It was just a typical evening in Gotham. It was the first time in a few weeks Danny went out as Robin, rather than Phantom. He didn't mind though, as it let him play around a whole lot more and feel gravity fight against him when he played rooftop tag with his brother.

They could only play for so long, however, as they still had work to do. Gotham may look like a giant jungle gym for them, but it was a cesspit of crime for others. Crime Bruce had trained them to fight.

Not that the man had a choice. Given their ability to walk through walls, there was no way he could keep them inside.

Until somebody figured out how to do just that.

It was on his patrol route, so Danny was first to respond to a warehouse fire. He went in, cape shielding his nose and mouth as the smoke stung more than it had ever before. There was a red hue to it, but Danny didn't think much of it at the time. Something he deeply regretted doing.

He later learned that scientists had been keeping an eye on them. Learned of their powers through rumors and their instruments. They had zeroed in on Danny, the 'stronger specimen' as they called it. They didn't want to bother with capturing Dick as he didn't set off as many of their tech as Danny did.

At least it was one joy of being the older one of the two, Danny's existence kept Dick safe and that, quite frankly, was all he cared about.

He learned from other captives that these people, the white suits as Danny dubbed them, were ghost specialists. And that the other people were, in fact, ghosts. It had taken him a while to figure that out. Embarrassingly long, he admitted. But you really couldn't blame him. He never knew there were others like him and his brother out there.

Except there weren't.

The white suits didn't know what Danny was until they got their hands on him. Hell, Danny still didn't quite understand how he managed to get roped in with ghosts. For all he knew, they were just metas. Protected under the law.

Apparently not.

From the others, he learned that the white suits had been hunting their people for years. Only recently managing to create tech that could actually capture them. Some of the ones who had been there the longest looked like they were near death. Erm, well, second death.

The scientists found a way to force Danny to stay in his second form. Some kind of collar with green, Kryptonite looking, spikes on the inside. It burned so, so, bad when they first put it on. Though, maybe he should feel honored. According to them, he was such a rare find, he became their research focus.

Phantasma Requiem they called it. They only had one goal, figuring out how to put a permanent end to ghosts.

Danny hated every second of it, but he was grateful to be their favorite test subject. Not because he enjoyed getting tortured on the regular, but because the more time spent on him, the less the other prisoners had to suffer.

The biggest irony of it was that he even had his favorite scientists. There was a man who looked like an oversized Bruce but had the focus of a pea. Getting that man on a ramble was easier than anything and while it prolonged whatever they were testing out that day, it also meant less time for others.

He didn't like the woman, though. She was less easy to distract, wouldn't respond to his quips. But she liked taking notes, very detailed notes. So when she did find something, it would also take ages before she finished her note taking.

There was also his favorite set of guards. While both were bland, it felt more like a fashion statement than anything else. Or just easier to get hosed down when one of the people in the compound had...issues.

Danny hated the issues. They all stemmed from tests done on him and he hated being the cause of their suffering, even if he tried to procrastinate it every waking moment of the day. They figured out anti-coagulants that worked on whatever that green stuff was that leaked out of them. The white suits called it ecto. His new friends never corrected them so he wasn't quite sure if that was the right term or not.

Green stuff felt better, it made it feel less serious and more like it was just a years long bad dream.

A bad dream that kept getting worse.

The white suits had finally started figuring out that ghosts, too, have something akin to a heart. Located in the center of their being. All because of Danny's anatomy mirroring that of a human's so closely it made the connection all too easy. For once he hated how he kept their attention on him rather than others. It was because of him they started trying to locate the sources in the others.

Of course, they left him be after some poking and prodding. They didn't want to ruin their favorite toy. So they tested it out on others.

Danny watched so many of them be returned, only for their bodies to melt away in a puddle. The others around him reassured they weren't dead-er. They were simply too weak so sustain their corporal forms. They were able to sense the puddle-fied ghosts' auras so that was the only reassurance Danny had that his choices hadn't led to something worse.

Until it did.

He still didn't know if it was a positive or not. Every victory came at a cost, and this one was one he will forever bear the burden of.

