Damian watched his father quickly pack his things. None of his brothers were answering phone calls or texts. Even Gordon Jr. hadn't been able to get in touch with any of them. The look on the older Wayne's face now was a mixture of concerned parent and angry Batman, as if he had no way of deciding which role he should play at the moment. His father was angry at the kids for going on a mission into the unknown without informing him. But he was also angry at himself for allowing this to happen. What if they got hurt? What if this was a well-planned trap? One could never know for sure!
The younger Wayne kept his cell phone with him, which occasionally buzzed in his hands. Checking the contents, the boy discreetly took a picture of his disgruntled father, which he sent to their "secret" family chat room:
Blood_Son: png.012
Blood_Son: Father is packing up his things.
Flashlight: Sounds like he's packing for someone's soul...
Cassy:
Barbie: Flashlight, you're not wrong. These knuckleheads are going to be benched until Christmas.
Supremacy: Time to make popcorn and buy tickets for the next flight? I want to see them punished in person for the rest of their lives.
Barbie: They'll probably go to the estate soon. I tried to write to Tim, but the messages came in strange ways. They either took hours to get through or didn't come at all. I don't know how they're doing now. But knowing the guys, they probably found the baby by now.
Flashlight: Wait, so they're really going to bring the baby to the mansion? I mean. The kid just had to dress up in stupid carnival costumes?
Barbie: When you put it that way, it sounds ridiculous. But I suspect there's a lot more to it than meets the eye. Tim was terribly dissatisfied. And when he's disgruntled and interested, it makes me nervous.
Cassy: New brother? ( -̯́ -̯̀ )
Barbie: Knowing our luck and Bruce's group adoption syndrome? Not to mention that the boy looks like adoption bait, then yes. I wouldn't be surprised if there really is a new Wayne. And a new bat/bird. Oh, speaking of which.
Barbie: * posted a poll *
Poll: Bat or bird?
Bat.
Bird
Not a vigilante
Blood_Son: I want no part of this.
After a short correspondence, Damian returned to his observation of his father. The younger man could only cluck his tongue and snort unhappily. He had never understood all this enthusiasm from his brothers. Their family was already big enough to keep picking up the abandoned and abused. No, of course, as the truest of heroes they had a duty to help those in difficult situations. But that doesn't mean picking up everyone in a row! Even Damian doesn't behave so irresponsibly. He used to pick up all the abandoned cats and dogs that had to be hidden from Alfred and the others. But after several punishments from Pennyworth and Father, the boy realized that it was impossible to shelter all the street animals. That's why special shelters were created for such cases. Maybe comparing man and animal is not the best idea, but the very morality of what is happening is the same!
- Father. Can I ask you something? - The request sounded so sudden that Bruce could barely contain a small twitch. He seemed to be so fidgeting that he hadn't even noticed his youngest had stealthily come so close to him. Looks like he's a little rusty. He should get more rest.
- Right, Damian? - The older Wayne looked at his child in all seriousness, but without being too harsh. Of course, the younger one was also being punished for patronizing his brothers. But at least they weren't reckless enough to go all out and tell no one. At least someone was in Gotham and aware of the situation. If Dick, Jason, and Tim didn't get back in time, then the rest of them could ring the panic bell.
Damian frowned strangely, as if trying to find the right words so he wouldn't sound too rude and be understood enough:
- Please don't bring any new tenants into the house. I... Tt, don't need new siblings. -
Here's another one. First Alfred, who nearly gave Bruce a heart attack, and now his youngest son confirms what he said the day before. His children have found some child in the strangest place you'd never hear of unless you were connected to the town, and they're clearly going to bring him to the manor. The joke about the serial adoptee has been going around their place for a while now, but it shouldn't have gotten this far!
- Of course, Damian. -
After saying that, Bruce finally left the manor. He needed to take a few days off from work before he boarded the next flight. Afterwards he'll have to deal with the consequences of long absences, but that's not that important right now. The older man's biggest concern is, for what such a reason did his older kids not say anything? No, not really. All the kids. The old bat might be getting a little tired, but that didn't mean he'd let his guard down that much. All of his underlings were in cahoots and somehow they'd managed to get even Damian involved. On top of that, they were going on a mission that involved a civilian (surely?) teenager. And while Batman has to get to the now never heard of Amity Park, he's also going to need to look into all the information he can.
