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English
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Published:
2022-08-08
Updated:
2022-08-10
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1,271
Chapters:
2/?
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Ghosts and Vigilantes Don't Mix

Summary:

Jason has a new neighbor with a cute kid. At the same time, a new vigilante claiming to be a ghost starts showing up in Gotham.

Danny is living in Gotham with a deaged Dani, or Niel as he likes to be called. Her neighbor is nice, but the local vigilantes might be a problem...

Notes:

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Jason stared, slightly dumbfounded. The kid stared back at him. Jason still remembered the first time he had met Bruce. How could he forget?

 

Luck surely wasn't on his side today. The sheer irony of the situation made him unsure of whether to laugh or cry.

 

The kid was strange too. Most kids didn't have white strips in their hair. He stared at him with wide blue eyes, clutching the tire iron protectively in front of him.

 

“I’m sorry Red Hood but my mom really needs a new tire for her motorcycle and this was the only similar model and we don't have a lot of money and she doesn't know I'm here and–”

 

“Whoah, slow down.” He cautioned, mind whirling with the information the child had dropped. He had a mother, who was apparently poor and owned a motorcycle. Considering the area, it wasn't too far-fetched.

 

“I'll overlook this, just tell me where your mother is and I'll take you to her. Just don't do this again.” He sighed.

 

The kid had given him directions, and was relatively silent in the ride. He was used to riding in a bike, though maybe in a sidecar rather than on the main seat.

 

They had arrived at the address the kid had given him. It was a little ways out of crime alley, but was incredibly shabby looking for an apartment building.

 

The kid immediately leaped off, and before Jason could say anything, shouted, “Thanks Mr. Hood! My name is Niel!” And ran off.

 

— 2 weeks later —

 

Jason was beat. 

 

He was laying limp on his bed, when he heard the sounds outside his door. He got up, reluctant, and peered through the keyhole.

 

A woman, a year or two older than him, was pushing boxes into the apartment across from him. She spoke in hushed tones to whoever was in the doorway, and then went inside.

 

He should probably investigate.

 

He was too tired to.

 

And so, his head found the pillow again and he fell asleep.

 

When he woke up, a few hours had passed. There was a light, but discernible knock on the door.

 

He pulled open the door, and looked down into the eyes of the kid who had tried to steal his wheels. The kid had smiled up at him nervously.

 

“Hi Mr…” His eyes flickered to the nameplate, “... Todd. We're your new neighbors!”

 

Before Jason could reply, the door across from him opened. A woman stepped out, clearly disgruntled.

 

“Niel! I told you not to come out without me.” She muttered slightly, her eyes roaming over the young child before patting him lightly on the head.

 

She looked up at him and smiled lightly. She was a pretty type of girl – a bit tall, with freckles adoring her face. The resemblance between her and her son were unmistakable – but this girl couldn't have been older than him.

 

And she was extremely familiar.

 

“Hello Mr. Todd,” she said, sticking her hand out in greeting. “Sorry for the intrusion. I’m Danielle Fenton, and you can call me Danny.”

Chapter 2

Chapter Text

Jason did in fact, remember where he had met Danny.

 

Hours earlier, he had been on lookout duty while undercover at the iceberg lounge. Masquerade masks were useful for something after all.

 

Which was why he had taken notice of the young bartender not wearing one. Their gender had not been obvious, as they were slim but wore a vest that seemed to broaden their shoulders. As they slid him his drink, he glanced at their hands – covered by gloves, but their arms had a hard line of muscle to them.

 

The thing that had really struck him happened a bit later, when a shootout started happening. He was itching for a fight, but before he could make a move a strong hand grabbed him and dragged him behind the counter.

 

The bartender put their finger up to their lips in a shushing motion.

 

And so, he had crouched there for around an hour while the bartender smuggled him outside.

 

He had returned to the fight, but he was still miffed at being caught so off guard. And now his neighbor was that same person.

 

Danny had a nice face – short, dark and hair wavy and slightly framing her face, freckles and a small dimple whenever she smiled. She wore baggy clothes and was deceptively thin. They were the same age at 22 years old.

 

Her kid, Niel, was around 6 years old. He constantly wore a worn red beanie slightly too big for his head, and constantly ran around. The kid seemed to be the rowdy type, and so it was impressive how much he actually listened to his mother.

 

Point is, they were very nice people, and it was obvious that they had not lived in this city since birth. He was just a bit worried about their well being.

 

 

 

Niel was still not all that adjusted to Gotham.

 

Yeah, maybe he had lived here for about four years, but he had been a teenager for a very long time beforehand. And it made him restless. Was this what it was like to be a young child? He wanted back.

 

He knew he couldn't go back though.

 

It had been 4 years ago when he had stumbled his way back into Danny’s life, melting horribly. Ecto dejecto didn't even work, and it was bad. He could vaguely recall Danny’s panic morphing into stoic determination as she had pulled him into a Fenton Thermos. 

 

From what he had been told later, her parents had happened upon all the goop, and she had run over to Vlad and threatened him to help her. He reluctantly did, and he had been restored - but not before being regressed in bodily age to two years old.

 

She had then tried to reveal herself to her parents, which had not gone well. Long story short, she towed him with her to Gotham uni and his (aunt? Genetic older sister?) Jazz had pulled out a veritable monster of papers to get her parents jailed. Sam Manson's lawyers and Tucker's public denouncement helped.

 

The story now was that she was a struggling young mother with a child. Which didn't open many doors for her, but she made do with what she had. 

 

Vlad was actually supporting them. His condition was that he would be considered their secondary guardian as a godfather. Despite Vlads offer of a good home in the richer neighborhoods, Danny had refused, and they were living off their own money for the most part.

 

Niel felt guilty about it at times, he really did! But at the same time, he was the happiest he had ever been. He lived like a normal kid who wasn't a clone grown in a tube. Danny made him feel safe, and loved, in a way that Vlad Masters had never been able to make him feel.

 

Their new place wasn't much of an upgrade - better in general, but worse community, considering it was freaking Crime Alley. He had to be careful with his roaming. He could take care of himself, but he didn't want to get caught in anything. Danny would worry too much.

 

Their neighbor was nice though. Jason Todd. And wasn't it a weird coincidence that he had a white streak, just like him?

 

He could tell that while there was nothing romantic between Danny and Jason, they had become friendly. And he honestly thought it would be good for Danny to have a relationship, to focus on something other than money and him.

 

Niel hummed. How could he invite Jason over to their apartment?