Author's Note:
Just a heads up, I realized the timeline didn't make a lot of sense, so I went back and edited it. Both Danny and Damian are 16 not 15 now so the timeline makes more sense. Thanks!
During the week he stayed with Damian, it painted a bittersweet picture of what could have been if he'd never died the first time. While memories were fuzzy At best, he watched the interactions between his brother and their siblings with rapt curiosity. Would he have become Robin if he'd never died? Would he have been as arrogant as Damian had been? Danny had heard about Damian's arrogance in the stories about his twin's first few years with the family? He wasn't sure… he did know Damian was different from the person he'd been when they trained together, he knew his death had changed that. Perhaps he would be more serious, less easy going… then again, perhaps he'd just be dead by now. It didn't do well to dwell on the what ifs and what could have been though. It would drive him crazy if he thought too much about it. And yet the thoughts lingered.
The boisterous family dinners that happened at least once a week were fun, they really made him feel like part of the family, even when he sometimes still felt like an outsider. Would he fit in better here if he had come to the family alongside Damian? Would he have inside jokes with the others? Would Damian engage more and in a healthier manner if they'd come together? How many less times would he have attempted to stab their brothers in the past? He wondered what sort of people he and Damian would be now if he had never died and been lost in the Pit.
The Pit was another thing to investigate. He'd have to figure that out once the trouble with the GIW was over. He didn't like the idea of pools of ectoplasm in the living world. He was probably something to look for as the kind of sort of king to the Infinite Realms. There was too much to think about, about how to finish off the GIW, how to make Amity safe again, what to do when the GIW was done. He should tell his parents about what had happened to him… about his ghost half. He at least had a backup plan if things went to hell, and it seemed like the Waynes wouldn't mind him staying with them.
He'd met most of the Bat Clan by now, Cass was quiet and reserved, with an unexpected mischievous streak. Tim was a disaster, but Danny related to that to his core, as well as the caffeine addiction the man had. Danny also liked caffeine, but it wasn't as effective on his ghostly physiology unless he added a few shots of straight ecto, and that was hard to come by these days. Not that Danny didn't have any, but it was being saved for if and when things went badly. Dick was… an older sibling,... nosy, intrusive, coddling but all with the best intentions. It was a bit annoying, especially given that he already had an older sister, but Danny enjoyed that the man also liked puns and they would get into pun battles, much to the dismay of anyone within earshot. Duke had met him briefly and immediately decided not to be anywhere near Danny without sunglasses, the man apparently was a Meta and his ghostly aura must have overwhelmed him somehow. Honestly Danny wasn't sure, it wasn't like he was trying to blind Duke, but following that encounter he'd felt a bit defensive and avoided the man.
He'd briefly met a few others; they went by Batwoman and Batwing, he didn't really know anything about their civilian lives, and he didn't pry. He'd just been down in the cave when they'd come to discuss cases with Batman, said a quick greeting, and then sat down at the computer while the two peripheral Bat members began to tease his father about having adopted another one. True Danny wasn't adopted yet, but he was beginning to realize that Bruce would probably push for it. Especially after everything Danny had been through.
Danny wasn't stupid, he knew that his home life wasn't normal and that it was in fact cause for concern. Danny had felt the flare of anger and protectiveness when he'd let slip that his parents had been shooting at him… well Phantom, but it was still him, even if they didn't know. He would be a complete idiot to think that Bruce wouldn't want to do something about it, and he didn't know how to feel about having Batman fight his parents for custody. The image was amusing though; mostly because he pictured his parents yelling about Batman being a spook and attempting to fire ghost weapons at him, while Batman tried to disarm them and Jazz yelled on the side about appropriate responses and how not to humiliate your offspring… Dick was there too, making puns about the entire situation. Danny knew that wasn't how it would go, it would be Bruce in a suit backed by lawyers against his ridiculous but well meaning parents… but his idea was funnier if nothing else.
He still hadn't met the elusive Red Hood… Jason Todd… he was told that Jason died and came back to life later, it was kind of nice to know there was a fellow dead person around, even if he hadn't met him. It was a testament to the Bat Clan embracing everyone, including people like him. If the whole heads in a duffel bag thing could be overlooked then surely his status as a ghost wouldn't matter much. Plus he'd already done his due diligence in proving his innocence as Phantom. If Red Hood could be taken in by the bat clan while still being a crime lord, then Danny's faults could also be overlooked… like the whole being dead thing.
Being dead seemed to be a problem among the Bats, they never seemed to stay dead though. Each of them had a faint trace of death on their souls in one way or another, traces of ecto-contamination from their brushes with death. Danny didn't think it was enough for the GIW to take action against them, and possibly not even enough for them to detect, but he was still worried about his new family. He worried that Jason's case would be worse than the others, given the time he was dead for, he'd have to meet the man to find out if he'd be targeted by the GIW.
The GIW…
The GIW was still a problem. He wasn't sure how else he could help, the GIW had already captured him once, their tools and weapons more effective in hurting and detaining him than they had been a year ago. He wasn't even sure if he could push past his trauma and help given his breakdown when seeing the GIW lab footage just through a monitor.
He sighed as he collapsed into the couch next to Damian in the library. They had a whole ass library in the manor. He glanced over at his twin, who had looked up with a small frown.
"Why are you sighing?" He asked.
"Just… wish I could remember more… wish I could be of more help… wish I knew what was going on at home." Danny ran a hand over the back of his neck.
"You've seen the updates, things are progressing well." Damian reassured him.
