Chapter 14: Constants
The thin glow coming from beneath the door lit his silent approach. He carefully pushed it open, panel swinging smoothly on well-oiled hinges.
"Danny?"
A smirk tugged Dick's mouth at the older boy's jump. It was immature, he knew, but there was a certain childish pleasure to be had in startling the ghost. For days he'd been 'experimenting' with the perceptive range of the manor's newest resident. It had become something of a game, trying to see how close he could get before being detected. Danny gave him a small grin, shaking his head ruefully.
"Late night?"
"Not really." Routine more than anything was keeping him awake. A standing ban on all patrols, casework, team activities and any training deemed 'non-essential' ensured that the bird had plenty of free time. But, while the added sleep was hardly something to complain about, there were only so many hours his nocturnal conditioning could take. The teen's room had become an inevitable stop on the subsequent after-dark wanderings. Though, when he thought about it, having the same body clock as a semi-undead fugitive might not be the healthiest of signs.
In truth, the acrobat wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about his new housemate. Yes, he'd been the one to push the suggestion; yes, the manor was big and occasionally empty; yes, there were times when he'd entertained the idea of having someone else with him on the days when Bruce was away on business and Alfred was busy - but there was also a part that he wasn't convinced he could share. Their secret night lives, swinging from the tallest building, stopping crimes, working in the cave... that had all been his. Sure, Wally and a few others knew the full story, but really it had just been the three of them. Him and Bruce and Alfred. That was it. And, much as Dick Grayson liked new friends, a small part of Robin wanted it to stay that way.
But, as in all things, change had come. There'd been very little fanfare; no public announcements, none of the media storm that had surrounded his own addition to the Wayne household. To the rest of the world Daniel Fenton was dead and, with Phantom's hunters still at large, it was best that the declaration remained uncontested. Instead the ghost had moved quietly into one of the more unobtrusive guest rooms, a smallish space along what was once the servants' wing. The whole thing had been mercifully simple; an extra presence in the halls, a fourth plate on the table at mealtimes, a new voice that occasionally joined the conversation and merged training sessions from twos to threes. It wasn't entirely plain sailing – potential dangers, ghostly powers and a messy past all had to be navigated – but overall the transition had been... easy. Well, at least, easier than he expected. Thanks in no small part to Danny himself.
Dick opened the door widely, moving to stand next to the teen at the desk that occupied most of one wall. Not for the first time the acrobat was aware of his shorter-than-average size – at almost two years older Danny stood more than a foot taller than he did. He appraised his companion from the corner of his eye. If they'd passed in the street he mightn't have recognised the person beside him as the same one who'd accompanied them back from the locker. A haircut, a few solid meals and a couple of decent nights' sleep had made a staggering improvement to the halfa's appearance. Danny seemed to notice the silent assessment, glancing his way with questioning concern. He quickly dropped his gaze to the papers on the table. A mix of research articles and blueprints, all bearing a familiar ghost-shaped watermark.
"New project?"
"Sort of..." The teen lifted a stack of pages. "I was thinking it might be a good idea to build a ghost sensor. Like a warning system – in case anything comes too close."
"Sounds like a plan," the acrobat studied the diagram. Defence against spectral entities was high on their priority list. Shields were the most obvious solution but large-scale ecto-outputs apparently had a very distinctive signature. A new system coming online was almost guaranteed to catch the ear of every hunter in range. On the other hand, detectors and tracers were supposed to register on the same scale as everyday tech' and, with a little tweaking, might be able to pass as standard surveillance equipment. The advanced notice would be a huge advantage – possibly their biggest until they found a way to silence the footprint from larger devices.
"Yeah, but..." Danny frowned, tapping a pencil on the sheet in front of him.
"Problem?"
He sighed, rubbing the edge of his jaw. "More of a pain really. It was designed to go off whenever it detected any ghostly energy. Doesn't matter if it's Pariah Dark, the Box Ghost..." he rolled his eyes, "this thing could go panic stations over an ectopus."
"And you, I'm guessing."
The halfa made a face as he nodded. "Not when I'm human – so I guess whatever's up there doesn't hate me completely – but yeah, I'm not getting anywhere near this in ghost-mode. Even using my powers too much can trigger it."
"Figure that one out the hard way?" the acrobat raised an all-too-innocent eyebrow.
