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For the last two months, Tim was, suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Tim has been taking some extra classes, he was forced to due to failing two classes. He can’t even excuse it he was just not interested and therefore not trying.
Lots of kids do that and Tim ain’t special for failing a class, the problem is that he is in this rich bitch school that does not tolerate bad grades, money only saves you when the schools council sees fit, not like he was THE Bruce Wayne’s adopted son.
Which leads to how he has first became suspicious of the VladCo heir.
Danny Fenton Masters, one of Vlad’s adopted kids.
Tim didn’t really talk to him much but from what he understands the story goes, poor boy’s parents get killed in a freak lab accident, godfather comes in and adopts the kids and here we are.
Vlad already had a kid but after what happened they seemed to all leave Amity which Tim didn’t even know existed before their arrival in Gotham and now they are here.
Danny’s sisters are both in schools here Jasmine is going to Gotham U and Danielle is a year below them.
Nothing too hard to find with his hacking skills, their departure though…does seem strange.
Before Vlad moved here he used to dislike the place, he didn’t dislike Bruce and they even have a picture somewhere with him hugging lil Jason. Bruce himself asked Tim to try and be welcoming to Vlad’s kids even when Vlad didn’t seem to contact Bruce at all.
So Tim did introduce himself to the boy and his supposed cousin, even though they look like twins more than anything.
But Tim is nothing if not very observant and the two months he did observe he found strange, the Masters kids…are very strange.
Danny was also in one of his extra classes, but for Danny it’s only because he was dealt a bad hand, since he’s not rich from a rich family the school treats him like shit.
They gave him these extra classes to “catch up”, when the boy has been keeping up with amazing grades since he arrived.
Nothing you can do about it.
But there’s an issue, Tim isn’t exactly sure Danny nor his sisters are human.
Sometimes when Danny is focusing his eyes would glow bright green, brighter than Jason’s and not natural looking like Damian’s brilliant greens.
His sister would have the same thing happen but it seems to only happen when she’s angry, as when Danny had his typical bullying moments Danielle showed up angry and punched the bully across the face making him fall back onto his ass.
For someone so tiny she can punch real hard, it just so happens that she broke the kids nose but continues to smirk at him with her glowing eyes.
Nothing happened to her and Danny since Vlad is now the second richest in Gotham and it wasn’t hard to convince the bully’s parents to fuck off and to maybe teach their kid to not be a snobbish bitch.
So from then Danny wasn’t bullied anymore but no one really actively talked to him or tried to be friends with him, Danielle doesn’t seem to mind and is mostly just happy to be with her brother, but Danny seems lonely.
Tim assumes the boy had friends back home, he didn’t seem to try befriending anyone and even when the local beauty classmate tried to get in his pants as per usual, he said he had a girlfriend back home and ain’t interested.
If that is true or not, Tim didn’t care. He only cared about how his eyes glowed and the energy was angry around him like the boy found that absolutely offensive.
Though Tim would agree that anyone should have better standards than to go for the local passed around item, as evil as that sounds. May mom forgive him for his thoughts.
He thought he should observe more as he stares at the boy in their extra classes again.
When come lunchtime and Danny got up to go see Danielle as per usual Tim decided maybe it’s a good time to actively investigate closer.
“Hey Danny!” Tim calls. The boy turns around and gives a tired smile.
Very out of character.
“Oh hey Timothy, ya need anythin’?” Danny asks and puts his stuff back in his back, seeing as they only have one hour left after lunch.
“No please call me Tim, just wanted to know if you wanna eat together?” Tim asks which Danny just nodded and headed out of class.
When they sat at the table in the cafeteria which as much as this is a prestigious school the food there sucked.
Danielle always had beautifully made bentos and Danny had probably better sandwiches than whatever the fuck the school served, Tim is glad Alfred makes their school lunches…
“Who the fuck is this?” Danielle gave Tim a nasty look.
Not that he’s judging her Danny was bullied ever since he arrived, he wouldn’t put it past her to think Tim is another bully.
“ELLIE cool down on the language we’re in school!” Danielle sticks her tongue at them and Danny gives Tim an apologetic look.