"It's one thing to read reports… it's another to actually see what's happening." Danny sighed again. "I want to be there, to make sure they're safe… to make sure no one is getting hurt, to reassure the ghosts that this will never happen again.
"I understand… but you're doing the best you can do, at least under the circumstances." Damian said sympathetically. "Will you be on the comms tonight too?"
"Probably. I'd like to feel useful somehow." Danny chuckled.
"You don't have to be useful. It's enough that you're here and alive." Damian reassured him, gently nudging Danny's shoulder with his own.
"Mostly alive." Danny corrected with a small chuckle, then paused at the teen's small frown that twitched at the corner of his twin's mouth. "Sorry… Sensitive subject… I've been this way for a while, I've gotten used to my paradoxical situation."
"You've always made inappropriate jokes and used humor to cope." Damian stated bluntly, though Danny realized that wasn't forgiveness for his poor taste.
"Well… I guess some things never change." Danny sighed and shifted his weight so his shoulder leaned against Damian's.
"I believe Pennyworth is beginning to suspect you have a meta gene. He's asked me recently about cookies going missing." Damian said with a small smile.
"I plead the fifth." Danny mumbled as he looked toward the ceiling, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of what to do next, how best he could help, if he wanted to risk getting in contact with Amity Park and his friends and family.
"Tch." Damian scoffed and opened his book.
Danny smiled and glanced over at him before looking back toward the ceiling. Despite what his grades showed, he wasn't stupid. He knew things would get bad, even if the Justice League stopped the GIW there would be fallout from it. Even if the panic about discovering ghosts was managed, his personal life would never be the same. He hoped Bruce would let him see his parents again, though it was clear he didn't think highly of them. Despite his defense of them, deep down, he knew the Fentons weren't good parents, they weren't exactly bad parents either, but they were neglectful and obsessive. Not that he had room to talk, being a ghost and all and having obsessions himself. Then again, his parents' portal was the reason he was a ghost at all. He knew they loved him, despite him not being of their flesh and blood, despite the odd circumstances in which he joined the family, and even despite his being part ghost, he knew they loved him. Sure they would be hurt, angry, and confused, they might even try to cure him, but it would be because they loved him.
But maybe, just love wasn't enough.
Maybe what he really needed and desperately wanted was acceptance and support in addition to love.
He sighed again as he thought. Bruce was likely to try to take custody of him, he wouldn't be surprised if he tried to take custody of Jazz too - though she was now a legal adult. Despite knowing that Maddie and Jack were careless and neglectful, he didn't want them to get in trouble, he didn't want to be separated from them forever. Even the somewhat short time he'd spent away from his family felt like an eternity… But he couldn't just leave Damian.
He closed his eyes and sighed not knowing what to do or what was the best course of action. He'd much prefer a problem he could just punch away. He sighed again before standing and stretching.
"Gonna go hit something before you guys head out." He said to Damian. Damian looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow.
"Solo or a spar?" He asked in that clipped matter of fact tone of his.
"Solo. Need to clear my head, and I don't want to have to hold back too much." Danny explained. Damian responded with a short laugh.
"As if I couldn't beat you blindfolded. Plus you've neglected your training for several years." He pointed out.
"True, but you can't punch holes through steel walls." Danny countered.
"That doesn't mean I can't incapacitate you." Damian smirked as if it were a challenge.
"I'm sure you could… If you manage to touch me." Danny said, turning intangible right as Damian lunged at him, Damian passed through Danny and shivered before frowning.
"One of these days you're going to have to tell me more about your powers." He said as he picked up his book and settled back on the couch.
"One of these days I will." Danny nodded as he turned tangible again. "See you when you go out for patrol." He said with a small wave, a small "Hmm" was all he got in reply so he headed down toward the training area.
Though he hadn't met the blue boyscout yet, apparently the man came to visit Father fairly frequently, and as such, there was training equipment for superhumans. Danny quickly found the modified punching bag and stretched a bit before focusing on punching away his anxiety. He wasn't planning on going all out, but it was nice to punch something that he didn't have to hold back on, though he usually took out his aggression on the Box Ghost. With each punch he felt some of the tension leaving his body, anxiety turning to anger which turned into resolve. He was going to stop the GIW, no matter the cost. He hated that the sight of white suits and white walls still made him anxious, he hated that his scars still ached, keeping him awake at night, he hated that the people he cared about were in danger and the only thing he could do to help was run away and hide behind Batman.
His punches became more aggressive, the reinforced metal creaked as he slowly began to work up a sweat, his eyes glowing green as he punched, and dodged and kicked before one final punch sent the bag flying across the room and cracking the reinforced concrete wall.
"Shit." Danny cursed as he wiped sweat from his brow. He hadn't meant to go so hard, he sighed and walked over to the bag, picking it up and hauling it back to the stand where he used ghost ice to hang it back up, it wouldn't be noticed for a while, and the ice wouldn't melt unless he willed it to. He went to the wall and frowned before giving it the same treatment, it would be easier to notice the iced over wall than it would the chain, but he'd have to tell the full story to his other siblings eventually.
He sighed and leaned against the cool, iced over the wall and looked at the ceiling. He didn't want to tell his new brothers about his half ghost status, especially when they had the videos of his time with the GIW. they already looked at him with pity,he didn't want to give them more reason to do so. With them being a family of detectives, it was only a matter of time before they figured it out and confronted him.
