Chapter Text
Danial remained asleep even after Damian finally got out of his mind. He’s been malnourished from the five days he’d been held captive. The IV nutrients could only provide sustenance for him, and he was also drained of his blood every now and then. It truly was a wonder he survived for so long.
A week. He’d been subjected to the horrors of vivisection for a week. From the recordings Timothy reviewed, Danial had become aware and lucid by the fourth day. That means he’s been awake for three days.
By the time everything settled within that same day of helping stabilise Danial, Jasmine woke up once again in a frenzy. The memories of her previous conversation having woken her up in action.
Due to the situation with the Fenton’s involvement with illegal practices and use of law, Jasmine remained in the custody of the heroes. With her age, she was placed with the Young Justice for now, Timothy’s team of heroes. Impulse and Wonder Girl is helping her settle in for the time being.
The case is different with Samantha and Tucker. Their caretakers had taken notice of her absence and demanded they return immediately. Superman came with them to explain the situation, and how the two children are now part of the Justice League’s witness protection program for the duration of tearing down the Anti-Ecto Law from the US Government.
For now, Danial’s connection to being Phantom is still a kept secret while the Justice League figures out how to bring his case in without having to out him. The final decision will still fall on Danial in the end.
What would have happened if Jasmine hadn’t alerted them about him? How much longer would it have taken them to track or even learn about Daniel Fenton if Samantha and Tucker hadn’t made it to their plane?
Damian wrapped his hands around Danial’s own, so cold to the touch you’d almost mistake him to be a corpse. But he feels the slow beat of his heart. One so abnormal but his friends had said Danial’s biology changed, his status being true to his new classification as a ‘halfa’; a half ghost and half human.
He wouldn’t be the first undead person in the family — Jason still lives after all. Even without him, everyone has already gone through death one way or another. Some revived, some faked.
Danial had been moved to the Manor’s infirmary. Alfred insisted that the Batcave’s medical room may become too stifling for him once he wakes up. The idea to set him up in a room that will be given to him was suggested, but Timothy debates that it might disorient him upon waking up to an unfamiliar bedroom.
Father had advised Damian to take a break from patrolling for now, and he was glad to be given the chance to be with his twin without repercussions. He would have fought tooth and nail to keep himself glued to Danial’s side at all times.
After all, what if he wakes up without Damian around? He doesn’t trust any of his siblings to be emotionally available to someone who finally wakes up unbound and safe for the first time in a week.
Not that Damian is either, but the familiarity between them would at least help.
“When will you wake up, Danial?” Damian speaks to his unconscious twin. “I know it’s only been three days since we last talked inside your mind, but I… I miss you. I want to talk to you again.”
Danial, of course, does not reply for obvious reasons. But Damian speaks whenever he finds the words to. Often, it comes out random. Always, it ends with the wish to be able to talk to him again.
“Going inside your mind again might result in damaging your mind, so that idea has been crossed out.” Damian sighs, but he agrees with the reasoning. “They advise that we leave you on your own to heal now, since we have determined that you aren’t giving up.”
Every 3 seconds, the monitor tracking his heart would sound. It’s the slowest heart beat they’d heard possible, equalling the quality of record set by the Flashes with the fastest heart beat done.
“Your chest has fully closed up without needing stitches, and the organs they damaged have healed as well.” He lists down. “There’s still the dilemma on how we could possibly acquire Ectoplasm — Foley recommended that the fluid could help your recovery. However, Raven assured us that being around Gotham will be sufficient enough. She has not expanded as to why that was relevant.”
If it was possible, Damian would have brought Alfred the Cat with him to be next to Danial. Cats’ purrs were said to be therapeutic and helped with healing. But Alfred the Butler strictly refused, though understanding that Damian simply wishes to provide all the comfort he could towards his twin brother. They decided that stuffed toys could fill the criteria of comfort, unfortunately lacking in purring.
“When will you awake?” Damian whispers, voice pleading. “I thought you would follow after me leaving your mind. And yet you’re still…”
Danial’s fingers twitched then and Damian glares at his form.
“You better not be pretending to be unconscious, Danial.” Damian said lowly, the hand holding on Danial’s tightened. “I will have your head if you—”
“Boo.”
Damian did not move away, but he couldn’t stop himself from jumping in surprise. He always has his guard down around Danial’s presence when out of a mission or a battle. Always. And Danial knows this very much to the point of taking advantage of it. He’ll always walk ahead of Damian and then take him by surprise and he always falls for it, no matter how much Damian tries to not be.
