The next day, Frostbite had returned with not only some extra supplies but also an old laptop. As it turned out, Danny's old rogue gallery had actually quite missed their regular brawls. In an attempt to help him recover faster, they had come together to help. Though most were words of encouragement or basic offers to spar, Technus had gifted an old laptop he had snatched from Tucker that one time he had everybody distracted with the kitchen appliance mech.
On it were all the files Danny had thought to be lost. Old blueprints and schematics for weapons but also their, very biased, research. Though their theories about ghosts themselves were wildly wrong, the science had always been on point. Ecto-research and how it interacted with specific materials went a long way for what they were trying to do.
Technus had added his own personal research as well. As their resident technologically inclined ghost and an inventor in his past life, Nicholai Technus had his own study material on how to make tech compatible with ecto. With the support of Skulker and his own suit, they had made a lot of break-throughs that would allow for them to create things not thought possible by the current human standard.
Bruce had focused on reworking the Batcomputer and all of their gadgets to be more ecto-friendly. No longer would they need to worry about Danny, Cujo or any other ghost accidentally messing with it by just existing.
If the entire system, of the Batcomputer, Mount Justice and Watchtower alike, crashed 4 times during this, no it didn't.
Technus had also added extremely handy notes to Tucker's research on how to actually ghost-proof technology. Though their biggest concern was Technus at the time, they were working on a whole bigger scale now. It would be a top priority disaster scenario if any ill-intentioned ghost could just possess and control the Batcomputer or even the entire Watchtower for that matter.
Dick had opted to focus on their little Zeta issue. The current system could not recognize Danny's ecto as a differentiation. And with them being identical twins, it automatically recognized him as Dick. Adding extra biometrics to ensure more than just a simple DNA sequence and a general appearance match would be needed for identification wasn't too hard.
The real issue was getting the damn thing to recognize ecto. As brain melting as that all was, even with the research Technus provided, they had no choice but to disable Robin's activation code until they got it fixed.
While Danny set to work on rebuilding the inhibitor collars, Frostbite assisted him with the exact specifics for his special one. He wanted to make different models depending on their need. His main focus was the one that would replace the damaged collar he wore now. No longer a bulky mess, they had managed to trim it down to a choker sized device. Tests with Dick's old suit proved it would be hidden quite well under the suit collar. Selina had joked he could add a little bell, to make it akin to a cat collar, but that idea was scrapped for the moment.
They had other models in the works too, backups for in case he needed emergency dampening or new powers he couldn't control emerged. Considering even Frostbite, leader of the most advanced medical civilization in the Ghost Zone, didn't know what to expect during Danny's healing process, it was best to be prepared.
It had taken them well into the next day of constant work before they had managed to reprogram the biometric trackers in the suit to read Danny's stats as they were his norm. After the 5th time alarms blared in the Batcave due to his ghostly abnormal heartrate and body temperature of course. That were a few hours spend with a migraine but still a major success none the less.
They had yet to manage to use the severely bootlegged blueprints used to make the old Fenton Phones to make new and improves Batphones, trademark pending. Though it was just a running joke Dick had started when he was new to the whole hero thing, it stuck. Bat-anything was always going to be a thing and nobody could fight it. Except for Selina who managed to cattify her equipment instead. Danny didn't mind it either, already way too used to the Drs Fenton slapping the Fenton name on every small thing created.
The need for direct contact with Frostbite was undeniable, however, if they were serious on having Danny participate in League level danger one day. While Alfred was extremely skilled and keeping records of everything Frostbite was able to share, he could not handle every situation on his own. Even Leslie wouldn't be enough if it was ghostly injuries they had to deal with. Certain things, especially if they were after-life threatening, would be best left to the actual medical expert. But they couldn't keep relying on Cujo to find his way there if it was time sensitive.
When Frostbite pulled Bruce to the side to discuss something, none of them had really questioned it. Danny had frowned at the exchange, clearly still able to hear them and not all too pleased with what Frostbite was sharing. All Dick had managed to catch was something along the lines of 'only use in extreme emergency'. That couldn't have meant anything good especially considering only Bruce was allowed to know.
By noon on the 22nd, Lucius had made a small visit to drop off the new and improved suits. The man had not stuck around for too long, returning to the city to continue managing W.E. in Bruce's absence. He did, of course, hang around long enough for a cup of tea and to see if they liked their new suits.
Danny had, admittedly, struggled a little to get into the suit. Dick had helped, of course, already used to the intricate details of Batquality gear. The fabric they used for the extra insulation in the gloves had rubbed awkwardly on Danny's scar. Though it wasn't anything painful, it was a noticeable feeling in the back of his mind that he couldn't quite shake. At least they had something to note for the next gen suits now that they could also compare fabrics to add into Technus' notes on ecto-compatible research.
