Capítulo 3: Chapter 3
Danny finally arrives in Gotham, but the GIW are not far behind him. He barely has enough time to have a meal, before the chase is back on. Danny is out of options and out of time. What is he supposed to do now?! The only thing he can--run.
Notes:
Welcome to chapter 3 of this story! I wanted to get it out before the (amazing) insanity that is Dannymay! (If you're not sure what that is, you should check out tumblr!) I am also doing Invisobang, so updates this month may be sporadic. I have a lot of material already written for this story, though, so we'll just see how it goes! A big THANK YOU to everyone who has read, left a review or a kudos! You are appreciated!!!
On to the story...
Chapter Text
The night sky grew ever brighter as Danny finally approached Gotham City. His mood had lifted at the thought of sleeping in safety that night. The half-ghost didn't know if the spirit would greet him immediately, or if he would have to search for its lair. He decided it didn't matter…he could search for the spirit at the same time he searched for the Bats. His research told him that they typically operated at night, and that each one covered a different area of the city. His timing was perfect. All he needed to do was grab something to eat, and then find the right spot to wait.
Just as he approached the city, Danny felt the sensation that told him he had crossed into a Lair—the Presence that had called to Danny was effusive and thick. It made the teen a bit uneasy, but he was out of other options, so—for better or worse—he decided to trust his mysterious host. Once in the city proper, Danny had to drop down in altitude just to get his bearings. The level of smog was horrible! It made the half-ghost thankful that he didn't need to breathe. As he looked around, Danny noticed the city's amazing Gothic architecture. Sam would absolutely love this. He thought, pain lancing in his heart. He made note of the various landmarks that were visible from his height, and then he looked for a quieter, darker neighborhood where he could get in and out unseen.
Finally, Danny spotted an area that suited his needs. He scanned the area and found a place to set down. For some reason, he felt like walking for a bit. He found a surprising amount of peace just soaking up the vibes of the city. With a strangled yowl, the teen's stomach made its needs known. Danny slapped his forehead with his hand. He had forgotten to eat again. He looked around, and about a half-mile ahead, Danny saw a sign that pulled a laugh out of him. The word "BatBurger" lit up the night with neon lights. It looked cheesy and completely tacky. It was perfect!
The teen remained invisible until he was in the alley behind the restaurant. Being visible made him feel insecure, so he decided to keep his backpack with him inside the restaurant. The weary half-ghost leaned back against an inside railing and scanned the menu. They had themed combos! He totally wanted to share this with Tucker! He knew that that was the past, though. He had to focus on the NOW. With a sigh, Danny walked up to the cashier and placed his order: the Red Hood Special. A double cheeseburger, loaded with hot peppers, with a side of Jokerized fries and a Red Mountain Dew. Once his order was ready, he found a seat in a corner facing the doors and started in on his food. The BatBurger was good, but it wasn't the Nasty Burger. Danny sighed. Thinking about his now-former home wasn't going to help anything. He quietly finished his meal, tucked the small Red Hood figure that came with his food into his waist pack, and decided to use the restroom before hitting the streets again.
Just as he exited the bathroom, his eyes caught sight of something that would have stopped his heart, had he been fully human. Hovering at the windows in front of the BatBurger were not one, but three GIW drones, all with their cameras pointed on him. His feet stuck to the floor and his breath hitched. Suddenly, a white van screeched to a halt in front of the building. Danny wasted no time. He ran back into the bathroom, turned invisible, and flew fast and hard because the devil really was chasing him.
A part of Danny's mind registered that he had at least two vehicles following him. There was no way that one vehicle could hold enough people to account for the sheer numbers of shots Danny had to dodge. He absently noted the damage to the buildings, cars, and surrounding plant life that happened when the agents missed their target. The half-ghost felt guilty for all of the destruction, but it was his life on the line. He couldn't spare the time to think about those things while he was being pursued. More than a little part of him hoped that all of the ruckus caught the attention of Batman. The vigilante was Danny's best hope of living the rest of his half-life outside of a lab.
Suddenly, a third vehicle rounded the corner and joined the chase. Now Danny had three vans worth of people shooting at him. It was inevitable that one of them would get a lucky shot in. The first hit jarred Danny into partial visibility. That, unfortunately, gave an even better target to the goons in the vehicles. If he had been able, he would have seen the motorcycles racing up behind the vans. Suddenly, the last van's back tires exploded, sending the vehicle careening into a light post. The other two did not stop. Danny took another hit—this time to his arm. The burn brought tears to his eyes as the shot had gone deep enough to graze bone. Everyone was so focused on Danny that no one noticed the second van getting taken out.
