Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was supposed to be a regular patrol that night for Red Hood. Crime was moderately average for a place nicknamed Crime Alley, surprisingly only a few muggers decided to play with his patience.

Now though, as he’s staring down an unconscious kid, he figures that no nights in his life were allowed to be normal. The dark headed kid, who was most likely a teen but Hood didn’t care at the moment, had an injury to his side along the rib cage. It looked like a deep cut, but it was already starting to scab over, though he wouldn’t be surprised if it was infected from how the teen was literally laying in a dirty alley. At least they seemed to be breathing still, even if it was dangerously low. What he really didn’t like was that he could barely detect their heartbeat. He couldn’t help but wonder what the twig of a kid had been through to end up like this.

Red Hood sighed to himself, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to leave the kid here where anybody could grab them. Rolling his shoulders, he picked up the scrawny kid, who was a bit too small in his opinion, and tried to get them settled on his back. It was a bit more difficult with the teen being asleep, but he managed. Then he began making his way back to one of his safe warehouses, trying not to jostle the hurt kid on his back too much.

The night was still early, the shadows only growing deeper into the city, claiming the gloomy city as it’s own once again. Red Hood took advantage of it, slinking in and out of one shadow to the next, making sure nobody saw him. If anybody decided to pick a fight right now with him having the kid, well, it probably would be more annoying than difficult, but he’d still rather not do that right now. The teen was beat up enough already without being in a middle of fight unconscious.

With the slow pace he was walking, he was only around halfway to the nearest warehouse he knew was safe and had proper supplies at the moment. He probably wouldn’t ever admit it out loud, but he was hoping the teen would be okay. He didn’t want a dead kid on his hands, especially if the kid ended up dying on his back.

While Red Hood was debating on whether or not he should stop for a second to check on the toothpick of a kid again, he felt a slight shift and a small whimper. He froze, turning his head back slightly to try and get a look at them. He expected them to be confused, and most likely scared and disoriented, as what most people would be when they woke up being carried by a stranger. What he didn’t expect was the kid’s eyes to shoot open, showing toxic green eyes that were literally glowing, and to then get bitten in the shoulder. The kid’s teeth somehow even managed to get through the protective padding, sinking slightly into his skin. The once loose arms around his neck tightened, to the point that he was somewhat choking from the tiny arms. How the hell did a twig like this have that kind of strength?

Then the kid straight up jumped off of Red Hood and stumbled on the ground, but stood up nonetheless. There was a wild, panicked look in the short teen’s bright eyes, darting around anxiously. It almost reminded Red Hood of a wild animal who was backed up in a corner, except this was clearly a scared traumatized teen who was most likely a meta. Wasn’t this just great for Hood?

Sighing while rubbing his shoulder, because while the teen’s unnaturally sharp teeth weren't able to completely puncture his skin, it did hurt. “Calm down kid. I’m just trying to help, you’re badly injured.”

The eyes snapped back to Red, and he couldn’t help the unsettling pit that grew in his stomach from what that dangerous green reminded him of. He didn’t want to think of that now however, so he forced himself to focus. Then the teen spoke, “It’ll heal.”

Red Hood snorted, looking at the kid in front of him who was definitely a head and a half smaller than him. He was leaning forward a bit, one arm relying heavily on the wall close to him and his other hand pressing into his wound. “You look like shit, and you probably got an infection from laying on the nasty ground. Seriously, what were you doing there?”

“None of your damn business.” The boy snarled, showing a bit of the sharp fangs that made holes through his suit. “I don’t know who the hell you are or what you want, but I’ll have you know I can and will fight.”

Red Hood had to say, he was impressed by how ballsy the very skinny kid was talking, but also a bit worried annoyed. Did this kid not have any self preservation skills? He could definitely kick this brat’s ass right now if he wanted to.

Wait, did this kid just say he didn’t know who he was? Then it clicked for Red, and he had to resist the urge to pinch his nose from not realizing it earlier. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

When the teenager didn’t say anything but show a few more of those pointed teeth, Red Hood knew his answer. This just got even more difficult. “Well, I don’t know how or why you’re in Crime Alley, but I sorta run this part. You can call me Red Hood, and let’s just say that I’m known as the person who takes care of this dump and the trash within.”

There seemed to be a spark of recognition in the kid then, and his face went from a snarl to a scowl, and Hood didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. “Red Hood, the Red Hood? How the hell did I end up all the way here, I- I.” The kid’s face of panic earlier began to resurface, and Hood took an instinctive step forward.

The teen staggered two steps back.

“Now that you know who I am, how about you let me help you? I can’t have you bleeding to death on me.” The anti-hero said, trying to get this kid to come with him peacefully, because he really didn’t want to have to drag him by force. That’d most likely cause the injury to become more agitated, and that’s the last thing they needed.

“I already told you, it’ll heal.” The young boy’s fear didn’t leave his eyes, but he tried to put on a brave front anyways.

“And I already told you, that I don’t give a shit because you’ll probably die if I don’t do something. Actually you’re already looking a little paler.” Red Hood remarked, folding his arms against his chest.

This time the teen snorted. Red Hood doesn’t know what part of what he said was funny, but he sure didn’t like it. “Alright, you coming with me or not? The quicker we can get you patched up and for you to explain how the hell you got like that, the quicker I can figure this out.”

“I’m not coming with you, and I am definitely not telling you anything. I’ll be just fine on my own.” With that the teen attempted to move off the wall, only to trip over his own foot and almost fall back on the ground. 

Red Hood rushed forward, catching the arms of the kid and huffing. “Yep, you’re coming with me, whether you like it or not.”

When Red Hood wrapped an arm around the teen, keeping him balanced enough to walk, he didn’t complain. Instead, they both made it the rest of the way to the warehouse, Red Hood telling the teen to sit down and wait for him to grab some medical supplies. He could feel those disturbing green eyes on him while he was rummaging through the crates of stuff he had kept in here, and even though they seemed to have dimmed down a bit from earlier, they still reminded him too much of the pits. He didn’t like it, but that didn’t mean it was an excuse to not help the poor boy.

“So, does the mysterious kid who likes to bite people who are trying to help have a name?” Red Hood tried, not liking how awkward the silence was.

“Just because you gave me your fake name doesn’t mean I’ll tell you my name.” The boy replied coldly, and Red Hood rolled his eyes, though it wasn’t like the other could see it.

“Brat it is then.” Hood said as he strolled over to the boy and kneeled in front of them, a first aid kit and some other medical equipment in hand. He leaned forward. “I know you don’t exactly trust me-”

“I don’t trust you at all.”

The teen interrupted, but the anti-hero continued on like he never spoke. “-but I need you to take your hand off your side so I can check it, because I have a feeling it may need more than a band-aid.”

“Who said you’d be the one doing the medical shit?” Before Red Hood could point out that the teen was clearly on the border of being called disoriented, possibly having a concussion, the teen kept going. “I can also perfectly take care of myself, as I’ve been doing that long before you arrived.”

“And that’s a good thing brat?” Hood retorted, yanking the first aid kit away from the reaching hands trying to take it. “You’ve probably never been taught how to properly take care of your wounds, I bet that’s the reason you passed out in that alley.”

The teen winced, but quickly went back to glaring. “First of all, I was taught the basics of first aid, and second of all, that has nothing to do with how I ended up in this stupid city.” The boy practically spat out the last words, eyes becoming brighter again.

Red Hood started to look closer at the wound, seeing how it was a nasty shade of red, clearly agitated. He kept talking, noticing how it was keeping the half conscious, yet extremely stubborn, kid distracted. “This city may be awful, but as a foreigner, you have no right to shit talk it. Only fellow Gothamites have that privilege, after all, this city gives us something to complain about.”

Hood saw the brat roll his eyes, not even paying attention to the anti-hero as he began to clean the wound a bit, trying to at least get some of the grime off of it. “I’m sure y’all always love something to complain abou-” His words were cut off as he hissed in pain. “Damnit, can’t you be a little more careful?”

“Don’t be such a big baby, I was only just cleaning it a little. I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine, you seem to heal pretty fast.” Actually, it seemed that from the time at the alley to now that the wound had somehow closed more, the scab forming into a more greenish color. Another sign that the kid was in fact a meta or at least something other. “I might not even need to put anything on it at this rate, though I’d advise not to aggravate it or go sleeping in alleys again.”

“I already know that, I’m not stupid.” Red Hood didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or punch the teen at this point, maybe both.

“Whatever, you’re good to go now if you want, I’m sure you have someplace to be.” Red Hood stood up, walking back over to the crates to put up the rest of the medical supplies and to throw away the dirty disinfection wipes.

It was quiet and there was no sound of movement from the boy, and it confused Hood, because he was sure that the kid would bounce as soon as possible. He was not expecting the words that came out of the teen’s mouth, quiet with a hint of bashfulness, but certainly sincere. “Thank you…”

Red Hood turned a bit and looked at the brat, who refused looking at him once so ever. “Whatever, just make sure to be more careful around here, and probably find your way out of Crime Alley. It’s not safe for you.”

Again, there was no movement, and the teen continued to look away. Red Hood felt like something was off.

It was quiet for a few minutes, and the teen broke it once again. “Danny, you can call me Danny.”

Red Hood would be lying if he said he wasn’t taken aback. This kid practically did a whole 360 from his earlier attitude. Maybe he should have checked for a concussion too. “Welp, Danny, I’m glad you decided to take that stick out of your ass, but what's the reason?”

More silence, Red Hood was starting to get tired of those, but he wouldn’t say anything, he could give Danny time.

“I was wondering if I could just stay here for the night, if you don’t mind.” Danny all but mumbled, the older boy barely hearing it. Though, he did hear the question, and the original unnerved feeling Red Hood felt returned, but this time it was different. It wasn’t caused by Danny this time, it was because the words made everything become somewhat clearer, the situation unsettling him. Danny wasn’t just sleeping in that alley for fun it seems. He can't believe he didn't realize it earlier.

“I don’t care how long you stay here, just don’t destroy anything and do not touch anything dangerous in here.” Red Hood managed to say after a few beats of silence, and Danny finally faced him, his eyes now an icy blue, no longer glowing. Red Hood knew that keeping a meta in Gotham who was not from Gotham was dangerous, but anybody could tell that Danny needed help, and Red Hood wasn’t about to ignore that. “I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you and your wound, if you stay that is.”

“Okay… Thanks I guess, but I don’t think I’ll be here long.” Danny whispered hesitantly, then tried and failed to stifle a yawn.

“There should be blankets or something in here somewhere, make yourself comfortable. I gotta go though, I haven’t quite finished my patrol earlier.” Red Hood stated, already beginning to walk away, a small part of him hoping that the brat would actually be here tomorrow.

Welp, this probably won’t end up good.

Chapter Text

Danny doesn’t know why he let himself get taken by the anti-hero. He knows that the man is technically a bat, and that a lot of them usually don’t welcome people like him, but he was hurt and tired and just wanted to rest. He could’ve slipped as soon as Red Hood turned his back, went intangible and straight through the wall. He had enough energy to do it and escape, even though it would’ve made him more suspicious, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He doesn’t even know why.

He let Red Hood check on his wound, even though it was pointless, as he would heal just fine in around a day. It was the reason he was looking for a place to hide out in the first place, so he could transform and heal a lot faster. His human side healed much slower, still more than the average human, but not nearly as good as his ghost side. But then he got found in that alley after… He didn’t want to think about it. He honestly wanted to forget all of that happened and believe it wasn’t real.

If only it was that easy.

Danny rubbed his forehead a bit, trying to get rid of his headache and the painful thoughts causing it to worsen.

He hadn’t transformed, because he had a feeling there were cameras in the place. He should’ve left, but he didn’t move from under the comfortable blanket he had found laying over a crate. He felt too warm and too safe for the first time in a long while to want to leave, a tired haze taking over most of his time as he laid there switching between a conscious and unconscious state. 

Now though, he was much more awake, staring blankly at a wall as he remained on the ground. His bones were somewhat sore from the metal flooring he slept on, but he felt more rested than he did in awhile. He didn’t know what time it was, but he didn’t bother to check by trying to look outside. He felt like the light outside would make his headache worse, even if this city seemed to always be shrouded in darkness.

He subconsciously wondered if Red Hood was actually coming back to check on him like he told him. Should he leave before then? What if he brought his batclan thing with him? He’d probably be fine enough to fight his way to an exit to escape, but he’d most likely suffer more injuries, which wouldn’t be fun. Yet at the same time he wanted to stay, to trust Red Hood. He had an odd aura, obviously touched by too much death, but there was this feeling that he wouldn’t hurt Danny. He probably shouldn’t believe that feeling, trust never got him anywhere.

Sighing, he slowly turned onto his other side and curled up into himself, trying to both comfort and shelter himself from the world to get away from all of the difficult thoughts and feelings plaguing his mind. All of it was making him tired again.

Before he could drift back off once more, he heard almost silent footsteps approaching. His first instinct was to jump straight from the comfortable heap he was in and get into a fighting stance, ignoring the other urge to transform. He would if it was a ghost, but he doubted it, as ghosts don’t normally walk and his ghost sense would’ve gone off already. Another thing he picked up was that it was only one pair of footsteps, which caused him to relax by a fraction, but he was still tense, waiting intensely for the person to appear out of the shadows. He can see in the dark better than normal humans, this shouldn’t be so hard.

Finally, a light switched on and Danny let out a breath he was unnecessarily holding when he saw the familiar red helmet. He stayed standing up, although he let himself ease out of the fighting pose, and waited for the man to walk the rest of the way. Danny had a mini debate in his head if he should dip now or not, but he decided it was practically already too late, and that he would run at the first signs of danger.

Red Hood stopped for a second as he saw Danny, before continuing forward.

“Honestly, I’m a little surprised that you’re still here brat. It’s a good thing I actually remembered to bring you something to eat, because I’m sure you’re hungry by now.” Hood sat down a container that looked like it had spaghetti in it, and Danny heard his stomach growl loudly, causing him to realize that he was in fact hungry. “Knew it.”

Danny scowled at the smugness in the man’s voice that could be detected even with the voice modifier, before picking up the container and opening it up. His eyes widened and his mouth immediately watered as he smelled the delicious food. He didn’t even wait to think about the possibility of it being poisoned as he took the plastic fork Red Hood was holding out and began scarfing down the food. He may not need as much nutrition as other humans anymore, but he realized that he still needed something, and right now he felt like he needed a lot of something. When was the last time he ate?

Danny was already half way done with the food in a minute, not caring how he looked at the moment.

“Jeeze kid, was you starving?” Red Hood asked, and Danny swallowed a bite so that he could look up and give him a quick glare before going back to finish the rest of the amazing food. “You’re probably going to hurt your stomach with how fast you’re eating.”

“I’ll be fine, I have a tough stomach.” Danny said quietly as he wiped his mouth, remembering all the times he ate ectoplasm. “Thank you by the way, it was pretty good.”

“I figured with how fast you were eating it.” The older man said, taking the container and placing it to the side, before crouching down to Danny who was sitting on the floor once more. “Now, let me check that wound of yours.”

Danny didn’t argue or fight him, just moved his arm back and looked away, somewhat uncomfortable. He flinched a little when he felt a gloved hand touch his side, right where the scar of the wound could be seen. He hadn’t even thought about how that might look, forgetting that cuts aren’t supposed to heal that fast.

Red Hood thought the same thing as he stared astonished at the fading scar on the teen’s side. This proved that the kid was truly a meta, though there was also the possibility that he was an alien or something, either way Hood wouldn’t be surprised. After a few more seconds he pulled back, and walked over to the crate with the other stuff he laid there and pulled out a shirt, throwing it over to Danny.

“I brought you that because I know that shirt’s uncomfortable with the huge rip and blood all over it.” Red Hood said, and Danny stared for a second, stunned. He wasn’t used to this, somebody helping him without having to be asked or needing something in return, it was weird. He didn't like the feeling that came with it.

Then he broke from his shock. “Know from experience?” He asked with a small smirk, trying to hide his embarrassment. Red Hood hummed and turned around, and Danny quickly removed his very dirty shirt and changed into the pitch black shirt that was about two sizes too big for him. Danny made a quick note that it was probably Red Hood’s, and he didn’t know how to feel about that, thoroughly confused. Why was the anti-hero being so nice? He knew that regular heroes could sometimes be seen going above and beyond to help people, but vigilantes and anti-heroes didn’t really have the same reputation.

“You done yet?” The anti-hero in question asked, shifting from one foot to another.

“Oh, um, yeah.” Danny stuttered, about to die the rest of the way from embarrassment. “Thank you, again, but why are you helping me?”

Red Hood turned around, and although he was wearing a helmet, he could visibly see one of the eyes lower and the other rise. It was oddly expressive. “Why wouldn’t I? You need help and I’m willing to give some. It’s not that difficult.”

Actually, it was a lot more difficult than that for Red Hood. For one, this teen was clearly not a human, or at least completely human. The fact that the teen didn’t seem bothered to hide it with the sharp teeth and glowing eyes, although they weren’t glowing now, was not safe. There may be laws protecting metas and others like them, but that didn’t stop some Gotham people and rogues from discriminating against them. It was the main reason Batman didn’t like new metas coming into the city, not because he didn’t like them, but because somebody always seemed to get hurt.

The next thing was that Danny appeared homeless, or perhaps even had an abusive home, because he would’ve gone back yesterday after Red Hood checked on him if he didn’t. He didn’t exactly know, but having a possible meta wandering the streets of Gotham with bright green eyes? That seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.

The last thing was, well, complicated. Red Hood felt responsible for the kid’s well being now. Worrying a lot more than he should be. He hoped he wasn’t taking after the old man.

Danny didn’t need to know any of this of course, that would probably freak the teen out and make him run. Which is the last thing that Red Hood needed at the moment. He would try to get the teenager to trust him a little bit, and then he’ll start asking the more important questions like the whole glowing eyes and injury thing.

Danny, who wasn’t able to look into Red’s thoughts, shrugged from the answer. “Whatever.”

Not too long after that, Red Hood left, stating that he had other duties he needed to attend. Danny thought that this would be last of him, but turns out Danny was completely wrong.

Red Hood came back every day, sometimes two or three times. He would check up on him, drop off some food and even some clothing every few days, and then leave again. A few times the man stayed to talk for a bit, and even though Danny wouldn’t ever say much, he stayed and talked anyways. He gave him a few books to keep him from being too bored, which Danny loved, because he was starting to become somewhat stir crazy.

A few days ago he brought him a pillow and a thin mattress to lie on, making Danny have a slight melt down and feel guilty. He didn’t have an explanation on why he felt like that, because he never once asked for the anti-hero’s help. Maybe he really was unused to such kindness.

Danny found himself looking forward to each visit from Red Hood, enjoying the company that he’s been missing. A voice in the back of his mind told him to leave, to not trust the vigilante, but he found out that there was a louder voice telling him to stay. It was obvious which one he decided to listen to. He must’ve really missed comfort in order to stay with a complete stranger, a dangerous one at that.

Danny was reading a book that Red Hood said was his favorite of all time, called Pride and Prejudice, and was actually enjoying it, when the man himself came back.

“Is it good? I don’t know if it’s your taste, but I assume you must like something because you’re reading it.” 

Danny didn’t glance away from the book, instead he just shrugged and replied casually. “I never considered this my taste before, but it seems boredom can do stuff to you.”

It’s been about a week now, and over the course of it, they both have gotten a lot more comfortable with each other. Red Hood was surprised the teenager hadn’t left yet, but at the same time he was glad to see him there everyday. He had a growing feeling he was becoming attached, and he couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not, or if he should let himself. It was weird, really, how much Hood was starting to care about Danny.

“Whatever brat, be glad I let you borrow that at all.” Red Hood said, and Danny sniffed.

“You’re still calling me that? I already gave you my name, unlike somebody.” Danny finally looked away from the book, looking at Red Hood with one eyebrow raised.

“I’m going to keep calling you that because it’s true.” Danny’s eyebrow lowered at that, now glaring at the man, amusement showing through the playful scowl.

“If anybody’s a brat, it’s you old man.” A smirk grew on the teen’s face, watching as Red Hood’s eyes narrowed.

“How the fuck am I the brat when I’m letting you stay here and giving you shit for free? I’ll have you know that you’ll never find a better deal than this in Gotham kid.” Red Hood tried to say it playfully, but with his voice modifier it came out pretty serious sounding, and for once the anti-hero wished he had taken off his helmet.

Danny rolled his eyes, the shit eating grin never leaving his face. “You’re the one who brought me here and then continued to bring stuff, I didn’t ask for anything.”

“Only because I’m the kindest, most cool, and greatest of all vigilantes in Gotham.” Hood waved his hand and stuck out his waist while laying his other hand on it, adding to the dramatic flare he was trying to give off. He may be spending too much time with Nightwing lately, but couldn’t bring himself to care when Danny snorted, amused.

The smile on Danny’s face slowly faded, leaving a more solemn look. Red Hood was confused with the quick mood change, but quickly got serious as well, readying himself for whatever the kid was about to say.

It was a few tense seconds of silence, before Danny awkwardly cleared his throat and glared at the floor. “I- um,” The younger boy began, trying to find the right words. “I want to say thank you. You’ve done a lot for me the last couple days and I don’t know how to repay you, but I just want you to know that I appreciate everything.”

Red Hood’s eyes widened and he could feel himself smile slightly from the teen’s words. “You say thank you a lot, you know that?”

Danny shrugged, looking up at the standing man before looking over at a wall, face turned away. “It just means that I truly am thankful.”

Red Hood didn’t know how to respond to that, his mind going a million miles per minute trying to decipher all of these emotions he was feeling, some of them making him soft and mushy. So much for being tough and unfeeling.

Danny didn’t know what to say either, but he knows that he has grown attached to Red Hood. He’s only known the man for a week and he already feels like he could trust him with his life. Technically half life, but the point is that Danny knew that it was going to hurt when he finally had to leave. When all of his past mistakes caught up to him and ruined everything again. He thought that maybe it was better if he left sooner than later, before he became too familiar with Red Hood and something bad happened to him too.

Before he became something more than a stranger.

Chapter Text

Tim couldn’t be the only person noticing the small changes in Jason lately. He was around less often, even more so than before, and was more quiet than usual whenever he did come around. It was as if he always had something else circling his mind, something else occupying his time. Perhaps he did, it was a logical explanation, and Jason always did seem to have something going on. This appeared to be nothing unusual for the other times he has done something of the like.

Though, that was the thing, this was different, and Tim had noticed it.

Over the course of the last two weeks or so, Tim has caught on to Jason’s odd behavior, as both Jason and Red Hood. He may not have seen it at first, and actually brushed it off several times, but Tim was starting to piece it together. There was a deeper level to everything happening with Jason, and Tim wanted to know exactly what it was. He was a detective after all, that sort of urge came naturally with mysteries such as this.

It all started when Tim saw Jason leave the Wayne house after a family dinner, which was provided, and practically mandatory, once a week by Alfred. He saw the man leave with a container of some leftover spaghetti, and Tim didn’t think much about it at the time. Sure, he noted it as odd, but not particularly unusual. Everybody knew that Jason loved Alfred’s cooking more than any other food, whether that was because of the taste or nostalgia or a mix of both. It was the main reason Jason always came to the family dinners, and why Alfred continued to spoil the man by allowing him to help in the kitchen from time to time. It was quite entertaining for Tim to sit in the kitchen at the bar whenever this happened, watching Jason act like a small boy once more, waiting patiently and excitedly for the next minuscule task that Alfred ordered of him.

Tim would never admit that he sometimes wished to join in, although he was one of the many people in the household who was banned from cooking. To be honest, he was lucky to be allowed in the kitchen in the first place while Alfred is cooking. Bruce is often forced to stand outside the door frame, sulking as he watched Alfred and his son bonding, although he tries to mask it with indifference. There were also times that when Bruce thought nobody was looking, he would show a small smile, fondness clear in his eyes. It was a rare slip of emotion, a vulnerability that Bruce hardly ever let crack from his usual unwavering stoicness.

It made Tim want to join even more, to also have that sort of expression secretly directed at him, but he’d never say that out loud either.

Shaking his head, Drake took another long sip of his coffee, wanting the caffeine to override his tired brain and allow him to stop getting sidetracked so easily.

Back to the situation with Todd, Tim had picked up on other strange behaviors. One of them being that Jason was appearing less not only as himself, but also Red Hood. Which was what made Tim believe he may be busy, until he thought about it again. What could the man be busy with that didn’t include either of his identities, as neither had been in any media lately. Unless this was a secret operation, which he does from time to time to take down other crime lords. Still, that didn’t match with the evidence that Tim had collected so far.

