Grumbling in mild disdain, Damian messed with the tie around his neck as his father greeted some random rich couple who thought it would be a good idea to talk to Brucie Wayne. Danny's core buzzed in his pendant underneath the boy's dress clothes. There was an excitement in the air and it wasn't just from the ghost boy. People milled about talking to people they knew or wanted to make connections with. Not to mention subtle underhanded dealings that always managed to work their way into these things. There was always at least one.
Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal but they had to change the location of the gala to the museum. Steph had set up a paint trap in the ballroom and it had accidentally been set off in the process of removing it. Needless to say, she was looking exhausted with paint splatters in her blonde hair as she worked her way through the room of socialites. It had taken her all night to clean half the room and it was still waiting for her once the gala was over. Damian didn't envy her in the slightest.
So, normally, it would have been easy for them to eavesdrop on the conversations around them since there were hidden microphones everywhere in the ballroom. With the change of venue, they had to improvise. The entire batclan was here save for Dick, who had somehow gotten out of the boring soiree since he was more of a casualty of the prank war than a participant.
This time.
He often was the one to lead them in other instances. So, instead, he was out as Nightwing with the help of Oracle. That way at least one vigilante was out tonight.
At least, Tim managed to convince everyone to were a suit that wasn't white. Operation make white suits a faux pas was a go.
I didn't realize that there would be so many people...
As excited as the ghost boy was to be here (and for what was to come), there was a hidden layer of anxiety that Danny was giving off that took Damian a moment to notice was there. The rest of his siblings were working their way through the room. None of them wanted to be there but this was their punishment and they accepted it. Tim actually looked well-rested for once since his coffee had yet to be replaced. So, hopefully, there wouldn't be a repeat of his face in the dinner fiasco. But it was still early.
"This is a party held by the famous Wayne family. It would be weirder if less showed up." Damian replied as his eyes scanned the room with a bored expression on his face. He knew that these stupid things were necessary for their cover but why did they have to be so awful? At least, none of the mothers had shoved their children his way in attempts to form a bond. Yet. It would happen at least once before the night was out.
Danny hummed in response before his semi-jovial, yet anxious, mood suddenly took a nose dive into depression territory. Causing the boy to stumble uncharacteristically as he schooled his expression into one of neutrality against the wave of sadness that came from the ghost. Damian scanned the room subtly trying to find what it was that set the ghost off. "What happened? Danny, what's wrong?" He whispered blessed that any mic on him was being jammed by the ghost currently. The youngest Wayne rolled his eyes at Bruce when his father took note of his slightly odd behavior.
That couple that is over there in the corner... the wallflowers...
Damian turned his attention in the direction Danny suggested to see a solemn couple dressed all in black off to the side. He recognized them as frequent visitors to their galas but couldn't place their names. He just remembered that they were more annoying than anything. "What about them...?"
That's Mr. and Mrs. Manson... they are- uh were... my friend's parents.
Manson. Sam Manson. She was one of the two family friends that had been found in the lab explosion that had taken the lives of Danny's entire family. Now that he had the name, Damian recognized the overzealous parents of the goth activist that was always dragged to these things at her parents' expense. They loved shoving her into his path in an attempt for them to get together or, at minimum, become friends. Sam was someone he approved of. She was vegan and didn't take shit from anybody. Not even her parents.
When they weren't trying to hook him or one of his brothers up with their daughter, they were trying desperately to get Bruce's attention for one inane thing or another. So it was surprising to see the normally bright-colored couple wearing the shades and style that their daughter would while standing off to the side trying not to get attention. "...do you want me to go talk to them?" Damian asked ignoring the flicker of surprise that came from Danny. To be honest? He really didn't want to but if this provided the ghost closure in some way then he wasn't going to deny him that.
I... I don't... Danny stumbled over his words as he tried to figure out what he wanted to do. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind when they came to the gala. He was just supposed to keep Damian entertained while pranking some of the rich jerks that weren't on the nice side of things. Then form in front of Damian's family after the party was over. Thinking Sam's parents would attend hadn't crossed his mind. He hadn't seen them since before the explosion. They had been on a rocky truce with them since he did care for Sam and had proved it by protecting her one time and they saw it. They didn't necessarily like him but he was tolerated instead of despised. Which was an improvement! But he had been away from Amity Park for almost a year. A lot changes in a year. They were the first Amity Parkers he had seen since he awoke and there was a deep ache in his core in wanting to see if they were all right. Not that he could really do much for them right now. You know what...? Why not? It would be nice to learn what happened to the town in my absence.
With Danny's approval, Damian took the first available moment to slip away while his Father was distracted. He weaved his way expertly through the crowd of people until he stood not far from the Mansons' who were still in grieving if the way they were dressed and their expressions was anything to go by. Now... how did he start a conversation without making it awkward or worse by mentioning their daughter?
However, he was saved from having to do that when Mrs. Manson went to grab something from her clutch and noticed him. "Oh my! If it isn't Damian Wayne. It's positively lovely to see you again." All of the sorrow that she held on her face was replaced with a carefully masked smile that only an elite socialite could create so fast. Yet just because she could hide the emotion on her face, she couldn't hide the emotion in her eyes. The sorrow was there within them. Carefully tucked away to process in a place that wasn't out in public. "It's been a long while since you have attended one of these."