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It was only the second hour on the airplane with his laptop, and Bruce already had a headache. No, it wasn't the altitude, not even the air pits. It was something else entirely. Getting to Amity should have been very easy, but for some reason the route kept getting off track. Several circles had to be made around the place before locating the closest airport to request a landing. This was leading to a new discovery. It was as if there was some sort of invisible dome around the small city, covering the immediate areas as well. In a way it resembled radiation, as if there had been some kind of accident that had swept over the area and settled everywhere, contaminating areas. But that wasn't the case. If one took a good look at the history of the place, there were no laboratory and testing studies of nuclear weapons and such. Nevertheless, a good digging into the distant history, Bruce found some interesting articles, like the fact that back in the day during the Salem Trials, witch executions had been carried out here. Since then, the area has remained virtually uninhabited, almost forgotten and cut off from the rest of the world. A small town soon settled thanks to the altruistic spirit of some of the inhabitants.
"Is it possible that among the witches burned here, there could actually be magicians? In that case, this area should have been imbued with a certain energy. Not good."
Dealing with magic was always problematic. Bruce didn't like magic and he didn't want to be associated with it in any way. However, his boys had already gotten involved before they'd fully explored the situation. There was nothing left to do but take matters into their own hands. Besides, it was also worth finding out more about the child that had his boys so disturbed. Judging from the rest of the resurfaced videos, the kid had disturbing skills. In addition, the child has to deal with the unknown threat on his own. There are no law enforcement officers in the footage. Even worse.
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After he landed, he had to pay a few bribes to keep his arrival quiet. There was no need to make a fuss now. The guys' whereabouts in this place are too hard to trace. The technology works too badly, as if an ordinary civilian was somewhere in the middle of nowhere, lost in the woods and trying to find a signal by climbing high pine trees. Thankfully, Bruce knows the guys too well to anticipate their possible actions. First, they had to find a place where they were staying. There weren't many, but after making a few exceptions, the detective found the right one.
Next things were pretty routine, they needed to check in, make sure no one spread any unnecessary information, and most importantly, find out about unknown possible threats.
"Ghosts, huh?" - sounded like the truest of nonsense. And if Bruce hadn't seen stranger things before, he probably wouldn't have believed it. But this was reality and in this alienated reality people lived. The small town was saturated with fear of the undead creatures that were terrorizing the town. And the only people who can stop them are the local mad scientists, teenagers, the rare interventions of government agents and the ghosts themselves. Or rather, the local dead hero. Or not exactly a hero? Apparently the residents of Amity Park weren't sure who the ghost named "The Phantom" was. A controversial identity, and yet Bruce doesn't think this ghost could actually be a real threat.
"If the 'ghosts' are some sort of separate interdimensional race connected to Earth, this is a case worth handing over to the green lanterns. I really don't like the fact of where this could lead." - There were many feelings struggling inside Bruce. On the one hand, he was proud of his boys because they had paid attention to a single clip on the internet that had exposed them to a possible mysterious threat. On the other hand, right now they had little to no training, and they were in the middle of otherworldly events that they probably couldn't influence right now, putting themselves in great danger.
He needed to find the boys as soon as possible and make a plan of action. And then there's the kid. Right. Another important detail was the kid. A teenager, about Damian's age, who was putting himself in danger protecting the city. Where were his parents? For what reason did the teenager take responsibility? (Obviously adults aren't very competent, but for what reason specifically did this kid decide to put himself in danger, what motivated him to act?)
The puzzle didn't seem to be adding up. Or rather, it wasn't. There were enough pieces, but it was impossible to get a single picture. Batman didn't like it.
