Jason sniffed. He paused to look at the screen Tim was using before turning, his eyes locking onto the cat carrier.
“What the fuck is this?”
Jason’s voice was tense and uncomfortable. Danny scampered to the back of the carrier, still hissing, when the man crouched down to look inside.
The white forelock of hair was too white. Ectoplasm-green ringed his eyes.
What the hell was Tim’s brother supposed to be? Had he always felt this ghostly? Was Danny always just two steps away from getting hit by an ectoplasmic stink bomb?
Tim’s typing paused abruptly. “He’s Danny’s pet; leave him alone,” he said sharply.
Jason let out a laugh, though it sounded strained. He didn’t… seem well. Putrid core aside, his eyes were steadily becoming more green.
It was clear to Danny that he wasn’t the only one sensing something.
“Pet? Who the fuck would keep this as a pet?”
His tone was sharp, but not necessarily… angry. Jason seemed genuinely confused, his brows furrowed together.
“Well, Danny— hey! Jason, stop—”
Danny had no warning before Jason grabbed the sides of the carrier and lifted it up, leaning in closer to get a better look. He tipped the carrier forwards somewhat and Danny dug his little claws into the plastic, making a terrible scraping sound as he slid with the small blanket towards the front.
Jason’s eyes were completely green, glowing slightly in the dim light of the Batcave, and all Danny could think of was the rotten ectoplasm assaulting his senses.
“Jason, what the hell are you doing? Put him down.”
He could see Tim trying to reach for the carrier, but he was hardly taller than Danny was when human, whereas Jason was over six foot and much bulkier. He twisted around with the carrier in hand, keeping it out of Tim’s reach. Danny was now half on the bars of the carrier door, nearly eye to eye with the tall vigilante.
The reek was going to give him a headache.
“Do you even know what this thing is? Why the hell does it feel like the Pit?”
Danny didn’t know what ‘the pit’ was, but it clearly meant something to Tim. One moment he was trying to grab the carrier and threatening violence if Jason refused to drop it, and the next he had frozen stock-still, staring at Jason with a wary expression.
“What do you mean he feels like the Pit?” Tim asked carefully.
Jason lowered the carrier somewhat as Tim stopped swiping at it; Danny tumbled backwards as it shifted positions.
“Just look at its eyes,” Jason said with a growl, tipping the carrier in Tim’s direction so he could more clearly see him.
Danny had to resist the urge to clamp his eyes shut tight when he met Tim’s own sapphire ones.
His boyfriend’s brow furrowed and he bit his lip in thought.
“You think it has something to do with the Lazarus Pits?” Tim asked in a hushed voice.
“I’m certain of it,” Jason growled.
The carrier swayed as he walked over to another table nearby the computer. He set it down and crouched, examining Danny with a toxic green stare that rivaled his own.
“Are you… okay?” Tim asked hesitantly.
He stepped up beside his brother, his arms folded as he glanced between him and the carrier. There was an awkward, tense atmosphere between them.
Jason didn’t respond. He was staring at Danny as though he held the keys to the universe, his eyes boring into him as if they could see straight through his ectoplasmic exterior to the core thrumming in his chest.
Well… whatever Jason was, Danny was damn-near certain he had something resembling a core in that messed up well of tar he might call ectoplasm. Tentatively, Danny flared his own core in a friendly greeting. He hoped Jason might understand it; Danny wasn’t even sure if he knew about his ectoplasmic situation.
Judging by how his eyes stretched wide with surprise, flickering between Phantom and his own chest, Danny had to guess that was a no.
“What the fuck…” the man whispered, pressing a hand to his chest.
“Jason?”
Perhaps he was pressing his luck, but… Danny still had Jason’s rapt attention. He flared his core once more. Friend-same-okay.
Danny still couldn’t be sure if he would understand the message, but it was well worth a shot.
Jason’s brows furrowed in thought, the glow of his eyes brightening.
“... Jason?”
He grabbed the front of the carrier.
“Jason—”
One moment Danny was staring through the grate of the carrier, wondering if his message was received in any capacity.
The next thing he knew, the door was wide open and there was a hand reaching in to grab him.
Danny panicked.
In his defense, enough ghosts— and people— had grabbed Danny over the last few years for him to be reasonably concerned by hands reaching for him. It didn’t matter if it was Skulker’s hulking fist or Paulina’s grabbing claws, Danny didn’t like random people grabbing for him.
With a bit of intangibility, Danny scampered through Jason’s hand and out the carrier door. He was on the table now, staring up at the two vigilantes as they watched him with wide eyes.
