#danny is now in shared custody

[ghostbsuter]

"Hey constantine, who's that?" Someone asks and Connie looks down at Danny, blue eyes staring back at him.

"My coworker."

"He's my dad."

"What?"

"What."

—

Who knew John Constantine would gain a ward, one being such a little mischievous bastard with bright eyes and good heart.

He certainly didn't.

Nor did he expect the stabby Robin to get into a heated argument with his ward, gesturing to his form next to Batman and spit venom.

"But‐ Damian! Look at him! I can fix him!" Danny argues back and Robin, so done with this, rips his mask off and—

Oh.

They have the same face.

Connie looks at Batman, nervous what the reveal will change.

("I don't care if you can 'fix' him, danyal! Return to Father, to me!")

Batman stares back.

("Connie is dad shaped! I chose him myself, damian! Leave me and my choice alone!")

The day will only get longer, it seems.

[on-the-clear-blue]

Down in the streets of Gotham, in the side alley next to Express Urgent Care run by one Leslie Thompkins and that was funded by the Martha Wayne Foundation was a soup kitchen.

Well...a soup kitchen of sorts. Not in any way official but if you were hungry in Crime alley you knew that the food would be safe and warm...and it was a place where *you* could be safe and warm.

Danny had left a week after his parents found out that he was Phantom, a week after he had seen their grief, the regret and pain in their eyes. The week had been spent in suspense, he knew that they needed to talk about what had happened but neither of his parents were ever able to even start bringing it up before they were sobbing.

Danny knew his parents loved him, thst his father felt soul crushing guilt, that his mother spent hours staring at herself in the mirror, as if she didn't even know who was looking back at her.

And to spare them both, Danny left.

It wasn't hard to do, not when he could turn invisible and phase through walls, a final text to Sam and Tucker to say his good byes (he knew that they would break and tell his parents where he would be going) and a particularly hard hug to leave from Jazz, Danny flew off with only a back pack.

He had traveled across the US for a few months, occasionally snagging a post card from a super store to send off home, paying only when he had the excess funds (Sam's rants about mega rich corporate billionaires let him know just which stores wouldn't miss the few bucks the cards sold for)

He had met up with Dani a few times, when she was in the country, handing him Vlads credit card and telling him to keep it (though he never did) only ever using it to book a room for a few nights at a hotel to clean himself up and sleep in a real bed.

He settled in Gotham after a while, he had briefly stayed in Faucett but that place didn't have nearly enough ecto for him to live comfortably.

Gotham on the other hand? It had everything, cops that don't question why a teen is on the streets, natural ecto up the wazoo and well...a crime rate that would dissuade his parents ever looking for him there.

He had set up a more permanent shelter in an abandoned apartment building (after chasing out the low level drug dealers that were using it) and found that he kinda liked the vibes of the place under the blatant crimes being committed in broad day light.

Sure people could see you getting mugged and look the other way, but if you were still alive and there 5 minutes later, they would come back, hand you something to clean up your now bloody nose and point out the bodega that had the best sandwiches.

It was a sense of community that Danny didn't know he had missed for the many months he traveled.

His first "cook out" wasn't even supposed to be a cook out, his apartment building was mostly wood and he didn't trust himself to not burn it down, so he came outside, setting up a portable stove and setting up a pot filled with some, water to boil up a soup mix.

As he waited for it to come to temp, he saw the group of homeless rubbing their hands together, watching him with curiosity, though that quickly turned to hunger as the smell of the soup spilled out into the alley.

Instead of turning the others away Danny only shrugged, pulled out his spare paper bowls and handed them out, taking a few bites first to show that it was safe to eat.

What followed was a sort of tradition, Danny would come out a few times a day, take out his hot plate and pot and set up a soup, others started asking if they could pitch in, and well...Danny would have loved to keep providing it freely but his food was quickly dwindling.

So his soup got add in, some jerky that Crazy Tom had got tossed in, a few herbs (re:weeds) were added in by Miss O'Connor, and Danny didn't even know where Lady Dimond pulled out some spices from, but he wasn't about to question the her, he had learned never to question where the working girls hid their things.

And it sort of grew from there, who ever was around came by, some came out of their way to share a meal, but it became a meeting place of sorts "Come by the Kitchen at noon, Tom got his hands on some steak! And it ain't even smells bad!"

Sure gangs tried to pull up on the meeting place, tried to intimidate the people there or coerce them into doing something...well that was until the host, some punk teen with hair darker than black and blue eyes that were so light they were white came up, and dished out a heavy handed fist into their jaws and sent them packing.

And so the Kitchen became a safe space, if you were hungry, if you were in danger, come by the little alley way, right next to the Express Urgent Care, the Host will take care of you there, if your willing to share, to stay peaceful with the rest of the gathered people, then you were welcome to grab a bite and relax, because the Kitchen was always safe.