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Around the afternoon, another attack happened in Amity Park. Bruce decided not to get too close to the scene, he was sure his guys were already there, at least two of them. (A later video that appeared online from Grayson's account confirmed this). The kid was probably in there somewhere, tonight would be the best moment to meet with him and have a conversation. And a little later would be the best moment to have a conversation with all of them. While the boys were busy with one task, Bruce surveyed the surroundings. The town was very uneasy. Being here, it felt as if you were being watched, as if eyes were everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Was it the effects of being infected with a strange energy? Or unknown otherworldly beings lurking nearby and watching our world? Everything in the city is alive and dead at the same time. Whether it was self-delusion or not, I felt more and more uneasy by the hour.
The information in this place was worth collecting from the words of the locals and from hard copies, which were in high demand. And the more one dived into the data, the more things diverged from each other. At times like this, Batman thought about how it would be nice to have Tim around to sort things out. Despite having to temporarily remove all the guys from their assignments and put them under proper supervision, Timothy would be the only one available for the job. This case is itchy and irritating and unfortunately, for now, the elder Wayne sees no way to handle it without Red Robin's help. And, most likely, Barbara's. Still, it will be necessary to leave Alfred with a reminder to pay more attention to Tim and force him to rest at least occasionally.
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That same evening, Bruce caught the boys at the café. Jason and Tim were arguing with each other and didn't even notice him walking up to them. The expression on Timothy's face was genuinely worried, embarrassed, and ashamed, as if he'd been caught playing a prank and was well aware that he was about to be punished, while Jay was thoroughly displeased and definitely about to start a verbal altercation. Bruce just looked at the younger man with a menacing and disgruntled fatherly look. And the latter understood him without words, picking up his cell phone and calling Dick:
"Dick?...I have to warn you. You know, uh. We're in trouble here."
On the other side of the receiver came a voice
"Trouble? What are you talking about? Tim?"
The younger man sighed then and put the phone on speaker so everyone could hear. Bruce gave a short reply:
"Dick. You and your brothers are in big trouble. Once you are in Gotham, expect me to take action. For now, we will wait for you at the hotel. We have much to discuss, and I want a full report of the information..."
There were three unhappy sighs.
- Yes, Bruce.
"And I told you the old man was going to blow a gasket!" - Jason finally burst out, which was exactly what Batman had expected:
"You two - we're going on site now. No objections, now is not the time."
And he'd wanted to object at first. But B was right. There were bigger problems now, and their time was very limited. Once at the meeting place, the only thing left to do was to wait for the eldest child. And he wasn't alone, there was someone else with him. A figure of small stature, the child would barely reach Bruce's solar plexus.
"Hmm. Dick, I thought I made it clear for you to come alone." - The man adopted an impenetrable stance, turning on Batman mode. He hadn't expected him to bring the kid with him. They needed to talk privately right now before dragging in outsiders. Besides, this kind of involvement of their civilian personalities in such matters already put their identities at risk.
Grayson coughed slightly into his fist and pulled the boy closer to Bruce as the child seemed to be trying to hide behind Dick's back.
"Well... You didn't actually tell me not to bring anyone else, so... Meet Bruce, this is Danny." - The boy crouched a little awkwardly under the man's hard stare, though he tried his best to hold himself up and not look away. His face took on a guilty look for showing up here...
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Wayne..." - Still, the boy tried to be polite, even though the situation was very tense. A closer look at the teenager's face now showed signs of his recent tantrum. His eyes were puffy and red, his skin was too pale and reminded him of Tim, who had been out of the room too long, working nights on things, and the kid's hands were twitching slightly as if he had recently been stressed and was trying to pull away. Bruce relaxed a little and slowed his pace. Since the kid was here, he shouldn't have put any more pressure on him:
"Nice to meet you, Danny. Please call me Bruce. I'm sorry my boys made you nervous." - The kid perked up a little and started waving his arms in denial:
"Oh, no, no, not at all! It's all right. In fact... In fact, I'm glad they were there for me, ser. Talking to Dick really helped me. I-I understand if you don't want to be of further assistance, but I'm grateful to be listened to." - Dick gently put his hand on Danny's shoulder and smiled at him:
"Don't worry buddy, we'll be sure to help you. B, we need to step back, okay? Will you guys look after Danny?" - The boys understood perfectly and agreed without bickering. Bruce looked Dick in the eye and saw that this was going to be a really tough conversation. A very difficult one.
