With Batman gone Tim was alone with the ghost in the Batcave. He stood there uncomfortably watching the ghost for a while with his arms crossed assessing him. The ghost was doing the same at first but eventually gave up on staring at him and started to glance around, scanning his surroundings instead. Tim decided that it would be best if he started to do some more research on ghosts while waiting for Batman to return.
He didn't want to start up the interrogation again without B, but that didn't mean he couldn't ask a few curious questions here and there as he came across facts in his research. It was pretty quiet for the first bit. All that could be heard was the clacking of keys from the bat computer and the light buzz of electricity emitting from the containment device. Tim sighed and slouched back in his chair rubbing his temples with his black-gloved hand.
"Headache?"
Tim spun around slowly to see the ghost sitting — or floating in this case? — cross-legged in the cage looking at him with inquisitive eyes, his head tilted to the side like a curious puppy. The glowing green color radiating from them reminded him of the Lazarus waters. "Something like that." Tim grabbed his coffee mug that had his red robin logo on it, it was already getting cold but it wasn't that bad yet.
"So... nice weather we're having?" Tim glanced over at the ghost again, cup still in hand. The ghost in return smirked. "Not that I can see it or anything seeing as I am in a cage." He shrugged.
"We're also in a cave." Tim raised an eyebrow.
The ghost smirked slightly more, Tim could see a sharp canine showing through, not as much to be a vampire fang but definitely that of a predator. "Ahh right, that too." He waved his white-gloved hand to the side. "So, do I get to know the name of my captor? Or do I just go with moody bat teen?" He cracked his fingers as he stood up, placing his feet on the bottom of the cage and crossing his arms.
Tim had fully spun around in his chair by now. He had read a lot about ghosts being manipulative and evil. But you can't trust everything you read, Tim knew first hand what doing that could cause. This is also the first non-animalistic ghost they have come across. "Red Robin... And what about you? Or do ghosts not get names.''
The ghost laughed. "Some do, though it depends on how good you were for Halloween. Name's Phantom."
"Phantom, really? That doesn't sound like a real name." Tim felt his lip tug upwards again.
"Neither does Red Robin." Phantom crossed his arms, a much warmer smile on his face.
Tim chuckled "Touché." He put his cup on his desk and leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees. He was about ten feet away from Phantom at the moment. Well, his cage anyway.
"So do I get anything to eat or are you going to starve me?" Phantom tilted his head and made a fake pouty face.
Tim nodded, "I could probably get you something after you answer Bat's questions... you want a piece of toast or something?"
"Oh man, TOAST! I'm in heaven, five-star treatment right here... do you need me to fill out a survey later?" Phantom smiled. "Where do I put in a request to change my room around? I mean the bars are nice but the whole burning me thing is kind of throwing me off." He pretended to run his fingers along the bars without actually touching them and when he pulled them back he rubbed them together as if they were dirty.
Man, this guy had Dick's sense of humor... And Jason's sarcasm, great. Be here any longer, and he was going to end up part of the family. He doesn't have black hair and blue eyes though. "I was under the impression that ghosts don't eat human food." He could keep this ghost chatting, maybe he would let his guard down a bit and answer some questions.
"Eh, we don't." He shrugged. "The whole dead thing helps with that." As a show, Phantom phased his hand through his own stomach, making Tim's eyes widen under his mask, but he didn't react otherwise. "But that doesn't mean it's not fun to eat sometimes, like the good old days, you know?" Phantom glanced around. "You know what would be really nice... a tour. You could show me around your gloomy cave, maybe even the exit? I have always heard it is the best part of any tour."
"Yeah, not happening. Nice try, though."
Phantom floated up again to cross his legs. "Worth a shot, and I guess you're right, It wouldn't be practical if you were wheeling me around in a lift or something"
Tim chuckled again, he was about to say something else when he saw an icon pop up on the bat computer. He immediately turned around away from the ghost to look into it. A message from Batman.
)-(
Danny normally used humor to work himself out of bad situations. And this certainly was a bad situation. He had been joking with Mr. 'Red Robin' for a little while now, trying to get a sense of his character and their plan for what they will do with him. But so far it wasn't doing much. That was when he saw his chance.
Red Robin had turned away in the middle of their conversation to respond to some sort of important message. He had immediately cut himself off from the ghost, but that also meant that he wouldn't be paying much attention to his antics. Now was time for Danny to do what Danny does best.
