Danny didn't know if he had ever been this angry. Even with his parents he was disappointed and terrified more than angry. Batman had cut Jason's throat, his own son! Danny's... he was thinking of Jason more and more as his dad and less and less as his king. He didn't... that wasn't... Jason wouldn't mind would he?
Jason was currently recovering in the Far Frozen. The healing of his cut throat was made much more complicated by the corrupted ectoplasm that had brought him back to life. Frostbite wanted the new king to go through a full detox before he returned to the mortal world.
While Jason recovered and practiced with his rapidly developing powers Danny did his part and kept an eye on Crime Alley. He couldn't protect Jason while he was kept safe in the Far Frozen and he didn't want all of Jason's hard work to go up in smoke.
So Danny patrolled Crime Alley nightly. Any thugs messing with the working ladies or threatening kids got iced. Jason was very pro breaking knees or legs if he didn't kill someone outright. Danny was a little too squeamish to break someone's legs and Jason didn't want him to have to kill anyone, but his ice did the trick perfectly. The ice wouldn't melt for at least a week no matter what they did, so they were in pain and couldn't work or commit any other crimes until Danny allowed it. Maybe not as effective as a broken leg or finger, but still good.
Jason hadn't wanted Danny involved in the "Business" side of his work, but he at least knew a few of Red Hood's lieutenants. He would check on them to make sure things were going smoothly but leave most of the actual crime lord work to them. They would tell him someone was roughing up one of the girls or interfering in the business. Danny took careful notes and left them next to Jason's bed so he could go over them when he was fully recovered.
Danny had just helped one of the local prostitutes when something bigger interrupted his night. Her John hadn't wanted to pay and left a bruise on her cheek. Danny had iced his hands together behind his back for it after emptying his wallet for her and allowed her to get a few kicks in before he sent him on his way. The woman had given Danny her scarf despite him being an ice Core and had sent him on his way.
He had just gotten back to the rooftops when he heard gravel under a boot. It wasn't Jason's heavy steel toed combat boots, and there was no one else who should have been able to get onto a roof in Crime Alley. He whirled, allowing his claws to lengthen into sharpened needle like points as he snarled. Batman had joined him on the rooftop.
"Metas don't belong in my city." Batman growled, only a little surprised that he wasn't able to sneak up on Danny.
"Fuck off bats." Danny snapped back exactly like Jason would have. "Crime Alley ain't your turf."
Batman grimaced and stepped closer. Danny hissed and let his ice loose, dropping the temperature around them several degrees and causing sharp spikes of ice to spring up around him.
"Red Hood is dangerous. He doesn't care about you. He's only using you for your powers." Batman growled again.
"Yeah like you're one to talk! You do the same exact thing with your little birds. I know my dad cares for me!" Danny said, furious at Batman trying to turn him away from Jason.
"He's not really your father!"
"Of course he is. Haven't you ever heard of adoption?" Danny wasn't actually adopted, but maybe he would talk to Jason about it once he was feeling better. "Or does the name Dick Grayson mean nothing to you?"
Batman only barely reacted. Which in another man would have been collapsing in shock.
"How about Jason Todd? Or Tim Drake?" Danny relaxed now that he had the bat on his back leg. "But then again you don't really care about your kids so I can't-"
The Bat pulled something out of his cape and aimed it at Danny. His eyes widened in fear as he recognized the white detailing of an ecto ray. It was one of the weapons that the GIW used. He floated back a pace, how did one of those even end up in the hands of Batman?
"My research tells me that this will neutralize your abilities. It is high time we have a conversation about how you and Red Hood know so much about my operations."
Neutralize. What a polite way of phrasing that. No doubt written by the same people who thought that ghosts couldn't feel pain and weren't sentient. It would neutralize him alright. If Batman held the ectoray on him for too long it would neutralize him right into his core.
The weapon primed and Danny took a deep breath.
"Dad!! - Aaarrrruuugghhh"
He screamed as electricity again pulsed through him. It was tearing him apart, just like his parents always threatened, he was screaming and scmreaing andscreamingandscreamingand...
A brilliant flash of green cut through the air and the pain stopped.
Danny felt himself fall backward, no longer capable of flight, but he was caught by a pair of familiar arms. Jason had arrived. His dad. His King. in all his ghostly kingly glory. His red helmet looked like it was soaked in blood, and his eyes glowed like the fires of hell. He had a pair of flaming wings over his shoulders, the wing bones made of twisted rebar, from the explosion that had killed him. The Crown of Fire raging and burning over his head.
A single flaming ecto blast is enough to destroy the weapon in Batman's hands and another sends him careening through the sky towards the harbor. Batman would probably survive, but he would know not to mess with Crime Alley, Red Hood or Danny any time soon.
"Hey Dad." Danny said weekly, his voice hoarse from screaming. "You came."
"You called for me. Of course I came, kiddo." Jason said. "Now lets get home so you can rest."