Chapter 2: Grieving

[Third Person's PoV] 

Danny lay on a cold, steel bed deep in the Batcave, shifting and twisting as fragments of memories pulsed through his mind—painful, fractured memories colliding with the reality of his new state. His breathing became shallow as the last fragments hit, a relentless replay of what had happened in his parents' lab, followed by the haunting faces of his mother, father, and sister before they were all caught in the explosion.

Suddenly, Danny's eyes shot open, a blazing, unnatural green illuminating the darkness around him. He shot upright on the bed with a scream, "MOM! DAD!! JAZZ!!" His voice echoed through the cavern, laced with panic and heartbreak, tears streaming down his face.

"No… No… What have I done?!" Danny sobbed, clutching his chest as grief overtook him. "I killed them! No, no! Please… please no!" His voice cracked, each cry filled with overwhelming regret. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" His fists tightened around the fabric of his shirt as he doubled over, a gut-wrenching scream escaping him.

Before Batman and Robin could approach, a strange transformation began. Rings appeared and twisted around Danny, and his body slowly changed; his hair turned stark white, and his skin took on a ghostly pallor. His anguish fueled the shift, pushing him further into his ghost form. Tendrils of eerie, green energy flickered around his limbs, as if his very soul was flickering in and out of the physical world.

Batman and Robin rushed forward, intent on restraining and calming him. "Danny, listen to me," Batman commanded in his firm, grounding tone, placing a strong hand on Danny's shoulder. Robin moved to the other side, his own grip firm but steady. "You're safe. Just take a breath."

But Danny's fear, confusion, and raw strength in his new form were overwhelming. With a sudden burst of energy, he broke free from their grip, sending both Batman and Robin stumbling back. He shot up off the bed, his legs shifting into a spectral, ghostly tail, his whole lower body losing solidity as he became intangible. Panic clouded his mind, blinding him to his surroundings.

"No, no, I have to go… I have to see them!" he shouted, his voice hollow yet filled with determination. Before they could reach for him again, Danny turned fully intangible, passing through walls and machinery in a desperate, frenzied escape. His form glowed brighter as he phased out of the Batcave and shot up into the night, heading for the place he once called home.

Batman and Robin exchanged a quick glance.

"Did… Did he just turn into a Ghost? I'm not going crazy, right?" Robin asked in surprise. 

"We need to follow him," Batman said urgently. They moved to the Batmobile, tracking the unstable energy signal Danny left in his wake.

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Danny reached his family's home—now a skeletal shell of what it once was. The once-sterile lab had been devastated, debris littering the floor, and the portal that had started it all flickered erratically with a dull green glow. He landed in the middle of the wreckage, his human form returning as his feet touched the ground, knees buckling as he sank onto the broken tiles.

The silence of the shattered lab seemed to echo with memories of his family. "Mom… Dad… Jazz…" he choked out, his voice barely a whisper. His hands shook as he reached toward the portal, tears running down his cheeks. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" His voice broke, a deep sob tearing through him as he hunched over, clutching his arms.

"Please… come back. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Danny's body trembled as he cried, staring into the portal as if it might miraculously bring his family back. "I… I should have listened… It's all my fault…"

Unbeknownst to him, Batman and Robin had arrived, watching from the shadows. They waited, respecting the solemnity of the moment, until Danny's sobs grew softer. As he sat by the portal, his face buried in his knees, Batman finally approached, his footsteps quiet against the rubble.

"Let me help you," Batman said gently. "I know this is hard, but I need you to tell me everything that happened here."

Danny turned to face him, his eyes still glowing green but softened with vulnerability. His gaze shifted between Batman and Robin, unsure and broken. He nodded slowly, taking in a shaky breath. 'Batman… Robin… If I weren't in so much pain right now, I'd probably be excited and fangirling to see them both.' 

He swallowed hard. "My… parents," Danny choked. "They were obsessed with ghosts, ghost hunters, practically made it their whole lives. They were the type who were scientifically brilliant but… kinda lacking in common sense," he added with a sad smile. "They worked so hard on this portal, trying to make a gateway to a ghost dimension. It was everything to them—their life's work. If it worked, they'd finally succeed. If not… they'd have to give it up."

Danny's lips began to quiver as he struggled to recount what happened next. Robin knelt beside him, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, Danny continued, "When they finished and activated the portal, it didn't work. They were devastated. Seeing them like that… I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. This was their dream. So, I put on the jumpsuit…"

Danny went on to explain, detailing his mother's shout, the moment he hit the power button, the mind-numbing pain he felt, and the horror of watching his parents get sucked in and then seeing the explosion that followed. "That's… when I blacked out."

Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed. 'This isn't like the cartoon… I hate this. I finally had a family—I remember them raising me, taking care of me, loving me… and then, bam, they're gone. It's not fair. I know I asked for a family, but not like this…' 

Robin's face showed shock as he glanced at Batman, whose expression was solemn. "It's not your fault… All you wanted to do was make your parents happy. You were just doing what any kid would do, seeing their parents upset."

"Yeah, real happy they are now that they're in a million pieces," Danny scoffed bitterly, his anger directed at himself.

Batman noticed this, and his own frown deepened as he saw Danny blaming himself. Memories stirred—of his own pain, his own guilt over his parents' deaths.

"Trust me," Batman said quietly, "I know what you're going through. I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't blame myself for losing my parents. You're angry at the world for taking them away, and you're angry at yourself, thinking you're to blame… I want to help you so you don't carry this same self-hatred."

"I don't need help… I just want the pain to stop. How do I make it go away?" Danny said, gritting his teeth in anger.

"You don't," Batman replied, closing his eyes in understanding. "You simply learn to live with it." His voice calm but filled with empathy. "You can't change what happened, but you can honor their memory by how you live. Right now, you're lost, and that's okay. Let me help you find a way forward."

Danny didn't say anything as he just stared ahead for a few minutes, he looked down, closed his eyes and nodded his head, as what Batman said was right, there is no changing what happened. 

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