My heartbeat pounds in my ears as I sprint across the rooftops, arms pumping like pistons at my sides and my head low against the wind. I'm back in my Nightwing suit, leading a team of three others through the commlink inside my ear.
"Anybody have eyes?" I bark through the mic, struggling to be heard over the air rushing around me.
"Just turned north on 90th and 22nd," comes the reply from Donna. I change my trajectory, cutting through the neighborhoods instead of running along the street.
"Let's get him cornered on 28th," I order, using my grappling hook to switch between two streets. Donna, though she may be the current leader of the Titans, always defers to my orders when I come along. I don't like it, but Donna says it's a habit she doesn't care to break.
I arrive at the designated rendezvous a hairsbreadth after everyone else. "He's…" Omen pauses, her eyes glowing within the darkness of her hood. "He was right here."
"Who last had eyes?"
"I was following," Arsenal speaks up. "Lost visual for maybe five seconds when I turned the corner."
I search the area, finding nothing. Using my masks filters, I switch between thermal, energy and density lens. The only thing I find is residue from ectoplasmic energy. Defeated, I let my hands fall from my mask.
The Titans called me in with several STAR lab thefts. Sensors detected disturbances that resulted in either missing tech or information. They were never caught, and the Titans always arrived to an empty lab. With my handy Fenton tech, I was slightly more successful in determining the culprit, though the person behind this and their motives remain unclear.
The thefts themselves are seemingly random. The items taken range from energy prototypes to quantum research. What they got away with this time was a condemned weapon that had been put away after several failed attempts to get it to nullify super strength.
"I'm so sick of this!" Agitated, I slam my fist into the brick wall to my right. "If it weren't so random, there might be a pattern to follow, but there's no motive, no connection, no leads!" Donna tilts her head at me, eyebrows slightly raised. "Sorry," I grunt, dragging a hand through my hair.
"Relax," she orders in a light tone, righting her head and turning to address the other two. "It's Christmas Eve. We will investigate on the 26th, and we will figure it out. But for now, let's go home and have some Christmas spirit."
She's met with half-hearted enthusiasm as Arsenal and Omen go their separate ways.
"What are you doing for Christmas?" I ask Donna once we're alone. We head up to the rooftops, where there aren't so many people.
"Hanging out with the team," she responds. "I might go to the League's party. What about you?"
I chuckle, my laugh coming out in a white puff of air. "Dani had everyone in the family make a blood oath that they would be there for at least the morning."
Donna chuckles. "Are you bringing her to the League party?"
"I was going to, but she's spending the second part of the day with the other Danny."
"Um. The other Danny?"
I laugh. "Right, you wouldn't know about him yet. Turns out, Dani is the clone of this guy also named Danny."
Donna gives me a blank look.
"I'm serious!"
"..."
Laughing at her skepticism, I briefly recount Dani's story. I'm not sure if Dani would be okay with sharing the story, but I trust Donna almost as much as I trust Barbara. That's a lot of trust.
Donna laughs with me at the end of the story. "That is such a strange backstory! Gotta say, it's nice not to be the only female clone anymore."
"Great, you guys already have something in common." I regard her. "You even look alike."
"Sometimes I think if you're born with black hair and blue eyes, you're destined to become a hero."
"Would explain a lot. I mean, me, Batman, Red Robin, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, you, Zatanna, Superman, Superboy, the other Superboy, the other Superboy…"
Donna laughs. "Case closed."
My watch alerts me to a text, and I smile as I read it.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! I expect you all around the tree at six a.m. sharp! NO EXCEPTIONS!
"Dani?" Donna asks.
I nod, calling my cycle before turning my full attention to the Amazon in front of me. "Merry Christmas, Donna."
"Merry Christmas." I hug her tightly and step back.
"I'll see you later today?"
"Sure, Boy Blue," she replies, smiling lightly. Then she gives me a mock salute and lifts into the air. "Anything for team leader!"
"Former team leader!" I call after her retreating form.
