"Wait… Did you just say you're stuck?" Tim started. If their eyes weren't already blown open from the ghost's shock, they would be from Tim's. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"
"I- I don't know…"Phantom responded, his voice was quiet like he was stunned.
"Haven't you done this before?" Tim felt the piercing pain in his chest again, only for a second this time before it receded. He must have tried leaving again. "Surely you can't be like, stuck, stuck… Right?"
"Nope definitely stuck, stuck." Phantom bit his lip. Tim was feeling the worry radiating off of him in waves. "And give me a break, I don't normally overshadow people!" He whisper yelled. "I don't know how this works."
Tim tried to take a deep breath to calm himself down but he couldn't control his lungs. "Well do you have any ideas of how we can get you unstuck?" He hissed.
Phantom chuckled. "Aww wanting to get rid of me already? Have I really been that bad of a roommate? I'm hurt."
"Well, seeing as it is my body you are walking around in, yes!" Tim made sure to let his annoyance and frustration bleed through to the ghost.
Phantom sighed. "Okay, I might have something we can use. Or at least an idea of where to get something."
"And that is…?" Tim pried.
Phantom turned around and started walking over to Tim's dresser. "I have someone we can meet. She should be able to help us find something to split us up."He started opening a few drawers and shuffling through folded clothes.
"You can't just go and talk to someone! My identity!" Tim exclaimed.
Phantom raised an eyebrow before pulling out a long-sleeved shirt. "Why do you think I'm going through this?"
Tim's heart dropped. "You can't!"
"Dude unless you want us to go prancing around the street wearing this." He gestured vaguely at Tim's Red Robin suit. "I suggest we get changed."
"But-"
Phantom put up his hand. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone who you are. That would be bad for both of us, anyway."
Tim sighed, pushing as much annoyance towards the ghost as he could. Phantom quickly found the clasps to the cape and started taking it off. He took off each piece of armor one by one until Tim was left in his black leggings and Domino.
Phantom tried tugging at the corner of the mask pulling at the skin a bit causing a light sting. "It won't work like that, All you'll succeed in doing is ripping off my skin." Tim butted in. The ghost paused before pulling his arm down and glancing around the room. He spotted the bathroom door attached to Tim's room and quickly walked over to it.
He put his hand on the cold door handle and slowly pushed it open before turning on the light. He waited for a second as if to see if there was going to be an alarm or an attacker inside. He then shuffled up to the bathroom sink and turned on the warm water.
When Phantom looked up at the mirror Tim saw his eyes trace over the light scars riddling his body. None of them looked too severe but they were noticeable. Very pale markings like scratches compared to his already pale skin.
Tim was feeling very apprehensive about this. And for some reason so was Phantom… He paused for a second looking at the water before taking a deep breath. 'Sorry.' He reached his hands into the water and leaned forward sticking his head above the sink. He splashed some onto his face and then wetted around the mask with his fingers.
He winced as the mask pulled at the skin as it was peeled away. When Phantom looked back up at the mirror, Tim didn't expect what he saw.
Staring back at him were bright green glowing… "-My eyes." Tim gasped in bewilderment.
Phantom stared into them for a few more seconds before chuckling. "Yeah, that's an overshadowing thing. Probably the biggest tell don't you think?" He stepped away from the sink and turned back into the bedroom. "Lucky you were wearing that Domino earlier or they would have noticed."
Yeah, with his mask there was no way that Dick and Alfred would have noticed his eyes. All he could hope was that when B comes back and notices the ghost is gone they check the security and see what happened.
)-(
Danny was just pulling the gray long-sleeved shirt over his head when there was a knock at the bedroom door, Danny was once again thankful that he locked it first. -not that it would do anything against these guys- "Drake, Grayson is worried about you or something." The young voice on the other side sounded annoyed. "He says I have to make sure you're still standing."
Danny stared at the door, his body tense and ready to bolt at any second. He cleared his throat a bit. Ready to talk, but he paused. "Who is he?" Danny quickly asked in his head. He didn't want to say something wrong and have him come in here. He eyed the window again.
"I'm not telling you who he is. You already know enough." Tim was defensive about it. Danny guessed he was one of the brothers that Alfred mentioned earlier.
Danny was annoyed. "If I mess this up we both get caught."
"Maybe that's not such a bad thing, Phantom. We won't hurt you, we can figure this out." Tim pleaded.
A knock again. "Drake?"
Danny's head shot up. "I'm Fine!" He called out. "Just a little tired that's all, maybe a cold."
"Tt, you do not sound like yourself, Timothy. Shall I fetch Grayson?" The voice requested.
Danny's eyes darted around the room again, and he backed up a step towards the window. He needed more time. "Yeah, maybe you should get him." Danny responded.
