Brothers?

Fear

As soon as we got back to the Bat Cave I changed back and honestly I'm not ashamed to admit I tried to use Jason being there as a distraction and tried to make a beeline for the entrance to the Manor. Of course Dick caught me before I even made it two steps in that direction. I'm not sure if it was because he's just that attuned with me, his training or if he's just watching me because of what happened. Maybe all three. I start in that direction just to hear "going somewhere little brother?"

I laugh nervously and stammer out "who?" "Me?" "Nope not at all." He starts toward me and grabs my arm in a tight grip, I'm betting if I were normal it would probably hurt. He looks grim but says "good, because we need to talk." "Let's start with your injury." "What happened and where are you hurt?" I sit on the table he had pulled me too and I show him my leg which thankfully is well on it's way to healing, unfortunately because of the tech they used would probably leave a scar. I explain what happened with the GIW and how Jason saved me. Dick looked furious at the mention of the GIW.

He looked even more angry when Jason oh so helpfully mentioned Vlad's name. Dick took a breath to compose himself and said "alright Danny, I know you don't want to tell us about Vlad for whatever reason but now he's sent agents to Gotham after you, time to start talking." Bruce makes his way over to us dressed in regular clothes. I bite my lip but then I start talking "Vlad's like me." "He had an accident in college, he and my parents built a prototype to the portal that leads to the GZ, except there was a mix up with the chemicals, and it exploded in Vlad's face." "He spent the next decade or so in the hospital alone and letting his resentment toward my Dad build, he blamed him for the accident." "I'm pretty sure Vlad used his abilities to gain his fortune once they developed." "He knows I'm Phantom, the only thing keeping him from exposing me is that he knows I'll expose him." I went on to tell them about how I met Vlad and everything he had done since, including Vlad's attempts to clone me that ended with all of the clones destabilizing and melting, ending with the Di-Jinn summoning. Dick, Bruce and oddly enough even Jason looked furious. Dick was the one to explode and exclaim "Dammit Danny." "Why didn't you tell anyone!" "Your parents?!" I jumped off the table and took a few steps away then spun around and shouted "because I would have had to tell them everything!" "They would have found out about me being Phantom and....." I trailed off looking at anything but the three bats in front of me. Bruce shifted closer but didn't get too close and says gently "and?" I take a shaky breath and say softly so softly I'm surprised they can hear me "I would have to tell my Dad the man he thinks is his friend has been trying to kill him and steal his family." "How am suppose to hurt him like that?" I shield my eyes with my bangs furiously blinking back tears because really at the end of it all that's what's really important to me, protecting my Dad.

Bruce steps toward me and kneels until he can look me in the eyes, he reaches out and brushes my hair back away from my face and says "Danny, listen to me, as a father your just going to have to trust me when I say the most important thing to me is my children's safety." "Your Dad feels the same way." "I could tell by the way he acted when you were hurt." I stared into Bruce's eyes. I could see the truth in them. I nod and whisper "I'll tell him the truth." Bruce squeezes my shoulder and stands. He nods at Dick and says "why don't you and Danny head upstairs and let Alfred know he's alright, I'm sure you two can talk him into making cookies." He says the last part with a grin. I'm exhausted and shuffle behind Dick as he heads toward the door leading into the Manor. I hear Jason asking Bruce "who's this Vlad guy, and can I shoot 'em?" I grin as I hear Bruce let out exasperated sigh.

We make it upstairs and into the kitchen where Alfred is found obsessively cleaning the already spotless room. He looks over at us and smiles, I smile back. He looks a bit surprised and says "how about cookies and hot cocoa?" Dick grins and pulls out a chair and says "that sounds great Alfred thanks." I look around and say tiredly "we'll have to save some for Jason, he'll never let me live it down if we don't." Alfred turns around shock clear on his face and says "Master Jason is here?" I nod and say "he's downstairs with Bruce." Alfred glances at Dick who nods happily and I hear Alfred mummer to himself "will wonders never cease?" I'm not sure what that's all about so I stay quiet.

As Alfred gets everything ready for the cookies and cocoa Tim and Damian wonder in and sit down. A few moments later Bruce and Jason come in as well. Jason smirks and says "well look at that, you did talk him into cookies." I smirk back and say "yeah, well it wasn't hard, Alfred's awesome." Jason gives a genuine grin and says "yeah....he is isn't he." We sit in silence for a few moments when I decide to own up to how I had been acting. I take a deep breath and say "I just want to apologize to everyone for the way I've been acting since I got here." "I'm sorry." Bruce reaches over and ruffles my hair, and says "we get that things are hard for you right now Danny, but don't try to keep things bottled up, that usually leads to disaster." I nod at him and lean into Dick's side, and say "I know and I'm sorry." "Damian I'm sorry for hurting you earlier too." Damian gives a "tt" but I see him incline his head slightly which was Damian speak for we're cool.

I feel Dick shift and can't help but get tense when he says "speaking of earlier, when we talked about you getting training for your new ability you said soon it wouldn't matter." "What did you mean by that?" I started playing with my fingers and refuse to look up but say "well I started thinking after what happened earlier and I think maybe I should let my Mom run those test and see if she can make me normal." Everyone started talking at once. I hear "kid don't be stupid." "That seems like a bad idea." "Idiot." "No! No way in hell!" Bruce says one word "ENOUGH" and everyone stops talking. He looks at me for a moment then says "Danny just because you lost control earlier doesn't mean...." I interrupt him and say "it's not just about earlier." He waits patiently encouraging me to continue. I start my story "so, there's this ghost called Clockwork and ........" I tell them everything. I tell them about Dan and how I'm afraid he was right, that he's inevitable. We sit in silence for a while everyone trying to absorb what I had said. There's a 'clink as Alfred sits down a plate of cookies. I feel a hand run through my hair and I look up and Alfred smiles gently at me and says "Master Daniel I have been in this world quite a number of years, and one of the things I've learned is we are all capable of darkness." "I have also learned that we have a choice, to give in or fight it." "I believe you have already made that choice, have you not?" "You have promised those you care for the most not to become what you fear most." Alfred starts pouring everyone a cup of cocoa and Bruce leans forward and says "Besides things have already changed." "You didn't lose your family and now you have us." "If we think your headed down the wrong path, we'll be here to help." Jason snorts and says "or give you an ass kickin." I laugh but then look at Bruce and say "what if you can't stop me?" "No one could before, the world was in ruins." He shakes his head and says "I have bought several blue prints from your Father" I blink at him in surprise and he continues "the idea was to outfit Leaguers with weapons they could use against ghost, and recently I have realized I need something we can use against Vlad." I look down guiltily he continues "we know you Danny, we also have some idea of what your capable of" I look up and he smirks "don't think for a minute I'm not aware you have been holding back in training." I flush and look back down. "We will stop you if we had too, not that I think it will ever come to that." I look up in surprise he smiles gently and says "like I said, we know you." I bow my head then Alfred breaks the silence and says "everyone eat while it's warm."

I try to sit up but Dick just wraps his arm around me and pulls me back against him. I eat a few cookies and drink some cocoa but I was already tired and emotionally drained so I started dozing off leaning against him. I hear through my exhausted haze someone ask Jason if he's staying. I hear him refuse but someone must have talked him into it because I hear Alfred say "excellent I will get your room ready." I feel my body being lifted and and carried upstairs, I feel it as someone puts me on a soft bed, I curl onto my side and drift the rest of the way to sleep. I'm still not sure if I should keep my powers, but for now, for now, I'll trust my family, I'll trust that they can keep the world safe, even if it's from me.