Tim had not only seen Jason sneak out food, but a box as well. That part Tim definitely did not figure out by stalking following Red Hood one night. He would have continued to follow wherever Jason was going if it was not for the alert he had received over the intercoms. He had a small debate at the time whether he should go after the alert or Jason, but before he could make up his mind Red Hood had disappeared into the shadows, leaving Tim to have to go do his night time job as a vigilante. He hasn’t caught Jason sneaking out since then, and he had a sinking suspicion that the older male knew he was there that night, and took the moment of Tim being distracted as an opportunity to vanish. It wasn’t unlikely, as all of the bats had a certain sense that they had heightened through training that helped them know when they were being followed or watched.

It was a good thing to have when you were a vigilante, but damn if it wasn’t annoying to Tim sometimes. It made gathering information ten times harder.

Having another sip of his coffee, Tim rolled his neck, relishing in the way it popped, and willed himself to stay focused. He may have not slept in the last thirty two hours, but he’s gone on longer before, he shouldn’t be having this much trouble. He didn’t even feel that tired. It may be because of the dangerous amount of caffeine he consumed.

With his limited information and a sinking feeling something deeper is going on, Tim began to investigate deeper. He began to watch Jason far more carefully whenever he came to the manor. The teen saw how the man seemed both more relaxed and tense, and never stuck around for too long, coming and going in visits far more in between and shorter. He could tell that Alfred was starting to pick up on this as well. There was always a small glint of that all-knowing look he had in his eye before he bid his farewell with Jason, even before the man announced he was leaving. To outsiders it might have looked like Alfred was rushing Todd out of the house, but really, he was just giving an opportunity for him to leave whenever anybody could tell he was itching to go. Alfred was like that, he always seemed to know.

Tim had only been on one patrol with Red Hood ever since he started acting differently. That alone wasn’t odd, as Hood tended to like to go on patrols alone, especially when it was in his part of Gotham, Crime Alley. However, Jason seemed to almost be avoiding going on patrols with anybody, Dick had complained so a few days ago. Saying dramatically that, “patrol is our special bonding time, and now my little wing is flying off without me. I'm visiting for once from Bludhaven and he doesn't even want to see me."

Tim didn’t have the energy to care about whatever emotional shit that Nightwing was spouting out that night while they were patrolling, but now it was coming into use. Jason always had a soft spot for Richard, so seeing him not spend as much time was something that he could mark off as evidence of something bigger going on. It may not be exactly revelating, but it was something, and anything at this point was helpful to figuring out what was going on.

Though there is something that is a bigger point of evidence, and it was what Barbara had said through the comms yesterday, which was one of the reasons why Tim had started going into this spiral of realization.

Tim was taking down some petty thugs, a pretty common thing that, with them being vigilantes, they had to deal with. He was telling Oracle to alert the GCPD with an anonymous call like they always did after tying up whichever bad guy they were fighting. Oracle quickly responded, saying that she’ll get to it as soon as she finds out what happened to Red Hood’s connection.

Immediately Tim tensed, wondering what could have happened for Red Hood to be disconnected completely to Babs. He asked if he needed to go investigate the last spot he was tracked in, just in case Jason was fighting a rogue alone. Of course, Tim was not worried about Red Hood, he knew that the man could take care of himself. That was not the reason why Red Robin left the small store behind with the tied up thieves in there without thinking twice about it.

Oracle had reassured Red Robin that it wasn’t necessary, as he would be back online in an hour or so, as that’s what he’s been doing for a couple of weeks now. She had already reported the recurrence to Batman, but he said that he was most likely in another fight with a gang, and that they’ll only investigate further if things looked like they were turning for the worse. It was the best option at the time, as to not aggravate Jason and cause another rampage or hissy fit.

Tim would have brushed it off as well, following the big man’s orders, if it wasn’t for him already having a feeling that it wasn’t that simple. Barbara also shared his thoughts, saying that Hood had been doing this everyday, one to a few times, around the same time. This only made Tim’s current theory stronger, and now he needed to know whatever it was that Jason was hiding, as it could possibly be something dangerous.

Actually, it was highly probable that it was something dangerous, Jason was prone to be dragged into situations and scenarios of that like. Tim would be concerned if it wasn’t for the fact that Jason was still mostly alive.

Tim tried to take another sip of his coffee, only to realize that it was now empty. He cursed at the cup and himself, knowing that he’d have to get up and get more if he was going to continue staying up. He didn’t really want to move though, the seat he was in was too comfortable, and leaving it would ruin that comfort.

Tim sighed, sinking deeper into the cushion and glared at the cup in his hand.

“Need another coffee Master Timothy?” Tim would be lying if he said he didn’t tense up from surprise whenever he heard Alfred’s voice. Sometimes he wondered how it was only Alfred who could sneak up on the family of vigilantes anymore, perhaps his younger theory of the butler actually being interconnected with the manor wasn’t too far off after all. Or perhaps he needed sleep more than he thought.

Realizing he hadn’t responded to Alfred, he looked up from his cup and held it out. “Yes.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow, but didn’t take the cup.

Tim sighed and muttered. “Please?”

Alfred seemed satisfied with that, taking the cup and turning off to leave. Within a minute, he was back with another warm cup of coffee. As soon as he handed it to Tim, the nearly asleep teen took a desperate long drink of it, wanting the caffeine to keep him awake as he struggled with the strong clutches of tiredness.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping right now Master Tim?” The butler asked, with another one of his signature raised eyebrow, watching as the young boy drowned the hot liquid like it was the only thing keeping him alive. Which at this point, it may as well be.

“I know, but I can’t sleep! There’s this thing that’s been bugging me for a while and I can’t figure it out.” Tim whined, not caring that he sounded five years old instead of seventeen. It was Alfred who he was talking to anyways, every one of the Waynes, or bats as some of them didn’t have the Wayne last name, trusted Pennyworth.

“What may be this thing, if I may ask?” Alfred sat down now, fully prepared to listen to whatever Tim had to say.

Tim was not going to waste this opportunity to vent out his frustration. “Well, have you noticed how Jason has been lately?”

“Hm, I don’t believe I know what you are referring to. Please, enlighten me.” Tim couldn’t help but narrow his eyes at Alfred, because he knew that the butler could tell something was up, there was that certain look in the old man’s eyes. Maybe this was another, Alfred knowing all but not telling all things because it’s some important thing he feels isn’t his place to speak of, but at least admit to something!

Tim groaned, but repeated what he knew of anyways, everything that he had been mulling over for the last thirty two, or now thirty three, hours. Alfred didn’t interrupt the entire time, listening intently to what Tim was saying, even the parts that were more complaining than informing. It made Tim feel lighter, explaining everything out loud. It was another reason that everybody felt safe sharing things with Alfred, even Bruce couldn’t resist the comforts of it.

By the time Tim was done, he had drowned yet another cup of coffee, now twisting the cup in his hands to keep him occupied. Alfred was silent for a second, waiting to see if Tim was truly done, before clearing out his throat and speaking himself. “I see that you have been very observant of Master Todd lately, and the points you bring up are very good. Though I believe if you are that worried for him that it would be best to ask Jason yourself to see what he is doing. If he wishes for you to know then I am positive he will inform you himself, instead of having to resort to tactics that he would more than likely be unappreciative of to gather information yourself.”

Tim sputtered, leaning forward in his seat. “I am not worried about him!” He denied immediately.

Alfred looked at Tim unconvinced, making Tim scowl more. “Very well then. Even if that is so, I think it would be wiser to speak to Master Jason instead.”

“You know plain well that he won’t tell me anything.” Tim crossed his arms, muttering angrily. “Honestly it’ll probably only make him more cautious and closed up, and then I’ll never figure this out!”

“Then that probably means that he doesn’t want you to know.” The old man pointed out, before standing back up, and Tim couldn’t help but be more angry that he was right. Investigating was Tim’s thing! How could he not want to get to the bottom of this?

He wasn’t able to get any of this out though, as a yawn forced its way out of his mouth. Only then did Tim realize how tired he felt, way beyond from how he was feeling earlier. That couldn’t be right, he had just finished his coffee.

“Feeling tired, Master Drake? Perhaps you should go to bed.”

Tim resisted and fought the yawn climbing his throat, not wanting to prove the butler right. In the end, he was only able to slightly stop it, his mouth opening a tiny bit before he clamped it back shut.

“Alright then, I believe that is enough evidence for me to know that you are indeed tired.” Tim wanted to glare at Alfred for the choice of words, but couldn’t as he was rubbing them, wanting to somehow rub the sleepy gaze beginning to cover them.

“M not tired, just need another coffee and I’ll be good.” Tim cursed mentally for the way his words slurred together.

“I think that you’ve had enough for a while Young Master, it is time for you to get some rest.” Tim tried to make another argument, that he could in fact stay up longer and he wasn’t tired, but he blinked and his eyes struggled to open back up. 

After that, he didn’t really fight Alfred as the butler dragged him to bed, tucking him in as if he was a kid again, and telling the teen goodnight. Tim was asleep almost instantly, his sleep deprived brain craving the rest for far too long.

It wasn’t until the morning did he realize that the coffee he had last night wasn’t his normal coffee, and he didn’t know whether or not to be mad at the sneaky butler or amazed that it took this long for him to find out.

It didn’t matter at this point now, because he was back at it again with solving the Red Hood/Jason mystery. He had put on his costume as soon as night rolled around once more, and went out the batcave as Red Robin, fully awake and ready to get to the bottom of this without Todd knowing he was following him. It would be difficult, yes, but Tim lived for difficult things. It came with the suit he was wearing.

Heading straight to Crime Alley, he used the tracking system that Barbara gave him access to and found the position that Red Hood was moving in. He began to follow behind, keeping a good distance away but shortening it every minute, not wanting to be too far behind. He clung to the shadows, hoping that Gotham would hide him from Hood’s watchful eyes, or anybody else who could be around. They were in the worst part of Gotham right now, bad people were always about and ready to cause trouble.

A few minutes after Tim was following Red Hood, the trackers were turned off, and Tim then knew that the man was starting to do whatever it was he had been doing the last two weeks. He relied on his own skills to continue following Red Hood without being seen, only getting glances of the familiar red helmet that would poke out from the darkness every once in a while. Running from building to building, jumping as silent as he could from each one, eyes focused on his target, Tim thought he was doing a good job. It almost reminded him of when he was younger and was chasing around Batman and Robin with his old camera again.

That was until he came up to an alley with a dead end, spray paint on the walls still wet and dripping as Tim read them.

“STOP FOLLOWING ME LOSER.” The big red letters were sprayed on the wall, obviously quickly scrawled on there as the handwriting was downright terrible.

Tim glared at the words, angry that he both simultaneously got caught and that Red Hood had somehow slipped away that easily. Where could have he even gone from here? There was no way up and out of the alley, the only way to go was the way he came from, and he would have seen if Jason went that way.

It didn’t make any sense, much like the whole case itself. What did Jason need with extra food or a mysterious box of stuff? Why was he around less than usual or even turning off his connection with Oracle? Why wouldn’t Alfred tell him anything? Because the butler obviously knew more than he was letting on.

It was frustrating and Tim wanted to punch something, but he wasn’t going to punch the wall. He already had enough experience to know that it didn’t make him feel better afterwards.

That wasn’t what Tim was worried about at the moment. He was worried about what Jason was hiding. What could be so big or dangerous or whatever stupid thing that he got himself into, that he felt the need to hide it? What secret was he trying so hard to hide from his own family teammates?

Chapter Text

It had been about three weeks since Danny had ended up in Gotham, and he was still hiding out in Red Hood’s base. Danny should have left by now. He shouldn’t wake up every day and expect to see the other man, or wonder what food he’ll bring, or wait to see what book he’ll let Danny read to keep him busy. He was surprised that the anti-hero had let him stay this long, and the fact he allowed himself to stay there.

Now that it had been around three weeks, Danny couldn’t really tell time anymore, but he knew that he was overstaying his welcome. Red Hood was a genuinely nice guy, almost too nice sometimes, especially for his reputation as the “big bad crime lord”. Danny snorted at the thought, looking at the pile of books that he had already read, knowing that all of them had to belong to the Hood. Who would have thought that Gotham’s own well known anti-hero was a bookworm? Sometimes he even came off as a nerd, going on rants and debates with Danny about some of the books he seemed particularly passionate about. Danny didn’t really read before Red Hood lended him some books, let alone participate in deep conversations about them, but he had to admit it was nice.

Danny sighed, folding the blanket and laying it on top of the mattress. He shouldn’t be thinking of that right now, he didn’t want to make this harder than it should be. He should have never let himself get attached.

He looked at the notebook that Red had left for him a few days ago after hearing that Danny liked to draw sometimes. Danny only drew a few times in it, mostly little doodles or something to do with the books he read. Now though, he was writing a small note with a page he tore out.

Danny knew it wasn’t really fair. To leave the older male like this after everything he’s done for him without giving anything back. He was just trying to save Red Hood from the extra trouble, from all the baggage that he came with. It was the only thing that he could do to repay him at the moment, making this the easiest option. Maybe one day he’ll come back and properly thank him. He doesn’t know if he’ll even be around to see that day, but he’ll try, even if he can’t promise it.

After trying to clean up the warehouse as best as he could, he gave it a last look around. None of the things in there belonged to him, not even the clothes he had on, so he didn’t have anything to pack up. He had stacked the books up, leaving his farewell note on it, and rolled up the mattress he slept on. His wound was fully healed, not even leaving a scar, almost like nothing ever happened, and he had all of his energy back.

There wasn’t anything keeping him here anymore, no other excuses he could give himself to stay. Not that he should. He’s already been here too long. It was only a matter of time before all of his foolish actions followed him here, and he didn’t want anybody else in the crossfire, especially Red Hood. He didn’t want to admit it, didn’t want it to be true, but he cares about the man and he’s gotten far too close. It was one of the things making it so hard to leave.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the very familiar silent footsteps from the entrance of the warehouse. He was about to leave when he realized that these quiet steps were different from Red Hood’s, the pattern of them were too, and nowadays the man announced that he was there in order to not scare Danny. This wasn’t Red Hood, this was somebody else, and by the sounds of it they were trying to be careful, meaning that they weren't meant to be in here. Danny knew that he wouldn’t be safe here forever, that eventually somebody would find him. It was luck that it happened to be today while he was leaving.

Now on the verge of panicking, Danny went invisible and turned around to the wall, going intangible. He had a quick thought about taking the note in order to leave less of a trace, but went against it as there was plenty of other evidence he was here. He walked through the wall and flailed for a second as he realized he was pretty high up, before centering himself to float, not looking back at the intruder to even risk getting a look. He had to leave, before he was caught. He may be invisible at the moment, but he knows from experience that there were plenty of people with the technology to find him anyway, including an entire government branch.

He quickly changed into his ghost form, using extra focus to keep himself invisible while doing so, and flew off, no longer chained to gravity. It felt weird being in this form again after several weeks of keeping it hidden. Now though, he could feel how restless he’s become from being inside for so long, relishing in the way the moon shone instead of depending on artificial light. Even going through the smog and listening to the constant honking of cars or the distant sounds of gunfire soothed some part of him. It helped distract him from the ache in his core and the longing in his brain, away from the fact that he was leaving another thing he’s grown to again.

He flew, his legs becoming a wispy tail as he picked up speed, wanting to get away from the warehouse as quickly as possible, as if it’d help him forget these feelings.

Red Robin was closing in on the next warehouse he was going to investigate, but at this point he was starting to think that none of them was going to hold any clues as to what Jason could be up to. He began this search a few days after his talk with Alfred, and he has still yet to not come up with anything more than speculation and observation.

It was infuriating to say the least, an insult to his skills. He had asked Barbara to try and keep a close tab on him while he was Red Hood, because as much as Tim would have liked to himself, he wasn’t nearly as tech savvy as Oracle. The woman agreed, somewhat, saying that she already was keeping close eyes on him as she could. Tim knew that she already had a lot on her plate to keep track of and work on, but he hoped that she understood how serious this situation could be.

History often does repeat itself, but Tim didn’t want it to this time, and he was going to make sure it didn’t. Red Hood being gone may get rid of Tim’s “replacement” title, but that didn’t mean he wanted the man dead.

Tim sighed internally, now right next to the warehouse. This was the sixth one he’s been to in the last two days, and he’s been trying to see if any of Red Hood’s bases would have any kind of clue as to what has been going on. He’s been trying extra careful to not get caught this time, resorting to the process of elimination instead of following Red Hood, going so far as to avoid wherever the man was while searching.

Cracking open a small vent, Tim hurriedly wiggled himself inside, picking himself up from the ground and glancing around. Unlike many of the other warehouses, this one had the lights on, meaning that somebody had to be in here. He stood there, listening for any signs of life, when he heard a small rustling sound deeper into the building on the right side.

Tim had a feeling it wasn’t Red Hood, or any of his people, as there would be a lot more commotion if it was, not this unnerving quietness and chill that lingered for too long. He began to slowly creep forward, walking on practically silent feet, dodging the light by rushing in between shadows. As he continued to get closer to the part he heard the noise, the hair on the back of his neck rose, and he had to suppress a shiver. It may have been abnormally cool, but it wasn’t that cold, so what could be making him feel this way? It wasn’t fear, as his heart rate hadn’t increased. It was odd, and it made him even more curious, almost morbidly so.

Then, when he finally peaked around a corner, the feeling was gone, and nobody was there. He was confused and disappointed, as he swore he heard something. Then he walked more into it, looking around with furrowed eyebrows. There was a rolled up mattress and a blanket on the floor, which wasn’t usual for any of Red Hood’s places, as he didn’t tend to stay in them. He made his way over to them, inspecting them, noticing how there wasn’t a hint of dust on it, looking like it was just folded. A sign that somebody was just here.

Where were they now? They couldn’t have left through where Tim came in from or the entrance, as he would have seen them pass by. There were no windows or vents in this area, and although there might be one somewhere else in the building, the person couldn’t have had enough time to get to them before Tim made his way here. It made no sense and he hated it. How did this person straight up disappear?

Unless they were a meta.

He shook his head, realizing that a meta being in Gotham was a low chance outside from the main rogues and Duke. A lot of them didn’t come to the city, even with the protection laws, due to Batman immediately investigating them. It wasn’t that the man hated metas, even though Tim knew he had a somewhat dislike of them, but they always seemed to cause trouble. Either by becoming the next big villain or getting targeted themselves, it caused quite a mess for Bruce to deal with.

Though, it may explain why Red Hood was being so secretive and cautious, knowing that keeping a meta hidden would get him in trouble. Tim shoved that theory in his brain, keeping it for him to ponder about later, when he had more evidence to back it up.

Still wondering how a person managed to escape without him noticing, Tim backed away from the mattress and began to search the rest of the room. There wasn’t much in there that was noteworthy, the crates holding Red Hood’s normal supply and everything else seemingly normal. Then his eyes caught onto the stack of books in the corner, with what appeared to be a piece of paper on top. He started walking over to it, before he heard the large metal door at the entrance open up.

Sparing another quick glance at the paper, only able to read the first sentence, something about being thankful and sorry that they was leaving, making Tim even more confused, he quickly made his way to hide behind some crates. He waited tensely as Red Hood crossed the floors of his warehouse, coming towards the place Tim was at.

“Hey brat, I’m back! I brought some food I think you might like!” He shouted, shaking a package of oreos, surprising Tim. The man was in fact keeping somebody here, and it seemed like it was a kid from the name he called them. This was the reason Jason has been more busy lately, disappearing more often and for longer lengths of time. He was taking care of somebody. It all made sense to Tim now, the pieces clicking together in his brain that were already starting to form.

As the man got closer, Tim began to sneak away, heading for the entrance, luckily not getting caught as he passed the other. He was at the vent he came in through, already bending down to fight his way back through it.

“Kid?..” Tim was halfway through when he heard the confused question of the man quietly echo through the building, already knowing that he had found out the person was gone. Tim made a quick mental note that the person was indeed a child, which he didn’t know how to feel about, as Red Hood didn’t seem like the type of person to take care of a kid.

Rolling out from the warehouse, he started to hurriedly depart from the building, the new information he had circling in his brain with a thousand more questions.

He felt like this just got a lot more complicated, and that whoever this “kid” was, was at least somewhat important to Jason. Who and what they are was the biggest question. Though now Tim had to wonder where they were as well. If only he had enough time to read the note, maybe he would have more information to figure this all out.

As soon as Jason walked into the warehouse he had been allowing Danny to stay in, he knew something was off. It didn’t feel right, and it was too quiet. Still, he brushed it off and continued to walk to where Danny usually stayed, hoping that he was there reading the newest book he brought in or something.

“Hey brat, I’m back! I brought some food I think you might like!” He yelled into the building, the words echoing around the room as he shook the package of oreos he had in his hand. He knew that it wasn’t an actual meal, but he had to make things work as he sort of rushed over here when he realized that he hadn’t given the kid any food since way earlier that day. He was trying his best to take care of the teen while also keeping him hidden. Afterall, he still didn’t know what to do with him despite the fact of him being a meta or some other species.

He hasn't got around to asking the other either, as he felt like it was never the right time to ask something so personal. The boy was already skittish enough as it was, he didn’t want to make him more uncomfortable with intrusive questions. He was also widely considered to be part of Batman’s brood as well, even though he would never count himself as a bat, and a crime lord of sorts. That’s not the most welcoming image to have when it comes to talking about very sensitive topics.

He noticed how he didn’t get a response, such as “whatever old man” or “whatcha got?” that he usually got. There wasn’t even a sound, and it made Red Hood feel weird, an uncomfortable pit sinking in his stomach. Turning the corner, he was hoping to see Danny on the mattress asleep or for him to pop up and scare him, but there was nobody, and what he did see made the pit worse.

The mattress was rolled up and the blanket was folded on top of it. The stack of books was neatly tucked into the corner, a piece of paper lying on top with the notebook beside the books.

“Kid?..” He called, glancing around, already having a feeling what was on the note. He sighed, dropping the cookies on a nearby crate and walked over to the stack of books. He bent down and picked up the paper, reading it.

I’d like to say thank you for everything, and sorry for leaving so suddenly. I just needed to go before something I didn’t like happened. You’re a pretty cool guy, and definitely my favorite anti-hero or vigilante in Gotham now. I can’t exactly repay you right now, but one day I’ll try to, so don’t die before then. Okay?

See ya later,

Danny

Jason cursed, his hand tightening around the small note, crumbling a bit. He knew he should’ve done something, spoke to Danny sooner, anything! Danny couldn’t be alone in this city. Not without knowing how to properly survive or at least a good way to leave it. He wasn’t from here and was now smack in the middle of Crime Alley. It would be dangerous, especially with him not caring to hide he wasn’t a normal human. Who knows what can happen to him? Who would hurt him if they caught him?

Feeling the usual rise of anger in him, he punched the wall, not wanting it to consume him. He really needed to get his anger issues under control, as they always seemed to bother him at the worst times, including when he was worried.

Wait, worried? Yeah, Jason has been caring for Danny and trying to keep him away from trouble, but being worried meant he got attached to the boy. He cursed again, unlatching his helmet and tossing it to the ground, tangling his fingers in his hair as he tried to get himself to think while calming his nerves.

He needed to find Danny and make sure he didn’t get harmed in this city with a bunch of wackos in it. He wouldn’t keep him in the warehouse this time, as he would figure out another place for him to stay. Maybe with him? Sure, his apartment in Crime Alley may not be the safest place to live, but it would be a lot better than this building. This time he’d actually get some answers from Danny without causing him to run off, and explain to him that Gotham wasn’t a safe place for him. He might even have to find him another place to go to, because he surely wasn’t as hell going to tell Bruce that there was potentially a new meta or alien or whatever the fuck Danny was in the city, only for him to get suspicious and overreact.

Stuffing the note in his pocket, he slipped his helmet back on and steadied his feet. He’ll have to find Danny before any of the other bats do, as he knows how well that’ll go, and before the other could get too far away. There was also the chance of some other dangerous person finding him, such as a rogue or a creep. If any of them hurt Danny, he’d probably kill them, it’s not like he really cared about the Bat’s rules.

Marching out of the warehouse and hopping onto his bike, he revved it up once before speeding off, determined to find the boy before anything happened. He felt responsible for him now, and he wasn’t about to let something happen to the brat. Not when he could stop it. Not when he cared.

Chapter Text

Danny didn’t know where he was going, but he honestly couldn’t find it in him to care. His mind was a mess with running thoughts that fled before they could become clear. Almost like him and how he just ran away.

He wonders who was the person that was sneaking in there. Did they know he was in there? Were they part of the GIW? Did Red Hood know them? 

It was these questions that came and went and then circled back around in a hurried manner that he felt like he didn’t have time to try and think of the answers. It was frustrating and made his head pound, but he kept flying aimlessly, the world around him nothing much more than a blur. The only way he was sure that he was still invisible was from the lack of shouting down below. He didn’t want anybody else to see him. He needed to leave this city, if he could actually figure a way out of it. It was ridiculously large and with him not paying attention to where he was going, he didn’t know if he was actually getting anywhere.

