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Chapter Text

Jack and Maddie Fenton are dead.

The mad ghost scientists of Amity Park died.

Danny lost his parents.

Danny is an Orphan. Without his parents he was bound to end up in the system. Jazz only just started college, her grades are great but her apartment is small and the amount of money she has to spare even smaller. CPS didn't approve of her as Dannys guardian. 

And Danny would have welcomed the system of endless foster parents after foster parents as long as it got him away from Vlad. 

But the fruitloop already filed for custody. He has money and space and enough power over Amity Park that no one even considered denying his request. 

Danny wasn't asked once about it. His opinion on it didn't matter. 

Danny was not important. He never was. Not to his parents who were too busy trying to rip a part of him molecule by molecule to actually have a conversation with their son. Sure, they loved him, but they hated phantom more. And between their hate for phantom and the admiration for their perfect A student and successful Daughter there was little space for C student, skipping class Danny. 

Really, he could continue alone in the house and it wouldn't make a difference. He could take care of himself as he always did bug not it would be less weapons pointing at him and no more cleaning up the lab that killed him a year ago. 

Continuing alone would really only make his life better but instead he is stuck in a huge mansion under the "loving" care of his new foster/ soon to be adopted father. 

Vlad gave him a room that was way too big and way too empty. Not a part of it was personal. Except for one picture of Danny and Maddie. Danny was forbidden from displaying any pictures with Jack in it. He was not allowed to honor and mourn is dead father. 

So the room stayed empty and unpleasant. Dannys clothes were exchanged for expensive suits and packers merch fitting for his heir. His powers were constantly controlled by brand new wristbands locking him onto his human body.

And ever since he tried running away be is aware if their shocking function as well. 

Danny was a prisoner in a gilded cage but he managed. He was still allowed to meet his friends on monitored times. He was even allowed to fight other ghosts and indulge in his obsession to protect this way. Vlad gave him enough freedom in movement to see the stars at night when he climbs up the roof. 

The mad Halfa sometimes even seemed to genuinely care. Danny was given everything he requested, was frequently asked how he was doing and was even offered help with his schoolwork. It was almost a welcome change compared to his parents lack of anything. 

Danny almost enjoyed himself. Maybe he was chainblind after months of being fostered but he started to genuinely see the man as family. All the previous attempt of harms and the suppressing assecory be damned. 

And then, Vlad Masters officially adopted him and gained full access to his medical records. And he saw that Danny was on Testosterone. 

"Little Badger" his adoptive fathers voice was delighted despite the tone of disappointment it carried, "You should've told me that we need to accommodate to you differently" 

Confusion clouded Dannys mind. But before he could question Vlad, the man put a gentle hand to his face. Cradling him as if he was the most precious thing in the world. 

"No wonder you look so much like my dear Maddy. And I thought the cloning failed. I would've never guessed, you are closer to my dear Maddy-Cakes as I ever hoped for" 

Dread spread through Danny as realisation closed up on him. His palms became sweaty. Surely the fruitloops was not suggesting that. Surely he wouldn't take this away from him.. He wouldn't be so cruel as to strip him from what made him the person he is. Vlad was many things but he cared for Danny in his own twisted ways. He wouldn't strip Danny of his identity in such a cruel way. 

But as always, the Halfa was not spared for his misery. 

"You could've told me you were a little princess. My little girl. We need to make sure to adjust your closet my little Mads." his voice was so sweet, so caring, so sick. It made a Danny want to claw his ears off. 

"I'm. Not a girl Vlad". Dannys voice was trembling more than he wanted to admit. The mams hand on his cheek burned him. The caring feeling the touch conveyed was replace by stone cold confinement. 

"Little Badger, there's no need to pretend anymore" Masters voice was belittling now. Each word stripping Danny of his autonomy in its own cruel way. "You can be yourself now. I'm so glad you returned to this way Maddy. My love" 

The teen couldn't take it anymore. Couldn't bear the slimy feeling of the Man in front of him. His skin was itching as if if wasn't supposed to be on his bones. It didn't gig him anymore. He felt dirty and pathetic he legs became weak and every fiber he had started to shake. 

Pure instinct had him turn intangible. Driven by the need to get away. Interrupted by cruel electricity. The same force that killed him was now responsible for trapping him here in the horrible cage that was his body. 

His ghost form was always the greatest comfort he had. Frostbite once explained to him that Phantom was how he truly perceived himself. And while the clothes he wore were a reflection of his death the body mirrored his souls true appearance. Because he was a boy and that was the troth. The white glowing hair representing the stars of his soul floating in the freedom of space. 

And Vlad took that away from him by locking him in these bracelets only to take away from his living autonomy as well.

It hurt. Almost more than the face of his parents when shooting him. 

Danny wasn't safe anymore. He would never be. 

Galas were the worse. At home Danny could lock himself in his room. Rip off the dresses and skirts, wear a big t shirt and drown himself in books amd star charts. Pretend that Vlad didn't call him Madeline in order to "Honor his dead mother"

At galas he couldn't pretend the fruitloops didn't change his legal name to Danielle Madeline Masters, when each person he meets is intruduced to that name. 

Eyes met him everywhere. People looked at him from every corner and all he ever was to them was Vlad Masters dressed up daughter Madeline. 

Danny didn't even know which gala he was at anymore. He didn't pay attention to the rich people surrounding him. He tried to keep his mind far away from the atrocious green dress he was wearing. Pretend the itching on his chest was from an ill fitting binder and not from the scratchy puch up bra Vlad put in his closet. Instead he recited constellation after constellation in his mind. Imagined himself to be part do the myths that surrounded each star. Remembered the lost tales he found in the Archives of the infinite realms while studying different cultures and their talked on the stars. 

It was safer that way. He could still be himself if he wasn't part of reality.

Of course the ftuitloop wouldn't leave him that little mercy. A small electrical shock brought him back to the stuffy Ball room. Masters never cared that electricity was what killed him as long as it kept him in the now. As long as it helped the man control him he would use it. 

A heavy hand pinched his neck to draw his attention to the man in front of him. 

Danny didn't even care who it was. The man looked like any other at these galas. Expensive suit, fake smile, wine in hand. A cheery voice greeting Mr. Masters. Bright blue eyes observing them like prey and jet black hair slit neatly on his head. 

Just another rich fruitloops about to be introduced to lovely Madeline. Another lie. Another chain to Dannys neck. 

"Mr Wayne!" Vlad called happily, Danny couldn't care less about the man's name. "It's been so long. I think almost a year." 

"Ah yes" Mr wayne slurred a little in his words. It felt fake just like the rest of him "It is lovely to see you again. I see you're accompanied this time" 

Blue eyes looked at Danny. They were too knowing, too seeing and all they saw was Madeline. It made Danny want to rip off his own skin. 

"indeed. Leg me introduce you two. This is my lovely Daughter Danielle Madeline Masters. She is to be my heir. Isn't she just beautiful. Mads, meet my dear friend Brucie Wayne. He has a few kids around your age. I'm sure you'd get along swimmingly" 

The hand on Dannys neck tightened. Demanding. It was an order not a request. Danny, no Madeline had to befriend this person and their kids. He wanted to puke on the mand expensive dress shoes instead. 

