#Danny is no longer a hero and he refuses to go back to that

[nelkcats]

New place, same fight

Danny loves his friends, they have been with him since they were little and they have experienced too many things together, things that have helped them grow, things that only strengthen their friendship. Because Sam and Tucker were everything to him, as he was everything to them.

But at the same time, Danny could admit that he hated his friends; not always, but there were times where they wouldn't stop fighting, where they forced him to choose. The halfa could understand, Sam and Tucker had different world views, they saw different things and occasionally Danny thought they only got along because of him.

That was okay, he learned to live with them, to be the center of their arguments. And when they moved from Amity to Gotham, when they decided to rent an apartment together and go to the same college (which miraculously had all their majors), he thought everything would be fine.

It was idiotic of him. Because at the time he could only see a repeat of what had happened in high school; Sam was having a protest about the cafeteria menu and Tucker had organized the meat lovers (again), and the halfa knew how it was all going to end.

The point is, Danny was tired of repeating the same cycle, a cycle that apparently included Waylon and Poison Ivy fighting in the cafeteria at his new college (and how the hell did his friends manage to get the Rogues of Gotham into their fights?), so when he saw the people in bat suits he exploded.

When Sam and Tucker turned to ask his opinion he shook his head, pointed at Lunch Lady, who had her arms crossed and decided it wasn't his problem before disappear. Literally, no matter if half of Gotham was calling him meta, he was tired.

Red Robin gawked at him before turning his attention to Lunch Lady, who was gathering all the meat around her to form a giant meat monster. And Danny decided it wasn't his problem.

Apparently, Sam and Tucker decided that the bats could take care of it before they looked worried and started looking for Danny. It became obvious that the bats needed help when Danny looked at a giant meat monster two hours later, the halfa arched an eyebrow in dismay, weren't they supposed to be professional heroes? Lunch wasn't even trying...

[emacrow]

Thank you for accepting the courtship.

Raven was using an ancient forbidden ritual to Pariah King of the infinite realm to stop Trigon and Darkseid to stop them from taking over this universe. The proper gift in term in the book for the ritual to be accepted said to be her firstborn whenever she were to have one, and it seemed the ritual was accepted.

She expected some old man in dark ancient armor to come out of the summoning ritual portal, except it wasn't Pariah King who came out.

A aurora crown floated upwars, then a white blob emerged only to be white long hair that kept going upward, growing longer and longer tall silhouette nearly 12-14 feet tall.

Hundreds of thousands of tiny stars in the white hair swirling toward the face with pointed ears, forming into three glowing yet dull green eyes with darken specks of stars underneath the eyelids and cheeks, a blackish blue like breaking open like a tear to reveal sharp gleaming white teeths, a dark blue tongue.

The clothes that this entity form beneath that resemble 1980s hazmat clothes that flickered from and to a royal clothes with jewels of tiny planet yet unnerving as if it haven't decided which to be and out of place that nearly made Raven's eyes wanted to avoid looking at it.

She didn't falter nor didn't flinch as this being glanced at the ritual symbols, tilting his head as if interested before before the three eyes looked back at her that made her heart wanted to stop as the used to be dulled eyes sparkled a bit.

Then, the being grew smile that would've made the Joker cry, Much to Raven's inner horror and nearly every empticlones in nevermore screaming at her to run and hide.

"I, Phantom, Prince and Savior of the infinite realms from the Mad King, Defender of Pandora's box, Balancer of Time, accept your gift." The voice was barely a whisper that almost sounded rich smooth as velvet, yet loud enough to hear clearly to raven.

With a simple wave of his long, arachnodactyly fingers as if waving off an annoying fly before shrinking slowly with a gleam of white light evenly enveloping to reveal a 9'4 foot tall lanky bat adoption bat guy.

Black long-haired, put in a clumsy doubled braided with blue and red flowers, held polka dotted scrunchies, girly hair clips with unicorn themes, soft blue eyes that were redish in the corner and a soft delicate face that Raven definitely wasn't ogling in her nevermore mindscape.

"Thank you for accepting the courtship."

"Your welcome."

....

....

Raven's mind blanch a bit realizing what he just said.

"Wait, What?"

...

...

Danny was doing just fine, just fine indeed as he was sitting in Jazz’s house, his niece rebraiding his hair as he shoved another giant handful of Fudge brownies into his mouth.

Ellie was moving into her boyfriend six month ago, and there was nothing Danny could do seeing his little girl move on without him.

Empty nest syndrome Jazz and his parents told him. Sam suggested another online dating, but being a famous, well-known Savior of Earth after Disasteroid came a lot of girls and even boys who see danny as a hero or for his fame and fortune instead of Danny.

Not to mention the ghosts, the stupid eyeballs trying to present another candidate for him to Wed which he refused.

He has used raising ellie as the common excuse that turned into actually doting parenting, but now..

He couldn't go back to his haunt castle after she moved out without burying himself in her childhood room, holding her old worned out red beanie hat that she didn't wear anymore.

Kids grow up and move on from their parents, but they always come back when in need.

He did something out of impulse due to his empty nest syndrome, which was going a bit haywire by the day and Sam, Val and Tucker won't let him bring them over to hang out especially when they are busy.

He made a ritual with clockwork help that randomly appeared in any other dimensions, then his own to pick the right person to court at the right time.

Now all he has to do is wait.

(I got inspired by this post here <- )

[queeniewithabeanie]

The Starved College Student

Dpxdc Prompt #14

There is a certain point of liminality where ectoplasm no longer becomes toxic for a human to ingest. When you become a ghost you have to survive purely off of ectoplasm.

There is a spectrum in between these two spots and the point that Jazz lands on in that spectrum is the can-safely-eat-and-survive-off-it-but-also-should-not-soley-live-off-it dot.

This becomes really great when she moves to Crime Alley for college and does not have enough money to spare for food. She get use one of her parent's gadgets (modified by Danny) to extract ambient ecto from the Gotham air and sustain off of it for however long she needs.

Which is why she keeps on refusing the free food the Red Hood gives out, and not for the reasons he seems to think.

"It's not poisoned y'know. Despite the whole anti-hero thing I don't really go around murdering civilians."

She stares at him where she assumes his eyes are underneath the helmet and deadpans, "I know."

"I know for a fact you haven't eaten anything all day. You've been out for 12 hours tutoring kids and no one has seen you take a single bite of anything."

She stares again, "I know."

"If you knew you'd be smart and take the food!"

Not if that means someone else can't get as much, she thinks. Jazz knows that Hood runs out of food all the time. There's too many people that need it and not enough to go around.

When she turns away from him she gives a sad smile and whispers, "I know."

So she goes to walk back to her crappy one bedroom apartment to drink her ecto and survive another day. She thinks about how while she knows it isn't toxic to her the taste of the ecto makes her want to gag and vomit. She thinks about the delicious smell of the food Hood had practically shoved in her hands.

She slows down a bit, but keeps on walking away.

-------------------------------------------

Jason tried his best to care for those in Crime Alley. He would make sure the working girls were payed and respected, the street kids had access to an education, the broke college students got enough to eat, and anything else he could try to do to help.

Sadly, unlike Bruce, Jason was not made of money and did not have access to infinite resources. He had built up enough of a reputation that the working girls knew to come to him if they needed him, though they rarely did anymore. He would give older students the textbooks and, if he had time, lessons they needed to keep up with their education and tutor the younger kids.

For the college students, most of them barely had enough to scrape together 1 meal a day. The soup kitchens (that weren't fronts for trafficking rings) usually prioritized younger kids. And even though everything in the Alley was dirt cheap, if you can't work full time no one will hire you.

This led to Jason giving out most of the excess food he got to the college students in the Alley, most know that he is trustworthy and to take what they can get.

What Jason can't understand is this why this red-headed, six-foot, non-gothamite is refusing food! He knows for a fact that she is going on an empty stomach most days, but still refuses a single bite.

He's surprised she hasn't keeled over yet.

Jazz Fenton is a mystery, and Jason is still a detective even without the World's Greatest by his side.

This mystery gets a lot more urgent when he one day see's the woman chugging a glass of lazarus water.

[evilminji]

*evil grin of The Ponderings™*

You know who DEFINITELY would have Unfinished Business?

Heroes. Professional "If I could just MOVE, just fight a BIT LONGER, save ONE MORE PERSON" Heroes. It's the ultimate and unending Unfinished Business. To protect people. Not just their friends, their co-workers, but the innocent people around them.

That kid, stuck crying in the rubble.

That business man, screaming in pain, caught in the cross fire.

The People NEED them. They SWORE. Their very SOULS burn with the NEED to help. But... the flesh gave out. Injuries. Age. Quirk overuse. They knew... they KNEW, this was not a safe line of work... but... but! Please! Just one more person! Why can't they just make their breaking, dying, bodies MOVE!

Of course they refuse to move on.

They are needed HERE.

Yet? Their hands pass through. Their voices do not reach. A hell of their own, unknown, making. They can't let go, but they can't HELP either. There isn't enough Ectoplasm here. The walls of their reality overly patched up, since that unfortunate leak a few centuries back.

After all, the Zone had dumped near lethal quantities of unfiltered Ecto into the atmosphere. They're STILL dealing with the mutations and fall out, aren't they? At least, they are according to the Zone. (Wtf is a "Quirk"?) And, yeah, someone should PROBABLY do an assessment on the ecological recovery of the Reality. But like?

Do you have any idea how few people have an Obsession for stuff like that? Wait your turn! The list is long and you're not fuckin special, okay? The agents are BUSY.

Now, you might wonder? Wait. If they aren't moving on. Are DEFINITELY Ghosts. Starving as they are. Refusing to die as they may be. Wouldn't... Wouldn't that leave the whole ass area around their Reality an ecological dead zone? If it got over patched and no Ghosts LEFT, thus noticed, and started to try and work on it from the outside? Assuming the COULD?

