[Third Person Pov]
As Firefly was hauled away in reinforced restraints, Robin lifted a hand and pressed it firmly over the comm unit in his ear. His voice dropped into a focused, professional tone.
"Danny, come in. Do you read me? Report your situation. Do you require any assistance?"
There was a brief crackle of static before Danny's voice came through, calm and measured.
"Assistance isn't needed. I've already handled all remaining fires and secured the civilians. The situation has been fully contained."
Robin blinked, exchanging a glance with Batman. The Dark Knight slowly turned his head toward Dick, his expression unreadable beneath the cowl—but the pause alone spoke volumes. Batman tapped a finger against his own communicator.
"And how, exactly, did you manage that?" he asked. "Based on my estimates, you shouldn't have been finished yet. Not even by your usual standards."
There was a hesitation on the other end of the line, just long enough to be noticeable.
"...Honestly, you probably wouldn't believe me even if I explained it," Danny finally admitted. "It'd be better if I showed you both in person."
That response only deepened the confusion between the Dynamic Duo. Without another word, Batman fired a grappling hook toward a distant rooftop, the cable snapping taut as it pulled him forward.
"Meet us where we began our patrol tonight."
"Copy. Over and out," Danny replied, his transmission cutting off immediately afterward.
Robin followed Batman across the rooftops, vaulting effortlessly as he spoke.
"What do you think that was all about?" he asked, unable to keep the curiosity out of his voice.
"We'll know once we meet him," Batman replied evenly.
Robin leapt into the air, firing his own grappling line. "Do you really think he managed to put out all the fires already?"
"We'll know once we meet him," Batman repeated in the same flat, unchanging tone.
Robin's eye twitched behind his mask at the recycled answer, but he bit back any further questions and simply followed in silence.
When they arrived at their original meeting point, Danny was already there, standing casually with his hands planted on his hips. A strange, almost expectant smile tugged at his lips, as though he were waiting for something.
Robin slowed to a stop. "Alright," he said, narrowing his eyes. "What is it?"
Danny's smile widened—just as an icy breath brushed against Robin's ear from behind.
"Boo~"
"YELP!" Robin yelped, jumping back with a sharp gasp as he whipped around and instinctively drew a weapon, his hands trembling. "What. The. Hell!"
Batman, meanwhile, remained perfectly still. His gaze flicked briefly between the two identical teenagers now standing side by side. "You can clone yourself now," he stated.
Danny struck a dramatic pose and declared loudly, "Prepare for trouble!"
The second Danny spun into place beside him, mirroring the stance with exaggerated flair. "And make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!" the first Danny continued.
"To unite all peoples within our nation!" Clone Danny chimed in.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" Main Danny said, spinning and throwing a glance over his shoulder.
"To extend our reach to the stars above!" the clone added, thrusting an arm toward the night sky.
"Danny One!"
"Danny Two!"
"Team Phantom blasts off at the speed of light!" Danny twisted sharply to the side.
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" Danny Two finished, pressing his back against the original as both struck overly dramatic final poses.
"..."
A ghostly green tumbleweed rolled lazily through the silence as Batman and Robin simply stared, unblinking, saying absolutely nothing.
The longer the silence dragged on, the more Danny's confidence visibly wilted. Finally, he cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Yeah," he muttered. "I can clone myself."
"Oh no…" Robin groaned, facepalming hard. "Just what we needed. If one of you wasn't enough, now we've got two."
"First of all—rude," Danny replied flatly, his expression deadpan. Then his lips curled into a confident grin. "And who said two was the limit?"
Batman narrowed his gaze in a distinctly analytical manner, his eyes scanning Danny from head to toe with practiced precision. He studied him carefully, cataloging every subtle twitch, fluctuation of energy, and uneven breath. "How many?" he asked at last, offering no further elaboration.
"Four is the maximum at the moment," Danny answered after a second of thought. Both existing Dannys shifted their stances, bracing themselves as if preparing for impact.
From their backs, additional spectral hands began to emerge. Those hands dug into their own shoulders for leverage as their spiritual forms began to distort. The process was anything but clean or comfortable—their bodies warped in a grotesque, almost painful manner. The air filled with a sound disturbingly similar to velcro being torn apart as skin stretched, peeled, and separated.
The forming clones strained violently, pushing and pulling themselves free from the main bodies. With a sharp shout of exertion, two additional Dannys tore themselves loose, stumbling awkwardly through the air before finally stabilizing. They landed beside the others in uneven steps, knees buckling slightly before they caught themselves.
All four Dannys stood together now, visibly exhausted. They panted heavily, chests rising and falling in sync, each of them wincing with one eye squeezed shut from the strain. Speaking at the same time, they explained,
"I'm too weakened to create any more. It's almost like a mix of mental and physical strain. The number should increase with training, but this is the most I can manage right now."
Batman nodded slowly, clearly absorbing the information and mentally filing it away.
Robin circled the group, hands on his hips, leaning in close as he inspected them from every angle. "Okay, but how did you even find out you could do this?" he asked. "I'm trying to spot a difference and coming up with nothing."
Danny didn't answer immediately. His gaze dropped to the rooftop beneath his feet, and for a moment the air felt heavier. Batman caught the shift instantly—the subtle slump in Danny's posture, the faint shadow crossing his expression. He was just about to interject and dismiss the question when Danny finally spoke.
"I just… thought I wasn't enough," Danny admitted quietly, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish, almost embarrassed smile.
He looked up toward Batman, his expression earnest and raw.
"I know you told me to focus on doing what I could. That it wasn't my fault if I couldn't save everyone. But I couldn't accept that. I couldn't just comfort myself with what felt like flimsy reasoning. I can't just say, 'Oh well, I gave it my all—can't save everyone.' and go on about my day" His hands clenched briefly at his sides. "No one should ever find comfort in inadequacy. If you can't save everyone, then find a way how."
Danny took a breath before continuing. "I wanted to save everyone. And if one of me was inadequate… then maybe more of me would be more competent. So yeah. That's how."
Robin was grinning from ear to ear by the time Danny finished. He reached out and patted the back of the Danny closest to him. "You know, Danny, there are times when I think you're a total goofball with an annoying personality—"
"That's just uncalled for," all four Dannys replied in perfect unison.
"But then you go and say stuff like that," Robin continued, completely unfazed, "and I can't help but think you're actually really cool."
"Heh… you think so?" Danny asked, rubbing the side of his neck, clearly embarrassed.
Batman observed the remaining clones for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke.
"We'll do one more round of patrol before calling it a night. When we return, we'll begin testing the limits of your new ability."
"Yes, sir!" Danny snapped into a crisp salute.
The clones shimmered faintly before collapsing back into him one by one, merging seamlessly until only a single Danny remained standing.
Batman turned to leave, but paused. He placed a firm, reassuring hand on Danny's shoulder and gave a short nod.
"Good work tonight."
Danny glanced down, visibly flustered by the praise, while Robin beside him snickered and immediately leaned in, ready to tease him relentlessly.
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