(POTENTIAL WARNINGS: graphic depictions of violence, trauma, vivisection, eating disorders, mental illness and gay shit. I think that covers everything)
Phantom Pickpocket
The usual Dannyâs parents are assholes when they find out heâs Phantom. Heâs the ghost prince. Not yet crowned king. So has new powers but doesnât know how to use them. However he canât go into the ghost zone because portal was destroyed. Canât go to Vlad because fruitloop.
Danny flees the scene away from his friends family. Ends up in Gotham, ectoplasm, yada yada. However instead of meeting up with Batman. He stays in crime alley with a couple of the stray kids. He becomes a particularly good pick pocket with the invisibility and intangibility. He only goes after people that wouldnât notice a lil money missing from their wallets and never takes all of it.
He stays in an abandoned building and cares for the other kids. However one day one of the girls that lowkey reminded him of Ellie got really sick. She needed antibiotics. None of them had the money or access required. So Danny was stealing more often and saving up more money. Taking watches, sunglasses and whatever he could grab his hands on really.
He was walking back to their abandon building with soup when he sees a shiny brand new red motorcycle in an alley. He figured the whole thing would go for enough to get them a place to stay for a while but it was to big and high profile. So if he got caught it would be considered GTA and a felony. He couldnât risk prison time and keeping a low profile was good for staying off his parents and the GIWs radar. So instead he just worked on taking the tires.
Unknown to him. He was being watched from the roof tops by a certain crime lord. Whoâs been following a string of petty thefts for the past few weeks and has heard tales of the âphantom pickpocketâ (heheheh). As well as some of the crime alley kids gathering in a new spot. He liked to keep tabs on them to make sure they were alright. So when he sees Bat adoption bait stealing his tires in less than two seconds flat and the pit lurches finally recognizing the cause of the intrusive feeling heâs felt for weeks. He drops down to the ground and walks over to the kid.
âImpressive honestly. I admire your work.â The Redhood. The smirk was almost audible as he relished in the familiarity of the situation.
Danny looked at the large figure before him. Heâs heard tales of the Redhood. The protector of crime alley. Clearly some form of liminal as the whole area was clearly marked as his territory. So Danny had been doing his best to conceal his presence and his own ectoplasm under the crime lords to not be noticed. Which meant not transforming and using almost of his powers. Clearly he needed some practice. Danny was currently holding both tires and took one step back away from the beast.
âRelax kid. I just wanna know why youâre stealing the tires.â Redhood said.
âI need them.â Danny replied quickly and eyes his roots for escape.
âI doubt you have a bike kid. Youâre probs gonna pawn or sell them. So what do you need the money for. I can get you some help-âRedhood said stepping closer and instantly regretting it because of the look of fear before the kid vanished.
Danny was short and skittish and immediately turned invisible and booked it. Phasing through the nearest building and proceeding to run back to his bases of operations. He dropped the tires off on a nearby roof top before making his way back. He cursed in silence because he forgot the soup.
âLife clearly has a sense of humor.â Jason mumbled as he turned on his comm.
âHey O. I need some help tracking down my tires. Iâm also gonna need some medical supplies. If you could get one of the birds to deliver it. I would appreciate it.â Jason said picking up the abandoned shopping bag that contained premade warm soup.
âTires? Thatâs oddly specificâŚ. What happened?â Oracle inquired but rapid typing could easily be heard as she started working on his request.
âA kid just stole my tires.â
He turned the comm down in preparation and wasnât surprised to hear laughter erupt from Oracle. He sighed with a smile. As much as Bruce annoyed him. Clearly they were more alike than he thought. He was gonna find the little meta bandit.
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You would think with all the cameras around that it would be easier for him to find âBat Baitâ or BB as him and his eldest siblings have been calling him. After the kid turned invisible and ran off with the tires. He thought he was going to be able to be just track down the tires back to the kidâs little hideout but it seems the little ankle biter had critical thinking skills.
He tracked down the tires only for them to be on the roof top of an abandoned building. He checked the building from basement to attic for any signs of a kid or kids staying there. There was no signs of life. Its like the kid vanished without a traceâŚâŚliterally and figuratively.
Jason sighed as he kept checking his phone for oracle updates. He was sitting in a local coffee shop. Owned by an old Italian lesbian couple. They always made the best iced coffee after all nighters. Always throwing him and the local kids cookies on the house. Plus he always felt calmer in here.