"Oh my, Vladdie! I didn't know you had a child. What a loving suprise" 

Danny wondered if he could use his heels to scratch the mans eyes out. They would finally find a good use this way. 

"Well, I believe you have been a great example to me. I have only recently adopted dear Madeline after her parents died" 

The chandelier on the ceiling looked lovingly heavy. It surely would end his misery of it fell on Dannys head. 

"Oh my, im sorry for your loss Madeline. I hope hoos old Vladdie is treating you well" 

Danny itched to punch the mans face. He smiled instead "Of course. Vlad has been nothing but kind and generous to me" 

Vlad bristled besides him. A heavy smirk on his lips. "Now Now Madeline, no need to be so formal we've known each other so long after all."

Mr. Wayne looked at Danny curiously while his hand swayed his wine glass around. 

"Well that sounds like a story to tell" as he talked he made a wide gesture with his arm, spilling whine on Vlads suit and consequently as Danny stood close to his guardian on his dress as well. 

It was satisfying to see the red deep through the fabric ruining part of the caging attire. Danny had to fight off a smile. 

"Oh no, im so sorry. Let me get you one of my spare shirts Vladdie and I'm sure one of my children can borrow something to your dear Madeline" it all sounded fake to Dannys ears. The fake mess only a rich people carry around with them. The kind that was normal here. It made his ears ring. 

But he couldn't let Vlad be alone with Mr. Wayne. The man might be a rich drunk but he doesn't deserve to be taken advantage of by the halfas overshadowing habits. Danny couldn't allow that to happen. 

The two talked more but Danny didn't listen. He was too dazed to really register what was happening. He knew Vlad planned something fruitloopy as he is. He knew he had to stop if but as he watched the green of his dress turn red, almost bloody he couldn't help but drift away. 

How nice would it be to bleed out right here and there just to return to his ghostly body. To the body that belonged to him and him alone. 

The thought never once occurred to him like this, yet it was such an obvious solution wasn't it. He knew in death he would be himself. But would that really solve things. Would he still be able to stop Vlads antics that way? Protect his people, his friends from the GIW. Keep the peace between ghosts and humans as he did right now? 

No, no one knew what happens of a half a dies. The ghost King already tried to take over this world what would happen if he tried again and Danny wasn't there to stop it? Would the Justice league finally step up? Would they stop ignoring Amity if Amity was left to fully fend for itself? Would the ghosts get out of hand? 

Danny couldn't risk it. He wouldn't risk it. 

A gentle hand found his shoulder startling Danny out of his trance. Mr Wayne was in front of him now, a gentle smile on his lips. Somehow looking more genuine than he did the rest of the evening. Vlad was not around. 

"I'm so sorry for your dress. How about I bring you to one of my children and we figure something out for you" his voice was deep and the slight slur it carried before was amiss. 

"What about Vlad?" Danny asked uncertain. If he left without permission he wasn't sure what consequences would befall on him. 

"One of my servants took him to get new attire. Are you OK? You've been spacing out a lot." the worry in Mr. Wayne's voice sounded genuine yet foreign. None of the other rich guys at the galas ever cared for him enough to notice. No adult ever noticed except for Mr. Lancer who tried to call CPS on him when he was still with his parents. The teacher congratulated him on his adoption with Vlad, convinced that his circumstances were better now. Danny didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise. 

"Oh, yes. I'm OK. Sorry" he kept his voice quiet. After having to stop taking Testosterone it felt too feminine to talk and Vlad always encouraged him to talk in a higher pitch. He hated the sound of his voice now. 

Mr. Wane looked unconvinced but the hand on the boys shoulder never got too tight as he lead the both of them away from the crowd. 

The man's gentle touch was foreign in a way Danny didn't know how to feel about. His Dad would often hug and touch him but it was always rough and strong. Almost crushing him without ever meaning to while he was Danny and harsh in intent whenever he was phantom. Vlads touches on the other hand were always strong. Not crushing like dads were but demanding and unwielding. Sometimes even cruel and intentionally hurting. 

Mr. Wayne's hand was gentle, easy to shrug off and warm. Danny didn't know if he ever felt something quite like it. 

They made their way through the crowd of riches to another part of what must be a Wayne Enterprise building. The half only now realized he must be in Gotham or somewhere with a similarly high presence of WE. The logo of the company stood strong on the walls around them.

They found their way into an elevator going up to what must have been the offices. Rows of desks passed by until they made it into some kind of break room filled with comfortable couches, a TV and several games. A coffee machine was whirring by the wall and two men and a woman were found spayed over the comfortable seating.

"I thought I told you at least one of you needs to stay at the gala" Mr. Wayne chastised the three. But his voice stayed playful while his hand left Danny to find itself on his hips instead to pull of a sassy dad pose. It was entertaining to see what must be his kids looking at different parts of the room trying to appear innocently busy. 

"It's fine. I'm sure you represented us perfectly B!" the older of the men chimed in all cheerful and happy. His body was in an angle that seemed almost impossible as he hung upside down from the back of the couch to meet Mr. Wayne's eyes. "Oh who did you bring with you?" 

The guy reminded Danny of a golden retriever. 

"This is Madeline Masters" Danny couldn't contain the cringe at the name now that Vlad wasn't there to punish him for it. The others politely ignored if if they noticed at all. "I accidentally ruined her dress and I was wondering if any of you had any Spare clothes around. With the amount of nights you spend here Tim, I'm sure you can at least get her one of your shirts" 

The guy at the coffee machine grunted before taking a sip, visually coming to life by the taste of caffeine before turning to Danny "Yeah sure, although I can't promise that it's fitting for a Gala" 

"Are you okay with that Madeline?" Mr. Wayne asked softly right after surprising the boy for the sudden choice. He hadn't had a choice in clothing since Vlad changed his name and told him to stop pretending to be a boy. 

"I don't mind" he answered quickly. He would honestly be delighted to get out of this dress. Anything would be better than a dress and considering that he'd get clothes from the boy in front of him he might even get pants. 

"Let's get you settled then. I'm sure we can find something in my office. Oh I'm Tim by the way" Tim approached him to guide him away but didn't touch him. It was very appreciated. 

Danny caught some kind of silent conversation being shared between the siblings and their father before they left to find the promised clothing. The last thing he saw was Mr. Wayne giving some kind of hand sign to Tim who nodded.

They reached a big office and Tim didn't waste any time in turning to one of the closets and pulling out a dress short as well as some pants before putting it out on the Desk for Danny to take. 

The room was wide and had a comforting smell of coffee lingering around. A small pride flag stood innocently in one of the pen holders. Danny stated at it longingly. 

Such open acceptance was a luxury he would never find. 

"Here you go" Tim grabbed his attention again. His voice was kind to Dannys ears. "You can get changed here while I wait outside or I can show you the bathroom if you prefer to be able to lock yourself in" 

Again Danny was given a choice. The Wayne's seemed to do that a lot. Making sure the other had a choice in their action. It was nice. 

