Chapter Text
Danny Fenton
Fog on the wind caressed Danny's core, an invitation from Lady Gotham. He yawned. After telling his parents, patrolling, and quieting Jason's obsession over his welcome into the Fraid, Danny didn't know how much longer he'd be able to stay awake. Sure, he'd… Okay, no, he hadn't really had worse nights in Amity. Well, except for the one time Tucker accidentally emptied the thermos…
He went invisible and flew to the location of the call. Before he arrived he could feel the chill of another ghost. When he got closer, Batman was waiting on a rooftop just outside the haunt borders of the alley.
Okay, even the thermos emptied wasn't this bad. Was this more Justice League shit? Why didn't he go through Nightwing if that were the case? Danny landed, leaned against the wall, and became visible again. Before he could speak, Batman nodded a greeting. "Your Majesty."
Okay, Danny, play it cool. "Batman. Your Lady called for me, it seems."
"She has been… very helpful recently." Why the hell was the Batman admitting that to him?
Oh, well. "That's good to hear."
Batman sighed. "I have a request, Your Majesty. I would like your help." Hold up. If the big bad Bat was asking for his help, this wasn't Justice League shit. "I realize this is… presumptuous… of me, but I am…" He gritted his teeth a moment, and Danny barely heard the whisper of, "desperate."
There was no point hiding his /surprise/ "You want my help?"
Batman nodded.
/presumptuous? Why?/ Talking to another halfa, the ghost speak came easily. "What is it you want help with?"
Batman took a deep breath and Danny realized he wasn't hearing any ghostspeak from the other halfa. Apparently, Batman had figured out how to lock it down. "I want my son back."
Uh, what had he just said? "Your… Son…?" /confused-concerned/
"The Red Hood." Okay, seriously, the fuck had he just said?
The Red Hood, responsible for a double-digit body count, Batman's no-kill rule, and Batman was calling Red Hood his son?? "I am missing so much context here." He kept his ghostspeak from radiating, but he was pretty sure he wore that what the fuck on his face.
If Batman had an expression, the cowl hid it well. "Nightwing and… others… have convinced me that it would be a mistake to go see him. And he has not left Crime Alley in several days."
"Okay…" Danny shook his head, frowning. "Seeing if I follow so far. Red Hood is your son, and the whole almost-turf war would've been a family feud, but now you want him back home?"
"I… did not know who he was until the night he kidnapped Robin. No… Nightwing told me, but I didn't believe it. Not until that night."
"That kinda makes sense." It really didn't. "What kind of help are you asking me for, exactly?"
"Convince him to talk to me. To let me see him." Fuck.
"I can't make any promises. His choices are his to make. But I can tell him you want to talk."
"Thank you."
Danny nodded and vanished, heading back to the brownstone. The roof access wasn't the worst place he'd ever caught a nap and Jason needed to hear this from him.
A while later, an electronically modulated "Danny," roused him, followed by, "What the fuck?"
As if he hadn't been asking himself that the whole way back from talking to Batman. He shook himself awake. /needed to talk to you/ "Oh, hey."
Hood snorted. "Hey yourself." /rage-what about?-mine-green/
Standing to stretch the kinks out of his back, fuck still having muscles, he sighed. "Your... Dad? I guess?" /god, I'm missing so much context/
"My dad," Hood growled. /rage-green-loss-rage-mine-not mine-green/
Yup, that sounded about as expected. "His words. Not mine." /weirdest conversation I have ever had/ and /breathe/
Jason kept his breathing even, counted, steady. "So what context are you missing?"
"Whatever led to Batman telling me you're his son and he wants you back." Danny kept his guard up but open physically, and used ghostspeak to reassure Jason he didn't expect any actual threat. /asked me to tell you he wants to talk/
Hood sighed. "Not… tonight. I can't fucking deal with this tonight… fucking hell. In the morning. I'll… give you that context. Tell everyone. Go from there." /rage-tired-green-hurting-need mine/
"Alright. Over lunch?" /accepted/ and /won't push/ and /sorry/
"Sure."
---
Jazz Fenton
Jazz kept her focus on cutting the vegetables. She'd cook the meat later in a different pan. It wasn't easy sticking to Sam's 'everything fresh' diet on their budget, but they were trying, and stir fry could stretch with the rice and sauce. Jason's /rage-green/ floated into the brownstone when he returned from whatever he'd been doing that morning.
She wasn't thinking about that. She did offer him a smile when he stopped by the kitchen to survey her handiwork. It didn't take long after that to finish the stir fry, and the rice was already cooked.
She heard Danny greet Jason, "Hey."