Yeah. Yeah it would be!

It's called the "New Wastes"!

There used to be some cool Lairs around there. But there was a turf dispute. Someone DID something. Punched a HOLE. And everyone re-died. It was fixed but never quite re-healed. Portals... don't show up there? For some reason? Meh. Wanna brawl?

No. Danny's curious. He wants ANSWERS.

It's his fatal flaw.

Well... that and his inability to keep his mouth shut. But he likes to think he's funny. So... off he goes! And MAN! Does it feel funky out there! Weird textures. Mmmm, Don't Like THAT ™. It's probably a King thing? The Zone here... FEELS wrong.

Not... the way it's SUPPOSED to be shaped, if that makes sense?

And? It feels... if you sorta squint? Like... a LOT of people AREN'T where they should be. But aren't gonna leave until they're READY. Ooof. Great. Someone messed up again. Why does he KEEP FINDING bits and pockets that need straightening out? Unruffling? It's like he has to keep smooth out this giant peice of fabric with all these stains on it. Clean the messes on it.

He feels more like a maid then a King.

Maybe he is?

Pretty sure he's more of a nanny, since the Zone is more of a whiny yet excitable toddler then anything else. Alright, let him in. And fix... whatever THAT is.

So he steps into the Reality and? Huh. Japan. Neat. He always meant to go, never got around to it. Why is that man an otter?

.......oooohohooo, this place was HELLA fucked up by Ectoplasm, wasn't it? This is multi generational exposure. It's in the air. The water, ground, buildings. But stale to the point of stagnation. That can't be healthy. At least a few people he sees have developed ecto-resistance, thank the Ancients.

Danny discovers there are? "Superheroes"? Or just... heroes, apparently. They sell shampoo lines and athletic gear. Villians are petty criminals and psychopaths. All lumped together. He gets fuckin CHASED by the COPS and half the cities spandex patrol, called a "villian" (you know, like the purse snatchers and the DUDE WHO TRIED TO OPEN FIRE ON A CROWD) for flying around trying to assess the situation. Not speaking Japanese fast enough.

Soooorry! He TRIED to answer your confusing barked demands! This isn't his native language! He's translating through Ghost Speech! He knows it sounds unsettling to the living! It's the best he's GOT, man! (Asshole)

He escapes, obviously, because he's not 14 anymore. And honestly? He could top 200mph or so AT 14. He's only gotten faster. Intangible flight means no wind drag, motherfuckers~! OR need to dodge buildings! HA. Try to follow him through THE GROUND!

A few Blob sucked (to remove the ectoplasm) bits of treasure later? And he leaves a pawn shop with local currency. Thank YOU shady pawn shop! Ask him no questions, he'll tell you not lies. Enjoy Pariah's gold.

He does tourist things. Buy foods he's never tried, wanders around. Sees what's needed. Noticed a lot of people struggle with some aspect of the ecto-mutations brought on by the extreme Limnality. Need accessibility aids.

.....well, he IS a Fenton. His parents would disown him on the SPOT if he left with out at least TRYING to help. So he tracks down one the local ghosts. He'll need a guide or two.

He? VASTLY underestimates how desperate a sea of Obsession Starved Hero and Vigilante Ghosts will act, the INSTANT, they realize not only someone can see them... but it's? Their "Boss"? They aren't sure HOW they know that. But they DO. It's THE Boss. Here to help them! Asking for HELP ™ from THEM!

Yes

YES THEY CAN DO THAT

He gets swarmed. Hundreds of ghosts fighting over each other. Shouting. Turning on each other like rabid animals. All worn down and ragged by their Obssesion starvation. He's forced to shout over them.

And? Holy shit, these are only the ones from THIS CITY, too.

Thank Zone, again, he's no longer 14. That he has friends who are Rulers ™ that taught him HOW to Rule. To delegate. Pretend he TOTALLY knows what he's doing. That every action is on purpose.

It takes less then two hours, with all the experienced Unground Heros help, to make himself a Real Boy and buy a building. Put himself into the correct databases. He officially has licenses for things he's never studied. Is a tax paying citizen. Even belongs to several local clubs.

Over the next few days? He sets up his new... oi! Quickdraw! What're they called again? Right. "Lifestyle Support Company" which? Is a dumb name. But, Fenton Works is Fenton Works. Somehow he always kinda knew he'd be inherenting. It's in a cruddy part of town and the prices are cheap as he can safely get um.

He already had two customers, even though half the building isn't even fully set up. Which? I mean... he gets it. Poor guy. Knives for hands. Sharp ones too. The other guy's Obsession made him emotionally react to colors and like three different ones were ruining his life. So, hand Prosthetics controllable by knives and color filtering wrap around glasses.

Took him a lunch break or two.

Changed THEIR lives.

Suddenly his shop is packed. Schedule screaming for relief. And the ghosts? Getting more tangible by the day. See, his work shop? Ecto proofed. Let's him relax. But it ALSO let's him radiate fresh, clean, Ecto out into the air. And as King? With a direct line to The Zone? He puts out a lot.

There start to become Sightings.

People who SWEAR they saw long dead Heros out of the corner of their eyes. Dead vigilantes. That was who through that bottle. Who tripped that thug at just the right moment. Who unlocked the door. The SWEAR. They aren't crazy!

And... at first? Brushed off. Stress does a lot of crazy thing to a person, ma'am. But? How do you brush off, making eye contact with your dead best friend? Your old mentor on the other roof? That vigilante, who you WATCHED bleed out? Can you brush them off... when a vigilante from the dawn of quirks, punches some two bit villian on live television? Calls the Heros on the scene gloryhounds? Goverment dogs?

Runs from the cops and vanishes into thin air?

When this shit KEEPS HAPPENING?

Is spreading?

Are... are you supposed to arrest them for illegal vigilantism? How? They're THE proto-Heros! You don't want your name tied to that! The HPSC is furious. The goverment is uneasy. There are like... 6 dudes and a lady, openly stalking some kid in UA. Trying to mentor him. He looks moments away from a nervous breakdown.

Us too, kid. Us too.

All? While Danny? Is just sitting in his lil shop. Tinkering. Not HIS problem. Gotta let the ghosts here get it out of their system. Get their Obsession's full. Then it's all aboard the Zone Train. He's just here to make sure no one does anything "Too Crazy".

What's HIS definition of "too crazy"?

Wouldn't YOU like to know, weather boy~☆

@hdgnj @lolottes @nerdpoe @babbling-babull @mutable-manifestation @spidori @the-witchhunter @legitimatesatanspawn

[foggygiverchild]

(So I was trying to find a Danny Phantom x Bart Allen fic- but I couldn’t— so ima make a short thing though if you’ve found any let me know

Also I was tired as hell when I wrote this I hope y’all like it.)

Danny has helped CW many times fixing timelines and keeping peace. So many times he’s lost count, but Danny doesn’t really mind. He’s bored and traveling through time tends to be exciting and he meets all sorts of knew people.

Danny smiled abit as he remembered one time when he traveled through time but had lost the amulet that CW let him borrow for time travel. He had been stuck in the 31st century and knew just about nothing about how this society worked. He had been there just shy of a week when he met a man around his age. He had auburn hair (a reddish brown color) and beautiful blue eyes. The man was built and taller than Danny by just a few inches. He’d introduced himself as Bart and immediately picked up that Danny wasn’t from around here. Danny (who would never admit to it even under torture— and he’d been vivisected so he’d know-) had been a sobbing mess when Bart actually spoke with him( Danny had also let it spill that he’d time traveled and was a hero…)

Thankfully Bart was kind and had offered to let Danny stay with him till he’d found a way back to his timeline and had even offered to help Danny fit in better with kids from this century. Danny had accepted as he didn’t have much of a choice.

Bart was amazing though, he was funny and witty, and sarcastic too. He couldn’t cook to save his life but he was kind and any time Danny cooked he refused to let Danny do any sort of cleaning in the kitchen. Bart was also surprisingly a great teacher and after a few months Danny had been able to fit in with any other kid from the 31st century it was great.

After about 6 months of being stuck in the 31st century Bart told him that he was a descendent of a hero(the flash). He had wanted to tell Danny the flashes identity so that Danny knew something of equal value to what Bart knew. But Danny refused reminding Bart that the flash and him are part of the same timeline and it would be unfair to the flash to have his identity revealed without his permission. Bart dropped it after that. The months following that were domestic, Bart would wake up early to make Danny a fresh batch of coffee every morning before he’s pour himself a glass of milk and go to wake Danny, then Danny and Bart would walk to school together (they shared English,bio-chem, and history together) before they split for art(danny) and music arts(Bart)

Before they’d meet again for lunch with all of Barts and Danny’s (new) friends.

Then they’d continue and take there separate afternoon classes before the end of the day came around. Then because Bart was a sweetheart he’d walk Danny to his part-time job at a futuristic mechanic shop before he’d head home to work on his homework. After Work Danny would walk home and make dinner for the both of them before he’d start up on his own homework while Bart cleaned the kitchen.

Before Danny had even realized it, he’d been in the 31st century for over a year. However the longer he was here the less he cared about actually getting home to his own timeline.

It was during a movie night that Danny felt the tugging on his core. He and Bart where cuddled up on the couch watching a crappy horror movie stuffing their faces with snacks that Danny felt himself start to fade away. It took only a look from Bart for Danny to know that Bart knew that he was leaving. As Danny cried about not wanting to leave Bart and how he’d find him again Bart held him close to his chest as he flake away until he was no more( and back in his own time).

(Part 1)

[destiny-in-the-universe]

A/N: Before I write up my prompt, I just want to say things have been so hectic and wild lately, and I’ve not been posting as often to this account! I’m always on my Ao3 for anyone who wants to be up to date with my fanfiction, so feel free to give me a follow!

