Jamie and Danny practice for several days. First just piloting a heavier, human body. Sometimes the clone just pauses to listen, getting used to the sound of a heart beating in his ears. Then there's the ghost powers. Intangibility, invisibility, flight.
"Great job!" Danny congratulates silently, a small ecto-blast flickers between their fingers at Jamie's command.
Jamie can even trigger the transformation into ghost form. And now, there is one more step.
"Here we go!" The clone raises his (Danny's) arms. He pulls and stretches, his tiny cold spark pulsing. Wrapped in ectoplasm, the forming core strains to coalesce. Their shared body is ripe with tension, a rubber band just before the point of breaking.
Danny is flung back, suddenly back in control of his body. Jamie floats in front of him, upside down and grinning.
"You did it!" Danny takes his clone by the arm and swings him around.
Still, the separation does not last the night. A dozen threads connect them, energy trickling from Danny into his twin. Jamie's forming core refuses to come together, to solidify into something real.
And yet, when Jamie appears human, he is heavier. His body is warmer, he breathes more often. And…
"Can almost feel it." Jamie mutters, nodding off as he and Danny watch a movie. "Here. Jamie's heart." His hand rests on his chest.
"You know, you can use the first person. My heart."
The clone opens his eyes, brow furrowing, not with confusion. But something Danny can't quite read. "Jamie's heart." He insists.
Sleepy himself, Danny does not argue. Instead, he reaches for Jamie's wrist, for the pulse that is almost there. "I can feel it too."
Again, before morning dawns, Jamie's physical form is gone.
Another day, another attempt to separate, another dinner with Jason.
"Have you guys called Duke yet?" The man asks, measuredly not pointed.
"No." Danny blushes sheepishly. "I completely forgot. We'll do that when we get back to the apartment…" He frowns, brow furrowed. "if I can figure out what happened to that number."
Jamie pauses in lifting his drink to his lips. For a second, hesitance flickers in his eyes "It's in the drawer near the sink." He slowly answers.
"Thanks baby bro." Danny says, offering a disarming smile.
His twin rolls his eyes. "Not a baby."
"So you're the older twin?" Jason asks.
"You could say that." Danny shares a look with his twin, a knowing glint in his eyes.
Jamie gives a half-hearted chuckle. Danny can't help but notice the anxiety twangling across their bond.
Back at the apartment when Danny goes to retrieve the number, his twin pointedly stands in front of the drawer, blocking it from opening.
"What is up with you?" The half ghost asks.
The other boy stares him down, scowling. After a long pause, he huffs. "You can't call Duke."
"Yes I can." Danny rolls his eyes, reaching around his brother's side. "Come on. Move"
"You can't call him." Jamie insists again.
"Look." The older twin tugs on the handle. "I'll call him and ask some about the Foundation. Just to make Jason happy. It'll be fine."
"No!" The clone insists more harshly.
"Why?" Danny spread his hands, growing exacerbated. "Why not?"
"Because… because…" His twin stutters.
The older sucks in a breath. "Why not, Jamie?"
"Because…" The younger's brow furrows, nostrils flaring in frustration. "You call Duke, you ask about the Foundation. Then… then you're asking them for help. But we can't… because… because… Jamie isn't real."
"Yes, you are." Danny argues.
"Jamie isn't real on paper." The clone grits his teeth. "No documents."
"Okay, that is true. But-"
"The police will find out. Then the GIW and your… The Fentons."
The words come with a wave of fear but Danny does not like himself be cowed clone's feelings. "That's not guaranteed. We'll be careful. Just… get out of the way Jamie." Danny grits his teeth right back.
"No." Jamie remains stubbornly in place. "Why do you have to call him?"
"Jason will push again if I don't." The half ghost starts.
"No. Why?" His twin presses, harsh.
"Jason will-"
"Why?"
The question interrupts once more and Danny's anger flares. "Because I don't want to live in this crummy apartment forever! I want to get into college, get a good job, have a real life! I don't want to be running and hiding forever!" He spreads his arms, wide imploring eyes fixing on Jamie. "Don't you want that too?!"
