Hey, everyone!
Yes, I know, I'm actually updating EARLY this time. But, I'm at ground zero of the coronavirus quarantine (northern Italy) and I had literally nothing else to do besides finish this story.
….and accidentally outline and start drafting another multichapter fic which I didn't want to commit to since I'm just finishing this one and wouldn't mind a break, but whatever. Congratulations, another DP crossover story is in the works (this time with MCU Spider-Man), in addition to a few oneshots and follow-ups to existing oneshots (like The Theorists and The Practical Applications of Ghost Powers.)
But, anyway.
I know, I lied; I said there would only be one more chapter until we finish. And it was true! Right up until it ballooned into an 11,000+ word behemoth. So I'm publishing it in 2 parts so I don't inundate you with resolution and character arcs. But, don't worry: part 2 is coming this Friday, just two months short of the 2-year anniversary of Recognized.
Enjoy!
By the way, 'furbizia' is an Italian word for the cunning and scheming people do to circumvent authority/bureaucracy/restrictions they don't want to follow. It comes courtesy of reports about people ignoring the quarantine restrictions here in Italy.
General Notes:
"This is dialogue."
"This is alternative dialogue, meaning whispered or spoken from a distance such as on the phone."
'This is thought.'
This and THIS and *this* are emphasis. The *this* emphasis is more along the lines of the snarky or sarcastic.
[This is digital text, such as notifications on a computer or smartphone.]
I do not own Danny Phantom nor Young Justice.
Ch. 19 originally published: Sunday, March 15, 2020
RECOGNIZED
Chapter 19
Furbizia
13:15 Eastern Standard Time, Thursday, March 22 — Amity Park
There was a slight splatter as Jack poured another cup of coffee from the carafe. It was his fifth cup that day as he'd been sitting and waiting to help Maddie since the wee hours of the morning.
A sudden clamoring above him caught his attention. Jack came out of the kitchen to see Jazz sprinting down the stairs.
"What-?" Jack began.
"We've got incoming!" she interrupted. Jazz ran past and threw open the door.
A burst of wind rippled the coffee in Jack's mug. The pair went outside and saw a red extraterrestrial craft landing in the street. As soon as it touched down, a horde of teenagers came tumbling out, one of which appeared to be Jack's sworn nemesis and apparent son, Danny Phantom.
Kid Flash zoomed ahead of the group. "Mr. Fenton!" he said. "We request the use of your lab to save 37!"
"What's 37?" Jack asked.
"Didn't Dr. F tell you? He's 37," the speedster replied and jabbed a finger over his shoulder. "Experiment 37. He's a clone of Danny. Actually, so's she." He gestured to Dani.
Jack frowned. "Why should I care?"
Kid Flash found himself momentarily speechless. "B-bu-but he's your son?"
"Not even the real fake Danny is my son," Jack stated. "He's a stand-in."
"Yeah, well, he is a real boy, a real person!"
"Sir," Miss Martian said, coming up beside Kid Flash, "experiment 37 is extremely unstable. He needs a substance you call Ecto Dejecto. Can you please show us where it is so we can save him?"
"This one's just a clone," Jack retorted. "He's not worth saving."
"*I'm* just a clone," Superboy growled. He pushed his way between Kid Flash and M'gann to level a fierce glare at Jack, his eyes barely wider than slits. "Am I not worth saving either?"
Jack's eyes darted to the Superman logo on his chest. "Jazz, prepare the workbench."
Jasmine led the parade of protégés downstairs to the lab while Jack hesitated in the kitchen. Just for a moment, he rested both hands on the edge of the counter and released a deep breath before straightening and heading downstairs to *help* a ghost for once.
37, still unconscious, was laid prostrate on the table. His body was already starting to spread out on the table. Jack appraised him before retrieving the Ecto Dejecto from the cabinet and uncapping its aerosol nozzle. He sprayed a quick pass over 37's body before recapping the container and setting it aside. For a moment, nobody spoke, moved or even breathed.
Soon, though, the anticipation was too much for Kid Flash. With a few furtive glances between 37 and Jack, he asked, "That's it?"
"That's it," Jack said.
37 continued to melt very slowly.
"But nothing's happening?" Artemis said.
"Wait for it…" Dani assured, eyes never leaving the unconscious clone.
Suddenly, 37's condition worsened. He was seconds from becoming a puddle.
Furious, Superboy grabbed Jack by the collar of his jumpsuit. "What did you do?!" he demanded.
"Trust me!" Jack shouted, eyes never leaving 37.
"Why should I?!"
"Just watch!" Jack said.