---

It would be a few years since the Kitchen started, since people had brought chairs and tables, since an old grill of questionable origin was left out side it, since tarps with only a few holes were hung up to keep the place dry when it rained, since rugs covered the ground and the the alley it was in was swept clean of any needles or cigarette butts.

But for one boy it had only been a few short days since his Mama died, since he had found her cold and dead in the bathroom, a belt tied around her arm and a needle still in her hand.

Jason was miserable, he had stayed with her for the a single day before he knew he would have to leave, the body of his mother would start to decompose soon, so he did what he had too, calling the police with his mother's phone that didn't have a lot of minutes left on it, telling them the address before hanging up and leaving it there so he couldn't be tracked.

He couldn't be there when the cops showed up, foster care would do shit for him, and at least his Mama would be buried, and not left to rot in their bath tub.

So a young Jason Todd, scared, alone and hungry came to the Kitchen, as his mother had told him to many times before, had told him to seek out it's Host if anything ever happened to her...and well...at the very least he would get something to eat...

[lass-us-slay]

So I read a prompt about how Wonder Woman found Danny in a trash can (don’t remember which one) and I was bored.

So I took that lil info and made it into an AU.

So basically, Danny get yeeted into this unknown universe and has no where to live. And no where to live means no money. No money means no food. No food means Danny can’t keep his human half sustained.

So what does he do?

Decides to not change into a human and live in a trash can.

Yes you heard that right, live in a trash can.

Because he’s a ghost, he doesn’t have to worry about the germs and stuff. But that doesn’t mean he lives in just any trash can! He lives in a clean one ☝️

AND he also decorated it with his name so other people know it’s his!

And so Danny has been here for a while now and realizes

Holy shit there’s hero’s here- you know what, why doesn’t he have hero’s back home?!

And being minorly annoyed jealous (but he’s never admitting that)he thought:

Well since there’s hero’s here already, guess I’m not needed.

.

.

.

Good. I’m tired af

And so Danny caries on his life, being content with his trash can and scaring whoever comes into his alley. It’s fun. Sure he sometimes needs to ugh overshadow people to feed his human side, but other than that.

It’s going great.

But Danny doesn’t realize that with Amity gone (or smth, you choose) which was his haunt, he slowly makes the trash can into his new haunt.

And slowly but surely, Danny’s beloved haunt trash can starts to become other worldly kinda.

Yk because of the ectoplasm.

So now Danny’s lovely trash can haunt has more space inside and- Hey Danny can actually sleep in it better!! And he got some company too!

In the form of blob ghosts.

Two actually.

They keep his trash can clean and help purifying some corrupted ectoplasm that he finds. Because for some reason this universe’s ectoplasm seems half way artificial and tastes a bit weird. Which is where the blob ghosts help out in.

Everything was great.

Danny was loving the trash can life style.

He has two blob ghosts friends. Which he named Sam and Tucker, and yea they couldn’t talk but that was fine.

He wasn’t lonely, he wasn’t. He had two very much talking friends like Sam and Tucker.

However one day two weirdly dressed people- oh they were hero’s.

Well anyway they found him, one woman stripper and one furry guy.

But it was on accident! He was just peaking out of his beloved haunt trash can, and they spotted him.

He stared, they stared back.

Then the woman stripper asked him questions, even when he said:

“Don’t mind me, have a nice day!”

But they just kept bother him and giving him weird looks and glances.

Which- rude.

Didn’t they see his mark on his haunt trash can? Obviously it means it’s his home, so they shouldn’t be bothering him still. He’s safe as can be.

Plus.

It’s not like he’s looking at them in suspicion and weirdness, I mean look at them! What kinda cheep knock off vampire fury mix and American stripper style clothing are those!

They should mind their own business!

———

Just a silly lil drawing of this lmao, don’t mind me.

[captainadwen]

Damian Wayne vs the World

Sixteen year old Damian Wayne is on the hunt for a younger sibling. Being more discerning than Bruce 'child collector' Wayne, Damian's firm criteria for Batman's latest adoption problem includes but is not limited to: black haired, blue-eyed, tolerable humor, not evil, and most importantly - younger than Damian.

Lucky for him, fourteen year old newbie vigilante Danny Fenton is the perfect fit. Now, to fulfill his end of their deal, Damian must defeat the evil government organization hunting Danny in order to gain a baby brother.

Or, @livinghalfway your post made my brain go !! but in such a different way I figured it was better to make a separate post, hope you don't mind/enjoy still

~~

Damian Wayne re-entered Tim Drake's life like a gnat revealing itself in a closed bedroom space. Tim was in t-shirt and a boxers, maneuvering ramen into his mouth with one hand and scribbling out an epiphany on a murder case with another, when Damian's demonic dulcet voice echoed down from the ceiling. "Drake," said Damian, judgemental, "You live like this?"