They sit down and Danny takes out his sandwich.
“So uhhhh I’m Timothy Drake Wayne nice to meet you?” He tries to smile at Danielle but she gives him a blank look.
“Oh you’re one of that freak’s kids, shouldn’t you be with glowy and blondie right now?”
Wait who’s glowy? Did she mean Duke???
“Ellie!!! Omg I’m so sorry Tim!” Danny apologizes again and glares at the girl.
“No it’s ok, they are not here today…to answer your question” Tim tries to stay civil but her calling Bruce a freak while her dad was Vlad Masters??? What a joke.
Maybe they are not human after all.
“So I haven’t gotten to know you yet Tim, our fathers used to have a good relationship and I apologize on the behalf of my adoptive dad that he hasn’t called yet” Danny tries to regulate the conversation and keep it civil but Danielle wants everything but to be next to Tim.
She glares at him, her eyes glowing again.
“I’m not sorry” she then again sticks her tongue out at him, she takes her food and leaves.
“She…doesn’t really like you rich folk” Danny tries to explain.
“But she is one?” Danny grimaced at the comment.
“She’s not Vlad’s biological daughter…it’s complicated ok? Just let it go” Danny munches on his sandwich in silence afterwords.
Non of Vlad’s kids are actually his biologically. So Bruce is wrong Danielle wasn’t his daughter that he suspected Vlad got from something…could he have had an affair? Did he date anyone ever?
Then again nothing left amity so any news article to show for it won’t be easy to find.
Tim and Danny continue to chat for a bit and then the bell rang, PE is their last class for the day.
.
The next weird thing that happened was in PE.
They were told that today was trial day for the mile of course, Tim stays fit due to his ‘nightly’ activities so he isn’t too worried but the other classmates especially Johnny, remember the kid that Danielle punched yeah that boy.
Came up to their resident skinny giant.
“Coach I think you have the wrong kid on the track” one of Johnny goons that Tim cannot remember the name of to save his life, pats Danny’s back harshly and mockingly.
“Dear god just get in line already! Stand behind him, stop making a scene” the coach says and starts counting down but as he did the goon pushed Danny, hard.
Danny who lost his balance feel straight on his face, when he stood up the coach ran to check on him.
Danny was holding a hand over his cheek seemingly hiding the scrap and coach decided the trial will be cancelled for today, he grabbed the goons arm and dragged him to the principals office.
Seriously these kids are stupid who bullies another kid in broad daylight right infront of the teacher, especially since said teacher can see it is no accident.
Tim goes to check on Danny but by the time he got to him Danny already packed his bag and rubbed his cheek, no wound in sight but his sleeve looked green.
Was that his blood? And if so what happened to the wound that caused it? Super healing?
Tim decided to call Alfred to pick him up and he packed his bag.
Maybe Bruce will know more?
.
Tim was typing on his laptop and taking notes in the batcave, so possible fast or super healing, he seems to only eat certain things but Danielle seemed to be eating different things and being completely fine.
So he can roll that out, since allergies are pretty human anyway.
The glowing eyes though… maybe Bruce can comment on it?
“Hey B?”
The man hums.
“I have a bit of a weird question so heads up” and Bruce groans lowly, he whole heartedly doesn’t know what to expect from Tim.
“Did Vlad’s eyes ever glow when you used to talk?” Tim asks.
Bruce thinks for a moment and then he looks like he remembered something he’d love to forget.
“Yes his eyes did glow, in moments of high emotion” Bruce says and then asks “where is this coming from, did his kids do something strange?”
“Yeah they did! How’d you know?” Tim almost says sarcastically. And Bruce hums, something about ‘why else would you ask about their dad’.
“Anything weird enough to note?” Tim recognizes that tone.
“Yeah Danny got injured today, instantly healed from it” Tim says and Bruce hums with a simple “metas…”.
.
Today is gonna be the death of Tim, for one he needs to do like three tests today! And for two the weekly rogue attacks.
They have been silent and calm for a while which means this is the siblings first time experiencing this.
He expected them to panic and cower in fear, all non Gothamites do.
