#danny has clockwork's age/form changing ability

[robinasnyder]

What I love about this most isn't the normal time travel stuff I love, like future knowledge, but the damn skill gap between the first time Bruce was Batman and now. Because he knows so much, so much that he actually postpones Batman for a month to do some upgrades.

He spends two full days overhauling the Batcomputer to make it a lot closer to what he used to have. He added a ton of notes about what he could remember to the computer the second it was done. He entirely redid his Batsuit so it was stronger, more reinforced and better for his non-fucked up body while also providing extra support for say, his knees and back.

He's actually got a decent work-life balance compared to last time because he has a baby to raise. He'd already started on the playboy bit the moment he got back, and it's super easy to roll into "playboy suddenly has a kid" and just be a dotting father in the press, even if he still pulls dumb shenanigans occasionally.

For a couple months, most of his detective work is just finding out the locations and getting proof bc he doesn't have to investigate what he already knows. He's working more on the police situation and trusts Gordon immediately this time.

He knows about members of the JL but just chooses to not deal with it. They can handle themselves. They did last time.

When Danny is two and suddenly Superman's made his debut, Batman takes a trip to Metropolis to introduce himself. He's kind to Superman, friendly. He tells him to stay out of Gotham unless Batman calls for him, but that Batman will come if he needs help and gives him his number and a JL comm (or what will become a JL comm when the JL comes into existence) .

Superman is so excited and happy, and Bruce lets him in on his identity early. The two even pretend to date for a bit so that Clark can hang out more often.

Danny starts to develop his ghost powers at three.

Superman moves in for a few years to try and help contain Danny's abilities so no one finds out.

Bruce takes Danny and Clark to see Haly's circus when Danny is four. He plans to rescue Dick's parents. Or he means to have Clark do it. He doesn't care how it gets done.

Clockwork freezes him and Clark so that he can't do anything but watch it happen. Clockwork says something about how it's no good to change every event, something Clark hears. Bruce can't give him an explanation immediately because there's a crying, devastated child and Bruce has to help.

He got himself approved to foster ages back, just in case. It's so important for Bruce to be prepared, now more than ever. He's grateful for his foreknowledge, foresight, and paranoia.

Dick never goes anywhere but the hospital, police station and then right to Wayne Manor.

It takes a few days, but eventually, Bruce does explain to Clark what's going on. And he tells him *everything*. He tells Clark about the Justice League, about how Superman dies and comes back, about Conner, about Jon, about Lois. He tells him about Bruce's children, the fights where they stood against each other for, and the ones they fought side by side. All of it comes out.

And then he talks about Clockwork and the deal. And the fact that Clockwork had intervened, which means there are some things that just will happen, and Bruce won't be able to stop it. But he's always going to try.

Dick still becomes Robin, still needs to fight. But he has a new grandfather and two new foster parents and a little brother who calls him "Dididididididi" as he follows along behind him.

Dick is 9, and Danny is 5 when the Justice League forms.

If Bruce was able to beat the JL before when he was still new to all of them, at this point it's easy. He knows them too well. He knows their weaknesses and strengths. Barry and Ollie think he may be a god. Clark tells them about Nightwing, the Kryptonian god of justice and darkness. And then people *really* think Batman is a god, just an alien god. (When Dick takes up the name Nightwing, this doesn't help those rumors at all.)

It suits his purposes.

After a few meetings, Batman calls Captain Marvel to Gotham. He tells him straight out that he knows who he is, he knows he's 9, and also that his own son is 9. He'd always known Billy Batson was small as a child, but seeing him de-transformed, standing on top of Wayne Tower, well, it about kills him.

He takes Billy home, offers him a home or at least safe houses in Fawcett so he can still protect his city, but he doesn't have to be homeless.

Gotham has a lot of unexplained lightnight strikes for about 6 months until Zatara can properly teach Billy how to open teleportation circles.

Billy and Dick get on like a house on fire. Billy thinks Dick's acrobatic skills and self confidence is so cool, and he wants to be just like him. And Dick respects Billy's magic and wishes he could be respected like an adult the way Billy is.

When Billy and Dick are 11 and Danny is 7, Clark finally moves back to Metropolis. All of the boys are heartbroken, but there's no changing it. Clark's in love and wants to marry Lois soon. Clark continues to sleep over two nights a week and is over every day for a little while. This lessens with time, but he never stops being over for multiple hours a week.

Dick starts the Teen Titans when he's 13. Bruce does everything he can to support this endeavor.

When Dick turns 18, he moves out. Bruce tried, but he still has a temper, and so does Dick. Bruce does manage to continue to offer gear. He doesn't ban Dick from coming home. He sends a batch of sweets to Dick's apartment every week. He doesn't try and make him go to college (that much). It's not great, but it's a lot better.

Billy moves out at 18 as well. Because of the way heroing calls him away, he does online classes so he can go at his own pace. He comes home a couple times a week to bake with Alfred and play with his little brother. He doesn't talk to Bruce much, having taken Dick's side in the fight. Plus, Billy is old enough to care for his own city, too. If it weren't for Danny and Alfred, he might not come home at all. (Or at least that's what Bruce is afraid of.)

That same year, in October, Danny wakes up screaming in agony. He remembers how he died. He's starting to get his memories back. And all those powers he had on lock start to go haywire.

One month later, Bruce finds Jason jacking the Batmobile tires.

"Please," he whispers to Clockwork, "does he have to die this time?"

The only answer he gets?

"We'll see."

He brings Jason home.

He calls Dick. He calls Billy. He calls Clark.

He finally lets Dick and Billy in on his big secret. He doesn’t ask them to come home. He tells Dick that he is going to give Jason Robin. He doesn't think he has a choice this time.

He doesn't tell them Jason dies. He doesn't tell them that Clockwork blocked his memories of Jason until he saw him again, so he couldn't try to save Jason's mother. He doesn't tell them about all of their siblings and friends.

Clark heard everything. Besides Bruce, Clark is the only one who knows the full truth. He's also the only one who's been held hostage by Clockwork's machinations.

Bruce couldn't tell the boys everything, as in literally was unable to tell his boys all of it.

He doesn't ask them to come home. He tells them even if he didn't know already what great heroes they were, that he'd know because of everything they've shown them up until that moment. He does ask them to help him with Danny's powers and Jason's abandonment issues.

Neither older boy is happy. But they're smart enough and knowledgeable enough to know that there isn't much arguing with Father Time.

Dick's still bitter about Bruce giving away Robin. Bruce manages to whisper to him that many more people wore the title, and that it was a beautiful legacy, something built on Dick Grayson and his parent's love. It helps the sting.

Jason loves Danny. Danny's grieving a whole life he lost and everyone he loved. He's 14, he's moody and angry and quiet in a way he's never been before. It frightens Bruce. But when Jason's around, Danny loves on him so much. He's two years older than Jason and loves him so much.

Jason still runs away at 15. In the weeks before It's like Jason's having arguments with Bruce that Bruce isn't even a part of. Bruce is begging Clockwork every night to please, this time, let me save him. Please don't make him die.

Jason dies anyway.

Bruce holds his son's dead body and weeps. Clockwork appears at his side.

"Can I have him back sooner?"

"Yes."

"When? Can I just keep his body on ice?"

"No. He needs to be in the ground for it to work."

"Can I find him right after?"

"No."

"Can I find him before he comes back?"

"No."

"What can I do? What use am I?"

"Care for your children. Be patient."

Bruce is just as destroyed as the first time, even knowing Jason will be back. He doesn't bother trying to go after the Joker this time. Clark stays with him, going back and forth between his job and Gotham for a few weeks. He reaches out to the Green Lanterns to try and bring Dick home for the funeral. He's the one who holds Billy when he can't keep up a brave face for Bruce and Danny. He's the one who makes dinner when Alfred can't make himself move for those few days.

Danny is nearly catatonic. He's 17, and his one friend is dead. He'd closed himself off from everyone at school years back. The only person he let in was Jason. And then Jason died horribly, brutally, and practically at Clockwork's hand. Danny doesn't go back to school. He drops out by proxy. Bruce has to help him do everything for a little while. Even when Danny manages to be able to care for himself again, he's so quiet.

Billy, Dick and Clark leave, go back to their lives. Alfred pulls himself together but seems more like a ghost in the manor. (Or better to say that Bruce and Danny are the ghosts, and Alfred can't reach them to help them).

It takes a couple of months, but finally, Danny opens up to Bruce. His silence breaks, and all his fears spill out as gut-wrenching sobs and admissions.

He talks about Dan and the first time he met Clockwork. He talks about everyone he loves dying, him turning evil and killing everyone. When Bruce points out that Vlad doesn't even exist in this universe, that Danny can't become Dan, Danny tells him that he's already older and stronger now than Dan ever was. In his own world, Danny didn't get to exist beyond barely 16. This is the oldest he's ever been.

Danny goes back to his silence, but it's not as heavy. Bruce telling him about how many universes he's seen where Bruce turned evil does help.

Bruce breaks down one evening after beating a couple of muggers far too hard. He hates himself, knows he's better than this, knows what Tim gave up to help him be better, knows that Jason will come back to them, so why can't he keep himself together? Why does this hurt worse somehow? Is it because he knows everything Jason's going to suffer now? Is it because he still can't give Jason what he needs?

That's when a tiny hand grabs onto his gloved hand. There's blood on his glove from the men he'd beaten to the point that Bruce is afraid to check if they're even bleeding. It soils the small hand that squeezes his fingers so tightly.

"I've called the ambulance. We need to go," Tim says to him. "They'll survive, but the police can't see you like this. People can't see you like this."

Batman kidnaps Tim Drake that night. They're both soaked with rain when they arrive to the Batcave. Bruce has to pull off his gloves so he doesn't get blood on the towels, and still has to be careful after that. He gets Tim bundled up, and goes to shower and change.

The surprise on Tim's face when he emerges isn't because he doesn't know who Batman is, but because he couldn't believe Bruce wasn't hiding who he was. But Bruce is so tired of his life and so sick with his own disgust and so, so weak.

"I know who you are. I know you knew who I was. I know you're about to go bother Dick and ask him to be Robin again. It won't work. I know you'll come back here and take Robin instead, because Batman needs a Robin and I'm not able to control myself the way I should be right now. No, I haven't seen you before tonight, even though I've known you're there. You're still my sneakiest child and Damian was raised by ninjas and Danny doesn't need to breath or walk or use doors."

Tim's stunned. He's never heard of Damian, for one. For another, how did Batman know all that?

"Do you have future sight?" Tim asks like the clever boy he is.

"Time Travel," Bruce said. "You were my Robin for a few years, and then you took your own mantel. But you've always been one of my sons. I'm somewhat bound by the contract I signed that let me have a second chance. I'm sorry I couldn't get you before now. I'm sorry you've been alone for so long."

Tim doesn't fall into his arms and sob, but Bruce knows he wants to. He does move into the Manor the next day, and he doesn't move out. Bruce doesn't let Tim live alone this time. He'll make up charges if he had to in order to sever the Drakes' claim to Tim and keep him as his own. He needs Tim too much.

For once, Danny's the one who's pissed. He's pissed because all he sees is Bruce replacing Jason. It's almost laughable, really, hearing Danny shouting the same things (almost verbatim) that Jason shouted at him so many times when he came back.

Danny leaves and he doesn't come back. None of them can contact him. Tim is crushed and offers to leave, apologizes for ruining everything. Bruce holds him for the first time in this world and promises him that isn't true, that Danny's grieving and he doesn't mean it like that.

They don't see Danny again for two years.

Clark's died by that point, and Clark's come back. Superboy's been found. It's cute watching Tim be smitten with the other boy, in a pulling pigtails kind of way.

Clark's prepared for Superboy this time. He accepts him immediately, offers him a place with his wife and son. He tries to help. The two are actually close this time. Bruce is grateful for that. Clark's doing better learning from the past than Bruce is.

One day, not long after Danny's 20th birthday, he shows up through a rip in the fabric of reality. In his arms are a nearly rabid Jason and a surprisingly calm Damian.

"Dad, take this one. Jay and I need to fight this out."

"Try not to break anything important or disturb the bats."

"Got it!" Danny chirps with a wide grin. He's gotten so big. He's not that quiet, broken teenager anymore. He's a man, an adult, and bright and happy the way he was before he got his memories back at 14.

Bruce doesn't know what happened, but Danny's better than before. And Bruce is holding Damian, who's even smaller than he remembers.

"B, what even?" Tim asks, half in and half out of his Robin suit, too stunned to finish changing one direction or the other.

"Meet your little brother, Damian," Bruce says.

"The one raised by ninjas?" Bruce didn't talk about Cass, Damian, or Duke. But he'd let slip about Damian once, and, like always, Tim never forgets.

Damian immediately starts talking about the League and his whole thing about being the blood son. Bruce places a hand over his little mouth, stopping him before he gets too far. Damian's even younger and his eyes fill with fear he can't quite hide.

"I love you all equally. I've been wanting to meet you again, Habibi. It's been too many years since I last held you. At least for me."

"You met me?" The question Damian's really asking is "why did you leave me?"

"In another life," Bruce tells him. "You were a strong partner and one of my beloved children. I'm grateful I get you two years earlier this time."

Damian, who's confused, but who's grandfather is practically immortal, rolls with it and just lets Bruce hold him while they watch Danny poke and prod and goad Jason, flying and staying *just* out of reach. He keeps it up until Jason's suddenly flying too. Jason's nearly frothing at the mouth with rage when Danny starts to lead him on a chase, but the more he flies, the more Danny coaxes him to use ghost powers, the more Jason relaxes.

That's how Bruce learns that the crap that makes up a Lazarus Pit is ectoplasm, and that Jason isn't the same as Danny, but he's halfa too.

When the fight finally ends, and his middle sons land nearby, Bruce hands Damian to Tim and goes and grabs Jason into a bone breaking hug. Jason ends up sobbing into his shoulder before it's all over.

Danny has to take Damian from Tim before he gets too squirmy. And while Bruce is focused on Jason, Danny gives Tim a heartfelt and sincere apology for everything he said. He was hurt and angry, and Tim didn't do anything wrong, and in fact, it seems like he held the family together really well.

Bruce hears about this from Tim later, who's so excited and proud to be recognized for the work he's dond. It hurts Bruce because he knows he leans on Tim too much. It hurts that even Danny can see it. Bruce suggests Tim ask Danny about his old life. After all, Danny knows a few things about having to hold a situation and a group of people, which is and who are, rapidly unraveling and pulling at the seams.

Jason finally gets an explanation, about Bruce's experience in his old life, about the way Bruce failed before, about the way Bruce tried and begged and pleaded and bargained, trying to save Jason, or not bring him into the situation. About Jason having the arguments he had with the Bruce he was before that the current Bruce wasn't participating in. He talks to him about Red Hood and their family and his knowledge that Jason probably does need to go back to Crime Alley and that he is a force for good and that Bruce loves him.

It's healing for both of them.

Jasom stays for a month before he leaves. He lets Dick and Billy constantly hug him and ruffle his hair. He follows Danny around like a duckling all over again. He carries Damian around on his shoulders. He cracks jokes with Tim.

They can't stay like that, but it's a good time.

Bruce refuses to let Damian have Robin at 8. Tim's got it for at least another two, three or four years, thank you very much. Dick, seeing the same trouble he saw last time, takes Damian as his sidekick in Bludhaven. It's not Robin, not yet. But Bruce is grateful, because Damian and Dick's relationship was always so special.

Danny and Bruce talk. Danny gets everything on Cass, Steph and Duke, and collects them early. Bruce couldn't save Barbara from the Joker. He couldn't stop Harvey from becoming Two-Face, he couldn't keep Harley away from the Joker. He couldn't stop people from becoming who they were before. But he could help them sooner, encourage them with what he knew. For instance, he could help Harley and Ivy meet. He could try to talk to Harley about healthy relationships. He could offer understanding that was more pointed. He could save lives he hadn’t managed to before.

He could help.

