Notes: Here's an unexpected second installment for this story I didn't know I wanted to write at first until I just did hehe
Thank you so much for the overwhelming response to the first part. Hope you enjoy this continuation.
This won't likely be continued any further since my break from work is now over and I've got new responsibilities to attend to this year. It's been fun anyway :)
Summary for this chapter: Not all of Danny's secrets can be as easily buried. And maybe he just needs to come in from the cold and accept someone's help.
On Thin Ice
Jason was already regretting many things once he stared at his civilian phone's screen after patrol.
Eldritch Horror: (27 unread messages)
Danny never messaged him. If this were an emergency, he would've called. So, this had to be some follow-up to last night's dinner. He opened the string of messages and confirmed his suspicions after reading the top fifteen names the kid had compiled in his shortlist, each worse than the previous one.
Dead Hood? Crimson Chin? Murder King? Friendly Neighbor Hood? Punisher? Pariah didn't sound that bad, actually…
Jason considered what would happen if he didn't follow through with the bet when new messages appeared in the open chat. Did this kid ever sleep?
Eldritch Horror: might have the batfam asking why u picked the name tho
Eldritch Horror:but yay for the family therapy session!
Eldritch Horror:pro tip: dinner is not a good place to talk about it
This was fine. He had changed his vigilante name before. At the end of the day, people would stick to calling him Red Hood, even if he introduced himself with a new title, which was not a restriction stipulated in the bet's fine print. It's not like a name was the only thing that could intimidate people (Bruce's career would've been much shorter if that had been the case…)
No, his only concern really was how to deal with the other bats grilling him about the name change and using it to take jabs at him whenever possible, like the gremlins they all were.
Jason:If it's not believable, they'll track it back to you, you know?
Eldritch Horror: (:
The vigilante swore under his breath and made the solemn promise to never, ever bet against a little troll like Danny.
Maybe he should suggest a name like Repentant…
—
The arrival of summer vacation finally gave Danny a break from his usual duties, but it also meant he had no excuses to stay all day in his room anymore. By now he should've gone back to Vlad, as part of the agreement with Bruce to only host the Fenton kid while he attended his elected school.
But Danny didn't want to go and risk being stuck with the fruit loop. So, he came up with a very fake but very convincing summer class to extend his stay in Gotham.
That's how he found himself walking into the TV room one evening, where he found Duke and Tim playing video games. The teens exchanged brief greetings before the look of concentration on the two players took their attention away from the newcomer. Danny sat on the couch and stared at the screen as they started a new boss fight. It looked like a level of Mughead he hadn't seen before.
The boss fight was intense and the practiced precision with which Duke and Tim battled indicated they had been playing this level for a while. They were up against a huge cartoon clock that warned the two players their time was up and he would claim their souls, followed by a continuous attack of exploding pocket watches and a giant hourglass.
"Damn," Duke swore after a few minutes. "He's preparing the time freeze again!"
"We're so done, I'm running out of energy," Tim replied.
As the villain on the screen cackled maniacally and turned one of the players into a ghost, Danny couldn't help but wonder if he could just jump into the game and use a thermos to trap him as a cool Phantom power-up.
Right. He wasn't trying to be Phantom.
And he didn't have a thermos anymore.
The last thermos he used, had trapped his future evil self after he defeated him at the Nasty Burger. A thermos that was now buried deep beneath the safest place he could ever think of.
Tim and Duke cursed at the same time when a variety of clocks decked them and killed them again. As they groaned in frustration, the clock boss appeared to jump in front of the 'game over' card, growing in size as his face took the whole screen. His devilish eyes looked directly in Danny's direction.
"You are next!" the cartoon villain declared.
Danny's stomach dropped suddenly, filled with a sense of dread he hadn't felt in a long time. A sharp coldness in his chest made him gasp a misty breath he had almost forgotten.
A ghost? Here!?
Danny shot up from his seat unsure of what to do. Duke and Tim turned to look at each other and then at the other boy.
"Hey, Danny, are you alright?" Tim asked.
"Yeah, man, you look like you've seen a ghost," Duke added with a mixture of concern and amusement.