But what he didn’t expect was for Danny and him to get stuck hiding in the boys restroom.
“Danny-“ Danny covered his mouth.
“Shhhhh I hear one, he’s big with a heavy gun” super hearing??? Tim thinks but then the door gets kicked open and the guy looks right at them.
He looks for a few heavy seconds and then leaves.
Tim looks at his companion in shelter.
“What-… what did you do???” He hissed at Danny, who lets go oh him entirely which made Tim feel weird.
“Gosh not the time Timothy! Do you know if help is on the way?” Danny hissed back.
Tim looks at his watch and nods his head.
“Good I’m gonna go check on Ellie, stay here” Danny basically disappears.
What. The. Fuck.
Just happened?
By the time everything calmed down, Tim found Danny again but this time with a sleeping Danielle in his arms curled onto him like a baby. He was patting her back and leaning on a wall.
“Dude I’m glad you’re ok!” Someone says and gives Tim a side hug, that someone turns to be Duke and Stephanie.
Who smile at him.
“Well yeah our ‘meta’ friend over there saved me” Tim pointed at Danny and his cousin who are just chilling meanwhile the paramedics made sure they were ok.
Duke gave them one look and squinted his eyes “yep definitely metas, if not human at all”.
Weird statement there bud but this is seriously fuel to fire, how they approach them about this?
.
“So why the actual fuck did you call me timbers?” Jason says after picking up “kinda busy here” you can hear people getting punched in the background.
“Need help on how to approach someone about something very uh, important?” Tim says.
There was silence for long and then it sounded like Jason sat down.
“And you thought I’m the best one to ask? Where’s Dick face? …is Red hood required?” As much as Jason tries to act like he didn’t care he was asking too many questions way too fast.
“Not like that! He’s not a criminal, that I know off…”
“Oh so you wanna ask him out-“ Tim cuts him off.
“No we’re friends! I think…! I think he’s a meta of some sort and he is aware…” Tim tries to explain.
“Dude…shouldn’t you ask Duke for help with this? Or ugh Bruce???” As much as Jason is right, Tim wants to approach the siblings as vigilantes.
Not that it’s smart to do so, Vlad is not a bad person anymore and seems like a great dad. But he still wants to ask Danny directly to get answers he can’t get by just observing.
“I want to approach them as Red Robin, Jay”
Silence.
“Well why didn’t you start with that? Get your gear on lover boy!” Jason says and hangs up.
“I’m not! Oh my God never mind!”
.
“I can’t believe we just happened to find him with his dad getting groceries????” Tim sighs, like heck a guy that rich would have people buy his food no?
“I don’t remember Vlad buying his own neither, very egotistical…very flashy with his money type of guy” Jason recalls.
“Doesn’t seem like it now does it? I don’t like how nice they were to me…like they know me?” Tim sighs again.
“I mean maybe they do? You are Red Robin and I am Red Hood, but they kinda behaved like they saw past it… Danny held my hand for too long with that handshake, he’s so cold I felt it through my glove” Jason shivers at the memory. Strange indeed Tim is up to something so they agree that Bruce should know if not get involved.
.
Next time they see the Masters is at a gala where they were lucky enough to see all of the family members that night.
Danielle as per usual stuck to her dad and was childish towards everyone else who is not family, she only gave Bruce a small fake smile that looked more like a grimace than anything.
The eldest sister, wearing a beautiful brilliant turquoise dress looking professional and confident was seen having a nice conversation with Barbara and her dad.
The conversation seemed to be casual so Tim and Jason didn’t think they should talk to the eldest sister, they did send a message to Barbara and Gordon to keep an eye out for anything strange with the woman.
Danny sadly was stuck talking with some other rich guys trying to get on his good side for when he takes over. All self interest and no actual reason.
Danny for his part seems to be well aware of that and his polite smile is quite literally starting to falter with his glowing eyes, Tim can tell he’s getting angry.
Time to save a dumbass, even though he kinda likes the dumbass.
Wait what?
Tim approached the three who seemed to have a heated conversation.