His body had been honed to a sharp knife back in the old world. But with the amount of experience and skill Bruce started with this second time, the injuries he was able to avoid, he was a much more effective hero.

Then the worst came, the threat that killed so many, including Bruce’s entire family. Well, this time, there isn't the same type of distrust. There's no hesitation.

When Billy's voice is stolen by a magical enemy, he's able to fight in other ways, and manages to steal it back and defeat his foe, when he'd simply been killed before.

When the invasion happens in Crime Alley, Steph and Tim are right there with Jason. None of them die alone like they did before. None of them die at all.

When the monster drags Bludhaven into the ocean, Dick and Damian had already been evacuating people for a while. They aren't trapped with everyone else when the city sinks. They're able to rush back to Gotham when Tim calls for help.

When the invader nearly rips Superman in two, his two sons are there, and able to rescue him so that the three of them can defeat their enemy together.

When Darkseid arrives, Danny is at Bruce’s side, willing and able to be a hero when he's shied away from it before. Bruce gets to see just how powerful Danny really is.

It ends in death. It ends in victory.

There are casaulties, people Bruce cared about. But this time is family is alive, and bigger than before. Bruce grieves the loss of life, but for once he accepts that he did everything he could, that there's only so much he could do, that he saved so many lives, that he's just a man. And he accepts that he can be okay with that.

The heroes have lost.

Superman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam are dead. The only thing that’s kept Batman alive was his wit, but that’s not enough.

His wit didn’t save his children.

His wit didn’t save Alfred.

His wit didn’t stop the world from burning.

He’s become desperate for a miracle. He had never been desperate before, but all hope had been lost. He was one of the last teams of heroes that had survived the initial onslaught. He had no contingency plans, nothing he could invent. No weapon, no weakness.

His desperate plea was so strong it went through the fabric of the dimensions. Clockwork, who normally had no intention of looking into that dimension, decided to look at the timeline. He didn’t like what he saw, so he appeared before Bruce Wayne in the middle of the night. After a brief discussion, he decided to send Bruce back in time.

When Bruce opened his eyes next, he scrambled to find the date. He almost laughed in relief when he realized that this was the day he had become Batman. The day he had first donned the cowl. He was over twenty years in the past, and he still had the knowledge of what had brought the timeline to the brink of disaster last time.

Clockwork gave him a gift. A son named Danny, to be raised by Bruce. The boy was a newborn infant, with a head full of black hair and startling blue eyes. He didn’t know what Danny’s backstory was, or why Clockwork had possession of the infant, but he wasn’t going to ask questions. His world was safe, and he had another chance to prevent the end of the world twenty years early.

He would love his son as if he was his own flesh and blood. Then he would be the best Batman the world had ever seen.

[sleepy-writes-stuff]

DP X DC WRITING PROMPT #1

(I don't know if someone has already written this idea yet. If someone has tho please give me the info/link so I can read it. 👀

This might be the only prompt I do, because my brain likes to keep my creativity behind bars a majority of the time. That and anxiety. I've never done a post like this before. Also, most of my knowledge is from DP not DC. Please forgive me if I get something wrong.)

(#) = Notes at the end of post

(*) = Just me building off of other ideas.

short prompt #1 →

short prompt #2 →

✦

Lair of Mystery

The House of Mystery is Danny's lair or vacation lair(1) and ever since he outlived his friends and family(2), he's been coming to the House of Mystery whenever he needs a break from his kingly duties. Since it's the Infinite Realms, the HoM exists in every universe, but due to it not always being in the form of a literal house and difficult for outsiders to enter, it's never found. At least until now.

One day when he goes to the lair after (insert amount of time) he finds that the Justice League Dark have set up in his home. Initially, the JLD attack him but Danny puts a stop to that fast. It's his house, he can control anything inside it which includes anyone he deems an intruder. An interrogation more or less takes place, both parties are confused by the others presence, both sides get answers and are shocked by them. Danny because the JLD are a subdivision of a superhero agency that specializes in magic/the occult and the JLD because they've literally been using the house of a very powerful monarch without even knowing it.

Danny isn't angry the JLD are inside his house once he gets over the surprise. In fact, he's rather happy to have company of the non-ghost variety and is curious about their world full of superheroes and aliens. He comes to a decision. He will let the JLD continue to use his house as a base of operations if they are willing to agree to a few terms.

1. No one is to touch or use any artifacts they may find inside the HoM without his explicit permission. Some things are too dangerous for human hands to hold.

2. They seek him out of there is anything of the dead/occult variety threatening their world that they are unable to handle by themselves. (The JLD are shocked to learn of the King's past as a young hero as his explanation for this term. He misses those times and helping the JLD will also be another way to fulfill his obsession besides him being King.)

3. They spend time with him. Being the ruler of an infinitely expanding dimension gets pretty overwhelming and lonely at times. Even he needs a break. On top of missing his hero days, he misses the simpler times of being just a regular guy.

The JLD easily agree to his terms. From then on, they peacefully coexist in the HoM for many years to come. Danny is happier than he's been in a long time and so are the JLD because he's a wonderful host and has actually helped them with a few of their personal issues. Danny, having seen straight through his Captain Marvel form, gave Billy a fully furnished bedroom fit for a growing teenager and hidden from the others in the house. Danny and Billy hang out and play video games whenever they need to unwind with someone their age(3) with no secrets between them.

Danny helps Constantine with his soul contracts, seeing how they are fraying his soul and aging him prematurely. They have an easy camaraderie and sometimes share a bottle of whiskey together(4). Etc.

All is good.

Until some world ending threat of the dead/occult variety really does happen and the JLD call for Danny's help. He goes to them in full regalia with chainmail, breastplate with his hero symbol emblazoned on it, billowing, fur-collared purple cape with the cosmos displayed on the interior, a black crown incased in ice above his head with a sword of ghost ice in the hand that wears the newly dubbed Ring of (Peace?)(5). He doesn't even have to do anything. His presence alone is enough to intimidate the world ending threat into complete submission and is easily sent back into the Infinite Realms to face judgement for attacking the Living Realm.

This is how he's introduced to the rest of the Justice League. It's your choice on how they react and what happens beyond this point if you decide to take it further.

✦

This is entirely up for grabs and I wanna read whatever's written.

Notes:

(1) Your choice if it's his original lair or a vacation one depending on if you count Pariah's old castle as Danny's lair or not.

(2) Your choice if any of his friends or family members turn into ghosts.

(3) Danny is able to change the age of his form to an extent, an ability he inherited from his mentor, Clockwork. He uses it when he feels it would make it easier for other people to relate to him. He also has an eldritch form that he doesn't like to use in front of others unless he absolutely has to. You can leave any part of this detail out if you want to. I just thought it would be kinda cool and also a more subtle way of showing how powerful he is now.

(4) He is technically an adult (read several hundred years old) so he can partake if he wants to. Refer to note above this one.

(5) Should the function and name of the Ring of Rage change due to Danny being King or not? Your choice!

(*) Also, I read the House of Mystery is in a place called the Dreaming, a realm ruled by Morpheus the god of sleep and dreams. If this is truly the case, would it be plausible to say that Nocturne is just another one of Morpheus' forms? Would that mean the House of Mystery is in Nocturne's territory? If so, are Danny and Nocturne friends now? 👀

(*) the Dreaming is part of the Infinite Realms.

[miscmonstro]

The Uno Reverse Adoption Saga Comments Q&A

I’m so sorry I took so long :(

questions and answers below the line

Firstly: Things I clarified and feel could have caused some confusion:

Clarification 1: I do take suggestions! So long as no one is rude I love hearing other people’s thoughts/ideas/feedback/speculations/etc. ^_^

Clarification 2: The trio are all halfas. How? Why? What am I basing their abilities off of? Go read Third Time by DarkNympha, I genuinely cannot write anything better than that to capture the astoundingly awesome ideas and emotions than they did. I tried to write my halfa trio as close to how they were depicted there as possible because it is such a work of art. 20/10 would recommend! 

Secondly, Questions:

1 Q: How did the trio die?

A: See 10 Q or refer to Clarification 2 :)

2 Q: What was the Scramble Incident? 

A: A plot device. The scrambled tech is a challenge for the trio and it does indirectly cause a lot of opportunities/problems I can capitalize on in the story. Currently, fleshing out the incident over time and defeating the scrambler is planned be sort of like a “look how everyone’s changed” deal.

3 Q: Sam and Tucker have mechanical parts integrated to their ghost forms- do they get special functions? 

A: Yep! Sam’s camera can take a picture of a person and the picture it shows is of their death! If it is a place it will show who or whatever died their last. She can control it to some degree by filtering out certain kind of death, like if she only wanted to see victims of drowning at a place, or if she only wanted info on cats that have died recently instead of whatever has died recently in general. They mostly used the camera in the scant old, unsolved cases to help some ghosts find peace (No one really gets murdered in Amity now a day so its old cases). 

Tucker’s PDA is a living extension of himself and so it can’t really be hacked since he can just adjust things on the fly. Anything he has on his PDA is something he can remember. Say he used his PDA and texted someone a month ago- he’d remember the conversation clearly. Additionally he doesn’t have to focus as much as other ghosts to overshadow tech since the PDA acts as a catalyst (in a sense). I haven’t planned out the details of Tucker’s PDA as much as I have Sam’s camera as the camera becomes important sooner rather than later. Don’t be surprised if I tweak what the PDA can do ;)

4 Q: Has Jason mentioned Sam to anyone from the family yet? The Anti Ecto Acts seem like something Batman should know about.

A: He hasn’t! He looked through the acts, read the Fenton’s ‘research’ and realized that he fits the description of a violent non-feeling (he only really expresses anger or irritation these days) ghost pretty well. He doesn’t trust the others, especially Bruce, to see that ‘research’ and still think of him as a person. He’s not going to risk subjecting the trio to Batman either. It gets worse once he has access to the Amity side of the web and reads whatever bs the GIW has been spewing. It’ll get better though

5 Q: Danny has an ice core, so what cores do Sam and Tucker have?

A: I’ve combined strong electricity and fire into a plasma core, and that is what Tucker has. Sam has an earthy leaning nature core. Bonus info- Vlad has either a frail plasma core or a strong combustion nature core, Dani has an aqueous leaning nature core, and Clockwork has a temporal core.

6 Q: How old is everyone? 

A: The trio are 16 and that makes Jazz 19 as she is 2 ish years older than them. Jason is legally 26, and I know that he was dead for 4 years so he’s arguably 22. He and everyone else considers him 26 in story though. I haven’t decided on anyone else’s ages as of yet but Damian is probably going to be 14 because Jason needs more crises for me to address later on. 

7 Q: Are the Mansons/Jason worried that Sam is gone?

A: Addressed in the last 2 chapters! Directly: Jason was worried and now he’s… still worried. Indirectly: The Mansons, and the other party guests, are unconscious/unaware and are being carted off to hospitals. This’ll come up later.

8 Q: Is this on AO3?

A: Yes! You can go here and if that doesn’t work here is the link: 

9 Q: Sam is Jewish. Why are her parents so concerned with Christmas? 

A: This is less about religion and more about influence! They worry about the Christmas Gala because it’s a prestige thing to be invited and they care about their image too much not to go. It can be seen as a snuff if you don’t go and then Upperclass Politics Occurs. Additionally it’s a great time to socialize and do fancy rich people connections stuff. So yeah, their approach is based more the social aspect of the party than a religious one. 

10 Q:

Referring to this I assume: “People who died with conviction strong enough to become an obsession or who died traumatically enough to became ghosts did so with fully matured cores.”

A: When I wrote that I was focusing on how someone died and the events leading up to their death in my mind. For example, if someone was convinced they were being stalked for days beforehand and then is murdered they might have more emotional buildup than someone who gets murdered suddenly out of the blue. I feel like there would be a limited window after a person dies that outside events could still impact if they become a ghost- like if the murderer from the previous scenario hid the body after doing the deed the person might gather more ectoplasm and linger because they want their body to be found (more emotions basically). 

The death of the trio is the portal accident but Sam and Tucker got hit. I used Third Time as the basis for the trio (I highly recommend that read, I enjoyed it a ton). There are differences in abilities but for the most part I yoinked the fic as the background for the trio. I just… I did try to write a one shot in the same vein and then later when I was working out the details for the Halfa Trio I found myself just regurgitating Third Time in various ways. DarkNymfa knocked the ball out of the park. I just can’t do better than the original.

As far as Jason and his resurrection goes, I have not yet worked everything out and don’t want to say much on what I have decided on as that mystery is something that can act as a great tool to move the plot forward. Mysteries aren’t fun if they are figured out too quickly.

11 Q: Is Scarecrow a ghost?

A: Nope! He is liminal and the reason the trio mistook him for a ghost (besides his ghostly appearance) was that Jason, who was in the attic below them, triggered their ghost senses. They realized their mistake when Scarecrow/Crane didn’t fight Batman like a ghost would’ve. No intangibility, telekinesis, etc.

And that’s all. I’m sorry that some of these have been sitting in the comments for for months ^_^’

I’m going to try to get back into replying to comments so we’ll see how that goes.

[five-rivers]

Manuscript

Phic Phight phic phor @phantomroyalty. I'm experimenting with a slightly different Clockwork.  Sort of inspired by those prompts I did late last month.

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Once, there were half-ghosts.

Danny knew this, now, drumming his fingers on the hard plastic surface of the binder he'd borrowed from Sam. Written on one cover in purple sharpie was the title 'Voynich Manuscript.' It was, according to Sam, an untranslated 15th century work that had baffled cryptologists and linguists for years and years.

Danny could read it. It had been written by a half-ghost.

At least, that was the claim, and, considering that Danny could read this language he'd never learned, Danny was inclined to agree. He opened the binder again, running his fingers down the printed pictures of the pages. He'd been doing that off and on throughout the evening, ever since Sam had showed it to him, instead of doing his homework.

It was comforting. Strange, but comforting, to know that Vlad had not been the first half-ghost. To know that there were other paths to his future than 'bitter old man,' even if the other visible path was 'weird botanist.' To know that Vlad's issues really were Vlad's issues, and not half-ghost issues.

The book was about ghost plants, what they did, what they were good for, how to find them, and when to harvest them, complete with maps, time tables, and recipes. It was a sort of almanac, almost. A very out of date, almanac, true, and Danny was pretty sure those islands weren't arranged like that, at least not any more, but still...

And it had been written by a half ghost. That, more than anything else, was what kept drawing Danny to the pages. The author had barely mentioned their identity, skimming over their origins in the first couple of pages, but every plant had notes regarding how it affected half-ghosts in particular, every recipe was tuned for the half-ghost anatomy, with side effects listed for humans and ghosts as an afterthought.

Danny slowly leafed through the pages, occasionally pausing when sentences jumped out at him.

This book had been written by a half-ghost. It had been written for half-ghosts.

Once, there had been half-ghosts. Many of them.

What had happened?

There were a limited number of people he could ask. He threw the book into his backpack, shouldered it, turned himself invisible and dropped through the floor. He fell through the kitchen and into the lab, whereupon he slowed his fall to a gradual drift and set himself down lightly on the floor.

His parents were, of course, working in the lab, but they didn't notice Danny. He padded by them, silent, and snagged the remote for the portal doors from the table. After taking a moment to make sure they didn't notice the sudden disappearance of the remote from the table, Danny pressed the button and darted through the still-opening doors.

Safely in the Ghost Zone, Danny released his invisibility, which he still found tiring to use for long periods of time, and went ghost. Ghostly tail streaming behind him, Danny flew to the lair of the only ghost he could be sure had all the answers.

.

The clock tower certainly lived up to the 'tower' part of its name, looming tall above Danny as he approached the front doors. Not that it didn't live up to the 'clock' part. It did. And the surrounding zone kept up the theme with all the gears floating around. It all added to the sense of foreboding about the place.

But what really pulled it off was the faint, persistent ringing sound that hung just on the edge of Danny's hearing, like that of a large bell that had been rung just a moment ago, its sound perpetually fading into imperceptibility but never quite getting there.