"Yes... I may have gotten into some trouble a while ago that I am still trying to make amends for." Damian replied more to keep the conversation going than to spare the woman's feelings.
"Kids will be kids, eh?" Mrs. Manson's smile turned kind as her eyes began to water. "How have your endeavors to help animals come along? When I last heard, you were volunteering in shelters and the like."
The sadness that Danny felt calmed as they carried on. Just hearing the parents' of one of his closest friends seemed to help soothe a pain that was deep within him. The conversation continued along these lines until Damian brought up some of the wildlife charities that he personally founded and funded. The Mansons' shared a look before letting their smiles turn solemn. "Actually... that is why we are here. You see... our daughter was involved in an accident about a year ago. She didn't survive." Mrs. Manson's voice choked for a moment but she powered through and continued on. "As we were going through her things... we found plans that she wanted to enact when she was older. Sam was always a strong, bold girl. She was always fighting to save the planet one way or another... Oh... we knew that once she got older, she was going to take the world by storm." Her voice failed and Mr. Manson picked up where she left off.
"We came to this gala in hopes of finding investors to help start up some of the charities and programs that she came up with. Most of them were absolutely brilliant and even though she isn't here anymore to fight..." Now it was Mr. Manson's turn to take a moment before he could continue speaking. "We wanted her dreams to live on though but when we arrived..."
"We... were having trouble talking to our 'friends'. Now we understand why Sam hated these things so much... most wouldn't even give us the time of day." Mrs. Manson turned her attention to all of the nicely dressed people milling about like nothing was wrong. "...we should have listened to her more..."
Damian had to fight back tears from the overwhelming feeling of sorrow that came from the pendant. He distracted himself by taking a drink from a waiter walking by. This is what he remembered of Samantha Manson. A goth girl with an attitude that wanted nothing more than to make the planet eco-friendly. It was her way or the highway on most things and more often than not, Damian was her accomplice in helping her sneak out of these stifling parties for greener pastures. He didn't blame her.
I... I don't know whether to be touched or angry...
The boy grunted to show he was listening but kept his attention on the two adults in front of him.
When Sam was alive, they hardly ever listened to her. They kept trying to mold her into this perfect little princess that she wasn't. And now... that she's gone... they support her? They want her dreams to become reality? Why didn't they try while she was still around? Why after? Why NOW that she is gone do they suddenly care about the passions she held in life?
Why indeed? There were lots of reasons for this but Damian couldn't voice them at the moment. This was a situation where there was no real good outcome. There also was no wrong answer. So Damian cleared his throat to gain the attention of the Manson's again. "My father has a lot of environmental programs that he runs through charities in Gotham and other places. He would have a good idea of where to start. Why don't I help introduce these programs to him?" They looked relieved that the prickly son of the Wayne's offered and Damian ignored Danny's slight outrage in helping the lost parents make their way over to his father.
Bruce arched a brow at his approach but that was the only break from his playboy persona. "Hey there, chum. Make some new friends?"
"Yes, Father. This is Mr. and Mrs. Manson. They have some programs to help Gotham and other cities to help them become more ecologically friendly." Keeping his free hand low, Damian signed 'Sam Manson's parents. The one who died in the lab accident' in finger spelling. Feeling slightly gratified when both of Bruce's brows shot up in surprise. The Brucie mask broke twice in a matter of moments.
"That's wonderful! I'm always ready to hear of new ways to help the planet!" Bruce took the lead and led the Mansons away a small bit to talk, leaving Damian the chance to sneak away from the stifling atmosphere for a little while.
Danny was still slightly mad as Damian made his way into a secluded hallway so that he could finally speak without looking like a madman. "What's wrong?"
What's wrong? What's wrong? Why did you do that? Danny's core was seething and Damian took a second so that he could calm himself as he walked through the empty hallways.
"I would have thought that you would like that I helped make it so that your friend's wishes had a bigger chance of becoming a reality." The youngest Wayne spoke with a calm reassurance to his tone. He didn't fully understand why the ghost was angry but he did know that Danny was processing some grief right now. He just needed a moment to work through his emotions.
Of course, they deserve to be made real! But they don't deserve your help! They ignored Sam pretty much their entire lives! Why couldn't they try to make amends while she was alive? When it mattered?!
Damian was struggling a little bit. While he understood that the Manson's were entitled to their right to grieve how they saw fit, he also could see why Danny was so frustrated by their lack of action until now. "...It's easy to forget that most only have a limited time on this planet. Parents don't often think that they will have to bury their children. Instead, they are expectant that their child will be burying them. So, more often than not, they try to raise their child to what they think is right. A lot of parents not realizing the actual damage they are doing to the child while doing so." Damian frowned a bit. Knowing all too well how he was raised one way, only to be dumped on the other parent. Talia loved him but she definitely wasn't a good mother. Not by a long shot and, even now, is still trying to unlearn the indoctrination of assassin code that Mother had beaten into him. "It is unfortunate but... at least, they are trying to honor their daughter's memory instead of burying her from their lives for good."