Danial snickers at the anticipated reaction, of Damian always looking so annoyingly distraught at the information that Danial always gets him. His laugh was low and weak, but it was there and Damian was filing this information in his surprised head.
He realises then that he was less surprised now about Danial’s scare and more focusing on the fact that it’s been too long since he’d last heard his twin laugh at all.
“Oh, man. I can’t believe you still fall for that…” Danial chuckles weakly. Then he catches Damian’s eyes, now noticing that Damian hasn’t snapped at him with an expected comeback.
Damian stares at him, shock coloring his expression. Feeling himself at the brink of breaking down to his thoughts, of how much he’d missed his twin, of how much he’d imagined them in a better situation without Danial having to lay on a medical cot surrounded by bandages and smelling of antiseptics wafting their surroundings.
Danial realised this with Damian’s lowering shoulder, the heaviness of the previous days finally settling.
“Dami…”
Danial found himself embraced by Damian the moment he had opened his mouth. The words died on his throat as the familiar embrace of his brother enveloped him.
“You’re here.” Damian mutters, like the realisation just dawned on him. Because somewhere deep inside him, he doubted his memory of visiting Danial’s mind.
What if in exchange for continuing to live, Danial’s memories would be gone? What if both of his memories will be gone, resetting his mind and soul?
What if he becomes someone else entirely?
Daniel’s life had been so similar to Danial’s own that Damian wouldn’t care if half his memories were wiped. His selfishness would still cling on the idea of his twin that he’d declare Daniel his own. Biological or not, he’s half the soul of his twin. Would that not make him his brother still?
So Damian is relieved to know that the one in front of him knows his weakness. His very weakness that no one else knew except for his family, the same weakness that Ra’s had tried vehemently attempted to get Damian over with.
But no matter what, Daniel remains to be the only person Damian feels safe with. Enough so that he lowers his guard around him.
“I’m here.” Danial comforts, burying his face deep against Damian’s shoulder.
He had missed this. The comfort he got inside his mind could only give him so much as it was only that, a thought, almost imaginary. It did not exist physically. So this very hug beats every imagination the two of them had.
After what seemed like forever, Damian lets go of his twin, helping him settle on his hospital bed once again.
“I will need to call for someone to check on you, akhi.” Damian tells him, his hand finding Danial’s. “Will you be okay with that?”
Danial looks around, now taking in his surroundings. His shoulders tensed for a moment, remembering his time in the GIW. But Damian tightening his hold on his hand reminded him of his presence.
“Where…?”
“We are in Father’s home. Our Father.” Damian answers him, noting how dry his throat seems to be and steps away from him to get the glass filled with water. “It has been three days since we rescued you from the Ghost Investigation Ward organisation. You know them as the GIW.”
Danial grabs the glass from him and slowly drinks the water. His memory slowly comes to. “Jazz..?”
“She is safe. Currently, she is guarded by a few teen heroes in Star City. She is taken from… the Fenton’s custody since they are still being investigated for their involvement with… unethical practices.” Damian tries to choose tamer terms as he relayed information to Danial. He wouldn’t like to be kept in the dark, after all. “Your friends need to be sent back to their guardians, but they are being protected by the Justice League as witnesses.”
Taking everything in, Danial’s palm slightly outstretched to Damian, seeking his familiar comfort and Damian readily gave him this.
“The Justice League knows of your situation. And about the entire Law around your… race, they are in the process of dismantling the Federal Law against ghosts.” Damian adds, still equally unsure about the subject himself. “That said… they know of your alias as Phantom as well. Father knows, along with the rest of this Manor’s occupants.”
Danial’s hold tightens at this, not sure how to react. It wouldn’t be safe for many people to know his status as a ghost. Everything went the way it did because he was found out. What if he ends up making everything worse than before by being around them?
“I can read through your expressions, Danial. They will be fine, I assure you.” Damian sighs when Danial sends him a more worried glance, now aimed towards him. “Danial, I’m Robin, if you’ve forgotten that part in our previous conversation. Our Father is the Bat. He’s Batman. Do you… not know who that is?”
Danial scrunched his face in thought.
“I know the Justice League only by name, not through… members. But I do know Superman.”
Damian huffed, now realising why Danial had never even heard of Bruce Wayne before. “You never bothered to use a phone, did you? Makes sense since you also had not heard about Robin as well. We’ll need to fix that once you’re well enough to begin training for the mantle.”
He remembers Damian’s offer . The offer that completely swayed Danial’s decision. Being Robin probably meant a lot to Damian if he says that he’s offering a part of himself to help Danial keep living.
