Disclaimer: not mine

So, is no one updating on AO3 or am I just not getting emails from them now that ffnet is finally being fixed? It's been at least a week since the last email from AO3. And does anyone else have issues with their bookmark section? I can't change bookmarks to be listed in update order rather than date bookmarked, the drop down is covered by a second sort and filter button.

Chapter 17

Tim stared at his reflection in the mirror, taking slow deep breaths. He could do this. Danny was off doing something kingly at the moment, giving him some time alone. They couldn't go back until he got his transformation under control so he was going to practice, alone, without using Danny as a crutch. Danny made it look so easy but it wasn't. Being human was easy, that was who he was. Except now that wasn't only who he was. He had to get used to his ghost form, he wanted to find a way to change his uniform as quickly as possible.

He watched the rings of dark light, different to the bright white Danny used, appeared at his waist before splitting and travelling over his body. He reached up and removed the white domino mask, taking it all in. honestly, the white hair was probably the least jarring change. He was so paler but it was different to the stark white Joker had once tried to make him. That shade was completely unnatural but right now he was technically a natural shade, it was just not the kind of colour you saw on a living, healthy person. And…was that a slight blue tinge? That was better than just white, not that it made him look any more alive.

And he wasn't alive, it was a strange realisation, but he could feel it. He'd never realised how much background noise the human body produced and no one paid attention to, but that was all gone. No heartbeat, breath, digestive system…nothing. He'd always accepted that being a vigilante could kill him, unlike many young heroes he'd been faced with that from the start since he'd taken on the role because of Jason's death. Being dead but also still alive was strange and not something he'd ever expected to have happen to him.

He let the transformation rings wash over him again, returning to living human. Though…not quite the same as he used to be. Just like Danny his life signs were slower, though he didn't think he felt as cold. Then again, some of Danny's coldness was likely due to his core. They wouldn't know what Tim's was for a while, it was stable and growing but that was all they knew so far.

He took a few deep breaths and worked to trigger the transformation again. He was going to get the hang of it!

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Kon hung up the phone, leaning back against the headboard, glancing out at the darkness of Gotham. He'd activated the lamps Tim had installed for him so at least he didn't have to worry about his health from lack of sunlight.

Bart and Cassie were understandable angry that it had taken so long for him to call them. And he couldn't even tell them if Tim was alive or not! He was sort of surprised Bart hadn't appeared to glare in person, not like the Bat could keep a speedster out of Gotham.

There'd been no further word as to Tim's status and he couldn't help worrying. Would Tim still be the same…person if he was a ghost? Even as a halfa, that kind of traumatic death would probably change him. He didn't want to lose his best friend.

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Danny smiled at the sight of Tim curled slightly on his side, fast asleep. He stripped off and slipped into bed beside him, wrapping his arms around him. He pressed a soft kiss to Tim's throat but he didn't wake, sleeping deeply. It felt good to know Tim trusted him that much.

He should probably call someone or give Tim one of the phones altered to work with Ectoplasm but…he was also enjoying it just being the two of them. It was kind of the reverse of their trip to Venice where he'd done the tourist thing while Tim worked. Tim needed the rest to recover from his death, to adjust to being a halfa. Best he not have to deal with everyone else's emotion on that as well. And he hadn't even asked to contact them.

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Damian was happy to be back in his room rather than the Cave, though he loathed the enforced rest. With his leg so badly broken though he had to go along with it. There was an air of tension within the Manor that he definitely didn't like and as always, it was Drake's fault. The idiot had to go get himself kidnapped and then killed. He'd overheard Father speaking with Richard about it, how they hoped Drake would return even if he was now one of those ghost creatures.

The same kind of being that had caused his accident…and yet no one knew that. Father insisted they say nothing as to the cause of the trouble since the Anti-ecto Acts had only just been overturned. Foolish. As soon as they were abolished, Gotham was attacked. Was that ghost trying to turn everyone against them by attacking then? That was why Father had demanded they remain silent, but it did not feel right to hide the cause.

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Tim groaned as he hit the snowbank. Okay, ouch. He sat up and rubbed his shoulder.

"You okay?" Danny called.

"Fine," he answered, standing and brushing the snow off.

In ghost form it wasn't overly cold thankfully. He rolled his shoulders and stretched quickly before moving back to the sparing ring. He'd spared with Danny before but never in his ghost form and now they were both in ghost form as they fought so that Tim could get a feel for it. He needed to get his new abilities fully under control and to where using them or not using them was instinctive.

He hadn't even managed an ectoblast yet though as his shoulder proved, Danny wasn't holding back from using them in exchange. The thought was that in a combat situation, where they were being used against him, Tim would return fire on instinct. So far, it hadn't worked and he had the bruises to prove it. Danny had learnt a lot of his powers in combat, many ghosts did, so it made sense to push Tim in a fight.

"Again," he told Danny, who looked him over before nodding.