He sighed heavily, standing up and making his way to the lockers to shower and change before Father and Damian began their nightly Patrol. Cass was going out to do some recon on a GIW base in NYC and Tim was reviewing their security and looking for weak points to exploit in their mainframe. Tucker had added some code and tips on the flashdrive to help which definitely made getting past their firewalls easier. He wished he'd known where Vlad had fucked off to, if the older Halfa was just running away or if he'd been captured, either option made him sick so he banished the man from his thoughts. Danny turned on the shower to cold and closed his eyes as the spray of the water hit him. He felt a bit like static, standing under the water, sensations dulled as he closed his eyes and the sound of the shower filled his ears.
He wished more memories would return, he still only got glimpses and flashes of the past he'd forgotten, more than remembering he had feelings about things. Anger, melancholy, nostalgia and so on. He wanted to remember more of his past, wanted to truly remember the memories Damian shared with him.
Danny sighed and shut off the water, turning intangible to dry off before putting on fresh clothes. He ran a hand through his hair as he made his way out to the main room, taking a seat at the computer and beginning to sort through data. He paused when Damian came down, nodding to him as his twin passed to get ready for patrol. Bruce came down not long after, pausing as he noticed Danny at the computer.
"Danny… how are you doing chum?" Bruce asked, approaching the computer.
"As well as can be expected I suppose." Danny said with a shrug.
"Let me know if you need any thing." Bruce said as he nodded and headed toward the lockers to get changed. Danny turned back to the computer and began to type a message to Oracle giving her advice on what some of the terms meant in the 'research' that they've recovered from the GIW severs. It wasn't long before Damian and Father returned, dressed as Robin and Batman respectively.
"Are you still sure you are doing alright?" Damian asked as he looked Danny over again.
"Yes. If something happens I'll call." He reassured Damian with a smile. Batman grunted and made his way to the Batmobile, Robin following behind. Danny watched them go before settling into his position at the computer and making sure all of the com lines were working. Cassandra appeared silently after a moment, pulling the hood over her head and waving to Danny before hopping on a bike and heading out. It would take about an hour for her to get to the GIW facility near Metropolis, but they needed a direct link to the server to get more information. Nightwing was already in the field, but was expected back in a couple of hours while Tim was somewhere on his laptop. Tim seemed to set up in a variety of places, the kitchen table, the library, his room, then more random places like the stairs, the garage, and once Danny had even found Tim in the pantry.
The night was mostly slow as he helped Oracle coordinate and talked to her about the research papers as needed. He alerted Batman to a robbery in progress not far from them, then let Orphan know she was getting close to the GIW facility and sent some satellite images on the best place to approach. Nightwing came into the cave soon after Orphan had parked her bike, the rest of the journey would be made on foot to make her harder to spot.
Danny glanced up at Nightwing as he took off his mask and leaned against the desk.
"You good?" Dick asked, and Danny could hear the concern in his voice, he didn't need to be an empath to know that tone. "You look a bit tired."
"Fine. Just a bit sleepy. It's been a long few days… Dami and Father are busy, Oracle is working hard, even Cass is out doing recon on GIW bases… I don't want to be the only one not working, especially when I'm the one who brought it to their attention… I'd be out there if I could… I just… I can't risk being seen right now." He sighed and leaned back on his chair, spinning around to face Dick.
"Plus I'm pretty sure Tim hasn't slept in a couple days while he tries to break through all the GIW files and get more evidence that crimes are being committed, not just against ghosts but humans too." Danny said. "I can't just sit around and do nothing."
He absolutely hated that he couldn't just fix everything with his powers. They were close to going live with the article about what the GIW was doing, but they wanted to make sure they wouldn't all disappear and escape the second they realized the public knew about them. They needed to be brought to justice, but justice seemed to be taking too long. Danny wished this was a problem he could fix with his fists.
"I understand, I'll see how Timmy is doing and make sure he's getting some rest." Dick nodded. Danny felt him looking him over and the curiosity burning through him as he studied Danny. Did Dick think if he stared hard enough Danny would tell him everything? Danny internally rolled his eyes as he thought about it before deciding to just talk about it, let him know that while he was hiding something, he would share eventually.
"I'll tell you soon. You can stop trying to subtly pry it out of me." Danny said as he swung back to the computer. The shock that Danny knew what he was thinking tickled the back of his throat and he actually rolled his eyes now.
"I'm doing what now?" Dick raised an eyebrow.
"You don't live here anymore. You've been coming around a lot since I came over, you can obviously tell there is something more I'm keeping from you. I'll tell you soon. You don't need to come over and try and act friendly just to try and pry it out of me." Danny said. He knew that wasn't the only reason, but Dick's curiosity was absolutely overwhelming right now.
"That's not the only reason I'm coming around. We're family now Danny." Dick pointed out. Danny looked at him and raised an eyebrow before sighing.
"Yeah. True… I know the secret thing isn't the only thing you're coming over for, but your curiosity about it keeps screaming at me everytime we're in the same room." He sighed.
"How… how exactly does it scream?" Dick asked, curious and slightly amused.
"Most ghosts have empathic abilities. I'm ecto-contaminated enough that I have them too." Danny explained, the more he revealed the more pieces of the puzzle Dick would have in figuring out he was Phantom.
"Hmmm… probably makes it easier to read Bruce." Dick mused, Danny found himself smiling and nodding.
"It does." Danny agreed. "Father gives nothing away on his face, but his emotions speak volumes… but when he or Dami are angry… It's… it's like a tidal wave in a boiling sea… it's terrifying, even when they're angry on my behalf… which they've been a lot lately. The more they find out about the GIW." It was hard not to be swept up in the emotions sometimes. Bruce felt so strongly when he saw injustice, Danny couldn't even imagine having the emotional control Bruce did. Externally, there would be a frown, the tightening of fists, a small furrow of the brow, but inside, there was a burning fire of justice.