"Bathroom would be nice. If it's not inconvenient" maybe it was the pride flag but Danny felt confident enough to let his voice drop in pitch to go back to a more masculine sound he preferred. 

Tim smiled at him. An almost knowing glint in his eyes "Of course! It's no problem." he paused as if to think about his next words "Hey sorry I think I forgot your name I'm not good with those. What do I call you?" 

It was a casual question. Almost innocent. If it wasn't for the sudden reminder of Tuckers endless rants about the genius Wayne CEO Timothy Drake-Wayne Danny might even believe it without question. Yet he was suspicious. Could Danny risk it? 

Then again his legal name was still Danielle, just like his clones. Danny wasn't a far fetch from it. Nobody would question it and if he was lucky Vlad would never even catch on. 

"Danny." the first genuine smile passed the boys lip. "My name is Danny" 

The bathroom was close, just down the hall and Danny made quick work to get changed. He even used the opportunity to get rid of that awful Push up bra that itched at his skin. 

The dress shirt was big on him, so were the pants and it was perfect. For the first time in months Danny looked at the mirror without dread, making quick work to ruffle his outgrown hair to a more masculine style and using as much hand soap as possible to scrub away the bits of make up adoring his face. 

He finally felt like himself and it almost made him cry in relief. 

Carefully observing is image in the mirror he found one flaw in his current attire. The sleeves were big and easily climbed up his arms whenever he moved around too mu b revealing an array of bruises left behind by countless nights of ghost fighting combined with the unforgiving grip of his adopted father whenever Danny misbehaved towards the other halfa. 

He'd have to be careful about that. 

Not like it mattered. Of he came back to the gala in his current attire he was sure new bruising would soon join his current state. The ever present bracelets preventing them from healing through his ghostly nature. 

But for now, he thinks, for now I can be myself. Just for a minute. At least until I join the other Wayne's and Tim learns of my name as Madeline. Just for a minute I can be Danny. 

He smiles when he left the bathroom to meet up with Tim again. The other looks at him and Danny thinks he can see a bit of recognition and familiarity in his eyes. Maybe he is starting to be a bit too hopeful. 

Tim, Tim was nice. They chatted easily on the way back to the others. Nothing deep or crazy but normal things. When he asked what he does for fun and Danny answered he liked astronomy, Tim started explaining how WE had a branch based on space engineering and sold their tech to multiple high names in the area. Danny was amazed by it all. 

He was truly smiling and relaxed for the first time in years. Not that he truly noticed as he was too caught up in the moment. 

All too soon they ended up in the break area the rest of the Wayne's were lazing around in. 

"You know, I'm sure we can arrange a tour through our Astrophysics department if you guys are in Gotham a big longer." Tim offered as he opened the door. It was perhaps the most tempting offer he ever heard. 

"Yeah, I'd actually love that" he answered all too enthusiastically, not once thinking about how Vlad would have something against it or how he didn't know how long they were in gotham to begin with. 

Danny watched the Wayne's carefully. Mr. Wayne was smiling at him but something about that smile almost felt sad or concerned? It as hard to determine but something was Definetly off. The black haired girl gave him a small wave and a little smile. The presumably eldest son stood at the side seemingly taking something out of the closet. 

The man quickly turned around, two bottles of juice in hand shouting "Catch" while throwing one at Danny. 

The halfa barely had time to react before he caught the bottle, sleeve slipping sown his raised arm without any warning. 

For a long second Danny just froze at the feeling of fabric pooling around his elbow, distantly aware of the bruises he stared at mere minutes ago in the bathroom mirror. All euphoria about his masculine appearance escaped him at once, leaving the boy in a blank state of panic. 

Then, as casually and quickly as he could managed he lowered his arm and out Tim's sleeve back down. His expression morphed from blankness to panic to a gentle, practiced fake smile. 

"Thanks" he beamed with all the cheeriness he could muster, hoping that his casual happy would be enough to distract the other four presences in the room. 

There was another second of awkward silence in which Danny just stared at the family in front of him, trying to figure out their reactions. But they didn't give anything away and Danny wasn't sure if staring would be more suspicious as his awkward attempt of fixing his sleeve. So instead he tried to play off once more, twisting open the bottle cap before going for a drink. Except this time he made sure the sleeve was trapped between his hand and the bottle as he lifted it up to drink. 

"You're masters kid right?" juice man spoke up again, smiling brightly as he made his way over to where Danny stood, "I'm Dick, nice to mee you! I'm what Bruce's eldest and most charming Kid" he added with a wink. Once again somehow reminding Danny of a cuddly dog. He just has that friendly kind of aura around him. 

"Yeah I'm-" the boy stuttered as he introduced himself. He already told Tim about being Danny and he didn't want to give the impression of it not being his name or wanting to be Madeline. But he also didn't want word to get our to Vlad. One person calling him Danny could be a slip up but four? And one of them being Bruce Wayne? On the other hand he really didn't want them to call him Madeline. He was wearing clothes that suit him for the first time in Months. He was himself for the first time in months and he really didn't want to ruin that. Not this soon anyways.

So Danny dropped his voice to that comfortable low as he smiled and introduced himself to the man in front of him "I'm Danny. It's nice to meet you Dick."

Back when his parents were alive and he took people respecting his name for granted he might have made a joke on how unfortunate Dick as a name is. Or how he should go by the name Dick too since he didn't have one to show for reals. Now, that he felt the importance of a name being respected more than ever before, That he felt the weight a name had with every utterance of the wrong name towards him, Dicks name felt as beautiful as any other name spoken with such confidence. 

Danny was almost jealous of how confidently Dicks name was uttered. 

Dannys gaze fell on the girl, the only Wayne that has not been introduced yet. The black haired girl smiled at him while giving him a small nod "Cass". It was a simple but effective introduction. Her presence was quiet in a way that contrasted Dicks in every way yet it was just as comforting as her golden brothers. 

Danny really didn't want this moment to end. 

"Alright kids" Bruce ended the little round of introduction "I'm sure Damian is going insane as the only Wayne down there. I would say you guys should go back and socialise bug knowing you, you probably won't. So I'm only asking you not to play too many Video games and make sure you're there by the end of the Gala. You're welcome to stay here as well Danny, I'll make sure Mr. Masters knows you're safe and where to find you if necessary " the man smiled at the his children and Danny felt his heart flutter at being addressed correctly by someone who he was originally introduced as Madeline to. It made him feel addly respected. 

The Wayne's shared one more silent conversation that Danny wasn't apart of, but the Teenager hardly cared in the midst of his euphoria. Not a minute later the man was gone and Danny was left with his kids. 

"Alright, let's get this party started, I vote Mario kart!" Dick chimed in as soon as the door behind Mr. Wayne closed. 

"Sure if you're ready to loose!" Tim joined in getting comfortable on the couch after turning on the TV, Cass nodded silently while gesturing for Danny to join. 

