Avoiding Past And Future

(38) Intermediate

October 15

Cujo had come back from his trip to the Far Frozen about a day or so ago. They were sure he had made it since he came back with an ice sculpture of his puppy self. He also had a little pouch made to carry stuff around in which came in rather handy. In his new delivery pup pouch were answers to Alfred's questions, medication and instructions on how to take them.

Frostbite had given him pure ecto in handy little capsules. They are meant to feed his ghost half and redirect his system to work on healing the damage done over the time he ate way less than he should have. Something about a power imbalance that caused his body to more aggressively attack his human half than usual. While Danny didn't understand much of it, he did get that the pills will help him gain back weight and muscles at a faster pace. They made sure to keep a stash at both Selina's and the Manor for when Danny came over.

He also got a new training regiment that restricted him back to just the base 3 and minimal ecto manipulation but to avoid ice or anything else. With it he also encouraged Danny to spend more time in his ghost form and 'live as a ghost' to help with the power imbalance while his body heals itself. Dick had been very proud of himself for being right about needing to be more ghostly to get his powers back under control, but he deserved it.

There was a little extra note attached that was etched in a small ice slab. Danny had taken it out of the pouch. Before he could hand it over, the slab of ice shattered into tiny pieces. Danny barely reacted as he let the shards freeze over with his own ghostly ice and forced it to disappear before it could make a mess. Danny didn't seem to care too much about it. If it was something actually important, Frostbite would have noted it down on paper like the rest, right?

Dick wasn't quite sure what to make of that but he let it be since Bruce had asked him to be at lunch and he was going to be late.

During their meal, Bruce had asked Dick if he wanted to stay in tonight. A rare non-patrol day to just relax and maybe spend some time together before his simulation training tomorrow. Dick cursed himself for forgetting about it. Having to think quickly on his feet, Dick tried to decline. Supposedly, he's just so busy working on a case with Selina, you see. It's why he had been over there so much recently too. Bruce had immediately jumped to offer taking over the case which stressed Dick out even more. There is no case to take over after all.

Dick tried to play innocent, claiming he couldn't possibly let him do that as the man was already drowning in case work for the League, still dealing with the Injustice League fiasco and Ivy's mystery puppet master.

Bruce, however, insisted Dick take the night off. "Maybe another time, then. Alfred prepped the theater already so one of us might as well use it." He had left not long after lunch to go over to Selina's to 'investigate'. At least he was serious about the non-patrol night.

Of course, Dick had no discussion with Selina planned. A quick call later and Danny was over at the Manor. Not one to waste Alfred's effort, they had a lot of supervised fun making walnut brownies and apple crumble cookies. Well, Alfred helped a lot as Dick was technically still banned from cooking after setting the oven on fire last time. Totally not his fault of course, how was he supposed to know Toyman would attack right as his cookies were baking.

Flour and cacao had gotten pretty much everywhere after Dick decided it would be funny to try and make Danny sneeze. Apparently, making Danny sneeze when he's actively using his powers more on instinct and habit creates accidental ectoblasts.

Who knew?

One scolding and shower later and both boys were happily munching on their snacks in the obnoxiously fancy theater hall. Danny wished he could have shown all the stuff here to Tucker. The boy would probably have had a heart attack while Sam would be roasting Mr. Wayne for spending so much money on something so unnecessary.