His twin doesn't look away, eyes just as gratingly fixed. "You won't be safe."
"Safe?! Safe?!" The older twin lifts his hands. "Nothing about my life is safe! None of this is! Being half ghost, living in Gotham, letting you exist-"
As soon as the words are out of his mouth, Danny knows he fucked up.
Jamie steps to the side, not even bothering to look at him.
"Jamie! Jamie! I'm sorry." A cold guilt washes over him, Danny's pleading eyes fixed on the back of his retreating twin's head.
Jamie slams the door to the bathroom and in a haunting snap, the tangle of anger and hurt radiating from him cut off.
"Jamie? Jamie!" Panic claws up his throat. Did… did his brother just disappear, fade out of existence? But… no, no rush of energy returning to him. Jamie is still there. He must be.
Heart in his throat, Danny approaches the door. "I'm… I'm sorry. I-"
"Go away!" The familiar voice yelled through the door, the anger more stark and real than any emotion communicated through their bond.
"Jamie." He tries again, gently.
"Go away!" The words are a roar, a stab to Danny's heart.
The half ghost slinks away. He opens the drawer and calls the number, despite the shame roiling in his gut. He talks to Duke for a long while, asking his questions about the Meta Human Foundation.
The call ends and Danny slumps back on the couch. He wants to be comforted by what Duke told him. The foundation helps undocumented metas; they could help him and Jamie. And Danny has been denying it for too long but they need the help. He wants better than running and hiding forever for himself. He wants better for Jamie.
Guilt clogs his throat. Jamie, the person he dragged into this mess. The ghost he… imagined into existence. Again, the awe of that hits him. But… the guilt. He feels like an irresponsible parent, unable to provide for his family. Damn, is he Jamie's parent? A jolt of panic hits him. Is he a dad? Is Jamie his child?
Danny shakes the thought away. It doesn't really matter. He's all Jamie has, whether he is the other ghost's dad or his older brother. And he just royally screwed up.
Heaving a sigh, the half ghost stands up. He needs to fix this, needs to apologize.
"Jamie? Baby bro?" He knocks on the bathroom door. "Can we… can we talk?"
No answer comes.
Danny tries again. "I'm sorry I said that, about letting you exist. I…I didn't mean it like that. Just… open up."
No sound comes through the door. Not even Jamie's occasional breathing.
"You're worrying me. I haven't even felt anything from you in a while. Please just let me in."
Still nothing. Taking a shaky breath, the half ghost opens the door and…
An empty bathroom lies in front of him.
Danny's heart drops into his stomach. "Please, please tell me you're just invisible."
But he knows that is not the case. No familiar cold presence, no translucent figure only visible to another ghost.
Hardly thinking, Danny transforms. Jamie had to have run off. He had to. He tugs on the connection inside him, linking his core to Jamie's forming one. The… the bond is still there, though silent and still. The slow trickle of energy screams that his clone is still there, not reabsorbed when he wasn't paying attention.
For just a second he thinks… he could tug on the line, reabsorb his twin's physical form – still a duplicate if the mind inside is not– back into himself. No, Danny shakes his head, sick with thought. He will never, never do that on purpose. The thermos instead. He rises from the ground, grabbing it from under the couch. He can capture Jamie if he must, though he hopes the other boy will return willingly
Invisibility phasing through the wall and into the open air outside, Danny follows the tug of their connection. Jamie wouldn't have gone far, right? Around a corner, passed the bus stop, passed the store where he buys groceries.
A few streets from home, Danny's ghost sense wafts in his mouth.
"Jamie?" He whispers, a blip of hope. But… no, his twin has never set off his ghost sense. He… hasn't sensed any ghosts since he's arrived in Gotham, even if Jason and Damian do both have the aura of someone touched by death.
Gunshots echo off the walls, the sound seizing Danny's attention. Another waft of ghost sense… from the same direction.
The half ghost sprints through the air. More gunshots, a man cursing. Then… the sound of a woman's cackle, a familiar misery-consuming voice. And underneath all the cacophony… an even more familiar whimpering.