There was a bright glow, and everyone turned their attention back to the boy on the table. The puddle retracted, and his body re-inflated like a balloon to become a lean, glowing, athletic teen once more. 37's eyes shot open as he gasped for air and sat up on the table. He looked around and saw he was back in the lab. "I'm home!" he exclaimed in Danny's voice. "Well, not really, but-" His gaze fell on Jack, and all joy left him. "Uuuhhh…I mean…"
Jack rolled his eyes. "I know who you are," he sighed.
"Well, gee, you don't have to sound so happy about it," 37 snapped and hopped off the table. With a burst of light, he de-transformed back into another Robin.
"Where did you come from?" Jack asked. "Who made you?"
"I'll leave it to the real me to tell you that story." 37's gaze fell onto some broken pink ceramic pieces on the desk. "Aw, man, Mom's mug is broken!"
"Do we need to wait around to monitor his recovery?" Zatanna asked. "If not, I'm ready for bed."
"No, everything's fine now," Dani said. "It was an instant recovery for me."
"For you?" Jack asked.
Dani shied away slightly. "I…might've…needed it before?"
"Well, I'm ready for bed too," 37 said. "Thanks for everything, you guys. I have to find a way to repay you. If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room."
" 'Your' room?" Jack asked.
The room fell silent.
"Y-yeah, my-" 37 faltered, and then "-oh. Um…right. I don't…live here…"
An awkward pause arrested the group. Jack offered nothing.
"…We have…plenty of space at the mountain?" M'gann offered, trying to cut the tension. "Dani too. …If you want."
37 couldn't quite bring himself to respond. He offered a disheartened nod, eyes never leaving the floor, and shuffled towards the stairs. Superboy threw an arm around the boy's shoulders and shot a hateful glance at Jack as they left. The other protégés gradually built their momentum in following 37 and Superboy out of the lab.
As they left, Jasmine strode over to Jack and punched his arm. In an angry, muffled voice she spat out, "You know the real Danny is terrified of you two rejecting him, and this one's basically a carbon copy. Maybe you should think about that before you blow it with the real one." She followed after the others.
"Thank you so much, Jazz," Dani said and pulled her sort-of sister into a hug at the door. "I know this can't be easy for you guys here at the house."
"Psh. Understatement," Jazz quipped.
"You think he'll come around...ever?"
"He better, or Mom'll kill him," Jazz said. "She was on a warpath when she left for London."
"God, she's such a badass." Dani noticed Jack scrutinizing her from the kitchen doorway behind Jazz. "Well...good luck here. I guess I'll be at their secret base if you need me."
"You got it, Dani-with-an-I," Jazz assured.
Dani joined the others in the bioship. Once the hull sealed, it took off for Rhode Island. Jazz sighed and shut the door, facing her sour-faced father brooding in the foyer behind her.
"I don't like my authority being usurped every five minutes," Jack grunted.
"Well, those kids don't like being rejected by the man they're programmed to think is their father!" Jazz retorted. She pushed past Jack to get a water glass.
"But they're not real!"
Jazz wheeled on him. "Like hell they're not!" After a pause for effect, she filled her glass. "Those are some very real emotions and some very real brushes with death that they experienced just to help *our* family get Danny back!"
"Danny is not a part of our family! He is...a substitute."
Jazz finished gulping a sip of her water. "A substitute," she deadpanned.
"What do you want from me, Jazz?" Jack demanded. "That thing has been masquerading as my son - your brother - for years."
"First, he's not a thing, he's a biological anomaly. And second, he has been your son for years!"
"No, he-"
"ADOPTION!" Jazz shouted. "No adopted kids are the 'real' kids either! But they still matter; they're still loved."
Jack said nothing.
"Get your shit together, Dad," Jazz said. "As soon as Mom finds him, they're coming home and you're going to have to adjust. Otherwise...our family is at stake."
14:45, Thursday, March 22 — Amity Park, Ohio
"Tucker!"
The urgency in his mother's voice urged Tucker to come down from his room immediately. He barely kept himself from tumbling down the stairs until he reached the living room where his mother sat absentmindedly stirring food for dinner.
"Mom?! What is it?" Tucker asked.
"They found your friend!" she replied, using the mixing spoon to point at the television.
Tucker turned to face the TV and began listening to the GBN report.
"And we go live now to our reporter on the scene," the anchor said.
The news feed switched to a handheld camera following Dick and Danny to a police car. Mrs. Fenton trailed behind them, doing her best not to look at the cameras.
"Mr. Grayson! Or Fenton! Whichever one you are!" one of the reporters called out.
Danny squinted under the glare of the camera's light. "Fenton."
"Mr. Fenton! Why are you in Paris with Richard Grayson?"
"Why are you being taken in for questioning if you are the alleged victim?"
"I-I don't know," Danny said, "I'm sure Agent Devineaux will explain."