Tim nearly choked on his ramen, because the day Damian doesn't attempt to murder him - however doubtfully accidental this incident might be - is the day Darkseid decides to be friends with the Justice League. "Fucking knock," Tim coughed out. "And get out. No one invited you in."

"Put better traps if you don't want me here," said Damian, dropping from the ceiling where he'd crawled in on wall-clamps.

"This is my apartment," said Tim. "It's called courtesy."

Damian sniffed. He padded around to Tim's desk and frowns at his cases, then said, with no further lead up, "I need your assistance."

"No," said Tim.

"You did not even listen to my request."

"Don't need to," said Tim. "Answer's still no. Door is that way. Bye."

"Father says mutually assisting each other is beneficial," said Damian.

"Father," said Tim sarcastically, "blamed me for you exploding a glitter bomb in the batcave two weeks ago."

"That is your fault for not being able to provide evidence to the contrary in an appropriately efficient manner," said Damian. He squinted down at Tim. "And he apologized. Eventually."

"I would not have glittered the batcomputer," said Tim. "Do you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to backup those servers? No, because you don't like tech work, you just profit off it."

"Blaming me for Father's mistake," said Damian, "Most mature of you. But we must put our differences aside. I have selected a new family member and I need you to dismantle a government organization."

That drew Tim up short. He blinked down at his ramen as though it might explain Damian's words to him, but the ramen remained disappointingly uninformative. "Repeat that," said Tim, gesturing with his chopsticks. "Slower, and with more detail."

Damian pulled out his phone and sent him an email. Silence surrounded them in the brief moment it took Tim to set aside his chopsticks and open the email. The subject line was titled 'New Baby Brother', which birthed all sorts of horrifying nightmares of Damian Part 2: Demon Child Boogaloo. The teen in the inserted picture, however, was reassuringly not in possession of Damian's bone structure.

He did have black hair and blue eyes. "Who am I looking at?" asked Tim.

"Daniel Fenton," said Damian. "He is fourteen years old, enjoys puns, and has recently awakened 'ghost powers' that allow him to transform into the vigilante Phantom to fight other ghosts."

"Is he also an orphan with a tragic backstory?"

"No," said Damian, and Tim relaxed. "But that will not be an issue. We can share custody if they cannot be removed from the picture."

"Jesus H, kid."

"I am joking, of course," said Damian blandly. "Murder is wrong."

"Ha ha," said Tim. "If he has parents already he's not joining our menagerie."

"He will," said Damian, with a smug upwards tilt of his lips. "He and I have a deal."

"So you're coercing him in addition to stalking him. Anything else you want to share with the class?"

Damian considered this query with a serious frown, which was how Tim knew this was not a flight of fancy or a very early midlife crisis (although with their lifestyle and Damian already having died before...).

"He has," said Damian after a moment, "a rogue that calls himself 'The Master of all Technology' and is a technopath." This was clearly meant to be of interest to Tim, and not to be a stereotype, but it kind of was.

"Great." Tim turned his attention back to the email the demon child sent him. He scanned through it quickly. There was apparently a secret and evil government organization dedicated to the investigation and extermination of 'ghosts' and other paranormal creatures in the world. Their latest efforts were focused on the town of Amity Park, Illinois, which was 'infested with ectoplasmic pests'. Their words, not Damian's. (It was specified in the email.)

"Okay," Tim drummed his fingers against his desk. "Before I help you defeat this secret evil government organization so that," he opened the email attachment with a contract on it and squinted at the legalese, "this poor newbie teen you've harassed into signing this joins the family in exchange."

"I did not harass him," Damian huffed. "It was a gentleman's agreement."

"Does he know that?"

"I am not a politician, Drake. I thoroughly explained the terms and legalities before presenting any contract. Now ask your question."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because," said Damian, tone implying 'you are stupid and haven't noticed something obvious, idiot'. "Father has begun saying he misses the noise around the manor and looking wistfully at old pictures."

"We still live there though?" said Tim. Damian looked flatly at him. "Sometimes."

"If you lived there frequently enough," said Damian, "you would already know Father is having...empty nest syndrome." Damian sounded disgusted. "I refuse to tolerate whatever inadequate and incompetent child he will find."

"So instead you found an incompetent and inadequate child for him?"

"Don't be stupid, Drake," said Damian. "I would not have chosen someone inadequate. Daniel is merely lacking formal training. Father can rectify this. It will keep him occupied for at least the next two to four years, which gives me enough time to find another black-haired, blue-eyed, tolerable child I approve of to be his successor and my second younger sibling." Damian paused. "Or until one of you procreates and gives him a grandchild."

"You're really serious about this," Tim whispered in horrified awe.

"I am serious about everything I do," said Damian. "Now, you will help me defeat this evil government organization so that our new sibling joins us."

"Okay," said Tim, but his mind snagged on a minor, throwaway detail, so utterly in odds with Damian 'Demonic Jealous Child' Al Ghul it surely came from another person - "Did you just call this kid your successor?"