"Hey. Still want that context?" Jason's ghostspeak made it clear he wasn't looking forward to this conversation. /rage-uncomfortable-green-determined-mine/
/curious-here for you-I miss something?/ Sam's curiosity knew no limits, so that was no surprise. And Jason kept teasing her about knowing her.
"We're here. We'll listen." Jazz smiled at Danny's next words. /no judgment/
Sam's was pure veggie. Jazz split the rest of the meat five ways -- her, Danny, and Jason and extra meat for Tucker. Tucker had to extricate himself from cuddling Danny before taking his bowl. /dude, whatever it is, you're Fraid now/
Sam and Danny took theirs with thanks, and she brought Jason his next. He said /thanks-trust-green-safe/
"Danny said some weird stuff went down last night?" Jazz pulled a kitchen chair into the living room and sat down. She was /confused/ but /so long as I'm not party to a kidnapping again/
Jason chuckled. "Yeah? Tell Robin that." /nah beautiful-green-just stuff you should know/
She huffed. /alright/ "So, stuff we should know, huh?"
Danny shrugged. "Apparently." /so much missing context last night/ and /no idea how this ends/ and /here to help/ Something had really gotten to her little brother last night.
Sam "Does that mean I'm finally gonna learn where we met?" /seriously-so curious/
Instead of answering her question, Jason launched into a story. "So. I grew up right here in Crime Alley. Dead mom, deadbeat dad." /old story/ "By the time I was twelve I was stealing tires off cars for money to eat."
Tucker winced. "Dude..." /ouch, that sucks/
Sam frowned. /guilt-sad/ Which was an odd reaction. For all her heart, she was still from one of Amity Park's richest families, and Jazz didn't understand much of where she was coming from.
Jason shrugged. "It was life. One night, I was out late. Found a fancy car sitting out, hadn't ever seen anything like it. Figured fancy car, fancy tires, jackpot." /rage-humor-green-dumb kid/
Danny nodded. "Makes sense." /any idea whose car it was?/ and /nothing expected/ and /fuck/
Jazz listened, since no one was wildly upset right now, and Jason's /rage/ and /green/ were fairly quiet.
/oh I found out-rage-anticipation-get this/ Jason said, "This wasn't just any fancy car. I had three tires off and was working on the fourth when the owner found me." He paused with a bit of a smirk. She knew that smirk, even as short a time as she'd known Jason. It basically said hold my beer. "I was jacking the fucking Batmobile."
Somehow, the fact that Jason had, at one point in the past, tire-jacked the Batmobile might've surprised Jazz had they met under other circumstances. As it was? She shook her head, amused.
Sam's jaw dropped. "You what?!"
Tucker made a strangled noise. /the Batmobile?-you jacked the Batmobile??/
Jason laughed, but it was coarse and humorless. "Yup."
/one hell of a story/ and /not sure where this is going/ Danny's confusion swept over Jazz and she frowned. What happened between them last night that prompted Jason to tell this story?
"He made me put the tires back on, then bought me dinner. Somehow in there, he convinced me to go with him."
Jazz let her /shock/ show on her face. Batman what?
Jason nodded. "I was terrified, but figured it had to be better than where I'd been, yeah?" /nostalgia-rage-lost-green/
"A couple months later, he adopted me, all legal-like. Somewhere in there, I started going out as Robin." /rage-grief-loss-guilt-green-wistful/ "Robin was fucking magic."
"I bet that was." Jazz moved over to squeeze his hand. She knew what a sore spot Robin was for him. /don't have to tell if you don't want to/ she reassured him.
"Oh, it was a hell of a thing. Spent the first year waiting to find out what perverted shit he was going to demand for 'rescuing' me." Jazz winced at that. She knew what billionaires taking advantage of kids could look like. He sighed. "But B always tried to be good to me. Until I screwed it up." /my fault-rage-fucking breathe-safe here/
/safe here/ Danny's chill voice fell like snow around them and Tucker's sparks tingled like hands just warming up. Jazz kept his hand in hers. Sam, however, continued to be the mistress of snark.
Sam's playful spiky leaves fell around Jason as she continued to be the mistress of snark. /always safe here-whoever the fuck you are/ Jazz was still surprised Sam had made such a turnaround after that spell debacle.
---
Sam Manson
Jason shrugged. "But yeah, even with B doing his best and A to help, it was a lot." /Little Orphan Annie shit/
Wait a second. Sam had heard that comment before. Was that a hint? /Orphan Annie?-suspisious-familiar-from where?/ She shook her head and took another bite.
Jason smirked. It would be so satisfying to wipe that smirk off his face. /you'll figure it out one day-princess/
Danny chuckled. "One day, huh?"