He sighed, an unnecessary breath leaving his lips before he slowly hauled himself to a stop. He wasn’t doing himself any good flying around without knowing where he was trying to go. He would only tire himself out and be stuck in here longer. What he needed to do was clear his mind a bit, allow all the boiling thoughts in his head to simmer down a bit so he could properly think.

His wispy tail separated into two legs again, and he settled down on a roof, leaning against the metal beam holding up a billboard. He didn’t allow himself to relax against it, or detransform for that matter, but to breathe. He didn’t need to breathe in this form, and sometimes it took more effort to get himself to breathe, manually taking in air and filling his lungs only to let it back out a second later. It was weird how unnatural it felt when it was supposed to come naturally. It was just another thing that reminded him that he wasn’t human anymore, that he never would be again.

He tried to focus back on his manual breathing, wanting to distract himself from those thoughts. Right now wasn’t the time he needed to think about all of that. He wanted to push it all behind him, to forget it all, to just be Danny again. Though could he ever really be Danny again? How was he Danny without Sam or Tucker? How was he Fenton without Jazz or his parents? How was he Phantom when the government deemed him a threat and he left the very place he swore to protect? How was he human when he was truly anything but?

He gasped again, taking in air with a shaky wisp, his lip trembling with his thoughts. He gathered his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, burying his head in them with a broken sob. He couldn’t do this right now, he shouldn’t be giving into these thoughts again. He had been pushing them away as much as he could while in the warehouse, using Red Hood as a distraction, but now that he was alone again, there was nothing stopping all the hurtful things surfacing in his brain.

His breaths became more ragged, and he was trying his hardest to only focus on that, on his breaths. Ja- he was told before that getting himself to breathe properly would help him to calm down. Yet right now, it only served to remind him of everything he lost, of everything he’s done, and everything he deserves .

Tears welling up in his eyes, he looked up from his face being buried into his knees, wiping his eyes furiously with the sleeve of his suit. He didn’t go back to the confines of his inside turmoil, instead hoping the outside world would be a much better distraction. He saw how the sun was beginning to rise, and his forced breathing caught in his throat as he stared straight at it. He hadn’t seen the sun in what felt like forever, and he couldn’t help but admire its beauty at the moment, however dim it was from the city’s constant darkened state from the pollution. He hugged himself tighter, not daring to look down a little bit from the sun, knowing that he would be looking at the edge of the roof. He didn’t want to think about that either.

Danny continued to stare at the sun slowly rising. Watching as the sky slowly turned into a swirl of different colors, the stars blinking out without him really realizing it, the city lighting up with the sun’s rays peeking defiantly in the corners where the shadows once lay. It was wonderful, and although it didn’t make all of the teen’s thoughts magically disappear, it made them a little easier to shoo away. 

It wasn’t healthy to ignore them, he knew that, he’s been reminded several times by. . . Well, that didn’t matter, just like his thoughts didn’t. He let go of the tight grip he had on his legs, letting them slip back down flat on the concrete roof. He didn’t transform back into a human, even though he had a hard time staying in his ghost half, the form bringing more harsh memories than his human half did. His eyes were drifting a bit from the sun, becoming more hazy and unfocused, but he didn’t fall asleep. He felt exhausted, sure, but most of that was mentally, as his ghost part didn’t need sleep. Perhaps his human half was growing tired, after all he didn’t exactly sleep yesterday, or eat in that case.

He knows that Red Hood would probably already have left for his daily, sometimes more than once in a day, visits and saw him gone. Would he be relieved that Danny was gone? Maybe, Danny doesn’t think the other would be worried, right? Sure, Red Hood was shockingly kind and generous, but that didn’t mean the anti-hero would actually care for him. He hoped not, as that would make things more complicated for him. He didn’t want anybody to care for him anymore, to worry about him and want to know him. The less people that knew about Danny and actually cared about him, the safer it was for him and everybody else. It has been proven time and time again how dangerous he was, and now he knew that he couldn’t keep endangering people because of his ignorance.

Danny sighed, rubbing his temples. Couldn’t he have one moment to himself without going down deep thoughts that only caused him headaches? He thought he agreed to shove them down until he could find a safe place again, this time away from people. Maybe he could find a ghost portal, but the only one he knew of was in places he dared not to go. Was there other ways he could get to the Ghost Zone? He didn’t know, nor did he know how he could find out. What would he even do when he got in the Ghost Zone? Fight the ghosts in there for the rest of his pitiful existence? Because there was no way that any of the ghosts would want him there without a fight.

Danny began grumbling underneath his breath, cursing out his fate and all of his terrible luck. He finally stood back up, his muscles sore and aching from the position he sat in for far too long. He stretched a bit, hoping that the pops would relieve it a bit, but knew that his ghost powers would take care of most of it. It was only one of the good things that came with his ghost side. Though the terrible parts and things that have come from it would always weigh those down.

Shaking his head once more, willing away the tiredness and desperate thoughts clinging to him. He allowed a bit of energy to form in his hand, molding it a bit into different shapes before letting it fizzle out, wanting it to distract him. The city was already waking up, the more dangerous parts residing for the day, although that didn’t mean the place and lingering shadows still didn’t have danger lurking. He knew he wasn’t invisible at the moment, but he hoped that nobody would see him from up here. All the vigilantes should have already retired for the day, so he should be safe from them up here, safe from Red Hood seeing him again.

At least that was what he thought. Before he could turn himself back invisible and fly off, with a somewhat clearer mind, and find his way out of here, he felt a shift in the atmosphere. The teen stiffened, his mind coming to a screeching halt, and he strained his ears searching for any signs of the being causing the disturbance. He didn’t hear anything, not even with his supernatural hearing, but he could still feel it, the pressure that was building up.

Then he felt a surge of courage seep through him, allowing a stupid thought to run in his foggy mind and come out of his mouth as he turned his head slightly. “Who’s there?”

As soon as the words left his mouth he mentally cursed himself, feeling all the courage drown into a puddle of panic. Well, if the person here with a strange aura didn’t already think the strange teenage boy with stark white hair and a jumpsuit was signs of anything unnatural, surely that did it for him. What if they were a rogue, or part of the GIW, or literally anybody else in this city that wanted to hurt him. Red Hood said it was dangerous, and if anything, he believed him, although he already knew that was true. It was one of the many things Gotham was famous for.

A few moments of silence passed, making the panic in Danny double over, and with his already hazy state, he didn’t think about going invisible and flying off. Even if he did, that would probably only make this situation worse, him giving up more proof to the other about who he was, about what he was. He really was in a pickle here.

Then he heard the sound of cautious footsteps slowly come forward from the shadows of the rooftop, watching as they slowly undid their hold on the person as they stepped out. He might have thought this person was a ghost, if it wasn’t for his ghost sense not going off. The sound of the boots coming closer made Danny fully spin around to look at the person instead of just barely peeking. It was Signal, Danny knew it was, as he was wearing his signature yellow suit with the bat symbol on it. Wonderful, just wonderful, another member of the bat clan has spotted him. How could he forget that there was also a day-time hero as well? This time while he was a ghost instead of a human, this could only go well.

“How did you know I was there?” The wary voice of Signal asked, his hands hovering over his escrima sticks in case the person posed any threat. He didn’t know who the boy was, but he did know that they weren’t human, not completely at least, if the flowing white hair and glowing eyes were anything to go off of. The teen must have also had enhanced hearing, or something, as there was no way he could have been spotted otherwise.

“I- um- well,” Wait, Signal narrowed his eyes at the other, seeing how panicked they looked. Was they some new rogue and didn’t expect to see a vigilante in the day or something? The other sounded pretty confident calling him out, but now they only seemed to want to get away. Also, was those teeth he barely saw sharper than normal, or was it just him?

“Who are you?” Signal continued, his head tilting to the side, taking another step forward. He had never seen this person before, and although they did look like a teenager, actually they looked around his age, that didn’t mean that they weren’t dangerous.

“I promise, I-” Danny hated how he kept stumbling over his words, not able to get anything out properly. He took a step back, closer to the edge, and took a breath. “I don’t want any trouble, um- sir?” Danny didn’t know how old Signal was, but he felt like it was only right to try and be polite, after all, he really wasn’t in the mood to fight at the moment. The snort he got didn’t help. “I was actually trying to leave the city,” He nervously laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know I shouldn’t be here, but I’m sorta lost?”

Alright, now Signal was confused and on the verge of letting out a laugh. The teen before him seemed so anxious that he couldn’t help but believe him a little. “Okay mystery guy, maybe I can help you. If you tell me who you are and what you’re doing here first.”

“I- you see- I can’t tell you much.” Danny said, putting his hands in the air, taking another step back as Signal crept forward a bit more. “I really do mean no harm though. I was only passing through, but this city is huge! Like, how does anybody figure their way around here?” There was a small chuckle that escaped his lips, his nerves becoming worse with each second that Signal stared at him. What if he figured out who he really was? Would he try to capture him and turn him in the GIW? Did some vigilantes work with the government?

“Not many people come to Gotham, only ‘passing through’. It’s pretty dangerous here, and it seems like you understand that, so why come here in the first place?” Duke asked, taking another step forward, watching how the other would mirror him by taking a step back, getting closer to the edge of the roof, trapping himself. He would have to report this person to Batman, as having a new possible meta or alien here could cause some problems. If they really did mean no harm, then Duke wanted to make sure that they would be safe here, or at least be able to safely leave.

“I- I can’t really answer that. Please, you gotta understand or something. I have to get out of here.” Danny said, a little more desperately. He didn’t want to answer any of the Signal’s questions, knowing that he shouldn’t give anything away that could possibly backfire on him later.

Signal heard the rising desperation in the teen’s voice, how it cracked a little, and was almost about to let him go. Though the idea of him letting somebody go and then them causing harm later on, wasn’t something that he could let happen. “I know you’re probably really anxious right now, but all you have to do is answer a few questions and I’ll help you out of the city, okay?”

He took another step forward, his hands moving away from his weapons and one moving closer to the unknown boy, trying to show that he truly wasn’t going to hurt them. It seemed like that was a mistake as the boy took another step back, this time flinching a bit, and then freezing when his foot hit the edge of the roof.

Danny was full on panicking now, and no matter how much he wanted to breathe he couldn’t, his lungs constricting in his chest like they forgot how they didn’t need to breathe. When his foot hit the end of the roof, it brought him back to a few weeks earlier, a painful memory that only brought more with it. He needed to leave, now.

He spun around, watching how Signal’s outstretched hand went straight for his weapon as he leaped back from Danny, only proving how he really thought about him. He didn’t peer over the edge, knowing that the sight would make him sick, and jumped. He heard a shout behind him as he fell, and he turned invisible before the vigilante had the time to look over the edge for him and flew away as fast as he did last night, away from another bat. How ironic was this?

Signal watched with terror as he saw the other boy fall away from the roof, and he rushed forward with a yell, letting go of his weapon. He looked down, but was surprised to not see anything in the street below. There was no flattened body or really anybody in sight, except for the normal civilians that walked as if nothing happened. Where did the other go? How did they straight up disappear like that? There were no open windows to slide through, no dumpster to land in, nothing that would have allowed the boy to escape that easily and so quickly.

Signal furrowed his eyebrows and mentally yelled at himself for scaring the other like that, he knew he shouldn’t have approached like that when the other was clearly on the verge of panicking. He sighed, and looked around, using his own power to see if he could track down where the boy went. He could see how they fell down a bit, and how his body maneuvered as if he was used to this, but then there was nothing else. They had actually disappeared completely, not even his powers able to detect any change of light after those few seconds of falling. Did this person have some sort of teleportation power? It would make a lot of sense given how people don’t usually blink out of a space like that, especially without disturbing light in the process.

Now that his powers were useless in tracking the other, he would have to report them to Batman and ask Oracle to look at some of the street cameras in case some of them caught where he teleported to. Though if they could actually teleport it brought a lot more questions. Such as why not just teleport out of the city or something? Unless the boy was lying, or perhaps was only limited to being able to teleport to certain places, maybe by sight or something. It was a confusing matter, and Duke knew that Bruce would be needed for this.

Grabbing his grappling hook he got down from the building and into an alleyway, easily slipping back into the shadows and allowing it to swallow him so he could get back without being spotted. Hopefully, as the mysterious person was able to know he was there, even while he was so sure he was hidden. He didn’t even really make a sound and the other noticed him. It was weird, and just another thing he would have to explain to B. He mentally sighed, knowing that this was going to be a long day, and that he would have to finish his patrol later.

When Duke finally arrived back in the batcave, he didn't bother to take off his suit or even his helmet as he made his way to the bat computer. He had already told Barbara to tell Bruce to be down here as soon as he could for a report of a new possible super powered teen in the city. That’s why he wasn’t surprised when he saw the man in full Batman attire right next to most of the other bat members, some of them in hushed conversation that stopped as Signal approached, he was surprised to see Jason among them. He had been especially rare to spot nowadays.

“What do you know about this possible superhuman?” Batman asked Signal, wasting no time to get started with the new case they had.

“I saw him on top of the roof of an old tenant in Shelton Street. He seemed to be stretching as I got closer to get a good look of him as I noticed how odd he looked.” He began, and Oracle behind them began bringing up the map for Shelton Street. “I was sure that I didn’t make any sound that could alert him, and I was also using my powers to stay hidden in the shadows, but he still knew I was there. That’s when I knew something other than just his looks were different from your normal everyday civilian.”

“Oracle, pull up Duke’s suit footage, I want to see how ‘odd’ this person looked.” Batman ordered, turning his head towards Barbara as she nodded and turned to another screen to access his footage, then he turned back to Signal. “What else happened?”

“Well, you’ll see in the camera soon enough, but I was trying to ask him some questions when I realized how terrified he looked. He said he wasn’t from here and that he was passing through, but he didn’t tell me much else. It seemed like he was too afraid to.” He reported, and he noticed how Jason shuffled on his feet and crossed his arms as he was explaining. He was again surprised by how quiet Jason was on the matter, as he usually always had something to say, and he seemed almost uncomfortable. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who noticed that, as Tim was staring straight at him, analyzing his every movement.

“After that, I tried to get closer, but he fled via jumping off the roof.” He said, and he could see Batman’s lip tighten and Jason tense slightly as well. “I looked over the side but didn’t see anything, even while using my powers there was no path that I could detect. It was almost like he disappeared into thin air, though I suspect they may have teleportation.”

“Hn.” Was all Bruce responded with before turning back to Babs. “Barbara, the footage.”

“That’s the thing B, the footage seems corrupted.” She said, clicking away at the keyboard, staring at the screen with a harsh intensity. “It becomes all glitched and distorted as soon as Signal faces the person, and then it suddenly is fine after a few minutes and they're gone. They must have somehow been able to mess with Signal’s camera when they're near. Maybe a blocker or some other tampering signal? Either way I don’t think I can fix it.”

“It appears that this superhuman has more than one ability then, or perhaps they had some technology with them? Which would have to be very advanced to get past all the security that are on the suit cams.” Tim added, no longer glaring at Red Hood but stepping closer to the screen and Barbara.

“What did the person look like?” Finally, Red Hood spoke, looking at Signal with slightly narrowed eyes. Duke won’t really admit it, but Jason kinda made him nervous sometimes, especially when he was dressed up in his crime lord stuff.

“He had bright white air, which kinda flowed like he was underwater. Pale skin, a black and white suit with a weird symbol on the front, and white boots and gloves. He kinda looked like a rogue or a superhero.” Signal explained, and looking back on it, maybe they were? Did the Justice League have any new heroes or something?

“I have not heard of any heroes or villains that would match that description, and I would know.” Damian said, a frown present on his face from not knowing something.

Then Cass appeared out of nowhere, slinking out of the shadows and appearing right beside Duke, making him jump a bit. Sometimes he swears that she was the meta with superpowers and not him. “I haven’t seen anybody like that either.”

“Was there anything else about him that looked off?” Red Hood pressed, looking at Duke again with a rigid body. It was almost like Jason was looking for something, or that he knew something and was trying to see if that something was connected to this. Duke frowned, thinking hard about what he might be asking about. Then he remembered something he hadn’t mentioned earlier and straightened up.

“Oh! He kinda looked like he might be a teenager, as he wasn’t very tall and sounded young. He also had glowing green eyes, super bright and stuff, and maybe sharp teeth? I didn’t really get a good look at his face with the lighting.” Duke said, remembering how the new light of the rising sun and the other’s glowing eyes didn’t really allow him to have a good look at his face from up close, even if he could control light to a certain degree. It was another weird thing adding to the pile of oddities this superhuman had, which was to be expected.

Jason tensed even more, his eyes widening only a small fraction, that reaction being reflected from his helmet. Duke was confused from this, watching as Jason turned away and stared at the batcomputer. Did Jason recognize the superhuman?

“Is there anything else that is needed to report?” Batman asked, glancing at everybody in the room, and took the silence that followed as a no. “I want nobody to engage with the unknown superhuman. We do not know their intentions or what they may be capable of. If you see him, report to me immediately and keep watch of him while maintaining your distance. From what Duke said, this person can sense others and mess with technology when nearby. Until we know more about this possible threat, I want everybody to keep a close eye on him and anything else out of the ordinary. The last thing this city needs is another person causing trouble.”

Duke’s eyebrows furrowed again, agreeing with most of what B said but grew confused with the last part. “I don’t know if this person is a threat though. He seemed to genuinely want out of the city, not to stay in it and cause trouble.”

“That doesn’t mean that they cannot be dangerous.” Batman said, before looking at Duke and adding on. “If anybody does see him though, do not attack them unless attacked first.”

Duke nodded, his hands tightening a bit as he looked at the other bats. Cass was already walking away, no doubt about to hide in the shadows once more, and Damian had already disappeared. The two assassins were scarily similar sometimes. Tim was talking with Babs about the whole camera situation and how it was possible, both seeming equally frustrated. Then there was Jason, who’s white out eyes of the helmet were narrowed and arms were still crossed, obviously in deep thought. Bruce was heading out, to do who knows what. Duke needed to get back on patrol as well, so he shook himself before walking out of the batcave as well and back out into the not so bright world of Gotham.

After talking to Barbara about Duke’s camera becoming distorted like that, Tim had a sinking feeling that something was going on in Gotham. First, Jason started acting weird, then he found out that he was keeping a kid with him who had just left, and then Duke sees this supernatural teenager a day after that. He wasn’t an idiot, and neither was Jason, he saw how tense the other was, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. This was the “kid” he was trying to hide, and it made everything make much more sense on why Jason was being so secretive. Hiding a superhuman in Gotham right under the big bat’s nose? He should’ve known that Jason would be the person to do something like this.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead and filling up his coffee again. He had waited for all the others to leave so that he could be alone in the batcave. He was going to do this last night, but Alfred caught him sneaking into the cave and told, or more so ordered him, to go to bed as his night patrol was over. He tried arguing with the butler, but inevitably lost in the end as he could never argue with the man, and was promptly dragged up to bed. He knew it would be harder to leave his room without getting caught after that, as Alfred would have been keeping a close eye on him for the rest of the night, so he stayed right in his comfy bed and gave in to his tired urges.

Now though, he was much more awake and since it was well into the afternoon, Alfred couldn’t force him to go to bed. This was also one of the rare moments that somebody wasn’t in the batcave, either to try and solve a case or training, and Tim was eager to take advantage of it while he still could. With his new steaming cup of coffee in hand, he walked right over to the batcomputer, sitting down in the huge chair in front of it. The cave was mostly silent except for the occasional drip and Tim typing on the wide keyboard, like it was just as tense and anxious as he was.

He pulled out the harddrive in his pocket and plugged it into one of the USB ports, waiting impatiently as the screen quickly downloaded the information and brought it up on the screen. Tim went through the files, already knowing where to look.

He had gone back to the warehouse earlier that day, before he was called in by Bruce for the important meeting over what Duke had reported. It was a good thing he came, as the new info he had brought a new light to everything he already knew. He had went to the warehouse for the camera footage there, hoping that it could provide him some answers as well.

Finding the date that Red Hood first started acting strange, he clicked onto the file and began watching the footage. It was a bit grainy, obviously not one of better quality, but worked nonetheless. At first there was nothing, then around two in the morning the light was turned on and he could see movement in the corner of the camera. He paused it, and tried to enhance the image, but found that the low quality made it impossible to make out anything but a blurb of colors. From what he could see though was the red of Jason’s helmet, and the fact that it seemed like he had something next to his side. He unpaused the video and waited a few more seconds, watching as the two figures slowly moved to the other side of the warehouse.

Tim could make out a bit more, that the person appeared to be slouched over, and had black hair. Black hair? Didn’t Duke say that the person he saw had white hair? Tim watched more closely, staring as they slowly got closer, waiting for the person to be in a more clearer angle so he could get a better look.

That was when the camera began to bug out, the pixels becoming gray and mismatched as they danced around the screen, creating a fuzzy look. Tim abruptly stood up, the chair he was in rolling away with the sudden movement.

This was the superhuman. The camera did the same thing that Duke’s did, meaning that this person was the same as the other. This also strengthened the theory that the person had an ability that corrupted camera footage, maybe even subconsciously as the boy never looked at the camera to know it was there. This was huge proof that solved all of Tim’s doubts.

Jason knew the superhuman, and was perhaps more connected to them than anybody knew. Tim needed to get to the bottom of this, before everybody goes crashing into the bottom of whatever mess that Jason has caused. He stood up, took the hard drive and left the batcave, already knowing what he needed to do in mind.

Chapter Text

Jason left as soon as he could, not wanting to be in the batcave any longer after hearing what Duke said. He knew it was Danny as soon as he heard that B had called a meeting about a new superhuman, possibly metahuman or alien, in Gotham. Afterall, Danny had just left his warehouse yesterday, and it didn’t take a genius to connect the dots.

The only thing that had made him doubt was that the first description that Duke had given them, as the Danny he knew didn’t have white hair or a black and white jumpsuit. Actually, Jason was pretty sure that the teen was probably still wearing the clothes he had given him right before he left, a plain red shirt and some black jeans. The thing that made Jason so sure that the unknown super was Danny, was that Duke also said they had glowing green eyes, sharp teeth, and were short. He knew that the kid going around like that was just asking for somebody to notice him, he should have talked to him before, made him more aware that he wasn’t the norm around here.

Perhaps the white hair and odd clothing was what he actually looked like or something, afterall, he sure wasn’t completely human. Now that the whole flock of bats was looking for the teen though, including the man himself, it was even more dangerous for him to be on the streets of Gotham. Duke said that he looked terrified, and although Danny was rather skittish, he also wasn’t afraid to fight. For him to flee like that, or vanish in Duke’s words, meant that he could already be in danger.

Jason hopped on his motorcycle, it humming back loudly to life for a second before he took off. He was going to find Danny before any other bat could. He should have already got to him before Duke, instead of retreating as soon as daylight rolled into the city. It didn’t matter if he was a nighttime vigilante, he didn’t care if others saw him during the day. Nobody except the other bats would question him, but he would risk that to hurry up and find Danny before them. He can cover his ass easily, but Danny on the other hand? Well, he was just a teen, a scared one at that. He didn’t need all the bats cornering him and asking him a whole bunch of questions.

He was heading towards Shelton Street, hoping that he would find some sort of trail that would point him to where Danny could have gone. He drove quickly down the streets, ignoring some of the traffic laws as he passed through the overcrowded city. How in the world did so many people want to live here? He could understand the ones that didn’t have nowhere else to go, but the ones that chose to be here? Absolutely insane people if you asked him.

When he got to Shelton Street, it was disappointingly normal. Everybody was minding their own business, a few of them noticing Red Hood and taking pictures of him or whispering among themselves. It bothered him, a reason he much rather do things during the night, but he could ignore his discomfort in turn for finding Danny. He searched around, and found a tenement that seemed like it should have been demolished ages ago, and guessed that it was probably the one that Duke had mentioned Danny being on.

He went into the alley, scarring off a couple of cats as he walked, and took out his grapple hook, launching into the air as soon as it gripped on top of the roof. Climbing on top of the building, he looked around, seeing nothing out of place. There was a billboard sign, but nothing else out of the ordinary. It was still pretty high up though, and Red Hood used it to have a better look around the place.

There was no sign of Danny, none, absolutely zip. Though he had to have been here at least an hour ago, so he shouldn’t have gone too far. Though, if the boy really could teleport, then that would make it a lot harder to track him down. What if he already found his way out of Gotham? Jason would be looking for nobody.

Not one to make assumptions or give up quickly, Red Hood went back to the alley where his motorcycle still was sitting. He already didn’t have much patience, especially when he was this worried worked up. He felt the need to find Danny, and it was much stronger than last night when the kid first dipped.

