Chapter Text
Danny found himself occupied by swinging his feet that dangled off the bar stool. After many arguments, Sam and Tuck finally relented on a place to eat. It was a cafe in one of the better neighborhoods near the college. Reason for the high chairs and tall tables. He had to climb up into the seat, like the monkey bars at school. Tuck had offered to help, but Danny shot him a look that made Tuck chuckle- calling Danny “Mini Sam”.
Watching his red shoes go back and forth. That nickname itched at him. Mini Sam? What did that mean? Danny would shoot Tuck looks all the time when he disapproved. He just didn't do it as often. His eyes glanced back towards Tucker who started to scroll through his phone. He was watching videos, letting out little chuckles or 'Oo's' of excitement.
Danny leaned over to glance at the phone. Videos of new tech reviews, building computers, fail compilations, various people eating large portions of food, and-
Tucker turned off the screen of his phone pushing it aside with a nervous laugh, “A-ah ha! Maybe don't look at that one.”
Danny squinted, confused. He knew Tuck liked girls that were into dressing up as animals. They DID grow up together, at one point. It wasn't worse than his wallpaper that was on his phone. Sam and Jazz threw a fit about that one. Was that it?”
“Food's ready, dorks,” Sam said as she dropped a tray in front of them. It had their orders.
Since it was a small cafe, Danny didn't get the burger he wanted. He did get a bagel cheese and ham sandwich. Sam had ordered his drink, a sweet tea. Not normally what he would go after, but he'll take anything that wasn't the weird matcha drink Sam had going on. And at least his tea was sweet.
“You almost sound-”
“Tuck, if you finish that sentence.”
“You didn't know what I was going to say! Sheesh,” Tuck grumbled biting into his own ham bagel sandwich. An iced coffee sitting in front of him.
“Too much bread.”
Sam rolled her eyes, while pushing herself into her seat. She smirked unwrapping her plastic fork for her vegan pasta salad, made with zucchini noodles.
“You know, you COULD have ordered a salad.”
“Overprice rabbit food? No thanks.”
“Have you even seen Rabbit food prices?”
Danny started to tune them out as they went back to their friendly bickering. Most would have assumed Tucker and Sam hated each other, but that's how they chose to hang out. It gave them something to fight. Even if it did go too far at times. Tuck didn't even hate vegetables as much as he claims.
Danny eyed as Tuck reached over with a fork to steal a bite of Sam's food, while they continued to argue. Only for his hand to get smashed by Sam's.
He hadn't since he accidentally ate one of Sam's meals while raiding her fridge. He started to experiment since, though his pride never let him drop the act. Especially while Sam was still adamant about changing their diets. Or well, Tuck's diet. She's hadn't been on Danny's case for a long time.
He looked at his sandwich. The bagel was too much. It was bigger than his mouth, and not as tasty as a burger. However, he couldn't blame them for picking this spot. It was one of the few places that didn't have easy to squeeze condiments, with only cream/cottage cheese, jam, or olive oil to moisten the bread. Small too.
“Me and Sam discovered this little place while college was overrun with those goons. The wifi is awesome,” Tuck smiled at Danny.
Danny blinked, looking up at him.
“Came to hide from the ass-butt wipes, but stayed for the matcha!”
“YOU stayed for powdered grass,” Tucker corrected.
“And YOU stayed TO goon.”
“Its the algorithm! Its rigged based on my age and gender!”
“Yeah right, Tuck. I'm SURE its ALL based on that. Kind of funny, Trent doesn't get that?”
Trent?
“He also uses a six year old cheap pre-paid phone that by some miracle can still send text and has been disconnected from the browser. His knowledge of tech is stuck in the early 2000s and even that is bare minimum.
He uses full sentences in his texts and have no idea what VidTok is! Algorithm clocks him as a 56 year old man whose entire identity revolves around digging holes!” Tuck slumped into his seat with a heavy groan.
Sam snorted, “That's why we need to hang out with him more.”
