Bats and Ghosts Part 2
Rating: T [cursing and alcohol]
Pairings: None
Ages: Turns out it's not easy to find the Batfamily's ages easily. So this is how it is for this piece: Bruce: 35-38, Dick: 23, Jason: 20, Tim: 17-18, Damian: 14-15, Barbara: 22-23, Dan: 24-25, Danny: 14-15, Dani: 12-13. Something like that...
Summary: Dan's still having trouble adjusting to being a human again, or well a half-human. It could cause troubles if he isn't careful. Good thing Dick and Danny have his back... mostly.
"Act modest, regal and don't act like a bad guy this time," Danny huffed and fiddled with his tie.
"Did we nag like that all the time?" Dan muttered to himself, getting a sideways glare for a reward.
"Behave, Daniil," Bruce spoke calmly. Dan let out a breath and leaned back against the limo seats.
"Is it strange that being called a Russian form of my old name seems so right?" Dan asked airily.
"I'd say it makes sense, " Dick expressed with a smirk. "Vlad was Russian, right?"
"Well shit, guess you're right."
"We don't need another Jason, Dan," Tim chastised after hearing his curse.
Dan lifted an eyebrow and scoffed. "Then you won't like me. Jason's a baby in comparison-"
"See? You're trying to make yourself sound evil! This is what I've been talking about," Danny grumbled.
"Can I just say that we're lucky Jason isn't actually here? He would be mad," Danielle piped in innocently enough.
"We never can drag him to these things…" Damian grunted. "He acts like such a child, when we attempt it."
Dan looked back at Bruce. "So, has anyone been overly curious as to why you 'adopted'," Dan emphasized with his fingers, "a twenty-five year-old?"
"Not particularly. They already know that Daniel and Danielle are your brother and sister. Perhaps you simply wanted to stay with them and be apart of whatever family they joined," Bruce reasoned. "It's not common but it legally possible."
"I could've raised them myself," Dan snorted. Danny suddenly erupted into laughter. "What are you laughing about, you twerp?"
"You-gasp-raise us? HAHAHAHA!" Danny continued laughing like a madman for several minutes before wiping his eyes. "Good one."
"I guess you're right. I would've murdered you before now…"
Danny glared at his 'brother' until Bruce spoke up, "Alright. We're almost here. Let's try to be presentable?"
"Ml kilnrhvh." (No promises.) Dan muttered.
"Daniil, don't speak in ghost," Bruce spoke up.
Dan only smirked while Daniel and Danielle both glared and shook their heads.
zz
Danny wondered around, slightly bored. All the others in the Wayne family had found someone to converse with and chat up, even Danielle had attracted the attention of some of the older women. It wasn't that Danny wanted a stranger to talk to, actually it was the opposite. He just wanted to make sure he was behaving normally, whatever that could possibly be. Danny definitely was an introvert compared to Dan and Danielle, as least he preferred the company of known friends rather than strangers. He also didn't really know how to talk to such rich and important people. Sam's parents had always hated practically every word that had come out of his mouth in the past, so he wasn't sure what to say.
He let out an exhale and wandered over to get some ice-water from the refreshments table. He remembered Bruce telling him that the punch was alcoholic and so avoided the drink. Once he was comfortable drinking his water, he looked around and noticed Dan. The young man seemed to be talking up some admittedly very pretty young women, that were probably the daughters of some of Bruce's acquaintances. From where Danny was, he could hear his brother talking in Russian. The girls were giggling at his deep rumbling voice and Danny couldn't help but shake his head; they were rewarding him for acting like a meat-head. Danny paused and sighed, knowing that would've been something Sam would've said…
"Blf'ev tlg z mrxv zhh, Xsirhgb." (You've got a nice ass, Christy.)
Danny perked up and looked over in concern when he heard Dan speak in ghost. The girls were now looking at him in confusion; ghost just didn't sound like any normal earthly language, almost like static or mere gibberish to some humans. Danny gulped and trotted over, jerking on Dan's sleeve.