Cursing at himself and his weird emotional bullshit, he got back on his motorcycle and began searching rapidly around the area, trying not to miss anything. Every time he saw black hair, he would take a second look, disappointed each time that they weren’t Danny. One time he even saw a person with white hair who wasn’t old, but instead of being some out of the world version of Danny, it was just some girl in her twenties who probably dyed her hair that way.

He kept looking, spreading all over the area, double checking some places to make sure Danny didn’t show up after he left. He knew he probably looked a little crazy, and he felt a little crazy too, searching like mad for a teenager he only knew for about three weeks. Even though he may not know Danny too well, and less than he thought he did it seemed, that didn’t mean he didn’t care about the brat. Jason knew that he could be in danger, and he would be damned if he let the kid be hurt because of some crazed dumbass out there.

It was becoming dark and Jason knew that the dragging feeling in his eyes was him becoming tired, as he hasn’t slept in the last day from everything that has been happening. He was tempted to take off his helmet so he could rub at his face, maybe calm down some of his nerves, when he felt the temperature drop and the air turn stale, almost like he entered some haunted mansion that’s been around for far too long. Though, he knew this feeling, and hope sparked in his chest.

He turned, looking around the alley he was in to see if he could spot Danny. The feeling was still there, so that meant that Danny was still here. He didn’t want to scare him off again, especially after spending the entire day searching every small space to try and find him. “Brat?” He called, glancing around again to see if he could spot the boy. The chill intensified and then warmed back up, and Jason was afraid that he did scare him off.

“Red Hood?” Jason froze, spinning around on his hills to see Danny a few feet behind him, and he couldn’t help but question how the fuck the kid snuck up on him like that. Probably another power thing going on, he really needed to know more about that. Other than that, the kid’s hair was still black, and his eyes weren’t glowing at all, an icy blue like they had been for the majority of his time in the warehouse after he had settled in. “Am I back in Crime Alley or something? I knew I was going around in circles, I’m so fucking stupid.”

“No we’re not in Crime Alley,” Red Hood corrected the younger teen, who seemed more tired than usual, probably not having slept yet either. “I was actually looking for your dumbass.” Danny stiffened, and Jason could visibly see the panic rising in him.

“I- well- I’m sorry for leaving so suddenly- I” Danny tried to get out, his hands going up to his head to thread through it as he avoided looking at Red Hood.

“That’s not why I tracked you down. I’m here because apparently some idiot got caught by Signal.” Red Hood said, crossing his arms, although he tried not to sound too harsh, which was hard with the modified voice in his helmet.

Danny’s eyes somehow got bigger, and bit his lip and looked away again. He couldn’t help but think how Red Hood actually was connected to the other bats like he thought they were, which was given with the bat symbol. Did Red Hood tell them stuff about him? He may not know much, but he did know his name and how he really looked. Shit, Signal saw his other form. Red Hood probably knew now. Who he truly was.

Red Hood saw how the nervous boy was starting to become afraid too, and that was the opposite of what he wanted. If Danny felt threatened in any way, he would bounce and vanish once more. Jason wasn’t trying to scare him, he didn’t want to. “Look kid, I’m not going to do anything, okay? I simply looked for you to tell you that you’re a dumbass for letting them see you and that you need to be more safe or some shit.”

Danny relaxed a bit, letting a worried breath escape his mouth. While he was human he did need to breathe, so he sucked another breath right back in before he spoke. “I know I’m a dumbass, I just sorta forgot about Signal, alright? I’ll be careful from now on, I promise. I mean, I haven’t been caught again all day.”

“What about right now?” Red Hood shot back, lifting an unimpressed eyebrow.

Danny stuttered, flailing his arms for a second before composing himself so he could properly defend himself. “If I didn’t want you to know I was here, you wouldn’t have seen me. The only reason I came out is because I knew it was you from that dumb voice modifier in your helmet that makes you sound like a boy band member who uses monotone instead of autotune.”

“That was one of the lamest comebacks I’ve ever heard in my goddamn life.” Red Hood said, but couldn’t hold but a short laugh and a wide smile that Danny couldn’t see. “Y’know squirt, for somebody being so tiny you sure are feisty. Reminds me of a chihuahua.”

“Those little bastards are feral demons, don’t let the smallness fool you.” That sure got an actual chuckle out of Red Hood, making Danny join in a bit in turn.

Then Danny sobered, his smile turning bittersweet, and Jason hated that look. Last time he saw it was in the warehouse, during his last visit before Danny left for good. He didn’t think much of it at the time, but he knew it meant nothing good now.

“Thank you Red Hood, really. I know I’ve said that a lot in the past couple of weeks, but I really do mean it. Who knows, I might have died that night you found me.” Actually Danny was supposed to die the night that Red Hood found him, but the man didn’t need to know that, and he felt like keeping it to himself anyways. “Though right now, I really want to be alone. I promise I’ll be more careful until I can find a good way out of here without messing more shit up. No more vigilantes for me.” He tried to end with a happy note, but there was still a sadness in his voice that he couldn’t quite place, and neither could Red Hood.

Red Hood wanted to argue with the kid and drag him back to his apartment or tell him how to leave the city, but he couldn’t. There was a certain look in the younger boy’s eyes, and Jason knew that he wouldn’t be able to convince him that whatever was going on could be fixed. It wasn’t his place either. He could see plain as day that although Danny may relax a bit in his presence, that he didn’t trust him. He couldn’t tell Danny that him being a teen all alone on the streets without a home was something he couldn’t let happen, no matter how much he wanted to, because then Danny would just run away again. He couldn’t tell Danny that he didn’t have to leave, when he saw how convinced the other was that he needed to. He couldn’t tell Danny that he cared for him. That would only freak him out.

He couldn’t do anything to stop Danny, say anything to let him stop himself, so he sighed and decided that there were some things he couldn’t do. “Fine then Danny, just know that you can always come to me if anything happens. I’ll probably be somewhere in Crime Alley, but if I’m not, go to one of my people and they’ll help you until I can get back. I’ll make sure to tell them to keep an eye out for you, but I won’t tell them much, does that sound good?”

Danny was surprised once more, but nodded his head silently, not trusting his voice at the moment. He could tell he was on the verge of another breakdown like he had several times that day, probably because of how stressed he’s been since that morning and how tired he felt. Red Hood was offering him help, but he knew it was selfish to take it, as he’s already taken so much and put the other in way too much danger. Taking in a deep breath to try and temporarily calm his nerves, he gave Red the most of a smile he could give him, which wasn’t much with how much his lip wanted to crumble into a trembling mess. “Thanks.”

Then he turned around and went right back into the shadows, turning himself invisible and disappearing into the now new night, flying slowly as he willed himself to not turn around again. Tears welled up in his eyes, and it wasn’t just because of Red Hood, but being reminded from all the times that his family and friends had offered him help. He had selfishly taken theirs too, and it led them to their death. He wasn’t going to do the same to Red Hood.

Red Hood watched him vanish right back into the shadows he appeared from, standing there for a moment, keeping his ear strained in case anything happens to Danny while he was still near. After a few minutes of nothing but the usual sounds of the city at night, he turned around and headed back to his motorcycle, a newfound feeling of disconnectedness in him as his thoughts failed to form beyond basic things. He didn’t know what he was exactly feeling, but he found that he really hated it, but couldn’t bring himself to try and push it away as it became all consuming.

Revving up his motorcycle, he drove off and back towards Crime Alley. Maybe a night patrol around the area before speaking to his commanders about the new rule with Danny would make him stop feeling like this. It usually worked when Red Hood was having a bad day, so why not right now?

Tim watched as Red Hood zipped around on his motorcycle, during broad daylight, and searched. He knew what he was looking for too, or who to be more exact. After Tim had the realization from the camera footage he had removed his Red Robin costume to his civilian clothes, because unlike Red Hood, he wasn’t an idiot. He followed him around, well, the best he could anyways. It was a good thing that Red Hood actually kept his tracker on this time, because it made it a lot easier to know where he was going. The other must have been really distracted if he forgot about that and didn’t pay attention to if anybody was tailing him.

He had been following Jason all day, going all throughout the city near Shelton Street and double checking areas sometimes more than once. He was beginning to think that he would never find the superhuman, and he was becoming more doubtful as the sun began sinking. Then Red Hood stopped in an alleyway, and Tim rushed to get over there. When he was finally near the man’s location, he made his way on top of a building close to the alley, so he could spy listen from up above on the rooftop without being noticed.

Cautiously peering down, seeing two people in the alley, and he assumed that the other was the person that Jason was looking for as he was talking to them. Not able to hear what they were saying, he threw down a bug with a microphone and  put an earbud in his ear so he could listen in. He almost felt bad for doing so, after hearing how private and emotional the conversation went, but it was important information nonetheless.

From what he could gather, the raven haired kid was in fact the same white haired teen that Duke reported earlier, meaning that he had two forms. This one was most likely to blend in easier with the other people, which was honestly pretty smart on his end. Though it made Tim wonder why he didn’t use it earlier when Signal saw him? Maybe he thought nobody was there and wanted to relax for a second.

Another thing was that the teen trusted Jason enough to give him his name, which was Danny. Whether that was his actual name or not was up for an internal debate later, but Tim stored it away and continued to eavesdrop. After hearing Red Hood make an offer that was incredibly out of character for the man, and the small and somber thanks he got in return, he watched them both make their separate ways.

Everything really was coming together, making a bigger picture for Tim to understand and look at, slowly but surely. Though he needed more information to really know what was happening, before anything terrible happened. It sounded like Danny was afraid of something, not Red Hood, but something else. Was it Gotham? Was that why he wanted to leave? Was it having to do with him being somewhat or entirely inhuman?

Tim didn’t know, but he desperately wanted to. If this Danny was that important to Red Hood, then there must be a reason, and a good one at that. Whatever was harming Danny or making him so afraid that he couldn’t allow Jason to help him, Tim would get to the bottom of it too. He swore that he would keep everybody in Gotham safe, and it included Danny too now as long as he wasn’t the one harming others.

Getting the bug from the alleyway and beginning the long trek back to the Wayne mansion, Tim had a feeling that something much bigger than just some lost superteen being scared was going on, and he didn’t like it. He would patrol for a bit longer tonight, just to make sure everything was fine. He wasn’t going to try and check on Danny.

Tim may have been spending a lot of his extra time looking after Danny. A lot more than he was willing to admit. A few days have passed since he eavesdropped overheard the conversation between Danny and Red Hood in the alley way, and over the course of those days Tim has found himself seeing Danny more than he meant to. Sometimes he would intentionally seek the superhuman out, and other times he would accidentally come upon him. Every time though, nothing strange happened, at least nothing that signaled that Danny was anything other than human.

The first time that Tim had found Danny again was the night of the deep talk between the teen and Jason, and he had been looking out for him while he patrolled. He saw him walking down a street, obviously looking for a place to safely stay the night, if checking buildings and little nooks in alleys was enough to tell that. It concerned Tim that Danny didn’t have a place to live, but he already figured that when he thought about how he had lived with Red Hood for a couple of weeks. Tim may have stayed out longer that night than he usually did, keeping an eye on the teen while he kept another eye on the city, watching both in case something happened.

Luckily, Danny did eventually find a place that he seemed to deem good enough for the night, which was one of the newer abandoned buildings, which didn’t have too many cracks in it yet. It still made Tim worry, and he had to push the urge to go up to the teen and straight up drag them to an actual bed where he would be much safer. Didn’t Danny listen to Jason at all? What happened to the promise of being more careful?

Tim decided to not confront Danny, aware he would scare him much like the others seemed to. Plus, Danny probably had enough of the vigilantes in Gotham to want any more interrogating talking to him. Retiring for that night with a racing mind, Tim wasn’t able to get sleep, instead hiding out in the batcave in front of a computer trying to figure out who Danny truly was. There had to be some information on him, about some superhuman who had two different looks. Yet, Tim found nothing, there was zero data of any kind about a super powered teenager named Danny. It made Tim feel a bit more confused, and wary, but he thought about how Danny was. How secretive and elusive the teen could be when he really wanted to be.

The next time Tim saw Danny, it was completely by accident, with Tim in his civilian identity. He was going down the block for the coffee store that allowed him to put in as many espresso shots as he liked, and he really needed the energy at the moment, when he saw the black messy hair that belonged to Danny. He didn’t think about it at first, his brain supplying him that there were many males in the city with black hair, as he had only seen the hair, but then Danny moved away from the walking crowd and allowed Tim to see more. He knew it was Danny then, the lanky body of the teen unmistakable.

Tim had glanced back at the coffee shop he was nearing, debating for only half a second, before giving in and running after Danny. He didn’t really follow Danny, being more curious than worried, and only watched him for a few minutes. Again, nothing abnormal happened, Danny continued to walk down Gotham’s busy streets like he has always been there. The only reason Tim knew he wasn’t was from how the teen would flinch at sudden loud sounds such as the wails of a siren flying by or shying away from looking up at the tall buildings. He felt like Danny may have come from a smaller city, or maybe even a small town, but it was all speculation, and Tim had coffee to drink.

When Tim went out again as Red Robin that very night, he was searching for Danny. This time to see if the other finally found their way out of the city. It wasn’t that confusing, was it? Surely the teen could find his way after spending so long here. There were plenty of highways and streets that led the way out of Gotham, and if anything, Danny could have just walked in a straight path and found a way out that way. What if Danny didn’t actually want to leave? Did he lie to Jason or Duke? Or is there something else pressuring him to leave? Tim once again thought about Bruce and his actions towards the nonhuman population of Gotham.

Bruce did allow anybody to live in the city, but he was a bit sensitive when it came to those who weren’t entirely human, or human at all for that matter. He had grown a lot from that whenever he adopted Jarro and Duke, but anybody could tell that the man still held some suspicions towards them, no matter how harmless they seemed. If they were unknown, he treated them as if they were a threat. Maybe it was just the over cautious and paranoid side of B talking that drove him towards that. Hopefully it wasn’t because he didn’t like other races than humans and Jarro. Afterall, he had sworn to protect everybody in Gotham as well, which included those who weren’t human.

The third time that Tim saw Danny was also when he was Red Robin, but this time he was in the middle of a fight with a group of petty muggers. He was taking them down rather easily, as they seemed untrained when it came to fighting. It didn’t matter if they outnumbered Red Robin, he had more skill than all of the bozos put together.

It was while he was kicking another mugger in the knee when he felt a small uneasy feeling rise inside him. He didn’t know what it was, but it distracted him for only a second, just enough for one of the men to punch Tim in the jaw. He had felt the air grow colder as he spat out blood, but his body ran hotter from a spike of anger as he swiftly and mercilessly knocked the guy unconscious. He knew that he had hit them with a bit of extra force than necessary, especially since he knocked them clean out, but he couldn’t find it in him to care.

It was while he was tying up all the men that the cold atmosphere warmed up a bit more, although the feeling he felt didn’t go away. It was similar to whenever he felt like he was being followed, but different all the same, as it was the same uneasy feeling somebody would feel when entering a graveyard. He hadn’t known it was Danny, but when he exited the alley and saw a small snippet of a boy with black hair running into an alley across the street and the feeling he had immediately lifting, he knew who it was. Was Danny watching him too?

Other than that and the odd vibe, Danny seemed painstakingly average. He never saw his eyes glow, the sharp teeth that Duke talked about, or the white hair that flowed with magic. Danny seemed human, and Tim was almost starting to doubt that he was anything but in the first place. It didn’t make any sense to Tim. How did somebody who before seemed to have a hard time hiding what they truly were, begin doing it so well that it tricked even the most perceptive of people? He didn’t know how to feel about that.

The last time that Tim saw Danny was early the next night. He was trying his hardest to track down Danny once again, hoping that somehow his questions would be answered. He was surprised he was able to go this long without truly being caught, if that time Danny watched him fight was not him getting caught that is. Didn’t Danny have some sort of power that allowed him to sense others when they got near him? Shouldn’t it be working on Tim?

He was standing in an alley, by himself, looking at particularly nothing. This was the first time that the vigilante has seen the other teen doing something that most would call unordinary behavior, and it interested him. He watched, being completely silent and staying what he thought was out of sight. He waited, anticipating for something to happen that would somehow solve this entire mystery.

Nothing did happen, Danny just stood there, and in all honesty it was starting to freak out the self acclaimed detective. Then, as soon as Tim blinked, Danny was gone. Nowhere in the alley below. This caused Tim to freak out, having to swallow down a surprised yelp as he flinched, not expecting that. Did this just prove everything that Duke said? Could Danny actually teleport?

Then the cold air he was starting to grow used to the past few days around Danny increased, causing an involuntary shiver go through Tim. The pressure of the area felt heavier, and it made Tim tense, not moving a muscle afterwards. After a few seconds of realizing how quiet everything became, even the city acting like it was waiting for something to unravel.

Finally letting out a small breath, Tim peeked behind him, seeing that there was in fact a figure there. Seeing this, his heart picked up and he spun around and faced the stranger with two batarangs flying out of his hands. He watched with wide eyes as both of the sharp objects flew right through the other like they were made out of fog, not even scraping them. Then there was a flash of green lights and Tim realized that it was coming from the person’s eyes.

Danny. It was Danny who somehow appeared right behind him without him realizing it. Did the superhuman teleport behind him? Was it just luck that he did that as soon as Tim blinked, or was it another power?

Tim stood there, frozen in a fighting position as he stared at Danny with heavy pants. He hasn’t been that spooked in a while. Now though, he had a good look at the teen. He really did have glowing green eyes, looking similar to neon lights in a mini golf course with how bright they were. They dimmed a bit, allowing Tim to have a better look as he tried to assess his situation, as so far Danny hasn’t tried to harm him.

“It’s not fun being watched is it?” The teen finally said after several minutes had passed by.

“Wha-?” Tim’s confused noise was the only thing his sleep deprived brain could offer for the moment, his thoughts scattering fifty different ways. Danny snorted, his hand immediately going to his mouth as he did so, the green eyes completely fading away as he tried to hold back a giggle. Blue eyes, the teen had light blue eyes and black hair. Tim wonders if B would adopt him if he saw him like that.

“Damn it- I- I was trying to be serious for once. Stop making this so hard, I’m supposed to scare you.” Danny said, still choking down giggles with his bright blue eyes glistening with amusement. They also appeared to be glowing with how the moonlight reflected on them, and Tim squinted his eyes and titled his head to make sure they weren’t. This only made Danny laugh more. “What- what the actual fuck- why are you looking at me like that? You look like a cat- holy shit- I can’t.”

Tim gave the giggling mess of a teen a blank stare as he stood up and straightened out of his fighting pose. “Okay, ‘mister glowy eyes’, you look like one of those stereotypical halloween cats.”

Danny stopped laughing, his eyes blinking with surprise. “My eyes were glowing?”

Well that just threw Tim through a loop. Did he really not know his eyes glowed? Why was everything about this kid so complicated? “How the fuck do you not know?”

“Oh shit, are they doing it right now? I can usually control it, shit, how long has this been going on?” Danny’s amusement earlier was completely gone now, replaced with nervousness.

“No, they’re blue right now.” Tim answered, wanting to lean closer and get a better look at his eyes, but refrained, remembering that Duke said that Danny fled after he tried to get closer.

“Oh, um, that’s cool.” Danny awkwardly replied, his hand going back and scratching the back of his neck. “So, I came up here to try and scare you, but it seems that kinda failed.”

Tim wasn’t about to say that he basically jumped out of his own skin when he saw Danny’s shadowy figure behind him. “How did you pop up behind me like that? I only looked away for half a second at that.” Might as well try and get some answers while Danny seemed like talking.

“None of your business weirdo.” Danny said, arms over his chest. “I should be the one asking you about why you’ve been following me around so much these last couple of days.”

So, Danny did know that Tim has been watching him. “How’d you know that?”

“You’re not that good at being sneaky.” Danny flatly said while giving Tim a face that read “are you serious”.

“Are you sure it just isn’t your powers?” Tim shot back, ruffled from the insult of his skills that he carefully crafted and mastered from years of practice. Totally not from the days he used to stalk Robin and Batman.

Danny went rigid once more, and he didn’t respond for a few seconds before his face turned into a scowl. “Stop stalking me.” He practically growled out, and although Tim saw a small twitch of Danny’s eyes and a hint of green coating them, they didn’t start glowing again. Danny must be trying to suppress it, but it was too late for that in Tim’s opinion.

Tim scoffed and allowed his cape to cover the front of his body as he shifted to lean on his left foot. He didn’t say anything though, and Danny glared at him for a few more seconds before he turned away and went to the ladder that went down the building, taking it down. Tim watched him leave, making no movement as he saw Danny go down the ladder. He wondered why the other didn’t just teleport away like he usually did, but he guessed it was because he was making more of an effort to hide it. It was about time to learn that, albeit a bit too late.

Tim was going to keep an eye out for Danny no matter what the boy said, but he kept that to himself. Though he may not use the same methods, as it seemed to be disturbing Danny. Which he isn’t dumb, he knew he was going a bit overboard. Perhaps approaching this situation differently was a better option, instead of following the poor boy around Gotham.

Chapter Text

Robin was out patrolling, without his father or anybody else attached to his side for once. He may have snuck out to do so, but he felt that he should have a bit more freedom. Even with the new superhuman around, he was more than capable of taking care of himself. After all, he was trained by both assassins and Gotham’s own dark knight. He may be young, but he was not weak. He would prove that.

As the young boy traveled above the restless streets of Gotham, taking the rooftops as a more mobile way to get around, he saw how quiet it was that night. Not sound wise, no, the city was quite loud, but crime wise, there was hardly anybody out. It was odd, but Damian was not upset over this, knowing that this could be proof of the city improving. Although, he was hoping for a chance to prove that he was able to defend for himself.

Scoffing at his own foolish thoughts, Damian continued at a more leisurely pace, taking in the city for all it had to offer. The moon held itself high in the inky sky, fighting against the heavy blanket of smog so it could shine through and provide some light to the city. No stars could be seen, and Damian couldn’t help but feel a part of him pity the stars, as their brilliant display would not be seen by the people. It was a sad truth, but there was a small wishing thought in the boy’s brain that one day the sky would change. That he would be the one to make that change, slowly but surely, opening up the beauty being held back once more. It was almost as wistful thinking as trying to get rid of all crime in the city.

Robin stared down at the streets once more, taking in how the darkness seemed to stretch, holding the city in its grasps. His thoughts began to wander back to the supposed superhuman, and if there was a chance that he was hiding in the darkness. Damian puffed up at the thought, his pride insisting that he would know if there was a mysterious teen with glowing eyes nearby. Afterall, three of the other members in the bat brood have already met, perhaps even more.

Although only Duke had reported seeing the superhuman, he knew that Todd and Drake had seen him as well. He saw how cautious Todd had appeared at the meeting, his body language tightly structured to try and look casual, failing miserably. Then he saw how Drake was openly glaring at his predecessor, as if he was trying to peel apart the other and have all his suspicions answered. It turned out that his siblings teammates were terrible at keeping secrets, or perhaps it was his far superior observing skills that they lacked.

Except for Cassandra, she appeared to have noticed something was off as well, joining the meeting only to observe the blatant mess of lies and secrets that were unfolding. He knew that Father must have noticed as well, because there was no way the man hadn’t. It was probably another reason he seemed wary, since his children allies were already involved without him knowing.

Robin would not be as incompetent as them, he wouldn’t seek out the superhuman but keep a careful watch for him, as Father ordered. Though he was curious, and hated the others having an upper hand on knowing things he didn’t. Still, if the superhuman was truly as harmless as Duke believed, then he would have to treat them like every other citizen in Gotham. He was not opposed to the idea of a superhuman in Gotham, albeit it made him more cautious as the supposed teen was an unknown at the moment. His true intention was possibly hiding underneath a scared front, tricking others that they were harmless in order to hurt them later, people have done so before. Damian felt the need to see them himself so he could decide whether or not to believe their words. Of course that would not solve all his suspicions, but it would have to satiate them as he did not have the power to force a completely innocent person for answers.

He was a vigilante, sworn to protect the innocents, which included those of other races or different species of the like.

Damian began walking once more, looking proudly at Gotham, at his city. He was one of the many who protected this place with their lives, and he would give his life for it, there was no doubt in his mind.

There was a shout, and Damian’s head snapped over to where it originated from, his mind easily focusing on it as he ran across the buildings. Tonight wasn’t as peaceful as he thought, but he supposes it was only a matter of time, he was almost surprised that nothing happened sooner.

Racing over the buildings with little effort, it didn’t take but a half a minute to locate where the sounds were originating from. He could hear scuffling and was prepared to either scale down the building via the fire escape stairs or simply jump down depending on how bad the situation was. He peered down and saw three guys with stereotypical black masks cornering a shorter person, who appeared to be a teenage boy with raven colored hair.

