Let's Make A Statement

Another Body

When everyone sat down around Danny he didn't react, he didn't look irritated or say anything like he usually did. It actually unsettled them, Isabella spoke, "Um, Danny, are you okay?"

Danny gave her an irritated look, "If you're seriously asking me that then you haven't been paying attention."

Artemis spoke, "We get it, you don't like hanging out with people, but you aren't even trying to get us to go away today."

"Yeah, because believe it or not I have other things to worry about."

They looked at each other and Lucas leaned forward a little, "Is this about that guy that shot you?"

"I don't give a shit about them."

Barbara spoke, "But why, they hurt you."

"So have most of the people I've ever met." They were quiet, "I took them down once and I can do it again so unless you want me to get pissed off then drop it."

They looked at each other, they didn't know what else could be bothering him but if it was worse then the orphanage it couldn't be good. They talked very little after that and when the bell rang Danny was the first one up and he left before any of them. Richard wanted to talk to him but he didn't even know what he would say, he was worried that Danny might start pushing them away again.

He didn't get a chance to talk to Danny for the rest of the day, when classes were over he found Danny at his locker. He almost looked stressed, Richard remembered the day they'd spent the night with Izzy and Lucas. That slight hint of stress, the serious look in his eyes and the dangerous calm that told you he was expecting something.

The frustration of not knowing what it was but knowing something was going to happen, though Richard only figured it out afterward. He was worried, he wasn't pushing them away he was being protective but he had no idea why Danny was like that now. He walked over and Danny closed his locker, "What is it this time?"

"Look, you don't have to talk about it but something is bothering you, it's not the guy from the orphanage, it's something new isn't it?"

"Gee Sherlock what makes you think that?"

Danny was clearly irritated, "Because you're acting like you did before that happened, I can't make you tell me but I am worried."

Danny sighed, he sounded frustrated and Richard couldn't blame him, "Look, shit happens but I can handle it and I'll handle this."

"I know you can handle it, I'm just worried that you think we can't." He grabbed Danny's hand and made him look at him, "Don't push us away because you think we're going to get hurt."

"You're not going to, not if I have anything to say about it but I'm not getting you involved either, now do you want to let go of my hand?"

Richard immediately let go of his hand and cleared his throat, "Sorry."

He was really hoping he wasn't blushing, for a second he though he saw a little color on Danny's face but it was too quick. He was sure he imagined it so he pushed the though away and followed Danny as he walked away. Richard caught up, "So what are you going to do?"

"Did you not hear the part where I said I wasn't going to get you involved?"

"I heard it but I still want to know."

"Then you're out of luck."

Izzy and Lucas then walked over and Richard thought that they had the worst timing, the three left to go home and Richard hoped Danny would be okay. When Danny got to the foster home he went up to his room and tried to come up with a plan with Toxin. They agreed to search the areas Danny had suggested in between stopping criminals, if they found a body they'd see if there was a connection.

They did have to keep in mind that there were some seriously messed up criminals in Gotham but if there was a possibility that it was connected they had to assume it was. After they ate dinner night fell and they left to search for their mystery killer and hopefully find them. They decided to check the sleeziest parts of town first, these were the places you could actually see people on the streets.

Some of them were drug dealers, others earned money through methods not everyone approved of but the same could be said for the drugs. Aside from that there were more thieves around here, and murderers which is why they checked here first. They stopped several crimes here but didn't find what they were looking for so they went downtown.

They searched the large area for over an hour, they were about to go somewhere else when they found a body. Head missing, a leg gone, but what was worse was the fact that the organs were spilling out of the body or scattered around. Toxin growled, 'Damn it, another one.'

Phantom nodded, "Which means they're out here, now we need to find them."

They hadn't been dead long which meant that they didn't miss them by too much but they could be just about anywhere in the city depending on their speed. They searched everywhere within a few blocks of the body after making an anonymous call to the police about the body. They didn't find anything so they went to another area where they knew more people walked around the streets at this dangerous time.

Thankfully they didn't find any bodies but they did find something else, the team of heroes. Artemis spoke, "We didn't find him, maybe he isn't out tonight."

Superboy spoke, "Or he's hiding."

Aqualad looked at them, "We can not be sure, we need to keep looking."

Robin was looking at something using his holo-glove, "Hey, there's another body."

Batgirl looked at him, "Where?"

"Downtown, the head and leg looked like they were ripped off and the body was cut open. The police questioned people in the area and a guy with white hair was seen just before someone called about the body."

Artemis spoke, "So the guy murdered him."

Robin looked a little annoyed, "I'm not done." The other heroes were quiet, "Another person reported seeing a really big dark figure on the roof and a scream came from there too. The time it was seen matches the estimated time of death, at least half an hour before the guy was seen."

Miss Martian looked confused, "So who called the police?"

"I don't know, the call was anonymous but based on the timing I'm guessing it was the guy we're looking for."

Batgirl looked confused, "So after the real murderer left he found the body and called the police, what are the chances of stumbling across two bodies?"

"He didn't stumble across the first one, he stopped that robber and if he didn't kill the first guy he saw him get taken away. I think he came across the second body because he was looking for the guy that actually did this."

Kid Flash spoke, "So he's, what, trying to stop the real murderer?"

Robin nodded, Phantom snuck away and Toxin spoke, 'He doesn't even know it's you and he still believes in you.'

"Yeah but they're still after me, murderer or not I still broke into a government base and something tells me they don't know the whole story behind that either."

'I know, but maybe they will see you do not want to hurt anyone.'

"Don't count on it buddy, but at least we know one of them isn't an idiot."

Toxin laughed just a little and Phantom smiled, they kept searching and didn't find any other signs of the murderer, they weren't happy either.

*****

I'm just going to leave this here.

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