And Danny didn't even think about letting this chance pass. Getting away from the gala, being called Danny, wearing comfortable clothes AND playing Mario kart? This could easily be the best day in his life. Only a fool would pass this chance up. And Vlad wouldn't even be able to complain since Danny was "socialising with the Wayne's" just as he demanded. 

They played a few round Danny as king Boo, of course, while bantering between each others. Curses were exchanged, bananas were thrown and cars were hit with shells.. Danny and Cass formed an alliance against Tim who kept coming first at one point. Everything was perfect and fun in this very moment and Danny found himself utterly relaxed. 

"Where do you live Danny?" Tim asked sometimes between rounds while Dick was choosing which vup they would play next. 

"Amity Park, it's uhm a really small haunted town in Illinois" He answered Without thinking too much of it. 

"Haunted? That sounds like a fun story." Tim asked in return. 

"Oh yeah not really. Amity Park just has a lot of ghost attacks going on. It's why it's called the most haunted town in America." 

"Ghost attacks?" Dick chimed in "That sounds like something you would write on a tourist trap. Or on a cheap horror movie" 

"I whish" Danny snorted "We have ghosts destroying at least one major street like every other day although it has become less since my parents - well" 

"That sounds like something the justice league would deal with" Tim noted although it somehow felt like a question to Dannys ears. 

"Yeah we actually tried to contact them a few years ago. The adults usually trust the local ghosts hunters and since the Guys in White are from the government everyone just assumed they would come if things got really bad. But they didn't even come when the whole two was attacked by an army of ghosts and sucked into the Ghost zone and Phantom was the only one stopping it. There was a lot of damage then and Phantom was hurt and the streets and houses were worse than ever. So we figured if they don't help with attacks maybe we could request help with the aftermath. But the adults once again argued the Guys in White would be in contact with them so Tucker, Jazz, Sam and I tried to get to them ourselves we even managed to get a few people on the phone! "

" Wait a second " Dick sounded sceptical " Your whole town was sucked into another dimension and was attacked by an army of undead people? Surely we would have heard about that!"

Danny glared at the man exhaustedly" Yeah, that's what the guy from the JL Hotline said too. He called us Kids and told us we would get in trouble for prank calling. Asked us about our parents information and said something about there being a large fine for such calls. We tried to tell them it was true but he hung up on us soon after. Whenever we tried again we were either jelled at or just send straight to mailbox. At some point we just, stopped " His voice sounded defeated there. If was the voice of someone who's favourite hero disappointed them in such a hurting manner it crushed all homes of help in the future. 

Danny learned to never trust another hero after that. The man on the other side of the line was hurtful with his words. Danny almost died as Phantom against Pariah Dark and hearing a fellow hero undermining his experience in such a crushing way felt like a work collapsing. He never truly recovered from that. 

"You said Phantom was hurt, who's that?" Tim asked now. 

"He's the local hero. He's a ghost who kind of mediates between us and the other ghosts while keeping the weird aggressive ghosts in check. He and Huntress are the only ones who truly cared for both sides. Most people think it's his fault that the ghosts attack though "

" Why do they think it's his fault? " Tim questioned again. 

" He also came when the ghost attacks started so people figured he brought the other ghosts to us since he is a ghost too. But he only ever wanted to protect everyone. It was never his fault " Danny quickly defended himself. Being made a villain sometimes hurt more than he cared to admit and he didn't want these guys to think bad of Phantom. They made him feel accepted as himself and he really didn't want them to reject his other side just like his parents did. 

"Sounds like a cool guy" Dick chimed in now and if warmed Dannys heart once more. Tim and Cass Shared another silent glance at each other. 

"Alright but how does a kid from the most haunted place in America end up in Vlad Masters care?" Tim asked casually. It was conversational and natural. Yet, somehow, Danny felt suspicious about if. As if this was the intended question all along. Danny once again made sure his sleeves were tucked down. 

" He went to college with my parents and they stayed friends afterwards. He was actually my godfather" Danny responded mechanically. The words fell out of his mouth in a practiced routine, drilled into him by every curious rich person thirsting for new gossip af the galas he attended. Vlad would then always put his arms around his shoulders playing the part of a loving uncle caring for his niece while calling him his little girl. 

Even without Vlad af his side the feeling of Lads heavy touch brushed his shoulders as he uttered those words ice again. It was disgusting. 

A phone chimed and interrupted the tense atmosphere that build between them. 

Tim picked his ohoen up and quickly send a text message to someone before addressing the room. 

"That was B, apparently the Gala is coming to an end and Masters is getting antsy so we should head back" 

And just like that, Dannys happy little bubbly of playing Mario cart with Dick, Tim and Cass burst while reality caught him in its ever lasting net. 

Before Re-entering society however Tim asked for Dannys number to arrange a meeting with WE astrophysical engeneering department with an added promise of a rematch in Mario Cart from Dick and Cass. 

Soon after Madeline Was back at Vlads side, heading back to a torturous life pretending to be someone Danny was not. 

Chapter Text

Getting back to the gala got Danny into a weird state of resignation.

He was still in the most comfortable clothes he wore since Vlads obsession with his apparent gender and that still got him all giddy and excited inside. However, he was also on the way back into a life of being constantly denied such comfort.

He also didn't know how Vlad would react.

The conflict of his feelings out him into a weird sort of Limbo, spacing out and turning situations back and forth inside his head.

He didn't even know how he got into the Limo with Vlad that was now heading back to the hotel.

A small shock on his wrist, no more powerful than that of static being transferred to another person when touching after being in contact with the wrong surface, put him back into reality and forced him to focus on the Man rambling in front of him.

It was less electricity than Vlad usually used so the Knock-Off Vampire was probably not mad at Danny. The feeling of electricity on his body still made him feel on egde regardless. Knowing someone else could easily inflict the very same thing that killed him a year and a half ago was a heavy chain around his neck.

He could never get used to the suffocation he felt at each reminder of the cage he resided in.

"... Im so proud of you my dear." Vlads voice rang in Dannys ears in all of its disgustingly sweet glory, "You and the Wayne boys being friends is the best thing that I could hope to achieve today"

Of course, whatever Danny did that was good was consequently an achievement of Vlads. All good things the teeneger did were only ever Vlads credit. Danny c OK would carry the mistakes around. Those were the only thing Danny was allowed to keep; his mistakes and the consequences the Fruitloop gave him for it.

How wrists started to itch. He wondered if his arms would regrow with his enhanced healing and if they wouldn't if the price of his arms was worth loosjnv his chains.

The skin underneath the bracelets was long scratched raw. He couldn't remember a time in when ig was not.

"Maybe you could even Date one lf them Mardy-Cakes! They certainly would be a fitting match for my little heiress. Only the best for you after all." Vlad continued.

Danny would rather date Pariah dark than being match maked by his guardian.