The white suits had figured out how to get to the source, a ghost's core. Their beating heart. And they figured out how to destroy it. What they hadn't anticipated was that destroying a core was not just some simple over and done with thing. It was violent, like setting off a bomb within their compound. Danny only knew something happened when he was hoisted up off the ground by his neighboring ghost friend.

It was the first time he had seen her hair on fire as it was. It looked so enthralling. She snapped him out of staring at her, words spilling out of her mouth as Danny's brain failed to catch up on everything. From what little his exhausted wrinkles could piece together, he didn't want to know more.

The white suits had succeeded in ending a ghost. What they didn't know was that the destruction of a core released all its energy into the wild. Not only was it like a bomb, causing destruction to the building itself. But it also served as a much needed power boost for those trapped. Regaining energy themselves through the loss of one of their own. While it wasn't much, it was enough for them to escape.

And escape they did.

As blurry as his vision was, he saw green fleeing in all directions. Only his last remaining friend shone blue and stayed with him. She helped him to the nearest city, hoping to blend in with the crowd as much as they could. But the white suits knew how to track them, it was no use.

His friend cursed in a language he didn't understand, but he got the vibes it was a word Alfie wouldn't have approved of. She pushed him towards a sketchy alleyway. Telling him to hide until she came back for him.

There weren't many places to hide, not without using his powers which would only alert the stupid tech of where he was. At the end of the alley he spotted an old decommissioned phonebooth. If he hid in the corner, maybe they wouldn't find him until his friend said the coast was clear.

To any other person, it wasn't a far walk to the phonebooth. But when every fiber of his being was screaming out in pain, dirty green stuff dripping out of pretty much everywhere, it was agony. But not torture. That he knew enough to know this wasn't that. It hurt, but it wasn't going to hurt anybody else. Not if he had a say in it this time.

The moment he stumbled in, his vision was blinded by a bright beam of light. Disoriented and losing too much green stuff from old reopened wounds, Danny tried his best to walk away from it. But he couldn't. His legs refused to function, muscles refusing to contract and set another step. The last thing he saw was a black blur rushing towards him, until black was all he saw.

The next time he managed to feel like he was back in his own body, he forced his muscles to remain relaxed.

Everything felt wrong. There was pressure on him that wasn't there before. Tightness where he knew his skin hung lose from cuts. Tingling all over his body, making him oh so aware of every bit of himself in the most unpleasant way possible.

But that wasn't the wrongest part, if that was even a word.

No, his body always felt weird after his visit with the white suits. What wasn't usual was the prickly feeling in the air. Energy that buzzed all around him. Energy that shouldn't be there. He could feel it seep into him, like a solar battery charging on a summer's day. Except this felt more like a cozy winter evening.

Taking a tentative breath, he could feel the tightness in his chest. Like he was tied up both on the inside and outside. So he chose to remain still, unmoving and unalarming to any observers.

Because he knew there were others.

He could feel them. Not in the same way he could feel his friends. But he could sense them, like a soft chime beckoning him to open his eyes and look for them. Danny wasn't sure if he should trust the little chime, but he longed for it to be something other than the bleak compound he had lived in for so long.

Cautiously, he cracked an eye open. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but once the brightness didn't burn anymore, he was left with more confusion. Everything was a shade of blue. From soft iciness to a deeper almost navy like blue. If he didn't know any better, he'd say the entire place was covered in ice.

He wriggled slightly, getting a better feel for his body. Because it was his, even if it didn't really feel like it. He could make out a few layers of bandages before the rest of him was covered in a blanket. It looked rather soft, even if he barely felt it.

He wanted to sit up, until breathing reminded him that he was, in fact, not alone. Ever so slowly, he turned his head. Careful to not disturb any of the wires he saw attached to his body. It hurt to move his neck, hurt to even strain any muscle in the area, but he had to know.

The moment he laid eyes on the other being in the room with him, he was glad for it. Though his back was turned to Danny, he was certain of who the other was. He tried to call out his name, but no sound came out of his throat. Nothing but a sharp pang as he tried to swallow. Even that hurt so much more as his throat felt raw and dry.