There was a pause. "Fine." And then footsteps left the door.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Danny reached over to the bed, grabbed a dark red hoodie, and threw it over his shoulder sticking his arm through the sleeve. Then he spotted some shoes in the corner of the room, rushed over, and put them on. Danny quickly grabbed his Phantom belt from the corner of the bed and clipped it around his waist over the newly placed jeans he pulled over the leggings.
"Phantom, think about it, we can help you," Red called out desperately, more rising panic from the boy. He didn't want to leave.
Danny quickly grabbed onto the office chair at Tim's desk and pulled it up to the door and tucked it under the handle to stop it from opening. "Is your version of 'helping' me" -He did finger quotes in the air-. "Shooting me and sticking me in a cage to interrogate me? Because if so, I don't think we have the same version of 'help'." Danny hissed, holding onto the arms of the chair.
He could feel a tinge of guilt coming from Red, but it was still overpowered by the worry of being kidnaped. Not that Danny wanted to kidnap him, but he didn't have any other choice. And they kidnaped him in the first place, so potato patato.
Danny rushed over to the window and slid it open, glancing down. It was only one or two stories up, but man this was a big yard. The halfa put one foot up on the window sill and grabbed onto the frame to support himself. "You better not break my legs!" Tim called out. "I know you might be able to fly but I certainly can't."
Danny sighed and sat down on the frame before turning around, he gripped onto the lip of the window and stretched their body out, his foot grabbed onto another window sill that was sticking out from the wall. Thank Clockwork for these fancy stone houses. He bent down and grabbed onto the second window. Careful not to get in front of the glass he has no idea who could be looking.
He stretched out again and there were only about four feet between him and the grass now. He let himself drop to the ground, quite soundlessly he might add. He landed in a crouch and stayed close to the wall while scanning his surroundings. Nothing bad jumped out at him yet. Now all he needed to do was get out of here.
)-(
Something was up with Tim. Dick didn't know what it was, but he wanted to make sure he was okay. Tim wouldn't just come upstairs in his suit without Batman coming back, that was red flag number one. Flag number two was that he was willingly going to go to bed, and it wasn't that Tim didn't need it -Dick would give anything to get that boy to sleep more- But Tim honestly survived off of straight caffeine and work. That led to flag numero tres, He refused COFFEE! In all of Dick's years of knowing the boy he has never once refused coffee, either he was really sick or something was very wrong.
"What's the matter with you Grayson?" Dick turned his head and then looked down at the young assassin boy. His little brother Damian aka the current Robin. "Why are you going towards the library?" -The Batcave went unsaid-.
"Something's wrong with Tim, he was acting weird."
Damian raised an eyebrow. "Isn't he always?" He scoffed
Dick responded with a slight frown. "He's your brother Dami, whether you want him to be or not. Can you please go check on him? For me?"
Damian rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine, I'll check on Drake. But what are you going to do?"
Dick turned to look at the door to the library again. "I'm going to check on our houseguest. I think the problem with Tim has something to do with that. I need to check to be sure. B should be back soon, too. Or at least that's what Tim said."
Damian narrowed his eyes before spinning on his heel and walking away down the hall, back the way he came. "Whatever, I'll go make sure he's alive." He waved his hand behind him.
"Thanks, baby bird! You're the best!" He called out after the scary 11-year-old. Damian just hmmed in acknowledgment, not turning back.
Now for the matter at hand. Dick turned around and quickly walked into the library before going up to the correct bookshelf. He pulled on one of the books and it slid one shelf off books away, revealing a case of domino masks. Dick quickly reached in and grabbed one before attaching it to his face. He wouldn't have time to get changed into the whole suit but he could still keep his identity.
And the ghost wouldn't even see him anyways. He was from the elevator you could see the 'cage' but the ghost probably couldn't see you. It was a win-win. He pulled on another book which opened the elevator. He quickly stepped inside and it took him down into the cave. There was a light sound as the elevator doors opened.
He stepped out slowly and glanced around the cave. Nothing seemed too out of place. His eyes were drawn to the 'anti-ghost containment device' and Dick froze. The door was open and the cage was powered down, the bars no longer glowing. On the roof inside of the cage there were wires sticking out. The ghost was gone.
Authors Notes
Beta read by: gamma_radio (ao3)
Oooooh, Danny and Tim are now escaping and Dick has discovered the empty cage. :3
This is so much fun to write! I love it so much and can't wait to get to future chapters. There is so much in store for this story I'm so excited. I hope my writing style is good enough to convey what I am trying to write for you guys. I'm working hard to make it better.
Please tell me what you thought of this chapter! And what do you think is going to happen next? Have a good day and thank you! :D