Stepping aside, Bruce let his eldest begin:
- Things are really bad. Tim will be able to tell you about the state of the city and other things. Jason has a lot to say, too. But one thing is important right now - Danny is in danger. His parents are real mad scientists who have turned their home into a place of research. And, what a coincidence, ghosts are their research subject. But it gets worse from here. Something bad happens to Danny and he ends up with an ability. But it's not a meta-gene. The source of his powers is ghost energy. And anything to do with ghosts is off-limits to the government... -
- Which makes his origin illegal... - Bruce quickly concludes, realizing where this story is going. So, the boy finds himself in a difficult life situation.
"A house that's been converted into a laboratory and research is already kind of a disaster. Especially if there are children in the house. Also, a child who happens to be closely associated with a research facility is not a good sign."
After some thought, Bruce concludes:
- It is dangerous for the boy to stay at home, besides, he could be a useful source of information for us. What's the general atmosphere of the house? -
- On edge. His parents aren't exactly obsessed with their research. The only person who can take care of Danny is his sister, who's away at college right now. I doubt she's of legal age. From what Danny says, she's aware of his living situation. -
That wasn't good.
- So she can't take custody of him and take care of him. We need to contact his older sister and talk through the risks. -
Dick nodded to Bruce, and then they went back to the others. The tension had eased a little, though the atmosphere was a little awkward. It was like they wanted to ask a ton of questions, but everyone was struggling to keep from caving in to the wave of pressure and anxiety. When Danny and the older Wayne's gazes met, the boy understood him immediately, he was clearly going to be approached with some sort of request right now. It was even... strange. Usually only his children, not just bystander civilians, could determine Bruce's intentions with half a word or even by his appearance:
- Danny. Listen to me very carefully now. Dick has told me a little bit about your- your situation. And I'm concerned about what might happen. Right now we need to act quickly and clearly, you know what I'm saying? - Danny tensely nods without saying a word, then Bruce continues,
- 'We need to contact your big sister and tell her what's going on. I know you'd hate to bother her, but it has to be done, you know? We need someone who can back up our testimony in your favor. -
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"Testimony? ... Is this man talking about- No, that can't be-" -
- You mean we'll have to go to court and- - Danny doesn't get a chance to finish. There's that unfortunate "yes" he didn't want to hear. That's what's happening. The point has been reached.
"Where is my life going? I asked the first strangers to solve my problems and I'm going to go against my own parents in court, what nonsense... And the worst part is that now I'll do anything. Just to be away from home. No, it's not. Just to be safe from them."
- I got it. Yeah, okay. Can I talk to Jaz first? She has to- She needs to hear everything from me first. -
Once on the doorstep of the hotel, the boy pulled out his phone and went to the last contacts he had dialed. Mustering up the courage, the boy presses the button to call his sister... Long beeps are heard, causing his heart to start beating more frequently. And then, someone picks up the phone. He hears the anxious, familiar, warm voice of his sister:
- Danny! Anciently, one tearful call was reason enough to worry. But two whole calls in one day!? Give me now the only reason not to get in the car to come to Amity! -
Danny laughed a little, after which he coughed a little and said:
- Your scholarship...? -
- Oh, Danny! Tell me what happened. Brother, if you need help, I'll drop everything and come over right now-
- Jazz! Jazz, listen to me. Just sit down. And listen. It's important. -
The boy fell silent for a bit, then continued when he heard his sister cowering a little in the background, but silent and therefore listening intently to him:
- I...something I didn't say this morning. This afternoon...I discovered something in my parents' lab. They. did a. very. very. unethical. experiment on. a. ghost. -
Jaz sighed fearfully on the other end of the tube, making Danny twitch a little. Still, she remained silent for now, realizing that the story had only just begun:
- And...I met up with them later. They... Jazz, they were more like mad scientists. And... if you could say they were eccentric before, now... I was scared, you know? And also. They lied. They never lied before and they always let us in on their plans, you know? And now. They're hiding the fact that they're working with Giv. Я.. I'm afraid I'm gonna be the next target on the table. I'm sorry to say that- -
- Danny. I'm coming to get you right now. Just hang in there, don't come home. Stay with Sam or Tucker. Don't even think about going home! -
- Whoa, whoa, whoa! Jazz, this isn't over! -
The boy abruptly interrupted a girl who was about to hang up and run to her car:
- I'm not alone. You're not gonna believe this, but there are people right here with me right now. They know what's going on. One of them is an adult. He wants to help. But we're probably gonna have to go to court and- Ancients, I just can't say this out loud! -
My eyes are starting to sting again. The tears are somewhat soaked with ectoplasm, turning them green. There's a slight sobbing sound.
