[Third Person Pov]
The Archer was forced onto the defensive, his bow no longer a tool of precision but a desperate shield as he tried to fend off Robin's relentless assault. Robin moved like a storm given form, each strike fueled by barely restrained fury. The Archer attempted to retreat, phasing upward in a bid to escape, but Robin was faster. He lunged forward and seized the ghost by his trailing ectoplasmic tail, yanking him back with brutal force. With a sharp twist of his body, Robin hurled him overhead and slammed him down onto the rooftop. The impact cracked against the concrete, the force strong enough to make the Archer bounce once before skidding to a halt.
Before the Archer could even recover, Robin was already moving again. He leapt after him midair and drove a punch into his torso, his fist glowing with condensed ectoplasmic energy. The blow landed solidly, knocking the wind out of the Archer and sending him reeling.
Suddenly, the Original Danny came flying down from above. Danny phased in just in time, placing a firm hand against Robin's chest to halt him mid-advance. His boots scraped against the rooftop as he pretended to struggled to hold Robin back.
"Hey—Archer dude," Danny said quickly, forcing a strained grin as if he was losing control of the situation. "I don't know how long I can keep my partner here from rearranging you, so you might wanna start talking. That might be the only thing that convinces him to stop."
Robin stopped for a moment and analyzed Danny, immediately realizing what Danny was doing. He decided to go along with it and acted as if he didn't like the interference, he shoved Danny backward with enough force to make it clear Danny was barely holding him at bay.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" the Archer exclaimed, scrambling backward in panic. His earlier defiance was gone, replaced by genuine fear as his eyes flicked toward Robin. "Just—just tell me what you want to know!"
Danny adjusted his stance, still keeping himself between them while putting on an exaggerated show of effort. "Simple questions," he said. "What are you doing in Gotham City? And why bring an entire army with you?"
"We're searching for Princess Dorathea's Dragon Amulet!" the Archer blurted out.
Both Robin and Danny froze, then slowly turned to look at each other.
"The army is because of you!" the Archer continued, his fear giving way to irritation as he found his footing again. "You keep interfering—getting in our way and stopping our search! We know the amulet is in this city, we just don't know where!"
"Hey, wait a minute," Danny said suddenly, snapping his fingers as realization dawned on him. The memory surged up from somewhere deep. He remembered them from his past life. They were from Aragon's kingdom… the Dragon Kingdom.
But since he couldn't say that, he improvised instead.
"You were the one robbing that jewelry store that time."
"I wasn't robbing anything," the Archer snapped, bristling at the accusation. "I was searching for the amulet."
"The executioner Batman and I fought…" Robin muttered, his frown deepening as the pieces clicked into place.
"Where I failed," the Archer said grimly, "the Kingdom hoped he would succeed. When he failed as well, the Kingdom organized a legion. Their orders were simple—take you all down and retrieve the amulet by force, if necessary."
Robin and Danny exchanged another glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Danny was the first to speak.
"Call off your army," he said calmly, "and we'll personally return the amulet to you."
"What?" Robin and the Archer said at the same time.
"The pendant you're searching for," Danny clarified, his tone turning firm and authoritative. "The dragon pendant meant for your princess—it's in our care. We'll hand it over willingly, but only to your princess herself and no one else. In return, you call off your army and stop antagonizing Gotham with your forces."
Robin grabbed Danny by the arm and pulled him aside, lowering his voice. "You can't just decide something like that without talking to Batman first."
Danny rolled his eyes. "We're old enough to make our own calls. And you know as well as I do this is the right way to handle it."
Robin studied him for a long moment, then finally nodded. "Very well."
Danny turned back to the Archer. "So? What do you say?"
The Archer straightened, his fear replaced by cautious resolve. "How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know this isn't a trap—for the Princess and for us?"
"Because we're the heroes of this city," Danny replied evenly, stepping forward and extending his hand. He met the Archer's gaze without flinching. "We want to resolve this peacefully if we can. I don't want to make an enemy of your kingdom when there's another way. If there's a solution that doesn't end in bloodshed, I'm all for it."