There werenât many people here today as it was raining outside. However that was fine by him as he was currently trying to unwind with a new book to get his mind and the pit off the kid. However given heâs been sitting there for 30 mins and hasnât gotten past the second page, it wasnât working. The pit was telling him something but he couldnât decipher.
âHun whatâs wrong? I left yah a coffee cake on the table and you havenât even noticed it.â Elena said walking over, throwing her towel over her shoulder. She was wearing a lightly opened white button up tucked into blue jeans. Her black curly hair was held up in her red bandana that matched her lipstick.
âIm telling yah. Itâs that red head boy. If he dumped yah. I know a guy. We can have him sleepin in tha hahbar by mornin.â Her wife Cecilia called from the kitchen before coming out. She had her long brown hair tyed in a messy bun, wearing jeans, a black tank top and a white apron. Her hands and wrist were covered in flour.
He laughed at that. He was surprised that they even remembered Roy. He had only brought him by once. âNo, itâs not about Roy. Who even said me and Roy were dating?â He said raising an eyebrow at the two women, who looked at each other then looked back to him.
âHoney you barely took your eyes off him.â Elena said sweetly.
âYou were staring at his ass when he went to the bathroom.â Cecilia said bluntly causing her wife to laugh. âListen kid I get it, heâs built well but letâs not lie.â
He could barely contain his blush at being caught out like that but smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.
âMe and Roy arenât datingâŚ. YET, but, Iâm working on it.â He replied.
âIâm sure yah are. So if itâs not him. Whatâs eating yah.â Cecilia said walking over and bumping her wife in the rib at her joke. Elena smiled and rolled her eyes but looked back to him with the same questioning look. He felt the feeling of the pit pulling at him again. He sighed.
âHonestly. Iâm worried about this kid. He stole the wheels off my bike and ran off. Iâm just worried about him getting caught up in the wrong crowd. It also brought up old memories.â He replied.
âAh. A fellow thief. Serves you right. I remember when you used to steal our metal spoons.â Elena said with no real bite. She looked up as if she was remembering the day with a smile.
âThat was only one time.â He tried to defend himself.
âThree times and the last time you took fork. However I do remember you sneaking in and leaving a large wad of cash. After you got adopted.â Cecilia said crossing her arms and leaning on the counter. All he could do is chuckle.
âWhat does the kid look like? Maybe we can give you a clue or keep an eye out for him.â Elena said taking out a notepad from her pocket.
âWell. Heâs not too tall. Very skinny for his age by the looks of it. He has jet black hair and almost unnatural icey shade of blue eyes. He was wearing a black hoodie but it looked like he had a scar on-â
âHey I finished washing the dishes. Do you have anything else for me to do?â
(Hey I didnât die. Could def use some coffee though đ)
âFUCK!â
He hits his head on a wall. Using the pain to ground him a little bit as he lets gravity hold him once again. Things were moving perfectlyâŚmaybe not perfect but good enough considering the God Damned circumstances. He just had to steal the tires of the fucking half ghost/revenant whoâs haunt heâs been hiding in without permission. Who also happens to be a goddamn Bat and crimelord. How in the realms did he happen to be both? Guess the no kill rule only applies to Batman and the robins.
Clearly Clockwork must hate him because there were no warnings, mysterious glowing green post it notes or a âHey perhaps donât steal the tires from MR.HEADS IN A DUFFEL BAG!â. The familiar rings of light washed over him as he made his way towards the main bedroom.
Dragging air into his lungs. He tried to gain his composure before walking into the other room. He didnât want to scare the others. There was already enough going on that they had to deal with besides him causing more problems.
Hopefully they would be satisfied by the pastries and cash he got from work. He would carefully leave out that he had to rush out because the fucking Red Hood happened to frequent this specific bakery. Shaking away the thought.
He didnât hear coughing so that was good news. Peaking his head in where Scott, Julie, Justin and little Katy were all sitting on the mattress. Scott was reading Katy a story in the warm light go the lamp he had bought. The other two were sorting through their pickpocketing and scavenging hauls.