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Danny straddled Tim, keeping his weight off him even as he pressed into sore back muscles. Tim groaned in reaction but gradually he was relaxing as Danny kept working. They were training hard, trying to get Tim ready to return home. The last thing Tim needed was his new status getting out. Danny had made sure the existence of halfa's was kept out of all of the news articles and Tim agreed with that, it would be dangerous if word got out. People might try and work out how to create more or try to control them.

Tim rolled beneath him, doing a full body stretch, smiling lazily up at him. "Thanks," he murmured, lifting a hand to tug Danny down into a kiss. "There's one area we haven't checked for changes," he offered, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"We haven't," Danny agreed. "We should definitely do that." Danny kissed him again, hands moving to gently run over coolish skin.

He missed the warmth of Tim's body but better cooler than to have lost him completely. After all, not everyone who died came back as a ghost, if Tim had been fully killed by the portal there was no guarantee he would have returned as a ghost or how long it would have taken, even with all the ectoplasm he'd been exposed to.

"Hey," Tim called, cupping his cheek. "I'm right here, Danny."

"Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for." Tim put his hands on Danny's hips, tugging him down to so he was actually resting on Tim's thighs. "Okay?" he asked, and Danny nodded.

He leant down and kissed Tim again. He really needed to stop thinking about it. Vlad was gone and would never hurt either of them again. Tim's arms moved to wrap around him, pulling him flush to his own body.

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Jason stood at the stove, cooking a meal for the five of them. It was a good thing he knew Tim wouldn't mind the invasion, not when it was his old Young Justice teammates and their sister. Tim had been gone for almost two weeks now and there'd been no update from Danny. He was really hoping that no news was good news in this case.

There were actual pots and pans in Timmy's kitchen, which had been a surprise. They hadn't been there before Danny moved in, he could tell from how new they were, and sure Danny had prepared dinner that one time but it had been premade in the fridge so that hadn't been a guarantee of kitchen supplies. If Tim was…would Danny stay in the apartment? It'd be easy enough to put it into his name, knowing Tim he'd already updated his will to make sure of that. That would leave the Nest where Tim could come and go from without anyone seeing a ghost in the building. There'd been a few sightings since the Acts were repealed and none of them had made any trouble. He didn't count Nocturne since he'd been sent to take Tim and stall Danny.

Everyone was on edge, not just waiting for word on Tim, but because the chaos in the city was just the kind of thing the Joker used to love to capitalise on. So, with him gone, who would step up to fill his shoes?

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Bruce walked away from the press conference, feeling exhausted. He'd had to face the press since no one had seen Tim or Damian since the 'sleeping epidemic'. Explaining that Damian had fallen when struck by it and broken his leg was easy. It was Tim who had been harder to explain. They'd ended up agreeing to say that Tim was a victim as well, but that he was currently in critical condition at a private facility. Then they would announce his recovery…or death, depending on his status as a ghost or halfa.

Honestly, he thought there was a lot more for the press to focus on than two of his children but he also understood given Tim's position with the company and Damian being his sole biological child. Still, they didn't need the attention at the moment. If Tim was…he wouldn't be ashamed of him but it would be best if he was not seen as a ghost. Then again, from the information Danny had given Lois, ghosts weren't always recognisable as who they had been physically. Would he recognise his son when he returned? No…he would assume Tim was alive until he had proof otherwise.

"Bruce," Lucius nodded to him, face drawn in concern. "Any news on Tim's condition?"

"No change yet," he answered. Lucius always toed the line with plausible deniability. He knew of their night work but would never ask. "In this case, that's probably the best news we can hope for."

Lucius nodded, clapping a hand to his shoulder. "Let me know if you or any of the kids need anything. Tim's an amazing person, if anyone can pull through, he can."

Bruce nodded and made his way to his office, he was taking on a good portion of Tim's work, not wanting to dump it all on Lucius. There was nothing he could do at home to change things. Jason was pretty much living in Tim's apartment with Kon, the other old teammates stopping by without any word otherwise from Batman. He couldn't bring himself to say no to the kids under the circumstances. Dick was staying home with Damian, looking after him with Alfred. Duke, Cass, and Steph were on the streets for their shifts, ensuring peace was kept as much as it ever was in Gotham and Bruce would join them most nights. He was pretty sure Impulse and Superboy had stepped in a few times to stop attempted larger crimes but they'd done so fast enough no one was sure anything had actually happened.

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"Danny?"

"Yeah Tim?" He put the scroll down to look over at the couch he'd dragged into his 'office' where Tim was sprawled.

He'd been napping but was now awake, staring up at the ceiling. His expression…Danny couldn't quit work it out. It was nice having him there while Danny slogged through thousands of years of backed up paperwork.

"Why don't I feel any hurry to go back?"

Danny blinked, staring at him. Huh. He'd just been happy Tim wasn't rushing and hadn't really thought about why. He got up and walked over to join Tim on the couch, Tim shifting so his head was in Danny's lap. He took the hint and began running his fingers through soft white hair. "What do you mean?" he asked once they were settled.