"B is pretty terrifying when mad… and that's even without any ability to feel emotions… must be overwhelming." Dick nodded sympathetically.
"It's gotten easier the longer I've had this ability… easier to block out emotions that aren't mine and separate myself… even if I still sense them. Unfortunately, I can't completely turn it off." Danny sighed, in fact it had gotten stronger with time, while the emotions didn't affect him as much anymore, he felt more and sensed more… tasted more. He didn't really want to reveal that fact just yet, that he could taste their emotions… that he occasionally felt an urge to draw on that energy.
"That does sound a bit rough… When this whole thing is sorted I should introduce you to the team. Raven is also an empath, maybe she could help you? She and Damian sort of have a thing from what I understand." Dick smiled mischievously. Danny glanced up at Dick and nodded, he remembered Damian mentioning Raven before, he had a fondness toward her, and perhaps something like a crush… though it was hard to tell what exactly it was. Then again he doubted Damian had even sorted that out for himself yet.
"Hmmm… Dami has mentioned her in his stories. He speaks highly of her. That will probably be more helpful than a shrink honestly… though even Dami thinks I need therapy. I told him I'll see a shrink when I'm dead and he did not find that amusing. Tough crowd." He smiled a little at his own joke, but realized that Dami probably didn't appreciate him mentioning his death, especially when Dami had only recently found out he wasn't dead, but actually was still kind of dead. He knew Dami was still working that out as well. The whole family had emotional issues.
"Well, we've all been through a lot of loss… death jokes tend not to go over the best… but you should meet Jason when he's done with his thing." Dick smiled.
"Ah yes, the elusive Jason. The one who died and came back. I can relate." Danny nodded as he swung himself back and forth, unable to stay still for long as he used his feet to push himself side to side.
"That's him. I think he'd enjoy your death jokes. You two would be insufferable together." Dick chuckled. Danny grinned, at least there was someone in this family who would appreciate his death jokes.
"A fellow dead man, excellent. I think we should plot together." Danny snickered. "Get it? Like a cemetery plot?"
"I got it you gremlin." Dick laughed and rolled his eyes, but Danny could sense the amusement he felt, even if it had an aftertaste of sorrow. Danny smiled and glanced at the computer, pausing to give a quick warning to Cass about things to watch out for at the GIW location she was scouting. She had finally gotten to the base itself and was preparing for infiltration.
"How are things going on the recovering your memories front?" Dick asked as Danny leaned back in the chair again, the subject was a bit frustrating.
"Slow. Certain smells sometimes trigger memories, but they aren't concrete… more like emotions and feelings, glimpses… it's frustrating. Dami has been endlessly patient on that front. It's a bit hard to be honest… he gets so hopeful when I get glimpses, and disappointed when I'm not really fully remembering. There are more things here that trigger memories though… there weren't a lot back home." Danny explained. It was frustrating for both twin, especially when Danny could taste his disappointment and sadness when he'd almost but not quite remember a memory that Dami held with fondness.
"Damian lets you call him by a nickname. The first time I did that he tried to stab me… He's definitely got a soft spot for you." Dick smiled.
"I've always called him Dami. That is one of the things I remember at least. And he's my twin, I think we're allowed certain privileges between the two of us… though if he tries to stab you again I'll try and stop it." Danny said with a smile. It was nice that he at least remembered that much, plus he was sure Dami wouldn't try to stab Dick in the near future… though he many threaten to do so.
"Well, he's been less stabby in the recent past." Dick admitted.
"It's still kind of strange to me… The whole having a twin thing… back home I've got an older sister, you kind of remind me of her, except she's way more nosy and pushy… But having a twin is different. It's like realizing I was missing someone all along… And yet getting to know them for the first time."
"I'd imagine it's been wild."
"I know I missed him… and I know he's my twin… I feel it in my core… I just wish I remembered more about him, not just little flashes." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair then frowned. "I'm also apparently a trained assassin, which explains much of my childhood… but also seems absolutely insane. Well the rest of my life has absolutely gone off the rails… Why not this too?"
"We'll help you get back, B is just crazy paranoid about getting all the evidence possible. You gave us a ton, but he wants to get his own evidence." Dick explained.
"I'm not saying you should all hurry up and take down the GIW… but I do miss my family back in Amity. Don't get me wrong, you guys are great! That doesn't stop me from missing my friends, my sister, my cousin… my parents too." He sighed, he felt Dick's shift in emotions and he just knew the man was going to mention how he wasn't safe with the Fentons. He knew that, logically he knew that, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear it.
"Stop." Danny said with a frown. "It's just complicated with them right now because of all the ghost stuff. I love them and miss them too." Danny said as he turned to the computer and pressed a few with his back turned he knew that Dick wanted to argue, thankfully he kept quiet about his thoughts. Danny knew that Dick wanted to tell him that his parents were unfit or neglectful, but he held himself back.
"Can you contact them?" Dick asked.
"Yes… But it would immediately pass through a GIW server, and even if we could find a way to block them none of us want to take that risk right now." Danny sighed. "I have sent a few messages discreetly through a reliable source but… With the way it works they can't respond to the messages." He had sent a few ghost blobs to pass on notes, but the ghost blobs weren't great at listening to humans, they would deliver a message for their king, but taking a message to him was asking too much.
