2,980The room is silent for quite a long time before any of them say anything.
Danny didn't know what to say. Manhunter wasn't the most verbose, and he hadn't ever had what he would call a "pleasant" conversation with Superman. He could add this to the list of forced interactions between them– he wasn't about to assume Batman would let him walk away from this without some form of repercussion.
Clark Kent broke first, coughing awkwardly into his fist. With a wry smile, he pulled his notepad out of the inside breast pocket of his blazer. "I'm ready whenever you are." He began when the others both nodded, pushing his glasses up his nose out of habit. "Like Mr. Wayne said–"
Danny snorted, and Clark shot him a tired glare. "Sorry."
"Like Mr. Wayne said," he emphasized, "there's been considerable interest in how World of Wishes is fairing since Wayne Enterprises' takeover– particularly with you and your program, Mr. Johnson. How have things been going since then?"
Danny tried to hold in his sigh but couldn't help his arms from crossing defensively. "Is this a trap?"
Clark's eyes flicked up to him in surprise. "Excuse me?"
"Is there actual interest, or is this a glorified advertisement for Wayne Enterprises?"
His blue gaze became stern. "Mr. Johnson, while I understand the two of us did not start off on the right foot, I have not and will not let money or personal bias impact my journalistic integrity. You have had some high-profile incidents and a rather active following on social media despite not being on it in an official manner yourself. There is interest in what you're doing."
Danny looked away first and did sigh this time. "That's fair. I apologize."
Clark's tone was considerably less tense. "None needed. I understand your hesitation. Would you like me to repeat the question?"
Danny waved off the offer. "It's gone very well from my perspective, although to be upfront, I don't have the whole picture. I primarily function as a project manager: after preliminary vetting, I locate requested individuals and coordinate their visits with World of Wishes children. Wayne Enterprises has contributed an extensive budget and detailed vetting process, which has been well received. I've certainly appreciated their support, and I believe the sentiment is shared across the board.
"You've worked with World of Wishes for how long?"
"A few years."
"And have you always worked with high-profile individuals?"
"Most of our requests are for celebrities," Danny agreed. "I handled several visits with athletes and a few actors before getting my current assignment."
"A lot of terms are thrown out about your recent wish requests."
Danny gave a tight smile. Harley had made him more than aware of "I prefer to call them "difficult to locate" or by their names."
"Not villains?"
Danny shot him a glare. "This is Gotham, Mr. Kent. While I acknowledge the positive impact of his many community development projects, there are many who would call Mr. Wayne by that term considering his obscene net worth and the significant class issues and poverty rate prevelant in our city."
Clark coughed, but Danny was sure he was hiding a laugh. "The internet has dubbed you the Villain Wrangler."
"I've long learned I have no control over that hashtag." He shrugged with a very what-can-you-do-about-it sense of helplessness. "To answer your question: I'm just Danny Johnson."
"Noted. Is there any way for the general public to get involved?"
Thankfully, the personal aspect seemed over. "We accept donations through our website. Businesses can contact us if they have services they'd like to volunteer. We appreciate any and all support, even just sharing this story."
"Any final thoughts you want to add?"
"They've come through for these kids, sometimes when others wouldn't. For that, they have my respect and personal gratitude. What they've done with their visits is truly magical."
Clark looked conflicted at first but finally settled on a soft smile as he jotted his final notes before turning to Manhunter, who had been silently observing the two of them with a sense of detached amusement. "I see that you are the latest in a long list of wish fulfillers Danny's successfully coordinated?"
"Yes. Mr. Johnson is quite driven and persuasive. I am glad he took the time and effort to contact me with this request, as I believe it was mutually beneficial for me and the young child I visited."
"Does the Justice League often fulfill wishes?" It was surreal to hear the question come from Superman.
"To my knowledge, yes. I believe Wonder Woman has completed the most solo non-profit requests this year to date. There are also several individual members who are quite active in their local communities. I know many of us follow this path to give back in a meaningful way to our community, whether it be a single town or the planet. Today, I was a hero for one child, and that is no less significant."
Danny stared at him in awe. "They should really let you give speeches more often. That made me feel heroic even."
"Perhaps you should reflect more on why my words elicited such an emotional response from you."
Danny gaped at him for a moment before crossing his arms defensively. "Oh no. I get enough psycho-analyzing from my psychiatrist roommate. I don't need it from you, too."
"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean," Manhunter replied smoothly with a straight face.
"Didn't expect you to be the secret comedian of the bunch. Someone should've warned me."
"Then it would not be much of a secret."
"'Et tu, Brute?'" The dry sarcasm in Danny's tone had Manhunter chuckling. He turned back to Clark Kent and internally swore as he saw Clark had been writing during their rapport. Maybe he could bribe Harley into disrupting Gotham-bound shipments of the Daily Planet. It wouldn't keep the story under wraps, but it would make him feel slightly better. "Are we good here? If so, Manhunter has a visit to finish and then I've got a broody billionaire to go deal with."
"I think I've got everything I need," Clark confirmed as he flipped quickly through the pages of his notepad before sliding it and his pen back into his pocket. Danny tried not to read into it too much or worry about it. "Thanks a lot for your time, both of you. I'll let you get back to it!" He shook both of their hands, and Danny marveled at how… normal it was. If it hadn't been practically spelled out for him, he knew he wouldn't have realized Clark Kent to be Superman if they'd met organically on the street.
"Travel back to Metropolis safely," Danny offered as a slight olive branch. They weren't going to be friends, but… he could do cordial.
The reporter's eyes brightened in understanding and his shoulders relaxed. "You too! Or, well– you know what I mean," Clark stumbled over his words and laughed. He gave them a wave farewell, and Danny watched him leave with a newfound understanding for the Man of Steel.
"Shall we?" Manhunter regained his attention after a moment.
He nodded, appreciative of the mind reader's thoughtfulness. "Let's."
Quiet car rides made Danny uncomfortable.
Batman also made Danny uncomfortable. (Batman, because he had donned the pointy-eared suit and they'd switched from a tinted-window SUV to the infamous Batmobile. Danny kept his arms as close as possible to his body as to not accidentally touch any wrong button.)
All in all, this was the worst car ride of Danny's life (*so far).
He broke after fifteen minutes. "This feels like I'm being driven to my death."
Batman was quiet for several heartbeats. "I don't do premeditated murder." A pause. "And you'd be unconscious in the trunk if I was planning to kill you at a secondary location."
"Huh," Danny said blankly. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Batman drove them further out of the city. "You are terrifying."
Batman smirked.
Danny shivered like a ghost had just passed through him.
As the car rumbled over a set of train tracks and cleared the final row of warehouses that flanked the city, Danny finally saw where they were headed. He sat forward sharply, gaze set on the nearing horizon with dread.
No one from Gotham dared to come here.
"Fuck me," he swore. "Arkham?!"
Batman remained silent, but Danny still managed (or imagined) to feel his disapproval.
"That's it. I hate my job.".
"No, you don't." He could practically hear the eye-roll in Batman's voice.
But the man was right. "No, I don't." Danny agreed.
A/N: good lord this chapter did not want to get written! ehehe hiiii I'm back- new TVW story is up & the Marvel version has been updated recently! 3
TLDR if you don't read my other fics: got a job, finished going to all 50 states (top 5 OR/WA/NM/AK/MT), quit my job, started grad school :) super weird bc I've now made friends IRL who read this story before I told them my secret identity.
thank you for each and every lovely comment. They are the reason I'm posting and still writing. Sorry for the wait.
Anyways figure some of us could use a pick-me-up today so hope you enjoyed!