Batman put a hand to his side in pain, while he put up his tools. His head was starting to hurt again, but this time from stress and over working his injury. He was never going to get benched again. At least, not in a mission involving ghosts or until he's absolute certain no one was in danger.
He was already debating strategies, and counter strategies to plan for. What weapons to have on hand, maybe armor that repelled ghosts.. but what about Danny? Couldn't make one that worked on him.
Wait. Did he even have suit? He hoped Danny wasn't fighting in street clothes.
Batman tested the plane's system. Something was still acting weird. Did it have to do with ectoplasmic level in the area? If so.. Bruce looked at the battery that started all of this. Perhaps he could do something to counter the effects..
Risks were not out weighing the cons of not being there for his kids. Just to know he was nearby would be enough.
-uwu-
Jason was using the wall to help support his weight and Danny's. Danny felt and looked like a slug as he hung limp in Jason's arms. He was still awake, just lacked the energy to support his own weight.
Jason stopped in front of each door he passed, looking in. Signs were looking good from what he had seen. Training rooms, or he assumed from the equipment.. another lab.. it hadn't been used much by the looks of it. There was also a semi infirmary attached, annd-Bingo!
Jason kicked the door open, it wasn't a showering area liked he hoped, but it did contain water. Actually it was sinks for washing lab or medical equipment, there was even a rinsing station for the eyes. However, the station wasn't big enough to rinse off Danny.. so sink it was.
Jason walked over to the sinks, sitting Danny down on the counter, while he made sure the sink was clean. They didn't need some left over chemical reaction to put the final nail in the coffin.
Danny scooted back on the counter to have his back against the wall, sighing with relief. He listened to Jason rinsing the sink, as he kept his eyes closed. Tired. He couldn't wait to get this stuff off of him-
Jason yanked Danny by his shirt into the deep sink, spraying water over him. Danny spit and sputtered as he was caught of guard. "H-hey I can..pfft wash my-PFFT"
Water was sprayed in his face.. Danny decided he actually could have waited a little bit longer.
"Quit kicking." Jason had to hold back a laugh as Danny looked like a wet kitten. Hissing in all.
"Once you succeed in drowning me I will-PFF" Danny flailed as the water hit his face again, unable to do anything else as he was firmly stuck in the sink until he either phased through it or Jason yanked him out... only one of those options were possible.
"Can't drown someone who doesn't need to breath." Jason smirked having a little fun antagonizing the teen, while he ruffled Danny's hair trying to help scrub off the repellent best he could.
"I rather be goo-" Danny gargled being sprayed in the face again.
-uwu-
Dick let out a breath in relief, after hearing the comms. Danny and Jason were finally washing that stuff off. That's one problem that was being solved. Now if only they can solve the Plasmius one quickly.
Reaching the stairwell, they found it rather empty. They frowned. There wasn't a sound as they walked up a flight of steps to the level above, keeping alert.
"Maybe he's still blowing off steam?" Tim suggested, remembering what Danny had said about Plasmius's anger.
"Maybe. Go on and meet with Robin, we'll see if we can get his attention towards us."
"Are you sure?"
"It might be riskier, but a fight here would put us on equal footing. There isn't any floors to phase through." They couldn't risk getting hit, but that was true in closed in spaces too. At least they'll have more of an advantage to dodge.
"Alright, here's an extra grappling hook then." Tim tossing his hook at Dick, then turned to make his way to where Damian and Jazz were.
Dick caught the hook and watched Tim disappear. He turned to Cass sharing a look, before they nodded to themselves. Cass split towards down the stairs and Dick went up.
Hoping that Plasmius would come their way, but staying there also allowed them to run in either direction if he came to attack the others instead.
-owo-
Damian got a few of the cables unplugged and couple machines shut down, but didn't find a way to release the pods. He tossed the cables aside with an angry huff. It wasn't that hard!
He leaned against one of the computers, arms crossed, glancing back over to Jazz. Jazz seemed to have gotten into her impromptu therapy session as she looked more poise. She was adding to their conversations, while petting one of the Vulture's head as it cried in her lap. Damian still couldn't believe how this happened.
"I see. So do you believe the times have changed? Or has your need to hench lead to devaluing yourself?"
"That one. Definitely."
"Back in our day Villains respected the henchmen!"
"Have you looked at my body. I'm not devaluing a thing!"
"Ok. So why do you allow Mr. V. Plasmius's actions go without merit? Is there something else you're getting out of this work-relationship? ..Wait do ghost have currency?"