"Let's just say it was a good thing my parents had a symposium that weekend." Dick snickered quietly. The answering grin froze on Danny's face, gaze losing focus slightly as his hand stopped over the Fenton Works logo.
"So, is there a fix?" the bird cut in, hoping to draw the teen out of whatever memory he'd fallen into. He could guess where it would lead - neither of them needed to go there tonight.
"Maybe." It was with relief that he watched the blue eyes clear. Danny pulled out two more schematics, lining them up with the first. "This," he traced the lines on one diagram, "was meant to measure how powerful a ghost's energy was, and this one," he moved to the other, "is supposed to record and remember their unique ecto-signature." The teen rubbed his neck thoughtfully. "Not sure if they ever actually used that..." he shook his head. "Anyway, if we can couple them up..."
"...we'll be able to tell how strong they are, if we've seen them before and whether they're a threat." Dick leaned forward, scanning the pages intently. The idea was definitely worth considering. 'Heavy on the aster...' and not just for them either. If Danny could get it to work...
"Basically yes," the older boy smiled at his enthusiasm. "And we should be able to set it to ignore me. Maybe even figure out a system for the others – a way to tell the friendly guys from the dangerous ones, something like that." He squinted at the writing on the blueprint, scribbling a few marks and a line of messy cursive underneath.
"Okay, I'm officially whelmed." The word earned him a look of resigned amusement. "Seriously though, this could be big. You should run it by B' next time you see him. Oh come on," the bird grinned at the uncertainty on teen's face, "he's not that scary." Having someone with first-hand knowledge was a significant asset, even if Batman didn't say so out loud. Ecto-technology was complex and, while they probably could have figured it out on their own, it would have taken years to handle it with the same born-and-bred familiarity that Danny did. The halfa gave a small cough, rolling his shoulders as he turned away from the table.
"So... what's new with you?"
"Not much," the acrobat shrugged. His current grounded status was making sure of that. "What about you? Have you," he lowered his voice, "made any progress?" Technically he wasn't supposed to ask. Robin had officially been taken off of all investigations and, after how badly he'd broken rule number one, it was best not to push his luck. Then again, it wasn't like he could be in any more trouble where Phantom's case was concerned.
"No," the halfa sighed tiredly. "Batman tried something with the... traffic cameras, I think. He got video from that day – you know, when I was being chased." Dick nodded. With the number of cameras being installed in public places he'd be more surprised if they didn't get a visual.
"Did you manage to...?"
Danny shook his head. "No dice. I mean, we've got the guy on tape but you can't really see his face. He's either not looking or the picture's bad and the stupid hat's in the way the rest of the time. Batman took some stills, so maybe he found something...? No idea what though. Apparently there are way too many brown-haired thirty-something-year-olds in the criminal underworld." He brushed a hand through his recently-cut fringe, looking almost as disappointed as the acrobat felt.
"Hey," Dick nudged the elder boy's arm, "don't sweat it. We'll find him, alright? We just need to look in other places." An absent nod was the only response. The bird trailed into silence, picking at the edge of the table as his eyes wandered the room.
"Are you settling in okay?" There hadn't been much of an attempt to personalise the space. No move to claim the area, nothing that gave a sense of the resident. Not that the Danny had brought a lot with him. Outside of a handful of chipped, well-travelled pieces of ghost hunting equipment and a bundle of taped-together flash drives containing what seemed like the entire digital history of Fenton Works, the boy's worldly possessions boiled down to a few sets of clothes, a blanket, the standard first-aid-come-survival kit and an odd collection of eclectic, somewhat random items that Dick guessed he kept for sentimental reasons. But despite several offers from himself and Alfred to help with decorating, the teen seemed content to leave the room just as plain as it had been before he arrived.
"Yeah. I'm... good." A strange, almost melancholic note belied the words. Danny glanced away from the questioning look, hand lifting to the back of his neck. He sighed apologetically, "It's just... it's weird, you know. Staying in one place. Not having to figure out where to go next..." He chuckled weakly, "Not like I didn't do that for fourteen years or anything. It's weird that it feels weird. Not having secrets..." His fingers rested on the desktop, eyes focussed on something far away. "I don't know, I guess I just... figured I'd always be running. Until they quit, or I ended up in the Ghost Zone with Dani or got... caught. But this? Here? Now? Everything..." the teen snorted suddenly, shaking his head. "Okay, I'm officially not making sense. I'll stop." He tucked his chin, peering sideways at the acrobat with a smile that was sheepish and more than slightly embarrassed.
