Nocturna's Stories

Admittedly, I was thinking of waiting till I had the rest of this scene finished, but it's a bit time consuming and I figured a page at a time would be a better way to hold over till the next pages than doing a full scene and having nothing for a while longer till I figure out the rest. Though, I can't promise consistent posting schedules for this as I might get a lot done one day and next to nothing, the next, so we'll have to see how this goes and how far I get. :^ As of right now, the next page is sketched out and just needs cleaned up; though, there is a panel on there that's bugging me and I might try fixing up if I can figure it out... (May have to split it in two-) Anyway, here's the first page to this little AU comic. :> I have no idea how long it'll be or if it'll even be a constant. I just know I have this first scene (rewritten from the show), figured out and may do another scene after, so no promises of full episode rewrites: just bits and pieces here and there.

I haven't felt all that great the last few days; hence, why nothing was posted yesterday. So, I may be quieter/slower due to that as well; sorry.

Thanks for reading and thanks for all the support lately! :) Things seemed to have blown up when it came to this AU. XD But thanks, all the same: I appreciate it.

So far, if Danny is dangerous, he's not acting like it. The past two days have seen him stumbling about the manor in a pattern Damian couldn't figure out. He skulked about, searching the manor for… something, but never actually tried to get into places that were locked. The rooms he did peek into, he would glance around and into the obvious places, but not any further. Occasionally he'd hide, and then pop out seemingly at random. Nearly catching his shadow once or twice and, had Damian not known better, he might have thought Danny knew he was there… 

Still, it made no sense! If he was trying to ferret out their secrets, this was perhaps the worst investigation Damian had ever seen in his life- and he had to contend with Gotham PD on a nightly basis! What on earth was he looking for? Curse his odd behavior. Monday is tomorrow and as much as he despises that place, he will have to go to school and keep up appearances instead of following Danny. Whatever he is up to, Damian must learn about today or risk losing his chance to learn the truth. 

Whis is how he found himself boredly staking out the barn after Alfred convinced Danny to come help him care for the animals. What he did learn, much to his annoyance, that Danny was a decent caretaker for the animals. With Bat-cow, Jerry the turkey, and even Goliath warming up to Danny surprisingly fast with his gentle treatment, generous scritches, treats, and affection. Grudgingly, Damian amended his earlier dismissal of him to ‘possibly tolerable’, but! Only if he proved not to be dangerous after all.

“Master Danny?” Alfred calls after the boy had been distracted playing with the pets a moment too long. By his guilty look, he knew he was slacking as well and reluctantly returned to Alfred’s side. “You did very well today, thank you for your help.” And Damian watches with a frown as his guilty look turns confused.

“Oh, you’re welcome?” Danny says, shuffling uncertaintly.

“Now before I send you off to lunch, I don’t suppose you want to tell me what you were really doing earlier?”

“Uuuh…” Back to guilt, though he attempts to hide it.

“Master Danny,” Alfred’s voice is gentle, but firm. “The manor is a fine place to explore no doubt, but whatever had you so eager, I’m sure asking is a little more appropriate.”

Danny stutters a bit. Starting and halting and most certainly unwilling to speak the truth. As always, there’s no denying Alfred Pennyworth. Better than Danny have tried. Damian of course leans forward, as eager to figure out what the hell was going on. Finally, after a few minutes of trying to figure a way out of explaining, the boy sighs and slumps.

“Look it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but I’ll sound completely crazy. If I’m going to get kicked out, I’d rather it not be for this.”

“I think you’ll find that whatever your reasoning is, it is by far /not/ the most insane thing I’ve ever heard.” Alfred places a kind hand on that slumped shoulder and squeezes reassuringly.

“Well…” Danny mumbles after a few more moments struggling, then blurts out all in one go; “I think your mansion is haunted.”

“I see. Well, I certainly hope it isn’t my dear friends the Waynes. They deserve to rest in peace.” Slowly Danny’s apprehension morphs into incredulousness at Alfred’s words.