"Devineaux…" Tucker muttered to himself.
"Are you going home now? What is your connection to Richard Grayson?"
"Fenton, what is your mother doing in Paris? Was she involved in your disappearance?"
All further questions went unheard after the officers closed the doors to the police car escorting the trio to the station. When the car sped away, all cameras turned to the hapless Flaming C who seemed unprepared to have the world's press turn to him for answers.
Angela Foley shook her head in disapproval. "What is that woman doing there? What do you know about this, Tuck-"
The woman's voice died when she realized Tucker was already sprinting back upstairs.
Upon reaching his room, Tucker went to an encrypted online chat and furiously typed a message. "Thank God Thursdays are a half-day," he mumbled to himself.
fryertuck: [Hey man didn't you tell me about some French police guy that you're always messing with?]
Concurrently — 21:45 Central European Time, Thursday, March 22 — Paris Police Prefecture, Île de la Cité, Paris
Danny and Dick twiddled their thumbs waiting for Agent Devineaux to return. They sat alone in a dark interrogation room in the heart of the Bastille while Maddie stood impatiently outside. Two untouched espressos sat steaming on the table in front of them.
Danny yawned and shifted in his chair so his elbow rested on its arm while his chin sat cupped in the palm of his hand. He closed his eyes and said, "Wanna get pizza? I would kill for some pizza."
"Probably not the best phrasing in a police station," Dick jabbed.
The door slammed open with Agent Devineaux dramatically frozen in its aperture. While Danny tried to disguise the roll of his eyes, the elder man sashayed across the room and sat across from the boys. He dropped a thick folder onto the metal table between them and interlocked his hands on top of it. "You are probably wondering why I have called you here tonight," he began.
"I'm guessing it probably has something to do with the fact that we were kidnapped?" Dick innocently replied.
"It has everything to do with the fact that you were kidnapped," Devineaux said. "Why were you targeted?"
"I'm rich?" Dick suggested.
"And I *look* like I'm rich because I look like him," Danny added.
"But you are just boys!" Devineaux parried. "So explain to me why your first instinct when you escape your captors is to go to a cemetery instead of the police?"
Dick shrugged. "The guys who grabbed me a few days ago were disguised as police officers. I didn't know who to trust."
"And who would think to look for us at a cemetery?" Danny asked. "It was a great place to lay low until my mom found us. How did you guys know where to find us?"
Devineaux sighed. "Interpol received an anonymous tip that Dick Grayson was spotted in Paris, immediately after receiving an alert from Gotham Police that you had been kidnapped and were suspected of having been taken out of America. Would you care to explain the immediate timing for me, Mr. Grayson?"
"Aw, heck, Mr. Devineaux," Dick said, "we just escaped from guys who were saying they were going to kill us. What do we know?"
"It's *Agent* Devineaux, and I believe you know a considerable amount more than what you are saying," the man grumbled with a suspicious squint. "I have been tracking a secret organization which I believe may be behind this whole thing, and you are either participants or victims. I need to know everything you know about your captors."
"Bunch of thugs grabbed me in an alley," Danny said. "They knocked me out and the next thing I know I'm kicking a guy in the nuts and running for my life."
Devineaux glared and turned to Dick.
"Guys dressed as police took me," Dick replied.
"I do not trust you," Devineaux said.
"You do remember *we* were the ones that *got* kidnapped, right?" Danny said.
"And yet you continue to lie!" Devineaux insisted and slapped the table for emphasis. "I know it has to do with why you were taken! So, tell me, boy, share with me that which you wish to hide…"
Danny sighed. "Look, Monsieur Dude, it's been a really long day and my mom is waiting outside. Can we just go home now?"
"Do not deprive me of this opportunity!" he shouted. "How long have you been agents of V.I.L.E.?!"
"We're not!" Dick insisted.
"Tell me where is la femme rouge?!"
"I don't know what that is!" Danny said. "I don't even speak French!"
"Another denial!"
"This is ridiculous! We escape from a kidnapping, and you're getting suspicious of us?!" Dick shouted. "Do you even know who I am, who we are?!"
"Names do not matter in the tireless pursuit of justice!"
Dick huffed. "Where is my guardian? Where is Danny's mother? I believe we are entitled to have them present."
"And who is your guardian?" Devineaux growled.
"Bruce Wayne."
The agent suddenly paled. "Bruce Wayne?"
Dick leaned forward in his seat. "Bruce. Wayne."
Devineaux's expression fell. "As in-?"
Dick wordlessly pointed to the WayneTech tablet sitting out on the table before he sank back into his chair.
"W-well, I…euh…" Devineaux faltered.