“And I keep telling you I have no say in my father’s affairs yet” Danny sighs, like he said that for the 10th time.
“Actually as his legal heir-“
“I’m not his fuck-“ Danny’s is gonna punch this dude.
“Are we having fun Mr Robert, I see you met Vlad’s adopted son” Tim comes into the conversation the three snobs look at him in shock.
“He’s not Vlad’s biological son?” One of them says. ‘I assumed he was seeing how alike he looks to Danielle’ the other answered.
“No I’m not” Danny says “sorry to disappoint” glowing green eyes on full display now.
“Daniel! My boy, I was looking for you”
Here comes the family rescue, guess Tim can just go find something to drink.
But he stopped as Vlad was glaring at him with red glowing eyes.
Whoa…
Wait a minute! He didn’t do anything he tried to help!
The other guys already left so Tim was the only one left with Danny.
Danny touched Vlad’s arm and murmured a lil ‘he didn’t do anything’ in Vlad’s ear.
Ok freaky red eyes gone, what else does he hide? A cape, some fangs?
“It is nice to see you are well Mr Masters” Tim says in fake politeness.
“Likewise Timothy, is your dad close by? I’d like to say hello” Vlad had years over Tim in faking a personality, if you weren’t rich yourself needing to hide the fact you are a vigilante by night you’d fall for his ‘amazing’ personality.
He nods and points at Bruce’s direction not really caring that he’s throwing Bruce under the bus.
After Vlad left, even though he truly debated leaving his son alone with one of the richest here while Danny still didn’t fully learn how to be a snob. Not that he can’t protect himself if Tim didn’t show up.
“So uhhhhh how’s life in the new home?” Tim tries but Danny grimaces at him, doesn’t even try to hide it.
“Dude what’s your problem?” Danny asks “you’ve been basically stalking me in school and now you suddenly show up when three rich bitches tryna up and take my ‘supposed’ money, let alone the shit you pulled at the grocery store!”
Tim stares at the glowing eyes and gapes.
“Wait…you knew who I was?” Tim looks around and then pulls Danny towards the waiting rooms, makes sure it’s locked and then goes back to Danny who managed to take off his suit jacket and roll up his sleeves.
“You know who I am? Then you are some sort of-“
“Ghost? Yeah”
“-meta….wait what?!”
Danny rolls his eyes ‘this is gonna be a long night’.
“Tim, would you mind…taking me home?” Danny runs his hand up Tim’s arm and then whispers in his ear “make it look like we’re having a fling I can’t have the articles thinking otherwise”
Tim shivers, and nods.
.
When they get back to the manor, Danny literally drops on Tim’s bed.
“Dude your bed feels amazing”
Tim who wants to address the elephant in the room can’t do anything but blush and nod.
He failed to mention this but Danny is handsome, brilliant and pretty but in the boyish kind. Will definitely grow up to be a looker.
Danny sits up and smiles at him, it’s not the usual scary fake smile with the glowing eyes but a real one.
“Well…I guess I owe you an explanation and an apology”
“Yea you do…not necessarily an apology though.” Tim tries but Danny stops him.
“I apologize for not approaching you earlier than today, me and my family are aware of the bats and have been aware since we moved here, three of us are ghosts” he explains but it still makes no sense.
“What do you mean by that? And why tell me?”
“Well, ghosts have no limits in the liminal world and especially not anywhere outside of the realms” Danny says simply and Tim remembers briefly how Constantine said to never enter the realms or deal with it’s residents.
Is he breaking that rule right now? He hopes not.
He doesn’t feel like hearing half of Constantine’s lecture.
“Meaning I was able to see through your mask and see the mask when you weren’t wearing it, there’s no such thing as secret identities between ghosts since we are what we are, and nothing can change that”
Tim is still confused though. Does this mean he and the others are dead? How is he here then?
“Dude it’s like I can read your mind and this is way too long of a story” Danny sighs.
“Well, we have all night don’t we?” Tim sits next to Danny on the bed.
.
The next morning when Alfred came to wake Tim up he is very surprised to see the two boys cuddling, he left them to continue resting.