Before Danny could reply, the ground shook, making the floorboards crack and groan with the movement. Sudden darkness engulfed the living room, interrupted only when a bright, green flash shattered part of the wooden floor. Pictures fell from the wall, breaking glass and fancy decor. The loud thud of one of the family portraits was the last thing Danny heard as the three felt the floor devour them directly into the Bat Cave.
This was definitely not how he thought the Bat clan would get him into their sacred vigilante hideout.
Right. Priorities.
"Are you hurt?" he managed to ask the other two teens as they tried to get back on their feet.
Falling debris cut short whatever answer they wanted to give him. Other members of the family arrived at the scene, with some already wearing suits. Well, Bruce had a business suit, which still counted. Jason, Nightwing, Cass, Robin, and Spoiler gathered around Danny.
Jason, out of his gear, stared at the ectoplasmic lights behind the fractures on the wall. After a moment of realization, he turned with a glowing glare in Danny's direction. "What did you do?" he spat.
Danny's breath hitched. "Me? I didn't do anything!"
The furious man grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Bullshit! I trusted you!"
A sickening wail resonated from below and brought everything and everyone still standing to the ground. The familiar cackle that followed intensified the oppressing coldness in Danny's chest. Everything felt heavy, dark, and far away, like drowning in the pitch black of the night.
"Well, well, well… What do we have here?" the deep voice said. Red eyes appeared among the shadows, mirth taking over the menacing glare when they turned to assess the vigilantes in the collapsed cave. "You got yourself new friends. How adorable."
This couldn't be happening.
This had to be some trick.
Danny felt his feet frozen in place. Literally, if the icy tendrils going up his legs were any indication.
Claws reached from behind him and curled around his neck. It was getting hard to breathe as the voice of his future self sneered into his ear. "I warned you, Danny. I'm inevitable."
Danny gasped desperately for air and blinked to make sense of his surroundings. His heart was racing as a cold grip surrounded it, sending shivers down his spine. His breath fogged in front of him with each exhalation.
Not his ghost sense. Just the lower temperature in the freezing room.
Wait…
This was still his temporary bedroom. Still his bed. Still his PJs.
Still the same vivid nightmares.
He sighed in relief and turned on his phone's screen.
Oh. 3:30-ish. The witching hour. Someone out there probably thought this was hilarious somehow.
The Bat clan was still out. Maybe. He tried not to keep tabs on them but it was hard not to, with all the tiny noises they brought along. Like the occasional chatter in the kitchen, the distant sound of the groaning water pipes as they took a shower, and even the slight click of someone's door down the hall. Everything seemed to sound excessively loud when they got home.
He wondered if their patrol chatter was just as noisy or as fun as he remembered the experience with Sam and Tucker. Knowing there were so many bats out there, he could only imagine Dick's puns or Damian's threats, while Jason swore to his heart's content. Tim and Steph's rapport was impressive off-duty, so he could picture how fun it could be in the field. All while Bruce, in his very intimidating alter ego, scolded everyone and gave heavy "tired dad" sighs.
But the house was still quiet, with likely just Duke already sleeping in his room, Alfred baking something, and Danny still shivering over a traumatic dream.
Why was everything so cold anyway?
Alfred's cookies sounded like a good distraction. He wouldn't mind getting something hot to deal with the numbness the frigid temperature brought along.
It was risky. But now that the others believed his lack of interest in their vigilante life, he might be safe going downstairs for once.
Right?
—-
Tonight's meeting with the other Bats hadn't been in Jason's plans. If anything, he had done everything in his power to avoid the others and preserve his dignity after the mocking became part of their routine after his questionable name change. If only he had used something cooler like Revenant or Outlaw, instead of—
Easy, Jay. It's not important. Not the time to get worked up. You control the pit, it doesn't control you.
Yeah, sure…
So, for tonight's patrol, Bruce had originally considered Damian, Tim, and Steph to keep a watchful eye on Gotham and take their usual separate routes. However, Ivy had other plans and thought the weather was nice enough to turn Gotham into the most environmentally-friendly city in the world. A plan that included more killer vines and mindless drones than what the old man had anticipated when he assessed the threat.