A spark of anger blazed in his chest as he saw the three way older men start threatening the defenseless teen. He readied himself to jump, his eyes narrowing sharply as he bunched his legs.

The vigilante froze in shock as a man got closer to the teen only for them to punch them square in the jaw and the mugger to fall backwards, knocked out cold and not getting back. Damian watched as the other men shouted, one staggering backwards while the other standing thug readied a crowbar he had in his hand. Robin, no longer wanting to watch, creeped down into the alley but stayed back just in case he needed to intervene. Normally he would jump in anyways, as people fought back all the time, but it was still dangerous for them if there was more than one criminal.

Yet, as he stayed back and peered silently from the shadows, he watched as the teenager roughly kicked the mugger with the crowbar in the knee, causing them to fall down and catch themselves with their hands, yelping loudly. The boy then proceeded by straight up karate chopping the person on the back, them falling all the way onto their stomach with another shout in pain.

The fighting style the boy had wasn’t one that came from training, as he could tell from the random moves and odd stance. This person obviously learned how to fight out of need alone, probably to survive the streets if he were a native, and used their surprising amount of strength to back the blows he landed. It was almost impressive in a way, and was a reason Damian kept watching instead of messing with something he apparently wasn’t needed in. Which wasn’t something he would ever repeat to anybody, ever.

The last remaining man backed up more, seeing that they were all alone with somebody who was much too unpredictable, and turned around to flee. It seemed like the teenager wasn’t done with them though, as he lunged forward and hopped on the man’s back, wrapping his arms on their neck and legs on the waist to keep hold as the mugger flailed around.

Robin didn’t show it outwardly, learning long ago how to school his expressions, but he found it amusing. A small snort almost left him as he watched the shorter boy strangle the struggling man, who was trying desperately to fling the teen off, failing terribly. The teen leaped off the thief, after the man’s movements slowed and the choking sound became louder, and kicked them in the back. The man fell down with a loud thump, and stayed there, not getting up. Damian didn’t know if all three of them had passed out or not, but if they did, that would definitely shock him.

Now that the fight was over and the teen was standing there, not even looking out of breath, Robin started thinking. How in the world did this random street teen just beat three grown men with weapons like it was nothing?

Robin didn’t know if he should approach at the moment or not, though his hand was already beginning to move to his pocket with zip ties in it, knowing that the thieves would need to be tied up. The first problem he saw all night and it was fixed before he could even do anything. He wanted to scoff, but didn’t, still hesitant to let the other know he was there.

His mind went back to its questioning, and his brain went back to what he was thinking about earlier. His eyes widened with a connection he made. The obvious show of strength and the absence of fear when dealing with the bigger men, it was signs of something else going on with the boy. Was there a possibility that they were the superhuman mentioned before?

Now, Damian didn’t often make such huge assumptions, as this teen looked nothing like the description that Duke had offered them. Though, he couldn’t help but theorize it in his brain, studying the boy more closely. They were somewhat short, and their build didn’t show how it was capable of such hard hits, his arm practically noodles.

Everything was confirmed when the mysterious teen looked up and straight into the shadows where Robin stood, with bright green eyes. The same eyes that Signal had told them about. Seeing them with his own eyes now, he couldn’t help but be reminded of the swirling pits of green from where he was raised, the toxic green bringing up memories he hadn’t thought about in awhile. They had an unnatural glow to them, but they were only bright enough to make his face become visible from the darkness. Damian realized how young and mature the teen’s features looked at the same time, a young face accompanying quite a sharp jawline.

When the teen continued to stare at him with those unsettling green eyes, Robin became unnerved, staring right back with a cautious glare. He didn’t know if, or how, the teen could see him, though he had a feeling it had to do with his powers. He was a superhuman, who knows what he could all do. Teleportation and super strength was already a powerful combo, though super hearing and sight would only make him more over powered.

No longer wanting to stand there with growing unease, also never one to be bested, Damian stepped out of the darkness and into the light the street lamp provided. He could see the superteen slowly shift, looking ready to fight once again. With an unseen roll of his eyes, Robin stopped a few feet away from the teen, scoffing slightly.

“I am not here to cause harm, simply to tie these bandits up for the police.” Robin said with his head raised, not fully lying since he was planning to do that.

The teen relaxed a bit, wordlessly nodded and moved out of the way, though he didn’t leave like Damian suspected he would. Not commenting on that, he moved to the thieves, watching as the one that was kicked in the back began moving, and he stepped on his back. “Do not move.” He growled out, and he watched with satisfaction as the man tensed underneath him.

After tying them all together, ignoring the pleas and useless words of the only awake man. He put a piece of tape on them to shut the thief up.

“Now that this is dealt with,” Robin began, turning back around to Danny who hasn’t left yet. He knew he hadn’t, even though the superhuman could teleport, because the air around them felt different. He couldn’t describe it, except that everything had a sense of being “off” to him, but he felt like he would be able to physically tell if he left. “I would like to know if you are hurt or not.”

The teen seemed stumped by the question, and Robin saw how his hand moved down to his black jeans and began to fiddle with it. The green eyes dimmed down until they stopped glowing completely, being replaced with striking blue eyes. Damian couldn’t help but be surprised as he stared at his eyes, not expecting the sudden change. “I’m fine.” The teen mumbled after a few minutes.

“Very well then, I am genuinely dumbfounded by how you thought fighting three people on your own was a good idea. Though, if you are unharmed, I suppose I cannot reprimand you. I will advise that you not do this again, as the outcome may not be in your favor.” Robin said, standing up straight with his arms crossed. He wanted to ask who the superhuman was, maybe learn something about the mystery that laid in front of him. He didn’t want to step over any boundaries though, and he’s already heard how scared the other could become from questions.

“I wasn’t going around trying to pick a fight or anything, those guys just tried to steal my shit and I didn’t have anything to give, so they decided to take out their frustration on me. I wasn’t about to let them beat the crap outta me.” He said, his foot scuffing the bottom of the ground as he grumbled.

“I understand that, but it was still moderately dangerous, even with how you dealt with this tonight.” Damian was trying to decide whether or not he should let the teen know he knew he wasn’t a normal human, or if they already knew that information.

Danny was beginning to become uncomfortable, Robin being the fourth bat he’s met up with in a week. He was starting to think that this place was actually a cave instead of an annoying city he couldn’t find his way out of. Seriously, everytime he tried to do something he felt like he was redirected to a completely different way, leading him in circles. It was like the city was trying to purposely trap him within its limits. Shifting on his feet again, he looked at Robin. “Where’s the rest of your comrades? You look a little young to be on your own.”

Robin bristled with immediate indignation, and Danny smiled a bit when the small boy resembled an angry cat or bird. “I am not a child.” He spat out, his hands balling into fists at his side with his face turning into a scowl. “I will have you know that I am completely able to go out and patrol on my own. I do not need any of the others.”

“Honestly, I think you might be one of my favorites with how cute you are.” Danny said, trying to purposely annoy Robin, enjoying how the younger one became somewhat red while continuing to glare daggers at him.

“I can and will stab you. Trust me, I am not afraid.” Damian said while already pulling out his sword, twirling it into his hand to point at the teen, completely forgetting how they could easily escape before he could do anything. The other surprisingly didn’t even become slightly more nervous or afraid, anything like was expecting when he heard how terrified they were of Duke. It only made him more angry, thinking it was because the boy thought of him as weak.

Danny raised his hands in mock defense, a grin still on his face. “Alright shortstack, I see the stabby weapon.”

“Shortstack? You look like you could be my age with how small you are!” Robin shot back, ruffling up even more as he jabbed his sword forward a bit.

“Still taller than you.” Danny singsonged, sticking out his tongue as he easily dodged to the side from a quick slash in the air. He knew that Robin wouldn’t actually hurt him, as he would’ve already tried and his movements weren’t entirely vicious. Danny shouldn’t be playing around with a vigilante who had ties to all the others he was trying hard to avoid, but he couldn’t help but talk to Robin. It’s been about two days since he confronted Red Robin about his obvious stalking, and almost a week since he last talked to Red Hood, and he hasn’t talked with anybody else since, too afraid to talk to the city’s inhabitants.

“Shut it you aggravating pest, I will easily grow taller than you while you probably have already quit!” Damian hated how worked up he was, as Father would most likely be disappointed by the childish act in custome, but he couldn’t stop himself when the teen was being so infuriating.

“I’m actually praying for a growth spurt soon, I need to be able to reach the shelves, y’know?” Danny said casually, and Damian was confused on how the other was acting. If they were truly as skittish as Duke had reported, he would have thought that the teen would’ve left at the first opportunity possible. Yet, here he was, trying his hardest to get under Robin’s skin and succeeding.

Sighing heavily, Robin lowered his sword and began to rub the bridge of his nose in between his eyes. “I cannot understand how conflicting you act.”

“I have different moods like every other human. Right now, I feel like being a little shit.”

“Well, you are being exactly that, so congratulations.” Robin deadpanned, putting back his sword while still glaring at the teen. His brain on the other hand thought about what the teen said, about being human. It was new information, and meant that he may not be another species, but possibly something partly human or even completely human. Such as a metahuman.

“Thanks.” Danny replied, then he felt another presence nearby, his lungs stopping for a second while his whole body changed temperatures. Damian could feel the slight change as well from Danny, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tried to distinguish what was different to cause such change. Danny knew what, or more exactly who, it was. “Welp, I gotta bounce kid, hope you have fun with the night patrol.”

Realizing that he hadn’t received much information or reported to Batman he had come into contact with the possible meta, Robin froze. “Wait! Tell me who you are at least.”

Danny put on another grin, already turning away. “Noneya.”

“Noneya?” Robin repeated, the name feeling weird on his tongue.

The grin becoming wider, Damian had a feeling he had said something he would regret. “None ya business!” With a chuckle from Danny and an angry straggle of words from Damian, the mysterious teen was off, running into the street and around the corner. Robin tried to chase after him and demand for something else, his annoyance taking over, before seeing how the other promptly disappeared.

Robin sighed and stomped the ground, mad that he let the superhuman get away just like that. Not only did he disobey Father completely by engaging with the other, but he only had an update on the change of looks and the possibility of the other being human, which wouldn’t lessen any punishment he would receive if he told his father. Sighing he walked away, deciding that he would keep this interaction with himself unless it was needed, he finished the rest of his patrol in a worse mood than before.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to gather any more information, unless he somehow ran into them again, and he felt uneasy. With the new tidbits that he learned from the small interaction, he couldn’t stop the thoughts and questions arising in his brain. Would Duke be excited to know there was a chance that there was a new meta in the city? One that appeared to not have any ill intent, as the boy could definitely have already caused chaos if he simply wanted to. Though from what Damian had seen tonight, the teen was not one to start fights, and didn’t seem to enjoy them at that, doing so only out of self defense.

Robin had gotten what he wanted, now believing with his own information that the other was not in the city to cause trouble. He would have to make sure that others didn’t cause him trouble as well, as he was now completely an innocent civilian in Damian’s eyes. No matter how annoying the other also proved to be.

Chapter Text

Danny was starting to feel the effect of being mostly by himself for a week. His hair was starting to feel greasy and matted, making him cringe every time he went to run his fingers through the mess. He was hungry, and the bare amount of food he was finding wasn’t making him feel better, but he was lucky it wasn’t hurting worse than it did with his ghost side helping. He was exhausted and tired of venturing the city, when it was obviously bent on keeping him trapped. He had a feeling it was much more than him just simply being lost, there was no way he was just that hopeless.

Being alone also allowed his thoughts to grow whenever he wasn’t moving or distracting himself some other way. He wanted to turn his mind off, for it to stop replaying scenes that should have never happened. He didn’t want to forget Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and everybody else who was gone, but he also had left Amity behind for a reason, he didn’t want to remember how they became gone. It was conflicting and it hurt so damn bad that his eyes would begin to burn and he would furiously wipe at them to keep the water works at bay.

A few times he couldn’t stop the sobs that tore through his throat, or the tears that would fall down his face. Sometimes he would fly high up in the air and scream and curse out the world, the pain building up in his chest overflowing into his very being. The sky never judged him for it, and from up there the city looked distant, like he wasn’t stuck there. He tried leaving from high up in those endless skies, but he would either become distracted by the beautiful stars that he could see from above the smog, or simply become trapped once again in the city.

Danny knew something else was happening, and he had a feeling it was most likely supernatural. He knew he had felt the ectoplasm the city was baked in, but he never truly gave it more thought. Now he was wondering if he should’ve, as there was something keeping him here, and he was sure it had something to do with the ever present ectoplasm. It was almost like the city was alive, and not in the sense from the very active people residing in it.

Even if something supernatural was forcing him to stay, he didn’t know why. Why would something want him here? He could feel a tug in his core that subconsciously dragged him back to the very city he no longer wanted to be in. Did the thing want him to hurt? Did it want him to constantly worry and be stuck in his thoughts? Did it want him to be in this much pain caused by his own brain? The longer he was here, the more he had to stress about the GIW finding him or the city’s own vigilantes finally figuring him out and his past. He knew they were smart people, with capabilities to access a lot of his information, including the things that happened in his hometown.

His hometown…

Danny could never go back there. Fenton was no more there. Phantom was a problem there. He had no home town. Nowhere to go. No person to return to.

He was brought out of those thoughts by a drop on his hand that was clutching his shirt with so much pressure that it looked like he was trying to rip it off. It was then that he noticed he was crying, tears slowly streaming down his face as he stared down at his ragged figure. He was dirty and shaking, his stomach rumbling lowly, demanding for something.

Damn, he really was a mess, wasn’t he?

That was all it took for him to break down once again. He trembled and slumped over, sobs racking his whole body as he cried as quietly as he could get himself to at the moment. His calloused and filthy hands clenched his pants as he tugged his knees closer, trying to block out the world with his body alone.

How he wished he could turn back the time and to that day that everything that went wrong. He never should have indulged into his selfish wants and caused all of this mess. He should’ve saved his friends, his family, everybody he hurt. If he could go back in time maybe he should go back more to that fateful day that he acquired his powers and the curse that came with it. Then none of this could’ve happened in the first place. He wouldn’t have turned into the monster he never wanted to be.

Another loud heart wrenching sob escaped his wobbling lips, which tasted of grime and blood from him biting it to try and keep his cries in. He sucked in a breath that he wished didn’t belong to him, trying to fill his lungs that were beginning to ache.

He wished he had died with them, or the other day in the alley when Red Hood found him. Actually, dying completely in that portal is what should’ve happened in the first place. Instead he couldn’t even die right, and now he was stuck in the precarious teeter that was life and death, balancing on the thin rope like the freak he was. He didn’t want to be a halfa, or a ghost at all. He hated himself, for who he was, for the things he was capable of, for what he has done.

If his parents caught him or actually got rid of him with their ghost weapons, everybody would’ve been better off. They were right, ghosts really are heartless creatures, he was proof of that. Maybe he should turn himself into the GIW, afterall, he has truly committed something worthy of whatever punishment they deemed fit.

It wasn’t fair that he got to live, even if it was only half way, it wasn’t right. What was the point of anything anymore? What was driving him to continue his pitiful half life? To continue faking that he belonged in this world, that he wasn’t an imposter to what it truly meant to be human.

. . .

He didn’t mean that, he knew it, but he felt like he did as another cry threatened to come out of his mouth as he struggled to keep it down by worrying his lip and causing blood to drip down from his small fangs. Another thing that he hated of himself, another thing that reminded him of who he was.

After several minutes of continuous sobbing and similar thoughts running in his brain, the teen took a deep breath in. He held his breath for a few seconds before releasing it in a big huff. He did that repeatedly for a few minutes, his breathing slowly evening, only breaking from a few leftover sobs and trembles.

It took a bit, much more than he would’ve liked, but he eventually got himself to calm down. He has been dealing with these breakdowns for the entire week. They would start at random moments, or any time he thought of something that sparked a memory or a different dark thought he carefully tried to keep locked up tight in his head. He would always have to get himself to breathe, a tactic he learned, and focus on that solely. He was tired of these thoughts in his head that caused him to feel so bad that he wanted to bury himself and never come out to the world again.

Every time he got himself to stop with the useless crying, he felt so exhausted that he would go find somewhere to safely sleep it off. He found himself sleeping more and more, and now it felt like no matter how much he slept he could never get enough, always leaving him tired and hazily getting through the day. He felt like he didn’t have a purpose anymore, other than to cumbersomely drag his feet and delve into all of his heavy thoughts.

He didn’t want to live like this, to be forever stuck in this life of drifting from place to place, scavenging for whatever food he could find. He missed having a home, a place he felt somewhat safe at, somewhere he would never have to leave.

Not wanting to cry again after just getting himself to stop, he stood up on wobbly feet, his whole body and mind telling him to lay back down and never get up. He ignored it, pushing it all away as he began walking in a random direction to stop himself from thinking. He allowed his eyes to carelessly wander the streets, taking everything he saw in, but it was nothing he hadn’t really seen before. He was becoming familiar with Gotham, the city becoming less like a jumbled up maze, and more so a maze that had no exits. He had been moving from place to place for days now, never staying in one spot too long in fear that somebody would try to bother him.

Not like that worked, as he already had multiple people try to mug or harm him, which he usually dealt with by running or fighting back if he had to. Not to mention the fact that he had come in contact with a variety of vigilantes, some of them more worrisome than others. He didn’t know how to feel about half of them from what he knew at the moment about them.

The pressure he felt from Signal made him cautious, as he knew there was something off with the other, if he couldn’t already tell from the way he almost appeared to be a ghost. Red Robin was laced with almost as much death as Red Hood, but it was much less prominent than the older man. He was wary of Red Robin like he was of Signal, but it was for a different reason, mainly the whole closely following and documenting him. He felt the death radiating off of the teen for several days, at random times of the day, and every time he ran. Well, that was until the last time in which he finally confronted the other. After that he hasn’t felt the same feeling again, allowing him to breathe easier.

Robin on the other hand, was a vigilante he quite liked. Not only was the kid absolutely adorably defiant and feisty, but he was much easier to be around. His presence felt much more closer to Red Hood’s, giving a more comforting effect, as he was used to Red Hood. Thinking about Red Hood, Danny didn’t know what to do.

He felt awful for straight up leaving the man with little to no explanation, only a terribly vague note. Their encounter the other day didn’t help either. The bittersweet farewell was something that he wasn’t expecting when he got close to the man, but it made his core and heart ache either way.

Not feeling any better, he stopped and finally allowed his eyes to process his surroundings. He hadn’t been paying attention to where he was walking, letting the city his feet go wherever they led him. Now that he was trying to decipher where he was at, he saw that he seemed to be in a more run down neighborhood. The buildings all seemed old, several crumbling in on themselves, and there was trash laying about, littering the road and alleys. Nobody but the homeless could be seen, even though the sun was still up in the sky somewhere. Danny has long lost his sense of time or direction, and he couldn’t track the sun anymore when the polluted air and constant clouds blocked every part of the sky.

Not wanting to stay standing there looking up at the sky like an idiot, Danny continued to walk. He really should be finding somewhere to rest, but a part of him insisted on walking, so he kept going. What was the harm in it at this point?

It wasn’t until he finally felt like stopping that he realized where he was. Right in front of him was the very warehouse he had left around a week ago. It felt like forever ago now, those days seeming more like distant memories from the gray colored world he stumbled through. He couldn’t help but remember the last thing that Red Hood told him.

“Fine then Danny, just know that you can always come to me if anything happens.”

The man’s words echoed in Danny’s mind, and his eyes teared up a bit once more. He thought about the past week since he’s been on his own. How much he craved for a shower, good food, and somebody to talk to. He had all that and more from Red Hood, who had offered it so carelessly. The man never asked for anything back, and let the teen leave just like that, without any grievances or problems. He even offered to take him back in again, to help him again, even though he knew nothing of Danny.

Danny wanted to take that offer right about now. He’s been feeling so hopeless without anybody there to guide him. How stupid was that? He couldn’t even take care of himself. He had all this power, yet he couldn’t do anything to help himself. He really was a mess.

He stared longingly at the warehouse, wanting to return to a few weeks ago, when it was just him and Red Hood. It was much easier then, when he wasn’t fighting to keep half of himself alive or all of his bottled up tears from spilling into the open air. He had liked reading for the first time in his life. He had liked the food that the anti-hero brought him, a lot of it seeming home made with so much effort that Danny sometimes felt guilty eating it as quickly as he did. He had liked having somebody to talk to, somebody who didn’t press for answers that he didn’t feel comfortable saying.

He liked staying with Red Hood.

He shouldn’t go back though, it would be selfish of him. To go back on his words and force the baggage that he came with onto another person. He couldn’t take advantage of another person he cared about again, continuously taking whatever they offered, never giving anything back.

Sighing with heavy lungs, he turned around to leave, his feet moving slowly. His chest became more and more compressed with every step he took. He wanted to turn back around and enter the warehouse, to look and see if he could find the man, tell him that he wanted to stay with him again. Though he wouldn’t let himself, already set on leaving the other alone, and, well, he was known for being stubborn.

“Danny?” He froze when he heard his name come out of a terrifyingly familiar modified voice. “What are you doing here? I thought you would’ve been gone by now.”

Danny slowly turned around to face Red Hood who was walking towards him, coming out of a building he had just passed. “I, well, I…” He began, his hands moving as he tried to explain himself. He couldn’t tell Red Hood that he was somehow stuck in the city, that no matter where he went he couldn’t leave. He also didn’t want to admit to the man that he wanted to return to his place with him. “I don’t know.” He gave up with a defeated sigh, slumping over and looking at the ground. He willed himself not to tear up again, already feeling his eyes starting to warm up.

“When’s the last time you ate, it’s only been a week and you already look more like a twig.” Red Hood commented, his accidental worried tone being covered by the modifier, which he was grateful for. Danny winced at the words, subconsciously wrapping his arms over his stomach as he twisted his body a bit in an attempt to hide his pitiful state. Red Hood immediately noticed and became worried, and a bit pissed, mainly at himself for both asking such an insensitive thing and not realizing that the teen probably hasn’t eaten much since he left. “Alright, we’re having dinner. I have food at my place, come on.”

He said turning and walking back to his apartment. He knew he probably shouldn’t allow anybody in his own personal apartment, but it was the only place that he kept a good amount of food he was certain wasn’t spoiled. He also didn’t want to overwhelm Danny by taking him somewhere with a group of people, which really limited it down to his apartment. It didn’t matter to him, he trusted that Danny wouldn’t try anything.

Danny, on the other hand, was completely surprised and it took a few seconds to realize what Red Hood had said and to catch up as the man walked. His mouth watered at the thought of food, and it was then he realized how dry his mouth felt as well. His lips were no longer bleeding, but they were cracked and dry from the frequent biting and lack of water. Hopefully he would be given some water too, as he doesn’t know if he could swallow much food with how closed and dry his throat felt. It was like a desert formed right inside his mouth.

Following Red Hood back to wherever he was taking him, Danny thought about how much he must trust the other to blindly follow him. He was extremely hungry and parched, maybe that was why he was so willing. Or he could be actually trusting Red Hood after everythings he’s done for him.

They got to Red Hood’s apartment, which was on the top floor of a renovated complex that he had fixed up. Danny walked inside, looking around the space he was now in, noticing how comfortable he immediately felt. It wasn’t too filled, or too empty, with just enough personality that somebody could tell that a person lived here. It didn’t look like what he had imagined the anti-hero’s place to be, he never thought it would be this homey. He liked it though.

They first walked into the small living room, which had a large opening to a small kitchen, and a hallway leading to a couple of rooms. Red Hood went straight to the kitchen, and Danny didn’t waste any time to enter right after him, as the teen didn’t know if he was allowed to be alone in the other’s living space. He felt like he was intruding, that he shouldn't be here.

“Welcome to my place. I know it isn’t much, but it’s home.” The man said as he rummaged through his cabinets and fridge, looking for something for the two of them to eat while Danny awkwardly stood to the side near the doorway. Then Hood froze, and tilted his head. It was like that for a minute, and he kept tossing his head back and forth, like he was arguing with himself, then quit and walked to the bar. He unbuckled his helmet and started taking it off, making Danny’s eyes widen with surprise, then he put the red item on the counter top. “I don’t really feel like eating with that on, plus, it was about time you saw my handsome face.”

Red Hood looked up, and Danny stared at his face, his eyes still wide. Red Hood, the well known crime lord, had just taken off his helmet in front of Danny, showing his face. He weirdly had a domino underneath, but still! It was something that Danny couldn’t believe the man trusted him with, on top of allowing him in his apartment.

“I know, I’m beautiful.” He said from Danny staring quietly for so long, before spinning around and going back to preparing what looked like was going to be a grilled cheese sandwich from the bread, cheese, and butter out. “You can sit down at the bar if you want, instead of quietly standing in the corner like a vampire.”

