“Oh Bats, are you losing your touch?”
(Gotham Rogue Vlad Masters) Masterlist
Vlad was definitely gloating as he cocked his hip and leaned against the roof access door of the building. Bruce had been chasing him all across the city, having much less luck than usual ever since Vlad’s powers had started getting stronger. He still didn’t dare change forms since Daniel’s death day weeks earlier, both for not tipping his hand and being unsure if he was strong enough to maintain it yet, but he could feel his former strength returning. The wound in his shoulder was starting to heal properly now that they had access to ectoplasm.
He tauntingly swung the artifact in front of him, a necklace from a private collection that one of his old contacts had asked him to track down. Getting in and out had been easy, using the cheat of his intangibility to get in without tripping an alarm. He did however somehow manage to set off the silent alarm as he was leaving, what an unfortunate oversight that would surely lure in a bat.
Batman glared at him, breathing heavier than usual. Vlad was becoming more and more sure each day that he wasn’t truly human, able to keep up with a half ghost across the city. Vlad hadn’t made it easy for him for both their sakes, he needed the exercise and the Bat needed his lovely company. He’d kept things fun by shorting out the bats comm line occasionally, but not so much that he would catch on that Vlad was the cause. It really did ruin so much of the fun to have a voice in your ear helping out.
“Badger.” The hero snarled, taking a step forward.
Vlad smirked, twirling the necklace around his clawed finger and dancing out of reach. And Daniel said ballroom was a useless skill!
“Ah, ah, not my name.” He didn’t always use the Honey Badger moniker, but it had its uses. Batman glared harder, forcing his next words through grit teeth.
“Honey-“
“Yes dear?”
Vlad cackled as Batman frowned harder, tossing the necklace up and snatching it back out of the air before making it disappear from sight. In reality it was stored inside Vlad’s arm, but the Bat didn’t know that.
“Oh, guess it’s gone!” Vlad smirked, taking a swaggering step forward with his hands out to show his empty palms, long metal claws glinting. He invaded the Bat’s space, their chests nearly touching as he growled playfully. What? He was allowed to have a little fun!
“You going to search me for it?”
Batman grabbed his wrist, pulling it away from where it had strayed close to his utility belt.
“You going to make me?” Vlad was unable to help the low purr in his chest.
“Maybe I-“
“Unhand Honey Badger!”
Both men froze as a tiny voice yelled, heads turning to watch a tiny body executed a perfect flip, only to stumble as he landed.
Daniel stood in all his tiny glory, smiling up at him with sharp teeth. He was wearing his own version of the Badger outfit, with white markings down the eyes of his cowl and gauntlets that ended in claws, but Vlad could see stars twinkling in the black fabric. It appeared Daniel had discovered how to change the outfit of his ghost half.
“Little Badger.” Vlad hissed, stalking away from Batman and making sure he was a barrier between Daniel and the Bat. “What are you doing here?”
“Helping you fight Batman! Did you steal something? Can I see? Can I help next time?” The white lenses of Daniel’s cowl widened, a tinge of glowing green behind them.
“I was explicitly clear that you are not ready yet, was I not?” Vlad glanced at Batman, who was watching them, and switched to ghost speak. Daniel was hardly fluent yet, but he could understand it well enough. ‘Where is your sister? How did you find me? I thought you hated stealing!’
“I do! But sometimes people do bad things for good reasons!” Daniel repeated his first lesson proudly and in English. “Besides, you said Batman is a weirdo and we can be mean to him.”
“Badger, is this child… acquainted with you?”
Vlad sniffed, turning up his nose.
“I don’t see how that’s your business. Perhaps I’ve taken a page out of your book.” He glanced at Daniel’s shoddy costume and back to Batman. “At least mine wears pants.”
Batman glowered at him, Vlad’s hearing picking up staticky laughter from his comms. His hearing was growing sharper and better as well now. He hadn’t picked up anything useful from Bat’s comms yet, as he rarely got close enough to listen for long and they used code names, but he gladly kept this skill hidden for when it would have its uses.
Just as the great Bat went to offer whatever defense he had for his Robin occasionally wearing honest to ancients booty shorts the boy himself landed on the roof. It seems he’d decided to actually join the party this time. He usually made himself scarce when Vlad and the Bat had their moments.
“Hey, they’re comfy! I didn’t know bad guys had sidekicks too, if he my new nemesis? Kinda short.” Robin smiled confidently at the younger child.
The two children stared at each other for a long moment before Daniel turned to Vlad.
“Can I fight him? Can I? Can I? I’ve been training with J- WildCat!”
“Cub, you are not ready to face Robin yet.” Not without using his powers and blowing their secret.
“Just a little? Pleaaase?”
Vlad glanced at Batman before sighing heavily, shoulders sagging.
“Just for a moment.” Sue him, he wanted to know how Daniel would fare in a real fight. He trusted Robin wouldn’t hurt him severely, and that Batman knew he wasn’t above revenge on his cub’s behalf.
