DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Batman, DC, or Danny Phantom. I DO own this story and my OC, Austin Gallows. Batman is to be read in the voice of the legendary Kevin Conroy, no exceptions.

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It was a breezy, overcast day in Gotham; standard weather the city had long since grown accustomed to. Timothy “Tim” Drake, known to a select few as Robin, sighed as he approached a local ice-skating rink with a brand-new bag of sporting equipment.

“Saying I need a hobby is one thing, but ice hockey?” The raven-haired teen rolled his eyes as he approached the locker room. “Dick has truly lost his mind.”

Passing through the doors with little resistance, Tim was stopped by the voice of a tall, burly teen with a scruffy beard. Most likely a defenseman, left side judging by his scars.

“Ey, you must be the new guy! Wayne, right?”

Tim sighed as he processed the thick, Brooklyn accent and improper speech.

“Yes, but it’s Drake,” he responded, “I never changed my name.”

His new teammate was completely unfazed.

“Whateva floats ya boat. Yer spot’s in the corner, by Gallows.”

Nodding, Tim followed the brute’s thumb to the opposite end of the room, where the last two lockers stood perpendicular to the main row. When the young hero’s cobalt blues settled on the adjacent bench, he froze at the sight of a blond boy of similar stature. Initially, he pegged the teen at five-foot-eight, one hundred and forty-five pounds; a size advantage just big enough to be intimidating. Then, however, his system crashed and had to reboot.

Butterflies swarmed Tim’s stomach as he approached his new locker neighbor, his pulse rapidly increasing. The young hero’s emotions were confusing and overwhelming, much like those he experienced when he first met his ex, Stephanie. This was different, though; the feelings were more intense and he struggled to understand their meaning. The young genius searched blindly for words; his extensive vocabulary forgotten like a past night’s dream.

“Hello there.”

Suddenly, they were face to face. Tim responded out of instinct, despite his fear and confusion.

“General Kenobi!”

The blond smiled warmly; his thin, youthful features framed by short, tidy hair in a simple, up ‘do. His cool, blue eyes oozed curiosity and intelligence, though they were aided by a pair of black, rectangular glasses. He had clear, pale skin and soft, handsome features.

“A man of culture,” he chuckled, “Austin Gallows, pleasure to meet you.”

They shook hands and a tingle ran down the shorter boy’s spine.

“Tim Drake, likewise,” he smiled, “What position do you play?”

Austin spoke as the pair resumed their preparations.

“Left wing. Y’know, we could use a good center.”

Tim shrugged as he started working on his gear.

“I could give it a shot,” he offered, his cheeks pink, “But I’ll need guidance.”

His new friend smiled playfully.

“Say no more.”

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It was an eerily quiet night, especially for Gotham, but Tim was so confused and distracted it hardly mattered. What was that feeling earlier? Why was this afternoon so different? Ever since he was given the cowl, all those years ago, he saw himself as Robin, or Red Robin when Damian was around. That’s who he was for every important moment in his life. That was his identity, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death… what the devil?

Tim shook his head, struggling to gather himself. For a few hours that afternoon, in that room and on the ice, everything felt different. And since then, he could barely think straight, let alone confront what scared him most. Who was he if he wasn’t a Robin?

“On your right!” Austin winked as he rushed past, “See you tomorrow!”

Blood rushed to Tim’s cheeks as his teammate slipped into an alley and out of sight. Naturally, his curiosity was piqued, so the Boy Wonder followed stealthily so as not to be seen. Just as the secluded path came into view, a new voice met his ears. It was a refined baritone that oozed confidence and was eerily reminiscent of Lex Luthor.

“Surprised to see me, little badger?”

Turning the corner, Tim watched silently as his friend confronted a tall, blue-skinned being who quite resembled a vampire. Alas, the man’s faint, white aura and glowing, red eyes ruled this out, along with his strange, white and black jumpsuit with a high-collared cape.

“Yeah,” Austin retorted, “You’re a long way from Wisconsin, Vlad.”

The strange man grinned evilly, baring his fangs.

“Well, I wasn’t going to let a little distance stop my greatest work,” he hummed, “You’re coming with me, Austin, whether you like it or not!”

The blond boy furrowed his brow.

“We’ll see about that! I’m-!”

Before the teen could say another word, a copy of Vlad grabbed his wrist from behind and knocked him out with a powerful, electric attack. Strangely, Tim could not bring himself to move, though he desperately wanted to aid his teammate. There were so many unknowns, so many ways this could go wrong, and he couldn’t bear to see Austin get hurt any worse. Finally, as Vlad scooped up his victim, Tim forced himself into the alley. Spotting him, the villain grinned evilly before he and his hostage vanished from sight.

“Damnit!” Tim cursed, “This isn’t over, Vlad!”