"As her close friend, you have a right to be mad. Your anger is valid but you must understand that odds are, their actions weren't meant to be malicious. They clearly loved their daughter. Unfortunately, they only learned how to see her perspective after she was no longer there to say it." Damian stopped in the Greek exhibit that he had spent a good chunk of time in prior on the school trip. Danny seemed to have simmered down. His seething subsided into frustration as he contemplated Damian's words. The two boys remained quiet for a while. Danny while he finally grieved his friend after waking up and Damian keeps quiet and vigilant so that the ghost teen had the privacy to do so.
Why is a kid that is like... five years younger than me more mature?
There was a smirk on Damian's face as he leaned up against the wall. Careful not to touch anything that would set off an alarm. The ghost teen's emotions had finally calmed into dull neutrality. Tired in an emotional way. "I may be physically younger but my mental age is pretty high."
...We were both forced to grow up too soon.
Damian was about to retort when suddenly the entire building shook violently. He quickly slipped the pendant back under his clothes and started running back toward where the party was. Screams of terror cut through the silence but a more chilling sound made itself known. The cackling laugh of the Joker filled the room along with the gas that was making its way through the massive crowd at an alarming pace. Damian couldn't find any of his siblings or Bruce. Minions in clown costumes were blocking the exits and Damian couldn't get any closer unless he wanted to subject himself to the Joker's Laughing gas.
Feeling a presence behind him, Damian dropped down to avoid the grab of a goon in a gas mask. He swept the legs out from under his assailant and kicked the man's head hard so that he was knocked out. The young assassin moved into the shadows. "Danny, I need you to-"
You got it.
Quickly, he fished out the comm that he held in his pocket and put the piece in his ear. Chatter was already filling his ears with the others providing status reports and their positions. "I have lost sight of the Joker. Everyone be on guard and your eyes peeled." Dick called over the comms and you could feel the tension in the air at the admission.
"If you find him, do not move to apprehend. I don't want any of you going after him alone." Bruce cut in over the rest of the chatter silencing his kids with his authoritative tone. No one argued. Joker was always a sensitive subject when it came to going after him. Not knowing where the Joker was never ended well.
As he rounded a corner, Damian was greeted by three minions and the Joker himself. The adults all turned their attention to him. Joker's smile got wider when he realized who he was. "Well, well! Look what we have here! One of Brucie Wayne's gaggle of misfits lost and all alone." Joker wiped a fake tear from his eye with a gloved hand. "Why weren't you hanging around with Daddy? Is the party too boring for you?"
"Tt." Damian bristled and he could feel the hackles raising in Danny as well. Which was intriguing because the ghost had never met the clown before. "I was simply taking a look around. There is more than just the party here."
"Holy-, is that Robin I hear?" Tim asked incredulous that he could hear his little brother so clearly.
"Oracle, do you have his location?" Bruce asked with his footsteps being heard in the background.
"Yes! Thankfully, it's working. I've already sent it to you all."
"Hang on, baby bat. I'm on my way." There was a sense of urgency in Dick's voice. One that could be felt by everyone on the comm line.
Damian frowned and took a couple of steps back as Joker advanced on him slowly. "True. There are a lot of pretty things to look at here, aren't there? Say... why don't you come with me? We could play a game." Joker's longer strides meant he was able to get closer faster. With each step, something started to grow in Danny. Something ominous.
Not wanting to figure it out nor egg the Joker on, Damian turned tail and booked it down the hallway away from the villain. A chase began as the Joker found a new target to play with and the goons came along for the ride. The boy ran through the museum, knowing its layout far better than the average Gothamite would. He knew a good pinch point where the others would be able to take out the Joker without much trouble. Oracle noticed his route and relayed it over the comms to the others so that they could get into position.
Left. Right. Left. Left. Up a flight of stairs. Right again... Damian reached the end of a dead end and whirled around as the Joker and his men rounded the corner. They stalked forward, like a predator about to snag its trapped prey. "Awww... looks like it's the end of the line. Guess we'll have to play a new game-"
Glass shattered as Nightwing kicked in through the window and caught Joker in the chest. Red Robin followed not long after, along with Black Bat and Spoiler. Damian subtly relaxed now that the others were here but he couldn't let his guard down completely. He had a ghost to calm. Danny was only getting worse and he didn't know why. It wasn't a panic attack but it felt like it could turn into one. Unable to voice it, he put a hand over his chest where the pendant rested. Pushing calming thoughts the ghost's way.
LOOK OUT!
Damian looked up to see the Joker right in front of him, having wormed his way out of Nightwing's grasp. He grabbed Damian and pulled him in front of him against his chest. "Ahahahahaha! This has been fun but... let the new game commence!" Joker broke the closest window and jumped out of it. Taking Damian with him. The fall was short and thankfully they landed in the well-pruned bushes outside. With a grunt, Damian tried to use the opportunity to get away but to no avail. The Joker held fast.
The clown stood up and ran away from the chaos he incited with Damian and Danny as his hostages.