This is currently the first prompt I’ve successfully completed since receiving my Bad Things Happen Bingo card, and I plan to write more, of course! (And if I happen to already apply for a second card, no I didn’t- /lh). The prompt is a little short this time around, BUT I do plan on writing longer as I release more completed ideas~

What the hell happened?

He could faintly remember having to deal with another ghost wreaking havoc on Amity Park. Though, there was a gap in his memories - something he was missing, but he couldn’t figure out what. A stifled groan left him, slowly becoming more aware of his own surroundings; heart beating frantically in his own chest.

Where was he?

He tried to lift his hands, in an attempt to create an ectoplasmic torch, only to find that he couldn’t move them.

Danny grunted, realizing with apparent displeasure they were bound behind his back - secured tightly against a pipe and no matter how hard he tried turning into Phantom, it wouldn’t budge. He couldn’t even phase through it, for Ancients’ sake!

Leaning his head back with a groan, he realized he wouldn’t be able to get out of this - not in the way he would’ve liked.

He also came to realize there was a cloth tied around his mouth, sparking his irritation even more than it already was. Teeth grit, Danny let out a muffled shout of alarm - straining his ears in the off chance someone would hear him, that against all odds he could get out unscathed. Time seemed to tick even slower than usual, and he scowled while trying to figure who was killing to kidnap him like this.

His first instinct went to Vlad before realizing even the billionaire had his limits.

Could it be one of the ghosts?

It ruled out ghosts like Johnny or Ember, as they hardly stooped to such levels but right as he attempted to assess the rest of the situation - he heard a faint, almost amused chuckle.

His ears strained at the noise and Danny tensed, the teenager - now sixteen - pulling against the ropes, but as usual, they refused to budge.

“It’s useless to struggle,” a voice he faintly recognized called out.

“Mnn,” Fenton groaned, attempting to speak. He sighed in frustration - wrists pulled tight together and feeling something almost… sticky coating the rope he was bound with. “Lm’go.”

“You wouldn’t stand a chance against us.”

Us? Who exactly was us?

Glaring at his apparent captor, he instinctively drew back but his movements were pretty limited. He couldn’t even fight back. It was embarrassing honestly, and the most he could do was a light show with his eyes - briefly flickering a bright green before trying to gauge who had managed to snatch him off the streets like this.

“Mmf,” he grumbled, eyes widening as the room was suddenly far more visible - caused by a dimly-lit ceiling light and catching glimpse of his kidnapper.

Wait- what.

Panic seized him like a vice as he recognized the owner, trying to make sense of what was happening. He hoped it would’ve been Skulker, or hell, even the Red Huntress but no, this was so, so much worse.

This was the mother-hecking Guys in White, oh he was so screwed!

What were they going to do to him?

How could this have happened? He had to get away, he needed to- his breathing picked up, eyes screwed shut in his own desperate attempt to not be seen as a threat.

“You’re going to answer our questions, boy,” the agent spoke, taking a step closer toward the tied-up ghost hero, “or we’ll find other ways of making you talk.”

Shit, he was so screwed.

How in the world was he meant to get out of this one?

[moralityandmusings]

I loved this and kind of just took it and just ran with it. Prompt/Idea credit entirely to OP. Danny never cared about having a grave when he first died. He had enough on his plate dealing with the half-dead/half-alive fiasco, and he for sure couldn't focus on it when he was constantly fighting ghosts coming through the portal, the GIW, and his own parents. Sam asked him once if he had ever had a chance to really grieve himself after one particularly nasty run in with the GIW that left him hurt and upset.

That was the first time he ever thought about it. Thought about a grave.

When he brought it up to Frostbite and some of the other ghosts, they were all shocked and upset that he didn't have a grave or memorial for the portion of life he had already lost. Even if he were still technically alive, he was fundamentally changed. Shouldn't there be some place of significance where he and his friends, his family, could go to remember what he once was? What he could have become had the portal not opened on him that fateful day?

Danny realized that he had started for long to the connection that the other ghosts described between their graves, memorials, and ofrendas to the living world and their own histories. But he couldn't very well ask his parents to help him figure out how to set up a grave without outing himself as no longer fully human. He wouldn't ask his friends or Jazz to help him symbolically bury who he no longer was. He refused to put that additional trauma and burden on their shoulders.

So he just... didn't have one. And time moved forward. As everything aged and grew around him, his ghost form remained almost unchanged. Stuck at the physical appearance of the day he died and unable to let himself grieve that loss, and serving as another constant reminder of his ending adolescence.

Eventually. he got out of Amity Park and was recruited by the JL. It took a long time to convince them that he was actually not a young teenager, that he was bordering on just dead enough to stop aging but not dead enough to decay.

It hurt every time, but it was the reality of what was left of his life. So he pushed through the pain and focused on making a difference in a world that moves past him.

As threats rise and the JL responds, Phantom gains some recognition among civilians. He doesn't come out as often as some of the other heroes, but his presence is noticed nonetheless.

It was after a particularly grueling fight in Central City where an apartment complex collapsed trapping dozens of civilians that Danny found himself thinking of graves again. He'd spent a better portion of the fight utilizing his intangibility to search through the rubble for survivors, pulling them out and helping to stabilize them away from the danger before going right back in to search for the next person.

It was after the dust settled and the villain had finally been led away by other JL members that an older lady came up to him.

She had been one of the first he had managed to help out of the rubble. One of the fortunate ones.

She limped over, her twisted ankle braced by a paramedic after he'd dropped her off, and she put a hesitant hand on his arm. "Where can I pay my respects?" She whispered with a sad little smile. Danny was initially confused.

"Huh? I'm not sure I understand what you mean, ma'am?" He responded back, matching her quiet tone out of respect.

"I'd like to pay my respects to you. To thank you for saving me, saving my family." She turned back to where several others were stood, just out of hearing range, watching the conversation unfold with the same sad little smiles as the woman before him. "Where is your memorial, Phantom?"

And Danny... Danny couldn't. Couldn't think. Couldn't respond. Couldn't Breathe.

A harmless, polite, and so well-meaning question and he was suddenly 14 again, feeling the lightening from the portal as it spread through his body over and over and over and over again.

He was 15 and realizing he wasn't aging physically anymore in his Phantom form.

He was 16 and realizing that he was never able to grieve himself.

He was 17 and longing for a symbol of what he lost but unable to ask for help to achieve it.

He was 18 and leaving Amity Park in search of a sense of safety and security that had been lacking for years.

But Danny refused to lie to this woman. This woman who asked for so little but had unknowingly just uncovered so much. He couldn't make himself smile, laugh it off, and lie.

So he let out a wet chuckle, tears brimming in his eyes when he looked at her and finally managed to speak. "I- I don't have one, ma'am. No version of me has ever had a grave, the kid or the hero... But thank you," Danny gently clasped his free hand over hers where it rested on his arm, pouring his genuine sincerity into his words. "Thank you so much for thinking to ask."

And the woman was quite for a moment. This child, this hero, had never had anybody grieve him in life or in death. She reached her free hand up, cupped his face, and said, "You'll have one with me."

And Danny smiled, tears finally breaching down his face, before giving a polite nod and floating up and away from the group.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was a few days later that Tucker sent him the video. Somebody had been close enough to get a recording of the moment between him and the woman that day, close enough to catch his confession and truth. And it sparked something beautiful. The Hashtag #OneWithMe had started circling online within hours of the video going up. People from across the world that had been impacted by Danny as Phantom began erecting memorials and grave markers for him. A farmer who he had helped pull from a grain silo when law enforcement couldn't figure out how to get to him safely without getting sucked into it themselves had taken a spare piece of tin from one of his buildings and carved out a headstone for Phantom. He'd shared a video of his young daughters putting flowers on at the makeshift headstone sitting at the edge of a beautiful, flourishing orchard. The video's audio capured the two girls thanking him for saving their dad. A photo of a bookshelf in a home that had been cleared off except a few well done drawings and kid's drawings depicting Phantom protecting the young mother and her son from a robot that was shooting right for them. An older lady had her neighbor help her post a photo of her ofrenda with the JL's official press photo of Phantom printed out and sitting above a cherry pie. Danny recognized the woman as a lady he had helped get home safe after somebody had attempted to mug her when she was walking home from the store one afternoon, bringing her husband's favorite pie to him since he was sick. He hadn't managed to leave her house before she'd handed him a slice and told him to come back anytime.

The lady from the apartment collapse had even posted a video. It showed her and her family in a makeshift bedroom as they lit a candle. Each member of the family, even ones he didn't remember saving or seeing during the search-and-rescue, took turns thanking him for saving them or expressing their gratitude for saving their loved ones. And there were so. many. more. There were hundreds of posts already: pictures and videos of makeshift headstones, memorials, and ofrendas that he had unknowingly become a part of. There were hundreds of people who were willing to make space for him, to help grieve him, to thank him.

And it was then that Danny realized. His half-life could be grieved, the adult hero in a child's body could be recognized, and he could live what life remained knowing that he'd left something impactful behind. Maybe the physical grave or memorial doesn't mean nearly as much as the people who are there to use them.

Danny was asked where his in memorium is, after saving another civilian on a JL mision.

Danny in all his glory just "hu?"

"You know, so i can put a thank you for saving me ofrend"

"Oh.. i i dont have one- not even in my secret identidy i had a grave... but thank you so much for thinking of that" the sinsere and melancholical smile that the ghost hero give to the civilian was so full of emotion that even the people acros the screen could feel it.

Not knowing that he was recorded, Phantom guve a false saluted and continued with his work.

The video soon become viral, and with that, little by little a lot of in memoriums and shirenes started poping up all around the globe.

[flamingpudding]

Fictober23 Prompt: 1 - "It's not too late, let's go."