“Perhaps it’s only fair for you to know as well since everyone knows about you already.” Damian continues, “Everyone in this family is a vigilante, a hero if you prefer to call them that. But they are rather fond of the term Vigilante more.”
“Huh.” Danial let out, slightly surprised at this fact. “And the… League?”
“Indesposed for the time being.” Damian answers in a stride, his lips turning into a small smirk. “Timothy, one of our… brothers, incapacitated majority of their bases. Rendering them vulnerable and are currently in hiding while in the process of rebuilding once again. Mother has… disowned me, since I chose to follow my Father’s ways and not the League’s killings anymore. They do not know about your aparent… resurrection. Or at least we are making sure Ra’s would not find out about your status.”
Danial looks down in deep thought, relief settles deep within him at his words.
“He’ll find out eventually.” Danial voiced out. There’s no way Ra’s would not hear about what the Justice League are busying themselves with. Words about the Ghost Realm and Extoplasm will surely pique Ra’s interests.
“By then, we will be ready.” Damian settles on, his grip on Danial’s hand tightening gently in assurance and Danial gives him a small smile.
For now, Danial grounds himself in the moment. He feels his core mending in the presence of his twin, finally.
He lets Damian leave to call for someone, Alfred Pennyworth, he had said. And the moment he left, Danial realised that the familiar feeling he recognised from Damian had been his faint connection to Ectoplasm.
Meaning Damian is a Liminal. Meaning Damian has touched with Death. Meaning Damian had died.
Died and resurrected.
He died.
Danial was a heaving mess by the time Damian returned with the butler.
Damian knows a lot of things.
He knows how much Jason actually hates himself, down to his heightened anger. Being influenced by the pit is one thing, but in order for that to happen is for genuine anger to exist. Meaning he can’t blame every action to the pit because he already felt that way in the first place. Meaning he means every word he’d say and every action he’d take. And he hates that.
He knows how Timothy would end up sleeping anywhere if given a moment to, contrary to the jokes of him hardly sleeping at all. He would sleep in the most uncomfortable position and he’d say he had the best 10 minute sleep of his life.
He knows how Richard is a self-sacrifising idiot, putting other’s comforts before himself even if it destroys him in the process. Being Batman showed that. His smile could only cover so much weight he actually carries in this family.
He knows how Danial would rather be tortured than to kill, but gives in anyway because if he's heavily injured, Damian will be left alone.
He knows what Jason’s favourite book is when the older man offered Damian a past-time of his.
He knows Timothy rather hates the taste of caffeine, but it’s the only substance that could keep him awake longer so he becomes an addict to it.
He knows Richard has an unhealthy hidden cupboard filled with cereals around the Manor, having seen him pull one out from a training room during their Batman and Robin time.
He knows Danial prefers meat just as much Damian prefers his greens.
He knows how Alfred Pennyworth the Cat prefers to be stroked.
He knows how Ace figured out how to get to the Batcave on his own without the use of the Grandfather Clock.
He knows how Titus can’t go on his day without having raced after Alfred Pennyworth the Cat.
He knows how a human can be killed in less than a second without much blood.
He knows how not to be seen.
He knows how to channel fear into his enemy.
But does he know how to comfort a boy experiencing a panic attack?
Yes, he does. Richard had been determined to teach him all the tactics to comfort a civilian.
But Danial is not a civilian.
Danial is someone that’s considered a meta. And while Richard had prepared him for that scenario as well just in case, he’s at a loss on what to do when he finds himself having Danial’s attention focused highly on him.
As soon as he opens the door with Alfred the Butler following after him, Damian feels himself being lifted off the ground and to Danial. His eyes blew wide as though he found out something unsettling.
“You died?! ”
Damian winced at this. Richard had informed them that Danial somehow knew that he had a touch with death, calling him ‘Revenant’, whatever that meant for Danial.
“The incident happened three months ago, Danial.” Damian relents carefully, keeping his tone even as to not agitate his twin. He feels the room getting significantly colder, his breathing coming out in smoke. “Mother… She made clones to replace us after she disowned me. One of them, my own clone, killed me against her orders.”
Danial even looks more affronted by the story. “Clones? Someone made another clone of me?!”
Another?
He could feel the rest of the family by the door now, carefully threading the entrance of the room in case something happens with Danial this agitated.
“They were already dealt with.” Damian adds quickly, “Father and our brothers visited the place where they were being created. They made sure to destroy any research they had to recreate the event. Mother killed off our clones when they killed me. The facility was burned to the ground.”