Hence the one-man cavalry that later joined them with guns blazing. Or it would've been blazing in the more literal sense, had Bruce allowed Jason to bring the flamethrower he offered from his arsenal…
All that effort, combined with the new name he'd been using for the past three weeks, merited one of Alfred's late-night treats at least. Which is how Jay found himself following the others into the manor after changing into his civvies (a rule reinforced since the arrival of their newest resident).
Speak of the devil…
Upon entering the kitchen, the family of vigilantes was greeted with the sight of none other than Danny Fenton holding a cup of tea in his hands and a blanket around his shoulders as he sat next to Alfred.
The kid smiled sheepishly after a slight shiver. "Uh, h-hi?"
Jason furrowed his brow. "What are you doing here?" he asked and belatedly realized his concern sounded more like annoyance.
Danny looked confused. "I… live here? What are you doing here?"
Something was up. Ever since the kid figured out the baked goods Alfred made at this hour were a post-patrol treat, he had avoided the kitchen after midnight no matter what, even during late studying sessions or whatever kept him up at this hour. Looking at Danny's mug revealed the beverage in it was most likely cold and halfway gone. It smelled like honey-infused tea, Alfie's specialty to provide comfort and warmth. The kid had probably been there for a while talking with the older man.
Bruce's rare gentle tone broke Jason's musings. "Is everything all right, Danny?"
The kid looked at his mug and the empty plate beside him. "I…wanted to see what was all the hype about Alfred's late-night cookies," he said with a more enthusiastic tone.
Stephanie walked closer to the kid with an accusatory finger. "Isn't it like cheating if you didn't work your ass—"
"Language," Bruce interjected.
"—tounding skills with us to get those cookies?"
Jason didn't miss Danny's small flinch before it turned into feigned confusion. "Uh, what skills are you talking about?"
Steph narrowed her eyes and smiled triumphantly. "Exactly. No skills, no work, no cookies."
Danny looked at something on Jason's arm and snorted. "What, did you use whatever awesome skills you have at a greenhouse or something?"
"Ah, shit," Jay muttered when he noticed the mixture of chlorophyll and mud staining his favorite jacket's left sleeve.
"Or something," Tim replied to Danny's question, pouring himself some coffee.
"It doesn't concern you, in any case," Damian added with a slight glare.
Bruce settled on a chair close to Danny. "What Damian means is we don't want to stress you with our projects," he said in the same kind tone.
Danny shrugged. "I wouldn't mind talking about your projects. Even if I don't get involved in them."
One of Jason's eyes twitched.
So, if he had only waited for Danny to start his summer break with nothing else to keep him busy, the bet would've been much easier to win? Holy fucking lack of hindsight, Batman.
From the chaotic vibes Stephanie gave off in her curling lips, she probably had similar thoughts about their attempts to let Danny in on the secret.
"Oh, by the way," she said in an innocent tone, "I know you don't like to keep up with heroes anymore, but did you hear about Red Hood's name change?"
Maybe crawling back to his grave wouldn't be so terrible, instead of putting up with this shit when it wasn't even part of the bet's agreements…
Danny grinned in amusement, making some life return to his dull eyes and paler-than-usual skin. "He changed his name? No way!" he said in fake surprise. "G-gotta love when heroes decide to start from scratch building t-their reputations, huh?"
Jason huffed and was about to call it a night when he caught sight of something odd. Danny hadn't stopped shivering since they got into the kitchen and now there was a thin layer of frost forming around the mug he held in his hands. A light blue hue began to color his fingers and he could've sworn his eyes shone brighter.
Steph continued unaware of these changes. "Oh, but that's the thing. Apparently, he's now going as—"
"Wait," Jason interrupted. "Are you feeling alright? You're shaking," he asked while looking pointedly at his hand.
Danny stared in confusion until he looked down and paled. He quickly moved his hand and mug inside the safety of his blanket. "J-just a little c-cold."
"Do you need us to call a doctor?" Bruce asked with concern, the others keeping a safe distance to avoid catching whatever bug Danny had. Could the kid really get sick?
"I'll just s-sleep it off, don't worry."