- I-I-I- I'm so sorry, Jazz, do you know that I miss ya...? -
- Danny…
Big sister Fenton can't hold back her tears. She knows where this is going. And she knows her brother will blame himself for all the problems, when that's not what's going on. She has to be there for him right now! For her little brother's sake, she would do anything. And if that meant going against her parents, then so be it.
- Danny, calm down, I'm right here, okay? It's gonna be okay, it's not your fault in any way. I'm always on your side. And I miss you, too. Don't worry, okay? I'll be there soon. We'll figure it out together. You mentioned some adults, didn't you? Are you sure you can trust them?
The boy calmed down a little, trying to catch his breath:
- Yes. I'm...I'm sure they can be trusted. Right, about that. - Danny quickly wiped the remnants of ectoplasmic tears from his face. Then walked back towards the hotel:
- You need to talk to Mr. Bruce about this... everything. I just wanted to give you the news and- -
Jazmine interrupted her brother before he could finish.
- I understand, Danny. Put me on the phone to talk to this man. -
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Walking back to the Wayne family, the boy carefully handed the phone to the head of the family, then stayed close by. He didn't feel like talking to anyone but his sister right now, but she needed to talk to Mr. Wayne right now, so he would stay behind to eavesdrop on the conversation. Bruce thanked the boy for handing him the phone:
- Jazz Fenton here, who do I have to talk to? -
- This is Bruce Wayne, you can just call me Bruce, nice to meet you, Ms. Jazz.
The girl coughed a little in the background.
- Bruce Wayne as in billionaire Bruce Wayne? From Gotham? - Well, maybe not the most shocking news I've heard today, but it's definitely a killer:
- That's right. - The man replies with restraint, realizing that what is happening may indeed seem as absurd as possible. A slight whisper is heard from the girl, as if the words were saying to herself, "Danny, how do you manage to get yourself into situations like this...Oh that Fenton's luck...".
- Ahem, getting to the point. I know Danny's situation right now. And as much as I'd like to keep him out of danger, there's not much we can do at this point. Hiring lawyers and setting up a trial is no problem, but your little brother isn't your average kid, is he? -
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Jazz exhaled in shock. How much could this man know about her brother's situation? That he was a half-ghost? Or that he had ghost powers? Or that he was the son of the two leading scientists who had opened a portal to another world? She's a bad liar. The best option is to play along with this man in a way that answers his questions without specifics:
- Yes, that's true. But there are bigger issues. I would absolutely love to have Danny for myself, but I'm a minor. The court simply won't allow me to take custody of my brother. Besides, I don't have a steady income and I live in a college dorm. The other option is our godfather and- He's not the best person, you know? I don't know what's worse, leaving my brother with my parents... With the Fentons or with him. -
No. After what her brother told her, she can't call the Fentons her parents anymore.
- I understand what you're saying, Ms. Jazz. I hope you can come to Amity Park as soon as possible, we'll need to discuss the situation in person and get you up to speed. -
- Yes. I'll be there as soon as I can. But- Mr. Wayne. Can you answer the question? Why are you trying to help us? -
Adults don't usually get involved in things like this without a reason. Especially rich adults. Vlad was a pretty good example of that kind of person. But Bruce Wayne- Came to godforsaken town to keep Danny safe? Really? That can't just be true. There's got to be something else.
