Chapter Text
“Danno! Look alive! We’re almost there!”
“Do I have to?” Danny asked miserably.
With no words of sympathy for his plight, Danny peeled his eyes open and wiped the drool that had trailed down his cheek. It was pouring outside. The rain pelted against the GAV like tiny bullets. By some miracle, the wiper blades actually seemed to be doing their job.
Who knew. His parents could remember mundane necessities.
Groaning, Danny rubbed his eyes. He had been sleeping. Actually sleeping. That was the first time in what… three days now?
Now that school was out, Danny couldn’t take his power naps in Mr. Lancer’s homeroom lectures. He truly cherished those. A whole ten minutes of bliss… before he’d get caught, anyway.
Towards the end of the year, his teacher had taken to forcing Danny to recite Shakespeare in front of the whole class whenever he’d cause trouble.
Which.
Was all the time.
Sam and Tucker thought it was hilarious.
Dash recorded every single incident.
Danny was sure he could get YouTube famous for the videos of his misery.
On the bright side of things, if there is ever a life and death situation, and it all relied on quoting classic literature? Danny would save the world. Again.
In all honesty, Danny would rather ‘To Be and Not To Be’ his way through summer instead of this.
He begged and begged his parents to let him stay in Amity. Tucker’s Dads were happy to let Danny crash on their couch until his parents got back. Sam even managed to get her parents to consider Danny staying in their pool house!
It was no use.
“This is a great opportunity for you, Danny! You’ll get your name out in the scientific field!”
He’d very much like to keep his name, dignity, and existence out of the scientific field, thankyouverymuch.
But alas, his parents were dragging him by the ankles to Gotham.
He’d like to say he went kicking and screaming. But he didn’t. Danny never could say no to his parents.
Jazz was right.
It was one of his weaknesses.
And it would surely be his downfall.
Who, exactly, they were meeting in Gotham was not information he was privy to. Someone with lots of money and a lack of common sense.
That didn’t exactly narrow down the list.
At least it’s not Vlad, Danny thought bitterly.
What worried him the most about their mystery meeter was… they said it was a surprise.
Fenton Surprises were Not Fun.
If his dad’s Surprise Mystery Fudge Cake was anything to go by.
Danny swears he still smells glitter and Carolina Reaper powder on hot days.
A shiver rattled down Danny’s spine as the telltale mist of cold breath left his mouth. The hair on the back of Danny’s neck stood on end as his core shuddered. That wasn’t a ghost… not in the way he’s familiar with.
Looking out the windshield, Danny realized they had crossed the boundary into Gotham.
That’s not ominous at all, he thought sarcastically.
A haunted city.
That’s a first.
The lobby in which they were waiting was rather small for the large building they were in. It was cramped, and the air was a bit stuffy, making him wish he could be back outside with the smell of rain, even if it was a little polluted.
The cramped space and smell could also just be due to his current position.
Squashed between a wall and his father, who took up two and a half seats.
Thank the Ancients, he and Jazz took after their mom. Tall and slender.
Currently, all Danny was was slender.
Or scrawny, if you wanted to be more precise.
The corner was meant to be his solace, but his dad wanted to be close to him.
Lucky him.
“He’ll be here shortly, Danno!” Jack said, shaking Danny’s knee violently.
His hip gave a small click at the harsh movement.
“Yippee,” Danny grumbled.
The limited area of the waiting room he could see beyond his father’s large form was white and looked far too much like a sterile lab. An unfamiliar concept, to be honest. The lab he lives in was far from sterile.
He swore to Clockwork that one time the crusted ectoplasm on the ceiling spoke to him.
“Jack!” Maddie hissed, grabbing his shoulder. “Here he is!”
Both of his parents stood so quickly that Danny thought they might have teleported across the room. Their excited greetings and Jack’s large form hid their visitor. But Danny could see a flash of a bald head and the twinge of overconfidence in his voice.
Unfortunately for him, his parents eventually remembered he existed.
“Danny dear, come meet Mr. Luthor.” His mom beckoned.
What.
Danny’s already-dead heart dropped in his chest.
Because there he was. Stood between his parents was Lex Luthor.
He takes it back. He’d rather it be Vlad. He’d rather be formally adopted by the vampire wannabe than this.