Acting as a civilian, Tim reported his friend’s abduction and received a paltry response from the Gotham City Police Department. A single officer, a new hire by the name of Detective Williams, inspected Austin’s hockey bag and the alley he was last seen in. Once he was through, and had taken the Boy Wonder’s statement, the raven-haired man turned back towards his car.

“I’m gonna be honest, kid, I’m not sure how much I can help,” he frowned, “There’s no evidence to speak of. It’s like he was taken by a ghost. The only thing I can do is put out a BOLO.”

Tim stared dejectedly at his feet.

“That’s something,” he frowned, “Thank you.”

Detective Williams nodded and, surprisingly, stepped back over to the dejected teen.

“Were you and your friend close?”

Tim sighed and fiddled with his hands; he didn’t really have an answer.

“We just met a few hours ago, at hockey practice,” he explained, “I… I’m struggling to process how I feel around him. What it means.”

The young hero frowned, his thoughts drifting to the bespectacled blond.

It’s like something changed in… in a program I thought was final. Or perhaps it was always there, just waiting for something… someone to activate it.

Detective Williams gently grasped the teen’s shoulder, snapping him back to reality.

“I know what you’re dealing with,” he sighed, “I went through it years ago. You’re holding onto a version of yourself that you’re convinced you have to fit. You have to let go, or you’ll never figure out what you really want.”

For a moment, the troubled teen said nothing. That question had been on his mind since the break-up: what did he truly want?

I want my family to be safe, I want to find my own identity, and… I want…

“...you’re right.” he sighed, “I’ve needed to hear that for a while now. Thank you.”

Nodding, Detective Williams turned back to his car.

“You’re welcome,” he sighed, “I hope you find your friend.”

As the young officer’s car pulled away, Tim shouldered Austin’s hockey bag and paused, a new fire blazing within him. Hailing a cab, he made his way to Wayne Manor, where Alfred greeted him at the front door, as usual. Naturally, the balding butler was surprised to see his master’s adopted son, especially with someone else’s sporting equipment.

“Master Tim, what brings you by this evening?”

Leaving the bags in a heap by the door, the young hero headed towards Bruce’s study, which hid the entrance to the Batcave.

“Personal reasons,” he answered simply, “Is dad home?”

Alfred answered without skipping a beat.

“Master Bruce is on a date with your stepmother,” he explained, “Did you need something?”

Tim easily deciphered the butler’s code, meaning that Batman and Catwoman were out on patrol. With Damian out of town, he would have the Batcave all to himself.

“Just one thing, actually,” he answered, activating the secret mechanism in Bruce’s grandfather clock, “A few hours of solitude…”

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A few hours later, Alfred entered the Batcave with a tray that held a black, metal water bottle and a healthy snack. Entering the armory, he found Tim standing over a black, metal bo staff with glowing, orange vents at each end. This sleek weapon was collapsible like most of his staves to date, but this new design was special, to say the least. Along with his melee weapon of choice, the third Robin had crafted new Batarangs with glowing, orange edges.

“Your new weapons are quite intriguing,” Alfred smiled, “Care for a quick snack before you go?”

Tim smiled as he looked up from his work.

“Like I have a choice,” he chuckled, “Thank you, Alfred.”

As he set down his tray, the aging butler decided to strike up a conversation.

“So, what fancy new tech have you used this time?”

Tim’s response came between swallows.

“Well, for starters, everything’s forged from ectoranium alloy,” he answered, “It’s extremely durable and lethal against Type-B ghosts.”

Alfred raised a brow, not recognizing the term.

“Type-B, sir?” he questioned, “Are these new categories?”

“Yeah,” Tim nodded, “Bruce created them about a month ago. There’s a growing number of ghosts in Gotham, and most are unlike Deadman. I’m after Vlad Plasmius, the most powerful one we’ve seen. I have to be prepared.”

Alfred nodded, eyeing the weapons once more.

“Of course,” he agreed, “Forgive my curiosity, but… why do they glow orange?”

Tim responded whilst suiting up.

“They’re incendiary,” he explained, “Plus, the look goes with something else I’m working on.”

Smiling, Alfred gathered the remnants of the teen’s snack and turned to resume cleaning.

“Something I look forward to seeing,” he promised, “Good luck, Master Timothy.”

“Thank you, Alfred.”

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Using the Batcomputer, Tim traced Plasmius’ energy signature to an old bunker owned by his alter ego, billionaire Vlad Masters. Approaching under cover of night, the young hero stealthily entered the bunker and used a program he had written to disable its security system. Noting that Vlad was bad with computers, the raven-haired teen carefully infiltrated the facility.

As he made his way though the eerie, concrete labyrinth, Tim took out a trio of green vultures wearing fezes, which served as an easy introduction to ghost fighting. Soon after, he reached the bunker’s heart, where several metal chambers lined the walls. Vlad stood in front of the central one, which featured heavy restraints that kept Austin standing in place.