[celestialgalaxyglow]

Batfam and Danny, Part 10

A few hours later.

Overall the mission was successful. They put a stop to Luthor's plot. Green Lantern had collected the radioactive materials and flew them over to the nearest black hole for safe disposal. And the JL handed Luthor to FBI custody. There was one hiccup however, Luthor had found another piece of Kryptonite which he has used against Superman and captured him. When the rest of the league reached Clark he was hanging over a pit of nuclear waste.

The JL move didn't move knowing that with the affects of the Kryptonite Superman could easily die. But Danny quickly pounced on Luthor, stole the Kryptonite from his hands, proceeded to unhinge his jaw, revealing an unhuman number of green-tinted razer-sharp teeth and proceeded to eat the Kryptonite. As Luthor looked on in pure horror he was punched unconscious by a now repowered Clark.

Danny: Aww, I wanted to ask him if he had more crystalized ectoplasm.

Clark (shocked at what just happened): Crystalized ectoplasm? Is that what you call Kryptonite?

Danny: I guess? It's so rare but so delicious. Danny looked around the rest of the JL who looked at him like he was crazy, except Batman who just looked tired, and Constantine who was hiding behind Diana. What?

Bruce: Kid, Kryptonite or as you call it crystalized ectoplasm is highly toxic to Kryptonians like Superman. It's been an issue for years, the only way we knew to permanently destroy Kryptonite was by throwing it into a black hole, so seeing you just eat a piece of it is a little shocking.

Danny: Oh. Danny looked at Clark. I see the issue. Danny reached towards Clark and phased his hand into his chest and snapped his fingers. Clark shivered and backed away. There you go!

Clark: What did you do?

Danny: I removed your weakness to Kryptonite!

The JL stared blankly at Danny.

Clark: Thank you... I have other relatives that also share that weakness, can you remove it from them as well?

Danny: Sure thing, just tell me where and when.

Clark: I will.

Bruce (internally): Well... there goes my contingency plan for Clark... and the whole Kent family.

(Master Post)

Thank you to @confused-they for giving me the idea of Kryptonite being ghost candy in the comments of part 9

[charlietheepicwriter7]

I have an idea for a fic, but it feels very complicated.

So, it's one of those "Dan gets redeemed early, Dani is Ellie and has a sibling relationship with Danny and Jazz, the Fentons know and approve" fics when Bad Stuff happens. Maybe GiW led by Vlad manage to start the apocalypse, something like that, but the Fentons are dead and now Danny, Jazz, Ellie, Dan, Tucker and Sam are alone against everything as the world finally breaks-

Only for Clockwork to stop everything. He didn't want to stop the apocalypse (what is it but a new beginning) but he does care for the family, in his own way. And suddenly, everyone wakes up.

Sam and Tucker are alone in Amity Park, with no sign of the Fentons anywhere.

Jazz is sharing a rundown dorm room in Gotham, when she'd been a Yale student, with a new last name and mysterious connection to the city's underworld.

Ellie is trapped in Vlad's Gotham penthouse, stuck playing house with the man because

Danny is bedbound with a vivisection scar on his chest and in Vlad's custody.

And Dan? In maximum security prison for the violent murders of Jack and Maddie Fenton.

[animeredhead101]

Dad Phantom DP x DC Crossover

Completed

Bask in Our Cosmic Insignificance by DisillusionedDanny :

After Lady Gotham sends a lost and alone King Phantom to check on a little boy Danny Fenton finds himself the new guardian "angel" of a six year old boy. Tim Drake. Word Count: 33,632

The Devil Wore a T-Shirt by DisillusionedDanny :

After a one-night stand, Danny finds himself pregnant with Red Hood's kid. Now he finds himself as a dad to a small child with an important decision to make. Does he tell Red Hood he has a child? Or does Danny raise the kid by himself?

Word Count: 24,778

Who's Old Now? by LiraBuswavi :

“Am I your dad!!?” Billy shouted. Danny paused. Took a deep breath in and out before turning to him. “I’m gonna need you to back up, and explain. Please.” Or, what happens when a twelve year old masquerading as an adult superhero calls his guardian, an adult who can also turn into a child superhero, on speaker phone, in front of the Justice League. Word Count: 36,017

Of All the Things My Hands Have Held by DisillusionedDanny :

Upon learning that her son is in a relationship, Talia decides to create a clone to gift to her son as a gift to celebrate finally settling down. Now Damian and Danny are stuck trying to figure out how to raise a baby when neither of them had the best examples growing up.