"Too bad they put you in those awful clothes, we certainly will have to fix that. Can't have my little princess look like a boy now would we? She might forget what a beautiful thing she is otherwise. I'll make sure to remind you of that later my dear"

Danny shivered in horror. Vlads reminder of Dannys his 'true self' as the man called it never ended up pleasantly. It was usually hours of Vlad dragging him into different stores trying to "Spoil his princess" With dresses and shoes and purses and whatnot while continuously comparing Danny to his mother. Usually Vlad would find something teal or a jumpsuit that looked enough like Maddies Hazmat suit did before going teary eyed on Danny.

It was a different kind of torture the older man did to the teen. Danny preferred the experiments and training session in the basement to this any time. 

It didn't take long for them to reach the fancy hotel andsoon they stood in front of their fancy rented apartment. It was big, it was expensive and extravagant with two bedrooms and their own kitchen. Danny would prefer to sleep in a trashcan.

"Go to your room and sleep my dear, I've got us an appointment at a well known hair dresser tomorrow so we can finally get your hair more fitting to you."

The teenager really didn't like the implications of that would Vlad force his hair into extensions? Dye it to match his mothers so he could be a better Maddie? Whatever the man had planned it sounded dreadful.

In a sudden spike of confidence, sparked by the validations the Wayne's granted him with, Danny spoke up to the man for the first time in two months.

"I like my hair as it is" the teen said, eyes meeting the older Halfa in a glare.

"Now, don't be ridiculous honey, just let me spoil my little girl to a nice day at the salon. Yoh want to look good when meeting the Wayne's again don't you?" Vlad cooed adoringly.

This is the point at which Danny should back off, he knew that. He knew that if he stopped now Vlad wouldn't do anything. Vlad would go back to the image of a caring father. An image he once fulfilled before the adoption. When the man was just the foster.

At that time Danny wanted to call him that. He was just waiting for the adoption to go through. Now the idea of calling Vlad such a title made the Teen Want to cry.

He did cry that first night of being called Madeline. Now tears felt like a luxury. 

But today, he was Danny. He was wearing pants and his make up was wiped up except for the remnants of black around his eyes that made him look emo. His hair was tousled in that messy way he preferred and people called him Danny. He was himself for once and he didn't want to stop. 

He knew he should stop. He had long learnt that there was nowhere else to go. Vlad was legally his father, authorities would believe him over the scrawny troubled teen that lost his parents. Running to Jazz would mean he was found, asking for help would mean they moved and his personal hell would increase. 

The bands around his wrists felt heavy once again. 

Yet, he decided to rebel. Just for today as he spoke up, fire in his eyes "I am not your little girl, Vlad. You are not my father. And my name is Danny"

Danny stared into the older man's eyes without pause, challenging the man to react.

He saw the adults hand raise in preparation. He saw it go down. The sting in his face was expected yet burning as his head snapped to the side. Danny could feel the blood trickle down his nose, his eyes itching in a way he knew would bruise but all he did was stare at the man in front of him. Challenging the Man that called himself his father.

"Is this how you swore to protect a child placed in your care? I saw the documents you signed. I listened to you promise me love. You are a pathetic man". Danny was suprised by his own voice. It sounded as cold as he felt.

Vlads face distorted in rage as he reached for the remote in his pocket ready to punish the misbehaving child in front of him. He would teach his Maddie the truth. How dare she say he wouldn't care for her. Doesn't she know how much he loves her? Doesn't his Daughter see what a gift she was to be shaped so much like her mother. How her beautiful face and her jet black hair brought Vlad and Maddy together in ways they should have been when she was alive?

Vlad loved his child he only needed to let her see it for herself. It was normal for parents to discipline their children, Madeline was just too young to see it. He even let her keep the name Danielle he was a generous man after all. Now she just needed to stop shorting the name in such unbecoming manner.

Danny knew the electricity was coming he felt it so often it became normal now. He knew what to expect, he knew the paints yet it still crumbled something inside him whenever it happened. It was still scary.

He felt his muscles lock up as the familiar pain seared through him, felt old and new scars flare up. Not once did his eyes leave the fruitloops. He wanted the man to see the pain he was inflicting, feel the hate that Danny projected, see the child he was torturing.

 He wanted Vlad to see his wrong and go back to the caring man he wanted to call father. Danny only wanted a family that loved him back.

The boys legs finally gave in once the electricity stopped. The tremors however would remain fog hours.

"I expect you to cover that up tomorrow for our outing" Vlad said coldly before turning away "Expect more lessons once we are home Danielle"

"Dont call me that" Danny shot back in anger, "That's Ellies name!"

Vlad did not get to use that name against him. This was his sisters, his daughters name. This was Ellies name and she should be honored. Vlad did not get to use it to torture Danny.

"The maybe you should accept the name I so generously gave you Madeline, go to your room I expect you ready at 6 for breakfast." Vlad ordered coldly.

Danny aas still shaking when he dragged himself to the bed. The pain didn't leave his body as he fell asleep clutching the shirt Tim gave him.

He would need to hide these clothes from Vlad once he woke up tomorrow. For now they were his only comfort, reminding him of who he truly was.

Waking up was nothing special. His phone rang a familiar tune, Danny turned it off, groaned at his pillow, cursed the sun and got up to face another day. The only thing different was the small rush of euphoria when he saw himself wearing tins clothes. 

That small rise in mood didn't last however. All too soon the halfa had to force himself to change into a still too tight top that made his chest an obvious little bulk. It was the widest one he had. His legs were quickly encased in flowery jeans that he would think are cute on anyone other than himself. They made his hips look to big to be comfortable. 

The and only then did he glance at his face in the mirror. Vlad got him good last night. His right eye was swallowed in blues and purples, spreading over his nose and into his other eye in slight yellows and greens. There was still some dried blood under his nose that he didn't bother to wipe off last night. 

No make up in the world would be able to cover the swelling on his face but Danny had to try regardless. Coming out of his room looking undecent in Vlads opinion would only give him more things to cover up especially in ways they were supposed to go into a public space. So Danny worked his way through covering up the rainbow of colors in his face pretending that it looks as natural as he was aiming for. 

He took another look at his hair. It was longer than he used to wear it but he still liked it. It gave him a nice little tuft if he ruffled it just right and he thought it was handsome. 

Today hw would loose that. Sacrifice another piece of himself to fit into the mold of Madeline. Maybe he should just give up. 

It made him feel like a doll, all lifeless and ready to be dressed and positioned. A soulless little thing.

With one last deep breath, Danny got up to join the Billionaire at breakfast. Said Man greeted him with a wide, caring smile. 

"Good morning my dear. Are you ready for our little day out?" his voice held so much love that Danny once again wondered if he could have had that love if he'd only been born right. 

Or was it him that's wrong? 

"Yeah" he answered quietly and sat down. 

The table held a variety of eggs and Vegetables. Some German style bread was placed cut in a basket next to butter and cheese and a try with freshly made bacon sat right in the middle. It looked delicious but it was also too much for just the two of them for as long as Danny was only trapped in his mortal form. 

His ghost form barely had any enerhy these days but none of the food he ate could safely be formed into ectoplasm. It put him in a week state on both sides of the veil. 

Ironically he was actively starving while sitting on a fully decked table. He couldn't help but wonder how much of the food that they couldn't finish would land in the trash, how many could have been fed with it? 