- I'm not gonna lie, I'm not just concerned about your brother's situation. But the whole situation your family and the entire town is in. It's not really my or your area of expertise, it's a matter for professionals who can be trusted with the world. Peace between humanity and a possible new race unknown to the rest of the world. As far as I can tell, young Danny was one of those trying to keep things under control. But a child shouldn't be involved in such dangerous matters, and even if they were, they should have a mentor by their side to keep an eye on them.
"I knew something wasn't right. But between the hammer and the anvil, this is the best option. We should thank the Ancients themselves that Danny got involved with Bruce Wayne rather than Lex Luthor or Vlad (which, in general, aren't much different)."
- Just promise me that Danny will be safe. And when I can provide for us on my own, I can take my brother into my custody. -
- Of course, Ms. Jazz. See you soon. -
The phone was disconnected and the room fell silent.
"Hang in there, brother, this nightmare will be over soon, I promise, no matter what it takes."
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When the conversation was over, the old cell phone was handed back into the hands of the teenager, who shuffled from foot to foot in anticipation from nerves. The blue eyes read a question that the boy had no way of voicing. But Bruce only nodded relaxedly and put a hand on Danny's shoulder to reassure him:
- It's going to be okay. We'll sort it all out. Do you have someone to stay with tonight? -
- Yeah, I think I can stay with my friend Tucker, his parents always make me feel welcome. -
- Good. (chuckles) Then go to his place. Hopefully we can meet tomorrow. It's pretty late, should we walk you out? -
- No, don't worry, Mr. Bruce, I'll be fine. Thanks for your help. Thank you all, really. I'll go. Oh! And if there's a ghost attack, try to stay in safe places. And don't call the ghostbusters. And don't stop Phantom from doing his job. Okay? Bye! -
The boy disappeared out the door and left. Then all the Waynes were finally alone. Bruce was the first to speak:
- And now you three are- Punished. No costumes for a week. -
- You can't be serious, Bruce! -
- For fuck's sake, man, I'm not gonna listen to you anymore! -
Bruce looked at all three of them with a steely gaze and added:
- Two weeks.
There were only three heavy sighs.
- Now, you three will give me your full reports. -
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Well, perhaps things were more complicated than they seemed at first glance. Ghosts, a portal to another dimension in the basement of an apartment building, questionable government laws, possible contact with Lazarus' water, and all of this hinged on ordinary teenagers and a teenage ghost. The amount of problems was starting to give me a headache.
- Tim, I'm trusting you to gather information and report back to the Justice League. We need to cover the problem of the interdimensional invasion. Jason. Don't act recklessly. We know how much trouble this could cause. -
Todd interrupted Bruce angrily:
- Don't you dare finish that sentence. Damn it. I hate to disagree with you, but- This place really makes me itch, literally. But if there really is that green stuff in here, then we're screwed. I don't want Rus to find out about this. -
B grinned, no emotion on his face, then turned to the older man:
- Dick, you're going to help me in court. We'll contact the lawyers to get the boy released. -
Dick confidently saluted with two fingers:
- That's right!... Speaking of which. Bruce, we're not gonna leave him, are we? I mean. After everything that's happened to him, leaving him with someone else wouldn't be a good idea and-
Grayson's eyes shifted to Bruce. The puppy-dog look was like a plea for the boy to stay with them, as if the older man had probably grown attached in such a short time. And judging by the actions and words of the rest of his boys, they were probably mentally prepared for the child to be left with them.
- Temporarily. He'll stay with us temporarily until his sister can take charge. -
There was a satisfied, "YES-S-S!" - after which the older man picked up his phone and typed something into the phone. He sighed a little sadly, as if the message didn't want to be sent, and soon left, saying that he would try to get down to business, as long as he could reach someone in the middle of nowhere.
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A light knock at the door surprised the occupants of the house quite a bit. Mr. and Mrs. Foley did not expect to see Danny on the threshold of their house, however, hospitably invited the boy inside and offered him dinner. Naturally he could not refuse them. Tucker went downstairs and greeted his friend. There was worry in his eyes, but the ghost boy gave a slight hint that it hadn't gone so badly and they could talk about it later when they were alone.