Word Count: 17,066

Mourning a Young Soul Leads to Shared Custody by Olive_of_Vanders :

Danny was given a choice. Become King or parent a ghost kid. Ghost kid sounded a lot more easier to him. Word Count: 41,929

It's Not Sugar by ConspiracyCrows :

Ellie is destabilized and nearly killed by Vlad while trying to make another, "better", clone of Danny. In order to stabilize her she was de-aged to about 7, and now has chronic issues balancing her ecto the same way a type one diabetic has issues balancing blood sugars. In fact that's the cover story the pair use when Danny enrolls Ellie at Gotham Academy. The one favor he will allow Vlad to do for them. While Vlad seems to have finally come to his senses about Ellie, Danny won't let him anywhere near her ever again. Which is why they moved to Gotham in the first place, Vlad won't step foot there. It also helps that Lady Gotham is more than happy to have the Realms' Ambassador to the Living in her streets. They settle into Crime Alley, and Danny may or may not have forgotten to introduce himself to the Haunt owner, assuming Gotham would handle the niceties as he gets Ellie settled, and handles the pressing issues of the negotiations between the city, the realms, and those denizens of both who want or need one thing or other.

Word Count: 23,052

On-going

Deadly Assumptions and Their Consequences by Silver_star_06 :

The Justice league believes that Phantom is Captain Marvel‘s dad and tells the hero to summon him to help them with Darkseid. They weren’t expecting the cryptic eldridge being to start hanging around the watch tower. Danny couldn’t help but feel a kinship with the pre-teen that ended up as the current Captain Marvel. A scrappy black haired and blue eyed child vigilante, that only became one because of circumstance. Danny was going to help this child whether he wanted it or not. Word Count: 25,977

My Dad is Dead to Me by GhostInGotham :

John Constantine was fourteen when he set his house on fire. John Constantine was fourteen when he realized his father was still inside. Word Count: 19,573

Phantoms and Foes by Zylev :

Krypton was dying long before it exploded. After a lab accident at 14 gave Danny ice powers, he used them for good to try and stop crime as the first hero of Krypton. But when thousands of years of mining the core of Krypton finally caught up to the planet, General Zod evacuated Krypton to the Phantom Zone before it exploded. Little did Zod know he led the Kryptonians to a slaughter. Years later, Danny is the only Kryptonian left alive when Kal-El finds the Phantom Projector and brings him to Earth. Danny must now adjust to having new powers and life on a planet that is completely different than Krypton and the Phantom Zone. Word Count: 121,723

The Human Prince of Ghosts by AceFace98 :

Danny has been King for a few centuries now, but he's still half-ghost, immortal or not. So every now and again, Clockwork likes to kick him out of the Realms to go play human for a decade or two. It's usually pretty boring. This time, though, he meets a small child with a camera and a lot of pointed questions and immediately has Dad Instincts about it. Word Count: 65,300

Phantom's Progenies by Makuro767 :

progeny /ˈprɒdʒɪni/ noun plural noun: progenies a descendant or the descendants of a person, animal, or plant; offspring. A drabble collections of Danny Phantom as the father to several kids that are both his and clones of him from several different realities. Fluff with doses of trauma. ~ If you think you can write a full story from each drabble, be my guest. Word Count: 79,111 This is a HUGE multi-crossover fic FYI

[snowysosturn]

Allies or Affiliates? - Chris Sturniolo Part 29

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Finale

Pairing : Y/n x dealer!Chris Sturniolo

Summary : Law student Y/n’s life takes a turn when she reconnects with Chris, her brief teenage flame who is now a dealer for a dangerous Boston drug gang. As their bond reignites, Y/n is drawn into Chris’s tumultuous world, where rival gangs clash and loyalty is everything. Balancing her love for Chris with her own ambitions, can their connection survive the chaos that threatens to pull them apart?

Warnings : MDNI, mentions of death, mentions of murder, courtroom setting, trial

It had been ten months since that fateful night in the Airbnb when the news of Vince’s arrest had sent shockwaves through our lives. So much had changed since then. Vince was never granted bail and had remained in custody, his iron grip on the Crimson Cartel shattered the moment the truth about Danny’s death came to light.

The footage had done what we’d hoped, and more. Crimson disbanded in the weeks following the arrest. Some members, disillusioned by the betrayal and violence, saw it as their chance to escape the dealing life altogether, to walk away and start over. Others, however, moved to H Block, aligning themselves with the only gang left standing in Boston’s drug trade. The streets had quieted down, but the tension lingered, a reminder of everything that had been lost and the shadows still lurking.

For Chris, it meant freedom. With Crimson dismantled and Vince off the scene, the need for him to hide was gone. Those who had once believed he was dead, made a pact to keep it that way for Vince’s ears. Even from behind bars, Vince’s wrath was something none of them wanted to risk. But now, with their shared hatred for the man who had destroyed their lives, they protected Chris by staying silent.

Chris no longer had to live like a ghost. He didn’t have to hide in Airbnb’s, constantly looking over his shoulder. For the first time in years, he was free to step into the world without fear of being hunted down whether that be from the police, or Vince. It was a kind of liberation none of us had dared to dream of when this all began.