“Sooner or later, you will transform! You can’t resist forever!”

Tim felt himself freeze again as he watched his teammate writhe in agony. What did Vlad hope to get out of this? And what did he mean by transform? As the machine’s power was increased, the young hero felt an unprecedented rage build within his body, overriding his strategic brain.

“Experiment’s over, Plasmius!” he roared, bursting into the room, “Let Austin go!”

Vlad smirked, clearly amused.

“You don’t stand a chance, bird boy! Leave now while you still can!”

Tim hurled a Batarang at the villain, who was stunned to see it tear through his left bicep.

“Impossible! Unless… you used ectoranium!” Vlad balled his hands into fists, “Very well, bat brat. No more mister nice Plasmius!”

In his rage, Vlad lashed out with a series of ghost rays but succeeded only in damaging his own equipment. Tim drew his ectoranium staff and darted in close, landing a few blows before his foe retreated. All the while, Austin continued to struggle against some unseen force.

“H-Help me!” he begged, “Please!”

Dodging another ghost ray, Tim hurled an explosive Batarang at the machine, impaling its control panel. After a small blast, the device sparked and overloaded, frying itself and releasing its captive. As his friend stepped out, the young hero motioned towards the bunker’s exit.

“Get out of here, now! I’ll handle this!”

Austin furrowed his brow and balled his hands into fists.

“No,” he growled, “I’ve got some unfinished business to handle. I’m going ghost!”

Tim was stunned to see a bright, white ring appear around his friend’s waist and separate into two as the teen transformed. In seconds, Austin’s hair turned white, his eyes golden yellow, and his clothes were replaced by an entirely new attire. The lean teen now wore a skin-tight, indigo super-suit with white boots, a smooth, white belt, long, white gloves, and a white area around the neck. His vision was now aided by golden yellow, visor-like glasses attached to a pair of white devices- headphones, most likely- that covered his ears.

“Jig’s up, Vlad! Beat it while you still can!”

To no one’s surprise, the villain hastily retreated.

“Mark my words, Austin: this isn’t over!”

As their foe escaped, the two heroes turned their attention to each other.

“Thanks for the save,” Austin frowned, “I thought I was a goner.”

Tim smiled and waved him off.

“Just doing my job.” He paused, his tone growing soft. “I’m glad you’re okay, though.”

Austin’s eyes widened in shock as he recognized the raven-haired teen’s voice.

“W-Wait, Tim? Is that you?” he stammered, “Does that mean Batman is…?”

The young hero sighed but ultimately managed a smile. His new friend really was smart.

“Yeah,” he admitted, “You should come with me. We have a lot to discuss.”

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Minutes later, the two teens stepped silently into the Batcave; their hearts racing nervously. Thankfully, it was still unoccupied, so Tim led the way into the armory for a private conversation. Austin changed back to his human form, leaned against a wall, and pinched himself as his teammate unmasked.

“I still can’t believe it,” he smiled, “My new friend is Robin!”

Tim shook his head and spoke as he removed his gloves.

“Correction, I was Robin. I’ve decided to become something new, like those who came before me.” He paused, eyeing the symbol on his chest. “Damian is Robin now, anyway.”

Austin raised a brow as the shorter boy pulled out a bundle of street clothes and continued to undress. He had seen much of the teen’s physique in the locker room earlier but still turned pink at the sight. Alas, his cheeks were not the only part of his body to react.

“Enjoying the show?” Tim chuckled as his teammate went from pink to red. “Don’t worry, I don’t mind. Admittedly, I… stared at you quite a bit this afternoon, in the locker room.”

Austin sputtered in shock.

“Y-You… find me attractive?”

Clad in only plain, white briefs, Tim stepped over to the bespectacled blond, blushing lightly.

“Among other things,” he continued, “Handsome, intelligent, agile… I could go on, but I think my actions this evening speak for themselves.”

Austin stepped forward with a half-smile; his confidence still hampered by his natural timidity.

“Well, you did face the most powerful ghost I know to save me,” he admitted, “You must be crazy, or… madly in love.”

His teammate grinned playfully.

“Why not both?”

Their lips crashed together in an instant, melding in a hot, emotional kiss. Tim pressed his love against the wall, his hands sliding downward as their tongues joined the fray. So heated was their embrace that the two teens lost track of time, their surroundings, and their clothes. Soon, Austin was held legs-up on against the cold, black metal; his once-virgin ass adjusting to the shorter boy’s cock. Despite the ebbing pain, he smirked and spoke wittily.

“You may be the shortest Robin, but… you’re not the smallest, are you?”

Tim smirked devilishly..

“Of course not,” he teased, “Girls like Dick for his ass, and Jason… well, let’s just say the Lazarus Pit has a lot in common with steroids.”