Mrs. Foley warmed up dinner and set the plates in front of Danny:
- You've been so thin lately, look at you! You should eat more. At your age you should eat a lot, Danny, it's good for your growth. - Ah, here's the sore spot. Truth be told, his height hadn't changed one bit in a year, and this was the period when he was supposed to be growing! After doing some research online, the guys came across an article that said some people stopped growing after being electrocuted. If you think about it that way, in addition to the ectoplasm, thousands of volts of electricity had passed through him! They didn't want to believe in a possible bad scenario, but the more time passed, the more the theory became reality:
- Um... Yes, you're certainly right, Mrs. Angela. - The boy rubs the back of his head awkwardly before starting dinner. Honestly, the younger Fenton had grown to miss the home-cooked meal.
- How are your parents doing? Surely they're designing something new? - Mr. Foley asked him, flipping through the newspaper in his hands. The boy immediately became quiet and began picking at his food with his fork. Mr. Maurice looked away from the paper and glanced at his guest, shifting his gaze from him to his wife, and later to his son, who began to make signs that said: Don't go on, change the subject.
- Ahem! Well. How was school? Any interesting school projects? -
Nothing much going on. It didn't matter. The conversation gradually became less tense and devolved into the usual routine. Soon the boys finished and left the kitchen, leaving Foley's parents alone. Angela sighed excitedly and summarized the thought that was on both adults' minds:
- Poor kid...
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- What's up, man? Talk to me! - Tucker called Sam to keep her in touch with them.
- Uh-huh. First, I met with Bruce Wayne himself. -
- WHAT? - they both exclaimed, as that was simply impossible. He certainly wasn't in town, and besides, Sam would have known for sure, she would have been informed!... If only her middlemen hadn't been paid more... Shit. Rich people.
- Yeah. Ahem. That's not all. The conversation went really well, actually. I'm feeling better and calmer. So, uh. I revealed part of what happened, but they don't know I'm the Phantom. And they won't. Also, I'm suing my parents. And maybe I'll stay with Mr. Wayne for a while? -
- WHAT? - was the second exclamation of surprise from both guys.
- Dude. Your life is just something. - Tucker just collapsed on the bed and covered his face with his hands. Sam just rubbed her tired eyes on the other side of the smartphone screen:
- That's not a word Tucker, that's not a word. What about Jaz? Does she know what's going on? -
- Actually, yeah. She's probably gonna be here tomorrow. Jaz can take custody of me when she can. I guess she'll also be suing my parents and- It's so hard. Ancients. I'm really doing this. I'm going to live with a relatively normal Fruitloop for now and sue my own ancestors. This sounds like some kind of crazy dream. -
- Dude, your life itself sounds like a crazy dream. After turning into a ghost/human hybrid, becoming the new Wayne sounds like something normal. Omg, bro! Bro! THAT'S RIGHT! You're the new Wayne! I can't believe it. -
Danny frowned a little, looking at his friend with a slightly angry look:
- I'm not Wayne. They're just gonna help me. And not just me, but all of us. Afterward, I'll stay with Jaz and I'll start living my quiet half-ghost life!..!
- And-or-or, you'll become the new foster kid of a famous billionaire in Gotham and join the furry brigade. -
Tucker snapped, which irritated both of them.
- Hey, Danny, hit Tucker with a pillow for me," Sam asked, contentedly watching on her phone.
- I'd love to! -
The boy flashed his green eyes and grabbed the nearest pillow, swinging it at Tucker. Tucker barely dodged the blow before grabbing a weapon to fight back with:
- Hey! That's not fair! Take that! OUCH! - Before the boy with glasses could throw his pillow, another one flew at him and knocked him down. Tucker spat out a few feathers that had gotten into his mouth, then swung his fists in the air:
- I demand a rematch! -
- Hit me first! - Danny smiled slyly and simply disappeared, becoming invisible.
- That's cheating! -
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