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Can't You Just Share?

Summary:

Phantom: Why don't you and your siblings just share the name, like we do?
Robin: What do you mean, 'we?'

Notes:

From this tumblr post: https://www.tumblr.com/vicmillen/759543508976730112/hi-yes-we-just-share?source=share

Work Text:

Playing hot and cold (or 'cold and freezing' as Danny had once put it, to groans from Sam and Tucker) with their ghost sense wasn't the fastest or most efficient way for Danny and Dani to find each other across Gotham, but it was the most fun, and it was Danny's vacation, so there. If it gave Danny the opportunity to scare the crap out of some muggers, too, Batman wouldn't mind. And if he did, he could deal.

Regardless of how territorial Batman was or wasn't, that's how Danny spotted one of the Robins on the roof of a building, throwing things - Batarangs? Birdarangs? Honestly, some heroes were worse at naming things than Danny's parents - at a mannequin with a photograph of one of the other Robins taped to its face.

Danny didn't know the Robins well. Sure, they'd teamed up a few times, after Danny had joined the League, but Amity Park, small as it was, was a full time job. Natural portals to the Ghost Zone were bad enough, but those weren't the only side effect of being a thin spot in reality. The only reason Danny was taking a vacation now was because he'd bailed Constantine out of-- Well, that was another story entirely, but the man was extremely leery of owing anything to Danny, and had insisted on paying off his debts right away.

He was probably regretting that decision, right about now.

Point was, Young Justice, Teen Titans, whatever, those guys were more Dani's friends than his, so he had no idea of this was normal. It how Robin would react to Danny suddenly being there.

As Danny watched, debating getting involved, Robin stalked over to the mannequin, tore off the picture, and replaced it with a picture of yet a different Robin. He walked back to where he'd been standing before, throwing things at this new picture and growling imprecations under his breath.

Okay, normal or not, this couldn't possibly be healthy.

"Uh, Robin?" Danny ignored the weapon that sailed through his intangible body. "You okay?"

"... Phantom. I've told you not to sneak up on me like that. One day, I'll be testing anti-ghost gear."

Danny didn't remember Robin saying anything like that to him, but it wasn't like Danny had a photographic memory or whatever, so he just shrugged.

Robin went over to the mannequin and started to pick up his weapons, either ignoring or forgetting Danny's earlier question. Probably the former, since All of the Robins did seem to have photographic memories. Fair enough. Danny had startled him.

"Robin?"

The other boy whirled. "Apparently, I'm not good enough to be called that," he hissed, "between Hood and the brat both trying to kill me over it--"

"Whoa, whoa, wait," said Danny, holding up his hands. "Kill you? Your siblings are trying to kill you over your name?"

Robin (Or not-Robin? Danny was unclear.) scowled at him. "It's more than a name. It's a title."

"That's... just a different kind of name. Unless it comes with, like, powers or a job or something. Are they kicking you off the team?"

"What? No. They've got their own things going on."

"I guess I don't really get the situation, then."

Robin ran a hand back over his hair, which made it stick out in funny directions.

"Red Hood was Robin before me."

"Sure." And Nightwing had been Robin before him. Trading around identities wasn't all that uncommon in the superhero community.

"He wasn't too happy that I took his place when everyone thought he was dead. He beat the crap out of me, told me I wasn't good enough, tries to get me to quit. But I didn't."

Danny was pretty sure, from the few times he'd run into him, that Red Hood had been more than 'thought' dead, but that wasn't the point of this conversation, so he just nodded.

"And now the demon brat comes out of nowhere, pushes me off the dinosaur, tries to stab me, and Batman's going to take Robin away from me and just give it to him."

"Okay, um. That's a lot to unpack." Danny used his telekinesis to scoop up the rest of the birdarangs, because he was starting to worry that Robin would cut himself on them, his hands were shaking so badly. He shuffled them together in a neat stack. "I obviously don't know the whole story here, but have you guys considered sharing?"

Robin huffed and took the birdarangs from Danny. "You don't understand, it's--"

"Hey, Danny, what's up? Oh, hi, Robin," Dani added as a birdarang sailed through her body and embedded itself in the wall she was half phased through. "Someone is jumpy tonight."

Robin yanked his birdarang out of the wall as Dani flew the rest of the way through it. "Didn't I just tell you to stop sneaking up on me?"

Dani shrugged. "What are we talking about?"

"Just about to explain to Robin how we share our names," said Danny.

"I get the point you're trying to make," said Robin, and Danny just knew he was rolling his eyes behind the white cutouts of his mask, "but it's different. You two are the same person."

Dani gave Robin a look of disbelief. "Sure, and Kon is the same person as Superman. What happened to you tonight that you're spewing anti-clone crap?"

Robin went very still. "Clone."

"Uh, yeah, it's not exactly like I've been hiding that. Wait. Rutabega."

"Airplane."

The conversation paused for a minute as Dani, Danny, and Robin went through the 'we have not been replaced by shapeshifters' call and response.

"Okay, so if you aren't a shapeshifter, what gives?" demanded Dani.

"You know that clones are different than duplicates, right?"

Danny and Dani looked at each other, then back at Robin. "You thought we were duplicates?" they asked, together.

"You're not?"

They burst out laughing.

"Did you somehow not notice that we look different?" asked Dani, gesturing to her hair and Danny's. "It's not as if we're identical twins."

Robin was blushing. "You're shapeshifters! We thought you were genderfluid!"

"We are," said Danny, "but that's unrelated."

"Wait, but you always seem to know everything we tell the other--"

"There's this really awesome thing called verbal communication," said Dani, dripping in sarcasm. "I know your dad isn't big on it, but it's a whole thing."

"Hey," said Danny, realizing something. "What did you think was going on with Dan if you thought we were clones?"

"He's not you?"

"Okay," said Danny. "Okay. That's just- that's offensive. I'm offended."

"Then... he's your genetic donor?"

"Ewww," said Dani and Danny.

"Then what?"

"He's--"

Danny put his hands over Dani's mouth. She licked him, but he was wearing gloves, and he got way worse things on those then little sister spit, so joke was on her. "Think about how funny it will be if he has to figure it out on his own."

Dani stilled, then nodded. Danny released her.

"Anyway, I don't see why you and your siblings can't share the name."

Robin glared at them. "I'll admit, it seems to have worked for you... somehow. But in the field we need to know who is talking to who."

"Then take turns."

"Or numbers."

"Adjectives."

"Or whatever the Flashes and the Green Lanterns do. There's always like a bajilionty of them."

Danny sighed. "So many Flashes, and they all find their own unique way of screwing up the time stream."

"I did mention that the demon brat tries to kill me over this, right?"

Dani shrugged. "And I was part of a kill and replace scheme. There aren't a lot of nice reasons to clone a teenage superhero, you know."

"It was a very trying time. I don't hold a grudge."

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can we just drop this until... later. A lot later. I'm still wrapping my head around you being three different people."

"Sure," said Danny. "Want to get burgers with us?"

"... Fine."