“Yeah, okay.” Danny awkwardly responded, quickly shuffling over to the bar seats and carefully sitting himself in one of them. Red Hood turned on the stove, plopping two slices of buttered bread on the pan and watched it. Danny didn’t want to sit in silence, stuck only with his thoughts and the sizzle of the pan, so he opened his mouth to talk. “Why are you so nice to me?”

“Hmm, well, I don’t see why I shouldn’t be.” Red Hood said casually, shrugging his broad shoulders as he flipped over one of the sandwiches to toast the other side. “You seem like a good kid, I don’t want you to die on the streets.”

Only if Danny could die that way. “How are you so sure that I’m a good kid? For all you know I could be selling drugs and beating up others for money.”

“Oh yeah, like a twig like you could do anything like that. You’re not even from Gotham.” Red Hood replied with a flat tone, glad that his voice was no longer being modified anymore so he could speak properly. He knew that Danny could possibly do something if he wanted, but it’s been several weeks and the brat hasn’t tried anything, so he felt like he wouldn’t at this point. He had a gut feeling the teen never would.

Danny hummed noncommittally, thinking about how he could easily harm others if he wanted. He’s done it before. “So you making grilled cheeses?”

“No, I’m making pancakes, what does it fucking look like?” Red Hood said sarcastically as he flipped over the sandwiches again. “They’re about done by the way.”

“Good, because I’m hungry for some of your food.” Danny said honestly while laying his head on his arms on the bar top, his stomach growling at the perfect moment, driving his point home.

“I bet you are. What the hell were you thinking staying on the streets with nowhere to go? I already told you Gotham isn’t a good place to be, especially without a home.” The man scolded, taking the chance to try and talk some sense into the teen, and get some answers at the same time.

“I was trying to leave, but let’s just say that it seems that I need to stay here for a bit.” Danny said, his face turning red from embarrassment at his lack of good reasoning.

“And you decided that the best way to do that was to just wander around alone on the streets? You could’ve been kidnapped, or mugged, or hell, even killed!” Red Hood continued to reprimand the poor boy, pointing his spatula at the teen.

The not so funny thing was the fact that Danny had to deal with all of those things the entire last week he has been on the streets. “I know! But I just didn’t know what to do!”

“Well, you can’t stay on the streets. Especially if you’re not eating, can’t have you any more of a green bean than you already are shortstack.” Red Hood said with finality, narrowing his eyes before going back to the food, which he was preparing to put on a couple of plates.

Danny chewed nervously on his lip again, sliding down his chair a bit as he looked away. Red Hood was right. No matter how much Danny wanted to deny it. He couldn’t stay on the streets if he was going to stay in Gotham. Could he stay with Red Hood then? He did already offer for him to stay with him, or was that offer off the table now? Did the man even want him to stay?

A delicious smell attacked Danny’s nose as a plate was set in front of him, his mouth watering even more as his eyes became glued to the food. “Here you go brat, enjoy.” Red Hood said before, also sitting down a glass of water and his own food and drink before sitting right next to Danny.

Danny didn’t hesitate to take a big gulp of water before picking up the sandwich and taking a massive bite out of it. He barely chewed before swallowing, his hunger spiking from the taste of food in his mouth as he craved for more. He quickly filled that craving by eating the rest of the sandwich and drinking the rest of the water. He sat back, pretty much fulfilled and more satisfied than he felt in a week. A plate was pushed towards him, and he noticed that it was Red Hood’s untouched sandwich.

“Eat it, I’m sure you’re still hungry. Plus I’m not that hungry at the moment since I ate lunch pretty late.” Red Hood said after watching the kid tear apart the grilled cheese much like he did when he first found him with that spaghetti. It was true that he ate lunch late with his commanders, as he’s been in meetings with them all day planning on how to forward his plan on fixing up Crime Alley. It was actually the reason he was able to catch Danny at the time he did.

“No, no, I’m good. Please, go ahead and eat it. I promise I’m not hungry!” Danny quickly denied, pushing back the plate. He didn’t want to take Red Hood’s food after already eating his own that the man made. That would just be rude and not very good guest courtesy.

“Brat, if you do not eat this right now, I will fight you.” When Danny looked like he was about to argue some more, Red continued. “I swear, I’m not hungry right now. Eat it.”

Danny tried his hardest to argue, to tell Red Hood that he didn’t want it, but he eventually gave in. He did still feel like eating more, and the first grilled cheese tasted so good. He took a bite out of the sandwich, more slowly this time, getting a better taste of the flavor instead of devouring it in mere seconds.

Red Hood had refilled the teen’s cup, who gratefully drank it again after finishing the second sandwich. It was then that Red Hood decided he couldn’t let Danny go back to the streets, to starve and dehydrate like he had been doing. He saw a bit of himself with Danny, a street kid with nowhere to go, and just like he would’ve wanted all that time ago, he wanted to give Danny a place to be at and be safe. “Stay with me.” He blurted out, not giving it any more thought.

Danny almost choked the third cup of water he was drinking, swallowing thickly before putting the cup down and looking up at Red Hood with wide eyes. “What?”

“Stay in this apartment with me. I have an extra room and plenty of food. You won’t have to be on the streets and I won’t have to go gray early.” Jason quickly added, trying his hardest not to scare Danny away again. He put on a teasing grin. “I promise I won't bite, unlike somebody.”

“Are you sure? What about your secret identity and everything else?” Danny asked, his eyes gleaming with barely restrained hope and happiness.

Jason, seeing that barely noticeable hope, becomes very sure. He took off his domino mask and looked Danny straight into his icy blue eyes that somehow grew wider. He put on another smile, and spoke with confidence. “The name’s Jason.”

Chapter Text

Danny stuttered a look of shock on his face, staring at Jason with his mouth agape for several seconds before abruptly blurting, “What the hell? You can’t just do that! Holy shit, oh my goodness, you just-” He cut himself off, rubbing his face with both of his hands.

Jason knew that Danny would most likely be shocked by the news, but he was surprised by how strongly the teen reacted. It almost made him waver, to want to reverse revealing himself, which was very personal for him. He knew he couldn’t do that though, and he probably wouldn’t if he could, he wanted Danny to know who he was. Who he really was.

“What? Didn’t expect such a handsome face?” Jason easily teased, putting the domino mask on the counter beside his helmet before leaning an arm on it, trying to appear casual while his head fought with itself. A nagging voice in the back of his head told him that he had made a grave mistake, reminding him of what B had always said about their double lives. Another voice, one that grew much louder as time passed from the part of his life he spent with Bruce, telling him that he was allowed to make exceptions when he felt it necessary. Right now, he found it important that Danny knew who he was, as he wanted the kid to trust him. It would make the helping process a lot easier. Jason really wished he knew how to actually help Danny other than the necessities, but he decided he could figure that out.

Danny sighed, slouching back into the chair he almost felt out of when Jason revealed himself. “I’m sorry,” He said, looking down at the ground, sounding genuinely apologetic. “It’s just that, I can’t believe you trust somebody like me enough to put yourself in such a risk by outing yourself. It’s not something you can do lightly.”

Jason thought how much it sounded like Danny was chidding him, much like one of his family members would. He kept that to himself as his lips pulled down into a frown. “What do you mean by ‘somebody like you’?” Jason asked, and without his helmet, Danny could hear the slight confusion and concern lacing the man’s voice. It was odd how much he could now gather without the voice modulation getting in the way, perhaps it was the main reason the man had it in the first place.

Danny looked Jason in the eye, his own eyes shifting a bit to look at each one of Jason’s. Then he seemed to find what he wanted and looked away again biting his lip. “I’m not entirely normal.”

Jason snorted, and Danny’s gaze snapped up at the man to glare at him. Jason ignored it as he spoke, amusement tracing his words. “Yeah, no shit. I didn’t think you were trying to hide it with the glowing eyes and fangs you had going on.”

“I don’t do that on purpose.” Danny huffed, crossing over his arms, going back to scowling at the counter as red reached his cheeks. Danny was embarrassed to not to have only gotten caught by not one, not two, not even three, but four bats in the month he’s been in Gotham.

“Can you not control it?” Jason asked, his earlier humor not as present as he became more serious. After all, if Danny couldn’t control his powers, it could possibly create a problem. He didn’t believe that the teen would ever do any harm on purpose, but that didn’t mean the teen couldn’t have accidents or make mistakes. It could very well be a factor that Jason would have to account for and possibly form a plan to help with, because Danny couldn’t go around with an unknown power set that he didn’t even know how to use.

Danny thought for a second, before nodding. “Yeah, if I thought about it hard enough. Though, sometimes a few inhuman things leak either due to my emotional state or other factors I can’t actually control.” Jason still felt a little apprehensive, as he didn’t know the extent to what Danny’s powers would do if they could act up according to his emotion. Danny looked at Jason for a second before somehow understanding what the man felt without having to say anything. “Don’t worry, all of that usually only affects my appearance, like the glowing eyes. Though the sharp teeth, which I really do dislike, is a byproduct of my nonhuman part.”

Jason nodded, taking in all of that information with stride, already immune to this kind of bullshit in his daily life. What he did think about was what Danny said at the end. “You said that the longer canines are part of the ‘nonhuman part’ of you. Does that mean you’re also part human?”

Danny winced somewhat, an internal battle waging inside him as he struggled on how to answer that or how much he should let Jason know. Sure, the older boy just showed him something incredibly personal that could let Danny seriously hurt him if he wanted, but that didn’t mean that Danny had to do the same, as he didn’t know how much he should trust Jason. He wanted to trust Jason, but he didn’t know him, he only knew Red Hood. Maybe he could get to know Jason now too.

Realizing that he was taking a bit to answer, Danny suddenly cleared his throat, but instead of speaking he simply nodded his head. Jason was glad to be confirmed, as now he knew what he was dealing with. He felt like there was more to it, but he didn’t want to push Danny more than he already has. He felt like it was a miracle that the teen didn’t already run, maybe showing his identity was the right decision after all. “Anything else you’d like me to know?”

Danny frowned, but this time it was thoughtful, and he studied the wall as he racked his brain as to what to say. “Um, I don’t know. You already know what I am, my name, and that I’m not from here. I don’t really think I feel comfortable saying more.”

“That’s alright kid, you don’t have to tell me anything else unless you wanna.” Jason hoped that Danny would become comfortable enough with him that he would tell him more, but right now he couldn’t ask for much. He had a lot he wasn’t going to tell either, so it would be hypocritical of him. “Now, are you gonna take me up on my offer?”

Danny looked back at Jason’s carefree smile, and felt himself relax a bit, he was somewhat surprised to see some hope in the man’s eyes. Now that he could see the man’s eyes he could tell that Jason was actually quite expressive, much more than the helmet or domino allowed. “I don’t think you truly understand what you’re asking.”

“I’m asking you if you want to stay with me in this crummy apartment. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I will find something for you, as you cannot stay on those streets.” Jason sternly said, daring Danny to argue, who couldn’t help but sigh.

“It’s not that, it’s that, I-” Danny’s voice wavered and he took a deep breath to try and open up his throat that was quickly closing. He didn’t know how to explain this without revealing too much, but he wanted to make sure Jason actually wanted to allow him in his life. That Jason wouldn’t regret it. That he himself wouldn’t regret it. “I come with a lot, and it’s not good. I don’t want to put you in any danger.”

Jason snorted, and once again Danny scowled at him. “You mean more danger than I put myself in when I put on a helmet and go out each night kicking ass? I’m used to danger, kid. Don’t worry, I can handle myself.” Danny wanted to argue, say how this was a lot different. This was with an actual government branch funded by taxes and shit. He wanted to warn Jason, to make him see his way, but he didn’t want to tell everything. It was selfish, wasn’t it? He was going to have another person killed because he was arrogant, secretive, scared .

He guesses he will have to tell the man something though. “I’m not worth it, okay? It’s a lot of extra trouble that I can’t put you through. You don’t have to do this, really. I won’t be upset if you can’t take on more baggage.”

Jason was silent for a few seconds, and Danny was too nervous to look back up in fear that what he would see was something he never wanted to see. He didn’t want to see the pity, or the underlying disgusted look he would receive. He had already seen it too much, again would be too much, he couldn’t handle it right now, he didn’t want to.

“Listen to me Danny,” Jason said slowly, his serious but soft tone filling the otherwise silent room. “I’m not doing this because I feel like I have to, I want to. I really do care about you, even if you’re a bit stubborn to realize that sometimes.” Jason teased a little, trying and succeeding in making Danny smile a bit, however small. The man may not be the best at feelings or talking in general, but he understood where Danny was coming from. Afterall, he’s felt it all before.

Danny finally looked at Jason once more, and he was taken back from what he saw. Jason’s eyes looked so genuine, and the smile seemed so kind, it reminded Danny of Jazz somebody he used to know. His eyes watered, and he lifted his hands to wipe at them furiously, he didn’t want to cry right now. Especially in front of Jason, he already had his meltdown of the day earlier. All of his inner thoughts and restraints didn’t help him though, as he broke as soon as Jason pulled him into a hug.

When was the last time he had been hugged, or touched in general without somebody meaning harm? It felt like forever ago, though a lot of his memories were buried so deep they began to feel like they never happened. This touch was warm, and it had a feeling of safety wrapping around him. His brain forced a memory of the last time his father hugged him. His long bulky arms and large stature easily held Danny too, making him feel safe and cared for. He felt an ache in his chest, and he sobbed, hugging Jason back, all of the longing he so desperately pushed down and pretended wasn’t there resurged with a newfound vengeance.

He wanted his a family. He wanted to go back to living in his a home. He wanted to be safe.

Danny knew he must have been filthy, as he’s been on the nasty streets for a week without a shower, and that his tears and snot must be covering the shoulder he buried his face into, but Jason held him regardless. Danny kept crying, and Jason never let go, allowing the poor boy to get it out of his system. He didn’t know what the younger boy went through, but he had a feeling that it was something nobody should ever have to go through, let alone a child. It hurt to see the boy sob uncontrollably, so broken and tired in his arms. He would take care of Danny, to hopefully help put back the pieces that were what made Danny. He knew that even if he did manage to help Danny, he would never be the same, as there would always be a few missing pieces that would have to be remade with something new. He would have to make sure that those new pieces were good.

Danny slowly quit crying, his loud unrestrained sobs dulling to a quiet sniffle as the man released his hold on the boy. Danny seemed so much smaller and tired now, more like a kid than Jason has ever seen him, and he frowned deeply at the sight.

“Can I get a shower?” Danny asked eventually, still swiping at his nose that refused to quit running. “I feel pretty gross right now.”

Jason chuckled a little, standing up and popping his back. “Yeah, you can get a shower. I think I might have some clothes that’ll fit you. Let me grab them for you and you can go ahead and grt one.”

Danny nodded, grimacing a bit when he looked at the wet spot on Jason’s shoulder. Jason noticed what he was looking at and peered down himself, turning his head back up to Danny with a shrug. “Don’t worry about it kid, I don’t care.”

Jason left after that, digging through several piles of old clothes he had made to donate to some charities, glad he hadn’t got rid of them yet. He pulled out a pair that he deemed reasonable enough that may or may not fit the teen and walked back to the counter where Danny was now awkwardly standing next to.

Jason threw the clothes, Danny clumsily catching them, clearly caught off guard by the lack of warning. “Here you go, hope they fit you well enough. Though I bet they’ll still be pretty big on a stick like you. I should probably get you some actual clothes and shit tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Danny echoed with surprise, not expecting for Jason to make plans so quickly like that. He hadn’t even said he was staying or not, which at this point, he already knew that answer for himself.

“Yep, unless you somehow have plans for tomorrow.” Jason said, shifting his weight on one leg as he crossed his arms. “Which I know you don’t so you better not argue with me, because I am getting you some damn clothing.”

Without knowing how to reply, part of him confused and the other part of him still disoriented from his earlier crying session, Danny only nodded his head. Jason, pleased with the answer, grinned. “Alright, glad that was so easily settled. The bathroom is just down that hall, the last door on the left. The towels and rags are in the closet, and you can use my soap and shit until we can get your own tomorrow.”

Again, Danny numbly nodded, already becoming more exhausted by the second to properly try to argue with Jason that all of this was unnecessary. That he didn’t need all these things for himself. That he was still planning to leave as soon as he could, or as soon as danger presented itself. After a few more seconds, Danny turned on his heels, slowly as to not unbalance and trip over his own feet, and walked to the bathroom.

He flipped on the lightswitch, placing the bundle of clothes on the sink counter. He shut the door and glanced up, taken back by his own appearance in the mirror that sat on the wall in front of him. His eyes seemed sunken in and dark, his cheeks more hollow then he remembered, his skin paler then when he last cared enough to look at. He looked worse for wear, actually, probably worse than that.

Reaching out a shaky hand he softly touched the mirror, as if he could feel the mere imposter of himself through the cold glass. He jerked his hand back and brought it to his actual face, tracing the light freckles that had become less prominent on his fading skin. His face felt sticky and his hands greasy, but he couldn’t stop himself from peeling back his lip and looking at his teeth. He noticed how the sharp points he loathed had grown, becoming that much more of an annoyance. He feared what they implied.

Resting his hand back to his side and facing away from the mirror he went to the closet and grabbed a very fluffy red towel from inside, with a matching red rag to match. There weren't many options to choose from, as all of them were red. Well, it did make sense, as the Red Hood did own them. Danny couldn’t help but smile a bit from thought, knowing he would probably use this to make fun of the man later.

Putting the towel on the sink next to the clothes, he breathed out heavily, refusing to look at his reflection again. He took the grime covered clothes off, putting them messily in a pile in a corner of the small bathroom. Sliding open the glass door, he slipped into the shower, shutting the door right back. He slowly turned on the faucet handle, though was immediately blasted with cold water anyways, causing him to flinch backwards before ducking under the freezing stream of water and closer to the wall with the handle. He adjusted the water until it was warm enough that he could stand under it without his breath being forced into his lungs but cool enough that his own internal body temperature wasn’t changed too much.

It turned out that being part ghost meant that he was more sensitive to drastic temperature changes. Although, it was odd that he appeared to be more resistant to heat than the cold, which did make more sense when he learned that his new normal body temperature was below that of a normal human. Being a halfa really did have its fair amount of mystery and struggle.

After sitting under the water for a few minutes, savoring the feeling of the constant water dripping soothingly onto his skin, he began to wash his body and his hair. As refreshing as it was to clean off all the collected dirt and grime off of him, he stepped out as soon as he felt like he had gotten it all off. He didn’t want to stay in the shower and use the water more than he had to, feeling like he would be wasting it at that point.

Using the towel to dry himself and his hair, he ran his hand through his hair, satisfied at how it felt fluffy once again, even with the dampness of it. Putting on the borrowed clothes, he did take notice of how they were about two sizes too big, causing him to have to tie the strings on the sweatpants as tight as they would go. The shirt, which was a deep blue, almost seemed to swallow him, reaching his knees. Maybe he would need clothes after all.

He wished he could have packed before he left.

It didn’t matter for right now though, as he hugged his small frame and snuggled into himself, smiling from how the air remained warm in the bathroom. He took a large inhale, his lungs becoming filled with the air as he had a wave of calmness pass over him. The smell of soap and lavender wafted into the hall as he eventually gathered himself to leave the comforts of the small bathroom. Walking back down the hall, he noticed that Jason was in one of the rooms to the right at the end of the short hallway.

Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he peaked in from the crack of the door, finding that Jason was currently setting blankets on a blown up air mattress. The same one he used when he stayed at the warehouse.

“You going to come in or stare creepily from the crack of the door?” Jason asked, glancing back for only a second before standing up back on his feet from where he was fixing the makeshift bed. Danny opened the door more, stepping slightly into the room, barely passing the threshold. “I know this isn’t really a bed, but I think it should be fine for now, until I can get you an actual mattress anyways. Sound good?”

“It’s more than enough. Thank you.” Danny said quietly, mumbling the last part as he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He was never good at knowing what to do or say when others did something nice for him. It was almost overwhelming at times, and with him so tired right now it wasn’t helping.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, just get some sleep. You look like you’ll fall over dead any second.” Jason joked, and Danny grinned from the small inside joke that the man didn’t know he just made. It was something that Sam and Tucker joked about all the time.

“Okay, Mister ‘I stay up all night fighting crime with a red bucket’.” Danny teased back, going to the blow up mattress and flopping unceremoniously on it. He lazily lifted one hand and waved dismissively. “Make sure you turn off the light when you leave.”

“Seems like somebody is becoming comfortable already.” Jason playfully jabbed, walking to the door before turning around, placing a hand on the light switch. He hesitated for a second, making Danny somewhat worried about what he may say, before the man made up his mind and spoke. “Goodnight brat, get some fucking sleep so you’ll be ready for the shopping trip tomorrow.”

Oh yeah, Jason was dragging him shopping the next day, Danny was a little anxious about that. He tried not to show it as he titled his head to look at Jason. “Goodnight old man.”

There was a small offended scoff before the light was off. “I am not old.” Jason gruffly huffed, and before Danny could come up with a smart retort to that the man shut the door. A small laugh, which was more of a huff of air than anything escaped Danny and he pulled the covers over him the rest of the way. He curled into the bundle of blankets and wrapped his arms around himself, soon becoming comfortable.

He had missed sleeping on something other than whatever random abandoned spot he could find, usually being the dirty floor of some collapsing building. He was warm and safe and for the moment everything really did feel like it would be okay. He wanted to stay like this forever, but he knew he couldn’t, so he may as well enjoy it now.

Danny slept the best he had in weeks that night, without the fear of somebody finding him for once. Jason let him sleep for however long the poor teen wanted, as he knew how exhausted the other must have been. Life on the streets was not easy, even for somebody with superpowers. He wished he could have done something sooner, took the teen with him instead of letting him go into the dark streets of Gotham. Maybe he should have, but he couldn’t go back and change it, so he would only have to help Danny however he can now. Starting with getting the boy some clothing that fits and other essentials. It was all he knew what to do at that moment, as he’s never taken care of another person before, let alone a teenager. He didn’t even know if he was responsible and old enough to take care of a kid, as he still had plenty of problems himself.

This would be a learning process indeed, hopefully Danny was willing to learn along with him.

Jason was sitting in the living room at the moment, trying to read a book, but was struggling as thoughts plagued his mind. He put the book down when he heard the door creak open, watching Danny slowly creep into the living room rubbing his eyes. Jason never thought about Danny’s eyes too much, but a quick fleeting thought wormed in his head about how he was taking after the old man and his habit of adopting children with black hair and blue eyes. He mentally chased that thought away, not wanting to be compared to Bruce in any way.

“Good morning walking zombie, what do you want for breakfast?” Jason asked, noticing how Danny stopped midway of a yawn and lazily looked at Jason.

“Obviously brains if I’m a zombie.” Danny responded, watching Jason as he headed towards the kitchen.

“Har har, very funny brat.” He said, playfully nudging the teen’s shoulder as he passed. “So, do eggs and toast sound good?”

“Do I have to eat toast?” Danny asked, somewhat quietly, becoming shy once more.

“Nah I’m just going to shove it down your throat.” Jason answered sarcastically, before softening his features. “Of course you don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to. I’m not going to force you to do anything. How about an egg and a bowl oatmeal? That sound better?”

Danny hummed with a nod of his head, and Jason began getting the oats out along with a pan. It took around half an hour but soon breakfast was done and they were both sitting back down at the counter eating. Danny mumbled another appreciative word before eating his own food, shoving it into his mouth much slower than he did the night before.

As they sat there in comfortable silence, Jason believed that he could probably get used to this. It wasn’t bad, having somebody else in his apartment. He realized he liked having Danny around, that he truly got attached to the kid those weeks ago, which he had already figured out way earlier.

After breakfast Jason got dressed into his usual civilian clothes, consisting of a t-shirt with a leather jacket thrown over top, jeans, and combat boots. Danny couldn’t change and instead went out like he was, not minding the oversized clothes as he had been wearing them for most of the time he was on the streets, having kept the man’s clothes then. He only hoped that nobody he had talked to during that time would recognize him, as they would probably question why he was tailing behind Jason. Which he doubted anybody would, as he hardly talked at all during his time on the streets alone.

Jason ended up dragging Danny through a multitude of stores, allowing Danny to pick out whatever he liked. When the man realized that the teen was having trouble even looking at the clothing, Jason had begun picking some out and telling Danny to not worry about the price and just how much he liked it. When Danny tried to argue, Jason quickly brought up how he was well off, being a crime lord and all. That seemed to work as the teen had started picking out clothing after that, trying out a lot of it and showing it off to Jason who put his own input.