Scott was older than him at 17 and the unofficial leader of their little group. Average height, as muscular of a build as you can get on maybe two meals a day, cappuccino brown skin and short hair that was starting to coil because he hadnât gotten a haircut in three weeks. Almost a legal adult, who went to the public high school and worked overnights and weekends at the warehouse. He was surprised the guy was here but it was probably because the storms made them get dismissed early.
Julie was 16, pale with freckles, loose curl tan hair cut short so she could match her twin brother Justin, and impersonate him. It was easier for her to get a job that way and helped her not get harassed as much on the streets. Justin practically identical to Julie in every way but gender seemed to have âfoundâ a couple of new watches.
Then there was lil Katy who was 7 and smaller than the rest of them by a lot. Pale skin, dark hair and blue eyes just like himself and his sister Ellie.
Which is probably why he had gotten so attached to the group. Besides the fact they had stopped him from being trafficked on his fourth night in Gotham. In his defense, how was he supposed to know about the meta trafficking rings or meta kid fight nights? He had jumped from one frying pan to the next with barely anytime to catch his breath. He looked up to Julie who was eyeing him and then the bag.
âHey moon boy. How was your shift?â Julie asked
âIt was good. I brought snacks.â He replied which caught Justinâs attention.
âDanny!â Katy exclaimed happily. He threw a smile her way. He could see it in her eyes that she was still tired but it seemed the antibiotics were doing their job. She would be better in a couple of days.
âHello Katy Kat.â He said happily.
âGIMME!â Justin said interrupting and reaching for the box filled with desserts.
âKaty gets first dibs.â Scott said taking the box before Justin could. Justin groaned as Scott winked at him before presenting the box to Katy.
âThank you.â Katy mumbled past the chocolate filled, chocolate cover croissant she had picked.
âYouâre welcome. Glad to see youâre feeling better.â
At her nod, Scott passed the box over to Julie bypassing Justin again. Whom growled in growing frustration. Julie then handed the box back to Scott after taking a apple tart. Then Scott took a jelly donut. Scott then handed the box back to Danny. He looked over to Justin who had his jaw hanging open in disbelief at being constantly skipped over. Danny laughed and handed him the box.
âDanny. Has anyone ever told you, youâre an angel? If not let me be the first. Youâre way better than these TRAITORS we live with.â He said turning to the others in mock fury. Causing a chorus of giggle and snickers. He then comforted himself with a brownie covered in walnuts.
âIâm still surprised you were able to get a job there. Most places in Gotham are wary of hiring kids. Plus you look like youâre 12.â Julie said before finishing off her apple tart.
âIâm 14 thank you very much! Itâs honestly not a hard job. I mainly wash dishes and help with the baking. Baking is just measurements anyway.â He said taking his place at the foot of the large mattress. He began to pull his money out of his pockets that he had earned from the Dolces, tips and the little pick pocketing he did before he came back to the building.
âDamn Daniel. Back at it again with the Ben-jah-MENS.â Justin joked.
âDanny.â He corrected firmly. The smack on the back of the head Justin received no doubt from Scott, caused Katy to giggle. So it was worth the minor discomfort being called Daniel caused. â¨
âGood job Danny. Whatcha gonna spend it on?â Julie asked.
âWhat do you mean. Iâm putting it in the pool. With you guys.â Danny watched the three of them look at each other. Like they had already discussed something.
âDanny.â Scott said clearing his throat. âYouâve been contributing to the pool since weâve met. Youâre working really hard. Youâre a kid. Let us take care of the majority of the work. We can handle it. You deserve to enjoy the money you make.â Scott said giving him a soft gaze.
âWe need the money though. We had the buy Katy medicine and it cut into our food budget.â He protested looking back between them.
âDanny. I know you have skills. Iâve seen you in action. However youâre one of the youngest here. You need to rest too.â Julie said backing up Scott. He didnât understand. They were all homeless still and not getting enough food and they were telling him to relax? He wasnât just a kid. He could handle it.
âGuyyyyssss. Just tell him.â Justin said rolling his eyes.
âFine. One we noticed youâre definitely not eating or sleeping enough. So we need to fix that now before it becomes a problem. You donât have to be like us on that. Two we were gonna wait to surprise you buttttttt clearly we need to tell you now. Since Justin and Julie got stable jobs. We have saved enough to get a real apartment. Nothing to fancy but it will be all ours. We did some tours and found one we think you and Katy will like. We plan to move in next week.â Scott said going from concerned and stern to mostly smiles. While Julie and Justin did jazz hands.