Danny blasts around the corner to find… a tall, muscular man in a leather jacket wearing a red helmet. This must be the Red Hood, one of Gotham's vigilantes. And-
"Stop. Please." Someone whimpers.
His brother, crumpled on the concrete. The Red Hood stands over him, back to Danny. A street light flickers above, an island of light in the darkness.
And just visible beyond the streetlight…
"What is that thing?" Hood lets out another curse, another bullet from his gun
A shadow writhes, red eyes burning.
"And… Red Hood isn't it?" The ghost cackles. "How does it feel to know that daddy cares about a murdering clown more than you?"
Hood growls, hand twitching on the gun.
"Like… a crowbar to the head? Or a pile of explosions? Or…both?"
Danny has heard enough. Rage filling his vision, he pounces.
Another bang. "There's another one?!"
"We're ghosts!" The half ghost shouts, dodging the shot. "And she's the bad guy!"
Danny does not register the vigilante's reply. Just Spectra's grinning fangs, her self-satisfied laughter.
A tangle of limbs and shadow, Danny fights. Green shots blast his enemy. Black claws tear at his arm. Danny tears in kind.
Behind him, Jamie sniffles.
Hungry red eyes fixed on his brother. "Too weak to-"
The half ghost cuts off the hateful words with a punch to Spectra's face. The ghost's head ripples, black encasing his fist. Spectra's shadow wraith. Tendrils of oily darkness lunge for his neck, his mouth. Danny flinches back. But his dodge is unsuccessful.
Pressure squeezes his neck, fills his nostrils. He… he can't breathe.
The crackling energy, warm yellow-orange light cuts through. A glowing blade in Hood's hand slice through the darkness.
The shadow ghost hisses, releasing Danny. Spectra recoils away from the light. She holds an indistinct limb against her chest. Neon green drips onto the asphalt.
Blades clash, swinging for inky black limbs. Ectoblasts crackle, like breaking ice. Spectra's darkly joyful grin shifts into something angry, something desperate. She dives for Jamie.
With Danny's enraged cry, ice shots from the ground. It drives up, skewering the ghost just below her core. "Don't touch him!"
The clone scuffles backwards on his hands with a yell. Wide, fearful eyes jerk to where Danny floats.
The eyes contact focuses the half ghost's attention. The thermos. Before Spectra can even begin to struggle free, the cap is off, and she is dragged into the blue light.
Once the threat is captured and the thermos intangibly shoved into Danny's side for later, he only has eyes for Jamie.
The ghost boy surges forward. Before he has even reformed his legs to kneel, he is pulling his twin into his arms. "It's-"
A sword jabs, right under his chin. Gasping with surprise, Danny looks up.
Red Hood stands above him, face unreadable through his helmet. "Don't you dare hurt him."
The half ghost's eyes flash, teeth bared in offense. "Of course I won't. He's my family."
That makes the vigilante pause, blade lowering. "What even are you?"
"A ghost. Not that it's any of your business." Danny scowls.
"You're in my turf, kid, so it is my business." The words lack the expected bite.
"Look." Danny huffs. "I'm just trying to live my afterlife. Sorry about Spectra." He glares at the spot of ectoplasm on the ground. "She won't be a problem again."
Jamie mutters, interrupting. "Can we go home?"
Danny's attention jerks back to his brother, finally looking him over. The disheveled hair, the bruise on his cheek, his watery eyes.
His throat suddenly thick, Danny feels just as close to crying. "Yeah, of course we can."
The other boy's eyes turn mournfully to his ankle. "Twisted it." It is swollen and discolored, now that Danny looks away from his brother's face.
The half ghost gently wraps one arms around Jamie's back, the other under his knees. Carefully, he lifts the other boy from the ground.
"What are you going to do with the other ghost?" Hood cut in, taking another step towards the pair.
"Bury her in the park, probably." The half ghost hisses darkly.
The vigilante' head tilts ever so slightly. Gaze unseen, Danny still feels it on the cut on his arm. "How are you bleeding Lazarus water?"