Dick nodded, pretending not to notice the moment of near-vulnerability. Much as the teen's appearance had improved, the half-guarded look was all too familiar. Though he didn't need to think very hard to understand the cause. Life at the manor could take a bit of getting used to. He wouldn't exactly call it the epitome of a warm family home. And even if it had been... things weren't going to magically fix themselves overnight. As much as they trusted each other to have their back, as far as he could search through the records, the facts didn't change. A month ago they had barely known the other existed. A fortnight ago they had been potential threats, a witness and his pursuers. A week ago they were strangers. In a lot of ways they still were. It wasn't really surprising that Danny chose to keep a comfortable distance; that he'd hold his problems close to his chest. There were certainly things from his own past that Dick wasn't lining up to share yet. So when a small voice urged him to push for details he squashed it. It went against his instinct but right now chasing answers was the worst thing he could do.
"No, I get it. It can be... strange" He kept his gaze fixed on the blueprints, feeling the teen shuffle beside him. "All very new and intimidating..." With an impish glance the bird changed tack, "A billionaire and a gypsy - not exactly what you were expecting, huh?" A startled cough cracked the gloom. Dick's grin broadened, giving Danny's shoulder a playful push as he continued, "No skulls, no crypts, no blood sacrifices - you must be so disappointed." The older boy rolled his eyes, victory flaring as a snicker slipped past his guard. The acrobat's tone softened slightly, "You'll get used to it, I promise." He leaned his weight into the bench, moving away from sore subjects with a speculative look. "You know..." he tapped his chin in mock-contemplation, "a little bird told me that B's going to be away on business for the next few days. And the makers of Doomed released a new game last month..."
"Whatever it is that you're planning Master Dick, I would advise waiting until you're more firmly in his good graces." Subtle tension rippled through the half-ghost as both boys turned to face the door. Dick offered a small smile, the silhouette resolving itself into the efficiently genteel grace of an Englishman.
"Hi Alfred." A second, quieter greeting sounded from the teen beside him.
"Good evening young sirs."
The acrobat titled his head, "Is everything alright?" While it normal for the butler to be up just as late - if not later - than they were, he rarely chose to seek them out once they were in their rooms. Unless there was a problem. He knew he shouldn't, but Dick would be lying to say a small part of him didn't hope it signalled some serious Batman-related issue for which Robin's presence would be urgently required.
"Everything's fine sir." From the glimmer in Alfred's eye, the Englishman knew exactly where his thoughts had been. "I simply happened to notice that your room was empty," he watched the pair with fond sternness, "and wondered if I might find you here." If the butler had heard their previous conversation he gave no sign of it.
The bird shrugged it away, "What else is there to do at night?"
An eyebrow was elegantly raised. "Many would consider sleep an ideal pastime at this hour. Speaking of which," Alfred coughed lightly, gaze turning vaguely pointed, "it is quite late and need I remind you that you do have school in the morning." Dick dipped his head, conceding with a silent sigh. Sadly that 'duty' did not fall onto his list of restricted activities. "And while Master Daniel cannot attend with you he does have his own studies to keep up." The acrobat kept his eyes forward, holding back a sympathetic grimace as red tinged the halfa's ears. Danny's education - or nearly two year lack thereof - was a slight point of shame for the older boy. Although, in Dick's opinion, the ghost had a fairly solid excuse for his lack of classwork. Himself on the other hand...
"I guess you're right," he stretched, raising his arms. "It's hard enough to stay awake in calculus on a good day."
"Indeed." The eyebrow climbed higher. The Englishman paused, drawing a pocket watch from his vest. He consulted it briefly. "If I'm not mistaken, Master Bruce should be finishing his 'errands' within the next hour or two. I believe it would help your case if you were to be seen at least attempting some rest before then."
"Mmm. Point." Tempting though it might be, he knew haunting the study clock for his guardian's return wasn't going to work. No amount of wheedling or bribery would get him back onto cases before his 'sentence' had been served. Besides, if Bats wasn't going to be back for another two hours... he might be awake now but being found asleep on the desk probably wouldn't help the 'responsible partner' argument. His nose itched as if to support the statement, a small yawn working its way past his hand. Alfred afforded him a wry glance, amusement playing about the butler's mouth as his attention shifted to the older boy.