Instead of being quiet and waiting Danny continued to make jokes and small talk with the hero, who now didn't respond in any way. He waited until the moment where he knew that the teen vigilante had tuned out his talking before he floated up to the top of the cage.
His parents did invent this, after all, and he could rewire this thing with his eyes closed. He continued talking as to not tip off the former Robin as to what he was doing. This was definitely something he could only do once and he would rather try it with this guy than Batman.
He made quick work of the wiring while burning his hands in the process, ectoplasm was now starting to drip down from the machinery and onto his arms and the floor. He tried not to let the pain show in his voice, something he was getting very good at now. Which is probably something that Jazz would try to psychoanalyze. Danny rolled his eyes.
He winced as he pulled out one final wire and there was the light sound of powering down coming from the system. The bars around him dimmed to a much darker green, he tentatively reached out and touched them and sighed silently when they didn't burn him. It took him only a moment for him to freeze the bolt in the lock and push the door silently open.
He floated out one step before he glanced over at the teen typing furiously away on his computer, something important perhaps? After this, Phantom had stopped talking. Just hoping he would have enough time, he floated up towards the roof of the cave glanced around one more time before trying to phase up though. But instead of phasing like he had expected, he slammed into the rock surface.
Danny winced, quickly pulling back and placing his gloved hands on the roof of the slightly damp cave, trying to phase his hands through. His brow scrunched in confusion. Why wasn't this working? He quickly flew over to the other side of the cave and tried that wall. Again he couldn't get out. What was happening here? Did they set something up?
He glanced back down at Red Robin, he was bound to notice him any second now. Crud. He quickly turned invisible and floated down towards what seemed to be an elevator. On the outside of the doors, made of what seemed to be the same material as the cave, was a hand scanner. Danny was tempted to put his hand down on it and test the tech, but he figured an alarm would go off on him or something, and that would bring along all kinds of problems.
He was running out of options, He needed to get out and fast, he didn't need these guys turning over the Guy's in White, or worse... His parents. And now it seemed the only escape was that elevator. He needed one of the hero's hands to open it. He glanced back at Red one more time, biting his lip hard enough he could taste the ectoplasm on his tongue. This was his least favorite power and the one that made him feel the least like himself.
He hated taking away others' free will, especially after what had happened to him with the Freakshow incident. He didn't want anyone to feel the way he did on that day. But here he had no other choice. He would just overshadow him for a minute. Use his body to get through the doors and past anyone else who could be in the rest of the cave. Only for a second, and he won't remember a thing, right? A little overshadowing never hurt anyone.
Red Robin finally seemed to have noticed the absence of Danny's constant talking because he turned his head to look at the powered-down empty cage with its door hanging open, no annoying spectre insight. Danny could see the teen's eyes widen in shock under his mask, which was surprisingly expressive. He quickly stood up and grabbed onto some sort of baton as his head whipped around the room.
'Now or never' Danny quickly flew behind the on-guard vigilante and quickly turned visible, sticking his head over his shoulder. "Missing someone?" Danny asked teasingly. Just as soon as Red Robin jumped at the sound of his voice he phased into the young hero's body. Danny had to fight really hard to keep in control, but it was easier, seeing as this guy had no idea what he was doing when it came to overshadowing. The element of surprise helped greatly, as well. Danny fell to his knees and gasped for air; he could feel every organ and muscle in this guy's body. He breathed out a sturdy breath, before pinching his forehead at his growing headache, man when was the last time this guy slept?
'Oh my gosh! I'm being possessed! What do I do?'
Danny froze at the voice in his own head that was not his own, and his breath hitched and eyes widened as he waited for a second. The voice was definitely Red Robin's. "First of all, It's called overshadowing... And second, HOW ARE YOU AWAKE!?"
---
Notes
Beta read by gamma_radio (ao3)
Soooo, Danny has overshadowed one 'Tim Drake.' What will happen next do you think? Especially with the rest of his family upstairs. What is happening with Jazz right now? And why are the ghosts in Gotham? You'll have to find out next time! XD
Also, there are a few of my Phantom headcanons shown here as well, and you will see a couple more later on also. One of the main ones was the teeth! "Not as much to be a vampire fang but definitely that of a predator". :p
Please tell me what you thought of this chapter! :D I love the feedback and read every comment. What do you think will happen next? Any theories?