She turns back. "Once team leader, always team leader!"
I chuckle as I grapple off the building and onto my waiting bike. "That's not how it works, but okay."
My bike roars as I twist the handle, shooting forward on the pavement and gaining speed. I ride through the city, weaving through the other cars out on the streets. As soon as I clear the city, I flip on the snow tires and speed up to neck-breaking speeds.
The suit I wore tonight is insulated and retains my body heat, but the drive is long and I feel my body growing numb. By the time I'm back in Gotham, I can't contain my shivers.
With a satisfying rev, my bike leaps off the pavement and lands nicely in one of the BatCave tunnels. I flex my hands to get some more feeling in them, since these tunnels are difficult to maneuver and a wipeout at my speeds would leave me unable to celebrate Christmas this year. And then Dani would murder me.
I warm up marginally by the time I reach the main Cave, though I still rub my hands together and blow into them.
"Here, Boy Wonder." Barbara comes out of nowhere, holding a cup of steaming hot chocolate that she offers to me. "You look chilled."
I accept it with a grateful smile. "You're the best."
"Hey! Don't thank the messenger!" Dani's standing a floor above us, hands on her hips. "I'm the one who made it."
Damian corrects her on her quote and she starts threatening to take his cocoa away, resulting in a heated argument. Barbara just smiles and takes a sip from her mug, walking with me to the uniform room.
In the doorway, Barbara nudges me and glances up. I follow her gaze and grin. "Dani put up mistletoe?"
"No, that was me," she teases, using her free hand to pull me in for a kiss.
It's as chaste as we know how to make it, meaning it's hot and passionate and only ends because we nearly lose our grips on our hot chocolates. For the life of me I'll never understand why we're not together. It's like we're in a perpetual state of not ready. Still, moments like these gives me hope that maybe one day…
"Get changed, Robin," Babs orders, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear before taking an innocent sip of her hot chocolate. "Dani wants to celebrate with a fire and marshmallows."
"It's Nightwing," I tease over my shoulder, pulling off my mask as I go.
After swapping my uniform for a pair of sweats and one of Dani's tees-the chick magnet one, of course-I head up to the den, where I'm met with one of the largest family meetings since Bruce's anti-funeral (it was Jason's idea, don't ask).
The den had been decorated with garlands and lights, which kept the room bright despite the light being off. In the corner across from the fireplace, there stands a huge tree, decorated heavily with hero-themed ornaments. She'd done it last night; I'd been helping her when I was called out. Underneath the tree, presents spilled out and were stacked a good three feet out. Spread out on the couches sat several Bat members, all chatting except for Damian and Cass.
Dani had only briefly met Cass in September and they'd clashed pretty heavily, but in the same meeting she'd made fast friends with Stephanie. The former is standing beside one of the couches stoically, trying to avoid catching Dani's eye. The latter is sitting on the fireplace, chatting and flicking her hair out of her eyes.
Besides them, all four brothers are here, in addition to Duke.
I join Barbara on the couch, throwing my arm around her despite her light glare.
"Where's Bruce?" I address the group, setting my cooling mug on the coffee table in front of me.
"He said he'd be here," Dani tells me, then shrugs. "So basically, I have no idea. You guys know him better than I do."
"If he says he's coming, there's a fifty-fifty chance he'll make it," Tim tells her. I notice he's sitting closest to the fireplace, conversationally adding to Dani and Steph's discussion.
Alfred loudly clears his throat from the doorway. I glance at him, and he's staring me down. Having lived in this manor for more than half my life, I immediately know what he's chastising me on. I grin impishly and move my mug onto the coaster three inches to the right.
He shakes his head, probably disappointed with me, and enters the room. "Master Bruce is getting changed downstairs. He has invited Miss Kyle to join us."
Dani looks at Tim.
"Catwoman," he supplies.
Steph, Cass and Duke all look at him like he'd spilled some big secret. "What? Dani knows everything."
Dani beams.
