[Third Person PoV]
Tucker and Sam were both sprinting through different parts of the city, cutting through alleys and puddle-soaked sidewalks, both heading toward the same destination — drawn by the same fear, the same urgency, the same person.
Toward Danny.
When the two finally converged at the corner of a street, they nearly collided into each other, skidding to a halt as their soaked sneakers splashed through the rainwater pooling at their feet. They were both panting hard, rain plastering their hair to their faces. They ended their call simultaneously and hunched over, hands braced on their knees, gasping for air as the storm continued to hammer the streets around them.
"Can't… you use… magic!?" Tucker shouted over the roar of the rain, his glasses speckled with water. "Can't you, like—fly us over there? Maybe teleport us or something!?"
Sam threw her hands up, frustration bubbling through her exhausted voice. "I'm still learning, alright!? It's barely been two weeks since I even unlocked it!" Her shout was almost drowned out by the sound of cars whooshing past and pedestrians scrambling for cover, trying to escape the rain.
A flash of movement caught Sam's eye — reflected briefly in the side of a passing car. Something dark and fast. Her gaze snapped upward, heart pounding. On the rooftops, cutting across the storm, two figures darted through the downpour — unmistakable silhouettes against the night sky.
Batman and Robin.
Sam's breath caught. Without a word, she reached out, grabbed Tucker's cheek, and turned his head toward the rooftops.
"What are you—?" His words froze as he saw them. His jaw dropped. "Holy moly… it's Batman." His awe melted into a grin. "Wow… it's all coming together."
"Yes," Sam said quickly, eyes tracking the caped figures through the rain. "And if I'm not wrong, they're heading toward Danny too. We follow them."
"Follow them how—?" Tucker began, but the answer presented itself before he could finish. Sam spotted a bike chained to a lamppost. Without hesitation, she sprinted over.
"Sorry," she whispered under her breath, "but this is for a good cause." She held out her hand, and a faint purple shimmer sparked across her palm. With a quiet crack, the chain split apart.
"Come on, get on!" she ordered, swinging a leg over the seat.
Tucker hesitated only a second before climbing on behind her, clutching at her jacket. Sam pushed off hard, pedaling through the rain-slick street as Tucker called out, "Make way! Coming through—sorry!"
"Hey!"
"Watch it!"
"Take it to the road!"
Voices blurred around them, the city melting into streaks of light and shadow. Rain streamed down Sam's face as she focused on the dark shapes above, weaving through traffic to keep pace. Her jaw was set, determination burning in her eyes.
She clicked her tongue and veered sharply between two parked cars, tires skidding before gripping again. Tucker yelped, wrapping his arms tighter around her.
"This is insane!" he shouted over the wind. "With everything we've remembered, it's all starting to make so much sense! The bruises, the exhaustion, the days Danny didn't show for school—it's because he was training with Batman! THE Batman!"
Sam didn't respond right away. Her chest tightened. The idea made sense—too much sense. "Yeah," she said at last, her voice low, almost lost in the storm. "Which also means… he lied to us. Every single time."
Tucker winced. "Yeah… that part wasn't cool. But—come on—he had his reasons, right?"
"I know he did, Tucker." Sam's voice wavered with emotion as she kept pedaling. "But just because he had his reasons doesn't mean I can't be mad about it. We spent months worrying about him—you were worried too, way more than what you led on. And the whole time, he looked us in the eyes and lied."
For a long moment, Tucker didn't say anything. The only sound between them was the rhythmic slap of the tires through puddles and the constant drumming of rain. He knew exactly what she meant—how much it hurt to care about someone who couldn't be honest with you.
Finally, he reached forward, gently squeezing her shoulder. "I know, Sam. I know Danny better than anyone. And yeah, it hurts that he lied. But I also know that lying to us must've hurt him too. That's just who he is—always trying to protect everyone else, even if it tears him apart."
Sam sighed, the frustration in her voice softening into something more weary, more human. "I know, Tucker. I'm not mad at Danny for lying—I'm mad that he had to. I'm mad at the situation, mad that we were kept in the dark. But not at him. Never at Danny."
Sam and Tucker pressed forward through the downpour, their soaked clothes clinging to their skin as they followed the faint, darting shadows of Batman and Robin vanishing across the rooftops ahead.