Then the pieces all fell into place. No. No way. It just wasn't possible. She choked on her food, too shocked to swallow properly. Danny started patting her back. /Oh my fuck! Omf OMf OMF!/ "You... fuck..." She gasped after finally swallowing the bite she'd choked on and sputtered, "Bruce Wayne is fucking Batman?"
/Okay, now I really need context./ Danny's voice came through like falling icicles.
Jason laughed. The tremors of his ghost voice spoke of great amusement. /took you long enough-like those swans?/
Sam glared. "Fuck you! Those things cost me a week of bowling privileges, and also tasted awful." /omf-omf-omf/
"Told you they were expensive." Damn. He was using her shock as a distraction. Something had him in a jumble.
Sam slammed against the back of the couch, arms crossed, glaring at him. Her ghost speak gave away the rebellious streak she'd always carried. /still remember the look on Mom's face-that was hilarious/
Jazz took what looked like a calming breath. "While I'd love to keep watching you two bicker..." /Danny has a point/ and /why would you think Bruce Wayne is Batman/
Sam sighed. She still couldn't quite reconcile the full-grown man in front of her with the nervous, frustrated kid she'd met at that gala six years ago. "Lady and gentlemen, may I present Jason Todd-fucking-Wayne, adopted heir to the Wayne fortune, and absolute brat."
Danny rubbed his temples. /what is my life?/ and /what is Gotham/
Tucker stared at her like she'd been taken over by Undergrowth again. "Okay, but Bruce Wayne is an absolute himbo. You said so yourself." /no offense, dude/
"Brucie Wayne is the biggest himbo in the world," Jason said. "And a complete fucking lie."
/none taken/
Danny straightened, though he still wore his difficult English lecture face. "So...you know Sam from...what, some fancy-ass rich party or something?" /And Batman took you home, revealed himself as Bruce Wayne, adopted you, and then you became Robin in all of that somewhere?/
"My first gala. All the harpies wanted to peck apart Brucie's latest charity project and little Sammie Manson decided she was going to defend me." Jason smiles -- a real smile -- at Sam. /owe you-mine-green/
Sam shrugged. "Hey, it kept us both from losing our fucking minds and me from punching at least three people for calling me an adorable angel." Okay, maybe she wouldn't have punched them, but the idea had always been appealing.
"But you were so cute in that dress." Sam leveled her best glare at Jason to let him know that aunty-pinching-cheeks voice was way out of line.
"And I took scissors to it the moment I grew out of it." She grinned. He'd appreciate that tidbit for sure.
---
Jason Todd
Jason sighed. He hadn't expected Sam to figure him out today, but he was kinda glad she had. The break from serious stuff had been… good. But now he looked back at Danny /regret-determined-green/ "But yeah, Danny, that was about the size of it."
"Right. So...That mostly explains last night." /the fruit loop can't match this crazy/ and /desperate Batman, who knew?/ and /fuck/
"Yeah, so…" He could stop there. Danny had his answers. But sooner or later, they'd need to hear everything, and since they were already here… "I always had what assholes call 'anger problems' and I called 'the world sucks and I'm pissed about it.' And I started taking some of that anger out on the shit I ran into as Robin. B didn't like how violent I was getting, threatened to take Robin from me." /stupid kid-rage-shoulda listened-b was such an asshole/
"Yeah, humans are kinda fragile," Danny said, but his ghost speak was /the past won't change/ and /maybe make a better future/ and /yeah, he kinda is/
The support helped Jason keep going. "About that time, a woman got in touch with me, claiming to be my birthmother and that she wanted to meet." /wasn't good enough for b-rage-alone-easy pickings/
Danny frowned. "This sounds like..." /bad news that should have been good news/
Jazz squeezed Jason's hand again. Sam and Tucker weren't saying anything but Jason could feel /support/ and /curiosity/ from their ghostspeak.
"One way to put it. She was an addict who'd been bribed to get me out alone. So the fucking Joker could grab me." /rage-rage-green-fear-green-rage-alone-help-all alone/ Just talking about it called up the memories until they nearly swamped him. Jason focused on breathing and the feel of Jazz's hand.
Danny scowled, and this time it was his eyes flashing green. "Yeah, he's officially not one of the humans I'd protect." /not alone-Fraid-not alone-mine/
Jazz wrapped her arms around him and the warmth through the Fraid bond let Jason lean into the hug. He wasn't alone. Not while he had Fraid. He would never be alone again.