Fandom: DPxDC

Rating: G

Warnings: -

Danny frowned, his head resting on his arms as he sat in a café, staring at nothing in particular. Tucker was sitting next to him, typing away on his PDA and Sam was across from him glaring at his current state of dramatic pouting, frowning and sulking while ignoring his favorite coffee order she had especially ordered for him somehow even though the store did not even have it on their menu.

"Danny, how much longer are you going to sulk?"

"I don't know. How much longer until my next chance of ever meeting someone from outer space?"

"Danny."

"We missed the Hero Gala, Sam! That was our one and only chance!"

He looked away from her like a stubborn toddler. He knew he was being especially dramatic but his friends and him had planned this whole trip solely for meeting members of the Justice League in person. For one, to maybe meet the people that have been ignoring their cities' call for help for years now and request it personally if per call won't work and two, fulfill some of their own personal selfish desires to meet the hero's each one of them admired.

Though their trip clearly had been eventful considering how a lot of his ghost rogues tried to stop him from even leaving Amity Park, they also learned about the whole media black out surrounding Amity. Turns out, the reason the Justice League was ignoring them was entirely because they didn't even know they existed in the first place. It was a miracle that they even learned about a Hero Gala in Metropolis if it weren't for an invitation somehow making it to the Mansons Estate.

Fun fact. Even if the invitation made it to them. Once they did make it to the Gala location they learned that it had happened years ago. Well wasn't that just great, and here Danny had hoped to get some help and maybe meet Superman or better Martian Manhunter.

Slamming his head onto the table and gaining the attention of some other cafe visitors briefly. Danny only turned ever so slightly so that his cheek was squished against the cold table surface. Still refusing to look at Sam but instead watched Tucker who was by now frowning at his PDA.

"Guys, I think there is more to it than us being simple late a couple of years to a Gala." Blinking made a noise to ask him to elaborate while Sam verbally asked why.

"Things didn't add up when we first left Amity, aside from all your ghost rouges were even trying to make us stop leaving until the very last second. Look at this, this is a photocopy of our last news paper from home and this-" Tucker slit a paper across the table and pointed at a specific spot at the top of the paper so both Danny and Sam could see it clearly. "-is a news paper printed today from Metropolis."

"I don't get it." Danny honestly stated staring at the spot Tucker had pointed it. Sam proceeded to hit the back of his head lightly, apparently having seen what Tucker was pointing out to them.

"The dates are way too far apart." She stated and Danny blinked, looking back at the printed date and the date displayed in the image of Tuckers PDA. "Are you sure you didn't save up an older newspaper?"

Tucker gave him an unimpressed stare. "Look at the headline. That's the incident that happened right before we went on this trip."

"Okay but what does that mean?"

"From what it looks like. Amity Park lives in a time bubble. Our technology as well as date seems far behind from everything we saw ever since we left. Even my beloved PDA appears to be old technology here."

The tree sat in silence for a moment, mulling over what they had found out so far after leaving Amity for the first time. But now that they thought about that, Amity was a closed community. There were hardly any people coming in and out of their town. In addition the only one who had ever entered their city from the outside was Vlad and even he didn't talk much about any other cities or people he could possibly know outside of Amity.

"That's a pretty interesting topic you guys are talking about."

Startled, the three looked up to see a new face that had appeared out of nowhere and was spitting next to Sam. The boy with auburn hair and yellow eyes who looked only a bit older than them and was smiling brightly at them with a back of chips in his hands.

"So you guys lived in a time bubble? That sounds interesting, can you tell me more?"

A second later two black haired teens appeared next to the boy, one sheepish and in a punk style and the other frustrated and appearing to wear more formal clothing. The frustrated one eyed them for a moment and Danny caught his eyes, noticing the calculating look and couldn't help narrowing his own eyes on him.

"Sorry about my friend, he sometimes acts before he thinks."

"I have a friend like that too, don't worry." Tucker answered and Danny shot him a quick glare before turning his attention back to the three newcomers.

"We couldn't help but overhear what you guys were talking about. You missed your chance to go to a hero gala right?" The sheepish one said after exchanging a look with the other black haired teen and Danny couldn't help but feel like there was some silent communication going on. The same he had at times with Tucker.

"So what?" Sam huffed, not willing to talk about their woes and sharing information with strangers.

"We happened to be on our way to one that's not open to the public but we could help you get in. Granted, I would like to hear a little more about your situation and how you missed the one you originally wanted to go to." In other words, give us information and we will get you to somewhere where you can meet hero's. Danny narrowed his eyes further, there had to be more to this catch.

His distrust must have been visible as the formal clothing black haired teen let out a sigh. "Look we have experience with time shenanigans, so we might be able to get you into contact with people that can help, from Young Justice or maybe even the Justice League."

"No one just offers help like that, without getting something out of it." Sam huffed arms crossed and glaring at them. Tucker also eyed them with suspicion and Danny had yet to let up on his distrustful glare.

"Well we do. So common, the private gala is still going. We only escaped from it for a little bit to get this guy some coffee. It's not too late, let's go! We can figure out the whole time bubble thing on the way there!" The brightly smiling auburn haired answered instead bouncing in his seat next to Sam. Eager to have Danny and his friends come along.

Only way later did Danny learn that the three teens that snuck them into a privat Hero Gala were actual members of Young Justice but that was only after they figured out the whole Amity lives in a Time Bubble situation.

[ghostreblogging]

Omg like I had this dream about it yesterday. So what if batfam decided nope we're gonna ghost proof this house. And in the way they did it, they didn't use blood blossoms, ectoranium etc (blood blossoms are extinct and hard to find in large quantities and ectoranium is a space metal that nobody knows exist yet or confused with kryptonite) They used magic, so it's little less noticable.

And Tim decides to Invite his new friend over, aka Danny Fenton . Said friend refuses to touch anything while there. He wouldn't sit, eat food, or touch any of the occupants. And when he finally accidentally touches something, the spell works and he is captured with glowing chains or straight up thrown back into the infinite realms.

Danny finally has time for normal teenager shit. He managed slowly go through the bureaucratic shithole that is the infinite realms politics and he managed to come out with his sanity intact. Phantom is no longer a menace but a hero that tragically gave himself up to seal all of the Infinite realms (that is kinda true he did go through a nightmare to make sure ghosts didn't attack the living world and had to do the equivalent of centuries worth of paperwork to do that.)

And all things considered ghosts are a thing of the past for most people. ( He hopes that the ones he allows through keep their oaths and stay hidden)

And he can finally be a normal teenager again, albeit in Gotham of all places. But the death in the city masks his more inhuman traits and he really didn't wanna go through another paper work stuff to register himself as a meta without the meta gene, he would have to do that later though.

But he can do that later, he's on a vacation and he's not doing that.

-_-_-_-

He is standing in the doorway. People around him are getting their umbrellas and sadly he doesn't have one. He was debating internally if he should just go or go back to the lost and found for an umbrella.

He was waiting for Tim as he agreed to come for dinner. The car ride to the Wayne manor was calm, filled with few words.

All changed when he came to find the whole manor was covered in intricate magical circles and traps. He saw atleast few that straight up sent him to the dark parts of the realms and he didn't want to touch that. And as much as he wanted to straight up escape, Tim had been asking for multiple days.

So as much as he wanted to flee, his social skills are shit and he didn't want to risk the awkwardness afterwards.

So he tried his best. Didn't touch the ground floated slightly above it, didn't touch the furnitures cuz apparently it was considered part of the house, couldn't touch the walls. Couldn't even touch the residents before setting the alarms off.

He thinks he pulled it off. Of course he pulled it off everything was going smoothly and he just has to make sure he has everyone in the room in his sights and float a bit. Well until the actual dinner. He couldn't touch the food and he looked quite akward so much so Tim whispers to him.

"You okay? You aren't touching your food."

"Oh I'm okay, it's just-" before he could even start with his sorrowful excuses, someone someone grabs his arm, again it wouldn't have been a problem too it would only raise the alarm, until he is pushed down into the chair thus triggering multiple traps .

Big golden chains appear and he is arleady out of the chair by then. He opens a window and turns to say sorry but he accidentally trips over another trap and is pulled into the realms. He should probably cross Tim out of his list of friends.

-_-_-_-

Tim's friend just fell through a portal, should probably call Constantine about that.

Dick was the first one to speak up after the silence that incued.

"Did we just banish Tim's new friend to the shadow realm?"

"Wait why did he trigger the alarm? He didn't seem all that ghostly, was he like Jason"

"Probably. We probably won't see him again, do we just. . . Push the blame onto Constantine?"

" We are heroes-"

"And how the heck are we supposed to enter the realms anyway? And escape! Constantine greatly expressed that portal was one way only"

*Tommorow*

They see Danny just waltzing through Gotham and they pull him aside.

"What the fuck. You got pulled into the shadow realm yesterday! How do you even trigger the alarms"

Danny who arleady went through the five stages of denial and how tf am I gonna explain "oh you see i am a warlock of....uhhhh

I didn't think this far

OH PHANTOM. THE GREAT PHANTOM"

And after a very stressful meeting with batman and the entire JL dark members cuz apparently his alter ego became a big deal without his agreement.

Where he

Had to speed learn how to create duplicates

Had to fight off a few ghost lawyers cuz they wanted to be a part of "the very important meeting of importance"

Got asked to do magic (he's still learning okay?)

He panicked tried to sell one of his powers as a spell or him just having the copy of his patrons power.

More people got worried about him supposedly creating a contract with a very powerful new unknown diety

Got into the JL dark as a warlock

People apparently trusts him now???? As FENTON??????

Apperantly showing off weaker version of patrons power was a bad idea cuz he greatly overestimated the power limit.

He is a powerful warlock of a powerful "demon"?

WHAT THE FUCK DO U MEAN I- MY PATRON IS NOT A DEMON

"so what is he"

Uhhhhhh a guardian spirit?