Danial let out a heavy breath, not one out of relief. He closes his eyes, his hands hovering over Damian’s chest like he’s looking for something.
Feeling like he’d found it, his eyes shot up and met Damian’s. The coldness around them seeped away.
“You have a shard. ”
“What’s that?” Someone behind him, Timothy , asked.
If Danial minded their sudden closing presence, he did not show. His focus was entirely on Damian.
“Like a– like a core. Something like a ghost core, but also not. But you’re not a ghost, Dami.” He became confused, his eyebrows furrowing. “It’s just a shard — a dormant one. It doesn’t have any more power. ”
“Damian was resurrected using a shard. A Chaos Shard.” Father informed him carefully, “He gained enhanced abilities after the resurrection, and he was very volatile. The situation became increasingly dangerous and the only solution to be made was to drain the powers off him. It took him until last week to wake up and recover.”
“Chaos… that’s… that’s dangerous!” Danial remembers. “You— You can’t have Chaos as your core! We’ll— I’ll— I’ll help you change it. Heal it into something different.”
Damian finally lands on his feet and the family feels a slight relief at that. But Danial’s words couldn’t be ignored.
“We know how dangerous Chaos magic could be.” Richard began, making an attempted step closer to the twins. “But how dangerous is it as a core? I thought only ghosts could have one?”
They noticed Danial clutching his chest at the question, looking conflicted to answer. But he gave everyone a glance filled with hope, as though he could see something they could not.
“I’m also not a ghost, but I have a ghost core. An Ice Ghost Core. There’s no meaning to what type of ghost core someone gets, it’s just a way to classify ghosts with.” Danial slowly built up, holding his chest protectively. “Chaos is… chaotic. It’s unpredictable and… many ghosts have told me how dangerous it could be, even to the most well-intentioned ghost. Having it as a Ghost Core corrupts the ghost, and… it turns them to this.. Weird crystal.”
“Chaos crystal?”
“Yes. That’s what you used for Damian, a shard of a ghost core is powerful enough to do that.” Danial nods. “And the shard stayed with Damian. It’s a good thing that you drained it so much it’s become dormant. But in order to completely remove it, Damian will need to replace it with another core.”
“But… how?” Father asks, “Will Damian need to… die for that to happen?”
“Oh, no! I wouldn’t even go with that if that were a choice.” Danial shakes his head, stopping suddenly when the movement dizzies him and Damian helps (forces) him to sit back down on his bed. “You see my biology… the amount of ectoplasm I have makes me like a walking radioactive chemical… Ectoplasm. Not in a dangerous way, but like… I forgot the word. Just that it… affects the undead? Liminals and Revenants? The ones that died but got resurrected.”
“How do you know this?” Timothy asks, “Has it happened before?”
“Not really since I hadn’t really met anyone that fits the description until you guys.” Danial shrugs weakly. “Someone from the Ghost Zone just informed me about it.”
“And this… radioactive ectoplasm of yours can help Damian how?” Richard asks.
Now that everyone has calmed down, Alfred could fix Danial’s bedding and placed a tray of food next to his bed. Jason entered the room as Alfred left them to return to his chores.
“When constantly exposed to ectoplasm, it can temporarily enhance anyone. I’m talking about ghostly abilities which are unlimited. ” Danial answers with a sigh. “But when you give it to a Liminal or a Revenant, the abilities become permanent. And also, Ectoplasm to the undeads heal them. It purifies anything toxic that clung onto them. For example, that guy.”
They all turned to where Danial suddenly pointed towards their backs, to Jason who was just standing by the room’s door.
“I literally just got here.”
“He’s a Liminal, while the rest of you are Revenants. Liminals are those that’s comparable to a Zombie, but not like a Halfa like me. A Halfa is someone with both Ectoplasm and Human properties. Liminals and Revenants don’t have Ectoplasm.” Danial explains and Timothy takes note of everything. “However, he’s been influenced by a toxic version of Ectoplasm, the Lazarus Pit. It’s toxicity clung onto his anger and… you can’t control your anger, right?”
“Yes…” Jason drawls, unsure how to answer and looks around while he feels himself. “Not right now, though. The pit is… calm. It’s been calm whenever I’m in the Manor since you were here.”
“My Ectoplasm is cleansing the pit’s influence.” Danial nods and furrows his brow still, “But not completely. I’ll need to actually remove that parasite you have to get you free from its influence.”
“Like… take the pit away?” Jason’s eyes widened.