What had taken Danny by surprise was Dick having switched the gloves around in their suits. While Dick had his holocomputer on his left hand and gadget compartments on the right, Danny's holocomputer was switched to the right hand. It avoided having sensitive tech over a permanent ghostly injury, but it wasn't just that.
It felt dumb being taken aback by his own twin remembering his lefthanded preference but it still made his core hum in delight. The extra compartments on his left arm now served as emergency snack storage, much like speedster suits did. No doubt Dick had taken the idea from Wally's suit but Danny wasn't one to complain about having snacks ready at all times.
Danny had been huffing around, constantly blowing hair out of his face. He still hadn't cut it since who knew when and it didn't seem like anybody was planning to do it either. Like a moth to a flame, Selina gravitated towards his hair and started grooming her boy's fluffy locks. Just like when he was still but a little stray, she braided one side of his head. The rest of his locks still moved around in imaginary wind but at least it didn't bother him as much anymore.
Of course, now with them being in near identical suits, it really made it stand out just how similar they looked. But, that also meant their differences were on display as well. Imagine their surprise when Lucius commented how much Danny looked like Dick when he just started out as Robin, happy they chose a shade of green that complimented his skin tone well.
They had just been messing around before that, but the comment really made them freeze. They hadn't really noticed the changes or the difference in the first place.
So used to it from seeing Danny in his ghost form for hours every day as he received his IV medication, none of the residents had noticed the subtle changes. Leave it to an outsider to be the first to notice something so glaringly obvious. At least they were grateful it was a friend who mentioned it in the safety of their home rather than somebody out in the field.
Lucius gave an awkward apology, clearly noticing the shift in the air. Claiming he was needed back at W.E., the man left the group of vigilantes to themselves to handle the accidental mess he had created.
Dragging themselves to a mirror, they couldn't deny Danny had gotten healthier. The ecto-IV drips really had been doing wonders for him. He hadn't really believed Frostbite when the Yeti said he was adapting faster than expected, already being ahead of schedule to need a lower dose and to start training again.
But now, he really couldn't deny it anymore. Not only had it helped him to fill out his clothes more and at the very least gaining a handful of pounds with Alfred's special diet added on it. He had actually gotten a healthier, natural glow again.
No more sunken in dark circles under his eyes, or skin as pale as an actual corpse. And sure, Dick was pale as well but he did so on purpose. Gotham High Society wasn't quite welcoming to somebody of their descent and it would stand out too much if both Bruce's new kid and Batman's new kid were clearly running the same circles so to speak. Dick had chosen for himself to be more mindful during summers, trying hard to maintain his winter shade the whole year round. But now, on Danny, or rather on Phantom? Their natural olive undertones were coming out again, stronger than Dick had seen in years.
Danny had awkwardly tried to play it off, surprised himself at how much he still looked like his younger self. Back when they were kids and played outside as much as they could.
Back when they were happy and still had their parents.
Back before everything that could go wrong, went wrong.
Danny tried cracking a joke, saying the accident must have made him into a crispy chicken nugget as he got cooked in the most literal sense possible. 10000 volts of ecto charged electricity would do that to a person after all.
It didn't fall quite right, however. A somber mood hung in the air. Nobody quite sure how to process the glaring facts nobody said out loud.
As if somebody was watching over them, Robin's communicator sparked to life, breaking up the silence. It was the first time since before the exercise somebody tried to reach him. Not sure who it could be, he cautiously checked the ID and nearly chucked it across the room when Zatara's name showed up.
Bruce immediately snapped into Batman mode. Selina ushered everybody off to the side and out of frame while Bruce pulled on the cowl. Within seconds, he was up at the Batcomputer to answer on Dick's behalf. No matter what the man would want, he had no actual reason to contact Robin instead of Batman and he was ready to make sure the magician understood that.
"Batman?"
"Tanna?" Phantom popped his head out, phasing through Selina to wander into frame. Zatanna sat in what looked to be her own closet, sigils glowing around her and illuminating the space.
"Pompom?"
"Robin!" He shouted happily as he too walked into the frame. "What? I was feeling left out." He shrugged, dismissing the soft glare from Batman. "What's wrong? And how'd you even get Zatara's communicator?"
"Dad took mine and my phone but he has Watchtower Duty today so I snatched his." Zatanna groaned softly, bonking her head against the closet wall in minor frustration. "I had to listen to a 3 hour rant about how I'm not allowed near you guys at all. Not even just the team without his express permission." She pouted, looking away from the camera before focusing again.