Alfred stood from his seat and took the empty plate in front of Danny to the sink before he went looking into a cabinet. "I can bring you some medicine to your bedroom, Master Danny."
"T-t-that's not necessary. I'll be f-fine."
As the others began to express their concerns and convince Danny of seeking medical help, Jason made a show of rolling his eyes and acting like the begrudging older brother. "Fine? Gimme that, Alfie," Jason gestured at the pills Alfred had already taken out for Danny's symptoms. "I'll escort the stubborn brat we haven't adopted yet and make sure he takes care of himself."
Danny shot him a look almost begging Jason to not pull this shit right now.
Tough luck. Maybe Jason was just drawing inspiration from his newest vigilante name and what it truly represented to be called—
"Fine," Danny broke his train of thought as he agreed. Jason didn't miss the huff of disappointment either. The kid slowly stood up, as if afraid he would break if he moved the wrong way, and gave Alfred a heartfelt smile. "T-Thanks for everything." He then turned to the others. "You can t-tell me all about your project some other t-time. I'm sure you'll want to w-weed out some details anyway."
Tim sighed. "I'm so glad Dick isn't here to hear this."
Danny shot him a weak smile. "Oh, he'll p-probably hear it from the grapevine."
Jason barely resisted the urge to groan. "Okay, off you go," he told Danny as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders to lead him out of the room. "C'mon, I'll even make sure you don't fall on the way up."
"Aww, look. Big Brother Jay is going to tuck him in," Steph cooed, followed by a low but probably hateful comment from Damian.
"I can go by m-myself just fine," Danny mumbled.
"Don't mind him, Danny," Steph called through the open door. "He's just a little down because of—"
"Let the kid get some rest, for fucks sake," Jason scolded from the hallway.
He just hoped the lack of comments from Bruce and the two Robins was not a bad sign. For Danny, that is.
—-
The intrusive chill wrapped itself around his heart and it wouldn't stop despite the hot beverage or the warm blanket surrounding him. Danny had at least hoped this wasn't something weirder than his usual ghostliness.
Apparently, his bad luck had returned from its short vacation.
When Jason led him into his bedroom and closed the door, he knew he wouldn't be able to hide the freezing sensation any longer.
"Danny, are you sick?" Jason asked with alarm.
That was not the question he expected to come first.
Danny sat on his bed with his feet pulled close under the blanket. "What? No? I don't t-think I'm sick."
The unimpressed look on Jason's face called it bullshit. "You went downstairs."
"What, like it's hard?"
"You froze your mug," Jason pointed out. Danny just hoped he hadn't noticed how the ice got the mug stuck between his fingers. He would never live that down.
"I…I don't know how I did t-that," Danny sheepishly admitted.
The scrutiny he felt made him shiver. Or maybe it was the new temperature drop, that brought to their attention the icicles forming on the room's ceiling. The new pieces of ice crackled as they crawled into existence closer to the lights above.
"I'm so not looking forward to explaining that," he muttered once the ice stopped turning his room into a miniature Iceberg Lounge.
At least the chills got a bit better? He managed to break free from the mug in his hand, in any case.
Jason glared at him. "Seems like you won't have too much of a choice. This is some Mr. Freeze type of shit, kid. Not something the old man would let slide as easily as the other crap you pull."
Danny sucked in a breath. "Oh, no, do you think they saw?"
What if they assumed he was a meta? What if they thought he was here to hurt them? What if they forced him to stay with Vlad? What if they found a way to hurt ghosts? The family dabbled in shady occult things from time to time, if the weird vibes he got from a few of their members were any indication.
"I'm not sure," Jay replied with a hand on his shoulder. "Alfred will definitely notice if you break his mug, though."
"I think it's Tim's."
"Oh, you're so screwed."
Danny had to agree on that one.
Jason picked the still slightly-frozen mug from Danny's hands and analyzed it as he leaned back against the window, probably preparing to use it as an exit if Danny got out of control. Now that's a comforting thought…
"So is this a new power?" he asked.
The chill returned as Danny shuddered at the idea. "I don't know."
Another unimpressed stare. "You don't know how your powers work?"