"Of course we do!"
"How else would we get to spend it on the ladies~?"
"Not that Plasmius pays much."
The vultures went to grumbling under their breath. Jazz smiling at them sympathetically.
"You mentioned that you had aspirations of being stand alone villains of your own? Could you tell me more about that?"
"Eh, honestly the insurance keeps us from that."
"It saves our beaks."
"Or we give up henching for good!"
"Ghost have- Never mind. So, Plasmius offers this insurance?" Jazz despite living so close to ghosts, she still gets a bit stunned by the revelations about the ghost zone. She wondered if it was just certain domains in the zone, or common ground.
What did the dead insure for? She wonder if Danny could get insured.
"..."
Jazz pressed her lips tight. As the three vultures all flew together and started whispering in each others' ears. Jazz glancing at Damian with worry and then back at the vultures.
Damian put a hand on his weapon, ready to attack if need be. His eyes focused on the birds, until he felt strange change in the air. It was like static near his-He swiped his roasting stick down, trying to jump out of the grasp of the black gloved hand that phased through the floor.
Only to be tightly grabbed by the ankle and dangled into the air, dropping his roasting stick. "You're quite a tot? Funny how small things can be very annoying."
"Plasmius!" Jazz jumped to her feet, the chair falling back with the push. She gritted her teeth, watching as Damian kicked, trying to reach for his other weapons. Only for them to be blasted out of his hands.
"What is your excuse? Because you are far more annoying." Damian glancing around trying to figure out what to do.
"I feel like that's debatable considering you rats with wings have been interfering with my plans, but I digress." Plasmius's voice raised as his grip tightened painfully around Damian's ankle, only for his voice to pulled back behind clenched teeth and his grip loosening slightly at the end.
Jazz narrowed her eyes, looking between Plasmius and the box of weapons. Maybe she could- Plasmius shot at a spot in front of her, making her jump back with a squeak.
"Be a good girl and sit." A duplicate appeared behind her, forcing her back into the chair that the duplicate pulled back up. Hands pressed on her shoulders to keep her in place.
Plasmius then took his attention to the vultures who were still huddled together. They gave a gulp, glancing between each other. Plasmius sending them a heated glare.
"Now as for you three, mind telling me WHY none of you were actively keeping the pest and the brat from entering the room?" He growled, anger seething in his voice, but was forcibly trying to keep his anger down. He didn't want to lose his temper.
The vultures frowned glancing at each other, as if afraid to answer.
"WELL?!" Plasmius's grip tightening on Damian's ankle again. Damian trying not to wince. He glanced around the room, eyes settling on the door as he saw Tim's head in the window.
-owo-
"10/10 would never get sprayed again." Danny huffed as he wrung out his shirt. He was soaking wet with some soap bubbles still on him, but he no longer felt like a slug that someone sprinkled salt on.
"By water or repellent?" Jason asked as he held his head under the skin letting the water wash over his head.
"Ha. Both! Or well, maybe just the repellent." Danny said before turning around and pulling on the string to the eye rinse. He was trying to get water sprayed up his nostrils. Taking moments to break away from it and cough.
"A simple thank you would suffice." Jason turned his head to get his face really good, taking off his mask for a moment.
Danny gargled a thank you as he tried to wash his mouth out.
"Your welcome casp." Jason turned his head the other way, then began scrubbing on his own skin. Did it burn? Yes. But it felt nice to get it off and to relieve that itch that been crawling on his skin.
"What was in that damn spray anyways?" Jason pulling his head out of the sink, shaking it to flick water off.
He put his mask back on and started to rinse his arms. He wanted to get his expose skin before spraying it off his clothes. Unlike Danny, it wasn't as dangerous for him to have it soaked into his clothing. So he won't have to scrub or spray as much.
"Who knows, one of my parents recent inventions so I haven't looked at it closely, yet. Either way I'm destroying it." Danny leaned against a counter, wringing his hair and clothes out again. He still felt fatigue and his head hurt, but he was no longer oozing. Which was good.
"Good. Because if you didn't, I would." He stood back and sprayed off his clothes, at least his top the best he could.
"Hey, at least I can't smell now." Danny grinned.
"I don't think that magically makes the effectiveness of the spray go away."
"No, but as long as I don't touch anyone I can-" Danny froze as he heard Plasmius's voice over the comms.
"I would say you look like you seen a ghost, but-" Jason pointed making sure to spray his face again. It looked like they might need to catch up to the others.