Uunhuun soo it's phantom right.?? Leme do some research

WHAT DO U MEAN PHANTOM IS APPARENTLY A GOD AND IS KNOWN GLOBALY FOR BEING THE GOD OF HEROES??

Wait . . . . Clockwork. Oh my god.

Now he is the number one call up magic person for the bats now.

[itshype]

Navigate any storm, with nothing but the stars to guide you (DC x DP)

Hello! My other dc x dp notfic blew up overnight so here’s another one (this is not a part 2 but here is the link to Kingmaker, Kingbreaker, Crowntaker, Realmshaker where Danny is an important political ghost figure)

So, there are only a few Astronaut!Danny fics and most of them don’t quite land with me. They’re really good, but a lot of them have Danny getting his job at NASA because of his ghost powers. And like, nothing about Danny’s arc/s ever hints to me that he would show up to a government agency and give them a full rundown of his abilities – even for his dream job.

So instead of a protection-obsessed Danny, his Obsession develops as wanting to go to space. So, he’ll still fight the ghosts because he’s not a psycho with no regard for human life, but these fights aren’t a priority to him the same way in canon. Instead, Danny fights a lot dirtier, goes to 10 a lot faster – instead of it being a rarely used ability, his go-to is the Ghostly Wail in round one of a fight because it’ll get everything over nice and quick. He needs great grades to even enter the space program let alone astronaut training.

Because of this, Danny isn’t getting involved in problems just because ghosts are involved.

Did he turn the portal on for the first time? Yes.

Is it his responsibility because his parents refuse to add security or even just turn it off when not in use? Absolutely not!

There’ll definitely be a short-term dip in Danny’s grades but he plays up the “I was in a lab accident” thing to his school (actually more like he just didn’t cover it up) and can get extra credit or whatever (in Australia they’d just ignore the assignments you missed/failed and make your average from everything else but Teen Wolf fics often go on about extra credit so lets whack that in for Cultural Authenticity). But after that, Danny only gets involved if it’s getting really dangerous out there because he can’t skip this test/miss this homework etc.

Because of this, Phantom would probably be a lot more popular. Instead of running around and chasing ghosts and causing damage, he shows up like a Deus ex Machina when people are terrified, and lives are at risk. Downside is probably that Amity calls him Invis-o-bill for a while longer – he still wants to go by Phantom but correcting people isn’t his priority.

Also, his obsession makes his crush for Paulina turn off because I never found that a fun storyline. Also, when he gets in trouble for Dash’s bad behaviour he fights back against Dash and/or the teachers because “There’s a new documentary about theoretical White Holes tonight and our DVR gained sentience and ran off, so I have to watch it live.”

Downside of all these great changes? Jazz. In canon it takes ages for Danny to find out she saw his death-event. But in this, Danny’s personality changes are a lot more evident and drastic. I still don’t think the parents would suspect anything because my opinion of them is so far down it popped out of the other side of the Earth and spun off into the cosmos.

Jazz wants to be a psychologist. ‘Drastic changes in behaviour and personality’ are the early warning signs for hundreds of things from bipolar disorder, to drugs, to schizophrenia, sexual assault or joining a gang. She would be less likely to blow this off I think than in canon where his personality changes can be explained a lot more easily with “moody teen being taught by teachers who are on the bully’s side.” She figures out what’s happening a lot earlier. She doesn’t love that her baby brother is a ghostly hero, but his grades are great and it’s pretty hard to say “No you should let the town be destroyed and get a part-time job instead.”

So then, when the GIW come to town to try and set up, everyone is like “oh yeah, sure, go for it, except for Phantom, he’s our little meow meow.”

The GIW try to attack him anyway and the responding retaliation from Casper high students and most adults is so violent and extreme that the GIW mark the town as being completely 100% possessed with the hopes that they’ll get carte blanche to attack anyone they want in Amity (mostly because they’re petty manchildren).

However, declaring open season on an entire town is a bit much and all this ecto-nonsense is pretty new so the fear hasn’t 100% set into the administration. So instead, the President contacts the Justice League who call in the Justice League Dark (the magic department of the Justice League).

They’re probably freaked out but then Oracle finds footage of the ‘Possession attack on government agents’ from a security camera or something and Constantine is immediately like “None of those people are possessed, hope that helps, I have to go I’m late for a booty call with Beelzebub.”

MEANWHILE!!! Jazz has started coming to fights when she can (dressed like a real Fenton ghosthunter – Dad is so proud) and loudly announcing their insecurities because we know that psychic damage can actually cause ghosts to physically change (i.e. when Cujo is threatened he goes Big, when Spectra is satiated she appears more human, Amorpho’s whole thing). Within weeks, the less-evil ghosts want to make deals. I mean skulker and walker probably won’t want to concede, but the others get day-passes from the ghost zone like:

Ember can throw a concert and hypnotise everyone attending or streaming online but she has to let them go when the show is over.

Maybe Kitty can possess Jazz for a few hours for a date, or Tucker can build her a robot body assuming ghosts that aren’t Technus, master of all technology can possess electronics if they want to.

Eventually, Danny goes “Why is coming here so important, why do you go to so much effort and constraints to leave the Ghost Zone?”

And that’s when he finds out that the Ghost Zone is a ruthless, desolate place that’s awful and dangerous.

So, he calls the Justice League (Tucker gets him the number and he dials right into the Watchtower PA). And he essentially goes:

“I am Phantom, bridge between worlds. The ghosts of Amity Park were interfering with my Ghostly Dream and I have recently discovered that this is because the Infinite Realms is a sucky place to be. Can you fix it?”

The Justice League are thinking ‘wow two birds one stone and we get free amazing publicity!’ Then they talk to Constantine for two-point-five seconds, and he is all “It’s infinite, you morons, you can’t patch it up one villain at a time. Anyways I have to go sell my soul to a sixth party to prevent a magical demon war, peace out.”

So then, the Justice League are in Amity and tell Phantom that they’re very sorry but what he asked isn’t really feasible. And immediately they figure out that something is slightly off.

Now I stand by my headcanon that the Justice League wouldn’t immediately figure out Danny’s secret because there’s no real reason to think a ghost would have a secret identity.  But just speaking to any of the halfas you can tell they’re different. Less obsessive, don’t go violent as fast etc.

Now, just because they don’t realise Danny is 50% human, does not mean they did no research. They looked him up and came across historical records made during his time travel jaunts and immediately reach the fairly reasonable conclusion that he’s special, more powerful and more human because he’s just that old. So they ask him why the ghost zone is like that and if it could be changed or fixed – even just a small portion of it for use by less aggressive ghosts.

Danny admits he has no idea, but they could all go find out because it was Sunday. None of the Justice League know why the day is relevant but through the combined powers of Sam, Tucker and Jazz, they manage to get his parents onto the other side of town while they enter the ghost zone.

They quickly find Ghost Writer, because he’s an under-utilised character. He explains that long, long ago the ghost zone was a much brighter place with a golden sunrise sky and an overflowing font of ectoplasm under the rule of the powerful King of the Infinite Realms – Inferna the Bright. But he was brutally overtaken by the disgusting Pariah Dark. Inferna never recovered and the entire zone changed, becoming dark and harsh like her master whose obsession was subjugation. Pariah was sealed away, but by a large group instead of in single combat. So technically he was still at the helm of the entire dimension.

If only there was another ghost, brave and powerful enough to defeat Pariah Dark. One strong enough to bear the helm of the Crown of Fire. One with an obsession that would transform the ghost realm into a place of wonder once more.

If only…

(TBC??)

(IN CASE IT WASN’T OBVIOUS, each King makes one artifact: Inferna was obsessed with the Sun but expressed it healthily, Pariah Dark was obsessed with winning and beating other people and expressed it terribly)

Also, fyi Inferna doesn’t just sound like Inferno but is also Latin for the Underworld, so the implication is that they were king for FOREVER before Pariah.

[kimerawrt]

DP Promp The chained ghost king

An idea of a fic i will probably not write, so here i am screaming it into the void

By right of contest danny can be king of the ghost zone but he refuses, the observants are very persistent, they want someone to bear the crown so the zone is in balance, between the two halfas that defeated pariah dark, phantom was the less likely to bring more chaos

After way too many refusal from danny the observants decide to take drastic measures, one day danny wakes up chained to the old throne of the king, his wrists and ankles had chains on them, the crown that was always too big for his head rest in his shoulders, the crown is chained to him and the throne

Danny panics and tries everything to escape, the chains let him move around but not much, he tries transforming to escape but doesnt matter in what form the chains remains and he is trapped, he struggles until he is too tired to move

Later the observants appear before him and tell him that he has to accept the crown and become king to be free of those chains, danny refuses as always and the observants just say that is just a matter of time for him to accept their deal and leave him alone

Everyday danny fights against the chains and everyday he fails, he pulls so hard for so long that the chains cut into his skin and the spikes of the crown dig into his face even drawing his ecto-blood, danny fights for days, then weeks and maybe years, time is impossible to tell in there, the throne heals him everytime he passes out, that makes danny try harder and gain more scars as time passes

Danny wonders if this is how pariah dark became the tyrant king, because he is not the king and has no plan to be anyone trying to summon the ghost king would not be able to summon him, danny can only hope for direct rescue before he goes crazy

-----------------------------------------

Now there are many possibilities:

+danny could go crazy for that torture, accepts the crown just so he can unleash his reign of terror worse than what dan could ever do

+danny never gets rescued, goes crazy but doesnt accept the crown and lives a miserable existence

+he gets rescued by his friends or enemies (human or ghost doesnt matter) and has a long recovery after that with a side of kicking observant ecto-butts

(crossover possibility)

+heroes have ghost problem and cause they cant summon ghost king they go to him for help and/or confront, they find kind in chains and rescue him

+villain tries to find ghost king to get power, they somehow get to danny and free him in exchange of power, danny is desperate enough to accept at that point

+someone in another dimension from danny tries to summon a guardian spirit/ghost because they need help, they can summon phantom but he still has the chains and knows if he goes back he will be chained to the throne again, desperate danny makes deal with summoner so he can stay free for longer and maybe find a way to break the chains in that new place

[stuck-in-2012]

Unintended consequences

In truth, Loki’s plan was brilliant. Turning heroes into children? Genius, in theory. The idea is great but the trickster didn’t execute the idea thoroughly enough. Loki didn’t turn them into kids, he shrunk them. That’s it. Never one to quit, the Asgardian modified the spell and once again cursed the Ultimates…

Stupid Loki and his stupid norne stones. Peter seethed to himself as he sat up. Whatever spell he’d done this time had knocked them out. “Is everyone ok?” Holy cow! Was that his voice? He sounded like- like- like he was in elementary!