At least that got some heat on his face. "I'm not talking about that with you."
"You kinda have to, from the looks of it," Jason replied as his head tilted to contemplate the icicles.
Was this life's twisted way to keep him back on track to becoming the evil future self he fought months ago? Didn't the changes in his path prove he could be better, different? How powerful would he grow up to be and what would that mean for the future he saw?
Deep down he knew Jason was right. He can't just let his powers get out of control and hurt those around him.
Danny sighed wearily and hugged his blanket closer. "I usually tested my limits and trained with my friends, okay? But most of my powers appeared when I needed them the most," he explained. "Like, say, if I wanted to yell at a bunch of ghosts to get away, the scream would turn into a wail that pushed them away. Or worse."
"That's not concerning at all," Jason said with a hint of horror in his eyes.
"At least you didn't see me dodging things in the most bizarre ways possible," he added with a shudder.
"So now what, you needed to chill and decided to make your room a freezer?"
"I don't know, okay?" Danny couldn't remember what brought out the cold sensation in the first place.
Jason's weird ghostly thing was making Danny feel the man's exasperation. "So, why did you go downstairs tonight? I know it wasn't to wait for us or to gloat about the name change."
Danny perked at that. "Oh, you haven't told me how everyone reacted to—"
"Don't change the topic."
That annoyed reaction definitely sparked joy in the half-ghost's heart. "Sounds like you're not enjoying the new ID, Jay. Do you want to set up a poll instead, to see which of my fifteen options is more popular?"
Jason's scowl deepened. "Not a fan of polls. And don't. Change. The topic."
Danny sighed tiredly. "I had a nightmare, okay? Hence, Alfred's magic tea."
He felt in part embarrassed to share that kind of personal detail, but Jason had become the closest thing he had to a friend after he lost Sam and Tucker, or had no safe access to the Ghost Zone (Johnny and Kitty could be pretty chill at times).
The protective feeling he got from Jason told Danny the guy had grown attached to him in his own way. He was as annoying but comforting as Jazz in her good sister days (not that he could picture Jay with red hair instead of a red hood…)
"Are you having nightmares about whatever really happened that day?" Jason asked softly.
Danny shifted uncomfortably on his bed.
Jay seemed to backtrack and shook his head. "Look, you don't have to tell me. But I know what it's like." He turned to look outside the window, probably to try to hide the haunted look on his face. "Sometimes, I…I still see myself back at that warehouse. It feels so real, you know? The sounds, the taste of blood in my mouth, the pain… It all comes back to haunt me from time to time. I don't even know if it's ever going to go away." Jason turned slightly to see Danny in the eye. "I'm pretty sure you're dealing with some heavy PTSD shit."
A pang of pain and a chill on his chest made Danny grimace. "Do you talk to anyone about it? Alfred said you guys knew people who could help." Jazz would've helped or known what to do if they had talked about his secret openly…
Jason snorted. "He probably meant Black Canary. She's done therapy for the League and the younger teams sometimes. But if we're talking about the Wayne Family Drama, talking is not something we're ever good at."
No shit…
Another thought made him deflate. "So, I guess if Alfred's suggesting a superhero therapist, he kinda already knows something, doesn't he?"
The way Jay stared at the floor wasn't comforting. "Kid, you can take as long as you need. Or you could keep it to yourself forever. I know you don't want to go back to being a hero or anything, but shit… if you're going to keep getting new powers like this, I don't think you'll be able to keep things under wraps much longer."
New tension began to build in Danny's gut. "What would Bruce do? Would he kick me out? Attack me? Send me to super-powered prison?"
His thoughts were spiraling again, painting horrible scenarios, each "what if" worse than the last. Was he catastrophizing or whatever Jazz once called it?
But it stopped to a halt when Jason snorted. "You do know Duke has powers, right? Hell, even I have a few tricks up my sleeve."
Danny raised his brow at that. Everything he had learned about Jay so far came in the same small doses of info.
But there were other things to worry about, not even including the secrets buried deep beneath the Bat Cave.
"Even if Bruce doesn't freak out and you guys keep quiet, Vlad will catch on and make me go back. After he attacks you, of course."