"Honestly I didn't pay much attention but he was so angry? And he said a lot of unfavorable things about Pompom so I figured they found out about him and yeah." She trailed off, not really wanting to admit to the horrible things her father had been saying about ghosts. Judging off of the dual cringe, she figured they probably knew what kind of things she was talking about.
"Yeah…" Robin trailed off, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "The entire League isn't too happy about us at the moment." And if that wasn't an understatement if he ever saw one. But there was no use bringing up that mess again.
"Ugh, don't I know it." She sighed, rubbing her temples at the phantom pains of the migraine she got listening to Zatara's rants returned. "Dad complained so much about how Pompom is a 'horrible influence' on you. Canary was already annoyed about the system crashing and somehow that lead to how you missed the mandatory therapy. So according to dad that just proves Pompom shouldn't be accepted into the team." She mocked, putting on an act of how her father behaved whenever Phantom was mentioned.
Robin blinked up at her before he turned to look at Batman. "I had therapy?"
Batman twitched slightly, holding back from pinching the bridge of his nose so long as Zatanna was watching. "Must have slipped my mind." He grunted out, already knowing he was about to regret his words as Catwoman stepped out from the hiding spot only Alfred and Frostbite still remained in.
"Sure you did." She hummed sarcastically. "It totally wouldn't be related to that woman being so utterly useless, would it?" It was rhetorical, they could all hear the venom dripping off her words, but Batman's continued silence answered it anyway. "Fine, I don't want her near either of you anyway." She huffed, crossing her arms as she silently dared Batman to say anything.
"If it's mandatory, wouldn't we just get in even more trouble if we don't go?" Phantom asked, not really keen on getting his brother involved in any more drama if he could help it. He was fine with being the target of the blame game but not if it meant they would get more upset at Robin over it.
They looked over to Batman, waiting for the man to make the decision on what to do. Already having enough of having to hash this out in front of an outsider. Batman turned to Frostbite, hoping the yeti could sense his desire for his input.
The Chieftain remained in the corner, content to not be seen by the homo magi. "It would be beneficial to heal from their suffering but there would be a greater benefit in doing this together rather than separately. Having somebody trusted close by may aid in any tensions with this woman you speak of." Phantom's eye twitched slightly at the emphasis Frostbite placed on being together. Glaring at the yeti, he kept it up until Catwoman blocked his line of sight, silently telling him to stop.
She didn't seem too happy with that answer either, but relented either way. So long as Black Canary wasn't left alone in a room with Danny, she could deal with it.
"Who's that?"
"Oh! That's Frostbite, he's my ghost doctor." Phantom explained enthusiastically, flying over to Frostbite to drag the reluctant ghost into frame. He gave a cordial nod but refrained from any further greeting.
"Oh, so that stuff about not being medically cleared was true?" Zatanna muttered in slight surprise and horror. "Are there any specific things we should look out for, sir? I may not be allowed to hang out for now but we did go on a mission together so maybe there is something they left out?"
Frostbite was slightly taken aback by how genuinely concerned she sounded. It was quite unexpected for a homo magi to acknowledge, much less care for, one of their kind. "That won't be needed for now, but your kindness is appreciated, young one." Perhaps this one was yet another of the peculiar people the halfa seemed to be collecting in his clan.
"So you're the little magic girl the boys were telling me about, I take it." Catwoman commented, steering the topic away from the two before any tension or discomfort could become too noticeable.
Zatanna's attention snapped to the well-known cat burglar. "Oh my gods." She laughed awkwardly, trying to stay calm and not fangirl too much. "Wait, they talked about me?" She sent the boys a frantic look, startled by the fact they actually told the Catwoman about her.
Catwoman chuckled softly, somewhat entertained by the girls attempts at trying to hide her excitement. "All good things, I assure you. With some training, I'm sure you'll do great." If Zatara ever let her out of the house, that is.
Zatanna blushed slightly, hands brushing through a few strands of hair to try and hide the redness. "Maybe you could teach me a few tricks? I, ah, I shouldn't rely on just magic, you know." She stuttered through her sentence, surprised to even get the words out.
Robin quickly turned to her expectantly, clearly hoping she'd agree. Catwoman suppressed a laugh, smiling warmly at Zatanna instead. "Maybe one day." Oh to be a teen meeting an idol for the first time. It made her feel young again and she had no qualms with teaching a few things here and there to a possible future daughter in law.