"I got a little suprise for you little badger" Vlad spoke up after they after for a while. He sounded giddy, like someone who couldn't wait to see the reaction to a well prepared gift. 

The older halfa came around the table before kneeling down to meet Danny at eye level. He toon out a black box before revealing a beautifully crafted hairpin inside of it. 

It was silver with blue flowers that finely swirled around in a curve. It was gorgeous and beautiful, something he would gift to someone well loved, but it was also a reminder of Vlads plans to change his hair for him. 

It would suit Ellie so much more than him. 

Yet, in a twisted way of emotional chaos Danny couldn'to help but appreciate the gift. It was a gift for him, something the other man carefully chose to match his hair and eyes. A show of affection the young boy rarely received in the years with his parents.

He wants to savor it as much as he wants to burn that hairpin to ashes.

Instead he smiles as he thanks his guardian. The swollen skin around his eye and nose pulls and twinges as he does, a reminder of the price he paid for such affection.

Danny wonders if it was all worth it.

All too soon the halfas were finished with their breakfast, the table still held enough food for 3 more people. Vlad didn't even bother putting it away, claiming the hotel staff would take care of it. 

A quick ride in a fancy car later and the two of them found themselves in a fancy hair salon. Pictures of celebrities who apparently frequent the store lined the walls. A woman with colorful and fun blue and purple hair greeted them cheerfully before directing Danny into one of the fancy red leather chairs in front of the mirror. Vlad never left his side and positioned himself threatingly behind his ward, huge frame looming over the boy.

It was a caring adult being there with his child. It was man adoring his daughter. 

It was a warning to behave. 

"Alright pretty lady, I'm Malin and I'll be your hairdresser for today. I'll make sure that you will walk out of here feeling the most beautiful and confident." 

Malin was a nice bubbly person, it was obvious she tried to make Danny comfortable and cheerful. If only it wasn't addressed to Madeline, maybe then he would be able to appreciate it.

But it wasn't Malins fault so Danny smiled brightly, nodding in the most enthusiastic way he could muster. If must've been convincing enough because Vlad smiled like a proud father and Malins winked at him teasingly before offering him a glass of water. 

The moment was so innocent and pure It made Danny feel loved and appreciated. He wondered, not for the first time, he could've had this long ago if only he was Madeline. Doubt creeping into his mind about who he was, who he was meant to be. 

Was it really so wrong to wanting to be himself? Did he only deserve such love if he wears pretty dresses and smiled bubbly smiles? 

His gut twisted nad his core hummed painfully but Danny kept smiling. He craved the love that was hanging in the air. He wanted to be cared for and Vlad did care for him in his own twisted way. But he did care, he did love him. 

Is it wrong that Danny wanted to keep that love as much as he did? 

Malin put a black cape around the boy, before smiling at him through the mirror "You have really beautiful black hair does it curl when you wet it?" she asked while raking his hand through his strands. It felt nice. 

"Oh um, its a bit wavy but I usually just brush it out and tuff it around till it feels right." 

Malins smile turned teasing "Ah, so a low effort kinda guy huh? Well we can certainly work with that." another wink, as if Dannys hair was a secret between the two.

Vlad, however ruined the little illusion that build between the two. "I'd love to see Maddies lock come out a little more. I was also thinking some extensions would look great on her. I wanna see my girl all dolled up with that beautiful black hair. Its such a waste that its cut so short"

"Longer hair might be a bit more effort for her" Malins hummed "We try to find a style that fits to each persons individual needs so this might not be the best solution. She does have a rather beautiful shade of black on her head naturally, extension would almost hide her natural beauty"

Vlad seemed to try to think of a way to protest but Malin turned back to Danny instead. "What kind of style would you like Maddie?" Ignoring the man in favor of asking for his opinion.

When was the last time Dannys opinion mattered as much as it did here in gothan. First with the Waynes and now here with Malin. Sure he was deadnamed as usual but they didn't know better. He felt way more respected than he was long used to. 

What a strange feeling that was. When was he ever respected before? His parents barely acknowledged him as long as he wasn't Phantom and when he was phantom they tried to rip him apart. Vlad couldn't give two cents about him. Sam and tucker were his best friends but they were also stupid kids, just like him. They argued and stepped over boundaries all the time.They respected him but if wasn't the same. Sometimes Danny wasn't even sure if they only hung out with him anymore because he was phantom. 

They never once acknowledged that he died that day. They never took the anxiety and the stress and the pain that came with being a ghost seriously. All they saw were cool powers and a chance to be a hero. Becoming phantom changed their dynamic that way. It was never equal after that. 

And then there was Jazz. Danny loved her to the moon and back but his sister still had to grow up too fast. She threw herself into her psychology lessons and theories, tried to analyze him. There were times he felt like a test subject with her just as he did with his parents. He loved her, she was his big sister, his hero and his mother more than mom ever was. But she also made Danny felt like a kid with a bunch of problems that needed to be fixed.

He also remembered a time she was tired of parenting her little brother. Danny didn't blame her, she was just a teenager and she was stuck with a kid hanging onto her every word.

But the rejection still hurt. He still saw her desire to be free of all that responsibility. Jazz never tried to make him feel this way but she couldn't help it. Just as he couldn't help noticing it. He only got to have that feeling validated once he became ghost. When emotions became so much more intense and other emotions so much easier to pick up.

To Jazz he is a brother, but also a responsibility and something to be fixed. Sure she respected him just as much as he respected her but it always felt forced in a way Danny couldn't fix.

Sometimes he was glad he was with Vlad, it meant he wasn't a burden to her anymore. It was a big relief to the young halfa. 

"It's OK if you're not sure, we can look at some options together dear" Malins voice took him out of his little spiral. 

Right he was at the hair salon. He was asked a question and zoned out. But how was he supposed to answer?what hairstyle would he want? He never thought about having an option today. 

Right, pictures, ideas. That would make it easier. "Yeah I'd love that" he answered finally , voice quiet to mask the way he lowered it to a more comfortable deepness. 

Malin scrambled with a drawer in her desk before taking out a big folder and placing it in Dannys lab. Instructing him to take a look at the various styled displayed in pictures of all angles. Vlad took position behind him looking over his shoulders to make remarks whenever Danny lingered on one style too long.

Each short style was immediately dismissed by the fruitloops and Danny didn't even bother to try to go against the man..

He scratched is already raw wrists u bothered by the blood gathering underneath his fingernails. The sting of the wounds was a constant in his life he didn't know would be this comforting.

Eventually he found a mid length style that was layered in a way that wouldn't be associated with any gender. It was the perfect mix of shaggy and purpose.

Malin immediately lit up when she saw him linger longer at it "Oh that would bring your wavy hair out quite nicely. I think it would be a great match for your face shape as well."