Alfred sets down a plate of assorted cookies, which is immediately attacked. He then sits himself down in a nearby armchair, much to my surprise. I can already imagine the intensity of the argument he and Dani must've had regarding the matter. Looks like she won.
Conversation returns as Dani builds the fire, getting several corrections from Damian and, surprisingly, Cass. Bruce eventually emerges from the doorway, followed by a grinning Selina. While still a thrill-seeking thief, she and Bruce had abandoned their pact to stay away from each other and were now having a relationship, no matter how complicated it may be.
They sit together beside Damian, who had been slouching in the corner of a couch. Selina greets him and he begrudgingly welcomes her back, quickly following up with a shout for Dani to use a match instead of a lighter.
It's obvious Dani has never started a fire before, but she refuses to let anyone do it for her. You'd think with all her world experience she'd know how to do something as simple as build a fire.
Damian groans and stands up, stalking over to her and demanding she let him do it. "Matches are far more effective," he snaps in a patronizing tone, grabbing a match and running it across the brick. Dani sits back on her heels with a heavy frown. Tim and I exchange a wary look.
Dani looks at the lighter in her hand and back at Damian, who's effectively set the paper scraps on fire. She flicks it on.
"Dani!"
I can't tell who shouted it first because I'm laughing too hard as the flame she held to Damian's jacket catches hold and starts spreading. Damian, when he hears the shout, whirls to Dani, who sits back on her heels with a blank expression.
"Really? You were going to set me on fire? A little overdramatic, don't you think?"
Tim's snickering turns into roaring laughter as smoke starts curling up from the burning jacket. Damian frowns and turns his head, trying to see the back of his jacket. When he does, he jumps straight up.
The room erupts into chaos, half the room laughing and the other half trying to help Damian. Jason yells at Damian when he's about to roll on the ground, saying it'll mess up the carpet, and in the confusion, Damian listens. He attempts to pull the jacket over his head, but the fabric splits in half and catches his arms on fire.
Alfred is the one who succeeds in putting him out, as he calmly grabs the fire extinguisher from beside the fireplace and sprays Damian down. The room calms down as Damian turns to Dani, covered in white foam, and glares at her with more contained anger than I've ever seen from him. And that's saying a lot.
"I guess you were right about the matches," Dani comments offhandedly, setting the lighter down. "Lighters are so unpredictable." She holds up a bag of marshmallows. "S'mores?"
Damian turns on his heel and stomps out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Presents at six!" Dani calls after him. Then she looks around at all of our stares. "What?"
Selina breaks the silence. "Oh, I like her."
"Everyone does," Jason corrects her, leaning back on the couch.
Dani ignores this and continues roasting her marshmallow. She's soon joined by Steph and Barb, and the room returns to normal conversation. Damian eventually returns, wearing a new jacket and an even deeper scowl, sinking into the couch again to stare Dani down.
At six sharp, Dani claps her hands excitedly. "Time for presents! Woohoo!" Jumping up from the fireplace, she rushes over to the stacks of presents and places her hand on one of the taller stacks. "These have to be opened first, because I have to explain them, but then you guys can tear apart these beautifully wrapped gifts as savagely as you want."
She tosses them around based on their wrapping paper, which I assume are the name tags. I myself getting a gift wrapped in Nightwing themed paper. Looking around at everyone else's paper, I notice that Dani has one more box without any paper that she holds on to.
Everyone except for Cass, Duke and Selina rip into their presents their own way: Steph tears it open in excitement, Tim and Bruce efficiently pull the paper away, Jason and Damian cut it open with knives, Barb and Alfred carefully peel it open to preserve the paper and I slice the side and let the box slide out.
Steph is the first to get hers open, and she holds up a silver strip with a confused tilt to her head.
Bruce examines his and concludes, "Fenton tech."
"They're refined versions of the deflectors Danny makes for his friends," Dani supplies, still standing with the unmarked box. "They detect ghosts and prevent possession and any other kind of physical attack. Danny's friend was just finishing up the software to rule out friendly ghosts, so now they're ready to be put inside your utility belts."