The door opened to a tidy female officer with glasses and close-cropped hair. "Sir?"
"Not now, Agent Argent-"
"It's her."
Devineaux paused. His eyes darted between the two bemused boys and his colleague. He finally asked, "Where?"
"São Paulo."
"...Are you sure?"
"We received an anonymous tip which we cross-referenced with local traffic cameras."
"She chooses now of all times to appear?" Devineaux complained. His attention returned to the boys. "How convenient for you."
"Dude, I don't even know who you're talking about," Danny said.
Devineaux sighed. He cleared his throat and recited, "Please accept my most sincere apologies, but I must go. The French police will provide special protection for the remainder of your stay in Paris until Mr. Wayne is able to come retrieve you. It is to my understanding that he is already on his way."
"That is so kind of you, thank you," Dick replied, brimming with innocent joy. "May we go now?"
Devineaux faltered and replied, "Y-yes, yes, of course." He stood and gestured to the door.
"Talk about perfect timing," Dick whispered when Devineaux's back was turned.
"I have a feeling we can thank Tuck back home," Danny replied. "He knows a guy. Well...he knows a lot of guys."
Once the boys had left, Agent Argent asked, "Tu ais laissé tomber ces garçons? [You let them go?]"
"Je devais, Madame Argent [I had to, Miss Argent]," Devineaux grunted. He stared after the departing Grayson and Fentons and squinted. "Nous devons concentrer avant tout sur Carmen Sandiego. Mais, dites à l'agence que Richard Grayson et Daniel Fenton sont des personnes d'un grand intérêt pour l'avenir. Il doit y avoir une autre explication. [We must focus first and foremost on Carmen Sandiego. But, tell ACME HQ that Richard Grayson and Daniel Fenton are persons of great interest in the future. There is more to them than meets the eye.]"
10:00, Friday, March 23 — Aéroport Charles de Gaulle, Roissy-en-France
"This really is too kind of you, Mr. Wayne," Maddie insisted, crossing the tarmac to the WayneTech jet.
"Nonsense, Dr. Fenton," he replied. "I would not feel comfortable having you and Danny fly separately until you are home safe and sound. Our jet is considerably more armored than DALV Co's. Besides, the press is going to have a field day with all this, and we need to get our ducks in a row.."
Once Danny, Maddie, Dick, Bruce and Alfred had settled in the WayneTech jet, Bruce produced a dossier and placed it in front of Danny and Maddie.
"This is what our labs found regarding Danny's DNA," Bruce explained. "We were hesitant to share it with you two until we could be sure who was the Cadmus duplicate. There was the possibility of either of you having been replaced since the Project Kr raid two years ago. Lucius Fox is the only other person who has seen this analysis since he was the one to carry it out."
Danny was the first to flip open the folder and look through the pages. "Wow. This is…a lot of science."
Dick rolled his eyes and took the folder for himself. "It's just an explanation of your DNA and eDNA sequencing."
Danny seemed even more confused. "My what?"
"Give it here," Maddie said, and the boys passed the folder over to her. As she looked through it, she explained, "eDNA is the ghost equivalent of human DNA except with alkalines which compose ectoplasm. Oh my god, this is incredible! I never had the thought or ability to compare related human and ghost sequencing!" She poured over the data and finally said, "Danny, your ghost form is a perfect mirror of your human body. It's so obvious now! This will revolutionize ectology!"
Danny panicked. "Mom! No! Nobody can hear about this!"
Maddie tempered her excitement. "Why?"
"The second the world finds out about this, and how, who is the first person the Guys in White are going to detain for research and experimentation?" He gestured to himself.
"Oh. I hadn't realized…" Maddie sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She tried not to think about the implications of the truth getting out, the dangerous lab tests trying to replicate the process... "Why did you do this in the first place? Why would you go into the portal when we told you how dangerous it is?"
"I dunno, I mean, it didn't work anyway," Danny diverted. "Sam was there—a-and Tuck—and Sam kind of dared me to go inside and check it out, and everyone at school is always calling me a wimp, so…"
Maddie frowned. "It was a really stupid thing to do just to impress a girl."
Danny blushed. "And Tucker!"
"Yes, of course, 'and Tucker,' " Maddie teased.
"At this point, we all now have the full and complete picture of the truth," Bruce diverted. "However, for obvious reasons, we cannot share this with the press. Alfred, anything new on the men who were arrested?"
"An unofficial scandal designation, and a full confession," Alfred replied, producing a tray of coffee. "The media has dubbed the situation 'Gothamgate' due to its potential impact on the WayneTech empire. The thugs claim to have been hired by an anonymous benefactor—for lack of a better word—and were instructed to kidnap young Grayson in order to extort some sort of financial or power gain out of WayneTech. Plans went awry when they kidnapped the wrong child, and they hurried to capture Master Grayson from our private residence in the Palisades.