Danny focused on the computer, typing and pulling up the blueprints for the GIW base that Oracle had sent him. He passed on a message to Orphan, informing her of a few weak points she could exploit, as well as the location of the server room where she could hardwire into their network and get more information. He tried to block out Dick's emotions as he worked, he knew his new family all felt sympathy for him, but it was getting a bit old to taste that all the time. He wondered if he'd every wash the taste of sympathy and pity from his mouth. He was about to comment on it when the door slammed open and Tim shuffled into the room.
Danny raised an eyebrow, noting that Tim was dressed quite unusually, he seemed to have on the tactical pants from his Red Robin suit, but had a pajama top on, and what looked like chocolate stuck in his hair. Time made his way to the computer, pushing Danny to the side, rolling the chair out of the way. Danny smiled to himself, Tim could be pretty single minded at time, and clearly he was on a mission. Tim plugged his laptop into the computer, taking over the screen and Danny tilted his head curiously
"You good bro? You look deader than I am! That's a low bar." Danny smiled at his own joke, being half dead was certainly a low bar, but the bags under Tim's eyes begged to differ. Confusion tingled the tip of his tongue as Tim registered that he was there, then realized who he was, mumbling what he was doing as he went.
"Damian… no… Danyal… Danny… right… ghost footage. Reviewing security, needed more screens." He explained as he pulled up security footage from the GIW base. Danny froze, his eyes glued to the screen, his breathing stopped and his heart stuttered as he gripped the edge of his seat so hard the metal began to bend and break while his knuckles turned white. Looking at blueprints was one thing, he hadn't had the courage to look at any of the security footage. Memories threatened to overwhelm him as he stared at the screens.
The bases were all built the same, the same sterile white walls and block lettering. The same cold lighting and white suits. He felt the edges of his vision growing fuzzy as one by one the screens flickered to life with scenes from the GIW base. He hated those walls, he'd been through them before, and yet they weren't the same. They looked the same as the facility he'd been held in, his heart stuttered as he shuddered and pulled away from the screens, curling into himself and putting a hand to his chest. Tremors began to run through him as he stared at his former torture chamber.
The Lab.
A part of him knew it wasn't the same place, knew that the place he'd been held was destroyed, that he had gotten free… but none of that mattered anymore as his vision filled with images of the lab. Those pristine white walls, the instruments glinting on the table nearby, his hands and legs strapped to the table as they began to cut open his chest. He wanted them out! It was so invasive to have someone sticking their hands into your chest and rooting around in your organs. He felt sick, violated, and disgusting. He heard voices in the background, likely they were still discussing how to proceed, which pieces of him to take next. He trembled and moved, he could move? He wasted no time in trying to get the hands out of him, but he couldn't reach them. He clawed at his chest, trying to get that sick feeling out of him.
"Get out… get them out." Danny whimpered as he continued to try and remove the hands. He couldn't stand it, he had to get out of there, but first he had to remove their hands. He dug deeper, trying harder to claw through the phantom hands and regain his bodily autonomy.
"Get them out! Get their hands out of me!" He dug deeper into his chest, frustrated by the fact that the hadn't wouldn't leave, he felt hands on his wrists and struggled free, focused on trying to claw the GIW scientists out of his chest. He sobbed, frustrated and angry by the fact that he couldn't stop them, he couldn't do anything, he felt like a failure. If he could just get them to stop, maybe things would be alright somehow, maybe he could recover, maybe he wasn't going to die again.
"Make them stop. Get them out! It hurts! make it stop!" Danny begged, he wasn't sure who was listening, he wasn't sure who would care, he knew that they even found it amusing when he begged. They mocked his pain, telling him he wasn't really feeling it, that he was cruel and manipulative for crying and begging them to stop. Yet he still begged, hoping beyond hope that he would one day show them he felt everything, every slice of the scalpel, every nick and tug. They liked rooting around in his chest the most, fascinated by the fact he had lungs, by his dead heart which would occasionally try to beat when exposed to enough electricity. How they loved to torture him with electricity.
"Stop. Please stop, anyone stop them!" Danny whimpered again, fighting against the hands trying to restrain them, perhaps if he dug a little deeper he could remove the hands of the scientists. Perhaps if he clawed his way through to his sternum, he could finally remove the flesh that had been tainted by their touch. His entire being was violated by them, their grubby hands and their greedy scalpels. They'd cut him open so many times, the scars hadn't even had time to heal before they were ripping him open again. Over and over and over they cut. He wished at times he could just die again, but somehow his stubbornness won out and he remained. He couldn't turn human, it was too dangerous, not just for himself but for everyone out there who was ecto-contaminated. The whole town might be in danger if they found out he was part human, because if they did… When would it end? The line would keep moving further and further until… He couldn't bear to think of it as he shuddered and sobbed.
"Make them stop… get them out of me… stop them!" Danny pleaded and continued to claw away at his chest. Warm blood poured down his front, no it couldn't be warm! That wasn't allowed, he couldn't show them he was part human. He sobbed again and slowly stopped, warm hands gently taking his. He wasn't sure who it was, they felt different than the scientists who held him captive. This wasn't the same, this was different. He let them hold his hands away from his chest weeping and hanging his head, he felt the tears land on his shirt, but the fabric was already soaked through with his own blood. Something was different… He wasn't wearing his jumpsuit, why was he human?
He slowly began to focus on his hands, the gloved hands were different from the surgical gloves of the scientists, they were darker, not splattered with his ectoplasm, they felt kind and concerned. He let out a fresh round of sobs as he realized he wasn't in the lab, he wasn't with those monsters who claimed to be humans. He tried to focus on the person in front of him, but it was as if looking through a fogged over glass, his eyes wouldn't quite focus. He whispered softly his plea for help.