“You won’t be as angry as before, yeah.” Danial sighs, his voice tired. “You’ll remain the same, just without the pit influencing your emotions. As for after that and with the rest… the ectoplasm will have an effect on you. I’m sorry.”
“Is it… Will it be bad?” Father asks worriedly.
“I don’t know how you’ll react to suddenly find yourself being… enhanced. It’ll be a confusing experience, and though my friend tells me having abilities is cool , I know not everyone shares the same sentiment.” Danial winced. “But I will need to be in Damian’s presence in order to help him, and that would unfortunately mean that you guys will be affected as well since apparently, you all are Revenants. A being that had died and was resurrected shortly after.”
“What kinds of abilities are we talking about here?” Timothy looked excited, his hands working in speed as he typed everything up.
“Uhm… It’s different for everyone, really. It’s not like you guys will have all the abilities.” Danial tries to think on the answer more thoroughly, “From what I can understand, it’ll be something that will enhance your already present abilities that are skills. Like… if someone can hide their presence really well, then with Ectoplasm, they’ll really be able to actually make themselves invincible. Or have the ability to have a connection with animals. Or have fangs. Or have the ability to not need sleep. It depends on the individual.”
“So… not random?” Timothy looked delighted at this information.
“It's not like you can choose. ” Danial grumbles with a yawn. “But yeah. It won’t be an ability that does not suit you.”
“You should rest more, Danial.” Damian tells him. “We can continue tomorrow.”
Danial was quick to grab Damian’s hands before he could step away.
“Stay?”
Damian glances at his father, not quite asking for permission, but asking for assistance.
Bruce sighed fondly anyway.
“We’ll move him to your bedroom.” Bruce tells them, “Will that be alright with you, Danial?”
“‘Kay…”
Damian stayed in his room just as Danial had asked him to. The two twins are sleeping next to each other finally after a long year apart.
The family didn’t miss the chance to take a picture of the moment, Damian relenting if only to immortalise a picture of them finally.
Bruce, Dick, Tim, and Jason all headed back down to the Batcave in order to talk about all they had learned from Danial so far.
Which is… a lot.
“I’ve informed Jazz about Danial waking up.” Tim says first just as Bruce sat down by the Batcomputer’s main chair. “It’s quite late, but she’ll see it when she wakes up in the morning.”
“Ectoplasm… What do we know about that?” Dick asks.
“We know that the Fentons and GIW found a way to collect it to empower their devices.” Bruce answers. “We also know that whatever is with Gotham is enough to substitute it with, according to Raven.”
“But turning us into Metas… seriously?” Jason shakes his head, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Your whole biology is already a mess, Jason.” Tim rolls his eyes. “Having another ability should be illegal for you.”
“I think turning us into Cryptids is a much better term.” Dick says jovially, “Imagine how the JL will react to one of their past theories coming true now.”
“Oh, yeah. The one that Batman is actually part-Bat .” Tim snorts. “And that Robin is an immortal kid.”
“It’s a shame Bruce trusts them so much now.” Dick sighs, “Imagine how much we could’ve blown their heads off into thinking we’re actually cryptids.”
“Messing with the Justice League will only worsen their work. So please, don’t.” Bruce reprimands them, though the smirk on his face says otherwise.
“What’s your take about it though?” Jason raised a brow at him in question. “You never liked the idea of a meta. I thought you’d be very against all this from the get-go.”
They all stared at him at this, wanting to hear his thoughts. After all, Danial is now just as much as their brother as he is Damian’s even if they still lack familiarity.
They’ve seen the horrors he was subjected to. In a way, that just gives them all the more reason to help the kid even if he’s no Damian’s twin.
“Danial is really set on helping Damian with his shard issue, and I think having a Chaos shard is a much dangerous route as Danial fears.” Bruce answers after a long silence. “And Danial is my son. I can’t just cast him away just because of what he could subject us to outside his control. If his presence changes us, then.. That’d mean we’ll be similar to him. It’ll help him find a familiar ground with us.”
His sons stared at him in surprise, never expecting those words to come from him at all and isn’t that something?
“That time travel must’ve really done a number on you.” Tim blurted out.
Bruce huffs out a laugh at this. “I’d say it was being away from everyone giving me a different perspective in life.”
“You should get lost in time more often, then.” Jason snorted, “If it helps you so much.”
“You should try it.” Bruce jokes, “It could help give you a different perspective in life as well.”
Respectfully, Bruce Wayne didn’t mean to say all that. Please, for the love of God, follow the Time Travel, Universal Travel, and Multiversal Travel PROTOCOLS should the event happen to his children.