"And, according to them," he finished, "they underestimated the young master's dexterity from his past life in the circus, in addition to Danny's own light combat training as son of two prominent ghost hunters, and were unable to detain the boys any further."
"Peachy," Dick said. "So that's the kidnapping and our disappearances covered. What about-" he gestured between himself and Danny "-us?"
"Twins separated at birth," Bruce said. "It's the truth. If only it were as simple as that."
Maddie spoke up. "These sorts of accidents happen all the time, unfortunately. It was a simple mixup in the neonatal ICU."
"Won't that be throwing the nurses under the bus?" Danny said. "It wasn't really their fault, and who knows what sort of trouble we'd be making for them."
"There is the matter of the trespasser report filed with the Parisian police that evening," Bruce said. "It won't be too hard for an investigative journalist with half a brain to find that. Of course, that would involve-"
"Let's not drag him back into this," Danny interrupted. "No situation in history has ever improved with his 'help.' "
"Who?" Maddie asked.
Danny sighed. "Remember that thing I said I'd explain later?"
"Yeah," Maddie said. "It's later."
"Well...it's not 'later' enough yet."
"We could fairly easily play it off as an early ghost attack on the Fenton family due to their anti-ghost stance originating back in their college days," Alfred suggested.
"Except why would they help the Fentons by giving them a *living* child?" Bruce replied. "No, we merely explain that there was confusion at the hospital due to the presence of said trespasser. No one is truly at fault, then; they are all merely victims of an unfortunate situation."
"So what do we do?" Maddie asked.
"Due to the mystique and publicity surrounding Danny's disappearance as an unsuspected player," Alfred explained, "we will need to hold some sort of interview in order to throw the hounds off the scent."
Danny sighed, slouching down in one of the seats. "So how do we get this out to the police and the press without them getting too wrapped up in details we can't explain?"
"We have some...allies in the press," Bruce said. "I'll set up an interview for tomorrow back in Amity so you all won't have to go too far."
13:45 Eastern Standard Time, Friday, March 23 - Amity Airport, Ohio
Danny noticed a speck of silver in front of the private hangars as the Waynes' jet approached the runway of Amity Park airport. It was a rough landing, as there were strong winds accompanying the late afternoon sun. The plane taxied closer to the speck which grew into the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle. Danny and Maddie collected their things and stood while Bruce and Dick watched Jack get out of the vehicle's driver's seat. The man, ever sporting his orange hazmat suit, crossed his arms and waited.
The door of the plane opened and unfolded into steps, releasing a gust of wind from the blustery afternoon. Maddie was the first to descend, and Danny was next to duck through the doorway. He paused at the top of the steps and locked eyes with Jack.
Danny eventually mustered the courage to step out and cross the tarmac. He stopped a few feet away.
Jack had an uncharacteristic, emotionless expression while seeming to appraise Danny. The boy had his shoulders rolled forward and shivered both under the harshness of the wind and the chill of his father's stare. Maddie stood silently aside while father and son dared each other to speak first.
With a quick glance over his shoulder to his mother, Danny was the first to break. "H-hi, Dad?"
Jack huffed. "So…you're the same Danny I've always known?"
"Um, y-yeah, I guess…w-with minor…*superpowered* improvements," Danny fumbled. He attempted a lighthearted laugh but failed miserably.
Jack's eyes darted down and back up Danny's body. "But you're not—you were never—*my* Danny?"
"N-no, he's…he died. On the day of his—*our* birth."
"How do you know?"
"The ghost of time told me."
"The ghost of time?" Jack repeated, disbelieving.
"We're friends. He looks out for me."
"Never trust a ghost, Danny. That's basic knowledge."
"I'm part ghost. Does that mean you don't trust me?" Danny challenged.
Jack didn't answer.
"Look, Dad—or Jack, if you want it to be like that?"
"Maddie would murder me if I made you call me 'Jack,' " he said with a sidelong glance at his wife.
"This whole situation sucks, but the best thing for us to do is bury it and go forward. I'm still the same boy you thought was your son for 16 years. Isn't that enough?"
"Maybe it should be," Jack muttered and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's not. Not even close. I never got to mourn my son…"
Danny deflated. "I'll never know my real father; you'll never know your real son. But that means all we have is each other. Let's not blow it, Dad. Despite all the embarrassment and the weapons malfunctions, despite you shooting me before I ran away and all the times you hunted me down while I was saving the town…you're still my dad."