“You.. believe me?”

“There are many things in this world I cannot say for certain I know, so I try to keep an open mind. That being said, I’m curious what makes you think the manor is haunted.” Just like that, Danny seems eager to tell him about the presence he’d noticed following him. Trying to catch it, or at least a glimpse, and Alfred listens very seriously to each word until the story is finished. “Ah, I see. Well then I think I know exactly what’s been haunting you, young master Danny. Isn’t that right Master Damian?”

Damien’s heard the phrase ‘jumped out of your skin’ a few times. Mostly in conjunction with the sudden appearance of himself (as he did just now with a small ‘tch’ behind the older boy) or Cain, but as a descriptor for Danny’s reaction? It seems apt- Considering he was able to jump so high he managed to cling to a support beam running from the open sides of the second floor.

The butler and the boy stare at the slightly older boy and he stares back for a few awkward moments. Then Danny awkwardly laughs a little and says; “How’d you do that?”

“I am very skilled.” Though he admits bitterly to himself, that not many can even sense that he’s there at all. What kind of training did this boy have to be able to notice him?

“No kidding!”

Danny eventually drops down, landing as heavily as any normal human being would from that height. Then immediately face plants with a small ‘splat’ noise that’s straight out of those childish animations Greyson and Brown are so fond of. Probably on purpose, though it is an unnecessary and outright poor attempt at covering up his obvious abilities. If he’s this foolish, Damien wonders if perhaps he’s not a superman clone rather than a normal meta. His appearance is similar enough, if on the far too skinny side for the kryptonians they know. 

Still, questioning him directly will no doubt be met with stonewalling. Whatever secrets are to be found, must be ferreted out. And soon now that Danny is aware of his presence.

“Young Master Damien,” Said young master hides his quiet wince at Pennyworth’s disapproving tone. “You should apologize to Danny. Scaring him like that isn’t very hospitable of you.”

“It’s alright I get it.” When both of them turn towards him again, Danny only shrugs. “I’m a stranger in his house you know?" Damien hmphs, but at least Danny is aware of how suspicious he appears. 

“Of course young master Danny.” Pennyworth says agreeably. “Thank you for your understanding, and for helping to take care of Master Damien’s animals. I’m sure he would not mind joining you- that is, unless he has finished the homework he was assigned.”

Damien refuses to let either of them see him flinch. No matter how high Pennyworth raises his eyebrow he will not bend! Or, even more irritatingly, give any weight to Danny’s sympathetic look. 

“What kind of homework is it?” Danny asked encouragingly. No doubt to cover his earlier mistake showcasing his abilities before.

“Why it is a classic mister Danny! His class is to be turning in their models of the solas system this week.”

The moment Danny’s eyes lit up Damien knew he must concede defeat. Surely he could finish the project himself if he forwent sleep, but he knows that answering gleam in Pennyworth’s eyes…

However, he can’t say the situation did not work in his favor. He learned a great deal about Danny over the course of the next few hours. For example, Danny loved space. Talking about it, explaining it, and building models of it- Damien would swear that it was an obsession nearly. One that was mostly harmless, he would later conclude. 

Danny was also a mechanical, well, genius was a stretch, but the model he built was no mere rotor. Each planet, perfectly hand painted by himself, was actually a magnet. Put together over a black disk comprised of more magnets and precise engineering that would cause the planet to seemingly float and spin in place. Danny even managed to explain in far more simple terms than Drake how not only the forces in the electrified bismuth worked together to achieve it. 

Unfortunately he learned very little of Dany’s actual past, but he did attempt to pretend to be more of a fool than he really was by downplaying his abilities. Claiming he only ‘picked these skills up around the house’ or something to that effect. Also claiming that ‘anybody could remember the facts’ when questioned over his offhand knowledge of every fact of the known universe. Either way he must have grown up in a family of engineers. Something Damien will have to look into later.