captive ° d.p•j.l

"captive"

"Danny..!" His mother called wearily from downstairs. "Come here please..!"

Danny looked up from his homework, confused. "Where is here?!" He calls back.

"The front door, sweetie- we have guests!"

Danny, even more confused, gets up off his bed and heads downstairs as requested, only to pause in his step, blinking owlishly at the sight of Batman and Superman in his living room.

He was sure he'd died again and for some reason this is what he saw. "Um... hi..?" His incredulous confusion washed off him in waves.

"Hello, Daniel."

Danny cringed. "Please don't call me that." It reminded him way too much of Clockwork with how monotone he was and Danny did not need that right now. "Sooo..." He made his way down the rest of the stairs, feeling himself sweat a little, because who wouldn't right now. "...What can I help you two with?"

Batman turned to Danny's mom. "Mrs. Fenton, if you could please leave."

"Excuse m-"

"What he's trying to say," Superman starts, staring down his friend like 'wtf, dude?!', he then turns to smile charmingly at Danny's mother. "is that this might end up being a bit personal to Danny and it might be easier for it to take place without one of his parents present."

Danny mentally begged his mother to stay, but she sighed. "I'll be in the lab." She kissed Danny's cheek and left for the lab, leaving Danny without any protection. Danny thumbed the panic button on the side of his watch, trying to pass it off as him being nervous. "So," He chuckled nervously, "w-what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"We know Phantom's been manipulating you," Superman says sympathetically. "but we need to know what he wants and what he's got on you to help."

danny.exe has stopped working.

"What."

Superman started to repeat himself when it caught up to Danny what was said. Danny's lips quirked up, obviously trying very hard not to smile, but failing, "Sorry, he chuckled, as he held his phone up in front of his face, obviously recording them, "c...can you say that again?"

Superman frowned, confused.

"For... blackmail purposes..." Danny said slowly, now grinning. I mean... he wasn't lying...

Superman repeated that they knew that Phantom was holding him hostage, they just needed to know how and what he wanted.

Danny ended the video, lips still twitching a little, "Oh my gosh," He muttered quietly, barely holding down his laughter, "this is fucking gold." He saved it everywhere, and for good measure put it in an email draft- no way he was loosing this. "He's gonna be mopey for months."

"Who?" Superman questioned, now completely lost.

Danny, still grinning, said, "I know I'm grinning, but that's just because I know I've just made my year, I'm actually really fuckin' disappointed in you guys," Danny laughed a bit as he spoke, his face and voice making it very clear, that they got something very wrong. "like actual, real disappointment, 'cause holy shit, you guys are so off," Danny started cackling at this point.

"You know him. He's your friend." Batman stated. It wasn't a question.

Superman, trusting his friend's judgement, then said to Danny, "Give it to us straight kid: how does a smart kid like you end up tangled up in ghosts?"

"First of all," Danny thought for a split second because should he r e a l l y be doing this..? Yes. Yes he should. "nothing I do is straight."

Batman quietly groaned, "Not another one..."

"Second of all," Danny says, still grinning, "My parents are Ghost Hunters- how could I not?"

"Kid, now is really not the time to come out of the closet," Superman sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Danny snorted. "Bold of you to ever assume I was in one."

Batman seemed ready to run, cry and strangle Danny all at the same time. "Why, why did he have to pull out the charts?!" He bemoaned quietly.

Danny's grin widened. This was fun.