Scene: Gotham Academy — Late Afternoon
The last bell rings.
Students flood out. Teachers sigh in relief. Somewhere in the distance, a window explodes.
Normal Gotham things.
Damian is already alert.
“Stay behind me, Fenton,” he says, hand hovering near a concealed blade.
Danny blinks. “Why? Are we doing a fire drill or—”
The ground erupts.
Three figures in League of Assassins gear land in a semicircle around them—silent, precise, lethal.
Students scream. Scatter.
Damian draws his sword in one smooth motion.
Danny squints. “Oh. Ninjas. Cool.”
Damian spares him a look. “These are not—”
One assassin lunges.
Damian intercepts, steel ringing against steel. Another circles. The third?
Goes straight for Danny.
The assassin grabs him by the arm—
—and pauses.
Danny just stares at him.
“…Hi?” Danny offers.
The assassin hesitates for half a second.
Big mistake.
Danny tilts his head. “So like… are you guys hiring? Because your dress code is kinda strict but the whole ‘dramatic entrance’ thing? Respect.”
The assassin tries to knock him out.
CRACK.
Danny’s head snaps to the side.
He slowly turns back.
“…Rude.”
Behind them, Damian finishes disarming his opponent and spins—
—just in time to see Danny get punched again.
And again.
And not go down.
Damian’s eyes narrow.
“Fenton,” he snaps, “why are you not unconscious?”
Danny shrugs mid-grapple. “Good question, I’ve been asking that since like, age fourteen.”
The assassin draws a blade—
—and stabs Danny clean through the shoulder.
Damian moves instantly.
Too late.
The blade sinks in.
There’s a beat.
Danny looks down at it.
“…huh.”
Damian freezes. The assassins freeze.
Danny grabs the handle.
Yanks it out with a wet sound.
“Hey, quick note,” he says, waving the knife slightly, “this is, like, super unsanitary.”
The wound?
Already closing.
The assassin steps back.
For the first time—uncertain.
Damian stares.
“…What are you?”
Danny brightens. “Oh! I’m Danny.”
“THAT WAS NOT THE QUESTION.”
Another assassin throws a smoke bomb.
The area fills with gray haze—
—and when it clears, Danny is gone.
Damian stiffens.
“…Tt. Kidnapped.”
Scene: League Safehouse — Somewhere Unpleasant
Danny wakes up tied to a chair.
He looks around.
“…Okay, this is new.”
A familiar, chilling presence steps from the shadows.
Ra's al Ghul
Ra’s studies him with ancient, calculating eyes.
“You are… not what I expected.”
Danny grins. “Aw, thanks, I get that a lot.”
Ra’s circles him slowly. “Vlad Masters has taken an interest in you. That alone makes you… valuable.”
Danny groans. “Ugh, him. Can I opt out of being valuable?”
Ra’s ignores that.
“You will serve as leverage.”
Danny considers.
“…Counter-offer: you don’t kidnap me, and I don’t accidentally haunt your entire organization?”
Ra’s pauses.
“…Accidentally?”
Danny shrugs. “Look, I don’t always control the whole ‘ghostly vengeance’ vibe.”
There’s a faint sound in the corner.
A soft crunch.
Invisible, lounging like he paid for front-row seats—
Vlad Masters
—eating popcorn.
Silently laughing.
Ra’s gestures.
An assassin steps forward—
—and drives a blade into Danny’s side.
Danny flinches.
“…Okay, seriously, what is with you people and stabbing—”
The blade is pulled out.
The wound seals.
Ra’s stills.
For the first time—
genuine interest.
“…Remarkable.”
Danny winces. “Yeah, my doctor said the same thing right before he quit.”
Ra’s leans closer.
“You are not merely leverage.”
Danny smiles nervously. “Oh no.”
“You are an opportunity.”
Scene: Gotham Rooftop — Night
Damian lands silently beside Batman.
Batman stands in shadow.
“Report.”
Damian crosses his arms.
“…Fenton was taken.”
A beat.
“And?”
Damian hesitates.
“…He allowed it.”
Batman turns.
“…Explain.”
Damian scowls.
“I am… still attempting to.”
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