"I don't even know what that is." Danny rolls his eyes, floating from the ground.
"It's-"
"Just give it rest." The half ghost cut in, anger flaring. "Don't you see I have someone to take care of?!"
Ignoring Red Hood's sputtering question, Danny turns invisible and flies away.
Soon enough, he phases back into their apartment. Lowering Jamie down onto the couch, Danny turns human in a flash of light.
He kneels down, a hand taking his brother's. "I'm… I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I didn't realize you'd left and… how… how did Spectra even find us? Never mind that. Are you okay?"
Jamie just nods. Slowly, emotions trickle down their bond. Hurt, heartbreak, fear. All oddly quiet, oddly subdued.
"Do you want a hug?"
Another small nod.
For a long while, Danny just holds his brother. Finally, slowly, Jamie starts to cry.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Danny tries to soothe. "Whatever she said to you wasn't true. Spectra… she… she picks at whatever you're insecure about, whatever you're doubting and using that to hurt you. But it's not true."
Still, Jamie cries, tears silently dripping down his face. A shaky breath. Chest pressed again Danny's, the older half ghost can feel the ectoplasm tremble and shake, a storm inside.
Finally, the younger ghost mutters. "It's… it's not safe for Jamie to exist."
In Danny's own chest, his heart stales. Spectra had used what he unthinkingly said to Jamie, the words already causing him pain, to torture the younger boy.
"I… I'm… I'm sorry." Danny stutters. "I didn't mean it. No, I… I didn't mean it like that. There… there is danger but you're worth the risk." He pulls back, out of the hug. "You're worth the risk."
His brother does not move or speak, eyes fixed on his lap.
"Jamie, look at me." The older half ghost pleads.
No response comes, the other's body ripe with tension.
"Please. Please look at me." Danny shakes his head. "Just… just show me that you hear me."
The clone's head tilts up ever so slightly. His eyes flicker to Danny's face for just a second, before looking away again.
The acknowledgment earns a shaky smile from the older boy. "You are worth it, Jamie. All of this, anything that could happen, you're worth it." He pours all the affection, all the sincerity he can hold into the words. "I love you. I love you so much. I want you to be happy. I want you to get to live the life you deserve. And…" A shaking breath. "Yes, there is danger. The GIW or Mom and Dad could find us. The Bats… Red Hood knows about me now. And who knows what he'll do? And even Jason… how would he react if he finds out where you really came from? I… I don't know what's going to happen but…"
Danny reaches, gently taking Jamie's hand who returned the touch with a squeeze. "After you talked to me, really talked to me for the first time… I… at first I just thought about me, about not being alone. But you told me you wanted to be real and…" Tears welled, smiling through watery eyes. "I knew I wanted to help you grow. I wanted to see who you were becoming. I… I wanted to be your older brother. I am your big brother. And I'll keep you safe. I'll protect you, no matter what happens."
The words trickle to a stop, so much earnest passion within them. Danny prays they are heard and accepted.
Finally, his brother looks up. Round, still-watery eyes met his. "Jamie loves you too. Want you to not be alone, to be… to be safe too."
"I know. I know you do." The half ghost's eyes soften. He does know. He can feel the care vibrate down the threads connecting him to his twin, singing through him like a note plucked on strings. "And I appreciate that you worry about me. But you don't need to." Danny smiles encouragingly. "Let me worry about the danger. I'll do everything I can to keep us safe and still get the help we need. You just worry about growing and getting stronger, okay?"
For a second, Jamie's brow furrows with a frown. Then he exhales. "Okay." He sounds sincere despite the wrinkle. "Will focus on growing."
"Good." Danny sighs, relieved. Still… worry for his brother swirls in his core. "Did Spectra say anything else to you?"
The words fall heavily, followed by a weighty pause. Jamie's eyes flicker to the side. A complicated mix of emotions flash on his face. But finally, he simply answers. "No."
An inkling dances at the edge of Danny's mind, a suspicion that he should press. But before it can solidify…
"Ankle hurts." Jamie cuts, face screwing up with pain.