That wouldn't stop him. Defiantly, he tried to sit up. Pulling the blanket off of himself, Danny paused in confusion as even more of his body was wrapped up in bandages than he thought. Clean clothes adorned the parts that weren't already bandaged. Mentally shaking it off, Danny chose to ignore the care he seemed to have received.

Holding himself steady against the snowy bed he was in, he shivered from the sensation of his feet touching the ground. It felt so foreign. Like they weren't his feet, touching some imaginary surface that wasn't the ground. Wriggling his toes, he was amazed as the powdery surface covered them up. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was snow. But that would be silly. He hadn't seen snow in...he didn't even know how many years had gone by.

Looking back up, renewed determination filled him as he didn't want to fall for whatever trap was set for him. Not trusting it one bit, not when they managed to get a hold of his brother as well this time. So he tried to stand, testing out the strength in his legs and immediately overshooting his ability to stand.

Falling into the fluffy ground, he heard rustling around him. The energy in the room shifted as static filled the air around him. "Woah there, not too fast." A young sounding voice called out. Feeling hands on him, Danny tried to scoot away from the person. Though he wasn't in a white suit like the others, it wouldn't be the first time they tried to trick him.

His eyes ticked over to Dick's still body. Fear rose as from what he remembered, Dick wasn't a light sleeper, but also not as deep as one had to sleep to ignore his stumble.

It looked like the person noticed, backing away from him just a bit and holding his hand up in surrender. "Hey, chill. I'm not trying to hurt you or anything." He said, static still surrounding his being as Danny slowly eyed him. "I'm Wally," he introduced, hand on his chest before raising it again. "I'm...a friend, of your brother's." Danny squinted at this Wally person, not trusting the way he said friend.

Wally, if that was even his real name, laughed awkwardly. Looking between Danny on the floor and Dick on the bed, he jabbed a thumb in his brother's direction. "We were- he's just taking a nap." The person corrected, hand idly finding its way to his messy hair. "You...you kinda went through a lot." He sounded light and mildly cheerful, but the look in his eyes betrayed how worried he was. "Almost didn't make it, but you guys pulled through."

Didn't make what? Danny looked over to Dick's again, only now noticing he had just as much wires attached to his brother as to his own body. He felt himself become incredibly aware of every single prong, every cable sticking out of him in one way or another.

Danny didn't want this. Didn't want Dick to be part of whatever they were doing. He reached for that calming feeling inside his chest, ignoring the intense pain in his heart as he ripped out the cables. Alarms started blearing as he tried to scramble towards Dick. Helplessly he flailed against the hold that Wally person had on him.

The wall across from their beds broke open, giant fluffy beasts rushing in. They felt like his friends, but they weren't acting like his friends did.

So so many hands were all over him. Claws trying to not scratch open his countless injuries. Danny wanted to scream, wanted to yell at them to let him go but nothing other than a strangled cry tore from his throat.

He didn't recognize any of the beings in the room anymore. They were blocking his view of Dick as they tried to pull him back onto the bed he escaped from earlier. That Wally person stood off to the side, eyes wide as he watched on. "Please, stop fighting, they're just trying to help!" He yelled out over the mumbling of the fluffy beasts.

How was he supposed to believe they were helping when Dick still hadn't woken up from all the commotion. That in and of itself was proof something was seriously wrong. Danny tried to use his powers, phase through the hands on him and get to his brother. But they didn't work. Not a single shred of intangibility responded as he tried so hard to slip through.

He could feel the presence of another being enter the room. Like their existence alone was a thundering avalanche compared to the blizzard of fluffy beasts from before. A deep voice rumbled something intelligible, but it made the hands stop touching him. Without a second thought, Danny rushed to try and get up, only to run face first into the avalanche of a being.

Soft fur tickled his nose as he looked up from who he crashed into. Though every instinct in him was still screaming at him to run, there was something about the soft, toothy smile the being gave him that made him relax.

