The sons of Batman

Ch. 16

Two weeks later

"Congratulations Daniel, you gained about three pounds." A male nurse said as Danny stepped off the scale.

"Thank you Willis, but please call me Danny. That's what everyone calls me."

"Well... Danny did you take all your pills?"

"Yes mister" Danny said

"Good lad, cause I heard that Batman  was coming to pick you up. To take you away from this place ain't that right, kid?"

"Yeah, and isn't the name Willis, a lady's name?"

"You know what your funny, too bad you'll be leaving, right, kiddo!?"

"Right, and stop calling me kiddo, only my dad gets to call me that." was Danny's reply

"Right, and I heard that Batman's a bastard who runs around in a bat suit"

"You got me there... Willis, with a capital W for woman," he starts to chuckle. The man stares at him but joins in anyway, and they both start laughing.

There was a knock at the door. "Alright kid you're free to go back to your cell," a guard said.

"Well bye Willis," Danny says as he goes to the door, "Maybe try and stay off the whiskey while your working. I can smell it on your breath."

"Well I can't really promise you that now can I," Willis says as Danny closes the door.

A hand rests on Danny's shoulder. He looks up to see the guard with a faint smile on his otherwise old face. 

"Coming kid?"

"Yeah, I'm coming," Danny said

The gaurd took Danny to his cell. Danny sat on his bed to think.

So when is Bruce coming to pick me up Danny thought to himself, when he heard the door open

"You got visitors kid

Batman and Robin walk through the door.

"Aw, you brought Robbie with you." Danny cooes

"Damn you, stutup," he said in a calm voice that was laced with venom.

"Make me, shorty," Danny said back using the same tone of voice.

" Hey, I'm not short, you're only three inches taller than me."

"Boys," Batman said in his usual calm voice

"Sorry Bats," Robin said

Danny did not say anything. He just stared at the wall with a blank stare. Suddenly, Danny looked much older, a lot more tired. The color drained from his otherwise pale face.

His breathing became sharper, and labored. He fell to the ground and squirmed.

Robin was fiddling through his belt until he found a inhaler. 

"I hope this works," he mumbled to himself

Robin shook the inhaler a put it in Danny's mouth telling him to breath. Danny did as Robin said and the color flushed back to Danny's face.

Batman was looking at Robin. "My brother has  or did have asthma. He hadn't had since he was five years old."

"Did you asthma," Batman asked Robin

"Yeah I had asthma, but it stopped when I turned five and a half. I think the reason that his asthma is acting up again because he aged those two years, but I'm not sure."

Danny started to wheeze, "Please pl-please t-take me h-home."

"Okay kid, are you sure yo can make it to the car," Batman says as Danny stands up

"Yeah, I can make it Bats, don't w-worry about me."

"You say you don't need help, but if you fall I'm carrying you to the car."

"Fine by me, but I don't need your help now."

Batman leads Robin and Danny to the car, watching Danny closely.

Danny climbed in the car with Batman and Robin and they drove back to the batcave in the bat mobile. 

Seven months passed and Danny slowly got better, and after the second month was diagnosed with depression and ptsd. Danny hid behind a mask and pretended that everything was fine.

He used the alias of Crow, and put the criminals back behind bars. Where they all belonged.

He wore a dark blue long sleeved shirt, with a black domino mask. He wore a cape, tight black pants, and long black steeled toed boots. With a white belt to match his otherwise dark outfit.

Then one fateful night when he was doing he usual run of the city. Jocker found him and put him to sleep using knock out gas.

He woke up a few hours later on the ground of an old wear house and realized that he was tied up and bloody. He looked around to see Joker's staring insanely, back at him.

"You like what I did to your arm pumpkin," Crow didn't answer, "Aw not very talkative are we." He chuckled, "Well, I'll change that won't I." Joker gravs a crowbar and starts to wack him with it.

"Have anything to say now sunshine," he asked with an insane chuckle. He hits Danny again with a crowbar.

The Joker tugs on his hair so Danny is looking into his eyes. Danny spits blood at the Joker's face.

"You rude little prick, I do believe you need to learn some manners."

"We'll save that for another time," he cracked his neck and hit him in the back with the crowbar several times.

Crow groaned, he heard his ribs crack. "Shit," he mumbled.

"No swearing pumpkin, or I'll ground you," he chuckled again

"Go to hell," Danny said, his voice ruff

"Hell is a strong word kid," he said as he walked towards the door. Have fun and say hello to the big man when you see him." 

He  puts on his coat and chuckles as he closes the door. As soon as the Joker left, Danny moved his arms over his head. He tried to stand up but failed in process and fell to the ground.

He tried to wiggle towards the door, he made it. The door was locked. He heard ticking and looked behind there was a few bombs and they were set to go off in fifteen seconds.

The door was locked so he knew he wouldn't make it. At least he woukd die with his dignity in tact.

He threw himself at the door with minimal effort. At least he knew he'd be missed. He had been with his brother for all his life, and Batman for about three of them. (His parents died when he was nine, skipped two years, and then there was the next two years.) 

So I guess he was with batman for actually five years.

He looked at how much time he had left.

Three... two... one

There was a loud boom and then there was only the silence of death.

---

Done