���Depends on your definition of ok.”

Peter couldn’t recognize the voice, them all being so high. His best guess was Danny. Peter rubbed his eyes to get the sleepy blur away. …but nothing happened. Peter squinted and rubbed his eyes more. “Oh no…”

“Yup.” Luke, he thought.

“No! I- …I can’t see! I- need glasses again…”

“What?!” a chorus of voices.

“Guys, I don’t think we just got turned into kids, I think our bodies went back in time.” Peter flexed his hands, having been Spidey so long, he could feel his powers being gone. No sticky, no strength, and- oh man, no Spidey sense. Pete’s anxiety grew at the loss of his preemptive warning. None of them were born with powers. Though working with 12/20 vision he could still see the drastic difference in everyone. Danny looked pretty much the same but shorter. Luke had lost all his muscle. His body no longer had the super soldier serum in it. Ava seemed to be just the same-

“No… no, gods, please no, NO!” The girl clutched at her hair and pat her body all over in horror. She continued to plead in horror as her voice grew more and more watery.

Ava had handled being shrunk so much better. And what was with the frantic arms? The amulet. She hadn’t gotten the amulet yet. Both her and Sam got their powers from something else. Did their relics disappear? Before Peter could think any further on the repercussions, more of the same near-wailing voice broke through the air.

“Not again, not a-gain! I can’t- no no no, I can’t go back, don’t make me go back!” She was full on crying now.

“What…?”

“Hol’ up.”

Peter looked back at the others hearing their bafflement. Before he could offer the Amulet theory his thoughts screeched to a halt as he saw… Ava, sitting next to Danny. Not to Peters right. “What in the…?”

“Its not fair… its-” Not-Ava’s voice was wet and cut off by sobbing.

Ok, ok, ok. The only person unaccounted for was Sam. Beyond that Peter’s mind hit a brick wall at what could be going on. Was that Sam? Maybe Loki’s spell messed with him more than the rest of the team. No one spoke, all lost in their own thoughts. The only sound was the broken crying coming from behind long, black hair shrouding the face of the crumpled figure.

Angered by the grief before her, “We need to get this fixed. Right-the-fuck-now.” Ava said sternly sounding ready to torture Loki to make it happen.

Luke shuffled over to the sobbing being and lay gentle hands to calm to aggressive scratching she was doing at her chest. “Were gonna get this fixed, man. I promise.”

“Indeed,” Danny added.

The child looked up -but not in a direction Peter could see- before collapsing against the boy in front in a resumed fit of sobs. Ava scooted over and offered her comfort with Danny following behind. Peters mind refused to process what must be happening. The entire situation was too much at once and he sat rooted.

“Hey,” Ava guided the teary face to make eye contact. “Pre-op or post-op, T or no T, you’re still you.” She wiped away some tears. “You’re still Samuel Alexander-”

“Always have been,” Danny added making Ava smile softly.

“-and no one, not even a damn god, can take that away from you.”

Reality broke through the glass of shock blocking Peters mind from processing making him gasp. Sam is trans. That’s why he’s short. Peter shook his head at the irrelevant revelation.

The boy nodded at Ava’s words and pulled his too long hair from his face, breath still uneven though calming slowly. At Peter’s gasp he looked over his shoulder. Though blurry from Peter’s own poor vision and glassy from tears, those green eyes were unmistakable. That was Sam. Fear and misery was painted all over his face and posture. Fear from what Peter could say… the thought of his friend being afraid of him made Peter’s heart break a little. Protective warmth swamped his gut as he shuffled over to the other sitting kids.

“Ava’s right.” Peter said determined, making Sam’s eyes widen a fraction. “Plain and simple!” He added as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Peter lay a hand on his friends shoulder and concluded in a soft tone, “you’re a boy.”

A soft relieved smile spread under tear stained cheeks. The dysphoria swam underneath causing Sam to hang his head and weep more. Over gentle pats and hugs was talk of binders and trimming locks and proper clothes. Sam was in hell, but at least he had his friends this time.

 Loki’s face was unreadable as the five children stood before him, the might of shield at their command. This… wasn’t supposed to happen. They were just supposed to lose their powers, not…

“Change us back!” A young boy with glasses screamed.

Loki turned away, guilt drowning them. “I’m sorry.” It wasn’t the apology that caught the children off guard, it was the sincerity. The sadness. “If I’d known…” the trickster sighed. “I may be… villainous. But I’ve never wanted to be cruel. I’m sorry I’ve caused you this pain. Believe me, I understand.” The god fiddled with their long silky robes in one hand. Without another word she waved a hand over the younglings engulfing them in a green cloud. In seconds, five heroes stood together.

Loki’s frown deepened as Nova hugged himself and let out a relived half-sob-half-laughing breath. The god and the space hero met eyes a moment as everything stood still. Loki turned to Spider-man. “I will return to New York, and I will take over your world. But not today.” The god turned away again before speaking over their shoulder. “I swear upon my future throne, I will never do something like this again.” He disappeared in a green cloud.

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Au where Phantom discovered the last two high rulers of the Infinity Realms were actually really nice people who genuinely wanted what was best for it people...until the crown was placed upon thier heads that is.

It was like thier entire personalities changed overnight.

Team Phantom unravels the centuries old plot by the Observents to curse the crown of fire and the ring of rage so that any who wear them are quickly drowned by malice and madness.

The ghost zone used to be a paradise. A second chance for those who had terrible lives and even worse deaths. According to the much older spirits the zone used to be filled with interesting lairs and isles creating an almosy playful scene.

Now most of what you see is locked doors of spirits too afraid to leave the confines of thier homes.

Danny knew he couldn't take the crown, but if he refused the Obervants would know something was up and force the crown onto his head like they did with the Queen before Pariah Dark. He knows he can't fight them off. They had defeated Pariah without any special gear after all and he no longer had the suit he had used before.

Danny would need to run and find help,, but his enemies would surely follow or track him via is ecto-signature So team Phantom came up with an idea. They recalibrated the Fenton dream catcher to split his human half from his ghost half again. This time it worked pretty well...if you ignored the fact both boys were now 12.

The boys went into the zone and began dimension hopping throughout the multiverse as a pair of twin bountyhunters/mercenaries Blanko and Noir Chrome. It was perfect! They could get money for food and supplies, Blanko- who had apparently inherited the fenton genius- could build a spaceship, they could fight heros to see if they're up to snuff and they could get around mostly unhindered and without an adult bossing them around.

Eventually they run into this group calling themselves the Justice League and decide to start business around thier terf. They were impressed.

But what was this about the chrome Brothers being "Ready made Robins"? And what are "Bat adoption papers"?

Could they teach Red Hood to become a proper halfa? Could they convince him to take the throne once this was all over? Did they even want to go back to being Danny?

[fairy-lights-and-blobs]

One way I like to think of this au is if Danny was already a City Spirit during Gotham's early days.

After having attained peace in his own world, and having live a very fruitful life, Danny becomes a little bored and disconnected without his purpose to fulfill as a guardian. He practically became Amity's own city spirit, until Amity itself, in their relative peace and lack of near-daily tragedies, forgot Phantom, and allowed him to become a sort of cryptid legend.

So, Danny goes off in search of somewhere else that might need a helping hand.

He's done the Hero shtick for a good long while. Enjoyed it, even. But it was tiring, to be the only one, even if he had Valerie later on to help. It was still Phantom going up alone against the true threats.

And so it goes, Danny settles in a quaint little town, just on the cusp of something great. He finds himself a little mausoleum to settle in at first, and lets his Core take root in this place.

It's not his world, that one has learned to take care of itself, but this one? Young, messy, and in need of a guiding presence. And Danny falls in love with his stubborn little lights, even the ones with less good intentions.

He's falling in love with generation after generation of Wayne, like how a parent finds themself bursting with love for their own children every time they do something new.

To the rest of Gotham, Danny is just the guy who lives on the little house in the graveyard, who makes it his job to watch over and pay respects to the graves of those departed.

"Even the dead deserve our respect" he'd say, when some braver kid decides to ask him why he lives in the cemetery.

Old Man Danny, who looks remarkably well preserved for someone who saw the beginning of Gotham's Golden Age, is just that sort of background character that everyone nearby knows, but doesn't usually remember until someone asks about him.

But Gotham was already cursed, even if Danny could alleviate those curses, for the most part.

And then the Court of Owls decide to make Gotham their playground. Those little pests, and their machinations, and the new, stronger cursed the city accumulates.

Old Man Danny looks more and more frail with every passing year, and his voice drops into the raspy drawl of someone who's spent their entire life smoking at least 5 packs of razors every day. But his strength is that of Gotham and it's people. And Gothamites are remarkably hard to kill, and stubbornly refuse to leave.

As crime grows rampant, as mob bosses and crime syndicates and corruption seep through the town, and the people have to adapt to their new life of surviving the hell that the city has become, there's always someone with news of the Old Man racing about the "scared little lights" and how a great, bright light of hope will one day bring back the peace that was stolen from them.