The scars of the past weren’t gone, but they had started to fade. Boston’s streets were different now. And for us, the end of Vince Moretti marked the beginning of something new, a chance to rebuild, to heal, and to figure out who we were beyond the chaos that had defined us.

Today was the day of Vince’s trial. After months of waiting, the day had finally arrived, and the courtroom was buzzing with a mixture of tension and anticipation. The evidence against Vince was rock solid, with the footage we had risked everything to obtain forming the cornerstone of the prosecution’s case. It was expected to be a straightforward trial, but nothing ever felt certain.

For me, this day carried a weight I couldn’t quite put into words. In the ten months since Vince’s arrest, I’d worked tirelessly to regain my footing in law school. Now, in my final year, I had secured an internship that had somehow landed me in this very courtroom as a junior lawyer representing the state of Massachusetts. It felt surreal to be here, not just as an observer but as part of the team seeking justice.

I stood by the prosecution table, dressed in my best blazer, trying to maintain a calm and professional demeanor. My heart, however, was racing. Being in this courtroom wasn’t just about advancing my career, it was deeply personal. I was here not just as a lawyer in training but as someone who had been touched by the devastation Vince had caused.

As the court filled with reporters, family members of Danny’s including Nate and the general public. The air was thick with anticipation. Vince was escorted in, his expression impassive as he took his seat beside his defense attorney. Even in cuffs, he carried an aura of control, but for once, it felt hollow. He didn’t hold the power anymore.

The lead prosecutor leaned over to me and whispered instructions, snapping me back to the present. My role in today’s proceedings was small but significant, assisting with evidence presentation and ensuring every detail was flawless. My professor, Mr. Hawkins, had worked closely with this team, and I was grateful for his recommendation.

As the judge enters, everyone rises. “Be seated.”He announces as the murmurs within the courtroom die instantly as everyone takes their seats.

“This is the case of The State of Massachusetts vs. Vince Moretti, case number 2025-1203. The defendant is charged with first degree murder, drug trafficking, and organized crime activities. Are both sides ready to proceed?”

“The State is ready, Your Honor.”

“The defense is ready, Your Honor.”

The trial begins with the prosecution presenting their opening statement. The lead prosecutor sat next to me, a middle aged man with a commanding presence, stood for his opening statement.

“Your Honor, members of the jury, today we bring forward irrefutable evidence of the defendant’s guilt. Vince Moretti, once a feared leader of the Crimson Cartel, stands accused of first degree murder, drug trafficking, and other organized crime activities. We will show you clear evidence, including video footage and testimony from former associates, that will leave no doubt in your minds.”

He paced slightly, his voice steady and confident.

 “At the conclusion of this trial, we will ask you to deliver a verdict that ensures justice is served.”

I glanced at Vince, whose expression remained stony, as if he knew this was inevitable.

The defense attorney rose, her tone sharp and rehearsed.

“Your Honor, members of the jury, the evidence presented by the state may seem compelling at first glance, but we urge you to remain open minded and to question the circumstances under which this so called evidence was obtained. My client is not the monster he’s been painted as, and we intend to prove that the accusations against him lack the necessary foundation to convict.”

The defense attorney sits as the prosecution begins presenting their case.

“Your Honor, we call Detective Kevin Alvarez to the stand.”

Detective Alvarez walks to the stand, takes the oath, and sits.

“Detective, can you explain what led to the arrest of Vince Moretti?” The lead prosecutor questions.

“Yes. Following a tip, we conducted a raid at a dock warehouse tied to the Crimson Cartel. There, we found substantial evidence of drug trafficking. Later, we obtained security footage from a neighboring property that captured Mr. Moretti committing murder.”

I rise and present the footage to the technician, who dims the lights and plays the footage on a screen for the court. I avoided looking at Vince during the playback, focusing instead on the jury. Their faces told me everything I needed to know, they were horrified. This was it. The evidence was airtight, the narrative clear. Vince Moretti was going to pay for his crimes.

“Detective, is this the footage you reviewed?” The lead prosecutor smugly asks.

“Yes, it is.”

“And the person committing the act, can you identify him?”

“That’s Vince Moretti.”

The prosecutor looks at the jury, ensuring the gravity of the evidence sinks in.

“No further questions, Your Honor.”

The defense attempts to cross examine but gains little ground. There was only so much defending you could do to such a damning piece of evidence, and soon later the judge adjourned the hearing.

“Members of the jury, you will now deliberate. Court is adjourned until a verdict is reached.” announces the Judge before rising from his seat.

As court adjourned, I stepped out into the hallway, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. I turned on my phone and saw a message from Chris, sending me a simple text: “How’s it going?”

I typed back quickly: “Going well so far. It’s all coming together. The jury is deliberating right now.”