Lex Luthor strode the distance between his parents and where Danny wished the walls would swallow him up. “You must be Daniel. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Danny stared at the hand Lex Luthor extended towards him with horror. Glancing at his mom, Danny saw she was actually biting her lip from her sheer excitement.
Are they fucking CRAZY?!
Lex Luthor chuckled, pulling his hand away that Danny didn’t dare touch. But Danny didn’t miss the cynical look in his eyes as his gaze lingered on him. “I can see what your parents mean. You do frighten easily! Fear not, young Daniel, I’m sure we’ll get acquainted very soon.”
Danny’s mouth fell agape.
“Come now, Danny. Mr. Luthor is going to show us to the lab we’ll be working in!”
“Oh, Madeline, please. It’s Lex.” He offered his arm to her, accompanied with, what Danny assumed, his mother thought to be a charming smile, based on how she fluttered her lashes.
“I’m going to be sick.” He moaned, rushing off to where he hoped a bathroom to be.
This can’t be real.
Seriously. Cut the cameras. This isn’t funny.
“Lex Luthor?” He asked his reflection. “They’re fuckin’ nuts!”
Danny splashed water in his face as the lights flickered.
Lex Luthor.
Fuck.
This was, quite possibly, worse than their deal with the GIW.
No, no. It’s definitely worse.
Is this what they meant when they said they were expanding their horizons?
Danny thought they meant sandy beaches and pina coladas! Not terrorists!
How is Lex Luthor not in an irongate prison anyway? Hasn’t he been trying to kill Superman for over 20 years? Not to mention his Anti-Alien agenda! Why is he even interested in his parents' work? It’s ghosts! No one took them seriously!
It’s not entirely impossible he believes them. He’s always looking for new ways to dominate the world. Didn’t he run for President a few years back?
Ancients, what a nightmare that must have been.
“Maybe this is a nightmare,” He said, hope growing in his core. Smacking himself across the face disproved his theory.
So now he was left with a bruise and the knowledge that his parents had doomed his entire existence.
“There you are, Danny! Where did you run off to?” His mother asked.
“Nowhere far enough,” Danny grumbled.
A chill ran down his spine as Danny met Lex Luthor’s icy-grey gaze.
Not in a ‘that’s a ghost’ way. More in the ‘this guy is evil and can and will kill you’ kinda way.
A smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes made Lex look almost… feral in a way. “Daniel, I was just showing your parents the lab where you will be working.”
Danny looked around, frowning. Much like the waiting room, everything looked white and sterile. An open floor plan with plexiglass separating what looked like office cubicles. Lab equipment and chemicals littered the area. The smell and buzz from it all made Danny’s head spin.
Like it always did when he was in the basement back at home.
A feeling, it seemed, was not exclusive to the one lab.
“It’s…” Danny spotted a jar of strange green liquid. Something inside it squirmed. “Nice.”
“Isn’t it?!” Jack explained, shaking Danny by his shoulders.
Danny laughed weakly. “Totally.”
“Ah, thank you, Jenny,” Lex said as a woman around Jazz’s age walked in. He took three small objects from her and sent her on her way. “These are for you.”
He handed one to each of them. Danny took his quickly so he could avoid any physical contact.
“These will allow 24/7 access to the lab. If you are anything like me, then I know you will want to work around the clock.” The not-so-charming smile returned to his face.
Maddie cooed at him as he held onto her hand just a moment longer. Jack didn’t seem to notice. “This is wonderful! Thank you, Mr. Luthor– oh– I mean… Lex.” She said with love eyes.
Danny is going to be sick again.
“I wish I could tell you, Bruce, but I know just as much as you do,” Clark said, guilt dripping in his tone.
“Hn.” Bruce’s eyes roamed over the file open on the Bat Computer. Everything he has on Lex Luthor and, additionally, his new work associates.
“Not going to share any of your theories?” Clark sighed. It crackled through the secure phone line. “Who am I kidding? Of course you won’t. Just– keep me updated. I don’t need to remind you how important this is.”
“No, but you did it anyway.” Damian sniffed as he walked up to stand by Bruce.
“Damian. So good to hear your voice!” Clark chimed, a bit too chipper. “Jon misses you. Now that the school year is out, would you like to arrange a time to visit?”
“Tt–” Damian blushed. “I am far too busy for ‘visiting’.”