Shit.
“Jason, what the fuck; why did you—”
“I had him!”
“Clearly you didn’t, seeing as he’s out!”
“I’ll get him, just—”
Danny had frozen, unsure what to do, but he quickly darted away when Jason’s large hands came towards him. He scrambled over tools on the table, idly noting that he’d touched a batarang of all things.
“Fuck, why did you let it out!”
Tim was panicking. Danny could hear it in his voice as he glanced around, probably looking for something to help catch him. His eyes landed on something on the table, though Danny couldn’t catch a glimpse of it before Jason made another wild grab for him and he had to scamper further out of his reach.
Was it worth it to just fly? Maybe he could find something to wriggle under and turn invisible…
There was a strange popping sound and something flew over Danny’s head. He instinctively went intangible, bracing himself for an attack—
A heavy net fell over him— through him. It hit the table, catching on the various tools and supplies scattered there, and slid until it came to a stop against the wall.
Danny turned to stare at Tim.
Tim stared back, his mouth hung open, confusion written on his slack-jawed face.
“Nice shot, Timbers,” Jason chided.
He was rounding the side of the table, trying to corner Danny.
“He went through the net,” Tim said, incredulously.
Jason snorted. “Of course it did. Look how small—”
“Through it, Jason! Like through the actual net!”
Jason rolled his eyes, clearly unconvinced. “When was the last time you slept?”
“Not important.”
If Danny weren’t currently wedged between a utility belt and a toolbox, trying to backpedal out of Jason’s reach, the exchange would have been funny to watch. Honestly, even with Jason practically climbing onto the table, holding up what looked like a cloak with clear intentions of throwing it over Danny, it was still pretty funny to watch.
It’s not like they could actually catch him or keep him contained.
…
Danny hoped.
He glanced around at the tools on the table, for once wondering if Batman actually had something capable of containing him in his arsenal.
“Todd, Drake. What are you both doing?”
Danny had been so focused on avoiding Tim and Jason that he hadn’t even noticed Damian approaching behind them. The kid was wearing a loose t-shirt and had his right arm hung in a sling. Danny could see a bandage peeking out from under his sleeve.
Jason jumped slightly, though quickly tried to hide his surprise. “Go away, Damian. Go lay down or something.”
Damian made a displeased sound. “My shoulder is hurt, not my head. What are you—”
The kid paused, his words trailing off as he finally caught sight of Danny.
“What manner of creature is that?”
Tim let out a world-weary sigh, trailing his hand down his face. He honestly did look exhausted. If Danny were currently human and not scrambling on top of a tool box, ready to spring at Jason’s next move, he’d try to coerce him into a nap.
“It’s Danny’s pet, he—”
“It’s some sort of Pit creature, not a pet,” Jason quickly cut Tim off.
He made another lunge, sending tools scattering with a loud clatter. Danny leapt off of the toolbox and let out an unhappy hiss as the cloak in Jason’s hands almost landed on him.
“You are frightening it,” Damian observed.
Jason let out a groan. He dragged himself off of the table and stalked to the other side where Danny had moved. “Yeah, well I’d like to see you catch the thing.”
“You let him out!” Tim said, throwing his arms up in exasperation.
Danny was surrounded now, cowering behind what looked like a weapon case with the three brothers crowded around the table.
Danny wondered how far he could get without flying. He really didn't need to let Batman's brood know he could fly…
Ancients, he hadn't expected coming out to his boyfriend to be this much of a headache. It made the trans talk look like a walk in the park.
Danny scuttled out from behind the case and towards the far end of the table, ready to make a break for it. Jason quickly tried to swipe at him, but Damian grabbed his arm and pushed past him.
"Scaring it will not help. I do not know what the creature is, but if it is a pet then food might lure it."
Damian reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Danny paused, watching as the boy carefully held out his hand and turned it palm-up to show a…
A dog treat. An actual fucking bone-shaped dog biscuit.
Danny had eaten many strange things since the Accident— maybe even some of Cujo's treats, thanks to a dare from Dani.
(A dare, obviously. Not his own curiosity. Definitely not.)
But, that aside, Danny chose to draw the line at a proffered dog biscuit.
"Yeah, no thanks," he said in warbling ghostspeak.
Damian tipped his head slightly at the sound, regarding Danny skeptically. Tim, too, showed nothing more than confusion. Danny expected as much, used to the general confusion ghostspeak caused, but what he didn’t expect was for Jason to recoil in surprise.
“He talks? It fucking talks?” he shouted.