Thinking of it, he seemed oddly familiar. It could be the nerves frying his brain, but he could vaguely remember one of his friends mentioning having a friend who looked like the beast before him. The icy horns and frozen arm were the main things Danny could remember of his friend's description of their friend.

And if this being was a friend of his friend, that had to mean they were his friend too, right?

"Are you alright, young one?" The rumbling voice smoothed over Danny's hair, separating it from his fur. Danny looked over the beast before him, trying to find a gap to try and spot his brother from. It seemed like the beast noticed, ordering the others to part.

Much to Danny's relief, and concern, Dick laid there. Still sleeping like before.

The beast took note of Danny's reaction, offering an arm in support. Eying the icicle of an arm, Danny cautiously held onto it as he was guided over to Dick's bed. "Fear not, he is simply resting." The beast spoke, words soothing Danny's worries ever so slightly. "He was in a less than optimal condition, much like yourself, so we chose to aid his sleep. It is quite normal for him to not have woken up." It reassured as Danny looked over Dick's resting form.

There were dark circles set under his eyes. Skin a few shades too pale even under the bright lighting of this icy cave. Danny reached out, relieved to feel his brother's even breaths and steady heartbeat. With help from the beast, Danny climbed up onto Dick's bed. The spot next to his brother still emitted a lingering warmth.

He looked over to that Wally person, frown adorning his face as he settled in. Maybe he wasn't lying earlier. Not that it mattered much. Just being next to Dick again made him feel more at ease than he had felt in ages. Only mildly more comfortable, Danny settles down completely. The beast covered him with Dick's blanket, making sure both boys were as comfortable as one could be. Feeling Dick's soft breaths on his skin, Danny couldn't help but drift back off into a dreamless sleep.

He wasn't sure how long he slept for, but it was the best sleep he ever had. Even with the lack of dreams, he felt so much more energized. Though his limbs were still heavy, and the temptation of sleep still hung heavy, he forced his eyes open once more. Feeling a soft pressure on his forehead, he was only mildly surprised at how close they had gotten in their sleep. Greeting him was a set of blue eyes he thought he'd never get to see again.

"Hi." Dick whispered softly, smile turning his eyes into crescent moons. At least they kinda looked like it as they were laying so close, the details of his brother's features were a blurry mess.

"Hi." Danny tried to say back voice feeling like sandpaper in his throat as he choked down a cough. Dick remained still, helplessly waiting for Danny's lungs to function properly again. Once he managed to open his eyes again, Danny tried to swipe Dick's hair out of his face. Only for it to not move. Shifting back just a tiny bit, the black blur remained in his vision even if there were now a good few inches between them.

It was only then that Danny realized it wasn't Dick's black locks in his vision, but his own.

When was the last time his hair was black? It hadn't been white for months anymore but black?

Danny looked over to Dick, an array of emotions crossing his features as he didn't know what to make of it. Dick sat up in alarm, hands trying to keep Danny's steady as the boy panicked. "Wally, get Frostbite." His brother called out. Danny could feel a wave of static move in the air around them as that red headed guy vanished from the room.

Danny tried to breath, hands tangling in ebony locks as he tried to make sense of it all. Even with his throat screaming out in pain, he desperately tried to ask what was going on.

"Please, young one. Refrain from speaking just yet. Your throat has not quite healed from the injuries you sustained." That comforting rumble called out as the beast from before entered the room again. There was just something about his pretense that helped Danny relax. Even more with how relaxed his brother was as well.

Danny reached up for his throat, hand stilling as he touched bandaged rather than the metal he had grown so accustomed to. The beast, Frostbite if he heard Dick correctly, smiled at him. Icy paw gently guiding Danny's hand back down. "It was not easy, removing the device. But we managed." He smiled warmly at the pair, pride radiating off of Dick as the beast spoke.

His smile faded slightly as he summoned a chair for himself to sit in. Wally stalked closer as well, arms wrapped around himself as he eyed the two in worry. "How are you feeling? Except for your throat, of course." Frostbite asked gently.