"I should be going crazy being so cut off from everything…the company, the bats…I miss Jason, Kon…. but when I think of going back, of seeing B, Dick, Damian… I don't want to."

Danny considered it, watching Tim's face, feeling for his emotions. "It's more than just not wanting to see them," he murmured, and Tim stiffened.

"I…" Tim grimaced and sat up, staring at the floor. "I'm angry, really angry. I don't want to see them but that's wrong."

"Is it? Ghosts are made of emotion Tim," he pointed out.

"But I'm only half ghost."

"Doesn't matter. You'll feel things a lot more strongly now, have a harder time hiding your emotions."

At that Tim buried his face in his hands, kind of proving Danny's point.

"Hey," he whispered, gently rubbing Tim's back. "You'll re-learn to hide things. I don't break down crying at every sad movie or beat every criminal to a pulp for attacking you. Our human sides do provide more control and balance that a full ghost gets in the beginning. I'm guessing you're mad at more than just them, more like everyone who hurt you, like Steph and even Cassie. Am I right?"

Tim reluctantly nodded.

"No one holds a grudge like the dead, Tim."

"So what? I'm going to get mad at every little slight?"

"Except they aren't little. All of them have hurt you over the years Tim. Damian's tried to kill you, actively and passively. Dick betrayed you, so did Steph. Jason hurt you deeply but he's also worked had to apologise and be a better brother, are you angry at him?" he asked, letting Tim consider things.

"No…I want to see him. Even Cassie, she's tried to make up for what happened before I left Gotham. And I've got no issues with Duke, he's got to be the most laidback bat there is," he snorted in amusement. "Bruce…. B….is complicated. He's really been trying but then that test…"

"Is between him and me, Tim," Danny stated firmly. "It was my DNA he took and tested without permission. He did it with good intentions, he just didn't go about it the right way. "You've yelled at him for it already. You love Bruce, Tim, and he loves you. He just sucks at adult emotions."

Tim laughed. "Yeah, he does." He relaxed back, leaning into Danny's side. "Emotions are annoying," he muttered.

"Being here probably hasn't helped," Danny admitted, wrapping an arm around him. "I wasn't exposed to the Infinite Realms for months after becoming a halfa, I had to adjust at home. I think that helped blunt the emotional impact. Though…I was more scared of my parents after, angrier at their attitude towards ghosts. I always put it down to being because of what I'd become and worry over what they'd do if they found out but now, I know it was also literally part of being a halfa, the ectoplasm helping enhance those emotions. I've gotten good at hiding the stronger emotions, especially negative ones, because it tends to scare people."

"I don't think I want to be a bat anymore. I've considered going independent, I know Bruce knows, and he indicated he's okay with it if that's what I want so there'd be no conflict with him over it. I want to change my name too."

"That's all up to you, but whatever you choose, I'll support you," he promised.

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Tim meant it, it wasn't just that he didn't want to, he…he couldn't be a bat anymore. Not with Dick, Damian, and Steph. He wasn't really mad at Bab's; she'd stayed out of things but she'd also made overtures since his return to ensure they had good communication going forward. If something like that happened now, he'd know he could send her his evidence and expect a fair hearing.

He wouldn't be chased out of Gotham just because he wasn't one of them and in an emergency, he would work with them…but not Damian, he would never work with him again. He honestly wasn't sure he'd be able to hold back on doing damage if he did. And he didn't like that realisation, hoped those feelings would weaken as time went on. He didn't trust Dick or Steph to have his back. No, he would work with Jason, Cass, and eventually he'd probably be okay working with Bruce again.

And of course, he'd partner with Danny. "Will you go back to being Phantom now?" he asked.

"No," Danny denied. "I'm not the kid I was back then anymore. I like being Banshee, suit's definitely better."

That made Tim laugh. "Yeah, hazmat suits are very last century," he teased, and Danny dug his fingers into his side. "Can you change it? Beyond doing the Kingly look." If Danny could, then Tim would probably be able to fix the inverted coloured Red Robin suit.

"Yeah, a ghosts appearance is all about self-image. It's harder being only half but I can change it, I've just never bothered. But it's time I got an upgrade I guess."

Tim turned and watched in awe as the hazmat suit slowly shifted and changed until Danny was wearing something similar to Banshee's gear, without a domino, but not an exact match. There were enough differences to make identifying Danny as Banshee very unlikely unless you knew him as both ghost and human.

"I have got to learn how to do that."

Danny laughed but began explaining.

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Kon bolted up and then dashed from the bed, hitting the door to the other bedroom. "Nest alarm!" he yelled as he ran to the elevator down. Someone was in the Nest! Jason was soon stumbling after him and Kon fought the urge to just head down and let him wait. The alarm cut off and they exchanged a look, only way to do that was to know Tim's codes or have a guest access. Could it be?

Finally, they reached the Nest and slipped out, on alert to be safe. Kon froze as he saw the glowing green…. portal? And then two figures emerged.

TBC…