“I rather hang out with Maggs.”
Sam rolled her eyes, “She's fiiine.”
“She picked her nose and wiped it on your jacket when you weren't looking,”
“SHE WHAT?! And you didn't tell me?!”
“I TRIED, remember? Then you started ranting about how I shouldn't judge based on her looks.”
“UGH! This one?”
“Nope,” Tuck said as he took a bite of his sandwich. “The one with the patches.”
“No! I wore that all last week- Tuck you better be lying.”
“I got a photo of it-”
“No, I'm good. Ugh, okay. I'll listen next time, but start with that first!”
Danny stuffed his face full of bagel, trying to fill the hunger of whatever was gnawing at his chest. It was heavy and felt incredibly... wrong. But it wasn't?
Why wouldn't Sam and Tuck talk about college? Jazz did. It was normal.
But he wasn't.
He started to choke on his food. Tuck reached over to pat his back while Sam pushed his tea closer for him to grab.
“Sheesh Danny, don't just down the whole thing. We can't have you dying on us again,” Sam joked weakly.
“I told you it was too much bread,” Tuck mused, still patting Danny's back as Danny chugged some of his tea. He hoped it would ease some of the bagel down.
His skin burned at his friends' affectionate concern. Heat rising to his cheeks, like the wrong feeling had turned to flames. He coughed a bit after managing to swallow the bite of food that went down the wrong way, waving his friends off of him.
“I'm-” He coughed and cleared his throat in between his words, “Ugh, fine.”
He cringed at the sound of his own voice. He stopped noticing how high-pitched it sounded ages ago, but today, it rang in his ear. Loud and clear.
And it was so very wrong.
A napkin was held out to him by Tucker with a grin. He sniffled taking the napkin, clearing his nose.
“Missed a spot, here, “ Sam chuckled, using her own napkin teasingly rub at his cheek.
“There, now that's a snot-less twerp in the world. Can't risk getting on this jacket.”
Tucker chuckled at Sam, “Then you better watch your back.”
Sam glared back at him, holding no heat. Danny didn't get it. How could they continue as normal? They had to feel it too, right? How wrong this was? He sipped at his tea.
“So about Halloween, I'M thinking we hit the apartments closer to downtown, then work our way up,” Tuck started to theorize.
“No, no. Definitely should start near the college, before the parties and drinking starts. Might keep us out of some bastard crashing the crowds,” Sam said back.
“Hm, I don't think it'll keep us out of the woods, but your right about the parties. Wait, didn't Trent and Cindy invite you to one?”
“Oh, yeah. I don't know if I'm going to go. The frat house is hosting,” Sam groaned.
“What, no! You gotta! Also you SO have to take me, put in a good word. Huh?” Tucker begged.
“Yeah, right. Maybe learn to talk to girls OR guys and I'll consider it.”
Danny placed his cup down. The burning he felt was turning into a deep chill. He remembered he use to want to be invited to those. Everyone thought he was too weird.
“Aw c'mon. My pick up lines are peak! What time is it?”
“Trent said it starts at eight but the real party starts at midnight at the abandon factory near the dam.”
“That's plenty of time! Danny be all tucked in bed by then.”
Danny's eyes widened. He said that so casually.
“Well, yeah, duh. Danny be knocked out before ten,” Sam stated almost factually before continuing her concerns about the party, “But its not really what I had in mind for a first date though.”
A cool wave passed over Danny, unintentionally holding his breath. As a thought crossed his mind.
“Pfft, yeah. Not enough standing around with signs or poetry- ow.”
Sam smacked Tucker lightly on the head with his phone, before sipping on her matcha. She let out a delighted sigh after her sip, and picked up her own phone. She started to scroll through her search again looking at Danny with a smile.
“First things first, we got an awesome costume to make-”
“A kid...” Danny murmured out, his glossy eyes staring down at the table.
“Hm, What was that, Danny?” Sam hesitantly asked. Her and Tucker shared a concerning glance.
