#Bruce might be a bit more verbose here than he'd usually be

[ailithnight]

Bruce: She was wandering around Gotham, alone, in the middle of the night. That is extremely dangerous. Be less negligent and I wouldn't think she was parentless.

Danny, incensed at being called negligent like his parents: She's already dead! A wandering spirit needs to wander! For her health! Least I don't let my kid run around in a gymnastics leotard punching gang bangers cause I don't know how to say no to a 9 year old.

Bruce tries to adopt Ellie, who is immediately against it. She keeps throwing him off her trail and he keeps tracking her down. She's honestly concerned, and normally she would handle her problems by herself- but this is Batman.

So when Bruce gets a little too close and Ellie is just so tired... she calls for Danny.

"Mom!"

Cue college student, perpetually tired and overworked Danny "High King Phantom" Fenton appearing from the very shadows Batman normally does himself, seeing the situation and going off at this "clearly older man" chasing his daughter in the middle of the night.

Cue the most elaborate "stop trying to adopt my kid before I adopt yours" series of battles