[Third Person's PoV]
As Robin stood by the steel beams of the concert stage, a sudden tremor shook the entire place, forcing him to grab hold for stability.
In the distance, he heard Danny's ghostly wail, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. He turned toward the source of the sound, concern etched on his face, when Kid Flash's voice broke through his thoughts.
"What the hell was that? That was creepy!"
"I don't know," Robin admitted, "but I don't like the sound of it. Let's finish this quickly. KF, try to stop the music. I need to take off my earpiece and use it to reconfigure the radio dish—disrupt the Spectral Frequency that has everyone hypnotized."
"I'll try! Give me a sec," Kid Flash called out before speeding away from the Keyboard Ghost and heading toward the drummer.
The keyboardist ghost, annoyed, immediately flew after him. Kid Flash smirked, tucking the thermos under his arm before firing the suction beam at the ghost.
Caught off guard, the ghost tried to stop, but its momentum carried it straight into the thermos.
Kid Flash then slid across the floor, narrowly dodging sharp cymbals flying overhead. As they passed in slow motion, he caught his reflection in one of them and winked before rolling to his feet.
"Danny! You actually beat Ember?!" Kid Flash exclaimed in surprise.
The drummer ghost turned sharply, only to find no one there. Confused, he spun back around—right into Kid Flash, who stood ready with the thermos open.
"Idiot. You actually fell for that," Kid Flash smirked as the ghost let out a reluctant screech before being pulled into the thermos in a swirl of blue energy.
Blue wisps of ghostly smoke escaped as Kid Flash capped the thermos, then turned to help Robin. Together, they reversed Ember's hypnosis, freeing the audience.
As the spell broke, the crowd looked around in a dazed confusion.
Robin landed beside Kid Flash, using his grappling hook to descend. "Come on, let's go find Danny and see if he needs help."
---
Meanwhile, Danny woke up with a groan, pushing himself up. He quickly glanced around before shifting back into his ghost form to accelerate his healing.
The scene before him took him by surprise—the ground was overturned, and Ember lay unconscious nearby.
Danny gritted his teeth as he made his way toward her, green blood still trickling from his wounds. He focused his ectoplasmic energy, expending a great deal to heal himself once he confirmed Ember was down for good.
As soon as his wounds closed, however, his transformation flickered and failed.
'Damn it,' he thought, clicking his tongue. 'I wasted too much energy. I really need to work on my energy efficiency…'
The sound of rushing wind caught his attention. He turned to see Kid Flash speeding toward him, with Robin in tow.
They slid to a stop, and as they did, Kid Flash suddenly burst out laughing, pointing at Danny.
"What are you wearing?! Hahahaha! You look ridiculous!"
Danny blinked in confusion before glancing down—realizing with horror that he was still wearing the concert merch, complete with a blue wig. His face turned red.
"Shut up and give me the thermos already."
Snatching it from Kid Flash's hand, Danny aimed at Ember's unconscious form and sealed her away with a heavy sigh.
WHOOSH!
"Good work, fellas~"
Danny froze at the unfamiliar voice behind him. Slowly, he turned—standing before them was a tall figure clad in red and yellow, grinning down at them.
"Flash?! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back home—or, y'know, at the League or something?" Kid Flash asked with a faint grin.
"Ah, I was," Flash replied smoothly, "until Batman informed me that our adorable sidekicks were handling business here in Central City. I was sent to supervise, in case things went sideways."
He paused when he noticed Danny pulling out a pen and notepad from his utility belt.
"Uh, Flash, sir… big fan. Can I get your autograph?" Danny asked nervously, excitement creeping into his voice.
Flash raised an amused eyebrow. "Oh? A fan, are you?"
"Yes, sir! I'm a huge fan of your work here in Central City! I mean, I obviously don't live here, but that doesn't mean I don't admire what you do! It's amazing how you look out for everyone—"
Danny continued rambling, voice growing faster with enthusiasm.
Kid Flash leaned toward Robin. "Was he like this with Batman?"