Alfred raises his eyebrows at his own as I finger mine thoughtfully. "This is incredibly handy," I remark lightly. "You had him design these? And he didn't ask why?"
She rolls her eyes. "He's a ghost hunter." We remain quiet. "It was his idea! I just… strongly agreed. They are technically for normal belts." Her smile returns and she finally flips open the box in her hands. "I knew there'd be more people here, so I got a few extras." She hands one to Duke, Selina and Cass.
Bruce, who had been analyzing his, sets the tech down. "Thank you." His earnest tone surprises the room, before we quickly follow through with our own thanks.
"You're welcome," Dani replies. "Now, like savages!"
Everyone looks at her again. She frowns, dropping her hands to her sides from where she had waved them at the christmas tree. "Or civilly. Whichever."
She drops onto the couch in between Tim and Jason, frowning at our civility. There's another pause before Barb leaves my side again to find her stack of gifts. "These are from me," she starts, handing them out one by one. "They're not quite as extravagant as specially designed utility belt grafts, but…"
I unwrap mine. "Is this a… a glutemaster?"
"You bet your sweet butt it is," she teases, winking at me from behind her glasses.
And so the unwrapping of gifts continues.
Dani provided the majority of the gifts, clearly making use of the credit cards I'd given her. She had a lot more for Jason then anyone else, and all but a few were completely useless. There were a couple more t-shirts, some toy guns, a remote control motorcycle (for some unknown reason), a red hooded sweatshirt, and a state of the art mechanic tool box, among other things.
Damian got some toy weapons that were followed up with real, sleek weapons she must've scoured the internet to find. She also got him some vinyl records and a strange piece of music tech that Damian recognized but I didn't.
Tim got all kinds of tech items and strange trinkets that made him smile but were lost on me. The only one I truly understood was the pair of red lingerie wings that sent him into a fit of laughter.
Babs got a new pair of high-tech glasses, a selfie stick that apparently doubled as some kind of weapon and a shirt that read "#Burnside".
Bruce got two: a mess of tech intended for the creation of ecto-batarangs and a box full of "World's Best Dad" memorabilia.
Alfred got some household supplies and a stack of novels.
I got ecto escrima sticks, acrobatic clothes and toys, a new motorcycle jacket and several nightwing stickers that read "Your butt just got kicked by Nightwing". She said they're for my villains.
Dani had really milked Danny for all the tech he was worth.
Presents were opened until the pile under the tree regurgitated into a mountain of wrapping paper scraps in the middle of the room. We were then all ushered to the dining room where Dani and Alfred laid out plates of cinnamon rolls, donuts and all manners of other breakfast pastries.
Even after we'd all eaten our fill, the plates were still half full, so a few of us continued to eat idly. It's barely ten by the time Dani declares us free to go, though everyone sticks around for a little while longer to chat.
"This was much more successful than Halloween," Bruce comments, and everyone present for that holiday laughs. Dani had dressed up as each of us throughout the day, riding out on her motorcycle and pretending to stop crime. Actually, she did prevent a couple, but mostly she just caused trouble with the cops.
The night ended when she and Damian ended up having a screaming match on top of the pricinct's roof in front of half the force. It caused a lot of drama for the next couple weeks. We actually had to ground Dani from her bike for a little while because Batman was so annoyed at the fallout.
"Have to agree with that," Dani cheers, tipping her glass at the rest of us. "Y'all dress up every night of the year but on the one day it's actually commonplace, you're against it! Unbelievable!"
"Well-" I begin, but Dani cuts me off before I can get going.
"Unbelievable!"
Then she stands up, pushing the chair back. "I have to get going if I'm going to make it to Amity by two. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedule to indulge me. Merry Christmas!" With that, she grabs another muffin and waves us all goodbye.