Jack sighed. His gaze drifted over Danny's shoulder to the door of the plane. At the top of the steps stood Dick and Bruce. Dick stood with his feet at shoulder width and his hands clasped behind his back, eyes squinted under the irritation of the wind. Bruce stood just behind and to the side with his hand resting on Dick's shoulder. Another man, another boy, not father and son yet a family nonetheless.
Jack slowly crossed the distance, noticing how Danny tried not to instinctively shy away. He took a deep breath and gripped Danny's shoulder with moderate affection. "Give me time, Danno. Give me some time. This is…a lot."
Danny looked down and nervously rubbed his elbow. He couldn't find it in himself to speak so he simply nodded.
"Let's go home," Jack said. His grip faltered before releasing Danny completely. He turned his back and returned to the RV.
Maddie approached Danny and looked after her husband. She sighed and pulled Danny into a side hug. "C'mon. I'll make some caramel apple doodles."
Danny managed a weak smile not quite strong enough to overpower the weariness in his eyes. The pair slowly followed behind Jack to get into the RV.
"I worry about the father," Bruce commented.
"From the impression Danny gave me, he's not exactly the most open-minded man," Dick said. "But, I think they'll be alright."
"But Jack Fenton is on record as hating and distrusting ghosts of any kind. How can he grow to love or even just to trust a half-ghost who's been unknowingly posing as his son for sixteen years?"
"The mom is tough as nails, and I don't think she'll let him reject Danny, now that they know the truth. What about the others, though? Dani and 37, if he survives."
"I had originally considered recruiting Danny as a core member of the team, but it seems too much is happening in his hometown for him to be permanently on call. Dani and '37,' as you call him, both exhibit virtually identical abilities to Danny himself. I'd say, with some intensive training, they could easily replace him for day-to-day operations. Their ability to overshadow is of particular appeal. The team could infiltrate, and the enemy would be none the wiser."
"Hm," Dick hummed pensively. "That could be very helpful."
"Indeed. Especially given your track record."
"What track record?! We've had tons of success as a team!"
"In the last week alone, you detonated an agricultural processing facility and sent downtown London into chaos, involving the army and Royal Air Force in crowd control and hot pursuit, respectively."
"Danny started it," Dick grumbled.
14:30, Friday, March 23 - Fenton Works, Amity Park, Ohio
The Fentons were able to make it back to their house before the local news heard Danny had returned to Amity Park. Jack pulled the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle into the driveway and shut off the engine. "Well," the man said, "we're home. Jazz should be back from the store by now."
Danny hopped out onto the pavement and looked around. The neighborhood was entirely normal, virtually untouched by the events of the past week. It was surreal how the rest of the world continued to function, oblivious to the truth of what lies beneath the surface. A fierce ex-Marine with a past laced with espionage and combat; an unsuspecting teen boy swapped at birth possessing incredible, superhuman abilities; a cunning acrobat trained to take down the world's villains; and, one of the most formidable power players in the Justice League: to everyone else, they were just a soccer mom, a slacker, a mathlete and a playboy. And here Danny stood, uneasily facing the task of helping his family normalize to his secret life as a teenage superhero.
With a sigh, Maddie heaved her duffle bag from the floor of the RV's front seat and maneuvered around Danny to go inside. The slam of the car door shook Danny from his preoccupation, and he dutifully followed Maddie—his mother inside.
"Jazz, I'm home," Danny called out upon entering the front door.
A crash came from upstairs followed by stampeding footsteps. Jazz just about collapsed with relief when she reached the top of the stairs and saw Danny standing in the foyer. She rushed downstairs and tackled him into a hug. "Oh, Danny, I'm so glad you're home safe!" she cooed.
"Me too, sis," Danny replied and tightened the hug. "Me too."
Jazz waited a moment longer before releasing him and producing something from her pocket. "Here. Sam gave this to me the day you left," she said.
It was Danny's phone. He powered it up.
"I charged it for you," Jazz added.
*PING*
*PING PING*
*PI-PI-PI-PI-PI-PI-*
Danny chuckled. "I think someone texted me."
[5,137 New Messages]
He sobered. "Actually, I think all of Amity texted me…"
This time, Jazz chuckled. "I don't think Casper High got the memo that you left your phone behind."
The front door burst open, and in charged Sam and Tucker.
"Oh my god, Danny!" Sam exclaimed. She and Tucker pulled Danny into yet another quick hug.
"You're not dead!" Tucker said.
"Not yet," Danny replied. "I guess I was almost arrested, though. That French cop was crazy!"
Tucker smiled. "You're welcome."
"I knew it was you!" Danny cried out. "How did you do it?"
"Let's just say I know a guy who has ready access to Agent Devineaux's kryptonite," Tucker suggested with a smirk.
"Nice." Danny high-fived him. "Well, that's the police covered."