Robin sighed. "No… and if he's like this with Flash, I don't even want to imagine what he'll be like with the rest of the League."
Meanwhile, Danny clutched the autograph like it was the most precious thing in the world, a bright smile plastered on his face.
"Hehehe, I got The Flash's autograph~"
He grinned at the signature in disbelief. 'This is insane. I just met someone I only ever saw in comics and on TV…'
"Thank you, Flash—uh, sir," Danny said shyly.
Flash winked. "Anytime."
Then, turning serious, he addressed the group. "You guys did great work together. I didn't even need to step in. You handled the situation well and played to your strengths."
He smirked. "I'm sure it won't surprise you that Batman has already found a way to observe everything that happened here. He'll probably give you a more in-depth evaluation later."
With a final nod, Flash said, "Anyway, just wanted to say—solid job. But I gotta run. You know, every second counts."
In an instant, he was gone, disappearing in a streak of red and yellow.
Danny let out a wistful sigh. "He's so cool…"
Robin and Kid Flash just stared at him.
…
Danny walked back toward his friends, spotting them glancing around in search of him.
"Danny!!" They both shouted as they hurried over.
"Where did you go?" Tucker asked.
"Had to use the bathroom. The line was ridiculously long," Danny sighed in exasperation.
"Ugh, this is so weird… It's like I just snapped out of a trance or something. Why did I even agree to come? This music isn't even my style," Sam groaned, rubbing her temples.
"No idea. Maybe you just wanted an excuse to get out of the house," Danny replied before quickly changing the subject. "Anyway, I'm starving. You guys wanna grab lunch? My treat."
"Amen to that! Who could say no to free food?" Tucker cheered.
Danny gave him a look. "Who says it's free? I still have to pay for it."
"You said it was your treat, which means I don't have to pay. So for me, it's free food!" Tucker smirked, marching ahead.
Danny rolled his eyes as Sam leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll help cover the bill."
---
After spending the afternoon exploring Central City, they quickly made their way back to Gotham just as the sun began to set.
Once they arrived, Danny and Sam dropped Tucker off at his place before Danny walked Sam home.
A comfortable silence settled between them as they strolled side by side. Sam occasionally glanced at Danny, gathering the courage to ask, "So… what made you decide to give me chocolate today? On Valentine's Day, no less?"
Danny scratched his cheek, clearly flustered as he searched for the right answer. Finally, he turned to her and said, "Honestly? I can't think of a reason."
"Oh," Sam muttered, looking down slightly—until Danny continued.
"I mean… do you really need a reason to give chocolate to a girl you care about on Valentine's Day?"
Sam's eyes widened as she looked at him in surprise, noticing how the tips of his ears were red—and it wasn't from the cold.
A soft smile formed on her lips as they neared her house. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, they reached her doorstep. Closing her mouth briefly, she then stepped closer to Danny and said, "Danny—"
As she leaned in to kiss his cheek in appreciation, Danny turned toward her in confusion.
Their eyes widened in shock as their lips accidentally pressed together.
Both of them practically jumped back, blushing furiously.
"Why did you turn around?! I was only going to kiss your cheek!!" Sam shrieked, covering her mouth.
"You called my name! It's proper etiquette to look someone in the eye when they're talking to you!" Danny defended, just as flustered.
They stood there, avoiding eye contact, before sneaking glances at each other—until their lips curled up, and they both burst into laughter at the absurdity of the situation.
Still chuckling, Sam placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Don't turn around this time," she teased before kissing his cheek. "There. I just wanted to thank you for the chocolate. It was really sweet of you to go out of your way to get vegan chocolate for me. I appreciate it."
Danny shook his head with a small smile, watching as she headed inside.
Sam gave him one last wave before closing the door behind her. As she did, her fingers lightly touched her lips, a smile playing on her face.
Meanwhile, Danny walked down the street, his hands in his pockets—one absentmindedly brushing over his lips as a small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Unknown to both of them, they each let out a soft sigh and murmured the same thought under their breath:
"His/Her lips were soft and warm…"
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