"If it's that asshole who you're worried about, we can find creative ways to get his hands off of you."
If only Danny could feel as confident as Jason sounded. But who wouldn't sound like that when they didn't know the whole story? When he hadn't revealed Vlad's secret despite everything? Even when he made sure Vlad (or Bruce) didn't plant any bugs, he was still wary about talking openly about some things.
Danny licked his chapped lips. "Yeah, about that? Vlad is… He's…he's like me." There was only silence and a raised eyebrow in response. As if Danny hadn't shared some life-altering knowledge. Unless… "Wait, you knew?"
Jason rolled his eyes. "We've known he's had some kind of power. The only reason Bruce has been getting closer to him is to figure out why his business deals reek of mind control of some sort."
"Overshadowing," Danny supplied without thinking.
Jay looked taken aback. "You mean, like possessing someone?"
"Yeah," Danny admitted slowly. "I could show you how it works, but I might end up turning someone into a popsicle." Not to mention he didn't want to risk a body switch like with Pointdexter. Whatever ghostly thing Jason had going on, wouldn't be compatible with that trick.
Speaking of which, Jason's mood felt threatening. "You better not pull that shit here."
Danny was definitely going to regret this. The fear that spiked in his nerves brought back the icy sensation in his chest. "I…kinda already d-did," he said softly.
Jason was fuming and Danny felt like approaching a live wire. Or a time bomb he needed to defuse. He recalled his dream and the betrayal in dream-Jason's face.
Danny sighed. "How do you think I convinced Damian to stop sneaking into my room to attack me?"
That broke some kind of angry spell and made Jason furrow his brows in confusion. "The demon brat tried that shit with you?"
"Yeah, and it's not like I always use that power, but I kinda had to if I wanted to be left alone." Danny closed his eyes expecting a punch or something worse, but at least relieved to get that off his chest. "Sorry if that was invasive," he mumbled.
An unexpected calm settled between the two, instead of the explosion he had dreaded. He had to remind himself that Jason wasn't some sort of homicidal maniac blinded by rage, despite his questionable choices. Maybe he understood Danny's reasons. Maybe he knew why some hard decisions were necessary. Or maybe he knew what it was like to have invasive people around.
"Your shivers got better," Jason said after a beat. What a weird change of topic... "I guess you just need to stop bottling things up."
Huh… Danny had been too focused on confessing to even notice.
But wasn't this like calling the kettle black?
Yeah, it's probably better to not call him out like that..
"I mean it," Jay continued. "If this started tonight after some nightmare, you might want to start sharing whatever's bothering you. Not just freeze it up."
Danny had to smile sadly at that. As if he could just go up to someone and tell them how he let go of his humanity and destroyed everyone's future, not just his own.
As if he could tell them how it was all his fault, from the CAT's to the failure to get to everyone on time.
"It's not that simple," he replied instead. "I can't just sit to take therapy with Dr. Todd and make it all go away."
Would that have been Jazz's role if she were here now?
Jason sat next to Danny and nudged his shoulder softly. "You don't have to talk to me, you know? Maybe it's just… finding a place where you feel you belong. Ot turning your pain into something productive and all that shit."
Did he belong with the Waynes or with the bats? What about Vlad or the Ghost Zone? Was studying even productive if he couldn't pass NASA's physicals?
He was too tired just thinking about it.
"I'll think about it," Danny managed to answer.
That seemed to be enough for Jason, as he patted his knee twice in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. "Are you good sleeping it off, then? Or are you going to end up building a castle on the hills?"
Danny chuckled despite himself. "I was thinking more along the lines of not needing my super suit, if you're going with the icy Disney references."
"Suit yourself," Jason replied with a smile and stood up to leave. Wait… Did Jason just make an awful pun? "Just remember you're not alone in this. You don't have to handle everything on your own. Some secrets are not that worth it, you know?"
Alfred had said something similar while they were alone earlier. Not about the secrets, although maybe the old man knew more than he let on. He mentioned Danny had more people who cared about him than he realized. That he just needed to be willing to let someone in. About how some of the pain we carry is better if it's shared.