The doors opened as Danny raised his hand to knock on them. Danny always at least tried to knock on the doors, because the time he hadn't, he had walked right into them. Clockwork had a weird sense of humor.

"Clockwork?" called Danny, floating into the large main hall and searching the corners.

"Yes, Daniel?" said Clockwork, once again managing to wind up right behind Danny despite Danny's best efforts.

As always, Danny tried to hide how startled he was by turning and smoothing down his ruffled hair.

"Hi," said Danny. Clockwork smiled. "So, uh, I'm guessing you know why I'm here?"

"Yes," drawled Clockwork, circling Danny once, then floating away.

Danny flew after him. "I'm just, well, you understand why I'm curious, right?" asked Danny as they flew into a narrow hallway lined with time mirrors. Each one held an image of a different time, a different age. All the mirrors on the left were of the Ghost Zone, and all the mirrors on the right were of Earth.

"I do."

"So, you know what happened to them, right? All the halfas?"

"Of course," said Clockwork, stopping to face an image of a city that might have been London.

Danny drifted to peer over his shoulder. "Will you tell me? At least, what they were like?" he asked, hopefully.

His blood when cold(er) when Clockwork shifted to look at him. The expression on Clockwork's face was pure trickster mentor.

"Oh, Daniel. You know I like you to find answers like that on your own time."

"Yeah, um, I'll just-"

Clockwork pushed him. Danny tumbled back, farther than the hallway should have allowed. Heck, heck, heck.

He righted himself, hands going to his chest. They seized on something small and round. When had Clockwork managed to slip a time medallion onto him?

After a beat he processed his question and snorted at himself. Clockwork could have put the medallion on him at any time. That was kind of Clockwork's whole thing.

Danny looked around himself. He was still in the Ghost Zone (unless, of course, the Earth's sky had turned green for some reason), but the land beneath him spread out in all directions. There was even a slightly curved horizon.

Directly beneath him was a city. The streets were all covered over with blue cloth awnings, and the buildings sparkled like crystal.

Alright. So, Danny had a couple of choices. One, he could take the medallion off right now, go home, and have to learn whatever lesson Clockwork was trying to teach him the hard(er?) way. Two, he could stick around and (possibly) get the answer to one or more of his questions. Probably a lot of trauma, too, considering he'd asked about why the other half-ghosts were all gone, but he could take the medallion off whenever, provided that no one decided to phase it into his chest.

Were there half-ghosts in the city beneath him?

He wanted, needed to know.

Letting go of the medallion, he flew down diagonally, reaching ground level a good distance outside the city. He didn't know what the etiquette was for entering this city, but starting off at the gates was probably a good idea.

When he reached them, skimming along the purple earth, the gates were wide and open, the tunnel they formed in the wall carved with abstract swirls. There were no guards that Danny could see, and no one was going in or out through the gates, but Danny still proceeded cautiously. Beyond the gates he could hear the noise and bustle of a crowd, and, sure enough, as soon as he got past the first building he found himself in a marketplace.

This was not the first marketplace he'd seen in the Ghost Zone, and it had many familiar features. Unidentifiable glowing plants, glowing potion jars, glowing clothing, glowing powders, things with too many legs being sold as food, a lot of glowing in general, poison-bright colors on otherwise mundane merchandise, things that floated, rugs with kaleidoscoping patterns, etcetera.

The difference was that so many of the shoppers and merchants were human.

No, he corrected himself as he caught one of them changing forms with a pair of bright blue rings, they were halfas.

.

Danny stayed in the market place and listened.

He listened to gossip and haggling and children playing with each other and begging for their parents to buy them this or that. He listened to merchants advertising their wares. He listened to a young man not much older than himself complaining about new powers. No one pointed Danny out as unusual, even when he switched forms a few times.

It was amazing, just seeing half-ghosts live like this. He wished he could talk to them, but although he could understand what they were saying, he had no confidence in his ability to pronounce the words.

It was just so peaceful.

A shape fell through the blue awnings stretched above the marketplace, tearing them and pulling down some of the poles and booths they were attached to. People screeched and shouted. Merchandise escaped. From the epicenter of the wreckage, a man stood, eyes flickering between sea green and toxic glowing orange.

"Lord Dimidius!" shouted one woman. "What has happened?"

The man's face was twisted in pain and fury. "Pariah Dark has declared war on us."

A hush fell over the market. Except for the chickens. Chickens feared neither man, ghost, or god.

"Why? My lord?" asked one of the men, floating forward.

"The Observants," Dimidius said, spitting, "gave him a prophecy that one of us will someday end his rule."

"Then let's make it true!"

"Time out," said Clockwork, putting a hand on Danny's shoulder. The scene froze, chickens and all.

Danny had been right about the trauma.

"Was this," said Danny, "about me fighting him? Did all these people die because I fought him, and the Observants saw that?"

"No," said Clockwork. "Ultimately, Pariah was looking for an excuse. The Observants wanted to give him one. The prophecy, as far as they knew, wasn't true. They made it up. Besides, Pariah doesn't succeed in taking this city for another hundred years, and most of the younger residents were able to flee to the human world."

Danny exhaled. "Really?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, you would."

Clockwork laughed. "Let's get you home." He opened a portal. "Other than the revelation at the end, did you have a good time?"

"Yeah," said Danny. "I did."

[phantomphangphucker]

Time’s A Game That Plays Us All

ClockWork sees all the plays that can be taken, then substitutes their own. And Danny’s always been their king.

Using the tropes: Play-Along Prisoner and Take A Third Option

There’s a legend of old, from a long time ago. Something you could find if you flipped through a ghost hunters book selection. Having been written about in the first incarnation of the Hunter’s Wisdom Essentials Guide Book, still remaining largely unchanged outside of language from this original copy, in every subsequent edition. This legend so vital that the creature behind it was listed as a co-author in the book itself. If you asked any ghost hunter why, they’d say it was obvious, much of the information came from this creature. Their work, their profession, was spurred by the very same creature.

See back in the day, before ghost hunting, before any knowledge of ghosts, there had always been stories and rumours of strange glowing creatures. Some humanoid, some animalistic. They caused havoc or skittishly avoided the humans, though most wrote them off as visions or the ravings of the mad/ill. That is except for a select few, eventually anyway. The select few who knew, came to know, when a small little creature who held age in their eyes yet the form of a small buck-toothed child made their presence known to these select few. The first being Galvion Ingride Whitefoot, Adrian G. Groove -ever followed by an albino tiger-, Exterian Slav Break, and Josephine D. Fetonightingal. Of course they had all known each other, to some degree. Met on occasions, even if their respective families grew apart to the point where eventual modern relatives were unawares. But together they had written the first edition of the Hunter’s Wisdom Essentials Guide Book, after the glowing floating child -with no legs to speak of- had offered their hand and words. Had spoken of another world, filled with creatures of wonder and horror much the same as the creature themselves. Had told them of the nature of these creatures' existence, the dead yet given ‘life’ anew. How they had pointed where they needed to go to find such similar creatures in their living world. Allowed them to witness the power these creatures could wield and how to protect against it.

At first all had questioned the small, well-spoken and mild-mannered creature; and of course they contained/trapped it as best they could. Why would they tell them such things? Give them tools to fight or defend? But they learned that this one, who used their dark purple cloak to hide, instead of invisibility. How they floated around not through things. How they never fired off one of those ecto-blasts, as they said they were called. They all came to realise that this creature did not possess the abilities of the others. And not only that, but none of the other creatures seemed to know the child-like ones’ name; yet they often knew each other’s. These four also noted how every creature they encountered seemed to represent something: sleep, plants, weather, water, electricity, and so on.

Leaving them all to come to the conclusion that this blue-skinned one, with their words of guidance, represented humanity's defence against these creatures. That they were nature’s way of defending her living children and revealing, through the presence of this weak yet wise creature, who would do it best. It was also decided that the strange ticking thing in the ghost's chest represented the growth and time needed to develop and guide a new ghost hunter. Every human who saw this creature, captured it, came to these very same conclusions; and as the story goes, as soon as they did, that very creature would appear with their soft smile and crimson eyes and tell them the name of these creatures they were to fight ‘ghosts’. Then they’d be seen no more. This final appearance came to be seen as the universes seal of approval for the ghost hunter. Their graduation from a young apprentice, learning their role in the world, to ghost hunter in true; and every single one would go on to be masters of their craft, pioneers.

Of course, in the many years that followed, not every ghost hunter saw and caught this small wise ghost, but every single one that did went on to be influential. Those that didn’t, regardless of drive, never seemed to stick with the field, never excelled at creating their own weapons, never made any new discoveries. So it was something of an understood truth that this ghost knew who would make a good true ghost hunter, and simply did not waste their time with any others.

For Jack Fenton, he had seen the ghost in his early youth, had learned everything with wild abandon. Of course his family had always known of ghosts and of the legend, to say they had been ecstatic when Jack claimed to have captured the ghost, would be an understatement.

Maddie Fenton, on the other hand, met this ghost only shortly before meeting Jack. But the knowledge the small ghost gave seemed so obvious to her, so right. Meeting Jack had been easy and obvious after that. The two lovers had felt a little bad for their friend Vlad, having never seen or heard of this ghost. But they knew even those not chosen could be good ghost hunters, and who were they to reject someone’s passion? Though neither was truly surprised when he seemingly dropped out of the ecto-field all together, especially with the accident. Though Maddie’s pretty sure she saw him flipping through a Hunter’s Wisdom Essentials Guide Book and scoffing at the small ghost, muttering that clearly this little ghost was nothing but a silly myth.

And now, Jack finds himself flipping through his Fenton family edition of the Hunter’s Wisdom Essentials Guide Book, smiling fondly and reminiscing slightly over the sketch of the old wise ghost. Though frowning slightly as he traces the scar on the ghosts face. He remembers asking how that happened, after all it was known that he did not use to have it. The only answer he had ever gotten was ‘such is the marks of old beasts that watch, the foolish and power-mad who can not tolerate what they can not control’. Jack gathers it was from another ghost, one who somehow knew of and how to find the small ghost that no others seemed to.

He turns his head and smiles as his wife sits down. Maddie looking at the book and smiling herself, speaking quietly, “wonder if either of the kids will see him”.

Jack chuckles, “surely one will! At least one Fenton child always does. Heck! Both me and my brother did”.

Maddie giggles slightly and nods before frowning a little, “I do worry though Jack dear. Neither seem to have any interest. In fact, they almost seem put-off”.

“I wouldn’t give up faith yet Mads. You certainly had no interest when you were their age after all!”.

Maddie giggles and nods, silently joining her husband in flipping trough the heirlooms pages.  

ClockWork watches the interaction through one of many viewing portals, smiling ever so slightly. Turning their head to another, watching Daniel teasing and insulting Walker before flying lazily home.

Everything had worked out as it should. Everyone was where and who they needed to be. And yet there was a roadblock. A problem. Daniel’s skill at lying and hiding was a much-needed one, a true necessity. But even a fool could see the rift it caused and how it blocked the future of progress.

Ghost hunters, though needed for their purposes, had become advanced enough to pose threats. Not just to single ghosts, but every ghost, the world even. Such a level of advancement was needed of course, had resulted in Phantom. But now, the Observants were nervous, many ghosts were. Enough so that the Zone itself was being affected by all the negative emotions. That wouldn’t change if change didn’t happen. ClockWork chuckles over such phrasing, they had a plan of course, always did. Ghost hunters needed to change, their opinions needed to change. It had to come from the influential of course, not from ClockWork themselves, that wasn’t their purpose. They were a guider not a symbol of change. No, that was Phantom’s place, Daniel’s place.

Phantom couldn’t be exposed yet, not quite, but the forming rift with his parents would cause issues if it continues to grow before the day came for them to know exactly who and what Daniel was.  

Looking back to the portal with the two parents, this provided an opportunity of sorts. ClockWork knows that while they look at this scene, the book, with a slight smile the Observants instead frown. More than a little displeased with ClockWork’s past decision.

See ClockWork always has some plan or another, some idea for the future. That was part of their purpose after all. So of course they did back when humans had first come into existence in genuine, started making the world their bitch so to speak. All the other ghosts at the time, ClockWork’s fellow Ancients, firmly refused the idea that these weak fleshy creatures would ever pose any kind of threat to them. They existed in two different dimensions, sure there were occasionally natural portals between the two planes but all the other mortal creatures never paid any mind to any ghosts causing mischief or hanging about; why would these ‘humans’ be any different.

ClockWork knew better, saw better; so they acted better. Humans would know of ghosts, of course they would, there was no possible future where they would not. And humans were egotistical creatures, things that would steamroll over all other species they could. They also would grow to have a never-ending love for knowledge, that was something ClockWork could appreciate; feel fond of.

So while the other ghosts dismissed these humans ClockWork made plans, made themselves known to the humans. The other ghosts that even knew of ClockWork were uneasy with this but even back then no one questioned ClockWork, well...besides those foolish Observants; who thankfully did not yet exist.

ClockWork appeared to them with careful forethought, let the human capture them, and the knowledge that there really was only two options. Neither of which ClockWork paid any mind. Though fine, technically humans could be blocked out from knowing about ghosts, eliminate any who truly became knowledgable; ClockWork could certainly do that, but that would be far less interesting.

So either humans would know and live in fear, or they would know and come to make it impossible for new earth ghosts to be formed. Both options would make halfas impossible, coexistence impossible. So ClockWork hardly considered them actual options.

Instead letting humans know ghosts, but with the added effect of appealing to their pride. The human belief that they where the top species. That they could crush anything. Simply by showing them weaker ghosts, by altering natural ghost portals, by appearing to them as a guiding hand and without their staff visible, by allowing themselves to be seen as ‘trapped’. And so ClockWork became the stuff of legends to them, and an utter unknown to ghosts; excluding those eyeballs of course.

And why did they exist? The Observants? Well, because their fellow Ancients felt there needed to be overseers, never knowing they already had one in ClockWork. Leaving them with more decisions to make, plans to enact. Of course these knew ghosts would know of ClockWork, be insulted and fearful of the master of time’s power. All beings fear the powerful that they can not control. So these new ghosts would try to control ClockWork, try to force their hand, try to remove or alter them. The Observants, like all creatures, would have motives of their own; would lack objectivity. So either ClockWork was to find a way to hide from them or accept their future actions towards them. Or ClockWork could interfere, alter them to ClockWork’s own design. Bar them from being able to act, from being able to harm. They would be watchers and watchers only. The ghosts would get what they want, and ClockWork would do as ClockWork pleases. Sure ClockWork could just stop them from successfully creating the Observants at all, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, annoying them would become a beloved past time.

So ClockWork lets the other ghosts see these Observants as all powerful overseers; as judge, jury and executioner. Let the Observants fool themselves too. Sure they had enough power to lock up any ghosts that ClockWork, unknowingly to them, let them lock up. But ClockWork would stand as the only executioner, and they knew that.

This decision also helped ClockWork remain an unknown to other ghosts, the Observants didn’t want their lack of power, lack of ability to act, known; and ClockWork was the proof of that. But since ClockWork exists in every different possible future there was, the Observants could never truly control who knew and who didn’t. Only ClockWork could, simply manipulate toward the future they wanted in such a way that the Observants couldn’t so much as object beyond complaining pointlessly.

Smirking at the viewing portal as the two parents head to the lab, it was showtime. ClockWork never appeared to ghost hunters after they finished their apprenticeship, humans need to bloom and blossom of their own accord; else you hurt their egos. But rules were there to be broken and rules couldn’t hold ClockWork. In short, they were a dirty little cheater.  

Jack’s leaning over a microscope while Maddie jerks up and gapes, absentmindedly pushing the button to activate the ghost containment cell right where the familiar purple-cloaked ghost floated. She knew shapeshifting ghosts existed and both her and Jack’s time with him was long past. This couldn’t possibly be? Could it? She speaks softly while the ghost just floats there with a soft smirk, “Jack dear, I think you should look at this”.