It was best for Chris to stay out of the courtroom, as much as he wanted to be here to support Nate, we couldn’t run the risk of Vince seeing him. He trusted me to see this through, and that trust was what kept me steady as the trial pressed on.

After two hours of deliberating, we were summoned back into the courtroom. The room is packed as the jury files back in. The judge addresses the foreperson.

“Has the jury reached a verdict?”

“We have, Your Honor.” The foreperson responds.

“Please read the verdict.”

“In the case of The State of Massachusetts vs. Vince Moretti, on the charge of first degree murder, we find the defendant.. guilty. On the charge of drug trafficking, we find the defendant guilty. On the charge of organized crime activities, we find the defendant guilty.”

A wave of emotion sweeps through the courtroom. Vince’s face finally cracks, his cold demeanor replaced with a scowl.

The judge thanks the jury for their service. “Sentencing will take place next week. Court is adjourned.”

A wave of relief swept through me. Vince’s reign of terror was officially over. For the first time, Boston felt like it could breathe again. As I packed up my notes and prepared to leave, I realized this wasn’t just a victory for the state or for those Vince had hurt. It was a victory for all of us who had fought to break free from his shadow. This chapter of our lives was finally closed, and the future felt wide open.

I left the courthouse immediately after Vince was taken away. The crisp air hit me as I stepped outside, but it wasn’t enough to calm the storm of emotions coursing through me. Relief, exhaustion, and a sense of finality mixed into one overwhelming wave.

Sliding into the driver’s seat of my car, I took a deep breath. Having a full license now was a game changer, and being able to drive myself felt like a tiny slice of independence amidst the chaos that had been my life for so long. I started the engine and pulled onto the main road, heading toward the house Chris and I had moved into together just two months ago.

Our home.

The drive felt shorter than usual, my mind preoccupied with the moment I would walk through the door and tell Chris the news. By the time I turned into our driveway, the weight of everything seemed lighter.

I stepped inside, the familiar scent of Chris’s cologne lingering in the hallway. He was in the living room, sprawled out on the couch with the TV on, but he wasn’t paying attention to it. When he looked up and saw me, his face lit up.

“Hey” he said, sitting up. “How’d it go?”

I dropped my bag by the door and made my way over to him, my heart racing in anticipation. “It’s done” I said, unable to hold back the smile tugging at my lips. “Guilty on all three counts.”

Chris shot to his feet, his excitement radiating through the room. “Are you serious?”

I nodded, and before I could say anything else, he pulled me into a tight hug, lifting me off the ground for a moment. “Holy shit” he said, his voice filled with disbelief and joy. “He’s actually done for.”

He set me down but kept his hands on my shoulders, his eyes searching mine. “That’s it, then. No more looking over our shoulders. No more hiding secrets from your parents. No more Vince.”

“It’s over” I confirmed, my voice steady despite the tears welling up in my eyes.

Chris’s grin widened as he let out a laugh, running a hand through his hair. “You have no idea how good this feels. Like we can actually breathe again.”

I laughed softly, leaning against him. “I think we’ve earned that.”

We stood there for a while, letting the reality of the moment sink in. Finally the future seemed like something we could look forward to instead of fear.

Chris pulled back slightly, his arms still around me as he spoke. “I was talking to Willow earlier” he said, his voice soft but full of excitement. “She said her and Nate are heading to Cape Cod tonight for a little getaway to celebrate.. well, everything.” He gave me a playful look. “They want us to join them.”

a/n: 1 more part :( JUSTICEEEE IS SERVED

taglist: @mattybearnard @sturn-33 @ncm9696 @yourfavsturniologirl @crazy4jewel @sodakid1234 @stupendoustreewinner @lovealwayssturniolos @matthewsturniolosss @m4ttsmunch @loveexxx @ilusa @starkeyszn @wonnieeluvvr @dylnblue @valxrieq @maggot3647 @cigarettecemetary @ribread03 @chrisstvrns @bandasaruswrx @noplaceissafeanymore @amexiass @witchofthehour @mattssgf @jetaimevous @v33angel @ivysturnss @urmom69lol @ashlishes @watercolorskyy @sturnioloshottiekay @amelia-sturniolo3 @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @pvssychicken @alizestvrnss @lvrsturniolo @bernardsbunny @spaghetti835928383 @marrykisskilled @sturnsxplr-25 @bxtchboy69 @vickytaa @anikaistg @matts-girlfriend @lvrsturniolo @sophand4n4 @ilovepurpledragons @mattsside @riasturns @sturnslutz @chrisstxrnsaxe @2prcntmilkluvr @trevorsgodmother @anonymouslyachrisgirl

[olderthannetfic]

I will never, NEVER understand people who complain about Ao3 search system and how the archive isn't algorithm based. Ao3 is literally the only site that has a decent search system, at this point.