Dick shrugged, "like I got hit by the Batmobile. Could be worse, could be better." Danny nodded along, cringing as the movement hurt his neck even more.

"That was to be expected. It was a dangerous thing you did after all."

Danny frowned as Dick just shrugged off the badly disguised concern. Why would Dick do something dangerous, something that made him need to get sedated if he understood Frostbite correctly. "I'm fine, so it's not that big of a deal." He shrugged, dismissing Frostbite's increasingly obvious concern.

"Dick," Wally called out, voice breaking as he looked at the pair. "It...the feedback loop..." He struggled to find the words, or rather dare speak them out loud in fear of it happening again. With a haggard breath, he finally forced out, "You had a seizure, Birdie." Wally choked as he fought the tears welling in his eyes once again.

Watching Dick's stats drop right before Danny started convulsing was bad enough. But he'd never, ever, get the sighed of Dick's body seizing out of his mind. Sure, he could be proud their plan worked, but it nearly hadn't. And that nearly was a lot closer to failure than anybody would have liked.

Frostbite beckoned for Wally to come closer, to sit next to the bed as he went over what happened. Wally started out from his side, from the sleepover to Dick losing control. Bruce finding Danny at the Zeta's to Frostbite coming through a portal to get them to safety.

From there on out, Frostbite took over, going over their findings and trying to make it simple enough so Danny could follow along with all the information dumped on him in such a short time. All the way up to their little rescue attempt. Sure, it had worked, but as Wally already stated, it nearly didn't.

Given the rarity of beings such as them, Frostbite had no clear answer to give on if this was a permanent solution or not. At first glance it seemed to have worked as intended. Danny's wounds were mending themselves, not quite at speeds they would like to see, but given what his core had been through it was to be expected. What wasn't expected was Dick's reaction to it. Be it intentional or not, they had not paid as close attention to what could happen to Dick in his attempt to help Danny.

As such, both boys found themselves in unprecedented situations. Each with their own struggle to heal from, if healing was even an actual option in the first place.

After they tried the small meal Frostbite's people had prepared for them, Danny gave them a quick rundown of where he had been for the past few years. He didn't want to go too detailed, not without Bruce there. Even if it had been literal years, his old training was still buried deep within his brain. He knew he'd have to go over everything for Bruce later on, so why make Dick hear the gruesome details twice.

Frostbite wasn't happy to hear more of their people could still be at risk, in desperate need of medical care they couldn't receive in the living world. But he couldn't do much, not without putting his own people in danger so long as the white suits were still active.

With a bit of a struggle, Frostbite and Wally helped the pair over to the room Dick first entered. Wanting to make sure they didn't miss anything, he had them both run through a few tests once more.

Dick seemed to be holding up surprisingly well. Danny, on the other hand, still had a long recovery ahead of him. Given the extensive scar tissue covering his body, it was hard to tell how long until his physical wounds would fully heal. But heal they shall, that was for certain.

Medically speaking, they were cleared to leave. Wally managed to get a hold of Bruce, confirming it was actually safe for them to return to the manor without being arrested on the spot. Both by the white suits and by the League. While Bruce was not fully up to date on the white suits, he had started on that rabbit hole. And with his new project to focus on, the League issue followed suit.

Bruce reassured Wally that he could stay as long as needed as well. Barry was already staying at the manor, anxiously waiting for their return as well.

Frostbite felt inclined to keep them longer, just for observation and to make sure they were alright. But he knew he couldn't keep them. In the eyes of the realms, the boys remained unclaimed, so it was not his decision to make. Reluctantly he said his goodbyes, on the condition they would return on a weekly basis to make sure they could catch anything before it became a problem, of course. Knowing how distressed everybody must be, it was a simple thing to agree to.

Relying on Dick to make the choices for him, Danny agreed to return as well. It felt odd, having so much agency over his own body and actions again. It was a foreign thought, making his own choices to such a degree.

With a comforting squeeze to his shoulder, Dick slung Danny's arm over himself. Clinging onto each other, Dick beamed at finally being able to say the words. "Let's go home."