Jack looks up, a bit caught off guard by his wife’s cautious but awed tone. He promptly drops the slide he was holding, it shattering as it hits the ground, “you? but it can’t be. Why?”.

ClockWork grins, and gives their typical half-truths, “oh I’m not here to play guide for you. I’ve merely made use of the weakened veil here”, gesturing to the Fenton portal, “that is why you find me here”.

Maddie tilts her head, this was clearly not a fake, “we always just thought you stayed in the mortal world somehow or travelled through natural portals”.

“Not all means bare the same outcomes”, ClockWork glances at the stairs, “and maybe you ought research through more wandering means. You might find something interesting”.

Maddie squints slightly, “and what are you going to do. You never need to go through such indirect means to get to new hunters”.

ClockWork smiles, of course this confrontation was completely avoidable but they had a test to give, “you’ll understand in time. There are plenty of paths one could take. Most often the path I point along is walked with me alone. But every so often that road must open to accommodate fellow travellers”.

Maddie and Jack exchange a look before Jack gets up, asking with barely contained excitement, “are you saying we get to help who your guiding! Oh this is so awesome Mads!”.

ClockWork smiles as the two head up the stairs, “we’ll see how the road forks. They’ll find me, no worries about the shield”. Maddie squints back at them, clearly wondering how whoever was going to find them but deciding that they hardly could do harm in the shield and were trustable enough to leave alone. Unaware they could simply teleport out.

Ten minutes later Danny comes home and phases through the ceiling invisibly to empty his thermos, only to pause and gape slightly before chuckling and shaking his head at spotting ClockWork inside the ghost containment cell. Emptying the thermos as he speaks, “hey CW, um why? Not that I’m questioning your ways, but I’m questioning your ways”.

ClockWork floats towards him, separated only by the shield while Danny transforms back human. ClockWork speaking with a slight smile, “you’re mortal guardians are as paranoid as expected to the appearance of ghosts, even those they think fondly of”.

Danny blinks and jerks slightly, “wait, my parents know you? ‘Think fondly’ of you?”, Danny’s not surprised his folks would trap some ghost in the containment cell, that was literally the point. And it’s not like ClockWork actually needed help getting out.

ClockWork gives a slow nod, “but of course. Many ghost hunters do”.

“Why???”.

“The same reason I involve myself in anyone’s existence, to guide them on their path”.

Danny shakes his head, this was a little absurd, “so you’ve been responsible for people becoming hunters? Why would you do that? Wouldn’t it be better for the people that want to obliterate and tear apart molecule by molecule, every ghost, not to know things?”.

ClockWork holds up a hand and gestures around, “dealing with such things, with antagonism, strengthens us and our defences. Of course, only to so many degrees. With humans, we’ve always had two options, bar the mortals from knowing of ghosts or have them know but fear our power. I merely ensured they’d instead believed they could face us in might”.

Danny snorts and rolls his eyes a little, “so you let them believe a lie?”, shrugging, “and fine, if anyone knows that fighting and experiencing all the ways people can come up to hurt you, can make you stronger; then it’s me”.

ClockWork sticks up a finger, “indeed you do, and I let you believe your family would die; lies have their benefits”.

Danny glares slightly, “that was low”.

ClockWork completely dismisses his displeasure, “good truths are always low blows”, smiling slightly, “besides, how better to control who gets to be a hunter and harvest a collection of apprentices”.

Danny blinks at that, “wait, what?”.

ClockWork smirks, Danny could be hard to really surprise or confuse nowadays, “how do you think any of them know anything about ghosts? I’m a wise fellow”, ClockWork gestures to the ghost shield.

Danny blinks at them, “oh my Ancients. Do you just let hunters capture you to teach them random things?”, sure Danny had done the dumbshit and let his folks capture him but they were his parents, family, it was different.

ClockWork just responds like this was perfectly reasonable and expected. “precisely”.

Danny facepalms, speaking with slight humour though, “my guardian is an idiot”.

ClockWork waves him off, “oh hardly, I always know the outcomes. Plus it’s high time your family knows your guardian”, Danny instantly looks rather panicked and disbelieving, so ClockWork continues, “they won’t be bothered, in fact, they’ll find it quite the good sign. A sign you’ll be a ‘helpful’ spector, seeing as they believe you’ll be a ghost”.

Now Danny’s gaping again, “excuse?”.

“Daniel, you set off their detectors and literally can’t be de-ecto-contaminated. Of course, they think you’re going to become a ghost”.

Danny throws his hands out to the side and walks in a little circle, “well that’s news to me”.

“They don’t mention it because they don’t want to scare you”, floating to follow Danny as he walks around the room a little and holding up a finger, “but now you can get them to open up through revealing you at least know the same, without giving away that you know because you already are”, smirking, “thanks to a helpful guardian”.

Danny blinks, realising this’ll pretty much get him off the hook for tons of weird ghostly shit, “you sneaky bastard”. ClockWork gives a devilish grin just before Maddie and Jack come down the stairs.

Jack beams, thinking back on the earlier words of the tiny ghost, “Danny-boy! So you’ve seen the little guy!”, walking up and patting Danny on the shoulder, who just looks confused and a bit freaked out. While Jack keeps talking, hopefully explaining this particular ghost will make his rather ghost fearing son less seemingly freaked, “this one’s the spirit of hunters! Our profession! Always appears before and guides those destined to be hunters! This is great!”, wiping a tear from his eye, “my boy’s gonna be a fine hunter”.

Danny has to hold back a laugh at calling ClockWork ‘the spirit of hunters’ while also deciding to not jump the gun on what his parents actually know about ClockWork, “er and what do you call them?”, Danny deadpanning, “if you say ‘Hunter’ I will be deeply disappointed”.

Maddie shakes her head with a smile, “don't be silly sweetie, this is an important day in your destiny of being a ghost hunter”, smiling at the tiny spirit, “we call him Herne”. Jack butts in, “which is why the name means mythical hunter!”, smiling some, “even if he’s a tiny thing with no abilities to actually hurt anyone with”.

Danny looks at ClockWork, firmly realising humans know goddamn nothing about them. Maybe they weren’t too much of an idiot. Flicking his eyes back to his parents, “no abilities?”.

Jack nods, surely this ghost being weaker will ease his son up some, “being able to form and float is really all he can do”, smiling at the little ghost, “not that that matters, he’s a wise little guy”.

ClockWork chuckles, “yes, foresight and a keen mind makes up for much. Doesn’t it”, holding up a hand, “but I am here for a different reason of sorts”.

Danny’s instantly nervous as his parents look ClockWork with confusion and slight caution.

Jack and Maddie exchange a glance, surely this explained the strange way the little ghost had appeared. Why they caught the ghost and not Danny. Maddie asking, “his paths a little different, isn’t it?”. While Jack frowns slightly, “is he not going to be a hunter?”.

ClockWork smiles softly, “to you I am but a giver of wisdom and guidance, a mentor of sorts and a hand to point in the right direction”, turning to Danny and smiling, while Danny just looks nervous as ClockWork continues, “but to him I am guardian. A mentor in truth and spiritual parent of sorts, for a young little ghost”. Danny does his damnedest to not outwardly cringe over being point-blank called a ghost by a ghost, in front of his parents.

Jack and Maddie go a little wide-eyed before smiling again, Jack beaming at ClockWork, “that’s great! So he’ll be like you then!?! A guiding spirit, rather than like all those malicious ghosts!”, Jack taps his chin, “though that still doesn’t explain why we needed to be seeing you again”.

While Maddie looks more softly at Danny and holds her hands to her chest then, picking up that he seemed a bit nervous but not exactly surprised, “and you’re alright knowing this? That you’ll be a ghost some day? You don’t seem all that surprised”.

Danny rubs his neck, “heh, well I mean, half your stuff already calls me one and all that”. ClockWork thankfully takes mercy on him and adds in, “and after all, we have met before”.

Maddie and Jack both blink at Danny, Jack instantly asking, “well why didn’t you say so Danny-boy?!?”. Though Maddie clues in that Danny not telling them about this was exactly why Herne showed up to them. He decided that they needed to know about this, likely for Danny’s future development. Which means that Danny likely wouldn’t have told them on his own.

Danny glances at ClockWork and gives them the stink-eye, officially not very thankful. Before looking back to his parents, “well, you’ve never actually talked nice about any ghost. And I didn’t want to get into an argument about them”, rubbing his neck a bit and knowing his folks will be a little more than not happy about this in one regard anyway, “they saved my life after all, so it would bug me someone talking bad about them”.

Both of them instantly look to ClockWork, practically beaming at the ghost though fretting over their son even needing his life saved. Maddie nodding at them, “thank you. If we weren’t already on good terms, we would be now”.

Jack throwing an arm around Danny and hugging him a bit protectively, “but what could have put his life in danger? Especially in a way for you to be saving him?”.

Maddie nods and looks a little sheepish, “you’re not exactly a powerful one”.

Danny sends ClockWork a bit of a pleading look because his folks calling basically the strongest ghost ever 'weak', was too absurd and funny for him to not eventually break down laughing over.

ClockWork eyes the ghost shield they’re ‘trapped’ behind, wondering which path the two will take. Trust them and let the shield down or hold on to their ghost bigotry and keep it up. Be the first to really be around them without them being captured in some device or shield. Smirking slightly as Jack, noticing ClockWork’s eyeballing of the shield, promptly deactivates it. ClockWork floats over to pat Danny’s head before turning to the two parents, ClockWork speaking while Danny’s a bit in shock from his parents actually smiling over a ghost touching him, “indeed, there are some ghosts who fear other ghosts with influence. Seek to get rid of them before they can gain said influence”.

Danny knows damn well ‘influence’ is just a subtle way to say ‘powerful’. And he’s also feeling a slightly renewed distaste for the Observants.

Maddie scoffs, “of course those spooks would dislike any ghost,”, glancing at Danny, “or ghosts, that help humans”.

Jack taps his chin, looking to ClockWork, “I imagine these ghosts can’t destroy ones like you?”, looking at Maddie before looking back to ClockWork, “we always thought you avoided being harmed or bothered by other ghosts by simply being unknown to them”.

ClockWork chuckles, “most don’t know of me. But there are other reasons”, looking to Danny, “and they’re welcome to really know me, Daniel. It would be rather mean to have your mortal family not know your ghostly one”.

Danny tilts his head back, “oh thank Ancients”, though he knows damn well ClockWork isn’t fine with them knowing because it would be ‘mean’ otherwise.

ClockWork smirks, “no need to thank me”, Danny makes a face at them for that before chuckling.

Jack smiles, “well I’m glad you have similar humour!”, looking at the little spirit and tilting his head some, “are you saying we don’t know everything about you? That we’re missing a lot?”.

Maddie smiles sweetly at Jack, “Jack dear, he’s never so much as told us if he has a real name. It is expected”.

Danny shakes his head, “I'm kind of amazed you trust them at all then”.

Maddie ruffles Danny’s hair, “well, he is why we are hunters really and he’s harmless”.

Danny chuckles and eyes ClockWork, who nods, “you can tell them much of what you know of me”, smirking mischievously, “I encourage it in fact”.

Danny squints at them and chuckles, “you just want to enjoy causing confusion and startling them”.

ClockWork nods with a slight smile, speaking almost cruelly, “and piss off the Observants, of course”.

Danny blinks and turns fully to them, “you really did just name drop them huh?”, turning back to his parents and rubbing his neck, “Observants, those are the ghosts that tried to ‘get rid of me’”.

Jack scowls, “well we hate them then”.

ClockWork nods, “good, now you’ll never help them”. ClockWork doesn’t need their viewing portals to see the Observants shrieking in annoyance and trashing five different plots to restrict multiple different ghosts.

Danny squints at them, “do you always have to have five different reasons for doing things?”, shaking his head and looking back to his parents and gesturing his arms out to ClockWork, “this is weird but, um, this is ClockWork and they are not even kind of close to the definition of weak or harmless”.

Maddie tilts her head at ClockWork then Danny, “but we’ve scanned him, them, nothing but floating really”. While Jack beams and tries out the name ‘ClockWork’ a few times before asking, “does your name have any meaning?!? Ghost’s names often do”.

Danny squints at ClockWork, Danny knows how he himself tricked their scanners but ClockWork was a full ghost, “how did you even pull that off?”, Danny squints more and really looks ClockWork over before facepalming, “your staff?”. ClockWork’s power was focused in their staff after all.

ClockWork grins and summons their staff, making Maddie blink and get slightly closer to look the staff over quickly; though never actually touching it, “oh! You do actually have some kind of weapon”.

While ClockWork nods at Maddie, “yes and no, this is much more a conduit than a weapon. I do have a scythe as well though”, Danny can’t help but chuckle at that a little; full well knowing that weapon was used exclusively for reaping ghosts that needed to be removed, which was a bit hilarious. While ClockWork promptly startles both of the parents by suddenly changing into their adult form, speaking while they gape at the ghost they only ever knew as a small child-like ghost, “as for my name, it indeed holds plenty meaning. It is, after all, my job and purpose to ensure that the hands on the universe's clock go round and round, until oblivion can no longer be chased off”.

Danny chuckles and shakes his head at ClockWork, who changes to the form of an old man. Danny speaking to his parents, “they mean time control, guys. The very fabric of time is basically theirs to bend and alter”, rolling his hand, “add in being able to see all of the past, present, and every future possible”, looking at ClockWork, “they’re arguably one of the most powerful ghosts there is, not to mention oldest”.  

The two adults raise their eyebrows a bit at ClockWork who nods ever so slightly, “I’ve been around since the beginning, guiding the universe along on its most lengthy path. Watching everything grow along exactly as its supposed to be. Of course that also means I plan when each being eventually stops and falls, guide them to when it is best they be destroyed”.  

Maddie mutters a bit startled and less than pleased, “so you’re more neutral than good, less altruistic and more manipulative”.

Danny instantly shakes his head, “no, they’re just more altruistic on a universal scale, the bigger picture kind of thing. A true neutral, completely objective, I guess”.

ClockWork nods and speaks while patting Danny’s head, “precisely”, sending the parents a small smile, “I have no interests towards ghosts, nor humans, nor earth; but rather existence and time itself”, chuckling a little and side-eyeing Danny slightly, “and I must say, I’ve certainly pushed and pulled many a thing to ensure Daniel exists precisely as he does and will”.

Jack blinks at Danny and pats him on the shoulder, “is he really going to be that important?”, chuckling at Danny, “no pressure son”.

Danny barely stops himself for muttering ‘too late’ and instead just nods slightly. While Maddie’s releasing that this ghost can’t truly be trusted, humans were not where their priorities lay. But that they absolutely did have her son's survival? benefit? well-being? happiness? -well, maybe not that last one. Something tells her that ClockWork would harm or traumatise anyone for the sake of the universe- at their metaphorical heart.

ClockWork smirks, “that is for time to know and the world to see. But if you must know, him simply existing as he does has saved the world more than once”. Danny has to resist cringing at that, seeing as they were pretty effectively leaving out him causing it once.

Jack beams at that, his boy was already doing good! Somehow. Promptly hugging Danny, “good for you Danny-boy! Though I wonder how you managed that?”.

Everyone looks to ClockWork then, full well knowing they know exactly how. They simply smirk, “now that would be telling, wouldn’t it. The simplest of things can change everything, even picking up a rock verses not, could alter everything. Even how much someone knows or doesn’t, can”.

Danny chuckles a little fondly, which his parents definitely pick up on, while Danny speaks, “you’re always an enigma huh”.

Jack and Maddie smile a little fondly, though feeling like outsiders a bit as the two seem to one-up each other in sounding confusing. They both knew their boy was a bit odd, an enigma, so clearly they were two of a kind. That makes it clear Danny’s future lied with this ghost, rather than their profession; whatever that actually meant. Maddie decides to push that, he’s their boy, they should know what his job/future was/would be. Looking at ClockWork, “you’ve still got a way with words, but what are you even guiding Danny with?”.