âI-Iâm coming with you?â He asked tilting his head. His voice was getting caught in his throat.
âOf course. You belong with us.â Justin said clearly offended that he had asked such a question.
âSweet but I already called dibs on that one.â A low metallic voice said from the doorway.
Sorry for the wait. Lots of life things and revisions. Hope yâall vibe with it. The chapters will be updated on the master post and I posted it under the same name on AO3.
âNo Danny. Youâre good. Thanks so much for your help.â Cecilia said with a smile.
Danny smiled until he locked eyes with Jason. His eyes briefly giving away a slight panic before glossing over and being replaced with a calm demeanor once more. It was eerily familiar, almost like seeing a ghost, the way Danny composed himself and tensed all his muscles in preparation to move an or fight. The same stance he saw in his brothers. The feeling in his chest that he needed to protect surged up again.
âAlright cool. Later Mrs.Dolce.â He said mimicking an Italian accent and grabbing a clearly old jacket that was hanging near the door and rushing out. Undoubtably probably turning invisible as soon as he was out of sight. He was sure that Babs was already working on tracking him any way should could. The girl loved a challenge. He fought the urge in his chest to immediately follow which felt like slamming his head against a wall. He needed more information and some of his favorite people had been spending enough time with this kid to have plenty. But seriously. What in the literal fuck.
(Danny POV: ESCAPEĂ!!! okay back to Jason)
âJUST CECELIA KID! Jesus he makes me feel old when he does that.â Cecilia said sighing.
âReminds me of a certain spoon bandit.â Elena said throwing a jab his way.
âWhatâs his name?â He asked bluntly, looking at the two who suddenly stopped laughing and looked confused.
âWho Danny? Heâs our new helper. Best one since you and he doesnât steal spoons.â Cecelia said attempting a joke clearly surprised by his change in demeanor.
âYeah cause he likes to steal tires.â
The look of understanding dawned on them. Cecilia slapped her hand to her forehead while Elena pinched the bridge of her nose.
âYou couldnât give us a heads up?â Cecilia sighed.
âWhat was I supposed to say?!?! ITâS HIM!!! GRAB HIM!!!! Like a cartoon villain?!?!â He defended rather dramatically. He couldnât help it. He was a theatre kid at heart. Maybe in another life where he had been born into a stable family with access to good schooling or if Bruce wasnât a rich playboy furry, he couldâve pursued a career in acting. Instead of becoming a kid vigilante and dying. However he was in good company cause Cecilia matched him in turn.
âWell yes. That mightâve helped or a strong wink.â Cecilia she said crossing her arms in mock defense.
âAlright. Alright. Letâs reel it back in. The important thing is Dannyâs well being. Jason what do you need to know o help the kid? Maybe we get that crime lord ex of yours to help? I know you ended on bad terms but he has soft spot for kids right?â Elena said and referring to a cover story Timbers came up with one day. It was still biting him in the ass every time they brought it up. He even had to have Roy dress up in full Red Hood gear to help keep the story going. He canât go back on the lie now. Heâs already too deep.
âI already reached out. He just needed more details and a better description. Do you know where he lives or the general area? How long has he been working here? Adults in his life? Anything unusual?â He asked knowing that Babs would be ready to take in the new information and start applying it to their theory board about the kid. Dickhead currently thought the kid was a runaway metachild. Personally he was leaning more towards alien, martian specifically. The kid didnât show telepathy or telekinesis yet but the invisibility and density shifting were there.
âWell his full name that he gave us is probably fake, but itâs Daniel Nightingale. The Daniel part is probs real because of how much he hates being called Daniel. He prefers Danny.â Cecilia stated. Very weird last name for a kid in Gotham. Fits his theory that the kid wasnât from here.
âYet he calls us by our last names. Itâs adorable honestly. He lives a few blocks away according to him but he wouldnât give us a precise address. We pay him in cash of course cause he has to be too young to work and probably doesnât have a bank account or papers. He has been here a bit over a month. Comes everyday before we officially open to help out.â Elena completes.
He sighed, it was all adding up but it still didnât help him find the kid. He could hear the familiar buzz in his ear that his comm was about to turn on.
