Ch.11: Cornered

Danny yawned. These stupid charity balls he was forced to go to were so boring. He had asked Bruce multiple times why he had to go to these and his answer was always the same: He had to get used to people knowing him.

"Ready to go to bed, Bud?" Bruce asked his ward. The small boy nodded, hoping he wouldn't be forced to stay up.

"Go to your room and get ready for bed. I'll be in a little while, ok?" Bruce said. Danny smiled and nodded. He walked (rather quick for an exhausted child) towards his room. He didn't notice one of the guests following him.

As he was walking down the dark hall, someone called out to Danny.

"Hey kid! Wait a minute!"

Danny turned around nervously.

When people talked to him, Bruce was always around. Always. Whether it be off to the side, talking to other people, sending the occasional glance at his ward or standing right behind him, hand on his shoulder.

"Y-Yes?" Danny asked.

The guest that had called to him was a male with flushed cheeks, a wobble in his step, a giddy smile on his face, and alcohol on his breath. There was a broken champagne glass on the top step, farther down the hall, where the man had dropped it.

"Come here, kiddo!" The man said and roughly pushed Danny against a wall. Danny tried squirming away but found he couldn't. He trembled under the man's drunken gaze.

("Get on the bed, you little shit. I paid good money to play with you, boy.")

The man's hand grabbed Danny's dress pants hemline. Danny cowered, radiating nothing but fear.

There was a loud growl before the man howled in pain. The guest stumbled backwards, Ace's teeth in his leg. The dog tripped the guest over him and then moved to stand in front of Danny, who had crumbled to the ground shaking, growling fiercely.

Bruce ran behind the dog and picked up his trembling ward. The child wasn't crying (yet) but he was mumbling.

"Get on the bed, you little shit… You little shit… Get on the bed… I paid good money…"

"Danny…" Bruce called. Danny looked at him with his watery blue eyes.

"You little shit… I paid good money to play with you, boy… Get on the bed, you little shit…"

Bruce sighed before walking down the hall, towards Danny's bedroom. Danny was still muttering 'you little shit' into his shoulder. Ace followed behind, whining.

Bruce didn't bother to turn on the lights as he walked into Danny's bedroom. He laid the child down in his bed, undoing Alfred's handiwork, and tucked him in. The blanket was pulled up to Danny's chin.

The boy's eyes were still wide and terrified.

"You little shit… Little shit… Get on the bed, you little shit… I paid good money… Get on the bed, you little shit…"

"Danny," Bruce called again. "You're not a 'little shit'. No one's making you do anything you don't want to do. It's ok. You're in Gotham City."

Ace jumped onto the bed (Alfred's gonna have a cow when he finds out) and laid behind the child. He rested one of his paws over the boy and laid his big head on Danny's shoulder.

The black-haired child stopped mumbling. He looked up at Ace's head and then at Bruce with realization. He grasped the blanket silently and closed his eyes. "N-Night Daddy…" He said warily.

Bruce stroked Danny's head. "Night Danny." The older male said before leaving. He paused in the doorway, looking at the scene of a boy and the black Great Dane. He smiled, knowing Ace would take care of the boy before he shut the door behind him.

Kadzait: You go from Danny stealing things from the League to him almost raped again. Really?

I'm ashamed...

Kadzait: But you still posted it.

Yep. Pretty much.

Kadzait: *slams head against concrete wall*

Thanks to these people for favoriting and/or following: Fantasy-Mania31, BelieveInYourDreams, Kelmel-12132, Inuxkag1000 (Hey, I do too!), Jbots, Sohrem666, and Kitkatkate2008.

Reviews:

Sina Xiel: Good morning! And your review yesterday: FRIKKIN HYSTERICAL. And yes, at this rate, Danny will own the League. HAHAHA!

Bibbledoo: Isn't he? Nothing like ransacking every Leaguers apartment and room and then setting up a base to stash said stuff. That's awesome.

Lexosaurus: *Laughs* I k-know, r-r-right? Sina Xiel swears that Danny's gonna own the League one day. I believe her. And I wish we lived closer so you could bake me a stunning cake and I would be happy (as my birthday is next month). But you don't so... And my favorite type of lamp... Oh you know, the ones that work. XD

Mulllkkkkkk: BREATH MULLLKKKKKK BREATHE! YOU'VE GOTTA BREATH! (Kadzait: She can't help you too much on that end though, since she's cracking up over your review. Me: It's HYSTERICAL!)

BringbackDannyPhantom: I'm gonna let that first question be free to your imagination. XD And there was no sneaking involved on Green Arrow's part, as it was at his penthouse. Danny figured out how to use the Zeta-portals. XD

BelieveInYourDreams: I update every day, my dear follower! No need to worry on that part! :D

Supaherolena02: Hahahaha! It's so funny how he just ransacks everything and no one notices! HEHEHE! He's not all that innocent (sexual assault, remember?)! He probably knows EXACTLY what Playboy is. And he might as well be a raven. Danny: Oh, yeah, that's- OOO, SPARKLY! :D AND YEAH, YOU'RE ALIVE!

IWasNeverReal: Hahahaha! Danny's funny as crap when he both outsmarts people and is being a smart-a**. And I love Danny/Nightwing (or Robin) bromance too!