ClockWork gives both the honest answer and the most confusing one, “everything and nothing. The same as that which you do, except with less restraints and a finger in every pie”, smiling at Danny, “a Guardian has the role of parent when dealing with ghosts”.

Jack’s a bit confused but that’s pretty come-by, “but ghosts don’t need to be taught how to ghost?”.

Maddie shakes her head slightly and tilts her head, “But what is he going to be doing?”.

ClockWork pats Danny’s head, they were not wrong, even with a halfa. Though no ghost just knew how the Zone’s politics worked. But the existence of many levels of law and government within the Zone was not for them to know, not yet. “But of course, ghosts know themselves well, but not so much other ghosts. After all, have you met any who know of me? And”, holding up a finger and smirking at Maddie, “everything. He’ll find there’s little he won’t do”.

Maddie blinks and mutters, “are you trying to say he’s going to be all powerful or control ghosts”.

Danny makes a damn point not to react, considering the whole High Ghost Prince thing, meaning his mom was absolutely right. Though he then gapes at ClockWork and throws his hands out to the side as they promptly teleport away with a twirl of their staff and a wink. Danny groans at the thin air where they used to be, “seriously time-pants?”.

Jack and Maddie both can’t help but laugh while Danny grumbles more while looking at them, “they always make their timing dramatic”.

Jack nods a little, “I did nearly face-plant into them when they showed up for me”. Maddie giggles a little but nods, “they startled me enough that I set my original college application on fire”.

Danny snorts, “tossed through a time portal and slammed my face into a giant bell, five times”. Jack chuckles, “that’s way more silly”.

Maddie nods but looks Danny over, “do you know what that wink meant?”.

“Probably five different things. One part is definitely just to cause mischief and drama. Could be referring to a possible future or just wants to let someone think that’s the case”, is Danny lying a little? Yeah. Is he just going to out the whole prince/future king thing? Ancients no.

Maddie shakes her head and mutters, “now I'm questioning everything to do with them“.

Danny snorts and goes to walk upstairs, “either question everything or accept everything. Both at the same time? I go with that”.

Jack mutters as Danny leaves fully, “I don’t think you can do that really”.

ClockWork watches through a viewing portal, the questions were in place and, watching with a slight smirk as pissed off Observants inadvertently knock a very particular book from the future through a strategically placed portal and lands on the Fenton lab floor, said questions would be answered.

While Jack spots the glowing book and gets a little excited, the two instantly start flipping through to find it’s a storybook, a book telling the tale of a legend.

A king of youth in a castle of dark brick, lording over a word of mythical creatures of the dead persuasion. Spoken of as kind and just, yet powerful and resolute. A black and white dragon, with eyes that see every shade. Who proved his strength through countless battles, and a battered body that moved with pride. Who proved his mind through quick-witted wordplay, and hiding amongst the enemy.

But what really caught the parents’ eyes were the black and gray pictures, the sketches. Largely of landscapes, the castle of course and the flora filled land surrounding it. But also some of a blazing crown and extravagant cape, a sword of ice carved with flowers and skulls. Though they trace their fingers over the silhouette drawing of this king, swinging the sword at another figure with a near-identical physique but flaming hair and snake tongue. It’s titled ‘First Trial’. The king could easily be an older Danny, but they couldn’t be certain.

But what really makes them pause and share a glance is a landscape piece, where a strange clocktower could be seen in the background. Surrounded by floating gears, much the same as the one ClockWork wore for a clasp.

Maddie squints down at the image and runs off looking for a microscope, coming back and hovering it over one of the windows in the clocktower to see ClockWork -in child form- winking right at her with a circular something showing the image of her and Jack leaning over this very book. Maddie jerking back and whispering, “Zone that cheeky bastard”, before flipping to the last page. Both parents blinking down at a familiar-sounding quote signed with a fanciful yet nearly illegible ‘CW’.

“Existence is a story we weave, but a story unread is a story yet to be solidified. What we know can change everything, and once knowledge is written and known, it becomes something to last forevermore”.

Jack scratches his head and mutters, “did we just ensure Danny would become a king or something, or a paradox would happen?”.

Maddie knits her fingers together and speaks into her hands, “I think we did”.

Neither parent’s sure whether they should scream and be pissed or be proud.

ClockWork simply smiles while two Observants float in demanding, “ClockWork, what did you do”.

“My job”.

“It’s your job to watch time, not play favourites. He will destroy us”.

ClockWork turns and levels them with an unreadable gaze, “you mean further restrict and take your power? Precisely. Just because I am not a player on the field doesn’t mean I’m not in control. Time is the field board, and I tilt as I please. You’re simply referees, you are nothing without the players and you’ve been betting on the wrong ones. All in the name of your search for dominance. For those you could control or who lacked the strength to ever stand against you. But in the end”, ClockWork floats to be closer to them almost menacingly, “this game is played in a grandiose casino, and the house always wins in time”.

End.

[blueoatmeal]

Day 1: Sandbox Characters

Obviously I went with Clockwork. Mostly a jumble of thoughts, headcanons, and quotes here

Clockwork

Not truly omniscient. Learns info like any other person, by seeing it. Just has a lot more time to spend watching, and the unique ability to see the past and future by travelling there

To any mortal being, he appears to know just about everything, but in truth there’s such a volume of information that’s constantly increasing that CW only knows a small fraction of what could be known at any given time

He’s very good at acting like he knows all, of course

He is in no way telepathic. Just good at reading people and predicting what they’ll do based on prior/future actions. Like a Batman Gambit. Not a foolproof method though

(Core theory) Has a time core. Unlike average ghosts who consciously tap into their specialized powers to use them (besides when Danny was repressing his ice powers bc he didn’t know about them), CW is constantly generating temporal energy

Just as Danny might freeze a wall he phases through when tapping into his core, CW affects things when phased through them too. He just. Can’t turn the effect off. Notably, he tends to age (or otherwise warp) whatever material or being he phases through. Sometimes quite drastically

As a result, he generally refrains from using intangibility and often uses teleportation in its place when he can, even though it takes more energy. That being said, he has made offensive use of intangibility

This also makes overshadowing a lot riskier

He is, for all intents and purposes, a ghost. He may not have always been a ghost, but he is now

His scar is hypertrophic (raised) except in AUs where it isn’t

He has the only time core in existence. He’s been targeted for it before; by time travelers, errant physicists, and aspiring rulers of the universe

The clock in his chest is fully functional; the hands move, the pendulum swings, and it even makes a ticking sound

He can make around 12 or 13 duplicates

He is very much an unreliable narrator. Take everything he says with a grain of salt

Clockwork’s tower always looks a lot smaller from the outside. It’s a phenomenon that doesn’t seem too unusual in the Ghost Zone, but is taken to the extreme in the clocktower. Unless a bunch of the doors in the halls lead to nothing, there’s more going on than anyone could guess from a casual look.

Quotes: (mostly from my phic WIPs)

Clockwork stared into the distance with an annoyed look on his face. “It is possible. I’m not the only entity who can manipulate time. Sometimes others try to help fix time, including those ruined timelines, and wind up making my job more difficult. Other times they’re a bit too effective.”

“Time is fluid,” Clockwork explained, “and I am a part of it. I do not exist outside of time. My actions can make a difference in time on the most basic level, like yours or anyone else’s. I can change events without causing temporal rifts.”

“It’s interesting to hear directly what people think about their own time.

Clockwork shook his head. “As convenient as it would be, I can’t speed up time for localized parts of my own body. It would throw everything out of whack. I can certainly freeze time, wait until I heal, then unfreeze it, but it’s indescribably boring.

“You don’t have a preset destiny. Just variable possibilities based on the actions and decisions of yourself and those around you. And, of course, genuine chance. Natural disasters, for example.

“You reduce individuals to statistics because you can’t properly comprehend numbers above a few hundred. You lose your perspective because your minds can’t handle the concept of trillions of unique people with different lives and goals of their own, each with a web of connections to others. You can only envision a few people at a time with that much detail. I don’t have those limits. Not on comprehension. Not on memory. I see the entirety of a person’s life, from birth to death and sometimes beyond, in multiple continuities, and I can never forget any of it.”

“I can tug at someone’s secrets every day for their entire life, but they can still choose to ignore me or refuse what I ask of them. I can’t just puppet people into doing what I want. There’s overshadowing, but it’s not a good long-term strategy. And it’s terribly unreliable. Most of what I do is good old-fashioned manipulation, with force applied as needed.”

“I must not act without thinking. Ever. Anything could happen. Worse, if my actions benefit myself at the expense of others, I lose my objectivity and all my decisions become compromised. It’s a conflict of interest. I can’t enter personal matters into the equation.”

“I understand the confusion, but this is not a torture chamber. It’s more of a garage, really.”

“It’s actually the seventh world-scale war, but it’s called the Fourth War because Captain Fourth is the one who fired the first shot.”

“With nearly every decision that’s made, by anyone, the timeline splits. Often more than just twice. I may have started with one timeline, but that didn’t last long.”

“Sometimes the chronology itself begins to lead towards the destruction of the timeline. Perhaps a reality-warping weapon is developed, or a massive drought begins that will end all life if it isn’t stopped. I either let the timeline die, or course-correct so that the timeline may go on longer.”

Clockwork raised his eyebrows. “I’m an excellent actor, Daniel.”

Clockwork gave him an odd look. “That’s only in this form. This isn’t my standard or default form or anything. All of my forms, no matter the appearance of age, are equally me. Besides, even my eldest appearance is hardly representative of my true age.”

“My body ages in a cycle, and my mind ages linearly.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I suppose I can’t quite perceive it as you do.”

“You know, I never quite understood that. I see how people can be inaccurate with their sense of time, but to report either a far shorter or far longer span than actually took place—Why? How does that happen? I could come up with an evolutionary reason but ultimately it just seems ridiculous to have a sense of time at all if half the time it’s wildly inaccurate.” 

[dp-pastandpresent]

Past and Present: Chapter 29

"ABOUT TIME! That's all you can say after putting me through all of your stupid traps?!"

Danny was furious and had every right to be. After experiencing memories of both his past and future, he wanted answers.

"Ahhh. I see you and your group found my message."

"Message? That's what you call it?"

"Something like that. You see, each time a ghost tries to enter my realm without one of my medallions, they tend to get a bit… lost. But we've had this conversation before."

"We have?" Danny asked, confusion on his face as he floated towards what passed for ground in Clockwork's hazy realm.

"Yes, when I first took you to the portal. Don't you…" Clockwork's eyes went wide again as he realized something he hadn't before.

"You don't remember your time with me, do you?"

'That explains why he was so confused during his early days out there…'

Danny stared at the ghost in front of him, anger still plain on his face.

"Not much more than the memories YOU'VE been feeding me, no."

Clockwork lurched back at this, almost as if offended by the boy's accusations.

"Huh. That's strange. I knew you'd forget a few things when you went through, but to forget even the things we had discussed so recently… well that's something even I couldn't predict."

Danny kept looking at the ghost in front of him, his green eyes glowing in frustration.

"I could care less about the things we discussed, what I want to know is WHY you kept my memories from me!"

Clockwork's frustration vanished slightly as he chuckled at this comment.

"My boy, I did not keep memories from you! I simply returned the memories you lost during resurrection."

'He truly remembers nothing about his return? The things I told him?'

"Yea, when it was most convenient for you…"

Danny was starting to soften up a bit, and he slowly lowered himself to the ground.

"When I returned them is beside the point. Shouldn't we be discussing the real reason you're here?" Clockwork asked, trying to change the subject as he glanced at the frozen girl behind him

Danny followed the ghost's gaze as his own eyes grew wider.

"Sam! What did you do! Why is she still?"

Clockwork chuckled again.

"Don't worry Daniel, she's just in Time Out. In fact, I'm surprised it didn't affect you either."

'Why didn't it affect him?'

"Time out?"

"Yes. It's something I can do when I need to stop time, allow myself to think things through. Get people out of my way for a bit."

"But somehow… I'm… immune?"

"Your powers amaze me Daniel. Every day you grow stronger, and yet every day you also grow more human. There really is no limit to what you can do. And while I pride myself on being the Master of Time, even I cannot see what you will do next."

"But you have an idea, don't you? You've had ideas since you resurrected me. You knew I'd be more than just someone to open that portal."

Danny could feel his whole suit glowing brighter with energy as he floated closer to Clockwork, almost backing him into a wall.

"Danny!?"

They both stopped and looked over to see Sam standing up, her purple eyes wide with surprise.

--

'How is the girl awake? I didn't even Time In yet!'

Clockwork was confused as he watched Sam approach the two of them, unsure what to think.

'Is it possible Danny's powers override my own?'

'But why would they? It's not like I'm….'

'He was awake when you clearly timed out.'

'That doesn't mean….'

'He made it through your time traps faster than expected…'

'Still…'

'Even as he becomes more human, his powers gain strength…'

'Could it be?'

"STOP!" he found himself yelling out loud, gaining confused looks from both Danny and Sam who had just finished embracing each other during Clockwork's inner crisis.

Clockwork shook his head, trying to get his mind clean.

"My girl… I'm sorry. I just had a moment. You scared me is all. You see, I had you frozen in time, and yet now you're awake and it was not my doing."

Sam raised an eyebrow and looked at Danny again.

"It seems your boyfriend is more powerful than I initially thought," Clockwork continued.

'We need to weaken him…'

"Who are you calling powerful? You're the one that froze me!" Sam said in frustration. "You're the one who has been controlling me the whole time I've been here. Telling me things, trying to get me on your side. Pushing me to listen to you. Well guess what! Danny's back and I'm done!"

She crossed her arms and looked back at her boyfriend, who in turn looked at the ghost before them.

"You've been controlling her too? How long? Longer than she's been here? Who else have you manipulated?" Danny's eyes grew intense with these words.

Clockwork grew young as he listened to Danny, a bit of fear once again creeping up into him, though he tried to hide it with a smile.

"Heh. Samantha? I've only done what was necessary at the time, and I've never once touched her outside my realm."

"But you've touched me. You've fed me memories, led me to believe things."

Clockwork sighed, realizing there was no avoiding that subject as it came back around.

"Yes."

"So all those returning memories, they were all from you?"

"You really believe that that I've been watching you that closely?"

'I have, but he doesn't need to know that.'

"My boy, I have fed you memories when you needed them most. But many memories have returned to you on your own and to my surprise."

"How can I even be sure?" Danny asked, glaring.

"You can't. But you have to trust me. I've only interfered when it was needed."

"But what about Danny's powers?"

Clockwork turned to Sam, his eyes softening a bit as he aged himself to his oldest form.

"His powers are strictly his own. They have nothing to do with anything I have done."

"But you told me…"

"What I told you was the truth. His powers, his ability to change into a human… It's all linked to your love."

--

'Love? That's what's making me change?' Danny found himself thinking as he listened in.

'What else has he told her? And can I believe it?'

He was unsure what to believe at this point, but he knew that there must have been some discussion in the time Sam had spent alone with Clockwork.

"Love," Danny said quietly, but not quietly enough that Sam didn't hear him.

"Danny, I…" she started.

"Love. That's what started all of this. Fifty years ago. When I went into that shop. It was love. Love that drew me in."

He looked at Sam, who had concern in her eyes as he continued to talk.

"Love made me do it. My love for Sarah… it killed me. And then…" He stopped. Something was different. Sam. She wasn't herself. At some point during his monologue she had begun to change.

"Sarah?"

"Danny, what are you talking about?" She asked, confusion growing.

Sam had been standing in front of him, but now it wasn't Sam. Or at least, it didn't look like the Sam he knew. Her hair had gotten longer, her outfit had changed to one from the fifties, even when she spoke, it sounded like…

"Sarah?"

"Danny, stop. It's me, Sam."

"No. It's not… Sarah?"

He closed his eyes, trying to make sense of what was in front of him.