It soon spiraled into more of a dress-up game where Jason would make an outfit for Danny to wear. Then the teen would walk out like in the pageants and both of them would rate the outfit out of ten. It resulted in quite a few laughs from the more ridiculous outfits and some new clothes for Danny to wear. Which was a win-win in Jason’s book.

After gathering several bags of clothes they grabbed the rest of what Danny would need for the time he was going to stay with Jason. Danny once again tried to argue, to tell the man that he wasn’t planning on being around for long, but Jason was quick to silence all of the boy’s worries. In the end they got Danny his own soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb for his wild hair, and other things he needed. They took it back and sorted the items out, putting the clothes in Danny’s closet in his new room. When Danny heard that he was going to have his own room, he almost cried again, but stopped himself before he could, holding back his emotions tears.

Done dealing with all of that, it was close to lunchtime, Jason deciding that he would take Danny to a diner for lunch instead of staying home. He ended up bringing him to one of his favorite diners, a small old style restaurant with the red booths and round tables. He didn’t expect Danny to stand at the door and look around with a glaze of something unidentifiable in his eyes, which seemed to be quickly turning into tears.

Jason immediately tried to ask what was wrong but then Danny shook his head and gave the man a watery smile, reassuring that he would be fine. The man didn’t know what could have caused the reaction, but he didn’t press any further and instead guided the teen to a table for the two.

Being a regular at the diner, the waitress walked up with a friendly smile, asking how Jason was doing before realizing he didn’t come alone.

“Aw! Who’s this cute kiddy?” The girl, Amy, asked, grinning and cooed a bit when Danny bashfully tried to cover his reddening face. 

Jason laughed and Danny had glared at the man through his hands, causing more laughter. “Meet Danny, he’s staying with me.” He explained, taking the single menu the girl had grabbed, laying it in front of Danny as he already knew what he wanted. “Don’t be fooled by his shy act, he’s actually pretty snarky when you get to know him.”

“This kid? Snarky? He looks too adorable to be mean.” Amy continued to tease, before straightening up, holding out her notepad and pen. “So, what would you two gentlemen like to drink?”

“I’ll just take a sweet tea, without the lemon.” Jason easily ordered, the girl nodding as she wrote it down.

Amy turned her attention back to Danny, smiling more gently. “And what about you kiddo?”

Danny finally mustered up the courage to look the waitress in the eye. “I’d also like a sweet tea, though I would like a lemon with. Please.” Danny added the last part hurriedly, going back to glaring at the menu on the table with rising embarrassment.

Amy giggled a bit, before waving at Jason and leaving to go get their drinks. When she came back Jason and Danny ordered their food. Both of them enjoyed the greasy food with laughs and easy conversation. Jason was pleased to see how much Danny was beginning to open up and be himself around him, even if he was still wary around others. It was a step forward.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door jingle, which wasn’t anything unusual as people walked in and out quite regularly from the diner, but Danny had stopped mid sentence and perked up. He twisted his head with a surprising amount of speed to the door, which was a few tables behind him, and Jason followed his movement. Jason was surprised to see Dick and Tim there, the older of the two looking around while the younger one scrolled aimlessly on his phone.

Jason groaned and slid in his seat, a hand over his face. Why were they here? Actually, the more important question. Why the hell did Danny act like that? He didn’t do that for everybody else who entered and left, but as soon as Dick and Tim did he turned around like he knew they were coming. The teen could apparently sense others from Duke’s report, so maybe he had recognized one of their auras or some shit? Dick hadn’t been in Gotham for a while though, so that must mean he had already met Tim, and he had a feeling that it wasn’t when the teen was in his civilian clothes.

Great, now he had to try and explain to the bats that the superhuman teen they were tracking knows their identities and also try to make sure Danny doesn’t run away simultaneously.

Dick spotted Jason and called out the man, making said man slink further into his seat while rubbing his face. Just as soon as he thought his outing with Danny was going so well too. The teen looked like he was about to bounce any second, watching Tim with rapt attention, like the teen was going to pounce at him at any moment. Jason wondered if Tim already did, because if so, he was going to kick his ass.

“Jaybird, I knew you would be here-” He cut himself off as he finally saw the other boy sitting with him, who was on the edge of his seat still watching Tim. Tim was now also staring at Danny with wide eyes, seeming to already recognize the teen. Jason narrowed his eyes at Tim, becoming suspicious of how much he already knew. Did he somehow slip up and didn’t catch Tim following him around again? He was for sure going to kick the teen’s ass, no matter how much Dick would try to hold him back.

“Oh, who’s this?” Dick said, slipping a charming smile directed to Danny. Danny didn’t respond though, still in an intense staring match with Tim. The air grew awkward as the two others sat there like outsiders to whatever was happening between the two teens.

Jason cleared his throat, Dick’s attention going to him. “This is Danny.” His eyes flickered to Tim, watching as Tim tried not to flinch. “He’s going to be staying with me.”

Dick, not oblivious to the tension hanging between the three others, nodded before stepping back. “Well, we’ll get out of your hair now. Just wanted to let you know that Alfred is expecting you this weekend for supper, and he said that he already made preparations for another person, I guess this is him?”

“Yeah, I don’t know if he’ll want to come though.” Jason answered even though he knew he never told Alfred about Danny, still glaring at Tim who was shuffling uncomfortably from the two pairs of eyes on him.

Dick only nodded, not wanting to address what was going on in fear it would cause a fight of some sort. “I’ll make sure to tell Alfred that.” With that Dick left, dragging Tim with him, who scurried right behind not wanting to be in the diner any longer.

As soon as they left Danny’s head whipped around to Jason, a disbelieving look on his face. “You’re related to Red Robin?” He said harshly in a whispered tone, and Jason groaned again, knowing he had a lot to explain now. On both parties. This should be fun.

Chapter Text

"You're related to Red Robin?"

Jason kind of wished he could be re-buried at the moment, knowing he was going to have to explain a lot. He could only hope that Danny wouldn't freak out too much, or any of the other bats for that matter. He already knew Tim had linked him with Danny, and that he probably knew that Danny was the new meta, but the rest of them didn't know. Bruce would most likely be furious that Jason was hiding information about a pressing subject, or for that matter hiding an actual meta with him. Not like he cared what the older man thought.

Sighing deeply, his hands rubbing his face with new found stress, he looked at Danny. The teen's eyes were wide, holding both shock and a layer of fear, stirring the inside of Jason’s stomach. He didn't like the idea that Tim had done something to Danny to make him this on edge, right when he was finally starting to relax around Jason.

Deciding to stop dragging it out, and to put them both out of their misery, he leaned forward. "For one, you can't call him that in public, secret identity and all that."

Danny, after hearing Jason's voice, snapped back to reality, his eyes more focused and analytical towards Jason. The sharp eyes were tinted with a bit of green, like it was barely being restrained, unsettling Jason more the longer he looked. "That doesn't answer my question. I thought you two just worked together or something! Are you all related?" Danny's hands were moving frantically as he quickly spoke, showing how frazzled the situation has made him.

"Well, kinda, but not really?" Danny deadpanned at Jason, his answer not being really helpful. Jason grumbled a few curses, uncomfortable as he ran a hand through his hair, no doubt messing it up. "Most of us are adopted, so we're technically related, just not by blood."

Danny was staring at Jason with a critical expression, trying to process everything that the man just told him. Then it all seemed to suddenly click and Danny almost fell out of his chair from realization, jaw gaping with surprise, causing a few other customers turning towards him confused. "You're Jason Todd, aren't you? How did I not figure that out earlier?" Danny was leaning back in his chair, a hand over his mouth as he continued to think.

Jason was dumbfounded, as he already thought that Danny would've put two and two together. Surely he would recognize him from Bruce? Perhaps he was being too egotistical and not everybody immediately knew him like he thought. Years in the spotlight and constantly being headlines for news would do that to somebody. "Yeah? I honestly thought you already knew."

"No? Why would I? I don't keep up with all the Wayne drama, wait, does that mean Wes was right? There's no way that Bruce is-" Danny stopped himself before he finished his sentence, but both of his hands were in his hair and slightly tugging on them. "It makes so much more sense now."

Jason could tell he wasn’t the only one feeling overwhelmed, after all this is a lot of information to take in. That didn’t stop him from wanting to know Danny’s thoughts, surely him being acquainted with the Wayne's didn’t change anything, right? "First of all, who the hell is Wes and what does he know? Second of all, you need to shut the fuck up a little, we're in public. Third of all, what do you mean it all makes more sense?" Amy had come back with their food, placing them down in front of the two. She must have noticed the difference in atmosphere, not being nearly as laid-back as earlier, keeping quiet as she walked away, not wanting to get in the middle of whatever was happening.

Danny seemed somewhat anxious to talk now that he was the one being questioned. His hands released their grip on his hair and began to fiddle with his shirt. "Well, um, Wes is just somebody from my school, or the one I used to go to. He comes up with all kinds of conspiracy theories like that, nobody ever takes him seriously, so don't worry about him." Jason couldn't help but think to Benard and how that all went, and he frowned, knowing that he probably should worry about this Wes guy. Though Danny was clearly uncomfortable having to speak of his past, so he wouldn't push it for now.

"Alright, what about the whole making 'more sense' thing?" Jason pressed, wondering if Danny already had a suspicion of his relationship with the others, or if this somehow made his view of Jason different. He hoped not, he hated being looked at with a difference only because he was known as the "son of Bruce Wayne who died and came back".

Danny's hand, which seemed to not quit moving, began to scratch the back of his neck. He was biting his lip, nervous as he debated on what he should tell Jason. Hopefully he doesn't find what he says rude or upsetting, like it would for many others. "Well, it makes sense why you have such a powerful aura of death around you. I thought it was because of the whole crime lord thing and killing others, but now I know why it felt so much different from the others."

"Death aura? What do you mean by that?" Jason questioned, but he knew what Danny was referring to, he just wanted to ignore it. The swirls of discomfort were him, not another force, he was far past that. He knew he was. His vision was clear, and he would keep it like that. There was no pit other problem.

"The stories were true, weren't they? You died before, haven't you?" Danny asked Jason, with an air so nonchalant that it made Jason both curious and uncomfortable.

Jason didn't want to answer that, to be forced to remember and face a reality he wanted to keep buried with the rest of his past whenever he dug himself out, so he ignored it. Danny already knew what his answer would be anyways. Jason had a feeling that Danny knew all too well, and it only made those green specks in his eyes be that more concerning. "Is that 'death aura' how you knew it was Tim earlier, since apparently everybody's is different?"

Danny let the fact that Jason danced around his question go, understanding the way he didn't want to go into more details. Danny didn't like his past being explored either, so it was only fair. The teen took a bite of his fry, surprised that the green seasoned food was actually decent, before speaking. "Yeah, sorta. Usually most people have little to no hint of death on them. Though you bunch seem to all be affected one way or another. Red- Tim's is quite powerful and a lot different than yours. It seems he's killed quite a few people, even more so than the crime lord himself."

Jason was beginning to get used to how relaxed Danny talked about these things, as if being revived from the dead or killing people were something that came to no surprise. Though the thought of Tim having killed more people than him did take him back a little. He knew that Tim was a bit unhinged at times, but surely the replacement followed Bruce's strict "no killing" rule.

"So, about that family dinner?" Danny asked after he ate a few more of his fries, not liking how awkward the silence was getting. They were getting along so well a few minutes ago, and now it felt like they were right back in the warehouse that night that Jason dragged him there. Then after a few  of those tense seconds he continued. "And your adopted family?"

The man swallowed the bite of his burger, and then took a big gulp of his tea, his throat suddenly dry. He never really liked talking about the others, and them being referred to as "family" made him somewhat queasy, a rise of longing unnecessary emotions he wanted to block. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. Though it might make it easier to explain everything to them if you do." Jason saw how Danny's lips pulled into a small frown, quickly glancing away from the other, and he suddenly felt like he was pressuring him too much. "Of course, you still don't have to. We can sit this one out and chill in my apartment, maybe fix up your room some more."

Danny looked at Jason, his frown now more thoughtful. "Can you tell me more about them?"

"Huh? You mean the people who will be at the dinner?" Jason asked, a part of him surprisingly pleased at there being a chance Danny will want to go. It was either because he wanted to resolve the unavoidable drama that was bound to happen or because he was craving some more of Alfred’s food, perhaps both. It wasn't that he was wanting to introduce them to Danny, or try to make Danny feel more comfortable with them.

"Yeah, maybe if I already sorta know what to expect I might be okay with going." Danny explained, already half way done with his burger and still working on his pile of fries. It made sense to Jason, as he knows how overwhelming new situations and a huge group of people can be. Especially with Danny having been homeless before, there was a possibility that the prospect of being around more than well off people could cause insecurity. Jason knew that personally, having been there once. Danny may need time to warm up to the idea.

"I'm going to be honest, they're mainly idiots." Jason said past his burger, waving his hand, Danny letting out a small chuckle. "Although they can be a lot at times, they usually mean well. Except for Damian, that little brat is evil and he lets you know, so I'd be careful around him until he warms up to you. Kind of like a feral chihuahua really."

That caused Danny's growing smile to become a full on grin. "Wait, if all of you are- well y’know, does that mean he's…" Danny asked without finishing his words, but Jason understood nonetheless. He nodded, a confused look on his face, wondering why Damian being Robin would matter. "Man, I already like him. He's such a good kid."

The anti-hero almost choked on his food hearing the earnest way Danny had just complimented the small demon. After composing himself once more, he looked at the furrowed eyebrows on the teen's pale face. "Are we talking about the same kid here? Damian is literally the most violent one of us, he'd stab you over a cookie if he wanted it."

Danny tilted his head, but a smile formed on his face anyways. "He still means well. I mean, he's a kid, I know they can be a little feisty sometimes."

"I'm sure the highly trained 'kid' would love to hear that. I would never expect a knife in your shoulder by the end of the night." Jason replied sarcastically, balling up his trash, finally having eaten his food. Danny was still eating the last few of his fries, having stolen half of Jason's as well as they were talking. Not that the man minded, wanting Danny to eat as much as he wanted in order to gain some more meat on his thinned figure. He didn't like how sickly Danny had gotten to look after his time stuck in the warehouse and then on the streets, it made a worm of guilt work its way into Jason, knowing he should've done more. 

Danny, not knowing Jason's inner turmoil, laughed, showing a bit of those canines that seemed to have grown since last time. Jason didn't know if Danny could control that or not, so he chalked it up to the nonhuman part of the kid. "He likes me! Plus I can easily heal from any attacks, that is if I don't just plain out avoid them. Who knows, maybe we can rough house a little." Danny said with an easygoing smile, brushing off the threat without any doubts. Jason knew that the other had powers, but he felt like he may need to teach him about self preservation skills.

Then Jason remembered the best part about the dinners, and he knew that this would win the boy over. "Hey, you remember some of that food I fed you while you lived in the warehouse?"

Danny nodded, curious as to where this was going. "Yeah, it was pretty good. Definitely the best food I've had in a while."

Jason smirked, "Well, you'd get more of that food at the dinner. Alfred, the best cook in the world, always fixes everything. Now, imagine fresh food like that." Danny perked up at that, and Jason knew he had found the right bait. After all, it was what Alfred used to get him over there every weekend. It wasn't because he wanted to help cook, feeling like a kid again. "Sounds good, doesn't it? Who knows, maybe for being a guest he might give you an extra chocolate chip cookie. Trust me, they are to die for."

Danny smiled at the small joke, but his mind mainly focused on the promise of good food. Perhaps this dinner wouldn't be such a bad idea, plus, he would be able to see Robin again, or Damian in this case. He wonders if the short tween would act any differently out of the costume, or any of the others for that sake. He was nervous meeting Signal again, and the thought of Tim made him squirm, hating how the constant loom of being watched had felt days before. He could only hope that they wouldn't jump on him with too many questions as soon as he showed up.

After a few minutes of debating internally with himself, weighing the pros and cons, he came up with a decision. "I guess I'll go, but if anything happens I'm leaving."

Jason couldn't ask for any more, already surprised that Danny agreed at all. "Don't worry, I leave anytime they annoy me too much. They know not to fuck with me."

"You sure it's not just because you're a big baby and they don't want to upset you?" Danny asked, raising a teasing eyebrow as Jason's face erupted into red, stammering out some denial that sounded more like complaining.

"I am not a 'big baby', and I can easily pummel you and them. I can already imagine how well you're gonna get along with Dick, it's going to a fucking nightmare." Jason continued to grumble, glaring at Danny across from him, the teen laughing at his misery.

"I'm already starting to get excited for this dinner now. When are we going this weekend?" Danny finally asked after calming down from his giggle fit, which Jason had suffered through. He wanted to make the kid laugh more, to just let the other be a teen.

Jason smoothed out his disheveled hair with a few quick swipes of his hand, huffing a bit before he spoke. "This Saturday, so tomorrow."

Danny slightly freaked out, not expecting it to be so soon. Though he already told Jason he'd go, and he didn't want to back out now. The man may not show it, but he obviously wanted Danny to go with him. A small part of him also wanted to go, to have a chance to be normal again. "Alright, so what will we do for the rest of the day?"

Jason thought about it, and realized he didn't exactly have anything else planned. He shrugged, making the other boy roll his eyes. "What do you want to do?"

At first the raven haired boy seemed taken back, not expecting the question to be turned on him, as he had nothing in mind. He looked at Jason's relaxed posture, realizing that he meant it, that Danny could choose anything. He thought it over, coming to a simple conclusion, one he hoped the man wouldn't mind. "Can we just go back to the apartment? I kinda had enough for today…" It was true, Danny was ready for a nap after the meal and amount of things he did. He may have only spent a few weeks closed off from society, and then a week of being completely homeless, but it was enough for him to no longer feel comfortable in public. It wasn't because he felt like he didn't deserve this, this sense of normalcy in a life he ruined, or the many others he ruined as well.

"That's a good idea, I'll need a bit of rest before patrol later anyways." The anti-hero said, standing up and grabbing both of their trash to throw away, before walking to the door. Danny nodded while following along, being brought out of his thoughts, and he couldn't help but realize he sort of forgot that Jason was Red Hood. It wasn't because it was unbelievable, the two had the same build and attitude, but by how normal Jason was compared to Red Hood. Sure, Jason was the adopted son of a billionaire with a crazy back story, but other than that he was still another civilian. Adding in the whole vigilante stick made it that more surreal. Or too close to something more familiar to him.

Danny remembers whenever he used to do patrol, the insane amount of fights he'd get in, especially at night. He missed doing them sometimes, he really missed his friends. Danny realized that he had been silent for a few seconds longer than usual, Jason looking at him somewhat concerned. "I can always skip one, I know I could do with a bit of a vacation." He said, wanting to make sure that the younger boy would be fine on his own.

Danny quickly shook his head. "No, I'm fine!" The man looked unconvinced, so the other tried to put on a small smile. "Really! I was just thinking about how bizarre my life kind of is right now." The partial lie worked, Jason letting out a small huff of amusement.

"I bet, compared to how most people would react, you've been taking it all pretty well." Jason lightly nudged at Danny, who in turn tried and failed to push the bulky man.

After an annoyed huff Danny straightened back up to walk better, knowing how clumsy he could be. It was what started this all in the first place. "I kinda take things in stride, go with flow y’know." He did a wave with his hand, before thinking about how silly he probably looked and shoving his hand back in his pocket.

"I like that attitude, don't let life drag you down. You know people who have your back no matter what, why worry all the time?" Jason meant for it to be light hearted, maybe even encouraging to a degree, but Danny’s smile quickly faded from it. Before Jason could ask what was wrong, Danny looked away, his expression now carefully crafted to be blank. The older man felt terrible, not knowing what he said wrong. He knew he shouldn’t ever give advice, as he hasn't lived the best life, or try and take care of a teen for that matter.

Danny on the other hand was trying his hardest to not let his thoughts wander to those who he should've been there for, or the fact that he shouldn’t allow people close to him, to let them want to help him. The guilt he's been repressing came back full force, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep his rising tears at bay, cursing how emotional he could be from some simple good natured words. Though he couldn't help but feel as if he shouldn’t have 'gone with the flow'. If he thought things through, not have been so impulsive and selfish, then the others would still be here. He would be with his friends, his family, the town he loved but was forced to leave behind because of his mistakes.

It didn't even seem that he learned his lesson, doing everything he regretted all over again. He told himself that he wouldn't be so selfish ever again, and then he goes and decides to pull more innocent people into the mess that is his afterlife life. How could he be so laid-back, so careless, after everything that's happened?

"-kid? Hey, can you hear me?" Danny's haze was broken from the wave of Jason’s hand in front of him and voice.

"Huh? Sorry, kinda spaced out for a second. What is it?" Danny asked, nervously scratching at the back of his neck, keeping his head turned slightly away as he blinked back tears. 

"We made it back and you tried to keep on walking, so I called your name and you didn't answer." Yeah, Danny was so not getting out of this. "Are you okay?" The teen opened his mouth to make up another lie, hoping his luck would work a second time. Before he could get a word out, Jason raised a hand stopping him. "Actually, I know you're not, so don't say you are. I know you don't wanna talk about it, but know that I am here and I'm not leaving, no matter how stubborn you are to not realize that. You can't get rid of me kid, after all I always come back."

The tears began running down midway through Jason's small rant, and he was wiping at them furiously, though he finally turned back to Jason. He was clearly out of his element, not used to comforting, but it made Danny feel a bit better anyways. To hear the words made it somewhat easier to swallow, to put into reality as he forced his other thoughts back down. He wished he wouldn't cry as much, hating how it felt like he was only being a burden to the other.

Jason hesitated to take Danny's arm and lead him into the apartment so that he could cry more openly, not wanting to make the crying teen run away by the sudden touch. He did anyway, seeing how some people passing by were giving them weird looks, and he glared at a few before gently grabbing Danny's arm. He didn't expect for the other to latch onto him in turn, turning his head to sob into the outer part of his arm as he walked slowly to the door of the apartment.

As soon as they entered, Jason wrapped his arms around Danny. Danny didn't hug back, only slightly burying his face into the man's chest as he tried to calm himself down. He didn't want to cry now, ruining the good mood that they had built back up. He pushed himself away from Jason, yet some of him yearned to be hugged right now, to be told that it was going to be okay. He knew it would never be, and that he deserved that.

Danny sucked in a desperate gulp of air, sounding more like a hiccup than anything as he held his hands above his face, trying to hide it. "I'm- I'm just going to go take a nap." He barely stuttered out, not waiting for an answer as he quickly went to his room and shut the door. This left Jason there, his hand outreached to try and stop the upset teen, but not knowing if he should. This was something that he didn't know how to handle. When it came to comforting, he only knew the basics, such as reassurance and hugs. Complex emotions like this he couldn't handle, and it made him feel guilty that he couldn't actually help Danny through whatever he was going through, even though he promised he would.

The man sighed, slipping off his leather jacket as he wondered if he may have bit more than he could chew this time. He wouldn't ever give up on Danny, but he may not be what the teen needed at the moment. If only Alfred was here, he'd know what to do.

He wasn't though, leaving it all up to Jason, who couldn't do anything. He ran a hand through his hair, not caring if it got messed up as he walked over to his barely standing couch. He laid down on it, enjoying how his body sunk into the well worn cushions, pulling one of the small pillows he had to lay his head on. He wanted to help Danny, but he was somewhat overwhelmed himself, and he had a feeling that giving some space may be better anyways. He wasn't lying earlier either whenever he said he would like a nap, still planning to go out that night. Danny most likely wouldn't leave him room for the rest of the day, so Jason would just leave him a plate of food before he left to go on his patrol.

He'd make it a quick one tonight. His people wouldn't mind if he canceled one meeting and instead checked up on them, as there was no way he would be able to focus for too long anyways. Most of his thoughts would circle around Danny, like they have been for the last few weeks. His worry had eased after wrangling Danny into his apartment, but now it was worse with how sullen the boy looked earlier. He still didn't understand what he said or did to cause such a reaction, but he guessed that it could be anything, though it had to be related to whatever trauma Danny had gone through and that was enough. He wanted to apologize, but that could cause Danny to feel guilty for making Jason feel like he did something wrong.

He was beginning to get a headache from thinking so deeply about something he had little intelligence in, so he shut his eyes. He didn't  bother to take off his shirt with the small wet spot in it, the coldness of it a stark reminder to how he failed Danny was. It didn't really matter though, as no matter what he couldn't block out the quiet sniffles and sobs coming from the other room, or the countless thoughts running through his own head.

They might not make it to dinner tomorrow after all.

Chapter Text

Jason woke up later on, the door to Danny’s room still firmly closed. The only relief was from the lack of almost silent sobs, instead replaced by soft snores. It didn’t make him any less concerned, but it was easier to think now. The man made himself a chicken taco, and left a bowl of chicken with a note on top that told Danny he could make his taco however he wanted. He made sure to also add on the note that Danny didn’t have to eat chicken tacos either, but that he did need to eat. As the kid’s unofficial guardian, it’s Jason’s job to make sure he’s healthy. It felt like he was the kid’s parent, and he was surprised when he found that he didn’t really mind.