The Archer looked between Robin and Danny, weighing his options. After a moment, his gaze dropped to Danny's outstretched hand.
He didn't answer with words.
Instead, he nodded once and reached out, clasping Danny's hand in agreement.
…
Batman, Robin, and Danny stood atop the rooftop in silence as they watched the remnants of the royal army retreat. One by one, the armored figures lifted into the air, flying away from Gotham's skyline until they vanished into the night. The city lights below continued to glow, unaware of how close it had come to becoming a battlefield.
Batman was the first to move.
He turned slowly toward Danny, his cape settling behind him as his expression darkened into a familiar scowl. "Why didn't you consult me before making such an agreement?" he asked, his voice low and edged with restrained irritation.
Danny blinked and looked back at him, genuinely confused. "Because… there was no need?" he replied. "Do you seriously expect me to check in with you every time I decide to do the right thing?"
"That is not what I was referring to," Batman shot back. His frown deepened, and his glare sharpened as it locked onto Danny. "The amulet you agreed to give away is a dangerous artifact—one that should be secured and locked away. I don't think I need to remind you what happened the last time it fell into the wrong hands." His tone grew colder. "It wasn't yours to promise away."
"And it isn't ours to keep either," Danny fired back without hesitation. His casual demeanor vanished, replaced by a hardened, resolute expression. "And trust me, I know exactly what happened. That incident isn't something I'll ever forget." He paused briefly before continuing, his voice steady. "I know my actions might've looked impulsive, but they weren't. They were thought out"
"Were they?" Batman challenged, never breaking eye contact.
"They were," Danny answered firmly. "First, it was the fastest way to end the conflict before Gotham got dragged into a full-scale war and innocent people started getting hurt. Second, we don't know how large their forces really are or what kind of power they possess. For all we know, what we faced tonight was only a fraction of their army."
He took a breath, continuing before Batman could interrupt. "If we had outright defeated this legion, we might've provoked a much larger force in retaliation. One day we repel them, and the next Gotham is under siege."
Danny's tone grew more analytical as he pressed on. "Third, we can't afford to make enemies out of people we barely understand. We know almost nothing about their kingdom, their politics, or their intentions beyond retrieving the amulet. Acting aggressively without that knowledge would've been reckless. Until we know more, keeping things peaceful gives us the opportunity to learn whether they're potential allies—or real threats."
"And fourth," Danny added, "even if I turn out to be wrong and returning the artifact ends up being a mistake, we already have contingency plans in place. This gives us time to improve them and create more, just in case."
Danny slowly lifted into the air until he was eye level with Batman, meeting his gaze head-on. "You taught Robin and me to think critically. To analyze situations and come up with our own solutions instead of blindly following orders. You can't be angry at me for using the lessons you drilled into us."
Silence followed.
Robin stared at Danny in open disbelief, his eyes wide as if he'd just witnessed something impossible. Batman, meanwhile, studied Danny closely, his expression unreadable as he assessed every word that had been said.
Finally, Batman let out a low grunt. "While I don't like that you made such a decision behind my back," he admitted, "I'll acknowledge that some of your points are… valid."
The tension in Danny's shoulders eased instantly as he let out a quiet breath of relief.
But Batman wasn't finished.
"Just don't do it again," he warned, his voice carrying unmistakable authority.
With that, Batman fired his grappling hook and disappeared into the night, leaving the rooftop eerily quiet once more.
Robin slowly turned to Danny, staring at him like he'd just witnessed a miracle. "You stood up to Batman," he said in awe. "How did you survive that? I don't think I would've made it."
Danny's confident posture crumbled instantly. "Robin…" he whimpered. "I was so scared I don't think I can feel my legs."
"That's because you have a ghost tail," Robin replied flatly.
"Oh." Danny looked down, noticing the translucent tail trailing behind him. "…Yeah. That explains it."
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