'It can't be her. It's an illusion. Clockwork's realm is messing with your head. You need to stop. Breathe.'

He opened his eyes, and in front of him once more was the Sam he knew. He let out a deep sigh at this.

"Sam."

"Who else would I be?" she asked.

"It's just, for a moment you looked like…"

"Sarah?"

It was Clockwork who interrupted this time, another smirk on his face.

"I was afraid this would happen. Your memories. In my realm they're magnified, and with that suit they're sure to be even stronger. One little thought of the past and it becomes real."

Danny looked back at Sam, trying to focus, but Clockwork was right: she had begun to look like young Sarah again.

"And only I can see it?" he questioned.

"After all, they are your memories."

'How do I make this stop?'

Danny shut his eyes again, trying to focus on what he had been thinking before.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, he was able to put his thoughts into words.

"My love for Sarah is what killed me, but my love for Sam, it's what's making me human?"

"Remember boy. You were full ghost until you discovered her, SAVED HER. And then… you started feeling emotions. Became hungry, tired, warm even. Your eyes turned blue and your hair black. And it's only when she's in trouble that you are able to control it." Danny closed his eyes and turned his head to the ground, trying to take it all in. He wanted to believe it; after all, they had said it before. So why now was it different? Why was he having second thoughts?

'I just wish I had some say in all this. I feel like everyone else is choosing my fate for me.'

He looked up to see his 'hallucination' of Sarah once again turned back into the girl from the present.

"Danny, I know it's a lot to take in," she hesitated.

"Sam, you know I care for you… and I'd do anything for you…"

--

Clockwork watched as Danny wrestled with his mind, trying to make sense of the truth he had finally come to learn.

'I really thought you would have figured that out sooner.'

"You know, you could think clearer if you took off that annoying power suit. It's not helping you here anyway."

Danny had been gazing at Sam, trying to figure out his emotions, but with these words he furrowed his brow and looked at Clockwork.

"Why does it even matter?" he replied.

"That suit, it was designed to magnify your powers, correct?"

Danny nodded.

"Precisely. Well in here, things work a little differently, affect each other a little differently. And I can sense that the suit is magnifying it all. I really think you would benefit emotionally from being free of it."

'And that would help me regain a bit of control.'

As much as Danny hated to agree with Clockwork, he had to admit that the amplified nature of his surroundings was not helping him.

"This doesn't mean I trust you," he said as he turned intangible and let the suit fall off. To Clockwork's surprise, it did not fall through the floor like normal human objects: instead it landed safely.

'I need to keep a closer eye on the Fentons and their technology…'

But before Clockwork could think that through any further, he heard a gasp from the girl and looked back to Danny.

Clockwork and Sam watched as Danny's body transformed. His white hair faded to black, his green eyes turned blue. Remarkably, though, he stayed floating, the bits of ghost DNA in him keeping him safe. "Danny?" Sam asked, confused as Danny stood up.

Danny turned from Sam's confused face, to Clockwork, who looked just as confused.

"You knew that would happen if I took off the suit?" he questioned with lowered eyebrows.

'I knew it would weaken him, but make him return to human? I thought their love was stronger than that here.'

'Perfect! The opportunity to win him over! He's vulnerable, questioning his emotions.'

"If you would stop for a moment and think, maybe, just maybe you would realize that I am not completely against you!" Clockwork replied, as he returned from his thoughts with some anger showing in his voice.

'Stop. Think. Don't make him any more mad at you then he already is. Keep him vulnerable.'

Clockwork closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing in a calmer manner.

'Win him over Clockwork.'

"I had no way of knowing you would change back, as this isn't normal. None of this is. No one has ever seen a ghost that can change forms. In fact, when I resurrected you, I was surprised to even see you as a ghost. I expected you would be fully human."

Clockwork had never revealed this to anyone, but was beginning to realize he needed to be a little more transparent if the boy would ever do what was needed.

"Hold on!" Sam chimed in, reminding the group that she was still there. "You just said his powers were fueled by our love, but now you're saying you don't understand what's happening?"

"I always knew Daniel's destiny was connected to you, that is true. But it wasn't until I resurrected him and watched things play out that I realized his powers, the ability to change forms, must also be linked to you and how he feels about you at any given moment."

Sam and Danny exchanged glances at this, trying to decide if they could truly trust the ghost before them.

"As I said before, the moments his emotions are high – for example when are in trouble," he pointed his staff to Sam, "he is able to summon his ghostly half. But when he finds himself questioning things, or remembering his past – well that's when the human emerges."

Danny looked again to Clockwork, who had aged again as he spoke.

"So, I really have no control over which form I take?" he asked, coming a little closer to their ghostly host.

'What can I say to make him believe me?'

"Right now, that is correct," the ghost replied, looking Danny directly in the eyes and causing him to shiver. "But soon, you will gain control over both forms, even without her help."

He gazed into Danny's blue eyes a second longer before turning away towards his screens. Holding up his staff, he allowed the largest to come on and show the one scene he had memorized.

"That scene! I saw it in your traps, the ones from the future. Why… Now?" Danny asked, floating closer to Clockwork as he watched the ice cream event play out.

"Because that scene is the one that started all this," Sam answered, also coming forward.

'Ahh, she learned something."

"The girl is right. This is the scene that made me realize your fate. The moment I discovered you in two separate timelines and knew you must be important," Clockwork replied never taking his eyes off the screens.

"I have not been able to see every moment that has come before it until it occurred to you in real time. That has never happened before, so naturally at first I could not understand why. But as I learned after your resurrection, it is because of your powers."

"My powers?"

"Yes, boy. You see, when I brought you back, you were a full ghost. I had expected you to be human, as I had witnessed in this scene. Imagine my surprise when you weren't."

"You find a way to finally control resurrections, finally bring people back, and it's not what you expect! You couldn't just be happy it worked?" Danny asked, angrily.

Clockwork glared back at the boy, using every ounce of self control to keep himself from sending Danny flying across the room

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO BRING YOU BACK!" he blared, unable to keep his voice down. "I worked for eons to figure it all out. I had everything right! And now you're floating here, telling me to be happy with my mistake?"

He couldn't do it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep himself from allowing his powers to take control. He held his staff in front of him, the orb at the top emitting a vibrant green glow.

Without another word, Danny suddenly felt himself losing control as he flew backwards across the room, landing against the wall and falling to the ground in pain, a bit of green blood trickling down his forehead.

Sam began to run to Danny but found herself unable to go far as Clockwork raised his staff in anger.

"Let him lay. Let him think. Let him realize that I am right!" the ghost yelled as Sam was forced to return to her previous spot.

Danny slowly stood up as he heard Clockwork's angry voice yelling at Sam. He could feel energy pulsing through his body as he stepped back towards the ghost. But as hard as he tried, he could not bring himself to fully return to his ghost form.

Sensing the struggle the boy was having, Clockwork let out a laugh.

"You think that one burst of anger can bring back your ghost powers? When will you learn that there is so much more to this?"

But even as he watched, Clockwork found himself regretting his recent decisions.

'Why can't you just tell the boy the truth. Let him gain control and fulfill his destiny.'

'His destiny? I still don't even fully know what that means. The book has never once said a thing about WHAT that darkness could be…'

'What if it's…?'

He couldn't finish his thoughts as he found himself pinned against the wall, green eyes glaring down at him.

--

"I may not have my powers, but I still have my strength! And I am done listening to you ramble about destiny. Either you tell me what's going on or I find someone who can!"

Danny had been able to take advantage of Clockwork's moment of mental confusion and had lunged forward, pinning his adversary into the corner. After a moment with no response he decided to let the ghost go and lifted himself up off the ground. As he did he felt a clunk against his chest and looked down to see the amulet still hung on his neck.

'Of course! That amulet. The dragon! But why isn't it helping me return my powers?'

Danny reached his hand to the amulet and looked at it closer, trying to see if there was anything new he could learn from it. But sadly nothing had changed since the last time he had examined it.

"This amulet. It has somehow been storing my energy, my power. Helping me gain control."

"Precisely." Clockwork said quietly as he raised himself off the ground, his emotions calming after the brief confrontation.

"And yet, it doesn't always work."

"Working is not the correct term, boy. Let's just say, it KNOWS when it's needed, just as it knew when it was needed with the girl," the ghost replied, exasperated.

"The girl?" Danny asked, looking down at it again. "The dragon?"

"What did you think? That it was just another necklace? Ha!" Clockwork allowed himself to age down at this.

"So, it's like everything else, linked to my emotions? My emotions are clearly high right now, so why isn't the stupid thing working?" Danny asked, raising it up as if to take it off.

"Danny! Stop!" Sam yelled, finding Clockwork's power over her diminished as he ran towards him.

"He… he told me once. That humans can't… survive long here. And that amulet, it may be all that's keeping you alive!"

Danny froze, unable to completely take in what she had just said.

'He told you that Sam?'

"That amulet, when it was with the girl. It represented her lost love and the painful memories it held," she continued, much to Danny and Clockwork's surprise.

"And now that you've removed it, you've rid her of that pain and linked it to us instead."

"Sam, how did you…" Danny began, then looked to Clockwork, who had resumed his normal stature, and nodded his head as if to say he was the one who told her.

"Danny. It's linked to your destiny, whatever that may be," she finished, taking another step closer to her boyfriend and holding out her hand.

At her touch Danny felt a jolt of energy once again as he watched a faint glow return to his body.

"I… I… believe you. But I still don't understand. Clearly we're meant to be together, but why can't those feelings help me control this? And what is this darkness I'm supposed to be eliminating?"

"Ahem…"

Both teens turned, almost forgetting Clockwork's presence in their moment of emotion.

"If all this mushy stuff is over, maybe you could stop and actually listen to me."

--

"Why would I listen to you?" Danny asked, raising his voice. "You just attacked me for speaking my mind!"

"Well if you would have listened to what I've been saying, I wouldn't have needed to do what was necessary."

'Will he EVER learn that I know best here? That I CAN HELP!?'

"Necessary? That's what you call it now? So, if I say something wrong again are you going to try putting me in time out?" Danny laughed at his own joke.

"Haha boy, you are so, so clever. Just stop for one second and let me talk." He aged himself into his eldest form and lowered himself to the ground at this, trying to come off as less menacing.

Sighing, Danny took a couple of steps forward. "You've got 5 minutes," was all Danny could say, despite his knowledge that there was no obvious way home.

"Daniel, clearly you are still learning. Let me help you regain some control. I can teach you many, many things about your destiny."

Danny looked at Clockwork as he said this, confusion again showing in his face.

"This is coming from someone who just said they didn't understand my powers."

"Well yes, but I understand ghosts, moving on, and legends. And you, son, are all three." He smirked at this, hoping to win over a bit of the boy.

Sam had stayed back but was beginning to panic now, realizing that Clockwork was trying to gain control.

"Danny, don't! Remember, your power is linked to me. I really doubt that he can help you here as much as being in the human world with me could!"

"There is always another way. Always." Clockwork smiled as Danny looked between him and Sam, trying to convince the group, and himself, that this could work.

Sam glared at Clockwork, furious that he would even suggest such a thing after specifically stating that their love was the key.

"But that scene, with the ice cream, it can't happen if you stay here!"

"But time changes, as all things change. That moment is not set in stone. And even if it is, once you master your powers, you will be free to return."

"STOP!" Danny yelled as he closed his eyes, feeling a bit of ghost energy radiate through his body as they turned back to bright green. "BOTH OF YOU STOP! You are acting like children fighting over a toy!" He said, enraged, "And I am NO ONE'S TOY!" Danny began to shiver as his eyes turned back to blue and he slowly fell towards the ground, no longer able to stay afloat. Upon reaching the ground, he continued to sink, although very, very slowly. His confused eyes darted down to his amulet, grasping at the idea that there could be even a small bit of stored energy, but instead it just clanked against his chest, almost as if it was tired. He then looked between the Sam and Clockwork, complete fear on his face.

'At last. His human side is taking over. Let the boy see that there are consequences to his actions. Don't save him… yet,' Clockwork thought as he watched Daniel sink.

"See son, this is what I could teach you. How to control your ghost powers here. After all, when you let your humanity win, you end up losing," Clockwork said, once again revealing the power-hungry nature Danny had come to know as he let himself age down.

Danny continued to look at the ghost as his body slowly sank through the floor, unable to move until finally he felt solid ground. But with that feeling came another feeling he didn't like. A feeling of helplessness that could only mean Clockwork had gained some control.

--

"Danny! He's been controlling me the same way he is you right now. Grabbing a mental hold and making me do what he wants. I know you can fight this, stand on the ground yourself, without his help!"

Sam stepped forward as she said this, trying to find a way to keep him from sinking through the ground without Clockwork's powers. As she did, she felt a clunk against her neck and remembered the medallion that was keeping her here. She looked down at it, grabbing it in her hands, and then to Danny, who was trying to resist Clockwork's hold, but also didn't want to sink.

"Sam, I, I…" He looked at her and watched her change once again into the Sarah he remembered. "I need his help, if I want to control this. I know it's linked to us, but right now, I need his help…"

"No you don't!" she said loudly as Danny's view of her changed back to Sam and she ran forward, pulling the medallion off her neck and holding it towards him. "You just have to trust me. Trust US. This will work out. We just need to believe that it will."

'If I give him this, he'll survive here without that jerk's help. But… what will happen to me?' She thought for a mere second before acting. Losing all the hesitation and fear from before, she threw her medallion around his neck.

Danny felt its power take hold and was able to let Clockwork's grip on him disappear. His eyes turned back to a green as he watched Sam sink through the ground, much faster than Danny had been, but not before saying her last words to him.

"I love you Danny."

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Lair of Mystery + Reaper of Heroes: AU Convergence

by Sleepy (LonelyLittleWhiteRabbit)

Prompt #5!

Convergence of my main two prompt ideas. Mainly DP X DC but has a brief mention of the Avengers, which resulted in the MCU portion of the #3: Reaper of Heroes au

All prompts are crossposted on my Tumblr

Words: 280, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 6 of DP x DC Prompts, Part 4 of DP x DC: Interconnected Prompts

Fandoms: Danny Phantom, Justice League - All Media Types, Batman - All Media Types

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Danny Fenton, John Constantine, Billy Batson, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Justice League (DCU)

Relationships: Billy Batson & Danny Fenton, John Constantine & Danny Fenton, Danny Fenton & Justice League (DCU), Danny Fenton & Justice League Dark (DCU), Avengers Team & Danny Fenton

Additional Tags: Ghost King Danny Fenton, Danny's lair is the House of Mystery, Danny is the reaper of heroes souls, Danny is Ghost King and has lots of other titles, Danny has Clockwork's age/form changing ability, Danny is the landlord, Lair of Mystery AU, Reaper of Heroes AU, crossover of crossovers

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/45469270

[scientifically-strange]

For the sentence starter, pick a god and pray feat. Dan?

The weather man on Wanda’s favorite news station had predicted bright and sunshiny weather for that Saturday, but all they were met with was doom and gloom and other -ooms that weren’t good.

He may have been defeated when Danny was fourteen, but he had forgotten that even if he outgrew him, Dan lived outside of time. It didn’t matter if he outgrew him or not, not when he had the chance of coming back either way. The twenty-six year old halfa felt chills go down his spine as his ghost sense went off. He looked upwards, because the majority of the time any ghost that crossed his path were typically, you know, flying, and what he saw filled his stomach with dread.

Dan floated tall and proud, looking exactly like he had before. Danny was the same size as him muscle wise, and had a couple of inches on his evil self. Danny half expected his hair to be in flames when he transformed to fight his evil self. Thankfully, this was not the case.

“Well,” he said. His voice echoed, and was deep and booming just like before. He snarled as he spoke, barring his fangs in disgust. Probably due to the fact that Danny had grown up good. “I suggest you pick a god and start praying to it, because when I’m done with you you’ll just be a whisper of smoke, or a speck of dirt on my boot.”