"And now," Sam sighed, "the press…"
06:53, Saturday, March 24 - The Sheraton, Amity Park, Ohio
"Good morning, Fenton family!" Bruce greeted as the Fentons entered the hotel lobby.
"Good morning, Mr. Wayne!" Maddie replied. A far less enthusiastic Danny, Jazz and Jack followed behind her, each carrying a venti Starbucks drink.
"I'm so glad you were able to come," Bruce said and started leading them towards some glass doors. "We have a private dining room with breakfast buffet and a makeshift interview studio set up in the restaurant. Dick's already in there with the lead reporters."
"Why did we have to do this so early?" Danny moaned.
"We need to get a story cut together before the morning news wraps up," Bruce explained. "Then the stations can run the story all day long to their hearts' content."
"Doesn't mean it feels any less cruel or unusual."
The group paraded through the restaurant where only a handful of guests had begun eating. They reached a set of doors just before the exit to the garden, and Bruce opened it for them. Everyone present in the room stopped what they were doing and turned to see who had arrived.
"Danny, I'd like you to meet some associates of mine," Bruce said and gestured to three of the people Danny didn't recognize. "Allow me to introduce Clark Kent of the Daily Planet, his associate Lois Lane, and their photographer and videographer, James Olsen."
"Hey, Danny!" Lois greeted in a confidently casual tone.
"I've told you a bajillion times to call me 'Jimmy,' Mr. Wayne!" the smaller of the two men said, and he stepped forward to shake Danny's free hand.
"So that must make you Mr. Kent?" Danny said and turned to the taller man.
"That's right!" Clark said. "Pleased to meet you, Danny. I'm so happy to see you're alright after such a terrible ordeal."
"Um...thanks."
Something didn't sit right in Danny's gut. Clark seemed more than amicable, but there was a hidden feeling about him that oozed...power. Confidence. Pride. 6'4", about 225 pounds, a suit struggling to disguise his musculature…
"Mrs. Fenton," Lois said, "if you and your family would just wait over here out of shot. Our assistants will get you all settled in while we interview the boys."
"Of course," Maddie replied.
"Now let me just make sure this is right: 'Ectoplasm' is spelled E-K-T-?"
"No, it's E-C-" Maddie began correcting as they walked away.
Danny tilted his head to the side in curious appraisal of Clark..
While Bruce pulled Clark away into a hushed conversation, Dick came forward with an upraised fist. " 'Sup, bro," he greeted.
"You don't really talk like that, do you?" Danny chided but returned the fistbump.
"Eh, sometimes," Dick replied. "I try to keep up the appearance of oblivious dude-bro wherever I can."
A technical assistant unraveled a power cable for one of the lights aimed at the boys' empty chairs. Jazz selected a banana from the buffet while Jack opted for a pastry. Lois and Jimmy checked the camera settings together with clandestine glances at the Grayson twins.
"How'd you sleep?" Dick asked.
"I was practically comatose," Danny joked. "I gotta say it was nice to be back home after all the craziness."
Clark turned to grab a notepad, momentarily facing the boys. Danny found himself once again engrossed in Clark's appearance.
"Pretty big for a reporter, isn't he?" Dick asked with an upward quirk in the corner of his mouth.
"Yeah. Send his personal trainer my way," Danny quipped absentmindedly. Then, he finally placed it.
There was something about Clark that reminded Danny of Superboy.
Jazz suddenly tripped on the power cable and threw her coffee all over the front of Clark's suit. There was a slight delay before he reacted to the heat of it.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Mr. Kent!" Jazz said and grabbed some paper napkins. "I guess I wasn't looking where I was going!"
"Don't worry about it, miss," he said.
Jazz attempted to dab the coffee from his chest, but Clark took the napkins from her and did it himself. Danny, from his position across the room, noticed how the white shirt went transparent against his chest, but instead of revealing skin, there were hints of a yellow and red pattern across his chest.
There were no words to describe the volume and drama with which Danny gasped. The whole room went silent and stared at him. He looked around blankly for a moment before realizing the awkward pause was his fault.
"O-oh, um," Danny fumbled, eyes darting between Clark's shirt and everyone else's face, "sorry, I think I...swallowed a bug?"
No one believed him, but mercifully they resumed their tasks.
"So, you've figured it out, then?" Dick asked.
"When Bruce said 'allies in the press,' I didn't think he meant, like, literally!" Danny hissed. "Oh my god, it's freaking Su-!"
"Sssh!" Dick hushed. "Not everyone here is in the know! Only us, Bruce, and Lois."
Danny stared Dick down before gesturing wildly with his arms for the briefest of moments. "Oh my god." He took a sip of coffee.