"Dszg ziv blf wlrmt?" (What are you doing?) Danny hissed.
"Yvzg rg blf orggov rwrlg!" (Beat it you little idiot!) Dan growled back, swatting a bit at Danny. His eyes glowed a bit red and Danny knew something up off.
The girls were looking at Danny in fondness because Dan's new language had a be some kind of secret language between siblings. The younger boy grinned and backed away. He needed to find Bruce or Dick or maybe even Tim if he could. He scanned the crowd and finally was able to spot Dick talking with a mixed crowd. He ran over.
"Psst, Dick."
"And the corporation is only growing-" Dick paused at Danny's tug. "One moment." He turned and faced Danny. "What's up, little bro?"
Danny felt the natural reaction to get all shy at the kindness Dick kept showing him and Dan and Danielle, but now wasn't the time to get stutter-y. "Dick, Dan is acting weird. He started talking in ghost and when I tried to tell him to stop, he growled at me. He was trying to tell this girl her butt was nice. Dan's usually a bit more subtle than that…"
Dick rose a brow and then furrowed both. "Well let's go see, alright?"
"Thanks, Dick."
Dick turned and smiled at his previous company. "If you'll excuse me. Danny is needing me for a moment."
"By all means."
"Aww, is this one of the newest children Bruce has adopted? I heard the little girl is precious."
"They'll all adorable in their own way~" Dick teased and Danny huffed and elbowed the older boy, getting some laughs from the others. The two then turned and walked off, trying to find Dan.
Eventually they laid eyes on him, stumbling over to the refreshments table. Dick blinked and then snorted. "Uh, Danny?"
"Yeah?"
"Does Dan remember that, as a human, he can actually feel the effects of alcohol again?"
Danny blinked a few times before a completely deadpan expression came to his face. "And he calls me the clumsy idiot."
The two walked over and Dick looped his arm around Dan's while Danny did the same to the other arm. "Hey there, bro. Let's go find Bruce and get you home…"
"What the… hell? Let go."
"Uh, not right now, Dan."
"It's your fault is it?" Dan grumbled and stared at Danny angrily.
Much to Dick and Danny's surprise and horror, he used intangibility to slip through their grasp. "Oh hell."
"This is not good."
Dan turned and tried to march off, only to nearly run into the corner they'd managed to get him around. Dick frowned and pressed a button on something small before pressing another. "Come on. You can hold things that try to go intangible, right?"
Danny nodded.
"I've activated my ecto-negation belt, so I can help now."
"Is that some of the stuff you've been creating from my parents' old stuff?" Danny asked. Dick looked over and saw the slight nervousness in Danny's stance.
"Well yeah. But hey, it's for a good cause and we'll never use it on you like they did…" Dick trailed off, trying to reign in his anger at the elder Fentons, before it showed itself.
Danny gave a small smile. "Right, it's in the past." The young ghost took a breath. "Okay, let's wrangle Dan back home somehow."
"Right."
"What's the problem?"
Danny flinched at the new voice while Dick only turned to face Bruce. "Dan accidentally got himself drunk. It seems he's forgotten that, as a human, he's much more susceptible to that."
"Perfect…" Bruce drawled, letting out a calming breath. "Can I trust you two to handle it?"
"I think we've got it covered. I'll let you know if things get really out of hand."
Danny nodded. "Yes sir." Bruce nodded and walked off, leaving the two to their own devices. "You really think we can manage Dan, Dick?"
"Yeah, he's not himself, but he's also intoxicated." Dick leaned over to spy on the crowd and spotted Dan leaning against a wall, trying not to slide completely down it. "Let's go. Our ride should be out back in a minute anyway. Bruce and the others will take the limo back."
"Alright."
The two slipped into the crowd, hardly being noticed. It was like the two young socialites were ninjas…
"Hey Dan."