“That was quite possibly the longest threat I’ve ever had the joy of experiencing,” Danny called back. It wasn’t-the Red Skull’s were much longer, but the witty banter was nice. In a way it kind of grounded him. It was his comfort zone, and a constant in his crime fighting adventures. It was something he could use to help keep his cool as he tangled with Dan, who had had hoped he would never have to see again. If he lived through this, he would have to have a conversation with Clockwork.

“I want you to get an earful before I strangle you until you die. Permanently.”

“Danny, who is this guy?” Steve asked. His foot slid back in a fighting stance, ready to launch himself at the evil ghost. Right. His friends didn’t know about Dan. He had been secretly hoping he would never have to tell them. That mistake might just get them all killed today.

“Oh-ho-ho, you haven’t told your little super friends about me?” Dan laughed. “Let me fill in the blanks for you, old man.” He turned to Steve and the others standing behind him, all ready to pounce on him. “You see, guys, as my old self hasn’t told you is that I’m him from an alternate future.”

“What?” Tony asked. He turned to Danny, his face in complete shock.

All eyes were on him. Danny refused to look at them. Instead he was glaring daggers at Dan, who was watching the Avengers pry Danny open with just their eyes. To him it was a marvelous show. One that needed popcorn.

“I’ll explain everything later, guys-”

“-Oh, I think they would want you to explain now,” Dan interrupted him. He used his ecto abilities to trap Danny in a force-field. He banged on the walls of it, using all the power he had at his disposal, but it didn’t even crack.

Danny yelled at Dan, but the Avengers couldn’t hear him. The barrier was apparently soundproof as well. They all collectively turned to Dan, but before the pounced, he held up his hand, gaining their attention enough to stop.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said. His fangs gleamed in the sun as he grinned at them. They looked over at Danny, who was using a force field of his own to keep Dan’s from crushing him. His whole body was trembling with the strain of it.

“Take one more step and he’s gone forever,” Dan chuckled.

“You monster!” Wanda called. He hands lit up a bright red. She brought them together and pulled them apart again, throwing Dan off balance in mid-air. That gave Tony the chance to fly up and tackle him to the ground. Steve glanced over at Danny, who was now calling upon his ice powers to prevent the force field crushing him. Steve and Wanda ran over. He used his shield and she used her powers, trying their best to get Danny out.

Danny was immensely strong. The Avengers knew they had only scratched the surface with how much he could do. To see him struggling like this, barley holding on and trapped-helpless-was terrifying, and it was not something Steve wanted to see again. He was sweating, and his limbs shook violently as he pushed back against the green walls Dan had made. Reality hit Steve like a ton of bricks.

This guy was Danny. This guy was strong enough to kill Danny. And Danny was one of the most powerful beings on the planet, maybe even the universe. He was the king of the ghost zone.

He had a very high chance of dying.

Steve hit the barrier harder than ever before, putting his whole body into his shield. He had to get Danny out of there because not only were they friends, Danny was the only one who could defeat Dan.

So he tried hitting it harder.

On the other side of the battlefield the other Avengers were having about the same amount of luck. Thor used as much lightning as he could muster, concentrating it all onto Dan. It was a big hit-only very few in any realm could take. And while it hurt Dan, it didn’t stop him from coming back up. Thor growled as he threw his hammer once more, glancing over at the captain and witch as they tried to free the good King.

Thor, in a split second decision, flew over. He shoved his friends away and grabbed Danny’s force-field-with Danny inside of it-and threw it at Dan. He threw it with enough force that it knocked him down to the ground, throwing his concentration off. The ball around Danny flickered a few times before completely disappearing.

Danny wasted no time.

He flew straight for Dan, not giving him time to breath or recover from the hit as he landed a barrage of attacks on Dan. He tossed him all around the air, punching and kicking him with ecto and ice powered appendages. Dan tried to fight back full force, and managed to get a good couple of hits in as the two flew higher and higher.

“This truly is a battle of the ages,” Thor breathed.

“I don’t care how old he it-he’s grounded for not telling us about this guy,” Tony said. He didn’t sound angry, just mildly irritated. Mostly at not being told, but also that couldn’t do anything to help the poor kid out.

The two ghosts were well above the skyline now, and were just two specs battling it out in a rage of blue and green. Danny gave an attack, knocking Dan back a great deal. Then, a crackling over the coms.

“Guys, cover your ears,” Danny said. They did so, and not a second too soon.

They saw the green sound waves erupting from Danny’s mouth. It was his strongest, most draining power. Nothing could match it.

Except for the green sound waves coming from Dan’s mouth just then.

They battled for dominance as windows shattered. The Avengers, despite heading Danny’s warning, were down to their knees by the sheer anguish of the sounds. It truly was impressive, and loud enough to make a deaf man hear.

The sound waves wavered back and forth from one side to the other. The speck that was Danny moved closer, closing in on Dan. He had been slowly training himself to last longer, and make this power stronger.

The sound waves moved closer to Dan, before finally hitting him full force. He started falling, and Danny dove after him. He latched onto Dan’s shirt and made him fall faster, flying them both towards the ground as fast and as hard as possible.

The fell for a good ten seconds before landing in Central Park, away from people.

Dust rose and got into their eyes and mouths. A giant crater had formed from the impact. Danny stood up, barely able to keep his legs out from under him. He looked down at Dan, who’s form started to flicker.

The air slowly cleared as Danny lifted an ecto-powered fist, ready to blast Dan should he find the power to get up.

He don;t know how long he had been in that crater before he had been able to stand. But as soon as his fist lit up, he saw the Avengers-his friends-running towards them. It was probably a terrifying sight, watching their friend about to murder his evil older self. But for the fate of the world it had to be done. Because Danny has seen that future, and he’s done everything in his power to prevent it from happening.

“Danny,” Widow panted as she looked at him. Then she looked down at Dan’s form. It was slowly fading away into nothing.

It only took a few minutes, but as soon as he was completely gone, Danny’s fist stopped glowing, and he fell to his knees.

He couldn’t stress how much everything hurt. His muscles ached and his throat was shot. He could barely keep his eyes open let alone his legs under him, so it was no wonder that when he closed his eyes, just a blink, he was on the ground starring up at a stern but worried Steve. There was an immense pressure on his chest as Steve pressed down. He was talking urgently but Danny couldn’t hear him over the ringing in his ears and the pounding in his everywhere. He coughed-a gross, raspy sound that shook a few of the others to their bones.

Then he blinked again. This time he was being carried bridal style by Thor. His chest was covered in blood but who it belonged to was a mystery to Danny. He mumbled something incoherent to even him, and closed his eyes once more.

The next time he opened his eyes, everything still hurt, but less. So that was a sign of progress.

He was in his room, looking at a sideways view of the NASA poster on his closet. He turned his head and breathed deeply, mentally preparing himself to get up.

He did so, slowly and full of pain, but he did so. His movements were stiff as he moved to his closet, grabbing an old shirt and throwing it over his head. He was already wearing some sweatpants, so no need to worry about that kind of excruciating effort. Whoever had changed him into those deserved a room full of puppies.

We slowly walked down the halls and to the elevator, trying not to mess with the bandages wrapped around his arms and torso and hands. He felt like a mummy in them, but if he was hurt enough to even have them then so be it.

When the elevator dinged, he painfully made his way to the kitchen, scratching at his bed head with his bandaged hand. He needed food. Coffee. Maybe a nap. Just as long as it wasn’t toast, he didn’t care.

When he got there Steve, Tony, and Thor were sitting around. Steve and Thor were nursing coffee or tea, while Tony was three fingers of whiskey in his palm. Danny had a feeling he was part of the reason he was day drinking.

“He lives!” Thor cried cheerfully, raising his glass to Danny.

“Uh, sort of, I guess,” Danny said. It hurt to talk, and his voice was hoarse and raspy. Barely audible to even him. “Um, just to start off, I’m sorry I never told you about him...” Danny trailed off before giving a thick couple of coughs. The next couple of days were going to be hell when he talked, he just knew.

“Yeah, about that,” Tony started. He waved Danny over, and Danny walked over, taking the seat in between him and Steve, who passed him a glass of lukewarm chocolate milk. He nodded his thanks and sat back, not looking anyone in the eye just yet.

“You mind telling us that story?” Steve asked. There was almost an edge to his voice. He was worried, and pissed probably. Rightfully so, in Danny’s mind. He scratched his head again, this time out of nervous habit.

“It’s a long story, so get comfortable.”

---------

Sorry this took so long, my jobs and college have got me by my nonphysical balls. Also I finally saw Infinity War and I cried. So. 

Anyway, hope you enjoy this one!

[noxilicious-ish]

Check out Sam - Tucker

Phantom (timeskip headcanons)

Real name: Daniel James Fenton

Date of birth: June 11th (Gemini) - date could suffer changes - Used to be extremely insecure. Still is sometimes. - Has frequent nightmares. Sleeps lightly. - Sunburns easily. Does not breathe as often as normal humans. In ghost form, doesn't breathe at all. - Has developed a wariness of hospitals because of unique condition. - Is actually much intelligent than he shows, he just never had the time to achieve his potential in high school. - Following graduation, he opens a hardware store focused on ghost tech, selling old inventions of his parents' upgraded by himself, or own work. - His relationship with his parents is strained because of the weight of his secret and his parents' refusal to understand ghosts. As such, he never told them and moves out as early as possible. Is especially wary of his mother, the dedicated scientist. - Has two mask personalities: Fenton, the laidback mechanic/sometimes scientist and Phantom, the confident, but detached and nonhuman guardian. - Is generally calm, but has certain triggers, which can send him into a rage or make him shut the people around him out. - Received his scarf from Clockwork as a coming-of-age gift. The scar above his right eye was made just before that. - Ever since finishing adolescence and reaching new peaks of ghostly development, with the help of Tucker he has created the gloves, boots and belt which measure the output of ecto energy, dispersing half of it into harmless energy and signaling a warning upon reaching the maximum output allowed. These were designed in order to limit the levels of ecto energy Phantom may use during fights, as using too much ecto energy may affect the Living World negatively and/or destroy Danny's human cells and thus kill him permanently. - Can now use the Ghostly Wail much more frequently, without tiring, and in various forms. He has also developed new abilities, some of which can be dangerous to himself when used. - Has a small range of ghost powers which he can use in human form. (Invisibility, Intangibility, light Telekinesis, Voice Displacement, Overshadowing, weak Ectorays) Using his ghost powers in human form too often, or using ghost powers which require more ecto energy, are dangerous to his human body, destroying human cells (symptoms show in the form of cracks along the skin glowing with ectoplasm). - Is the King of the Ghost Zone, and he can exert instinctual dominance over other ghosts in extreme cases, but prefers not to force them to obey, because he believes in free will and is somewhat conflicted over his unrequested position. - Can be merciless and do what he must for the sake of both Worlds, including lightly torturing and/or traumatising dangerous enemies, if pushed. Such choices come back to haunt him often. He never kills, hesitating even under extreme duress. - Has a peculiar father/daughter-mentor/pupil-brother/sister relationship with Danielle, also known as Elle. Is reluctant to admit the depths of his overprotective instincts for her. - Tries to see the best in everyone, but can be instinctually wary of people.

(could be updated)

[kakarmasobessioncorner]

Rambling time! More on the ancients and their caretakers, or to be more precise about each one individually. A few are OCs I have ideas of, and ideas for a story with. They will be obvious. The name in brackets is their Ghost name, and the other is their chosen ‘human’ names. Taken for when they need to go to the human realm and blend in. Gotta love how helpful baby naming sites are, ones that can be looked though by meanings.

A lot of this has to do with a thing I’m writing. So I’d love to hear what you think of the base ideas!

They will be done in order of their Caretaker’s ages. 

The elements and their caretakers in general

A caretaker can communicate with their own element, but not the others. However the elements can translate each other to their caretakers if they need to.

They aren’t controlled by their caretakers, they are their own beings and thus do occasionally mess with their caretakers. Just because they are ancient and incredibly powerful doesn’t mean they have to act it.

They never had to disclose their caretakers, and for the longest time no one knew about Pandora since hope kept rather quite about finding and choosing the young human woman until she died.

They grown and change as time passes to remain attuned to what they must do. Such as Creation becoming more fit to be called Dreams. Since with the world mostly formed and now in a state of maintenance, it needed to create things from scratch less and began creating goals, wants and potentials  for the creatures instead. Making their dreams.

The elements can’t be destroyed. Only changed.  However their caretakers can be ‘destroyed’ in the sense that who they were is mostly gone though so much damage they have to reform from scratch with no memories. This has only happened once before.

Not all the caretakers are known to the Spirit Realm. It’s common knowledge that Prophet, Vito, Lady Muerte, and Clockwork are caretakers, however they don’t know the others are. Notcturne is reclusive and little is known about him around the zone, Pandora is known to be powerful but no one knows a Ghost could be a caretaker, and GW and SD are thought to be ghosts when they are spirits and thus no one suspects them either.

Fate and it’s keeper, Cecil Tiresias. (Prophet)

Cecil is blind, but can see beyond normal sight to do his job.

Has no patience for people who won’t accept the obvious. 

Is otherwise very calm and kind. 

Reclusive. 

Fate’s direct mutation core type is Crystal. and this is where the use of crystal for seeing important events in the future came from.

Weak Point is his eyes made of foggy crystal balls. If attacked they can be cracked and it takes him out until they mend. 

Cecil is a name that means Blind, and Tiresias comes from greek mythology where Tiresias was a blind prophet of Thebes. 

Human form looks like a young boy, blind and pale like he never seen sunlight before. 

 Life and it’s keeper, Chayan Thanasis. (Vito)

Chayan is a slightly sadistic person. He says this is because he believes life can only truly be enjoyed with a little suffering to make the joy stronger. 

Vito means life, as does Chayan. While Thanasis is a commonly shortened form of ‘Athanasios’ which is a Greek name that means immortal.

Life is slightly bitter over the fact it only got domain over one of the three halfas. Since being half alive and half dead they had a 50/50 chance over whether they’d be under it or Death’s domains. It got Vlad.

Healthy young animals, pregnant creatures, and children find life, it’s keeper, and the one halfa under it’s domain very comforting. Calm in their presence and very agreeable. 

Dying creatures find them almost sickening.

Weakness is poisons, they won’t kill life or it’s caretaker, but the strong ones will weaken them a lot. 

 Death and it’s keeper, Morrigan Menahem. (Lady Muerte)

Morrigan is a very forgiving woman. 

Her name Morrigan is ‘derived from Irish Mór Ríoghain meaning "great queen". In Irish myth she was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow.’ and Menahem apparently comes from a hebrew word meaning "the consoler" or "comforter".  Chosen for how she is a calm spirit whom does what she can to comfort newly departed souls how she can. 

She got domain over two of the three halfas. Danny and Danni. 

Healthy living creatures find her presence very unnerving and always flee her if able. Even humans feel the need to avoid her unless they are mediums, dying, or just accustomed to her. Dying creatures find her, and the two halfas in her domain, very comforting to be around.

Weakness is the antidotes to strong poisons that act much like poisons do to Life.  

Inspiration and it’s keepers, Andrew Riter (Ghost Writer) and Dumi Ellyda (Spirit Dancer) 

GW’s name was inspired by ibelieveinahappilyeverafter’s stories on fanfiction.net. I’m not a shipper of Iambic Prose really, but I enjoy their writing of it. I absolutely recommend going and checking them out. A lot of the ancient energy ideas I had were really undeveloped and nothing I felt I could write,but some of their writing helped encourage and even build these ideas up.

Dumi means 'the inspirer’ and Ellyda means ‘Small winged one’ and I chose Ellyda for it’s energetic sounding nature and how her being the performance muse it seems fitting since she’s light on her feet.

They caretakers are not siblings. they were just both chosen by Inspiration for different reasons. 

GW has a brother who is not a caretaker but very powerful in his own right named Randy seriously go read @Ibelieverinahappilyeverafter ‘s writing.

SD changes appearance a lot for parties, blending in, performing, and just plain having fun.