After that he left, using the shadows to sneak into a broken down apartment building he used to hide his Red Hood costume. He knew that if anybody saw him enter and then see Red Hood leave, that they’d realize the two were one and the same, so he made sure that nobody stayed there. It didn’t stop a few homeless people who attempted to, having nowhere else to camp at, especially when nights would become too cold or the storms too strong. He didn’t kick them out, but whenever Jason Todd came around the next day he made sure to give them an actual shelter, a place where they can truly be safe.

He went straight from the shattered window to the largely empty bedroom, only a few piles of trash and mouse drops scattered about. He lifted up a board, relieved that his costume was still there. He knew he should find a better place, one that wasn't so accessible and the ceilings wouldn't leak, but didn’t bother with that right then and slipped into his costume instead. He left his civilian clothes behind, shifting the board back into place. Checking his grappling gun as well as his regular guns, he left the building, quickly scaling up the wall and onto the roof.

Up there the city felt much calmer, the sounds of gunshots and roaring vehicles far into the distance. The peacefulness of it only made him more restless, reminiscent of the calm before a storm. He hopped from roof to roof, checking each street and alley as he did so. It was only a matter of time before he was needed, Crime Alley was the worst of the crime ridden city that was Gotham. 

In a few hours of doing this he stopped a few creeps from trying things on working girls and those alike, forced thugs from beating up the defenseless homeless people, and stopped a shoot out before it happened. Yet, he felt like the night was more relaxed than most, something he’d usually be grateful for. Now it only reminded him of the night he found Danny. The damp and dirty alley way that he swooped down in after hearing a loud thud sound, only to see a beaten up teen who would change so much without him realizing it…

It seemed like no matter how many criminals that Red Hood took down, his thoughts always traced back to the worrisome matter that was Danny, and it took a lot to continue his patrol instead of returning to his apartment to check on the teenager. He didn’t know whether he should give the boy space or comfort, he didn’t know what Danny needed, and he couldn’t just ask. He felt useless and out of his element, and he was beginning to think that somewhere somebody else would be better than him when it came to emotions. Danny needed help, but Jason may not be the help he needs.

Deep in anxious thoughts, Red Hood didn't notice when a figure walked up behind him. He only felt their presence when they tapped him on his shoulder, the anti-hero spun around, both guns out and pointed at whoever snuck up on him. The person held up both hands, and Red Hood already knew who was foolish enough to creep up on him while he was distracted, the carefree grin clear on the other's face.

"Nightwing, are you an idiot? You would look like swiss cheese right now if I didn't have more restraint. Honestly, I should have just put a few bullets in that thick skull of yours, might knock some common sense in you."  Red Hood huffed, annoyed, as he let his hands lower. He was tempted to keep his guns out as Nightwing began chuckling while he slid them back in the holsters of his utility belt.

"I didn't know you were so out of it. Usually you're way more aware when you're on patrol." Nightwing teased, yet there was a hint of worry in his voice, one Red Hood knew all too well. The older vigilante sat down on the edge of the roof, patting the space beside him. Red Hood reluctantly sat next to the other man, slumped forward while resting his head on one of his hands, his legs dangling carelessly off the side.

They sat like that for a few moments, before Red Hood got tired of the silence, not wanting his thoughts to wander too much again. "What do you want, Nightwing? I'm sure you didn’t just come here to sit and ogle at the Gotham scenery.”

Nightwing turned to Red Hood, laughing lowly in a way he knew riled Red Hood, except for Red Hood didn’t really have the patience or energy to go along with the other. Nightwing seemed to notice this, his laughter dying down to a soft sigh. “I see you aren’t in the best of moods.”

“You’re right, so just spit out what you want to say before I leave.” The anti-hero was already shuffling, serious about his threat. If Nightwing was here to just waste his time then he would hurry and finish his patrol and return to his apartment, so he could at least check to see if the kid ate supper or not.

Nightwing raised his hands in a palaciting manner, his smile falling with nervousness. “I don’t wanna make you mad, little wing, I just wanted to ask about the new kid you have with you.” The blue themed vigilante said lightly, knowing that it was easy to tip off Red Hood, and that it was even easier whenever he was in a bad mood. Maybe right now wasn't the best time to swing over and talk. He was curious though, and right now was the best time to get answers before the dinner that day. Red Hood would become more closed off then, as all the other bats would immediately hound him with questions. Nightwing may have also been missing their usual patrols together whenever he visited.

Red Hood glared at Nightwing, which was somewhat muddled by the red helmet he wore, but Nightwing knew that look anyway. "You couldn't wait until tomorrow at the dinner? You can get to know him when he's there." That was if they went, Red Hood didn't know if Danny would want to go anymore after earlier, and he wouldn't force him to go. He could already tell that everybody at the dinner were all going to be excited with the prospect of a new guest, and after he tells them all that he was the new meta in Gotham that they'd be more excited. It would be overwhelming, especially if everyone was showing up. He didn't need to tell any of that to Nightwing though, he'd only bug Red Hood with more questions. Even if he wanted to tell Nightwing everything, which he didn't, some of it wasn't for him to tell.

Nightwing scratched the side of his face, his smile becoming more lopsided and smaller with each exchange. Red Hood felt slightly guilty for being so snappy, but he was too aggravated to try and fix any of it or his attitude. If Nightwing couldn't handle it then he was free to leave, or Red Hood would leave before he became too explosive. "I know, it would probably be better to hear about the teen from his own mouth, but that's not what I really want to know."

Red Hood furrowed his eyebrows, though it must have looked like he was glaring through the helmet as Nightwing tensed a bit. "What do you mean? You just said you wanted to know about him."

Nightwing nodded, "Yeah I want to hear about him, but nothing really personal. Like, how did you meet him?"

Red Hood relaxed a little, understanding washing over him. He would most likely have to answer all of this with some of the others, but if he told Nightwing some, then the blue clad vigilante could tell them and make it easier on him. "I found him in an alley, passed out, and took him to one of my smaller warehouses as he was pretty banged up."

"What happened to him?" Nightwing seemed hesitant, and Red Hood wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn’t bother as he knew it wouldn't be seen.

"I don't know, he hasn't told me." The other vigilante nodded again, yet he seemed concerned now. Red Hood was concerned too of course, but he couldn't have Nightwing assaulting Danny with questions as soon as they met. "Don't ask him either, he'll tell when he's ready."

"Don't worry Red, I'm not going to ask him anything too intrusive." Nightwing assured, easily reading Red Hood, and for some reason that irked something in him. "Okay, so, how did Danny end up staying with you?"

"Well, he couldn't stay on the streets." Red Hood crossed his arms over his chest, only causing Nightwing to roll his eyes. He wasn't going to go into any more details, about how he put Danny in a warehouse for weeks and then left him on the street for another week. Or how skinny and broken the poor teen looked when Red Hood finally gathered enough courage to take him in, because he felt guilty for allowing a kid to be on his own. He definitely couldn't explain how Danny was actually a meta as well, making it ten times more complicated, especially with the whole bat gang on his tail.

"Probably for the best, he almost seems sickly with how pale he is." Red Hood picked at his belt, hoping that Nightwing didn't dig any more into that right then. "Alright, um, what's your thoughts on him? You two seem to be pretty close already."

The question made Red Hood want to squirm, almost too personal for his liking. "He's a good kid, I like him." He answered plainly, and Nightwing gave him a look of exasperation.

"And?.." Nightwing made a go on motion with his hands, only causing Red Hood to raise an eyebrow. "Tell me what you like about him, or how he's been, I don't know! You can't have nothing to say about him."

How has he been? Then it hit Red Hood. Nightwing had more experience with comfort and children in general, perhaps he would know what to do. Though the thought of asking him made Red Hood’s tongue feel heavy, like he couldn't ask, or perhaps he didn't know how.

Red Hood cleared his throat after a few seconds, it sounding weird coming out of his highly modified voice, before deciding to just answer Nightwing so he'd leave him alone. "Danny… Well, he has a lot of guts, and I don't know if that makes him a complete idiot or brave. Probably an idiot, because although he can be pretty clever, I wouldn't put it past him to put his shoes on the wrong foot. Not only that, but he's super clumsy. Worst of all, he called Pride and Prejudice boring!" Red Hood shook his head, thinking back to that day. "He's uncultured and ignorant, but I guess he makes good points for some books, it just takes him forever to read." He paused for a second, then remembered something and started again. "He's got some talent for drawing, I've seen some of his doodles and it's better than anything I could do while taking my time, so that's probably where a lot of his smartness goes."

Red Hood realized that he had been talking for a few minutes without much of a break, not even giving a chance for Nightwing to comment. He quickly became embarrassed, knowing that he practically just gushed about Danny like some proud parent. He grumbled and wanted to remove his helmet so he could rub his warming face, hating how Nightwing stared at him with a goofy smile and twinkling eyes that showed even through the mask. He could hear the teasing already.

"Seems that you like this teen a lot more than just him being a 'good kid'. I could almost hear the affection through that thick helmet of yours." Nightwing nudged the side of the anti-hero, who smacked it away, yet he didn't feel as annoyed as earlier. He wouldn't tell Nightwing that, he'd probably assume that it was either because of talking about Danny or from the vigilante's presence alone. He definitely didn't need any sort of ego boost like that.

"Whatever, I answered your questions, now leave me alone and go bother somebody else." Red Hood was shuffling more, about to get up whenever he remembered how Danny was back at the apartment, the sound of long lasting sniffling bringing him back to reality. He got so sidetracked rattling off about Danny that he, in a way, forgot about him. How, he didn't know, but it caused him to settle back down and look at Nightwing.

The other seemed to notice this, still as perceptive as always, and gave Red Hood a teasing grin. "What, you have a question now?"

The crime lord hesitated, not knowing how to phrase his question, or how much he should let Nightwing know. He didn't want to overstep any untold boundary that Danny had set, but he also had a strong urge to help, and he couldn't ignore it. He also established earlier that he didn't know how to help, which he couldn't ignore either. He sighed heavily, feeling stuck.

Luckily, Nightwing seemed to understand, like he usually seemed to be able to with Red Hood. "You know I will answer anything you ask, if I can anyways. I won't judge you, little wing." He gave Red Hood an encouraging smile, and although Red Hood hated that nickname nowadays, he could admit that he felt a little reassured.

He huffed, swinging his legs as he lifted a hand to rest on his helmet. "It's just, I- don't know…" Asking for help seemed much harder than Red Hood thought it'd be. "How do I- What do I-"

"Take your time, Red." Nightwing said after the few pitiful attempts of the younger man trying to get a cohesive sentence strung together. Nightwing was curious, but he was more so worried, only having seen Red Hood this hesitant and nervous a few times before.

Red Hood sat there for a few minutes, gathering his thoughts before he tried to speak again. "I don't know if I can take care of him, help him in the way he needs anyways. I don't know if I can do it. I try, but what if I'm only making things worse?" He finally spit out, only noticing how desperate he sounded after he was done, and he couldn't stop the small amount of shame and embarrassment that washed over him.

Nightwing didn't answer immediately, trying to gather himself, taken back. He hasn't heard Red Hood be so honest or emotional like this in a while, a vulnerability that his tough front didn't usually allow. He couldn't help but wonder how much Danny really meant to him, or how the teen had made such a huge effect on him that his own family teammates weren't able to cause.

Red Hood was becoming much more nervous the longer that Nightwing stayed silent, but eventually the older man spoke up. "I may not know Danny, or what help he needs that you're talking about, but I do know that you aren't making things worse. I can tell that you care a lot for him, and the fact that you're so cautious with making him upset allows me to know that you're not so dense that you wouldn't be able to tell if you hurt him or not.

"The only thing I can tell you is to keep being there for him, and that he'll probably come to you when he feels comfortable enough. Just because you don't know what he needs doesn't mean you're not good enough, it just means he needs to tell you, and that you have to wait. Unless, of course, it's an emergency or he's hurting himself and you can't stop him, then you need to get some help outside of your own capacity." Nightwing finished with confidence, looking back at Red Hood to gauge his reaction.

Meanwhile,  the younger man was trying to absorb all of what Nightwing had told him. It was good advice, and it put most of Red Hood’s worries at ease, the constant restlessness he'd been wrestling with melting a bit. It was a reminder to why he admired the other so much when he was younger, to why he still admired and looked up to him.

After a few quiet moments, Nightwing's comms came alive, taking him by surprise. He almost forgot that he was currently on patrol, getting so caught up in helping his little brother little wing any way he could. Oracle told him a location that was recently called in for suspicious activity, saying that he should probably check it out. He sighed, looking back over at Red Hood, and was glad to see that the younger vigilante wasn't as tense as earlier.

"This was a nice chat and everything, but I gotta go. Duty calls." Nightwing stood up, stretching with his arms above his head, relieved when he felt a few pops. Then after sending a quick salute to Red Hood, which caused the anti-hero to glare at him without any real bite, he dived off the roof with a grapple hook in hand. Red Hood watched with mild exasperation as Nightwing gracefully swung away, all the while waving wildly at Red Hood in-between swings.

Red Hood waited a few seconds, feeling much more tired and yet so much lighter than he did minutes ago. He looked up at the inky black sky, noticing how he could now see one single star, the Northstar. A smile slowly formed on his face when he thought about how Danny would probably be happy to finally see a star again after being in the polluted city for so long, even if it was only a single star.

He stood up, more determined than before, taking his grappling hook and finishing his patrol. He'd wait for Danny to come to him, for him to feel comfortable enough to seek his help. Until then, he'd keep making sure Danny ate and got something to drink, offer hugs every time he cried, and listen whenever the teen asked for his ear. He'd just keep doing what he was doing, and although it was difficult at times to know what he should do, he also knew that he must not be doing too much of a shabby job.

Jason returned to his apartment, having hidden his costume back. The bowl of chicken tacos was gone, the small amount of dishes having been washed and laid to dry on a mat. Jason almost felt bad about Danny doing the dishes, but brushed it off whenever he knew that the boy most likely wanted to do them. 

He was the same way when he was younger and first moved in with Bruce, always insisting Alfred that he would help with the dishes, saying it was only polite of him. Alfred eventually caved, compromising that they would do the dishes together. The butler washing them or setting them in the dishwasher while Jason would either rinse them or dry them off and put them away. Since Jason was so short then, he would have one of the other three living there to help him put some of the dishes away.

Jason pushed those memories away, a stir in his gut already starting to pick up, and he couldn't tell if it was nostalgia or longing. A part of him was still afraid that it was something much more dangerous, something he always tried to convince was no longer there. He then saw his note that he left, it was turned on its other side, a new note written in sloppy cursive. The man quickly picked it up, dread and panic having replaced his sense of ease, and sighed with relief as he read the content. He wouldn't be going back out tonight at least, there was no upset teen to chase down and drag back into a safe environment.

He reread the note, much more calm than moments ago.

"Thanks for the food, and sorry for making you worry. I'm fine now, just needed to get that off my chest. See you in the morning and don't stay up too late! You can't be too tired for the dinner. :)

P.S. I did the dishes, but I couldn't put them away since I didn’t know where they went, you gotta tell me if I'm staying here longer"

Jason couldn't help but smile, the note settling the uneasiness that was lingering. He yawned, deciding to listen to Danny’s words and going to his bedroom. He changed into some shorts and a loose fitting shirt, slinking underneath his covers and relaxing into his soft bed. He was asleep almost instantly, head filled with dreams too hazy to remember in the morning.

He woke up a few hours later, still feeling as drowsy as he did the night before, but decided it was too late to go back to sleep. The whole Wayne Family and Co. had terrible sleep schedules, most of them being vigilantes or something else of the like, so they were used to the eye bags that all of them wore most of the time. Hopefully Danny wouldn't be added to that list, the teen needed the rest, and he didn't have any nighttime activities that Red Hood knew about. There could be only so many things keeping the teen awake if he did have dark circles under his eyes, and most of them weren't good.

Not bothering to change yet, Jason left his room and went straight to the kitchen, his throat feeling dry and desperate for water. In his half-asleep mind purely focused on getting a drink, he didn't realize there was another being in the room.

"Good morning, Old Man." Jason whipped around at a speed he didn't think possible so early in the morning, his groggy brain waking up in an instant, before relaxing when he remembered Danny. He was sitting at the counter, slumped forward with his head resting on his hands. The teen was smirking, seeming pleased with himself that he was able to spook Jason so easily. "I thought you were supposed to be a vigilante? Don't you need to be aware of your surroundings for that?"

Jason rolled his eyes, taking a few greedy gulps of water before daring to speak. "It's too fucking early for me to even try to think of a good comeback for that."

"Or is it that you have nothing? Hm, you old fart?" Danny continued to tease, a wolfish grin on his face that showcased his ever-growing fangs. Jason didn't know how he didn't constantly accidentally bite himself with them.

"Shut up you brat." The man pushed Danny's head back, getting a mumbled complaint in return. He scratched at his face, his rudely awakened brain trying to fog backup once more. He really wanted to take a nap and he just woke up a few minutes ago. He almost cursed when he remembered that he and Danny were meant to go to the dinner later that evening.

"So, what are we having for breakfast?" Danny asked, deciding to cross his arms on the counter and lay his head on them as he stared up at Jason. The man examined him closely, seeing how he seemed much better than the night before. He knew how quickly that could change though, and how it could be anything that made Danny spiral once more.

Jason realized that he hadn't answered Danny, and he began looking across the kitchen. He was too tired to make food at the moment, so he opened up a cabinet. "Cereal." He answered plainly as he took out a box of some generic brand of corn flakes, heading over to the fridge to grab some milk as well.

"Sounds good to me." Danny hopped off the chair, grabbing two bowls for them before pouring himself some of the cereal.

They both ate in silence, and although Jason thought it would have been awkward from what happened yesterday, it was surprisingly comfortable. He slowly woke up the rest of the way, allowing his thoughts to drift from one topic to another. Danny was unsurprisingly done eating first, Jason soon finishing his meal too, and they both flopped onto the couch.

Jason turned on the television, stopping at a boring news channel, only slightly curious as to what terrible mishap happened in Gotham recently. He couldn't help but imagine every morning being like this, both of them getting up and eating breakfast together, then relaxing in the living room for a bit as they watched the morning news. He found that he wouldn't mind if they did, feeling so calm that if it wasn't for his strong will he would have easily fallen back to sleep. The room was warm but not too hot, and there was a soft light that filtered through the blinds, making everything seem so serene.

It felt perfect, a normalcy neither of them was used to, and neither of them wanted it to be interrupted.

Of course it would have to be, as about a half hour later Jason's phone began to ring. He took it out of his pocket, switching it on and grumbling when he saw that it was Dick. He stood up, leaving Danny on the couch as he walked down the hallway a bit, just far enough to have a bit of privacy.

He purposely waited a few more seconds before answering, knowing that it drove Dick crazy whenever he didn't immediately answer the phone. "What could you want so early, Dickie Bird?"

"Early? Jaybird, it's already eleven o'clock." Dick said, and Red Hood rolled his eyes, wishing that the older man could see it. "Anyways, I was just wanting to ask if you and Danny are still going to the dinner or not, Alfred needs to know."

Jason clicked his tongue, putting his hand to the phone after a quick "hold on". He walked down the hallway and peered around the corner. "Hey kid." Danny, who was staring distractedly at the television,  turned his attention on Jason questioningly. "Do you still feel like going to the dinner or not?"

"Well duh, didn't you read my note last night? Don't tell me you are so unaware of everything that you didn't even notice it." Jason flipped Danny off, the teen sticking his tongue out in retaliation, before going back down the hallway.

"Yeah, tell Alfred we'll be showing up." Jason told Dick, who was slightly snickering, and Jason knew that he must have heard Danny. "On second thought, I don't think you'd be a good influence on Danny, he's already annoying enough as it is without you rubbing off on him."

"Awww, so I can't see my little brother's kid? How rude. Honestly I thought you were bett-" Jason didn't allow Dick to finish talking, hanging up as soon as he started his long-winded dramatics. He walked back into the living room, to see that Danny had switched the channel to some Sunday cartoon, seemingly having gotten bored of the monotonous news station.

He didn't flop back down on the couch, no matter how much he longed to and fall back to sleep. "I'm going to take a shower, so sit here and watch your cartoon like the good kid you are." The man teased, watching amused as Danny's face reddened from embarrassment.

"Cartoons aren't just for kids…" Jason heard the teen mumble as Jason left to take his shower.

A few hours later the two of them were ready and driving over to the mansion for the dinner. Both of them were anxious. Jason because of how much he was going to have to explain, and Danny because of the amount of people who will be there and the want to make a good impression on them. He knew that they were a rich family, and not only that but vigilantes as well. Danny felt almost insignificant compared to them, and the ghost side of him wanted their acceptance, even if he was still very much wary of rich people since Vlad. Yet, even he still wondered how the unhinged halfa was doing right now.

Has he heard the news yet? Was he upset? Did he know that Danny was still alive? Would he blame him for what happened?

Before they knew it they had arrived at the Wayne mansion. Jason pulled his motorcycle besides the several other cars sitting in front of the huge house. He let Danny get off first before getting off himself, hanging the biker helmet he forced Danny to wear on the handle bar. The man saw how much Danny was fidgeting now, almost like he couldn't stay still.

"Are you sure you want to do this? We can always wait until next weekend or something." Jason laid a hand on Danny's small shoulder, who leaned into it a bit.

Danny took a deep breath, before turning his head to Jason with a nervous riddled smile. "Might as well go ahead and go in, we're already here, ain't we?"

Jason chuckled softly, releasing Danny's shoulder and gesturing towards the house. "After you then."

Danny visibly swallowed, but began walking towards the mansion anyways, mentally preparing himself. He hesitated at the large opposing doors, not knowing if he should knock or not. Jason laughed and stepped forward, swinging open the doors without a second thought, much like he did every time. He didn't care about something like knocking, no need to announce himself if he acted like he owned the place anyways.

A few seconds later, only being able to take a few steps, there was already one of the many bats in front of them, Steph. 

"Hey Jason, glad you could make it. Oh, who’s the newbie?" The blonde girl stepped forward, causing Danny to take a step back, subconsciously hiding a bit behind the much larger man. Jason grabbed Steph's head and pushed her back, the girl letting out an offended squawk as he did so. "What? I'm just trying to say hi!"

"We all know how you are. I shouldn't allow you five feet near Danny. You might infect him with your bad behavior." Jason crossed his arms, shifting his weight to one leg, efficiently blocking Danny out of her view.

The teen girl whined, trying to look around Jason to see Danny. "A bit of chaos never hurt anybody, plus, he seems like the type to like that! I'd know for sure if you let me at least talk to him, I mean, I don't even know his name yet!" She pouted, still trying to get past the man, failing as he was practically built like a fridge.

"Chaos, you say?" Jason groaned, seeing the scheming glint in Danny's narrowed eyes, his grin becoming much like it was that morning.

"This is why I didn't want y’all to meet, now I have to deal with two brats." Jason muttered, but didn't stop Danny whenever he slipped past him and towards Steph.

"The name’s Danny, nice to meet your acquaintance." The raven haired teen stuck out his hand.

"You can call me Steph, excited to see what great things we'll be able to accomplish together." She lifted her hand to shake Danny's outstretched one, giving one firm shake before letting go.

"Alright, you nerds done with your weird little greeting? We should go to the dining room with everybody else." Jason said, already moving to the room. Danny and Steph followed behind, whispering quietly about what the man could only assume would cause him a massive headache later on. He was worried that Danny would be too nervous to talk to anybody, but now he's worried that the teen may get along too well with everyone. Specifically the ones that he can cause trouble with.

They all stepped into the dinning room, where most of the people were. Tim was the first to notice them, freezing as soon as his eyes landed on Danny, who wasn't paying him any mind as he stared amazed at the large room. Damian, who was in the middle of an argument with Tim, turned to see what caught the older boy's attention. He quickly straightened up whenever he saw Jason.

"Ah, Todd, I see you have brought a guest today." The tween spoke with well taught mannerism, wanting to appear as the mature kid he was, when he was suddenly taken back. He tensed as Jason moved, properly getting a look at who the man brought. Jason lifted up a brow, but Damian didn't notice as he stared at the other teenager who was still distracted by the bright and fancy room.

"Danny?" Damian called out hesitantly, his carefully created exterior slightly cracking as he stared surprised by the guest.

Danny immediately snapped out for his amazement, his light blue eyes locking on Damian’s emerald ones. He smiled sheepishly, his hand going to scratch the back of his neck with newfound nervousness, remembering that he had run in with a few of them already beforehand. "Oh, um, hi?.."