“Oh… I think Jon mentioned he wanted to check out Metropolis’s Zoo. Something about a baby hippo?”
It took all Bruce’s training not to smile. Dirty manipulator… He’s almost proud.
“Is that so?” Damian asked, clearly interested. “I will need some time to reconsider. Farewell, Kent.”
Translation: I’m going to go get ready so I can leave ASAP, even if it’s inconvenient for you. Prepare for my imminent arrival.
Clark chuckled. “Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.”
“Hn. Not necessary. But… I will keep you updated.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you at next week’s meeting. Bye!”
“Hn. Goodbye.”
Bruce ended the call and enlarged the family photo he, strangely, painstakingly, found when he did a deep investigation into Lex Luthor’s newest associates. An arrangement that, in itself, was strange.
He never worked with others if he could help it.
The Fentons, Bruce found, were a strange family.
The Drs Fenton, Madeline and Jack did not actually have any doctorates to warrant such a title. Their field of study was not recognized in the scientific community. Which made them, in their own words, the leading experts in Ecto-Biology.
And after reading their research, which also, strangely, was hard to get his hands on, Bruce discovered what, exactly, Ecto-Biology was.
Ghosts, in short terms. Non-sentient ectoplasmic forms, in longer terms.
It was not often that Bruce was left in mild shock.
This was one such rare occasion.
Because, as a member of the Justice League Dark, he has never heard of ghosts like the Fentons refer to in their research. While not entirely possible that they exist, it is unlikely that not one member of the JLD knew of their existence. Which meant a) the Fentons are woefully incompetent and mistaken or b) someone failed to mention said creatures in their mandatory general report or, worst of all, c) no one except the Fentons is aware of said creatures.
The last two options meant Bruce was unprepared. He hated being unprepared.
A migraine pulsed between his eyes.
Zantana was meticulous, and Deadman knew better than to gloss over important information. The other members, while important, weren’t as forthcoming and understanding of Bruce’s working style.
There was one member who never failed to cause difficulty with communication and the inability to be a team player.
But if he could help it, Bruce would very much prefer not to contact Constantine.
He’ll do his own preliminary investigation before gauging whether or not to contact the man.
Eyes narrowed, Bruce stared at the family picture.
In front of the Drs Fenton were two children.
Jasmine Alicia Fenton. 19 years old and currently attending Harvard School, intent to major in psychology. Graduated from Amity Park High School a year early, Jasmine had top marks, which have followed her into her college education.
Then there was the boy.
Daniel James Fenton. 16 years old and in his junior year of high school. Formerly receiving top marks, Daniel’s grades began to plummet after he turned 14. School records indicate an increase in poor attendance, school environment accidents, and other such miscreant behavior.
In the photo, Jasmine held her brother tightly to his side while he positioned himself separately from his parents. The eldest of the Fentons all smiled brightly. Daniel, however, could barely manage a weak smile. It looked more like a sneer.
Bruce knew the behavior very well. His own children loathed taking photos. Getting them into one room for such an act was like negotiating war, especially with whatever conflict they had started for the week.
What caught Bruce’s eye, though, was Daniel’s eyes.
The way the light didn’t reach them made his skin crawl. It wasn’t even that he looked emotionless, unamused, or even annoyed. His eyes just looked… dead. Like they were the blue eyes of a corpse long since dead.
His appearance otherwise raised some alarm bells.
Pale skin, shorter than average, skinny.
And perhaps it was a trick of the light, but his cheeks almost looked hollow. Like skin stretched tightly over bone.
Then, just above the collar of his shirt was some strange marking. It looked almost like a scar, but Bruce had never seen one with such unique patterns. It was familiar, though. He just couldn’t quite place it.
Unsatisfied with the information Bruce collected, he sat back in the Bat Chair and scrubbed at his face.
He’d be a fool not to come to the conclusion that there was something, or someone, preventing him from finding more information on the Fentons. Their hometown was also affected, it seemed. It was as if all records were just… nonexistent.
Which meant the information he did have was like gold.
Bruce clicked a few buttons on the Bat Computer, and a small device popped out of the console. When he pulled it out, all the files on this case disappeared.
Tucking the drive into his breast pocket, Bruce got to his feet.
Batman needs to pay the Fentons a visit.