She sounded excited and cheerful as she had been this whole time. Vlad grumbled a little about it still being short and not as adorable as he wanted his daughter to be" Because my girl is the prettiest and deserves the prettiest hair as well"

"Well yeah," Danny answered conversationally, trying not to make his distaste bleed into his voice "But Mom also had really pretty Hair and it wasn't much longer than this style"

Mentioning Maddy could go both ways for Danny. It was a risk but by some miracle Vlad seemed convinced. "You're right little Badger, this way you would have your mothers length with my color. What a perfect fusion, don't you think? It makes me feel a little closer to her if I can see more of us both in you." the fruitloops answered to Dannys relief. He might actually like the hairstyle he goes out with.

Vlad once again felt like a father as he watched Dannies hair get styled. His gaze was all care and love.

Danny wanted to smash the mirror in front of him so he wouldn't have to see that sad and appreciative gaze. He didn't want to see the man care, to see him live. He wanted to Vlad to only be that monster that zaps him and hurts him and hits him. He didn't want the man to care. 

But Vlad did care. He did love him in his own way and Danny was too afraid to loose that love. 

He didn't want to admit that he wanted this. He didn't have a choice. Did that make him want the abuse as well? Is he this fucked up

"Your mother must have been a beautiful woman" Malin smiled as she got the scissors and hair clips ready before spraying Dannys hair wet "let's make sure you're just as beautiful" 

Getting the haircut was a silent affair. Malin would make some fun little comments about Danny being pretty and Vlad would coo at him every time but Danny stayed silent. 

He was actually excited for this cut. He liked the style and seeing himself in the mirror once it was done was more validating than he ever thought it would be. 

"Thank you" he addressed Vlad once they turned to leave. He appreciated this. It was nice. 

Vlad only smiled brighter before putting his arms around Danny "Or course little badger".

They found themselves back in their hotel room soon after and Danny was allowed to go into his room and relax. 

Once there the boy quickly changed into wider clothes before finally checking his phone. He usually didn't pay much attention to the device anymore there was barely anyone to text left after all and it was too old to boot most games and apps on it. 

This time however, he found himself with one new message asking if Danny wanted to meet up sometime. 

Chapter Text

Tim drake had many beliefs he followed.

He believed that a day without coffee is a day wasted, he believed that Batman needed a Robin, he believed that Bruce loved his kids even if he didn't know how to show it, he believed Galas are stupid and that Kon is an absolutely adorable piece of shit that deserves the world.

Tim believed in many things. Believing in ghost really wasn't that hard. Yet, everything Danny said was an utter mystery and if didn't make sense. Surely the Justice league would be aware. Someone would have known. It simply didn't make sense.

Yet Tim believed it, just as he believed that Bruce was lost in the time stream. It was weird and paranormal and illogical.

It was a mystery.

And if Tim does anything its solving mysteries.

So he started investigating the moment Danny told her tale. No that was wrong. Truthfully he started investigating the moment Bruce notified them of Vlad Masters bringing a suspicious child to the gala and continued on once Cas reported seeing signs of abuse on the man's apparent daughter.

He was prepared to start a CPS case and maybe make sure young Danielle Madeline Masters would find a good place to love, many keep track on her for a day or two. He was prepared to document evidence of bruises and malnutrition, fear of others, social behaviour that stood out.

He wasn't prepared to find signs of torture on the girl. Bracelets that clearly worked as shackles based on the bruising around them, deliberate cuts that peeked out of the back of her dress when she bend down too far, eyes that looked for a point of escape at any point. And the faint Lichtenberg scars that peeked out whenever her clothes have way.

Ot felt too much like the league assassin's after receiving severe punishment. The fear of anyone around, the fear of making mistakes, the fear of running away. That feeling of being trapped in a house full off enemies despite being highly trained to deal with any threats.

Tim knew those tells too well, Damian and Cass only confirmed his suspicion.

Masters daughter was trained in a significant amount but the billionaire held enough power over her that she was too afraid to escape.

It raised a bunch of new questions immediately; who was this girl? Why was she trained? Where did masters get her? What power did he have over her? And most importantly why?

Why did Masters get custody of a young girl that he seemingly never mentioned before? Why did he proclaim this highly trained child as his heir and why did he control her to the extent of using torture.

The simple CPS case that the Wayne family could open, quickly turned into a Batman case. After all Billionaires with highly trained children didn't have the best record around.

But then they got to talk to Danny, and Danny mentioned Amity Park.

Tim's first reaction was to simply not believe it. Ghoststories are a stretch he might believe. Ghost attacks in a scale that swallowed a whole town? Justice league level threats to their whole dimensions? And a ghost hero that no one ever heard of?

That sounded too unbelievable even to him. Surely they wouldn't have missed this. Surely this was a joke, another attempt to gain the Wayne Families interest. A lie made for popularities sake made way more sense.

But Danny was either convinced this was the truth or it simply was the truth. There was not a single tell of lies in their body language.

A Batman level case then became a Justice league level case and Tim started to

investigate.

Just how could they have missed this?

The thing about calls to the Justice League is that they are extremely complicated to reach.

They can't just have there number out and about and have a hero on call duty 24/7. It would result in too many calls from too many people about too many things that might not even be a justice League case.

So the Justice League had a bunch of algorithms going through social media looking for potential cases, Supermans hearing ability and a hundreds of small international offices dedicated to monitor social media, newspaper articles and local gossips for anything that might me relevant to the Heroes.

Most of them were funded through collaborations with local government's or double as a news agencies and magazines to make money with their research.

And then they had the call centers.

Observation only went so far, something was always hidden, slipped through the cracks or was too time sensitive to wait until it was detected first. Some things needed to come to the justice League first.

The Hotline itself was not open for anyone to access. It's number was only given to governmental agencies, police officers and hand picked organisations and people in case the authorities failed. This way, One had to go to the local responders first before it got to the JL.

And if they didn't they genuinely had to dig for it first in order to find It, likely triggering the algorithm while they do.

Still many calls were smaller scales and issues could be solved with smaller agencies, relief funds or smaller local heroes. They had protocols on who to direct callers to in order to help them best. It was a whole network of emergency responders.

However, the Hotline was also a myth to many people. As a result many searched for it just to proof its existence and others, found out called for fun's sakes.

Just like any other organisation with a phone, the Justice League had a good number of prank calls. There is even a top prank call of the month ranking between the employees that the Justice League members regularly use as a source of amusement.

In the end, Amity Park fell victim to something so common it was in reality less surprising than it should be.

Amity Park was never a Justice League problem because bureaucracy was in the way.

It would be sad of it didn't make so much sense.

The first call from Amity Park came from a frantic police officer claiming a ghost problem and describing a woman controlling meat attacking a school. After some questioning it was revealed that a local already fought and subdued the meat wielding woman. With no more acute problem and no proof of ghosts or any other problems the attack was categorised as a meta crime and amities police force was given the league approved information on how to deal with metals. 

After a few more calls of similar nature, Amity Park was marked as a spot with high meta activity and an investigation was initiated.

Said investigation ended when local government forces build a task force to deal with their current problem called the ghostly investigation ward. Said ward seemed to have good control on the towns meta problem and claimed proof to be competent enough based on the quick rate metas or ghosts were dealt with.