"Wanna go for a ride?"
"Wha?"
They started leading him away, only for the older man to puke right in front of them. The three practically flew out of the room at that point.
zz
"Dan stop!"
Dick sighed in complete relief when he saw that Danny had caught Dan before he could plummet to his death or at least get seriously injured. As soon as they'd gotten home, via the Batmobile, with as much secrecy as possible, Dan had started trying to prove to them both that he could fly, by phasing through the roof and trying to jump off the mansion. The downside was, though he miraculously could remember to phase and float up, as soon as he jumped, he wouldn't even try to fly.
"Can you pull him up here?" Dick asked.
"Yeah, I can carry a bus without trouble. He's not problem, well at least when he's not resisting."
Danny then phased both Dick and Dan back down into the house and the two brothers attempted to get Dan in bed. Ultimately, Dick used some kind of knock out drug in some water and they made sure Dan was on his side, in case his stomach should rebel again.
"I can't believe my mindset is in there somewhere and he… I really am clueless, aren't I?"
Dick chuckled at the look on Danny's face. "Don't worry, Danny. We can fix that with enough time."
The two then walked down stairs to rest until the others got home and they could go to sleep.
zz
"Mmmmggrmmrmmrm…" Dan groaned then gasped in agony and frustration when Danny jumped on his bed.
"How's that Hangover feeling, Dan?"
"I hate you…" Dan whispered, gnashing his teeth together.
"I bet your head hurts and everything is pounding!" Danny shouted in glee, happy for some sneaky revenge of sorts.
"asaksabfeuabf…" Dan murmured something indistinguishable.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Danny exclaimed and twirled once before backflipping off of Dan's bed. In mid-fall to stick his landing, he froze. "Huh? AAAAHHHHHH!" Suddenly he was sent backwards at an alarming rate, the door to the room opened and he was flung out. The door slammed behind him and Dan dropped his arm limply once done using his telekinesis.
"Take that you little shit."
Outside the door, Danny was crumpled upside-down against the hallway wall just as Bruce passed. The man smirked slightly. "Revenge is never the answer…"
"Ooooowwww…" Danny groaned.
"I think Dan's learned his lesson."
"Fine…" Danny grumbled and flopped over to be upright.
"Would you like to do some training? Dick and Tim both stayed the night and were wanting to have a group session since it's been a while. Danielle's super excited to prove herself to Damian, if it's possible."
Danny perked up. "Okay!" He then turned tangible and slid through the floor, no doubt heading down to the training facility.
Bruce leaned over some and knocked on the door.
"I swear by the Infinite Realms I'll separate your puny head from your scrawny body if you come back in here, Danny!"
"Dan it's me."
"Oh… Yeah yeah I know I screwed up-"
"That's not what this is about. I know you've got it under control now. You simply aren't used to being partially mortal. I was just going to tell you that we'll all be in the training facility. Whenever you feel up to it, you can join us."
"Oh… fine, right. Whatever."
"Rest up, Daniil."
Dan stared at the wall of his room as he listened to Bruce talking. "I will. Tell Danny he's dead for me."
A soft chuckle and then nothing.
Dan grunted and buried his head under his pillow, trying to ignore his human feelings and get over his aggravation of letting himself get drunk. "Being human sucks worse than I remember…" Dan listened with his enhanced hearing to the happy talking coming from somewhere on the floor below and tried with all his black-hearted heart not to smile. He was unsuccessful.
I thought Dan needed a full name that wasn't Daniel since it would be weird for a family to have had three children named Daniel, Daniel and Danielle, at least in the made up story Bruce constructed. I thought Daniil, being Russian, helped match some of the Vlad in Dan.
You can also actually be adopted into a family after turning 18. These are some of the things I found about it: In many cases, your new, adult family member must simply be a legal adult and voluntarily agree to the adoption. The most common reason to adopt an adult is for inheritance purposes. So yeah it's actually a thing, lol.