"Stop them… please stop… they won't stop taking me apart… please stop…" He whimpered, then he choked on a new round of sobs, his gaze following the arms back down as he stared at the hands holding his own. There was a chair… he was sitting in a chair, he wasn't strapped to a table. He wasn't in the lab anymore.
"Danny." came a familiar voice, followed by warmth and a sense of protection and calm, followed by sorrow and righteous vengeance. It seemed like he tasted righteous vengeance a lot these days. He blinked as he slowly leaned into the hug, he was safe now, this person was safe. It took a moment but things were clearing up again, he was in the Batcave, one of his new brothers was hugging him.
"Dick." Danny gasped as the name came to him and reality seemed to snap back into focus. His vision was no longer blurred between the present and the past, he was back in the Batcave, he was safe.
"They will never touch you again. Never." Dick promised him as he held him slightly tighter. Danny's chest ached and burned from his attempts to dig the GIW out of him, and he felt Dick's rage flare once more, whimpering softly as he felt the white hot emotions of his older brother.
"Dick?" he whispered, afraid and broken. They'd seen his panic attack, what would he think of him now? Would they look at him with more pity and sympathy? Would he be a distraction to their mission? Dick pulled away, looking at Danny in the eyes, a comforting hand on his shoulder while the other came up to hesitantly touch his face. Danny half leaned into the hand.
"Yes. I'm here. You're safe." Dick said. Danny could feel him holding back his rage, the way he shoved it down to make sure Danny was safe first, despite the way it reared up as if to swallow them all.
"Sorry." He whispered. He hadn't wanted to do this, he knew how it would make them feel if they knew, he had made him feel that horror and rage, it was his fault. Dick's emotions shifted suddenly, concern taking the forefront as the rage subsided slightly.
"No. Don't be sorry, you didn't do anything wrong." Dick insisted before pulling him back into a tight hug. "Don't be sorry Danny. Don't be sorry." He reassured him.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry." Danny repeated. The man was so angry on his behalf. He felt like he'd failed to keep it together. He was going to tell them about his ghost half… but slowly… he hadn't planned on letting them find out he'd been captured by the GIW until after the article was released at the earliest. If they got distracted because of him… he would never forgive himself if they got hurt because they were distracted.
"No. No. Don't be sorry." Dick pulled back so he could look Danny in the eyes. "I'm mad at whoever did this to you. Not at you."
"I know." Danny whispered as he looked away. "I'm sorry you saw… I'm sorry you had to see." He couldn't explain everything, he couldn't find the words to make Dick understand how sorry he was for him knowing about what had been done to him.
"No. Don't be sorry. I'm glad I know. I'm more motivated than ever to take those bastards down." Dick said as he looked down at Danny's bleeding chest. "Let's get you cleaned up… do you have claws I don't know about? You really cut yourself up."
"Yeah…" Danny said, guilt in his eyes. He looked down at the claw marks in his chest and through his shirt. He really had cut himself up… it seemed likely that his form had shifted slightly as well to make the clawing more efficient. He shuddered as he remembered the sensation of hands inside of him. Dick gently squeezed his shoulder, radiating care and reassurance.
"Let's go to the med bay… Are you going to be okay?" He asked softly. Danny considered it a moment, he thought he could handle it, as long as the med bay wasn't solid white like the lab and most of the GIW headquarters had been.
"As long as it's not white." Danny mumbled as he tried to close his tattered shirt over his chest.
"Don't, you'll just get more crap in your wound." Dick said gently, taking Danny's hands. Danny wanted to cover himself, he didn't want Dick to see the wounds, he was certain he'd noticed the necropsy scar on his chest. He knew he would need to explain himself and soon… but not yet.
"I… I didn't want you to see." He mumbled as Dick led him up a short set of stairs and into another room."I didn't… I didn't want you guys to see… I didn't want to be a distraction on the mission." He looked around nervously, but was grateful that the room wasn't white, it was a cool grey, stainless steel, and some white sheets. Danny glanced up as he saw Alfred enter the room. He let Dick lead him to the cot while Alfred went to grab equipment.
"I'd like to avoid stitches if possible." Danny mumbled as Dick helped him onto a bed. He felt both Dick and Tim's eyes on him, observing the scars on his chest and tracing the Y incision. The necropsy scar was the most prominent, especially given that they had cut him open over and over again. Alfred glanced over his wounds with more professionalism than Tim or Dick, he was able to hide the horror, but Danny could still taste it in the air.
"Given the depth you've managed to hurt yourself, stitches may be necessary. I will use steri-strips where possible" Alfred informed him as he pulled a stainless steel table over and set out the equipment. It was bound up in a blue surgical sheet and Alfred set it down before going to wash his hands. Danny watched as the man pulled out a pair of surgical shears and looked over the damage to his torso.
"Well, I have to cut the shirt off young master Danny." the butler took the scissors and cut his shirt off him, Danny felt the moment he fully realized all that he was looking at. Disgust, rage, and sorrow came off the man, despite him giving very little away on his face. Danny swallowed and Alfred took a breath as he removed the tattered remains of his shirt from him fully. That done he washed his hands once more and began to pull on gloves before pulling apart the surgical kit further and prepping some gauze pads with some kind of cleaner. Chloraprep if Danny had to guess. It was his go to when he was in Amity Park too, and his parents kept it in stock for any accidents in the lab. They didn't comment on how quickly it disappeared and Danny wasn't even sure if he noticed.