âHey Jay. I got a lead.â Oracle spoke in his ear.
âIâm gonna see if I can track the kid down. He couldnât have gotten too far. If he turns up again. Can you please give me a call?â He said getting up and starting to gather his things.
âSure thing Jay.â Cel said with a smile as Elena handed him a bag containing his uneaten coffee cake and probs an assortment of other baked goods. They always spoiled him. Accepting without fuss because much like Alfie, they refused to let anyone go hungry.
He headed out the door and stopped under the canopy outside the shop. The rain was coming down in huge sheets. The kid unless he used his phasing ability was most likely drenched. He knew the wet chill of Gotham rain too well. The kid would get sick in these conditions. Feeling his chest begin to tighten. He dragged in a quick breath. No, he wasnât gonna spiral. The kid was tough he just had to remain calm.
âSo TB is hard to track under normal circumstances. Iâll give him that. However his meta abilities seem to cause electrical interference. I noticed when he escaped the shop just now. All the nearby cameras you set up started to go on the fritz. So I tried the street cameras which started to glitch and become unfocused the closer he gets to them before the eventually shut out. Sooo Iâve been tracking the outages and got you location. Abandoned building, set for demolition but due to budget cuts and red tape it keeps getting pushed back. Itâs on the edge of crime alley.â Oracle explained breaking him out of his train of thoughts. âTBâ aka âtire banditâ was one of the many nickname Barbie had come up with in the past 24 hours. He absorbed the information and came up with a question.
âIf thatâs the case. How did he get there so fast? Thereâs no direct bus route and I doubt he has a bike or a car. You donât think heâs part speedster?â He groaned was he put on his helmet and made his way to his bike.
âLord help us if so. Wally alone is enough.â She joked before saying ow. His assumption that Dick was present now confirmed. âHowever given we havenât heard from them and thereâs no large electrical or temporal disturbances. Iâm assuming he has enhanced speed as one of his powers or you got a flier.â
âJust what I needed, him to have more powers. So how likely is it. That heâs martian. Heâs showing invisibility, density shifting and maybe flight. The tech glitching is new but maybe alien tech?â He said running through his theories while he drove through the streets.
âRemaining martian populations are small at best. It would just lead to a lot more questions. Why Gotham? Our resident alien populations are rather small in comparison to places like Star City, Metropolis and Central. Why didnât he sense you earlier with his telepathy? If he has martian or alien tech. Why is he struggling on the streets. As well as why hasnât he reached out to MM. Manhunter has made public statements regarding him helping any remaining martians no matter the color.â Babs replied. He could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she mulled it over. The sound of rapid keyboard clicks however was very much audible and present.
âJust spitballing. The fact that if he is human. Heâs a meta in Gotham. When the Bat has a pretty notorious no meta rule. Usually drives em away to other cities.â
âWell Batman isnât the only Bat. i hear the resident Crime Lord in Crime Alley has a real soft spot for kids.â Dick said finally chiming in too tease him.
âIF HE KNOWS IâM GOOD WITH KIDS. WHY DOES HE RUN!?!!â He yelled, finally letting the lid of the bubbling pool of frustration that had been growing in his chest. The kid needed protection. Why was he avoiding him so hard?
âOh so if you stole a Batâs tires, you wouldnât run away?â Barbie questioned. Instantly he realized what he had said and his mistake. The feeling of his ears beginning to burn and turn red was all too apparent.
âYou know what? I gotta go.â He said promptly turning off the comm right as they started to laugh.
(Author note: I was caffeinated so quicker turn around. Thanks for the support. Love all your comments. I hope you enjoy this part. )
Everyone turned to the voice to see The Red Hood himself leaning against the door frame. Danny prevented himself from lungeing and tried to keep the air temperature from dropping below normal. How could he have found him? Danny had been sure to check for trackers and ensured he wasnât being followed on the way back. How come he didnât notice the smelly ectoplasm until now?
Fatigue from all the multitasking, masking and not eating rightâŚ.okay maybe not at allâŚ.was finally catching up to him. A hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts. Scott pushed past him to stand in front of all of them. Standing protectively and once again Danny cursed the Fenton height genes for skipping a generation.