“But he’s a toddler!” Robin protested, gesturing at the young child. “How do we start? Witty banter?”
The Badger Cub had been training with Vlad and Jazz daily, but his training was far different than theirs. Vlad was teaching Jazz acrobatics and the art of thievery, but Daniel had been learning simply how to survive by any means necessary.
Which was why he dropped down to all fours, let out a terrifying snarl, and ran at the young hero full force. Vlad watched in delight as Robin screamed, the kindergartener launching up at him.
He easily dodged Batman’s attack, twirling out of reach with a laugh.
“Honestly Batman, so impatient. Can’t keep your hands off me, can’t you see I’m watching the children play?”
Daniel, to his credit, was doing very good for a five year old. He was using every dirty trick Vlad had taught him, and a few he’d come up with on his own.
“What is wrong with this kid! Owowow, he’s biting me! Who does that?!” Robin shook his arm as he tried to pry it from the child’s jaws.
“Badger! What did I say about biting? Release! You don’t know where that boy has been!” Vlad flipped out of Batman’s reach with a slight boost from flight, kicking him in the chest as he did.
The cub unlocked his jaw and skittered away, still on all fours and growling.
“I promise he’s had his shots.”
Vlad’s comm came alive with a crackle, Jazz’s terrified voice coming over the line.
‘I can’t find Dan- Baby Badger! I woke up and he’s gone!’ The girl sobbed in a panic, hiccuping. Daniel went stiff, staring at Vlad with wide eyes as his sensitive ears picked up the words.
“I have him, WildCat. We’ll be returning momentarily, he is unharmed.” He assured her, scooping the child up under one arm. Batman and Robin began to drift to the sides, likely trying to box him in.
“You’re not going anywhere, Honey Badger.”
“Actually I am!” Vlad cheerily yelled as he released a cloud of thick smoke from a port in his glove, turning invisible and running as the Bats closed in.
“Cub, you are going to be grounded until you’re thirty.” He snarled to his adopted son as they dashed across buildings and through shadows. “But, I am proud of how well you did. Perhaps one day you can join me.” He wanted better for his kids, but he also knew that there wasn’t much of a life for them outside of the shadows. A secret part of him hoped Daniel would do good like he always wanted instead of becoming a thief like him and Jazz, but he’d let the child choose that path himself.
Jazz was a mess when they finally phased through the apartment wall, snatching her brother and hugging him through sobs. Once she’d recovered she began to scream at him, shaking the boy until Vlad stepped in.
Daniel passed out immediately once he changed back, happy as could be and unworried about the punishment that awaited him.
Vlad left the bedroom to find Jazz on the couch, staring at her hand. She was wearing one of her gauntlets, the metal gloves Vlad had made her for self defense. They normally stayed as simple bracelets, but she could activate them as needed. She’d designed them herself when Vlad had taught her the lesson of scratching the eyes out of anyone who tried to take her.
“What’s on your mind, Jasmine?” He sat down on the threadbare couch beside her.
The redhead sighed, bumping their shoulders together as she leaned against him. He activated the second gauntlet with a flick of her wrist, tapping the metal claws together idly.
“I know it’s stupid, but I guess I wanted to be the one to go with you first.” Vlad looked at his adoptive daughter, cataloguing every scar and stress line. She’d aged so much in the last year. He knew she wanted to follow in his footsteps and provide for them, but Daniel would always tether her. It was Vlad’s fault for putting so much of Daniel’s care on her shoulders when he’d promised himself he wouldn’t, but they had never had other options. Daniel was just too young, too special, too reckless.
“I’ll tell you what.” Jazz looked at him with sad bit curious eyes. “Let’s make a deal.”
“What?”
“Keep up with your training and prove to me you can handle yourself, and we’ll get Daniel a sitter so you can pull a job with me. After I know you can take care of yourself I’ll watch Daniel so you can go out.” He’d been hesitant on sending a seven year old girl out into Gotham, but Jazz was improving leaps and bounds each day. She enjoyed challenging herself and improving, and Vlad was confident she would be a capable thief someday.
“Really? Thank you!” She threw her arms around him, claws tearing into the couch and nearly missing Vlad.
“Yes, yes.” Vlad pat the girls head, allowing the tight hug. He wasn’t a touchy person unless it was specific people, and Jazz was special. She was allowed in his personal space. Daniel allowed himself in everyone’s personal space.
“We do need to teach Daniel some actual fighting techniques now. He was a tad feral tonight.”
——
I love Feral Danny Fenton. This fic needs more of it, I’ve written Daniel as an inconvenience more than a child so far, so I wanted to let him shine a bit by causing some chaos
Also Bruce definitely suspected Vlad (or ‘David’ lol) was the new rogue, but this definitely confirms it. A child with the exact height and voice as his son appeared.