"I'll begin by cleaning your wounds, does your biology accept anesthetics?" He asked as he gently cleaned up the blood from Danny's scratches. Most of them had stopped bleeding already, and some of the shallower ones seemed to even be starting to heal.
"No. I burn through them unless they're specifically tailored to me. same with pain medication… but I've had worse." Danny said as he forced a small smile to try and reassure the others, though he could tell it wasn't working as both Tim and Dick frowned, even Alfred frowned further, his mustache twitching in displeasure as more sympathy rolled off the trio. Danny
"If you share the knowledge with us we can get pain meds tailored for you. Having been in worse pain is no reason to continue being in pain now." Alfred replied. Danny smiled a bit more genuinely and nodded. It would be nice not to have to feel each prick of the needle as he was sewn shut once more. Granted the GIW had never bothered to sew him up after their sessions, they taped him closed at most or held his chest closed with bandages, no need to waste thread when they would slice him open once more. Danny glanced at Tim and Dick who were still hovering in the door with indecision. He looked away quickly, but didn't say anything about his discomfort with them lingering. Luckily Alfred seemed to pick up on this and spoke.
"I hardly need an audience, masters Tim and Dick, you can leave." He dismissed them as he worked in a quick and professional manner. Danny glanced at them once more as they left, watching Dick pause in the doorway and cast a look back at him.
"I'll be back later to check on you Danny." Dick promised, and Danny secretly hoped he wouldn't return too quickly. He waved at him cheerfully and smiled at him, hoping that it was enough to reassure them. It wasn't the first time he'd had a panic attack and he doubted it would be the last. He could taste the lingering concern as Dick slipped out the door.
Alfred worked quietly, pausing a moment as he noticed flecks of glowing green oozing out of some of the deeper wounds.
"Master Danny…" Alfred said hesitantly, his eyes kind as they turned to look Danny in the eyes.
"You can just call me Danny." Danny reminded him, he'd told him as much in the past week, but the man remained stubborn. It was more of a habit now to say as much, it wasn't as if he expected Alfred to listen to his request.
"Master Danny. If I may be so bold… what exactly is this substance?" He said as he gently dabbed away ectoplasm from the wound.
"Ectoplasm." Danny said as he looked down at the gouges he'd made. He'd really scratched himself up this time, especially if the wounds were deep enough to begin bleeding ectoplasm.
"Ectoplasm? And pray tell, why are you bleeding ectoplasm?" Alfred asked as he continued to work, closing wounds with butterfly bandages and steri-strips where they weren't too deep.
"I… I'm ecto-contaminated." Danny started then sighed and closed his eyes, looking up at the ceiling, past the bright lights and then closing his eyes. "Well… that's only part of the truth. I am ecto-contaminated… but it is so much more than that too."
"I take it Masters Bruce and Damian know the full story. I am at a loathe to pry… but knowing more about your unique biology will certainly help in the future, particularly if you are to be a regular visitor to my medical suite." Alfred said. Danny chuckled, then winced as some of the wounds pulled and oozed more ectoplasm.
"Well… I don't plan on being a regular visitor… but it's probably for the best that I tell you anyway. Ya never know what'll happen." Danny said. Alfred was patiently quiet as he worked, moving on to the larger cuts, and beginning to stitch them closed. Danny held still as Alfred worked before he finally spoke again.
"I'm part ghost." He admitted. Alfred paused briefly in his work, glancing up at Danny before continuing to stitch his wounds. He waited for Danny to continue in his own time and it was another moment before Danny had the courage to do so.
"I… I had a lab accident not long after my fourteenth birthday… which you know… and you know that's the reason I'm ecto-contaminated… but… it killed me and brought me back over and over and over until…" Danny swallowed and clenched his fists to stop them from shaking. "I got stuck in between. I'm neither human nor ghost… neither alive nor dead, but somehow both. I don't… It's a complicated existence."
"That is certainly quite the paradox." Alfred agreed as he wrapped the suture around a pair of forceps and pulled the stitch closed.
"Tell me about it." Danny sighed, opening his eyes and watching Alfred work once more. Perhaps he would have been more nervous about watching his flesh get sewn closed, but Alfred radiated comfort and safety and he wanted to watch. It would be good to get a reference on how to do stitches properly in case he needed to do them himself in the future.
"And your status as half ghost… this is why you bleed ectoplasm?" Alfred asked. Danny nodded and looked down at his chest, watching the meticulous way Alfred worked.
"I… I have powers, not just the ones I've mentioned before… ghost powers… invisibility, flight, intangibility, ecto-blasts… There's a whole list." He explained.
"I see… so I take it my suspicion that you were pilfering my pastries before the others could get them was due to aforementioned powers." Alfred said, a hint of amusement wafted through the air and Danny smiled.
"I'm exercising my right to remain silent." Danny answered. Alfred smiled kindly at Danny, locking eyes with him a moment before going back to suturing.
"I suppose I should chastise you for using your power to pilfer pastries, but heavens know you could use some more meat on your bones." Alfred said. Danny frowned, was this man teasing him now.
"I have a higher metabolism than humans." He explained. "Hypothetically, if pastries were going missing and hypothetically, if I were the one consuming them, they wouldn't be doing terribly much to my calorie count."
"I do wish I'd known sooner about your dietary requirements, I shall endeavor to include a more calorie dense menu for you. I've fed enough speedsters to know how best to feed someone with a higher metabolism." He said as he glanced at Danny.
"Thank you." Danny said sincerely, his eyes slightly misted with emotion.
"No thanks are necessary Master Danny." Alfred reassured him.
"Thank you anyway." Danny said.