âHello Mr. Hood. What can we do for you?â Scott said putting on a brave face which seemed to amuse the crime lord if his body language was anything to go by. The large man shifted to a wide stance and crossed his arms. The smell of sewer ecto filled his nose.
âTaking care of some business and this is my next stop. I need to talk to short stack, right there.â Hood said pointing at Danny, causing Julie to throw an arm over his chest and Justin to stand next o her defensively.
âWhy do you want to talk to Danny?â Scott demanded. Scott was no martial artist but heâs been in his fair share of scraps. So he was ready to fight. However they all knew that he stood little chance against the Hood. Most they could do was run but they couldnât move Katy. It was still pouring outside. Danny wasnât strong enough to fly everyone out right now.
âWhatâs yah name kid?â
âScott.â He replied firmly.
âWell Scott. Let me be blunt with yah. Yâall look malnourished and frankly an abandoned building is no place for kids to be living. The littlest one is clearly sick still but that does explain why Short Stack over here stole my tires.â The Red Hood stated leaning down a little to close the height gap between him and Scott.
âYOU STOLE THE RED HOODS TIRES?!?!â Justin exclaimed turning to look at Danny. Whom shrunk in on himself a little bit still was analyzing the present threat of the Red Hood.
âDanny we told you no high profile jobs. That INCLUDES CRIME LORDS.â Julie said through gritted teeth.
âHOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THOSE WERE HIS TIRES!?!!?â Danny exclaimed throwing his arms in the air, the stress finally getting to him.
âThe bat symbols?â The Hood inserted quietly.
âWe can pay you back!â Scott stated, abruptly cutting them all off.
âThat wonât be necessary. I heard youâre saving up to buy an apartment. Thatâs a mighty cause. I can just buy new tires-â The literal giant replied before a small voice cut him off.
âAre you gonna hurt Danny?â Katy said having stood up and walked towards The Hood in all the commotion.
His head titled down towards her before he crouched down. Danny bit his cheeks as he resisted the urge to jump through the twins and grab Katy. He relaxed as the blood tricked into his mouth as he watched The Hood reach back and pull a protein bar out of one of his belt pockets. He held it out towards her. Once she took it he started to speak again but now much softer.
âNo, Iâm not here to hurt Danny. Iâm here to offer Danny and you kids a place to stay.â He said looking directly at Katy who took the protein bar and visibly relaxed. âItâs not safe for kids to be on their own. Especially meta children. Iâm not surprised you didnât go to one of the Martha Wayne shelters but they do have a free urgent care you all couldâve took her to.â He said returning his gaze to the other four.
Julie grip on Danny tighten at the mention of meta children and Danny could feel Justin side eyeing him. Scott hadnât moved and remained tensely behind Katy, ready to snatch her from the Hood at a moments notice.
âWe didnât want them to take Katy and split us up. We already had to rescue Danny from getting himself trafficked.â Julie replied quietly.
âI understand and that furthers my point, youâre still kids. I donât expect you to be able to take care of yourselves because thatâs not your job. Now listen. Youâre not bad kids, youâre looking out for each other and surviving but a life of crime or just getting by isnât what you deserve. I respect your hustle and you looking out for each other. Now I didnât want to do this here but here we go. I have a nice couple who can take care of you four, you can finish school together, work legitimate jobs, save your money and if you want to, go to college or move out together. For Danny, I have someone who can accommodate his âspecial needsâ and give him the same opportunities. You four will be together and Danny can visit whenever he pleases. Your other option is to live in my headquarters but I doubt you would like it as much with all the hustle and bustle and the couches arenât comfortable. Staying here in a rotting building sharing a mattress isnât an option.â The Red Hood said firmly running a gloved hand over his helmet as if there was hair to comb through.
âWhat couple? Where is Danny going? Whatâs the catch?â Scott crossed his arms as he analyzed looking for holes in the offer. Heâs a smart guy and fast on his feet. Like if Tucker was an alley kid athlete with street smarts.
âNo catch. Iâm a Crime Alley kid too and clearly I got more work to do to make sure kids know they have options and my protection. I have close friend who he will live with. For you four a nice Italian couple that recently bought a new house and are looking to foster some kids. Iâm sure short stack would speak highly of them.â Red Hood responded nodding to Danny.
