A/N: Imma be honest I'm a bit dissatisfied with this arc since it was just something I accidentally started on a whim, I even thought about deleting the first three chapters when they released and restarting but as they say, fuck it we ball. I was disappointed with the beginning, found the middle very good and was okay with how it ended 😅 so bare with me for a bit on this small arc.
...
[Third Person Pov]
Danny was lying comfortably on his back along the length of the worn leather sofa, his head propped up on the padded armrest. Across from him, Dinah sat with her posture leaning forward attentively, elbows resting on her knees as she fixed him with a warm yet probing grin, her eyes sparkling with professional curiosity.
"So," she began softly, her voice gentle and encouraging as she tried to ease him into the conversation, "I heard you went and took on a mission to Atlantis. You actually met with Aquaman himself. How did that go? Was it fun? Exciting?"
"Yup, it was exciting alright," Danny replied with a bright, easygoing smile that lit up his face, as if recounting a casual vacation. "I made some new friends down there, toured the hidden wonders of Atlantis once everything wrapped up, and even presented myself as a pretty valuable strategist in the process."
Dinah raised a single eyebrow, clearly intrigued and on the verge of interjecting with a follow-up question. But she caught herself, holding back as it became apparent that Danny wasn't finished sharing just yet.
"Oh yeah, and get this," he continued casually, his tone remaining light and conversational. "I saw myself get eaten gruesomely by this massive shark-like creature from the depths. I watched helplessly as brave soldiers fought and gave their lives as the number of casualties from our side mounted. We were all also subjected to this ghostly fog that made us experience our worst fears and caught glimpses of the corpses—not just of my parents, but of Batman and Robin too, along with my two closest friends. Then there was also the part where I blew up the ship of the Flying Dutchman, but I was too close to the blast radius and ended up mutilating my body, leaving this gaping hole right at the side of my head."
Danny delivered the harrowing details with the same breezy nonchalance one might use to describe a mildly interesting movie plot, all while glancing over at Dinah. She simply stared back at him, her expression carefully neutral, betraying nothing of the whirlwind of concern and disbelief stirring beneath the surface.
"So yeah, let me tell you," Danny added with an enthusiastic nod, "I had an absolute blast. Oh, right—look at this!" He sat up slightly, reaching into his utility belt with practiced ease and pulling out a small notepad. He flipped it open and thrust it toward Dinah with pride. "I got both Aquaman's and Aquawoman's autographs! Isn't that awesome?"
Dinah's straight face finally cracked, giving way to a visible wave of exasperation mixed with reluctant fondness. She let out a slow sigh, rubbing her temple lightly. "...This is going to be a long session. We might need to split this all into two days—or maybe even three—to be able to properly cover everything you just told me."
Danny, undeterred, continued holding up the notepad, pointing eagerly at the signatures. "You see this? They're even right next to each other. Isn't that just adorable?"
…
Later, in the familiar glow of his parents' high-tech laboratory, Danny moved with quiet efficiency while Ember lounged on one of the sturdy worktables. She sat with her back pressed against the cool wall, cradling her beloved guitar close to her chest as she meticulously fine-tuned the strings, her fingers making small, precise adjustments that produced soft, experimental plucks echoing through the space.
Danny was busy expelling the various ghosts he had captured earlier, opening a swirling portal to the Ghost Zone and guiding the spectral entities back through with careful, practiced gestures. As he worked, Ember shared the tale of her recent contract signing, her voice carrying a mix of lingering unease and casual storytelling.
"The guy who I was with was giving me the creeps," Ember said, her tone low as she adjusted another tuning peg. "I'm telling you, there was something seriously off about him."
"Do you think he's human trafficking the girls he signs?" Danny asked abruptly, glancing over his shoulder at her with sudden intensity, his protective instincts kicking in without hesitation.
"Wha— Just what kind of conclusion is that?!" Ember exclaimed, looking at him with wide-eyed bewilderment. "All I said was that he was giving me the creeps, and you're already jumping straight to human trafficking?"
"Ember, you're the ghost here," Danny replied, rolling his eyes as he sealed the portal with a final flick of his wrist. "You should've been the one giving him the creeps, not the other way around. Look, I should've done this from the start anyway—I'll run a full background check on the company and see if anything suspicious turns up."
Ember hesitated for a long moment, her fingers pausing on the guitar strings. "...Can you like… Not?" she asked tentatively.
Danny slowly stopped what he was doing, turning fully to face her with genuine confusion etched across his features. "What?" he asked, sounding utterly perplexed.
"Just leave it be," Ember insisted, her voice growing sharper. "All I said was that the guy gave me the creeps. There's no need to go full detective mode and do something unnecessary. It's probably nothing, and you're seriously overthinking it." She looked away from him, striking a few random chords on her guitar in an agitated rhythm.