"Let's just try to get through this interview, okay?" Dick said. "And then freak out later while Bruce is off taking care of some personal business."
"Alright, fine. Fine. Whatever."
15:20, Saturday, March 24 - Foley Residence, Amity Park
Tucker grabbed the mail from the box outside his front door as he entered. Shuffling through the envelopes, he called, "Hey, Mom, sorry I'm late. There was trouble at-"
The boy's voice died when he looked up and locked eyes with who was drinking tea with his mother in the living room.
"Welcome home, Tucker," Angela greeted. "You have a visitor." She meaningfully darted her eyes to their guest.
Tucker dropped the mail on the floor in shock. "Ba-bah-buh-Bruce Wayne?" Tucker hastily corrected. He glanced down at the scattered mail and back up at Bruce before bending down to collect the letters.
"Yes, he's here about an…apprenticeship?"
"Not exactly," Bruce said with a chuckle. "It's just that WayneTech has…noticed Tucker's capability, and we want to talk to him about a future scholarship and potential employment opportunity once he graduates university."
"I-I-I-uh-um-I-" Tucker sputtered. "I, uh…thanks?"
I'll leave you two to talk," Angela said and stood. She took her teacup and walked from the room.
The two eyed each other with silent smiles—Tucker's anxious, Bruce's knowing—until the elder man broke the silence. "Have a seat, Tucker."
"Oh, uh, y-yeah, yes, sir, Mr. Wayne. Sir." He plopped down in a chair across the room.
Bruce glanced to the doorway before returning his shockingly unsettling gaze back onto the teen and speaking in a low tone. "I won't beat around the bush, Foley. We both know what you did. We both know that you were helpful in returning my true ward to me, as well as rescuing Vladimir Masters and subsequently your friend Danny.
"But, most importantly, we both know what you are capable of. And I am very aware of what you did."
Tucker gulped. "W-what I…d-did, Mr. Wayne?"
"You found not only the decoy server but the true cave files in a matter of hours," Bruce clarified, not at all exuding the carefree playboy atmosphere typical of his current persona. "Many have tried, including the Light. All have failed to reach even the honeypot, let alone the true cave server…until you, Mr. Foley, and your naïve approach to digital security and its potential impact on global stability." He waited, letting the gravity of the situation fully settle in Tucker's gut. When he was certain the boy could take no more pregnant silence, he continued, "Which is why I would like to occasionally recruit your services for the Justice League and its protégé team."
"…What."
"There are programmers and engineers with longer professional experience than you've been alive, yet they have never been able to accomplish what you did. Having such a prominent member of the 'online data acquisition community,'—as you like to say—could be advantageous, both in acquiring data and in diverting suspicion and attention, and protecting what we already have. I see a bright future for you serving the League and, more publicly, WayneTech, should you so choose."
"Um."
"It's up to you. But if you ever think to double-cross us, or use your knowledge, capabilities or position to your advantage-" He paused when the biscuit in his hand snapped and crumbled into a thousand pieces. "Oh…sorry," he chuckled innocently and brushed his hands. "Sometimes I don't even know my own strength." All mirth disappeared from the man's face. "As long as you remain strictly white hat, the League won't have any issues."
Tucker gulped. "W-whiter than white, Mr. Wayne," he answered with a slight waver in his tone. "I only did what I did to help and protect Danny."
"Good." The man's serious air evaporated.
Bruce stood, and Tucker followed suit. Bruce extended a hand and shook Tucker's, taking some sadistic joy in its tremble.
"Mrs. Foley!" Bruce called, and Angela came back from the other side of the house. "Do you have any more biscuits? I seem to have broken mine."
"Of course! Are you two having a good chat?"
"We're getting along famously," Bruce emphasized and threw an arm around Tucker's shoulders, pulling the boy to his side to face his mother as well.
Mrs. Foley smiled in response and went to the kitchen.
Tucker gulped and barely managed to whisper: "Oh my god, Batman just hugged me…"
Easter Eggs/References in this chapter: (not too many, this time around; maybe I missed one)
- "Aw, man, Mom's mug is broken!": 37 notices the World's Best Mom mug which fell and broke back in chapter 6.
- Tucker's unnamed friend is Player from the Carmen Sandiego universe, if you hadn't guessed already.
- Gothamgate: Because I just watched The Post (2017), All the President's Men (1976) and Dick (1997) and was in a Nixon-y/Watergate-y mood. (Those are all fantastic movies, by the way.)
- "Ectoplasm is spelled E-K-T-?": a reference to Lois Lane's infamously terrible spelling
Tune in Friday for the grand finale! Feel free to share your thoughts/reactions/feedback/constructive criticism as always! *Valley Girl voice* Love you, mean it.
-hiimian