They soon provided proof of their competence as well as their legitimacy as a emergency response team.

Future calls were now often redirected to the GIW as they were deemed the expert and the GIW gained access to the Leagues Hotline number.

All the while said ghost problems stayed local enough to not be brought to the league directly, they were however now categories and put into new protocols. Resources from the GIW were now also available to league associated hero's in case of emergencies.

Then came a call made by a child or we'll a teen.

Tucker Foley, 13 year old called requesting emergency response for the destruction of their town, claiming that the town has been swallowed whole by ghosts.

The Hotline worker on call checked in with the GIW as protocol demanded and was told that there's was nothing of the sorts. Research in social media claimed similarly and no other local responders could support the boys claims.

They quickly came to the conclusion that it wss a kid wanting to see the Justice League and somehow got this number. They probably called because they thought with Amity Parks high number of attacks it would be a believable enough story to get a glimpse of superman.

Tucker foleys call was then mal red as a prank call.

A few more calls from Tucker and other children his age ensues, none of which had any evidence or backing from local forces.

In the end the kids were marked as an unreliable source in the system after they were warned of consequence for using an emergency response Hotline for silly requests to see heroes.

They stopped calling after that.

For a moment Tim assumed that Danny was one of the kids calling in in order to see a hero and that he just used the calls excuse to make his life seem more exciting.

After properly hacking into the GIW (not after some cursing, getting band to help and an extra extra strong coffee, their security was surprisingly good) he found the opposite to be true.

Amiyt did get attacked that day, but the GIW denied the claims.

If they hid this, they had other reasons something was wrong. It made the bat's uncomfortable to thing about that so they continued their research.

"At least Amity Park has that phantom guy Danny told us about. Nothing beats having a hero around" Dick argued after learning about the results of zoms current fixation.

Bruce reluctantly agreed but claimed to need more information on Phantom. An unknown hero with no contingencies in case things go bad, is a liability to batman.

But phantom wasn't a local meta hero, phantom was a dead hero. A ghost. And that of a child of all people.

He stood against everything the GIW provided as ghost research and their threat assessments. It went against everything the Justice League currently had in protocol against the Ghost problem of Amity Park.

The GIW wouldn't be allowed to operate if this proof against them came out. If the JL knew about these contradictions they would have had very different protocols in play.

Maybe the Justice League dark would have been able to help with that. Maybe they woudl have been able to stop this madness. Maybe they could have helped the ghost cgild find peace instead of having him fight.

But Amity was too small of a case. Amity already had protocols and experts.

So Amity never reached them.

In the end Amity Park was failed by these protocols. The Justice league failed Amity Park.

Instead of helping, the JL send experts operating based on biased research. They send agents to deal with the problem that attacked the local hero and threatened to dissect and torture sentient being.

A sentient child. Because phantom was undeniably a child. His manner, his appearance his body language, the way he speaks and phrases things. He may not be a child of this time, maybe he died long ago. But in spirit this was a child.

Zatanna once told Dick about a child ghost she encountered. The little girl was lost and wandering for ten years, she died at the age of 6. She would have been 16 but her mind and her being refused to age, it didn't know how. All she ever knew was to be that 6 year old and while the being that she was now was not bound by age her consciousness never found itself growing fully. She gained knowledge, learned things, understood, but in the end she wss still a child at heart.

Zatanna helped her find her way to the other side where she would find those like her, stop being lost. But it put a strain on her. It was a difficult encounter. Dead children always are. So once she was home. Still processing, still mourning she told dick about it.

Now with the whole family researching ghosts Dick shared her story. It made watching phantom feel like biting a lemon. It made it real.

The League took part in hunting this kid, they had several videos of phantom being shot, bleeding and screaming in pain while protecting ghosts and the living alike.

They carried this guilt with them no matter how small their part in this scheme was.

But they couldn't forget the danger thus put them in, the risk this provided. Phantom was powerful. With the GOW's data on him they had enough evidence to proof that fact. According to them ghosts also had the power to possess people.

If phantom were to turn on them for their inaction, if this kid were to lash out in anger they would need to be prepared.

Soon Batman started working on contingencies while trying to get someone from JL dark in site, Tim did more research on the Dr. Fenton who apparently were the leading scientists in the claims against ghost and provided most proof the league was given on the situation.
Dick got to work on sorting and filtering the GIWs files for more information.

Meanwhile Duke patrolled the city once daylight hit, while Cass was on a look out for. Masters. Robin planned to visit the Kents that day so he did. 

They were so engrossed in their research, they forgot all about what set this research in motion in the first place.

It was in the evening of the next day, when Dick found the first experimentation log. He was about to click on it when cass returned to the cave. She was watching over Danny in hopes of finding more Intel on their situation with masters.

She returned with a Video, signing 'hurt, need help, friend' before playing it for her brothers.

--

It started with Masters snd Danny standing opposite each other filmed through the window. You couldn't see Masters face but Danny looked furious, there was fire in the kids eyes.

Then, without much warning the billionaire raised his hand smashing the kid with enough strength to go ahsinst another adult of his sight.

Danny, on the recaiving end of the man's fist barely flinched but you could see his body tensing up, micromovements preparing to cover and run. Danny was terrified it was for any who knew what to look out for yet he let it happen.

That was not a good sign.

A moment later and tge teens face was covered in blood, the nose crocked and eye already starting to swell. Danny barely wiped the blood before speaking once more.

Vlads body tensed, anger clear even without seeing the face. He took out a device and Danny went still.

Deadly still. Just staring.

A minute passed, then another and the kid collapsed.

Vlad only turns and leaves.

The vidro cuts to another window view, danny alone in the teens room twitching and shaking. Tremors haunting the tiny body. Clear signs of electrocution.

Another cut, Danny leaving the room, face caked in make up. It was a good Cover job but tge damage to the face was severe and impossible to hide. Small hinds still shaking with tremors. It was unnerving.

Another cut, the two of them are sitting in their car. The kid sporting a new hair cut. It suits the teen. Danny looked Vlad with the expression of a cold yearning for love it was heartbreaking to see. Small hands find the older man's hesitantly.

Cass moves around to get the adult in frame.

His eyes shine red and are glazed with craziness and obsession. They don't see the child in front of them. It was difficult to say what they see but it wasn't good.

It sent a shiver down the bat's spine.

Tim and Dick got back into the current time, they finally strayed from their research of phantom. Danny was right here right now. Danny was hurt, abused and by looks of it with tortured with electricity that could easily leave lasting damage if it doesn't kill the boy before.

Phantom and Amity Park have been calm for the past year, it could wait. They had time for plans.

Danny was here now, Danny was in gotham right now. They didn't know how long the kind and their guardian would stay in gotham but here they had the best chance of separating the two.

Not to mention that Danny was a first hand source of the events of Amity Park. It might be way more important to get Intel from them.

This took priority for now.

So Tim took out his phone and started to text.

Tim: "Hey this is Tim, from the wayne gala. We talked a lot about astrophysics and I was wondering if yoh were up flr a tour in we tomorrow?

Now he just needed to wait for a response.