Danny frowns down at the joint. "It looks like it." Swollen and discolored, shades blue and purple paint the skin. It would look like any other bruise, if not for the neon green undertone. The hint of the ectoplasm under Jamie's skin in place of blood. "Maybe some ice will help."
The half ghost conjures a block of ice, collecting a clean shirt from their bag of thrift store clothing to wrap it in. Carefully, he unties Jamie's sneaker and pulls off the ankle sock. His twin lifts his leg and Danny places the block under the swollen ankle.
"Let that sit for a while. Hopefully the swelling will go down."
Jamie hums in agreement, relaxing back on the couch. "Hopefully it's not broken."
"Yeah." The thought has Danny scowling worriedly. Can it even be broken, considering Jamie is a ghost and ghosts don't usually have bones? Usually such an injury isn't even possible for him in ghost form, not something as mundane as twisting his ankle. And yet Jamie just did.
And another conundrum…. Normally an injury of this caliber would cause a duplicate to dissipate. Danny would feel an echo of the pain inflicted or even receive a lesser version of the injury. If he reabsorbs Jamie's body, will he end up with a partially healed version of his twisted ankle?
Granted, all that could be solved with some ectoplasm to speed up the healing process. "If I could just get my hands on some ectoplasm…." Danny sighs into his hand.
Wait.
The revelation hits Danny like a truck. "I… I can't believe I forgot."
The sudden movement has Jamie blinking at him in question. "What?"
The half ghost kneels on the floor, a hand phasing into it. "My go bag… I packed ectodejecto." He pulls out a glowing green vial.
The clone's eyes widen, frowning suspiciously as he eyes the liquid. "What is it?"
"This is what I used to stabilize Ellie. Dad made it to hurt ghosts but instead it makes them strong."
"And this might heal the ankle?" Jamie asks, one brow raised.
"Maybe…." Danny's mind races now that he is actually thinking about the ectodejecto, actually considering the possibilities. "Maybe it can do more." Hope rings in his voice. "Maybe this can make you strong enough to… to separate from me."
A tentative hope wavers in Jamie's eyes. "Separate? As in… won't be a duplicate anymore?"
"Yes!" Danny laughs, elated with the realization. "This might actually do it."
Still, Jamie eyes the vial, not as confident. "How do we…" He bits his lip. "How do we use it?"
"Last time, I just sprayed it on Ellie and she healed up instantly. So I guess I'll just do the same thing.." Danny kneels in front of him. "Alright. Here we go. How about you take off your shirt first? Wanna get direct skin contact."
"Okay." With a nod, the clone wrestles out of the cotton t-shirt.
"I'll spray it over where your core should be. That should make it work faster."
The clone fixes nervous eyes on him, body ripe with tension. Still, offering an encouraging smile, the older twin depresses the nozzle and sprays.
The cloud of mist falls on Jamie's chest, the green fading from sight in a blink. The next, and Jamie is leaned over, panting.
"Hey, take it easy. Just breath." Danny offers comfort, rubbing his twin's back.
"Look." The clone breathes shakily, eyes fixing on his out stretched ankle.
Danny's gaze follows. In the span of five seconds, the ankle's swelling disappears. The color shifts, lightening from dark blue and purple to a sickly green-yellow. Another heartbeat and the skin is its normal pale peach.
"It healed." Danny's eyes widen, hope blooming. "Did it… did it finally work? Did we separate?"
Jamie's brow furrows, a hand on his chest. "Don't know. Maybe?"
The older brother reaches for the familiar pulse point. "I'm definitely feeling something!"
The clone hums thoughtfully. "Good."
At Danny's insistence, the younger twin takes a shower and changes clothes. The two settle down to relax before bed.
Danny slowly falls asleep, excitement and nerves dancing in his gut. The same feelings trickle across his ever present link to Jamie. The bond itself takes a different hue though, no longer a slow moving stream of energy. But a simple comforting thread of brotherhood.
In the morning, Danny awakes to Jamie asleep on the couch above him. Air softly whistles out of his nose, chest slowly rising and falling.
The half ghost's heart sang with joy.