“Something bothering you? Sam didn't put matcha in your tea, did she?” Tucker added weakly, trying to get Danny to laugh. But he didn't.
“A kid,” Danny stuck in his own head, repeated, “I'm just...”
Tears burned at Danny's eyes, as the cold chill in his bones reignited into flames. His insides burned. He kicked off the stool, running out the door before Sam and Tuck could jump out of their seat.
“Danny, WAIT!” Sam yelled, running after him. However once on the street, he was no where to be seen.
“Shit! Where'd he go? DANNY! Dammit!” She cursed, stopping at a nearby ally.
“Hey! Ugh, I am not built for this anymore. Did you catch him?” Tuck wheezed, having followed after.
“What do you think?!” Sam growled, whipping her head back at him.
“Don't kill me for asking! I was being hopeful,” Tuck raised his hands in defense.
“Please tell me, you have the ghost finder on you.”
Tuck smiled nervously.
“Tuck!”
“Well, I didn't think Danny would run off on us!” Tucker cried in defense. He pulled out his phone, quickly checking the map of the city. “H-he couldn't have gotten too far yet.”
“That's assuming he didn't fly off. He could have turned invisible and went anywhere,” She whispered harshly, panic setting in.
“We'll find him. He always took a flight when his emotions are high and we always knew where to look then!”
“But that was years ago.”
“Y-yeah... You don't think,” Tucker trailed off, realizing what they could have said.
“Of course it was, Tuck. Dammit,” Sam rubbed her face. They tried to make Danny not feel left out. But it was weird. She never was good with kids to begin with. She just now started to feel somewhat comfortable with the idea. That things had changed.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Tuck offered a small smile for comfort. Sam nodded her head replying to his invisible request. Tucker then slung his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a snug one-arm hug.
“That's the spirit!”
“Technically our spirit is still missing,” Sam snorted, taking in the warmth of her friend, “Now let's figure out where before Jazz finds out.”
“Already two steps ahead-” Tucker paled. A song started to blare from his phone. It was a distinctive ringtone.
The two shared a nervous look.
“Don't tell me.”
“I think you already know.”
“We're so dead.”
The ally wasn't a secluded one. Noise from the street carried into it. Many walked it as a shortcut to the entrance of the library, or to reach the other street. It stayed well lit due to the library's historical design. But despite the traffic and the noise, it was one of the few places Jason could settle to clear his thoughts.
His mind hadn't stopped rolling since the encounter with Vlad's other form. Since that clown kidnapped Jazz. He had cut off all contact with the others. Dickie still tried to check in on him a time or two, often finding himself chucked out or left in the dust. The others had tried other approaches like mysterious notes or hacked messages, but most knew to leave him alone.
They let their curiosity get the better of them. Now Jasmine and Danny were going to be targets.
“These two have far more threats to worry about than... brats in masks or... has-been … comedian...”
Vlad Masters words rung in his head on loop. Jazz and Danny were targets already. In hiding. They should have known that! Every sign pointed to it. All they did was paint a giant bullseye on them.
Jason sighed, trying to release the pent up aggravation. He kicked off his bike, rolling his shoulders. He had gotten stiff sitting there, staring at the side of the library building. He felt sore from days prior, his eyes heavy. He barely slept now. His patrols grew longer, staying out later each day and night.
Thinking about it, he should call it quits for today. His weary eyes glancing at the building before him, his guts churning. He looked back down toward the watch on his wrist. Jazz's shift was going to end soon. Perhaps it was a little much. The others had added Jazz and Danny's routine to their patrols as well. Yet, he couldn't leave that to the others. He HAD to know that they were safe.
Images flashed into his mind. Jazz chuckling out on the balcony. Danny's playful remarks as they read. Jazz peering around the bookcases to watch them. Danny flopping onto the ground dramatically, whining about his teacher. Jazz's bloody face screaming. Danny's horrified panic.