"And if it is something?" Danny pressed, walking over casually but with clear determination in his stride. "What then?"
"Then ignore it as well, since it's none of your business!!" Ember snapped angrily, her hand coming down harder on the strings and producing a discordant twang. Her face twisted into a grimace, frustration and defensiveness flashing in her eyes.
"Come on, seriously?" Danny asked, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. "We both know I can't just do that. Besides, what do you think is going to happen to you? That they'll just accept you as you are and leave you be afterward?"
"I'm a ghost, Danny," Ember snarled, her voice rising with irritation. "They can't touch me even if they tried. I'll be perfectly fine—nothing's going to happen to me."
Danny stood his ground, his expression steady but laced with genuine concern. "Sure, you'll be fine—but what about the other girls then?" he asked, stepping closer and caging her in with his arms on either side of her body, hands planted firmly on the table behind her.
"Why should anything that happens to them be any of my concern?" Ember growled, her voice sharp with irritation as she shoved at his chest, trying to push him off so she could slip away. "And if you're so worried about what's wrong with them, why don't you go and marry them then?"
However, Danny didn't budge an inch. He simply stared at her with an unmistakable 'are you serious?' look on his face, his blue eyes unwavering.
"Just move it, Danny. I want to leave," Ember said, clearly upset now. Her frustration was boiling over, voice cracking slightly under the weight of the confrontation.
"Nope," Danny answered casually, remaining exactly where he was, solid as a wall.
"What do you mean 'no'? Move it!" Ember snarled, her temper flaring dangerously as she hovered on the verge of attacking him outright, ghostly energy faintly crackling at her fingertips.
"Not until we're able to properly resolve this," Danny said, his expression turning serious, all traces of casual deflection gone. "I know what this is all about, Ember. You're so close to achieving your dreams, and this could jeopardize everything."
Ember suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his jumpsuit, yanking him closer with casual strength. "If you understand that much, then please, Danny…" Her voice dropped, raw and desperate. Her eyes moistened with unshed tears, glistening under the fluorescent lights of the lab. "You get why this means so much to me."
She lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze any longer. Shame colored her pale features as she continued, voice barely above a whisper. "Being a rockstar… that's all I ever wanted. All I ever dreamed of. You don't get just what I'm willing to sacrifice to make that dream a reality. You're going to ruin it all, just when I'm the closest I've ever been."
Danny let out a soft exhale, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. He reached up gently, hooking a finger under her chin and tilting her face back up to meet his eyes. "You're the one that doesn't get it," he said quietly, his tone firm yet filled with quiet affection. "Trust me, I know exactly what this dream means to you. And it's precisely why I need to make sure everything is legitimate. You might not think it but I'm doing this for you, for your sake."
"Tell me honestly," Danny continued, not giving her a chance to pull away or reply. "Do you really want to sign yourself over and release your music with a label that might be operating under illegal pretenses? One that's potentially taking advantage of girls who share the same passion as you? I've seen how hard you've worked for this—I was there, remember? I helped compose your songs. I watched you rack your brain for hours trying to perfect every lyric, every melody. I want you to succeed Emher, I want this to work out for you."
Ember tried to look away again, but Danny kept their eyes locked, his hand steady beneath her chin. "You and your music deserve everything to be legitimate—especially after all the effort you've poured into making it this far. If I'm wrong about this, great. Then I'm just an idiot who's seen and read too many conspiracy stories. But if I'm right… they don't deserve you or your music, you're worth so much—"
Danny was cut off mid-sentence as Ember suddenly dove forward, crashing her lips against his in a fierce, passionate kiss. Her eyes were prickling with tears that threatened to spill over, but the intensity of the moment overpowered everything else. Their lips pressed together with raw emotion, a mixture of frustration, fear, and undeniable affection.
"Wha—" Danny began, pulling back just enough to speak, utterly bewildered.
"You have a bad habit of talking too much," Ember whispered emotionally, her breath warm against his mouth. She pressed their lips together again, deeper this time, silencing him effectively. "And always saying something makes it hard for me not to kiss you."
"Ember…" Danny murmured against her lips, his hands moving to gently grab her shoulders as he pulled back a little. Both of them were breathing heavily, chests rising and falling in sync, the air between them charged.
Ember bit her bottom lip, a vulnerable flicker crossing her face as she searched his eyes. "Fine… do your stupid investigation. But for both our sakes, I really hope you turn out to be wrong about this."
"Yeah… so do I," Danny said grimly, his voice low. He didn't have much hope, though—not in a city like Gotham, where shadows hid far too many ugly truths. Still, he held her close, the shared intimacy between them a little hard to break away from.
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