Everyoneâs heads turned to him and he suddenly remembered that he was aliveâŚ.. for the most part and this was actually happening. He scanned Julie and Justinâs faces. They seemed curious and skeptical. Katyâs face was in awe as she nibbled at the protein bar and Scott quirked an eyebrow but he was still tensed. He assumed The Hood was talking about the Dolceâs. Very sweet people and honestly Katy would love it there and they did just buy a new house a bit outside of Alley in one of the more safe districts. The twins would enjoy watching teleromanzos with Elena and CeCe could use Scotts help with unloading the shipments. They deserved a good life. If he could secure them that he could die permanently happy. Now what The Hood had planned for him only Clock Work would know. Holding out hope that Clockwork would intervene if anything.
âThe Dolces are the couple I work for at the bakery. They bought a new house recently and have the space. Katy already loves their croissants and I know they would love you guys. Justin met them in passing when he dropped off my lunch a few days ago. â Danny responded trying to hide his nerves and reassure the others that this was the best option. In the back of his mind his own options were festering. He could run once they were secured. The Dolces would keep them and he could give Helmet head the slip.
âAlright cool, we get two new moms and a bakery. What about Danny?â Justin quipped crossing his arms causing the large man to sigh.
âMy old friend has the influence and connections to take Danny in as a meta child and provide him proper care. Jason Todd Wayne, Iâm sure youâve heard of him.â The Red Hood grumbled. Dannyâs ear twitched and he could swear he could hear voices coming from The Hoodâs helmet.
âYeah everybody knows him. Heâs practically the Prince of Gotham and he grew up in the Alley. Heâs Bruce Wayneâs son so heâs LOADED. No offense but how do you know him and why would he help Danny?â Justin shot back. All the kids turned back to The Hood whose shoulders dropped further.
âHeâs my ex and he owes me. Plus he likes kids and has the money needed to ensure Danny gets a proper ID and papers, which he doesnât have, and stays outta meta fight rings and can get him a trainer for his abilities.â The man replied even through the voice modulator is sounded like it pained him.
âSo the rumors were true. YOU GUYS WERE DATING!!!â Julie practically squealed. This time Danny was sure he heard two voices laughing from The Red Hoods helmet. Whom immediately lifted a finger and shut it off. Danny looked back and noticed Helmet Head was staring into his soul. Curse the white eye lens. He couldnât read his eyes but he swore he saw the man squint and he felt like he was under microscope. It lasted a moment before the man continued.
âYes, we were. It didnât work out. Now do you guys have any other qualms? Scott seems to be the leader. So thoughts, questions, concerns, or can I get yah outta this dump, no offense, and into some warm beds?â Hood asked clearly trying to move past his fake/real relationship with himself.
Danny tried not to snicker or give away to the others that he knew. Clearly Jason Todd Wayne was the same spoon thief who happened to be The Red Hood and one of The Bats. A lesser known Bat to him but given Dannyâs own rough history with The Justice League he still didnât trust the guy. Honestly props to him because without the ectoplasm he might not have noticed they were the same guy. Given the fact his species is illegal but The Hood kept referring to him as a meta so maybe he didnât know Danny was a ghost. If that was the case, Danny was a protected species in his eyesâŚ.. His mind started working a mile a minute trying to figure out how to make this work.
âYeah actually. How are we gonna get in contact with Danny and make sure heâs okay? I trust the couple if Danny says theyâre valid but heâs one of us. I need to make sure heâs okay.â Scott said before shooting Danny a soft smile. His chest felt like he just got stabbed. He missed Jazz.
âHow bout this. You can FaceTime Danny once he gets to Toddâs Place and Iâll work with your Foster Parents to get you all some cellphones. Then after everyone is settled we can workout visitations. Howâs that sound?â Hood replied after a moment of thought. He had been more patient than he had expected.
âScottttt say yes. We can finallyyy have phones.â Justin whined pulling on the back of Scottâs shirt.
âAre you okay with this Danny?â Scott said turning to him. His eyes were searching for something on his face and he wasnât sure what. He didnât seem fully satisfied with Dannyâs nod but let it go. âAlright. Deal.â
âAwesome. Itâs getting late and the storm is getting worse. I have a car parked right outside that will fit all of you. We can put your things in the trunk. Do you need help getting anything downstairs? Can the Princess walk?â The Hood said starting to stand.