And then the Old Man in the cemetery seems to vanish.

The gravestones still show up clean and repaired, even with the grave robbers and shallow unmarked burials the local crime families are known for.

No one sees who maintains the graves, who always polishes the wrought iron gates of the cemetery. But there's always an eerie melody coming from somewhere indistinct, an old recording, played on a vinyl. One just like the one that Thomas Wayne always likes to play when he's in his office, with little Bruice on his knee, hearing stories from his father.

A vinyl that is left buried amidst boxes of grief in the attic of Wayne Manor, occasionally brought out by an old british gentleman who mourns his best friends, taken too early.

There's a few years where the graves of Gotham Cemetery fall into disrepair, Old Man Danny's presence no longer amongst the living. The people take up the duty in his honor, the one man who was always there, always a friend, a passing flirt, an uncle, a grandpa, and overall loved like Gotham itself is loved by it's people.

And then, the Batman takes flight, bringing Justice to the criminals of Gotham. He's a thing of shadows, a legend whispered in the night, a hope for the innocent, a shadow in the night, all grit teeth and bruised knuckle.

One man cannot stand alone against such rampant crime. But Gotham loves the Batman. Their light of hope, of Justice. Even the old cemetery has a new light, now.

Theres yet to be sign of anyone around, but the light in the old grave keeper's house is on again, and the graves steadily go back to their old pristine conditions, almost as if whatever einty there resides is gaining strength the more that the Batman works to clean the city of it's corruption.

Old curses, which ground down their bearer into damn near fading out, start coming loose, slipping off and revealing the old keeper of Gotham. And he's smiling as he walks out onto Gotham City yet again.

Danny's little lights have become darkened by grief and fear, but they still shine nonetheless. He's met by old friends, those that lost the battle against time's endless march, who speak of a Son of Gotham that rose to the call, to finally put an end to the seemingly endless tide of corruption.

There's a boy skipping down Gotham streets. He wears a veil over his face, to cover his eyes. When he smiles, he looks at home amidst the rest of the children, all feral and snarling, ready to bite. Except normal children don't have fangs as thick as a man's thumb, and long enough that they should not have fit in their owner's mouth when closed.

Somehow, even in the worst streets of Gotham, this child goes unharmed. Always smiling, as if the mere fact that Gotham yet stands is something to take joy in.

He makes friends with the local child gangs, always lends a helping hand whenever possible, and fights seem to stop whenever he shows up. He knows everyone's names, but will always refer to the people as "little lights".

As the Bat gains notoriety and experience, as the corruption clears and Gotham's true nature starts shining through yet again, the shadows seem to cling tighter around the cape, his presence becomes unnaturally hard to detect, even for those who find themselves going up against the Dark Knight frequently. Nothing can keep his down, the fucker always escapes even the worst situations. Not unharmed, a city spirit as bogged down by curces as Danny is can't act so freely. But, the people have take to leaving offering at their windows. A slice of cake here, a flower there, a worried mother who met the child in the veil and took him home to feed him a proper meal who now leaves an extra plate at the window for the little spirit. A child who learned woodcarving from Old Man Danny now a grown man leaving his beginner set of tools at a little hand-carved altar.

The more the Batman wins, the more his efforts bear fruit, the more the little spirit grows, the less frail their look. Which means they can bless their Dark Knight more and more.

When little Dick Grayson, newly orphaned, walks into Wayne Manor, an old vinyl plays. Old Man Thomas Wayne's favorite song truly bringing the cycle back around, as the son became a father in his own right.

And then the little bird wants to spread his wings and fly right along his dad. They're both horribly stubborn, but Dick is angry, so so unbearably angry, that Danny has to interfere directly.

So Bruce finds a small child sitting on his computer chair and twirling around, the veil of starlight held down by strings of pearls and the long, shimmering midnight hair hiding underneath making of a dizzying display.

The boy doesn't speak until Bruce is standing right next to him, hand on the chair to keep it still and moving to press gently against the boy's head, a humming of static rising from the spirit's chest as he leans into the physical contact.

"Batman, my Dark Knight. Dearest of all my little lights. Have you forgotten how angry you were when your parents were taken from you? I have not forgotten, even having been as ...indisposed as I have been."

The Spirit of Gotham hops off the chair and floats to the side, drifting in an alinseen breeze towards the cowl set down over the computer keyboard, putting it on over his veil, the eyes of the mask lighting up with tiny galaxies.

"Children will always seek to imitate their parents, and I remember one brave little boy, stubborn as a mule, that ran into Gotham Cemetery on a dare from his old friends, little Dent and Quinzellz who dared him to go and knock on the 'kooky old man's" door."

The cowl comes off the spirit's head, and the veil is lifted, long hair floating slightly now that the bloodstained press no longer held it down. Gotham's expression is serious, but not angry. Simply wanting the next words to be heard and understood.

"He will go out there on his own regardless. You know this. You would have done the same at his age, helpless to correct a grave tragedy and so full of anger. Better that the boy has a mentor to guide him, than be left to face true horror on his own."

The little spirit florets up to hug Bruce and plant a kiss to his forehead. Their face seems to flicker for a moment, more Martha Wayne than Danny, as he stares at his favorite person with awe and pride.

"And so, the son has become a father, and a new chapter begins. All is as it should be."

And then Bruce is alone with his tears, but his heart is lighter than it's been in years. It's a new era for Gotham, and he's going to repay the city's love by keeping the people safe. Starting with his own son, sulking in his bedroom.

The city can wait a few minutes while Bruce comforts his son.

When the Bat comes soaring above the skyline yet again, one reawakened City Spirit watches Gotham's favorite son set to rights the things that even near-dvine intervention can't fix.

For now, Danny has one more curse that can finally be broken, and graves to watch over.

Hi. What are your thoughts on Gotham city spirit Danny?

Danny doesn't remember how it happened. One moment he was fighting a ghost in Amity Park and the next moment he was in Gotham, and now he was bound to the city, unable to leave, and all those curses weighting down on him :(

Ooh, I've heard of Gotham City Spirit, but I don't think I've heard of Danny being the Gotham City Spirit! I think it's very interesting, I love cursed inanimate objects :)

I imagine he looks something like this, with a starry veil over his head (please don't mind the quality of the sketch, I just whipped it up rq). If he came before Batman, he probably struggled underneath the curses to be able to help his new city for a while. When Batman started getting rid of crime, that's when he started being able to move! If he came after Batman, I think he'd have no restraints and just starts helping the Batfamily whenever he can.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Copycat: Cryptomnesia —(Marvel Fem!Oc)

A/N: As usual I give you the reunions in the worst way possible. Also I got the job and I start today so wish me luck! -Danny

Words: 1,425

Phase Five Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘Atlantis’ -by Seafret

xxxi: Not A Happy Ending

Sergei opened the door and natural light invaded the space. Cat no longer had tape over her mouth, but she didn't feel like talking anyway.

"Time to work," the man announced.

He got her out of the car and walked her all the way back to the apartment. There he explained how the situation would work from then on: The collar would keep her "normal" except on the days she was instructed to kill, she'd be able to use her abilities, but if she tried to break free, the collar would blow her up and everything around her.

"You have two nights to find Spider-man. We're watching you, beast," he reminded her.

He left her and Cat sat down on her couch with heavy air. Half an hour later someone stormed into the apartment. Cat got up and searched for her spear but she didn't have it, she looked at the entrance with wide eyes. It was Kate.

"Oh my god," she looked at the mutant in horror, Cat had blood on her forehead and a black eye. "Oh my god—!"

Cat's eyes were still on the archer but her mind was still on Billy's speech. She looked out the closest window, without her powers, she couldn't hear or see anything with clarity so she couldn't tell if someone was watching this. She was frightened.

"What did they—"

Cat shook her head frantically, stumbled across the room, and grabbed Kate.

"You can't be here," she said hoarsely, forcing her out of her house

"Who was that—"

"GET OUT!"

She pushed Kate out of the apartment and slammed the door close. She stood with both hands on it as if fearing Kate would try to kick it down.

"What's that on your neck?" Kate insisted, she sounded on the verge of tears. "What's going on?"

"He's got us," Cat felt her throat closing. "He'll kill him if you stay, please..."

"No."

"You can't help me!" She cried out. "He sent me here so I had to lock myself away! Go! He wants you to stay!"

Kate leaned on the door. "Don't let them win— please, open the door..."

"You p-promised," Cat swallowed, but the lump refused to go away. "You promised you'd step back—"

"Not like this! Please, open the door!"

Cat closed her eyes, her nails —entirely human— dug onto the surface. "Go away."

"Cat..."

"They'll make me kill you," she confessed. "Hide."

"No..." Kate sobbed quietly.

Cat thought very hard. "I'll follow Clint's advise... the best shot he took, remember?"

"W-What..?"

"Pests must be eliminated," she pressed. "It's what I told Harley. I must do this. It's what I deserve."

"O-okay," Kate replied, catching up on what Cat was trying to tell her. "Harley. Okay."

"He's right— he's always been right and he has to stop me. He needs to hide Edith and lock the doors."

Kate's steps hurried out of the hall, and Cat fell to her knees shaking, but this time it was more than fear. She had a new plan, and one chance to do it.

Cat used the security card Happy had given her months ago, she used the emergency stairs but no one stopped her, she might've lost her powers, but she still knew how to be sneaky.

As expected, Harley's office was open. On his desk was E.D.I.T.H., and next to the glasses there was a post-it note in Harley's handwriting.

'I hate you.'

Her chest felt heavy, she was hurting everyone again, all because she'd been arrogant in her past. The one thing she'd tried to avoid... Cat pressed the only button she was allowed to touch in her collar and she spoke.