Austin chuckled and pulled his love into another kiss.

“I love you, Tim,” he murmured, “Now, show me what kind of beast you really are.”

The raven-haired teen smirked and readied his first thrust.

“Then get ready… ‘cause you’re dating a dragon!”

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“...aaand, done! What do you think?”

As Tim held up his new suit, he and his boyfriend were silenced by the entrance of his mentor, Batman. The Caped Crusader briefly eyed the bespectacled blond before turning to his adopted son. They both looked disheveled, and that, along with a certain odor, indicated they had been… busy before his arrival. The former Robin swallowed hard, fearing disapproval.

“What’s going on here? Who is he?”

Channelling his new identity, Tim steeled his nerves and eyed his father bravely.

“Dad, this is… my boyfriend, Austin Gallows. You may also know him as Phantom.”

Batman remained straightfaced, as usual, but responded politely.

“I followed his efforts in Amity Park, actually,” he replied, extending a hand, “You do good work, but you lack proper training. Tim and I can help with that.”

Austin was quick to shake the iconic hero’s hand.

“T-Thank you, Batman!” he stammered, “I-I would be honored!”

Before his father could speak again, Tim cut in.

“Dad… you’re okay with me being bi?”

Bruce’s tone grew surprisingly somber. Sliding off his famous cowl, he placed a hand on his adopted son’s shoulder.

“Son, I will support you no matter what,” he promised, “As for being bi, you should know my stance on that. Do you remember Mr. Conroy?”

Tim nodded, recalling the tall, dark-haired man whose speaking voice sounded eerily similar to Bruce during his daytime dealings.

“I heard he passed recently,” the former Robin frowned, “Fuck cancer.”

Bruce gave a half nod, appearing to second this sentiment.

“Mr. Conroy was gay, but… he was also the strongest man I’ve ever known. I created a branch of the Wayne Foundation devoted to cancer research in his honor.”

Austin spoke nervously as he, too, had heard of Mr. Conroy.

“I’m sure he would appreciate that.”

Bruce nodded and, after a moment, changed the subject.

“So… how did you discover our identities?”

Growing nervous under the Batman’s gaze, Austin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“W-Well, um… I recognized Tim’s voice when he saved me, a-and… from there, I deduced the alter egos of you, Dick, Jason, and… the devil’s spawn.”

Bruce fought off the urge to chuckle, instead allowing a brief smile.

“Impressive. Just remember, knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Austin nodded and watched as Bruce turned to his adopted son. “So, what’s this I hear about a new suit?”

Tim took a quick breath, gathering himself.

“I’m… giving up the mantle of Robin,” he explained, “I’ve created a new identity and a suit to go with it. I also helped Austin make a few upgrades to his.”

“Well, suit up, then,” Bruce ordered, “The night is still young.”

Once their mentor stepped out, the young couple started changing into their new super suits. Tim’s was black with orange trim and had a draconic take on the Bat symbol outlined in orange on the chest. It was complimented by a a black domino mask, an orange utility belt, and a black, full-length cape with orange lining and a beaked hood. His gloves were like Batman’s but more draconic and his cape was meant to resemble a dragon’s wings when spread out.

Austin’s new suit was armored, like those of the Bat family, and looked less like it belonged in a lab. It was indigo in color with long, white gloves, white boots, a white utility belt, and a white cape with golden yellow lining and a beaked hood. His golden yellow visor and white earpieces remained, but were now connected to a wrist computer built into his left glove. Lastly, an eerie, white P had been emblazoned on his chest, referencing Phantom.

“You look amazing, Tim,” Austin smiled, hugging the shorter boy, “Ready to make your debut?”
 
“I am, thank you,” Tim beamed, “It’s time to leave the nest.”

Exiting the armory, the two teens approached the Batcomputer, where Batman was tracking crimes across the city. Hearing footsteps, the Caped Crusader turned, stood, and gave a rare smile, matching that of his son. Gently, he placed a hand on the young hero’s shoulder.

“You’ve grown strong, Tim, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

The former Boy Wonder felt as if his chest might burst. Unable to resist, he locked his adopted father in a tight hug.

“Thank you, dad. That means more than you can imagine.”

Bruce squeezed back, if only for a moment.

“I know, and you’ve more than earned it.”

Finally, Austin spoke up, unable to restrain himself any further. He was more than a little excited.

“So, what do we call you?”

Tim grinned as he revealed his true self to the two people he cared for most.

“Firedrake.”

Austin’s cheeks turned pink as he recalled their earlier actions.

“Awesome!” he grinned, “You really are a dragon!”

Blushing lightly, Tim smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, and I know we’ll get our fair share of jeers, but… this is what I want.”

Bruce placed his hands on the couple’s closest shoulders.

“Relax, I know you’ll both do great. And remember… Batman’s got your back.”