Danny was just making things harder on himself, wasn't he?
After Jason left, he figured sleep wouldn't come unless he got the cold out of his system. If he needed to release all the tension to get rid of it, it couldn't be something as simple as talking, right? And he couldn't do anything close to training at Wayne Manor.
He wondered if Jason knew a place vacant enough for this to work. Would that count as training with a Bat? It wasn't the cave, at least…
…yet.
Maybe telling them about his powers would be much better than sharing his deepest, darkest fears, in any case.
When Jason texted the Batkids how Danny might need some family warmth and to not give him a hard time today, he hadn't expected it to turn into a full-fledged movie night at the manor.
Even Dick had taken some time to come out of Blüdhaven to make up for some quality not-quite-sibling bonding. Duke had also changed his schedule to turn in early from patrol, while Cass called in sick for her rehearsal.
He hoped the kid understood how much effort the others had put to be there for him, despite not knowing what this was about.
Danny still shivered from time to time but reassured Jason he had better control of it after whatever he had done the night before. Draped in a thicker blanket, he sat surrounded by the rest of the teens to watch one of the kid's favorite movies: Dead Teacher III.
Nothing like undead bros watching undead horror shows…
It was kinda nice to just relax and have some popcorn while watching a b-rated gore unfold on the large screen. Not talking about missions or the latest rogue. Just… being.
Danny sure needed it. Whatever he was afraid of, he had barely anyone to talk to. The more he kept to himself, the worse it would be for his health and his powers. But Jason knew better than anyone how hard it was to open up. It took a long time and building trust. Sometimes even a leap of faith.
Bruce walked into the room and smiled at the sight of everyone huddled in a mass of blankets and pillows on the floor and the couch. The soft look was soon replaced by his resting bat face.
"We need to start on tonight's… project," he declared.
Steph groaned and gestured at the screen with one hand. "Can we watch the ending at least?"
Damian tutted. "It would be disappointing to not have the full story, Father."
Jason watched in amusement as the room was soon filled with the noise of overlapping words of agreement, sprinkled with a few more arguments to convince Bruce to give them some more time.
"It's alright, guys," Danny interrupted the brief cacophony. Everyone turned to look at him as he shrugged. "We can watch it some other time. I know how important patrol is."
Jay was sure he wasn't the only one frozen in place. In the non-literal sense, all things considered.
"What did you just say?" Tim asked slowly, his eyes wide in shock but turning hesitantly in a silent conversation with Bruce.
Danny grabbed his blanket and stood to make his way out of the tangle of teens on the floor. The little troll wouldn't even acknowledge the bomb he just dropped on everyone. "I'd avoid the docks if I were you. Heard on the news someone out there made a winter wonderland early this morning."
He had the balls to stand next to Bruce and smile at him, turning a second later to face the rest of the group. Jason recognized the mischievous look in his eyes.
"Go kick some ass, Red Gull. Don't forget birds of a feather flock together," he happily said before he headed to the stairs.
That sick little—
"Wait," Dick said to those still in the room. "it was Gull this whole time? I thought you said Ghoul. So this was a grave misunderstanding?"
"I thought it was closer to my Ghul heritage," Damian muttered.
Jason groaned. "That explains so many things…" Including why Danny had picked such a confusing name.
"But they sound nothing alike!" Duke chimed in.
"Maybe if the scary, murderous bird here hadn't grumbled out the name using a voice modulator," Steph shot back.
Bruce took a decisive step into the room. "Settle down," he ordered and quieted the room in an instant. "We have more important things to discuss."
Cass walked down the stairs (when did she even leave the room?) and eased the tension with a simple, "scared, but safe."
Tim quirked an eyebrow and turned to Bruce. "We're just compartmentalizing before we talk about why Jason didn't say anything about Danny."
Everyone turned to look at Jason with equally inquisitive eyes. "Why do you always look at me for those answers? The fucking gall…"
"Maybe you meant the gull," Dick teased.
No, Jason. Murder is not going to solve this.
Even if the deal with the name change was off now, he needed to find a way to get back at Danny.
The kid sure knew how to make cold-hearted pranks…