"You are most welcome." Alfred nodded. They fell into comfortable silence as Alfred finished off the stitches and began to dress the wounds, he wrapped bandages around his chest to keep the gauze in place.
"How quickly can we expect you to heal?" Alfred asked as he began to pack up to tools and discard the soiled gauze.
"A day at most." Danny shrugged.
"Then I will check your wound once more in the morning and see if the stitches are ready to be removed." Alfred said as he finally peeled off his gloves. Danny nodded and opened his mouth to thank the man once more when Damian burst into the room, quickly going to Danny's side.
"Anki, are you okay?" Damian said, removing the mask and looking Danny over, his brow furrowing at the bandages.
"I'm okay… just a panic attack… it's fine." Danny reassured him. Damian frowned, clearly not believing him.
"Given your wounds, I'd advise you against using your powers for the foreseeable future." Alfred said as he approached the bedside. "Best not to exert yourself while healing, no matter how fast you heal."
"Yes sir." Danny nodded.
"What happened, Pennyworth?" Damian asked looking up at Alfred worried.
"To my knowledge Master Danny saw something which caused a panic attack. If you'd like to know more, I would ask Master Danny himself." He said as he stepped away from the bedside to speak with Bruce who was lingering outside the door. Damian nodded as Alfred left and turned back to Danny.
"hal 'ant bikhayr haqaa? madha hadatha? kayf tadhiyti?" He questioned. Danny sighed and then shook his head.
""almukhtabar"" kanat hunak surat lilmukhtabar... shaeart bialkhawfa. shaeart waka'anani eudt 'iilaa hunaka... 'ana faqut... 'aradt 'an 'ubeid 'aydiahim eani". Danny mumbled.
"'aydihim..." Damian frowned as he looked at the bandages.
"'ana... hawalt 'an 'akhdishahumu. 'ana bikhayr alan. la bi'asi. 'ana 'ashfaa bisureatin." Danny reassured him.
"qad tashfaa aljuruh aljasadiat bisureatin, lakina alnadabat aleatifiat tastaghriq wqtan 'atwala. min fadlik tahadath 'iilaa dina. la 'astatieu... la 'uriduk 'an tafeal hadha maratan 'ukhraa." Damian said softly.
"'ana bikhayr hqan. sa'ufakir fi al'amri. la daei lilqalaq dami, sa'akun 'akthar hadhira. " Danny promised, he looked up as he saw Dick hovering in the door once more and he gave him a nervous smile before gesturing for him to enter.
"How you doing?" Dick asked, his concern nearly choking him, Danny swallowed and shrugged.
"I've been worse." Danny shrugged. "Tell Tim he can come too… I'd like to explain."
Danny told them almost everything, he wasn't about to go into detail about his time held captive with the GIW or exactly how much of an existential crisis his entire existence was, but it was a bit of a relief now that they knew. He could still taste rage and sympathy as he spoke, but re did his best to reassure him that he was truly okay.
After he'd managed to chase his brothers out he waited, it didn't take long for Bruce to enter the room, he was still dressed in his Batman suit, but the cowl was down and he sat nervously by Danny's bedside.
"We need to talk." He said softly, his words both gentle and terrifying.
"Okay." Danny said, his voice came out as much more of a whisper than he intended. He didn't know what they would be talking about, but opening a conversation with 'we need to talk' was never a good sign.
"I'd like you to speak with Dinah." Bruce said. Danny was grateful he'd gotten straight to the point, but that didn't mean he liked it anymore. He frowned and looked down at his hands.
"I don't do therapists." He mumbled.
"She's more than just a therapist, she's also a hero. She knows the unique struggles heroes go through and she's been an invaluable resource to the young heroes over the years. I really want you to talk to her. At least two sessions." Bruce said.
"Do I have a choice?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. You always have a choice." Bruce said with a nod. "But I feel it would be quite beneficial for you to speak to someone. Trauma doesn't go away on it's own, chum." He put a comforting hand on Danny's knee and Danny stared at it. Concern, love, warmth, all flowed through him and Danny closed his eyes, taking a breath before he met Bruce's eyes.
"I… two sessions only." He agreed. Pride filled the air and Bruce smiled and nodded.
"Thank you." he said. Danny could feel the sincerity, perhaps that was why it had been so hard to say no to the man.
"I'm not promising anything beyond that." Danny said, looking away defiantly.
"Two sessions is all I'm asking." Bruce gave his knee a small squeeze and stood, leaving to change, Danny watched him go, calling after him as he got to the door.
"Bruce?" He asked, Bruce paused and looked back expectantly, waiting for what Danny would say. They stared at each other quietly for a moment before Danny continued. "Thank you… for… everything."
"Of course. You're my son. It's the least I can do." He said before slipping out of the room. Danny watched him go and then sighed, closing his eyes and laying back into the bed. His incision throbbed and his wound stung. He could feel his body working to knit flesh back together and heal him. He wrapped his arms gently around himself and let his tears slowly fall now that he was alone. He had fought literal gods before… he could handle two therapy sessions.
Author's Note:
Again just used google translate for the Arabic.
Translations:
"Are you really okay? What happened? How did you get hurt?"
"The… the lab. There was an image of the lab… I freaked out. I felt like I was back there… I just… I wanted to get their hands out of me."
"Their… hands…"
"I… I tried to scratch them out. I'm okay now. It's fine. I heal fast."
"Physical wounds may heal fast but emotional scars take longer. Please speak to Dinah. I can't… I don't want you to do this again."
"I'm fine really. I'll consider it. You don't have to worry Dami, I'll be more careful."