Her natural form looks kinda like a cross of Olivia from Fire Emblem Awakening and the muse with the long down hair from the cartoon Hercules movie. Y’know the muses that sung Gospel Truth. Tho I recommend this one the RL models are great.

SD is weak to places that muffle sounds, and GW has problems with things that don’t rhyme. 

SD can make her ecto-signature invisible to even the strongest sensors as long as she doesn’t use powers other than cloaking. 

Creation and it’s keeper, Morpheus Dremurr (Nocturne)

His lair is not a physical one like other spirits and ghosts. Rather the physical entrance leads to a bedroom with several bunk beds (for guests) and one king’s size poster bed. You fall asleep in there and enter the dream Realm.

Was asked by Clockwork to mess with Danny and really meant no harm by it. Clock work never gave a clear reason as to why it was needed but he trusts his judgement. 

Had fun acting the villain though. Something really fun about playing a bad guy. 

Only gets energy from good dreams and before going dormant for a long time after Pyrah Dark was sealed, he’d go out and travel the human realm to banish kid’s nightmares when he could and harvest energy. 

He helped make the coffin of sleep, but it took a lot out of him.

Often ends up having to go to the Clock Tower to make Clockwork at least take a nap. 

Pandora gave him a stuffed ram as a joke one year when it was well known that they were ‘mandatory for a goods night rest’ and he actually came to love it. Though if anyone questions it he tells a story about stuffed animals

Still has the ability to create land and spaces out of nothing, but doesn’t do much anymore.

Weakness is dream catchers, that weakens his powers. 

Time and it’s keeper, Horace Hidiyah. (Clockwork)

Here it comes I have a lot of ideas for him.

Horace means Timekeeper, and Hidiyah means ‘guide to righteousness’.

Is the only caretaker who wasn’t picked like the others. He was made for the job.

Time is a picky, chaotic, and (to those with a closed mind like the Observants) dangerously unpredictable.

In reality Time can always be trusted to try and aim for the path of the greater good even if it looks like the worse path at the time. 

Clockwork doesn’t hate the observants, just is more annoyed with them for not trusting that he, the one able to see far more than they could, didn’t know what he was doing.  The reason they don’t he doesn’t know. However time does know it’s because they worry he’d let his emotions effect his choices, since he has far stronger emotions than he was supposed to when he was made. They didn’t want care or love to get in the way of doing what had to be done... they pushed almost all those emotions away long ago to do their job.

Can hold one age for a while, but shifting is something he got used to and finds being so in touch with time that he moves with it so much to be comforting.

Time does like to play tricks or mischief on it’s keeper, and one way is to send his powers out of wack, sticking him in one age form and with limited powers to be babysat by one of the others. It’s for Clockwork’s own good, but it has fun with his frustration and embarrassment too. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s almost always his child form he’s stuck in.

Has a slight lisp (well that’t cannon but needs reminding) 

Had a lot of fun playing the bad guy when he and Danny first met.

Picked up baking from Pandora and kept it up seeing that it would be useful. 

Puts off resting as long as possible to keep working. Nocturne has taken it upon himself to visit and make sure he doesn’t pass out. It leads to bad situations for time.

Feels he has basically adopted the Phantoms and takes the responsibility very seriously. Especially after Danny’s future was made to be his responsibility. 

Asked Nocturne to pick a fight with Danny knowing that he wouldn’t actually hurt him, and that Danny needed to stay on his toes because something big was coming.

Also as revenge for how often Nocturne shows up to pester him into sleeping. He knew the chances of him standing even the slightest chance against Danny was almost nil even with all the dream powers. 

Hope and it’s keeper, Pandora Anesidora.

Pandora is the only ghost caretaker.

It was her idea for the others to pick out names that would fit in better with humans, rather than the names they used in the Spirit Realm. 

As such she is the only one without a ‘ghost name’ since she just uses her birth name.

I got her last name from her myth, since it’s apparently an alternate name for her. 

tried to keep up with the knowledge of the Human realm, but in order to keep guard of her box doesn’t get to go out much. 

Only one that has a hard time taking a human appearance without the help of some artifact due to once being human herself.

Sees Nocturne and Clockwork as younger siblings ever since she watched on in amusement as they bickered like children over something silly and she needed to step in to break them apart... the first time.

[sleepy-writes-stuff]

DP X DC WRITING PROMPT #5

(Kinda number five-ish)

Here's a wild idea. Take my Lair of Mystery au + Reaper of Heroes au and combine them somehow. A crossover of crossovers.

✦

Danny is the reaper of heroes and the House of Mystery is still his vacation lair or whatever. However, JLD haven't seen him while on duty as a reaper, just as the King on vacation, so they have no idea that the guy the JL are talking about and their new landlord are one and the same.

The search for Jason happens way before he helps with the world ending threat, but he's been hanging out with the JLD in the House of Mystery longer than even that. The JLD are the ones who introduced him to this dimension in the first place when he found them in his home. He's baffled at how much more dangerous this world is for heroes and villains alike and that's what made him decide to stick around in this particular dimension more often than others. It oddly reminds him of the group of heroes he met who were living in a big tower in New York, but he also recognizes how vastly different the two worlds are.

So not only are the JL hella confused about how they could call the Ghost King, but now they're hella confused on how they're friends with the grim reaper?? Batman is also still hella confused on how they're on friendly terms with a death god, but also that's the guy who more or less kidnapped his son?? And JLD just never told JL?? WHY??

Keeping the age changing ability (inherited from Clockwork) Danny has in the Lair of Mystery au makes it even more confusing cause the JL couldn't really pin down a reliable description since he always switched between the form of a teenager and an adult.

✦

I need to make a master post for all my prompts. This is getting a little out of hand. Also, did I just throw in a possible marvel crossover idea? Possibly? Am I gonna expand on it? Probably not. Maybe. I haven't decided yet.

I'm also realizing that Leslie could be a thing in both AUs now, in a way. That's awesome.

[dp-pastandpresent]

Past and Present: Chapter 35

Tucker and the Fentons gathered in the living room around the couch where they had moved Sarah's body. She still wasn't breathing, and they hadn't witnessed any sign of life as they had moved her. The worry was really beginning to set in now, realizing that she may not be coming back and not knowing how to break the news to Sam when she and Danny finally returned.

"She was always so welcoming when I'd come over to visit Sam," Tucker began, "never judging me for my weird quirks, always excited to know that I was there for Sam."

"It just doesn't make sense!" Jack boomed. "She was fine earlier today!"

"Jack… we don't live in a world that makes sense anymore. Ghosts of the past returning. Prophecies coming true. I bet you anything there's a link in all of this."

Even though she was trying to be sensible, in the back of her mind, Maddie couldn't make sense of it all either.

"Mads, there has to be something we can do!" Jack tried.

"Like what? We can't bring people back from the dead!" Maddie said angrily.

"Yeah, only one ghost could do that, and we just defeated him."

--

All three figures turned, shock clear on their faces, to see Danny and Sam at the top of the basement stairs.

"Sam!" Tucker cried, running over to hug his friend.

"Danny," The Fentons sighed as Danny took another step into the room.

"You did it?" Maddie asked, stepping forward.

"Yup," was all Danny could say.

"Clockwork, he's… gone?"

"Something like that," Danny grinned.

"And you're… well wait, what are you now?" Maddie asked, noticing that Danny had returned in his human form.

"It's a long story, but I think we need to save that for later. Right now, we just need to wake Sarah."

"Grandma!" Sam had been so wrapped in her embrace with Tucker that she had almost forgotten why they'd rushed home. Letting him go, she ran over to her grandmother. Kneeling by the couch, she looked up to the Fentons.

"What happened exactly?"

"Oh sweetie, we don't know. She was fine while we were downstairs helping Danny navigate. But then when I came up to check, she was on the floor, passed out cold."

Sam looked at Danny, puzzlement in her eyes.

"You don't think it has to do with me?"

"Huh?"

Danny had had a long day, and the events of his most recent confrontation were all starting to blur together.

"When I took off my medallion and almost died... there's been a link between us this whole time. What if that link is what did this?"

Danny's mind reeled.

'Could it be true? The connection between Sam and Sarah has always been strong, but is it strong enough to affect one when the other is down?'

"Sam, be reasonable. How is that even possible?"

"You're asking me about how something is possible! You're a boy from the past who returned as a ghost and is practically human again! Don't ask me how something is possible anymore Danny!"

Sam couldn't take it. She just knew there was a link to her own near-death and her grandmother. But how were they supposed to break it?

'She has a point you know,' thought Danny. 'You did return from the dead and you are regaining humanity. Not to mention how you managed to revive her in the Ghost Zone. There has to be a cure…'

Danny turned back to the group, an idea in his head.

"In the Zone, when Sam almost… died… I somehow managed to bring her back. It was just like those old fairy tales where one character admits their love for the other and they all live happily ever after. What if... I have to admit my love again. For Sam. Break whatever link is left between me and Sarah, so that she can finally be free of our past?"

"But Danny, how could that work?" Maddie pointed out. "Even if you do that now, it won't seem authentic since you planned it."

"She's right you know," Tucker added.

"Well then, maybe it's not me that has to do it. Maybe it's Sam," Danny concluded as they all turned to look at her.

"Me? What… how… huh?" Sam stumbled.

"Sam, you need to save your grandmother. Ever since I revealed the truth about us, you've had this fear that I'd want to go back to her."

"But... but…"

"Don't deny it Sam! Even now I can tell you are worried about my commitment to her. And yes, she was my first, but now, don't you see, my feelings aren't what they were anymore. I can't keep living in the past. I have to learn to adapt to this crazy modern world, and I need to be with you as I do it. Not someone from 50 years ago, but someone from right here, right now. Someone who I saved from a rooftop weeks ago, and someone who has saved me on countless occasions since. Someone who will always have my back no matter how weird it is that I'm a ghost and that I don't get the point of those iPhone things."

"Danny, it's not that. I do believe that you're in this with me for the long run, but I just…"

"Listen to what your heart is saying. You know that after all of this, we are destined to be together. Heck! I bet we were even destined to be together before you were born. I bet Clockwork had this crazy plan and knew that because of my death back then, Sarah would end up with a family now, and you'd come along and find me. That seems like something he'd do, right? So stop denying what you know is true."

"I know. I think I've known for a while now. It's just, hard. I know I said I would help you when it's time to take on ghosts and save the world, but what if I'm not? What if something happens, or what if… we break up?" Sam stuttered at this last one, finding it hard to believe that would ever happen.

Shocked that she would even think those things after all they had been through, Danny took a moment before replying.

"Sam. Destiny is weird. Believe me, I know. And time is weird. Things can change. And if something happens and we end up… breaking up… well that's life I guess. But for the time being, I need to know that you are going to be by my side and help me figure this out. We need each other, Sam. And Sarah wouldn't want it any other way."

Sam looked into his blue eyes again, still so used to the green ones that had saved her that night. Could she really get used to this? Being a part of this crazy destiny? She thought for a moment, thought about everything that had happened since that night. All they had been through… together.

"That night… when I almost… I didn't think anyone cared. Anyone wanted to see me alive. But then you took my hand and haven't let go. Danny, as much as I saved you, you've saved me more. You've shown me that life is worth living, and as long as you're here, I will be too."

Suddenly Sam jerked forward, having been leaning against the couch this whole time. Everyone else looked her way and froze.

Sarah sat up, chipper as ever. "What?"

"Grandma!" Sam stepped forward, embracing her in warm hug.

"Oh Sammy, don't be so dramatic, you act as if I just died or something." She turned to Danny at this and gave him a small wink.

"But, how?"

"Why don't you tell me that. One minute I'm out on a walk and the next I'm on the ground, passed out. Hearing voices worried about me but unable to do anything. The whole time, all I can think about is how you two need to stop that annoying ghost and get back here to wake me up!"

"So you heard… everything?" Danny asked.

"Yes, Danny, everything. And don't worry, I'm not upset. Why would you, a strong, young man—er ghost?—want to get back together with me, an elderly old fogey?"

"Grandma, you're not THAT old!"

"Either way, I'm not here to stand in anyone's way. Yes, it seems odd that my granddaughter is in love with my ex-boyfriend, but given the circumstances, well… it's fine. Now give me my scooter so we can be moving on."

Danny and Sam both turned to each other, utter confusion on their faces. Was that really it?

"Hold up Sarah!" Maddie said before reaching for the scooter. "You almost died today. I think we need to run some tests."

"Ha! No thanks! I'll take my chances," Sarah replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well, at least let's stick around long enough to hear how they did it!" Jack added, excitement in his voice. "Or am I the only one who wants to hear about how Danny defeated the great Clockwork!"

Everyone turned to look at Danny again.

"Oh yea… that." Danny half grinned as he rubbed his arms. "I guess I should start at the beginning."

--

"So after all this time, all it took was you learning to control your powers?" Tucker asked, still in awe of Danny's story.

"I think it's always been more that that," Danny commented, a bit worn out from his explanation. "Someone in that Zone has known for centuries that by creating me, he'd be creating his own undoing. But I don't know if controlling my powers is really what defeated him."

"But until you really learned to take control, you didn't have the power to end him," Jack added.

"Right. But controlling my abilities is only half of the story. If we've all learned anything today, it's that love and family are just as powerful as any ghost."

"And your love for Sam, it's what helped you, isn't it?" Maddie added.

Danny looked at Sam, a sparkle in his eyes, and nodded.

"If she hadn't been there with me, I don't think I ever would have realized my true potential. Not to mention all the human emotions I was feeling before that when I was around her."

"But, dude, now what?" Tucker asked.

He again looked at Sam, this time implying that she should answer.

"I just confessed my love, isn't that enough for you?" she said with a bit of sarcasm.

Danny chuckled.

"I don't know. I don't know if I'm human. I don't know if I'm a ghost. I think I'm both. Does that mean I'll start aging again? Maybe. Does that mean I can sleep and eat and do all the things I used to do? Probably. Unfortunately, the Observants didn't really tell me much. But I think… I'm ok with that. Because I have Sam. And Sarah. And you guys. You're my family now. And no matter what time period I'm from, I'm here, in the now, and I'm not going anywhere."

The group grinned at this, happy to know that Danny had found his peace.

"But don't think for a minute you guys can start treating me like a kid! I've seen and done more than any of you. And curfews? NOPE."

Danny laughed at his own joke this time, but in the process a wisp of cold air came from his mouth. Eyes glowing green, he whipped his head around to see a streak fly by the window.

Sam grabbed his hand, sensing that he had a job to do.

"Remember what he said. Your job isn't done. It probably won't ever be. But that's ok. Go. Do what you were destined to do."

He looked around and nodded, determination on his face as he let two glowing rings form around his body to transform into his now familiar ghost form.

--

A/N - All that is left is an epilogue!

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Lair of Mystery + Reaper of Heroes: AU Convergence

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Vy9ZnG8

by Sleepy (LonelyLittleWhiteRabbit)

Prompt #5!

Convergence of my main two prompt ideas. Mainly DP X DC but has a brief mention of the Avengers, which resulted in the MCU portion of the #3: Reaper of Heroes au

All prompts are crossposted on my Tumblr

Words: 280, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 6 of DP x DC Prompts, Part 4 of DP x DC: Interconnected Prompts

Fandoms: Danny Phantom, Justice League - All Media Types, Batman - All Media Types

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Danny Fenton, John Constantine, Billy Batson, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Justice League (DCU)

Relationships: Billy Batson & Danny Fenton, John Constantine & Danny Fenton, Danny Fenton & Justice League (DCU), Danny Fenton & Justice League Dark (DCU), Avengers Team & Danny Fenton

Additional Tags: Ghost King Danny Fenton, Danny's lair is the House of Mystery, Danny is the reaper of heroes souls, Danny is Ghost King and has lots of other titles, Danny has Clockwork's age/form changing ability, Danny is the landlord, Lair of Mystery AU, Reaper of Heroes AU, crossover of crossovers

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Vy9ZnG8