A large agent with an even bigger gun leaned out the side of the remaining van's open side door. He aimed at the fleeing teen and pulled the trigger. Molten lava flowed though Danny as his ghost powers began to malfunction. He stumbled to the ground when his power of flight failed. He ran on foot to the closest place he didn't think the van could follow—an alleyway next to a nearby apartment building. Halfway down, dread filled his veins. The alley was a dead end. Heh. Danny thought. Dead End. I'm dead, and now I'm going to End… Still, the teen didn't give up, he ran to the dumpster at the back of the alley and tried to squeeze behind it. He didn't fit.
"End of the line, Phantom. You're finally ours, now!" The white-suited agent smiled with gleaming teeth. He pulled out an ecto-pistol and shot Danny in the chest just for the hell of it.
Another agent came up beside the first. "Oh—look at the big hero now! Not so tough without your powers, are you? Stinking ghost scum!"
"I have a friend that has been just dying to get you on the dissection table…" The third agent thought he was funny. "But, I think you're still a bit too powerful to be brought in just yet." He turned to the first agent. "Dial it up and hit him again."
"We've never tested it that high!" The first agent countered. "We don't know what effect it will have on him. I don't want to get in trouble for killing this ghost scum before the Science Division gets their hands on him."
"I'll take full responsibility." The third man cocked his head in a way that reminded Danny of Walker. "Just do it."
Despite the pain and the fear, Danny refused to go out quietly. He managed to stand and stare down the agents. The first one raised the weapon and locked eyes with Danny as he pulled the trigger.
The impact was surprisingly painless—at first. The sensations finally hit Danny a few seconds after impact. The half-ghost's body suddenly felt strange, as electricity danced over his nerves almost like it had during the portal accident. Danny bit his lip to keep from screaming; he didn't understand what the weapon's effects were, all he knew was that his body felt like it was on fire. His eyes squeezed shut with the pain and he heard booted footsteps coming his way. He barely noticed when his knees buckled and his body hit the ground.
Through the haze in his mind, Danny thought he heard one of the agents speaking. "Yes sir, he's down. His readings are rather high, though. He's still too powerful risk bringing him in like this."
A whisper of voice crackled through the man's communicator, and he gave a wicked smile. He toed Danny's balled-up form and smirked. "Looks like today is my lucky day, scum."
The man's second shot hit Danny like a freight train. This time, the pain that hit him was almost as bad as a portal! His entire body buckled and convulsed. A major sense that something strange was happening to his body filled the teen. He felt every part of his body contracting and pulling tight. Danny felt like he was suddenly smaller. Distantly, through the pain, he vaguely heard one of the agents report in. "…looks like the subject…changed…appearance…sighting…Phantom…"
Danny couldn't think clearly anymore—his mind was clouded and foggy. Danny struggled to open his eyes. When he did, he looked at his hands in wonder. They were so tiny! He pulled at the shirt that was now dwarfing him like a tent.
A small part of Danny's mind registered that the GIW agent was talking again. Danny's vision was blurred, but he did not miss the image of a dark shape dropping behind the agent, who was lifting his gun again.
He wearily looked at the weapon being raised at him for the third time. The only thing he managed to do was to squeak out the word "fuck."
A chuckle answered his expletive, then all hell broke loose.
Danny couldn't see much from where he was curled up on the ground. He wasn't sure if he could trust his eyes. The man holding the strange weapon hit the ground when an electrified crowbar connected with his head. Behind him, another agent went down when boots landed on his shoulders, and the hilt of a sword slammed into his temple. A bola wrapped itself around the body of the lead agent standing by the white van. A snap sounded just before the man flew in the air and started dangling upside-down below a burnt-out streetlight.
Danny blinked through the pain, trying to clear his vision. He looked up and saw the silhouette of what could only be Batman. The presence of the guiding spirit grew strong in Danny's awareness. Behind Batman, Danny finally saw the spirit that had been offering safety to him. She was huge, and amazing. Danny felt so small before her; he unconsciously began to tremble.
The spirit's legs were made up of the ghosts of buildings, her feet of buses and small cars. Her dress was swirling smog glittered with circulating streetlights and neon signs. Her arms were an amalgamation of bridges and streets. Her left hand was withered and was comprised of savage-looking people in garish costumes. All had evil looks on their faces. A grim reaper was tattooed on the palm. Her right hand was strong, and comprised of people in different colored masks and Kevlar suits. They all held weapons of various types. Some smiled, some looked grim. A giant bat symbol was engraved on that palm.
The spirit's face was a clocktower that had a human-looking face superimposed over the numbers and hands. She smiled at Danny. "Welcome, young Phantom. I am Gotham. You are safe here. My knights will protect you now."
Danny's mind finally reached its limit. He passed out.
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