"I'm on my way to kill Spider-man."

The collar was deactivated but it didn't open. Cat wasn't wearing her suit, M.O.U.S.E. had been taken from her apartment, she didn't take the blaster, it was still broken, but at least now she was looking like herself again, with silver hair and feline eyes.

Without M.O.U.S.E. it was harder to find what she was looking for, but she did find the hero by pure instinct, something within her knew his favorite places. She couldn't back down now, and the performance had to be convincing.

Copycat teleported at the same time the hero landed on a near rooftop, she came out from the shadows.

"Hi again, Webs."

The guy stopped and turned to her, the suit wasn't exactly as she remembered —not that her memory was any good, to begin with— but he sounded extremely happy to see her.

"Copycat!" He rushed to meet her but Cat stepped back in alarm. She wondered how on earth could he tell so quickly when she wasn't wearing her usual suit. "Cat?"

"Have you ever been stabbed?" She asked quietly.

"What?"

"Answer me," she drew out a pocket knife.

Spider-man stammered out his reply. "N-No! You saved me before it could happen— your blaster got ruined thanks to that!"

A memory flashed through her mind, and she blinked it out of the way.

"That's how it got broken..." she slowed down, realizing she hadn't been able to remember how she'd lost the weapon up until that moment.

"C.C, what's going on?" Spider-man asked. "And why are you wearing your S.H.I.E.L.D. suit?"

Cat moved like lightning. She tried to punch him in the face but he dodged it, his senses faster than hers. She tried to stab him but he moved aside.

"What the hell?! Stop!"

"You stop!" Cat teleported and wrapped one arm around his neck, pulling him back. "Is this the only suit you've got?" She whispered, barely moving her lips.

"N-No?" He panted.

She tightened her grip and the guy threw her over his body. The fall knocked the wind out of her, but she was smiling. It was then that the young man noticed something.

"Where's Mouse, Copy?" Spider-man noticed the inhibitor. "Oh no no no no..." he knelt beside her. "Who did this?"

Cat grabbed him by the shoulders and headbutted him, though not as hard as she'd done to Russo's man. In queue, she received a shock as a warning, she was taking too much time.

"Goddammit," she yelped. "Okay! Fine!" Cat pushed and straddled his body, seized her knife, and put it on the hero's throat.

"C.C... don't do this..."

While she kept him in place, she leaned closer, the hero tried to squirm away but she pressed the blade to his pulse. She whispered. "I need you to pretend... we have an audience."

"W-What?" He choked.

She straightened in her place and stabbed him. The guy seemed smart enough to catch up on what she was doing, cause he started screaming like a madman. It could also be that he was in real pain.

"STOP— STOP CAT, PLEASE— YOU'RE HURTING ME—"

While he gave the performance of his life, Cat drew out a package from the side pocket of her suit: The Stark glasses. She pushed them under his back as if they were another knife.

"Trust me," she muttered as he continued to scream. Then she raised her voice, trying her best to sound like she was sobbing. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Cat stabbed him again. She didn't push the whole blade in, and she also tried to aim at a rib so the knife didn't injure his organs. That time he did scream mostly in pain.

The mutant pulled out the blade and gawked once she smelled the blood, but she pressed her hand against one of the wounds anyway, while the other moved up to his throat. That time she didn't have to fake her cries of disgust, and once she considered she was bloody enough, she grabbed hold of his mask.

"I'm sorry!"

Spider-man went utterly silent when his mask got pulled off. Cat had her eyes closed, she was using her free hand coated in blood to smudge it all over her face. This ended up helping them, the abrupt lack of screams and the way he went stiff, made it look like Spider-man had died at last.

She searched blindly for the button in her collar, then she spoke.

"I need five minutes to..." she sniffed to get the blood into her nose and it sounded like she was crying so hard it was making her gawk, "to discard the body..."

No one replied, but the collar didn't turn on. Cat got off of Spider-man's lap still holding his mask. She put it in her pocket, then with her eyes closed used Matt's powers to carry the hero out of the rooftop.

Once on the stairs of the building, she searched in her chest, pulled out a piece of paper, and threw it on the floor. It was her address.

"I'm sure I'll see you soon," she said, hoping to sound angry enough for the others to believe she was talking to them and not the very-much-alive hero on the stairs.

Next Chapter—>

Taglist.

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[kii0mi]

Got inspiration to make a sequel of my first fic :)

This is from Jazz POV

Just a fair warning, it is a dissection fic, there’s nothing too explicit though

———————————————————————

Trust

It had been weeks since her parents started acting weird towards Danny.

Danny had finally come clean to their parents about being phantom, and at first, everything looked great! Danny was so happy. He had been stressing for weeks about possible outcomes and what if’s. Jazz was so happy that her brother could finally be himself and have someone to rely on that wasn’t her, Sam, or Tucker.

Everything was going great.

At least it seemed it was.

Their parents' odd behavior started a week or so after he had told them his secret. It was subtle at first, a smile a bit strained, fewer hugs, and a flinch here or there. But that was common, after all, they were changing their anti-ecto views for him.

It didn’t stay so subtle for long.

When he told them about his need for ectoplasm and how he would usually eat the ecto-contaminated food to fulfill that need, they stopped eating at the same time as them and the ecto-contaminated food and ectoplasm samples disappeared from the fridge, where they would usually be stored before.

When he told them about his protection obsession their parents told him to stop the hero gig, that they were their parents and as adults, it was their responsibility to take care of them and protect them. The ghost attacks lessened and the portal stayed closed most of the time.

When he told them about his secondary space obsession, all talk about space programs and NASA disappeared from the house, as if it had never even been discussed before. And on and on it continued.

Their parents also prohibited Danny from entering the lab, they had said it was for his safety, after all, there were a lot of dangerous chemicals that could harm him. Danny couldn’t cross the portal anymore.

Jazz was worried, what if their parents had been lying all this time and were just harming Danny under the guise of helping him? Danny didn’t let her continue that train of thought, he had told her that they were their parents, they loved them! They had accepted him before, even if they didn’t remember it, so why would it be different now?

Jazz was worried, but she wanted to trust her brother and parents.

She ignored the behavior.

After some time, things seemed to calm down, while they continued their behavior from before, it didn’t get worse.

Since everything seemed to have settled down, Jazz could finally focus on her studies again, which she had left aside to focus on and support her baby brother. Danny even prompted her to take a trip to some universities she had been looking into for a while.

“You can’t stop your life because of me!” He had told her one day.

So to please her brother, she started planning her trip. It would only be for a few days, she refused to leave her brother alone for any longer than that.

“I’ll miss you, you know” Danny said, leaning into her door frame as she finished packing.

“It’s only for a few days Danny, then I’ll be back, promise. And don’t forget it was you who prompted me to go on this trip!” Jazz smiled, she placed a few more changes of clothes inside her bag.

He chuckled. “I know”

Jazz walked closer to him and lightly grabbed his shoulders. “Please tell me you’ll call me if anything, and I mean anything happens”

He hugged her. “Promise”

Jazz hugged back.

Letting go Danny said. “Now go, don’t want to miss your nerd tour!” They both laughed.

“Oh shut up, you dork” she answered.

And just as that she was gone, going from university to university, resting in a hotel near the area.

_________________________________

The days passed quickly and soon she was back home. She couldn’t wait to see Danny again.

“Mom! Dad! Danny! I’m home!” She called as she crossed the front door, but was oddly met with… nothing.

Most of the house lights were turned off, except for the one coming underneath the basement door.

“Danny?” She called once more, hoping for an answer.

No one called back.

Panicking, she opened the basement door and made quick work of the stairs.

Where was Danny? He had good hearing, and even if he was asleep he would still hear Jazz, he wasn’t a heavy sleeper like their dad after all. What about their parents? It wouldn’t be strange for them to be in the basement, they spent most of their time there now, but they always answered her. Something was wrong, she had an idea of what it could be, but she really hoped she was wrong.

When she hit the bottom of the stairs her nose was assaulted by a mix of smells, most acid or lemon-like, she knew this smell, it always coated the lab, although most times it was imperceptible. Ectoplasm.

No.

Her suspicions were proved correct when she looked around the lab, green, so much green, it was on almost every surface. If it had been red instead of green it would have looked like a very gruesome murder scene.

No.

In a corner, near a metal table, were two figures, one teal and one orange.

No.

“Ahh, it would have been nice to have run some more experiments on it, but it seems that it’s pretty weak, almost none of it is left” The figure in teal sighed.

“Well, we can always find a new one mads!” The orange one said cheerfully.

“No..” Jazz cried almost in a whisper.

The figures turned around, eyes hidden by goggles of the others color.

“Oh! Jazz! Sorry for the mess, we didn’t hear you come in” Maddie smiled at seeing her daughter.

Jazz slowly walked closer to the metal table the two were standing next to, it was by far the dirtiest part of the room, completely coated in ectoplasm and other things that she didn’t even want to guess what they were.

On top of the table laid what looked like a body, but it was so destroyed that the only thing mildly recognizable was the face. Raven hair and icy blue eyes that had lost all life in them.

“Jazzy pants?” Jack questioned, voice cheerful as ever, even in front of the gruesome scene.

“No, no nononononononono. Danny-” Jazz fell to her knees, grabbing her, now dead, brother's face with trembling hands. “What have they done to you…” She whispered, sounding broken.

She was crying.

She didn’t even know when she started crying, she supposed the moment the smell of ectoplasm covered her nose, she hadn’t registered it yet, but she had known. She had known since she first set foot on this cursed place.

It just took time to register that her parents- no, that these monsters had killed her brother in one of his worst nightmares.

Oh, her brother, her ever so cheerful brother, who smiled despite being the most hurt and broken of them all, her little sunshine. And now she could never see that beautiful smile again.

The worst thing about betrayal is that it doesn’t come from an enemy.