After she leaves, the group slowly trickles away. Bruce and Selina head out to do... whatever it is they do, and Damian takes his presents up to his room. Babs, Alfred and I go to help clear out the wrapping paper, only to find it already cleaned up, most likely by Dani.
I gather my gifts and head to my room, fingering the escrima sticks as I do. They're very nicely designed. I wonder if we should let Danny in on our secret so he can make us more weapons like Lucius Fox.
Babs accompanies me, trying on my new jacket as we go.
"This kid might just be the most pure soul I've ever met," she comments when she finds my initials stitched into the inside of the jacket.
"Makes her backstory hard to believe," I agree, stepping into my room. "I mean, can you even imagine her hitting some kid upside the head with a stick?"
"Um, yes. But with petty reasons, not evil ones." She shrugs out of the jacket and drapes it over a chair. "Hey, what's on your bed?"
I stack my pile on the table. "Is that a euphemism?"
"Ha, no," Barbara deadpans, though she is sitting on my bed. "Another gift." She fingers the large package I hadn't seen when I first entered my room. It's wrapped in Nightwing paper, so I can guess who it's from.
"Well, let's see." I slit the paper and pull the box out, tossing the paper off the bed. The box underneath is long and shallow. There's a note taped to the top.
Dick,
Merry Christmas! Or whatever Romani people celebrate; is Romani even a religion, or is it just an ethnicity (I mean, Jewish people are both an ethnicity and a religion…)? Right, so the box: I wanted to be sentimental, but I didn't want you to cry in front of everyone so I put it in your room. Sentimental people tend to cry. Even deep dark bat boys with hardened souls.
~Dani
PS Don't ask me how I found this, because I won't be telling you. But I figured you'd enjoy it regardless of how I found it.
I pull it off slowly, careful not to let the tape tear the paper, and hand it to Barbara. She skims it as I cut the tape off the box. Before I open it, she slides the note back over to me. "You missed something," she informs me, tapping the letter.
I look at it more closely, and find that Dani had used the same code from before to spell MORSE. I thought it was a bit strange that she had fit it into a Christmas note, but got the message nonetheless: she'd be communicating to us through morse code now.
"The insult? Don't worry, I definitely saw that." I push the note over to her, nodding to let her know I received the message. For whatever reason, Dani was communicating to us as though someone could see our every move. I haven't been able to ask her about it, but I'm putting my faith in her and am going along with her caution. She's not the paranoid type, so if she's acting like this, it must be bad.
I pull open the box.
"Are those… No way." Barbara leans over to get a better look.
Inside the package is another box made of clear plastic. Side by side are two acrobatic uniforms, with another, smaller one in the lower middle of the two. A small card reading Haly's Circus in Paris, France. Flying Grayson uniforms is in the bottom right corner, stamped with a date a little over a year before my parents died.
I place my hand on the box reverently. How in the world did she find these?
Barbara voices my question out loud.
"Who cares?" I answer finally, embarrassed at the thickness of my voice. I clear my throat and pick up the box, placing it in front of my Flying Graysons poster. "I thought all my mom and dad's uniforms were gone. All I have is my own, and it still has…" My voice falters. It still has the blood from when I'd rushed to their sides, held their bodies.
"She knew what it would mean to you," Barbara concludes, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I think you made the right choice bringing her here."
Despite all the secrecy?
"Yeah. I did."
That took a hot minute. It's really hard writing Christmas in the middle of summer, let me tell you... But it was important for a bunch of reasons. Yes, Dani briefly met Catwoman, and I'll maybe put another scene in there later, but it's not the focus quite yet. All the secrecy and codes from Dani are being used because she met Clockwork (maybe I'll put a scene in with him too) and knows just how catastrophic it is that Vlad has the power to see the future and the past in omniscience. And yes, there is far more to this than there seems to be. I have the plot and my trusty paradox underway and I just need to freaking sit down and write it.
Dani will be ghost-forming next chapter and I'm changing her core. In regards to changes in powers, I know I added a little bit more in there but it was just for fun. It won't be a major plot point or anything.