"Master Daniel?" Dick noticed the faint softening of his voice, the familiar tone calling back to his first few weeks in the manor. Strange nostalgia swept his thoughts as the halfa straightened to watch the butler with polite curiosity. "I was planning to bring it up over breakfast, but on the off-chance... As you know, Master Bruce has been called to deal with a... rather unavoidable situation at one of his companies. He's scheduled to leave the day after tomorrow."
A careful nod. "I know." Faint anxiety touched the teen's face, Danny seeming to hesitate before asking, "Is my... Is there going to be a problem?"
"Not at all," the Englishman raised a reassuring hand. "However preparations may keep us quite busy. I expect it won't be necessary, but would you be willing to continue your work unsupervised if needed?"
"Oh," the teen blinked, expression clearing. "Yeah. Sure. Of course."
"Very good sir." Alfred twinkled kindly at him. "If there's anything you need...?"
Dick glanced up at his companion, noting the slight, shy smile as Danny shook his head. "I think we're good. Thanks Alfred."
"Then, I suppose I shall see you both in the morning." Perhaps it was his imagination, but the acrobat could have sworn he heard a mild warning directed his way. 'Note to self - make sure alarm clock is set.' "Goodnight sirs."
"Goodnight Alfred."
"'Night."
Both teens were silent for a moment, listening to the footsteps that faded down the hall. Out of sheer habit the bird darted to the door, peering in the direction the Englishman had vanished. How Alfred managed to move so quickly and quietly without running was a mystery that had remained unsolved for the last five years. And probably always would. Paper rustled, drawing his attention back to the desk. Danny was rolling up the blueprints, building a pile at one end of the table. A second yawn fought for escape as he watched the halfa gather the rest of the pages into stacks. Bed suddenly looked a lot more appealing.
"I should probably head off."
The older boy sighed, dropping the last of his work onto the mound. "Yeah, probably." He ruffled his hair, glancing at the acrobat with crooked smirk. "Wouldn't want you to miss school or anything."
"That would be tragic," Dick grinned right back. Classes could be a bit of a drag - at least compared to doing the applied versions under gunfire - but there were a lot of reasons to like Gotham Academy. Babs and Artemis to name two, even if the latter was still unaware of his 'connections'. Though in some ways that made it more fun. "See you in the morning?"
"'Night dude."
Light followed the bird on his way, shrinking to a thin shaft that flickered out as he padded down the hall. He glanced over his shoulder, oddly aware of the person moving to sleep in the room behind him. Having someone else in the loop was... different. Strange and new and not altogether unpleasant. It was still early days, risks to be taken, prices to be paid but he was surprised by how much he was actually enjoying it. Then again, it had been much the same when he first met Wally. And later Kaldur and Roy, founding the team, meeting Artemis, Raquel, Zatanna... who knew, this might just work out. And the rest - well he could figure that out tomorrow.
Change was one of life's constants, right?
Okay, so slightly slow and maybe a bit of a fluff chapter, but I felt I at least needed to let you know what the new Batman/Robin/Phantom situation was. Originally tried to stuff the same info into some hideous 2-paragraph thing in an early draft... suffice to say this is a much more elegant solution.
This is the second-last chapter of Act I/Arc I of the story. The next chapter will deal with some Danny stuff and the main plot begins to roll after that. And yes there will be Danny-team interaction and sparring and missions and other things that you've probably been waiting far too long for.
While we're on the topic of updates, I unfortunately have to inform you that the time between them is going to stretch. I've recently got a job and this is also the year of my honours research project. Sadly, this means that I'm going to have less time to write, and the story will have to go on the backburner for a while. Note: I am NOT abandoning. Repeat: NOT ABANDONING. I fully intend to keep this going - because you're all awesome and I really like writing it! But these other things will affect my future so I need to give them priority. I respectfully ask you to be patient - don't freak if I disappear from your update list for a few months at a time. (That said I will still be checking emails so if you want to PM me I will try to get back to you.)
Once again I would appreciate reviews. What do you think of Danny and Dick's relationship at the current time? Realistic? Believable? OOC? Feedback is both welcomed and craved.
New story art piece is up on DeviantArt for those who are interested.
See you next time!
-3WD