Sam chimed in as well /not alone-have us-not alone/
Tucker /yeah dude-never alone again/
Danny nodded agreement, keeping up the ghost speak of /not alone-mine-not alone/
Jason took a deep breath and forced out the next bit. "Long story short, B didn't get there in time." /if he even tried/
"We don't need details, and it would be rude to ask," Danny said. /wondering how Talia fits into all this, though/ and /he did try/
"When I came back, less than a year later, there was a new Robin, and Joker was still running around like nothing had happened and..." /rage-and fucking Talia-green/ "Told me that I'd been replaced, that B had forgotten about me, never cared." /rage-betrayed-green-lost-all gone/
Danny and Sam were talking, but Jason didn't listen. Couldn't. He needed to finish it before he couldn't. "I had a plan. Was gonna force B to choose – the Joker or me. Make him look me in the eyes and prove that he never really cared. Was gonna go after T- Robin too. Except I never thought of him as 'Robin'. Just… 'the pretender', who dared to think he was good enough to replace me." /rage-monster-green-guilt-breathe-over/ "Then Dick figure out who I was before I was ready, and yous all dropped into my life and turned everything upside down. And now Dick wants me to come to fucking family brunch of all things."
At some point, Jason started staring at the floor. He licked his lips nervously and made himself look up, meet Danny's gaze. "So there's your context Danny. Except that, I wasn't good enough for B when I was putting people in the hospital. So I can't figure out why he'd be willing to give me the time of day with a double-digit kill count."
"He's not big on explanations. Just told me he was desperate and wanted his son back." Danny said. He sounded distracted, like he had something else on his mind. After a minute he seemed to blink back into focus. "Jason, I need to ask you something."
"Alright." Jason tried to relax. There was nothing to fear here. The Fraid had been supportive this whole time, and he was Fraid now. He knew, thanks to Tucker's download, what that meant, how important it was. Nothing he'd told them today would change that.
"What happens when..." /I say Family/
Before Jason could really register the odd question he was drowning in green. But it wasn't rage this time, it was pain. His ghost speak was practically screaming /loss/ and /betrayed/ and /not mine/ /need mine/
He was lost. So lost, and alone, and needing, /FAMILY/ like it was oxygen and it was nowhere. He was alone...
He felt Jazz's arms, already wrapped around him, tighten, and the Fraid bond carried the surety and reassurance. That he wasn't alone. He was /ours-we'll fix it together-make better/
Danny's voice was quieter, but he still heard /breathe-I'm sorry/ and /had to be sure/ and /breathe-not alone-we're yours-we're here/
Distantly, he could feel Tucker struggling not to be overwhelmed by the barrage of ghostspeak. Jason tried to fight through the green, to find some of the calm he knew Jazz was offering. /not alone?-mine?-FAMILY?/
Jazz started stroking his hair. /yes-not alone-family/ and /Fraid is family/ and /not alone-not alone/
Then Sam was there, her vines somehow weaving through the green to reach him whispering, /of course not alone-ours-brat/
Danny got up and wrapped his arms around them. /PROTECT/ and /mine/ and /yours-not alone/ Tucker came over as well, and put a hand on Jason's shoulder. "We're here dude. Always."
---
Danny Fenton
Family. Danny yawned and sighed as Jason and Jazz headed to their side of the brownstone. That was a hell of an obsession Jason had, and with Batman pulling the 'my son' card, it was honestly a disaster in the making, but everything had been since coming to Gotham.
Better think about that in the morning. Sam was already in her satin nightgown and jammed against the wall. Tucker had stripped to boxers and motioned him over. Danny stripped down to underclothes as well and curled around Tucker.
"We need a bigger bed," Tucker whined. "Three of us in a full is too many."
Sam nodded. "Tomorrow we can move one of the other twin beds in here and shove them together."
Danny nodded well. "Yeah. I swear if Batman or Gotham try to call on me tonight, I'm throwing hands." He would, too. He snuggled his face into Tucker's neck.
Sam chuckled. "You aren't the only one." She wiggled around until she could sit up and punched her pillow a bit. Then she lay back down with a sigh, pulling Danny between her and Tucker, and against her as little spoon.
"Dude, just don't go. You need one night to yourself, you know." Tucker nodded to himself.
Danny snorted. "Yeah, well, if I'd known why Gotham called last night? I mean, I'm already on thin ice with Nightwing after how rude I was to him that first meeting. Now Batman is asking me for non-Justice League help with Jason? I just want sleep and to not think for like a day." Another yawn almost cut him off. He needed another night of patrol tomorrow. His core was sore.
"Hey, we got through this crazy week," said Sam, "And we found each other, so I call it a win."
Tucker grinned. "Yeah. Let's just take it one day at a time."
Danny grumbled wordlessly and drifted off as Sam and Tucker said their good nights to each other.