"Aw, damn. As if sharing mentors with one person wasn't bad enough." Phantom teased, mostly Robin but he wasn't one to shy away from teasing Zatanna as well. Those two couldn't be any more obvious and he was down to make it everybody's problem.
He liked Zatanna a lot, but not the way his brother did. She reminded him of what having a sister was like, though she wasn't older than them like Jazz was. Maybe Zatanna was who his little clone could have grown up to be, if she hadn't…
Robin looked like he was fighting between having a stroke and fighting off some invisible demons as he helplessly flailed around between Zatanna, Phantom and Catwoman. His brain absolutely failing to think of anything to say.
"Wait," Zatanna called out, saving Robin from his struggles. "Mentors? I thought Batman was your only mentor." She pulled her knees up to sit more comfortably, shuffling around a little between the clothes.
Phantom scoffed amused, jokingly waving off her comment. "False advertisement, really." He laughed as he could just feel the raised eyebrow stare Batman was sending his way. "Plus," He added between gasps, "If they want to treat us like we did something criminal-"
"-might as well look the part." Robin finished for him, leaning into the comforting back hug Catwoman gave him. Honestly, he didn't care if anybody would give them any comments about their blatant references to Catwoman anymore. If he could throw around batarangs and be called a bat, then he had every right to have something to represent Selina as well.
"Oh, that explains all the little details."
"Yeah! Look," Phantom exclaimed happily, floating up closer to the camera. "Cool, right?" He showed off the new gloves, especially the grippy toe bean details and the retractable claws. "Apparently it took, like, 7 prototypes to get it right? Honestly I'm just happy I got them too." He beamed, proudly showing off the work his brother had put into everything.
Zatanna watched in fascination as Phantom showed her all the details added, giggling softly at the consistent clawed grabby hands Phantom kept doing. "Aww," she cooed teasingly looking down to where Robin stood, "did you finally grow your first claws?" Laughter erupted from the teens as Robin sputtered around a defense.
"I-They're not claws, they're talons! Birds don't have claws!"
"Uhuh." Phantom floated over, reaching for Robin's hand and pressing on the tactile toe bean pads just to drive home the point. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess."
"Zatanna?!"
Their laughs and joy were interrupted as Zatara's voice echoed over the call, coming from somewhere inside her house. Panic shot through Zatanna's eyes, not expecting her father to come home that early. "Fuck. Ah. I'll-I'll make sure to talk to him, okay? It was nice meeting you Miss Catwoman, Mr. Frostbite. Please stay safe." She called out to the boys before the connection suddenly cut off.
Silence fell over the Batcave, not even its native residents making a sound.
"Is…Is she in trouble?"
"I think we just got ourselves into even more trouble actually." Danny transformed back into his human side, jumping back in surprise as the suit didn't disappear like he expected it to. Quickly he switched back, reverting all the colors back to normal as well. Looking over to Frostbite, the Yeti solemnly took note of the problem.
"I feared this may happen." He mused, much to Danny's discontent. "As I explained to you before about your previous suit disappearing, the same issue stands here. Your core does not recognize it as a part of you."
Danny looked heartbroken. He had hoped that just agreeing to go back to being Phantom would have been enough to fix that missing part.
"If you wish for it to be as it was before, you will need to remain in it as much as possible. Spend time existing as simply Phantom, a ghost who aids others on the side. Though I strongly caution against changing anything about the attire in the meantime."
Danny groaned loudly, letting his head fall back as he stomped over to the changing rooms. "Welcome to the life of the rest of us plebians who do not have a magical girl transformation to suit up." Dick teased as he followed behind.
It was a whole mess to get the suit back off without accidentally scratching himself. Just like before, he needed Dick to handle the smaller parts unless he wanted to just stay stuck in it. Just phasing out seemed very tempting but also very counterproductive to getting his dumb core to absorb the suit as part of himself.
After wrangling way too many little buttons, clips and zippers, they finally emerged again. Right on time to see Selina and Bruce argue again. Selina was still against the whole therapy thing, not trusting Canary to have their actual best interest at heart. She had, after all, not done anything to protect neither Dick nor Danny from the attempted attacks during the simulation. And as it stood, so long as Bruce refused to elaborate on who exactly voted for what, they couldn't be sure of her bias towards them either.
But mandatory therapy was unfortunately still mandatory. Now that Frostbite had technically cleared Danny to go back out into the field, albeit severely restricted to the base 3, practically encouraging it to get the suit thing fixed, they really had no reason to refuse it. Canary had already confirmed the next scheduled appointment had been for tomorrow, strongly urging Bruce to make sure they actually attended this time.
Well, if they were so insistent on the boys being there, who were they to deny them that pleasure.