AKA "Clockwork assigned Danny with a Ghost King task: learn how to shapeshift. Now Danny is stuck in another dimension and can't ask for help from his friends; worse, he's stuck as a racoon." DPxDC prompt idea!
Being stuck as a racoon sucks. Being stuck in a dirty, crime-ridden city where people hate "rodents" and love tormenting helpless animals really, really sucks. Thankfully, Danny still has a pretty good grasp of his Ghost powers. (Not so thankfully, he also has what he calls "racoon brain" where he does, indeed, act like a feral animal. Several Gotham goons found that out after attempting to curb stomp him; those goons absolutely will need stitches, rabies shots - which he desperately hopes will hurt like a bitch, and will think twice about messing with local wildlife.)
This results in Danny hears an interesting rumor. It turns out that people talk pretty freely around animals when they aren't trying to chase them away. The philanthropist Bruce Wayne's youngest son is an avid animal rights activist and has rescued several unique animals, including a turkey, cow, monkey, and several bats. Danny... can definitely use this to his advantage. He can look cute and harmless (regardless of that one guy who was clutching his bleeding face and sobbing in terror, screaming about Danny being a freaky demon-rat. Shouldn't have messed with Danny Phan-...coon? Danny Racoon? He'll work on it.)
It turns out that getting into Wayne Manor is absurdly easy compared to getting to Wayne Manor. Once he's inside, he drops his invisibility and intangibility, padding along the expensive Persian rugs and probably-real-marble flooring. He follows the scent of food past a room that's a family den of some sort - his snout scrunches up into an amused toothy smile when he hears a stupefied, "Was that a racoon??" come from the couch. He trots onward.
The first thing he steals is some wheat crackers out of the pantry, happily tearing into the cardboard box and plastic packaging. Cheese and meat from the fridge, some grapes. He even snags an apple for later. He's carrying it in his mouth, passing two more bewildered people, and plodding along into the gardens. Danny hears a frustrated groan of Dami, not again and chortles happily to himself. No one stops him. He's literally never felt more powerful. (It may or may not be his raccoon brain speaking.)
The second time he breaks into the Manor is when it's raining. He's taken up residence in the gardens outside the Manor, stealing the outdoor furniture cushions and blankets left out to make a little nest among the trees. Except now it's downpouring and his nest is wet, his fur is wet, and he's more than a little devastated. This time when he breaks in, there's a British gentleman waiting in the kitchen - he only raises an eyebrow before sighing, procuring meats, fruits, and nuts on a little plate as if he was expecting Danny. Danny, also like a gentleman, uses his little paws to shovel the food into his face and snorts a funny little bark in thanks.
The third time is... well, the Manor has a lot of beds. It would be a shame if Danny didn't use one. (His favorite cushions and blanket were still wet from the rainstorm earlier that week). He's sprawled out on his back, snoring lightly, and enjoying the warm bedsheets when a hand carefully strokes his side. It startles him out of his light doze but it's surprisingly nice, so he lets out a pleased little grumble. After a moment of careful petting, the touch firms and he's scooped up into big, strong arms.
"Damian," The voice is deep and rumbly. "I thought I told you no more pets? You won't have enough time to take care of them between school and patrol."
A different, smaller hand hovers over his nose. Oddly enough, it smells like Autosol metal polish, a feline (don't as him how he knows that), and paint. Danny gives the hand an inquisitive lick before remembering he is, in fact, not a wild animal. Well. He kinda wishes he could die again so he doesn't have to face reality. Damn racoon brain! He shoves his face into the crook of the Big Man's arm with a humiliated whine and smacks his paws into his face, wanting to scratch his eyes out. He licked. Someone's hand.
"He is clearly already house-trained, Father, and he is fond of you. Would you be so cruel as to cast him out into the cold, where a fox or coyote would kill him if he survives starvation and hypothermia?"
The Big Man sighs, moving where Danny's squished up against his gigantic chest (wow, Danny absolutely needs to do whatever exercise makes that happen), and there's a moment he wonders if he actually will be kicked out. It won't matter anyway. Danny can literally just keep coming back like a... Yeah, he's not going to finish that thought. This is an assignment. He's learning... something. Racoon brain is tired. He'll learn after the British guy gives him more grapes and he takes another nap.
There's a pause before the younger voice says, "Bandit."
Danny lets out a disgruntled little huff. It's Danny, he wants to say, but he'd need to be human for that and he's also probably earned the name. Shoot, the wet blankets and cushions. Whoops. Yeah, he definitely earned that name. The Big Man laughs as if he can read Danny's mind which... would not be good. The Wayne family might be willing to harbor a ghost but he doubts they'd help a blue-eyed, black-haired teenager in desperate need of a mentor. (Ha.)
Cue the Racoon!Danny shenanigans, including staring creepily at family members from atop the fridge, stealing several bat-themed paraphernalia for his den (Damian's closet), and accidentally-on-purpose terrorizing several well-known Gotham Rogues.
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