âIâll carry her. Justin grab our bags and come with me downstairs.â Julie said starting to give orders. She scooped up Katy and her own getaway bag. She shot Scott a look before heading downstairs.
âGot it.â Justin said grabbing the rest of the items and a shoving their loot into a duffle bag. He followed.
âIâm going to open up the car. We will be waiting for you downstairs.â Hood said after looking around the room and piecing together there wasnât much to carry. Danny could hear his footsteps starting to fade down the stairs before Scott grabbed him by the shoulders.
âOkay Space Cadet. Debrief me. Whatâs your thoughts? Are you actually okay? Do you trust this guy? He said powers as in plural. How many you got? Say the word and we can fly the coop. â Scott said in all seriousness. Deep brown eyes searching his sea of icy blue.
He almost wanted to tell him the truth. That he was scared and didnât know what he was doing. That the thought of being alone with someone that could potentially turn him into his parents orâŚ.. no he wouldnât go there. He stilled is core and put on his hero face. This wasnât worse than be strapped down to a dissection table⌠yet. He could handle a revenant, he was the conqueror of the realms. Whom had to flea both the realms and his own hauntâŚâŚclearly hyping himself wasnât working.
âIâm thinking that you guys staying with the Dolces would be the best course of action. They have plenty of space and food. They would adore Katy and they could always use more help at the bakery. The Hood is with Batman right? So it should be fine. We should be able to trust them. Come on Scotty. Thatâs a spoiler.â He said trying to keep his voice steady and attempting a joke. Scott stared at him for a moment. Searching him for something he couldnât see before closing his eyes and sighing.
âI donât like this but if we are going through with this. Youâre going to video call us as soon as you get there. I want regular updates, an address and weâre coming to visit and the safe word is COMET. I will drop everything and come get you, doesnât matter what time or what Iâm doing. If you ever need to dip, use your powers. I donât care if you hurt a rich prick. We will handle it as it comes up. Remember school and libraries are the safest places to hide from creeps for kids. Here put this one in your left sock and this in your right. Donât be afraid to use it.â Scott said seriously putting a Bobby pin and pocket knife in his hands. He then pointed at both of his ankles. âSocks now!â
He hurried and shoved them both in his socks. He watched as Scott sighed and looked a little more relieved.
âComet?â He said quirking an eyebrow at Scott.
âListen. I had to pick something that you would remember even when you freeze up.â Scott said cracking a smile, pushing Dannyâs shoulder.
âSo you want me to shank The Prince of Gotham?â Danny said trying to put a more light hearted spin on this. Watching with satisfaction as the tension gradually melted away from Scott. So much like Jazz. Always carrying the weight of the world, they were both gonna get gray hairs if they didnât learn to relax. Scott snapped his neck to face him again and with the straightest expression.
âFuck yes!â He exclaimed like it was a no brainer. âRich people be weird as fuck sometimes. If he pulls anything, donât hesitate to put him back in the grave! Weâll skip town, go to Cuba or something.â Scott ranted. Put him backâŚ.
âWhat do you mean? Put him back?â Danny asked tilting his head.
âWith the way you pickpocket I forget you werenât raised here. Yeah rumor had it that the Joker killed the guy and I remember him dying making the news. However the official story is he didnât die and was beat up so bad that he lost his memory. Wound up in Europe somehow, landed in a mental hospital and thatâs where Bruce Wayne found him again.j Then came back and got rehabilitated. However first sign of âfruit loopâ stab and ask questions later.â Scott explained making finger quotes and smirking at the new lingo Danny had taught him.
âHEY YALL GOOD UP THERE?!!?â A metallic voice called from down the stairs.
âYEAH HELMET HEAD!! WEâRE COMING!!â Danny yelled back before he could stop himself. Scott slowly tuned his head back to face Danny, slacked jawed.
âYouâre lucky you can phase through things, cause youâre gonna get us shot.â Scott said with a laugh shaking his head. They sighed as they headed down the stairs.
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Index: Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 (pending)
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Apologies on the delay for Phantom Pickpocket. I think the AO3 curse found its way to attack me a lil. Iâm working 7 days a week for the last few weeks and I sprained my fingers and cut up my hand đ. So I love Danny and Jason and Dannyâs future love interest and interactions with the bat family but I had to take a break. I plan to update soon.