Back in the kitchen making food and getting the table ready for everyone.
“Anyone saw Tim after he and the Masters boy left together?” Frankly it’s Bruce who asks that and Alfred sends a small smile his way.
“The boys are resting” Alfred sets up a plate infront of Bruce and the others.
“Boys? Plural?” Bruce is confused, he’s not confused or shocked the boys are in that age where you experiment things but isn’t it too early? Even if it was to question the other boy, Danny staying over is suspicious at best.
“What is it you’re talking about so early in the morning, sounds important” comes in a smirking Danny.
‘I didn’t even hear his footsteps!’ Bruce keeps a straight face.
Danny of course just walked through walls but Bruce doesn’t know that yet.
“I hope no bad things were said about me” he smiles while Alfred made him sit down.
Alfred gave Danny some food “of course not young Masters, we were just wondering why you stayed the night, you and master Tim seem close no?”
“Homework” Danny says simply and starts eating, Bruce gives him a disbelief look.
.
The family won’t know until two months after the fact what the Masters family are but found by total accident.
Jason asked for some help with a serial kidnapping so of course the bats decided to join.
What they didn’t expect is that the kidnapper, is part of some gang. Jason couldn’t give less of a fuck his gang is the only one he cares for anyway.
Things got heated up and some fucking how they needed help, way too many big heavy hitters.
“I pinged my boyfriend, he should be here in a minute or two” Red Robin says as he somehow was fighting the biggest dude in the room, that isn’t well…Red Hood.
“I don’t even wanna ask, tell him to hurry it up” Batman grunts and knocks out another guy, the girls went to find the kidnapped children.
And that’s how we’re here, Phantom they now learned his name.
After the whole fiasco Batman approaches Phantom and says thanks.
“Nah don’t worry about it, everything for my Timmers, how’s your wound” Phantom tries to check on it but Batman pulls away with a grimace.
Red Robin runs towards them.
“Danny, hi!” Tim just jumps into Phantom’s arms and Phantom apparently not expecting it catches Tim but drops to the floor.
“Owwww. Hey babe” Phantom rubs the back of his head.
A quick cough gets their attention.
They look at Batman.
“You boys, owe me an explanation”.
.
“I’m not lying, stop laughing at me” Tim gets angrier the more his family makes fun of him and how he and Danny got together.
“He is not, that’s just what happened. He thought I’m some sort of alien which by technicality he is correct but I’m a realm resident” Danny stood up for Tim.
“We’re been together for a month…tomorrow! Tomorrow will be a month, sorry we kinda kept that from you but” Danny pointed at his white almost glowing hair “I’m retired from heroing, I just kinda wanted to hold off on letting yall know about me and my family”
“What about Vlad? And your sisters?” Bruce asks simply.
“Well Vlad ain’t really being a bad guy anymore, the same people that hunted me, hunted him after they found out he’s an halfa too, we moved here since well…he said he had ‘friends’ here” Danny looked at Bruce.
“But I only spoke to him at the gala” Bruce sighed.
“Listen Vlad isn’t as simple as he may seem, even when he had that fake personality he wasn’t all that black and white” Danny says “I know what you think, and HE IS not a bad father, he’s actually very doting”
Yeah the batfamily remembers how Vlad came to Danny’s rescue the second he thought he needed it.
“Just…does he hate me? We used to hang out a lot, when he first made a name for himself! He used to be a very different person” Bruce asks and reminisces.
“No he doesn’t I promise you Mr Wayne, times got hard his obsession with my parents…thing is us ghosts can’t ignore that but after their death…” his parents death…
Danny gets up and checks his phone.
“Have to go, family dinner is starting soon” Danny tries to go as fast as he can but Bruce’s grabs his wrist.
“Tell him to fucking call me, I’m more than upset with his actions”
Everyone basically gasps.
“Master Bruce, what kinda language-“
Danny cuts Alfred off.
“He will, I promise” Danny goes to Tim to hug him goodbye and then flies away.
“Call me when you get back home!!!” Tim screams after Danny.
So now everyone is looking at Tim, the man of the hour!
This is gonna be a long talk.