When the two heroes finally stopped, Sam and Tucker skidded to a halt as well, hopping off the bike. Their attention snapped to a nearby rooftop where glowing blue and green figures flickered through the mist. Even through the storm, they could hear faint, desperate voices cutting through the rain.
"Danny! Where are you?!" Ember's voice rang out, raw with panic. Klemper's deeper tone echoed her call, though both were barely audible through the crashing rain and rolling thunder.
Sam and Tucker exchanged a look, their faces pale under the dim city glow. "They lost Danny…" Sam whispered, her brows furrowing, water dripping down her lashes.
Tucker swallowed hard, the pit of his stomach twisting. "W-What do we do? Do you… have any idea where he might've gone?"
Sam shook her head, frustration and worry bleeding into her tone. "No. But knowing Danny, it's somewhere hard to reach — someplace we can't get to easily." She clenched her fists, glancing back up at the rooftops.
"What should we do then?" Tucker asked, his voice trembling slightly as he looked around the storm-dark streets.
Without answering, Sam grabbed his arm and pulled him behind a parked car. "For now, we wait," she said quietly, peering over the hood to keep Batman and Robin in sight. "This is Batman we're talking about. If anyone can track Danny, it's him."
Tucker nodded reluctantly. "Yeah… and remember what Danny said about Batman? He really respected him. Looked up to him, even." His voice softened. "Maybe what he needs right now isn't us. Maybe he needs Batman."
Sam bit her lip, hesitating before muttering, "I don't care, as long as it helps Danny…"
Across the street, Ember was finishing her frantic recount of the events from the other timeline. Her normally confident voice was shaky, almost cracking as she explained. Robin listened with disbelief written all over his face, while Batman remained utterly silent — his jaw tight, his expression unreadable beneath the cowl.
"You're joking, right?" Robin said after a pause, blinking. "A ghost genie? You can't be serious."
Batman didn't answer. He stepped past him, kneeling beside the Penguin's unconscious body. With practiced efficiency, he patted the villain down, checking for any clues. His hand froze when he felt something in the inside pocket of Penguin's coat. Slowly, he drew it out — Desiree's lamp, gleaming faintly even under the rain.
Robin's face fell. "Oh no…" he muttered, suddenly looking far more worried. "That means Danny—"
"I know," Batman said quietly, cutting him off. His tone carried a steely resolve as he straightened. "Take Penguin back to his cell. I'll find Danny."
Ember stepped forward immediately, her flame-like hair flaring brighter through the rain. "We'll come with you—"
"No." Batman didn't even turn to face her. His voice was low, commanding, absolute. "You've done your part. Let me handle the rest." Without waiting for an argument, he vanished into the storm, moving with predatory precision.
Ember clenched her fists, glaring after him. "Like hell I'm just going to sit here! Let's go, Klemper—"
Robin blocked her with a firm step forward. "Don't," he said flatly. His tone wasn't angry — it was steady, almost gentle, but unyielding. "I get that you're worried about Danny, but if you chase after him now, you'll only make it worse. He ran for a reason. He needs space. Let Batman handle this."
Ember's jaw tightened. "That's not fair," she muttered, running a hand through her flaming hair in frustration. "He can be there for us, but we can't be there for him? How is that fair?"
Robin actually gave a small, tired laugh, shaking his head. "You can still be there for him — just in your own unique way." He started walking toward Penguin's body, bending down to lift him with practiced ease. "Did you know he has your song in his workout playlist?"
Ember blinked, her flames flickering in confusion. "W-What?" she stammered. "What are you trying to say with that?"
Robin smirked faintly, slinging the unconscious Penguin over his shoulder. "It means he likes your song. Do what you want with that information." He turned, his cape swaying as he walked toward the shadows at the edge of the rooftop.
For just a second, something flickered in his peripheral vision — two hidden figures below, half-shielded by the rain. He didn't react, didn't turn his head, simply kept walking into the darkness.
Ember sighed, shoulders dropping as she glanced up toward the turbulent clouds. "Seriously… this is just too much," she muttered under her breath.
A flash of light snapped past her face — a violet energy bolt that fizzed through the air and hit the wall beside her with a hiss. She spun, eyes narrowing, instinctively raising her hand to counterattack — until she saw two drenched figures waving frantically from the street below.
"Sam?" Ember called out in disbelief, blinking rain from her eyes. "What the—what are those two doing here?"
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