Joker's stupid screeching laugh howling up a storm. Blood. Bullet hole in the wall where a head should be. Heads stuffed in bags. Clanging. Bones crunching. Bomb ticking.
“...There is no curse as terrifying as the wrath of the dead...”
An eerie chill sent shivers down his spine. Never had he felt so defined by one sentence, til then. The sentence felt as if it had been plucked from his epitome engraved within his bones. A painful reminder that death did not let go of him willingly. He came back broken, enraged, and scared.
Danny must had too if he was anything like Masters. He dug his fingers into his crossed arms, chewing his lip while his eyes wandered back to the building. Guilt ate at him. He has avoided the both of them since then. He didn't want to endanger them more then they already had. Even if it meant he broke his promise.
Danny was smart enough to understand. Or will be.
He turned to his bike, picking up his helmet that dangled on the back. He secured it on his head, before straddled the bike. Twisting the key in the ignition until the engine purred. He slowly revved the bike, insuring it was ready to go, then kicked up his stand.
He pulled out to the edge of the ally, still masked in shadow. His eyes trained to the front entrance.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S GONE?!” He heard a familiar voice yell out from behind him.
Jazz must have ran out of the side exit, phone plastered to her cheek. Her eyes focused on the invisible persons she was conversing with. Without realizing it, she ran straight into his bike with a yelp. Jason caught her by the waist, struggling to keep her from hitting the ground. She was far more concerned about her slippery phone, fumbling out to catch it. Luckily neither manage to fall on the ground.
“S-sorry, I-” Jazz stuttered out, hopping onto her feet with a startle. Her phone pressed to her chest. Her eyes were wide with dark circles. Her hair frizzed out like a startled cat.
His mind still focused on what she yelled before running into him. He prayed, he didn't hear her right.
“Jazz! Are you okay? Jazz?!” The recipient on the phone asked frantically.
Jasmine's apologetic face turned to frustration towards the phone. She harshly whispered, poorly covering her mouth with a cupped hand, “Yeah, I'm fine! But want to tell me HOW this happened?”
She turned back to him to apologize again, swiftly stepping around the bike. Pressing the phone back to her ear, trying to hurry away. Jason was about to let her go, when his fear was confirmed.
“...Danny... disappeared....” Was the words he could make out of the voice on the other line. Jazz's face contorted, distraught and panic twisted painfully. It was all he needed.
“What about Danny?” Jason spoke up raising his visor, trying not to hide his worry.
Jazz turned towards him. Her face painted in shock, then melted when recognizing him. Her lips quivered, her eyes watered. It felt like a stab to his chest.
“He-He's missing and we don't know where! He ran off from his friends, I- You don't know where he could have gone?” She blurted out all at once, her breath shaky and uneven, then squeaked towards the end.
“I got some ideas. Here,” He pulled an extra helmet from his bag, handing it to her. “Does Babs know?”
“I-i ran out before I could,” she stuttered, hesitantly taking the helmet.
“Text her. Where was the last place?”
“Um, N-north Gotham, but he could be anywhere by now,” She stressed.
“Don't worry. I know every rotten corner in this city. We'll find him,” Jason said with absolute certainty. He wasn't going to quit til he found him.
The look Jazz gave him, made him flinch. Her eyes almost sparkled. Then the awe turned to a grin. She nodded.
“Tuck, I got help to search the city. I'll text you if we find anything. Keep me updated.”
“What do you mean-”
She hung up on him, swiftly jumping onto his bike. Had she rode one before? She was quick to fasten her helmet, her arms wrapping around his waist.
“Ready?” He asked, his eyes scanning the traffic.
She gave a thumbs up, shouting out, "Let's go!"
He didn't waste time kicking off the ground, he pulled out onto the road. Quickly, speeding off. His hand reached up to turn on the communication line under his helmet.
“Danny's missing. Keep me posted. Jazz is with me.”
He did not miss the noise of voices that bombarded him, but he took notes of the ones that were missing.