"Plasmius is where Jazz is." Danny shared one look with Jason before running off.
Jason cursed, getting one last spray in his nose and mouth, before running after Danny. He snorted out water, hollering for Danny to wait up.
-ewe-
Tim peaked through the window, cursing under his breath. Damian was in Plasmius's grasp and Jazz was being confined to a chair. Plasmius was in the way of the Fentons that were in the pods.
He relayed the information to Dick, who confirmed he was on his way. Danny and Jason seem to be climbing up as well.
Tim put a hand on his blaster, trying to think of a plan as he watched the older halfa scold the vultures. He had to shoot Plasmius first, and hope Damian recovers to grab his sword.. then maybe-
"Didn't your parents tell you that eaves dropping is rude? Though, I wondered when more of you would show up."
Shit.
"My family encourages it, actually." Tim busted through the doors, aiming his shot at the Plasmius holding Damian. Then, He rolled behind some tables, effectively evading the blasts of the duplicates.
Plasmius dropped Damian as he growled in pain, having been blasted in the face again. His eyes glowing red as he snarled.
Damian dropped to the ground, flipping to land on his feet with a skid. He then ducked under a table to get out of immediate danger. Jazz took this chance to hit the duplicate in the nose with the palm of her hand, then ducking out of his grip.
Tim took the opportunity to shoot the one duplicate down as he launched himself over a table. He unhooked the sword from his belt, sheath and all tossing it towards Damian. Tim then rolled back under a table to avoid a blast that sent the table flying.
Damian propelled himself out from underneath a table, grabbing the sword, pulling it from its sheath. He furrowed his brows noticing that the blade was shimmering and not shining. It was covered in.. ice?! He locked eyes with Tim, as if demanding to know what happened.
"Ghost approved." Only thing Tim could say as avoided Plasmius swooping in, shooting a succession of pink beams at him.
Damian leapt back from a pink beam sent towards him, bringing him back to situation at hand. Ghost approved, huh? He would be the judge of that. He prepared his stance, then kicked off a box to get some air as he swiped upward at the duplicate.
Instead of dissolving it into goo, the duplicate shattered into small pieces then dissolved. Damian's eyes glint with excitement, as he turned his attention to the Plasmius. Plasmius was destroying everything in his path, while Tim was doing his best to keep the path from going anywhere that endangered the others.
Damian took the chance to slash Plasmius's back, making him howl as his form shook. A ring appearing for a brief moment around the waist, then sucked back into him. Plasmius let out a small shock wave that knocked both Tim and Damian to the ground.
They both rolled onto their feet, shaking from the hit. It didn't hurt like the blasts did, but it was taking them a moment to regain mobility. Plasmius floated above them seething in anger, glowing an ominous red as he charged both his hands.
A green ecto-beam shot at Plasmius, barely missing.
Jazz hissed under her breath while she shook in her spot, having been hit by the wave too. She should have aimed that better. Though, before she could fire another shot, she had Plasmius's attention.
Plasmius sent a beam towards her, planning on it knocking her out. Only for one of the birds to block the hit with their body. Jazz let out a scream, then reached for the vulture asking if they were okay.
"Oi, nothing a little kiss wouldn't fix." The vulture winked with a breathy laugh.
"Ew." Jazz shoving the bird away on instinct, "Oh. Uh sorry.. Thank you... but no.. thank you."
"What are you imbecilic piles of flying ectoplasm doing?!" Plasmius growled.
"Consider this my resignation!" The vulture howled as he floated back up.
"Yeah, Mine too!"
"Mine three!"
They flew in front of the confused and irritated Plasmius.
"What?! You can't-"
"We think its about time for a new pecking order!" They started pecking at Plasmius.
"Stop it, I can still turn you into- ow my nose!"
"FEEL OUR PECKS OF DOOM!"
"Beaks of terror!"
"Our full power!"
"No longer will we be henchmen!"
With that the vultures continued to peck, bite, and scratch Plasmius making him flee through the floor. The vultures flying after.
They all sat there on the floor, staring at where the vultures and Plasmius disappeared. Tim furrowed his brows, "What.. just happened?"
"I think I caused an uprising?" Jazz blinked.
Tim nodded slowly as he pulled himself up onto his feet dusting himself off. "You think?"
"Don't question it." Damian stated as he sheathed his sword.
Tim glanced between Jazz and Damian confused. Jazz giving a sheepish shrug in return.