Anytime I need to Google something, I feel like I'm about to lose my mind. I wanted to research the reason why women in my country are more likely to get custody of their children, because all the studies I know about focus on the US and needed to compare them to make an argument, and the best I got were domestic violence stats, an article about a woman committing suicide, and stats about parents with shared custody.

And let's not talk about YouTube! My home page doesn't show any of the youtubers I follow unless I left a video unfinished (but, then again, it'll keep showing me unfinished videos even from people I'm not subscribed to), and the search system is completely fucked. When I write, I like to listen to those lyrics-less playlists titled stuff like "you're the last person after the end of the world," and now searching for them is a pain in the ass.

It doesn't matter how specific I try to get with them to get the results I want, YouTube will always show me a bunch of random playlists that have nothing to do with the keywords I used, will bring up several shorts even if I make sure to opt out of them anytime they pop up in my home feed, and ultimately loop me around to the content I usually consume.

"You typed 'Y2K nostalgiacore with birds'? How about 'Liminal spaces in a Walmart'? No? Okay, let's try 'Life after the nuclear holocaust." No again? Then fuck you, here's a full album of a band now popular on TikTok, twelve shorts that might be related to what you're looking for, and Danny Gonzalez videos. Fuck you."

And people just seem to be okay with this shit! Claim that it's easier! How the fuck is it easier, when you have to type and retype the same shit over and over again in the hope that that one word you decide to add or remove will suddenly change where the site brings you??

--

[avaritia-apotheosis]

They Might Be Giants

Alfred Pennyworth receives a phone call and is given custody over his recently orphaned nephew Danny Fenton.

A DPxDC Crossover // Read on [AO3] // Fic Masterlist

◆◆◆

one. 

Alfred received the phone call on an idyllic Sunday afternoon. Wayne Manor was a sleepy old thing in this weather, the house quiet and still as Alfred polished the silver to a shine. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne were out, taking little Master Bruce with them to see a new exhibit on the Mesozoic period.

He picked up the ringing kitchen landline and cradled the receiver in the juncture of his shoulder and ear, a practiced speech of “ Wayne Manor, may I know who is speaking? Apologies, the masters are unavailable at this moment, but may I pass on a message?” already at the tip of his tongue. 

Before he could open his mouth, the caller spoke. “Is this Mr. Alfred Beagle?”

Beagle was his mother’s maiden name, and the name Alfred took when he worked in Britain. The Pennyworth name, after all, was too closely associated with the Waynes. No one had called him that for years, now. He adjusted his grip on the receiver before resuming his polishing. “This is he. May I know who is calling?”

The caller—a tired sounding woman with a midwestern lilt—introduced herself as Mrs. Eller, the attorney to Jack and Madeline Fenton. “I am sorry that you had to learn about it like this, Mr. Pennyworth, but your cousin, Maddie Fenton, her husband, and their daughter Jasmine recently passed away in an accident this Wednesday. You have my deepest condolences.”

They were second cousins. That was the first thought that came to Alfred’s mind, the cloth in his hand frozen at the dip of the spoon he was shining. Their fathers were cousins who lived on opposite sides of the pond. Despite this, Alfred and Maddie remained in close contact with each other throughout their childhood. They were penpals, sending letters and photos and holiday postcards (Maddie more so than Alfred).

He was even invited to their wedding.

And now—

“Wait a minute…” Alfred’s mind stalled. He set down the silver and the cloth. “You said that the daughter died as well. They had a younger son. What happened to him?”

“He is alive and…as well as he could be in this situation. Danny is actually the reason why I needed to contact you.” Mrs. Eller cleared her throat. “In the Fentons’ will, you were named as their childrens’ legal guardian in case…the worst ever came to pass.”

“I…me? What about Alicia? Maddie’s sister?”

“It’s the late Doctors Fentons’ will, sir. And Danny has agreed to it as well.”

“I see.” Alfred’s breath came out in a shuddering gasp. “Well, if my dear late cousin willed it, then I am willing to comply. Please, let me make some arrangements first, and then I will get back to you with the details.” 

He hung up the phone—

—buried his face in his hands—

—and breathed. 

Alfred could not afford to cry right now.

◆◆◆

two. 

Thomas and Martha were more than happy to accommodate Danny within the manor when Alfred told them about his current situation. It was expected—the Waynes always had a penchant for generosity—but Alfred couldn’t help the sigh of relief all the same. 

(Master Bruce, precocious eight-year-old that he was, wrinkled his brows at the news. While fine with sharing his own things, the attention of his favorite people on the other hand, he hoards like a greedy dragon.)

A week after that terrible phone call, Alfred pulled the black Bentley up to the correct airport terminal and waited for his new charge’s arrival. 

Alfred had seen grief in many faces. Had experienced it himself. Despite this, nothing would ever prepare him for the utter desolation that seeped through Danny’s body. The boy was wan faced— skin almost gray. His cheeks were sunken and hollow, eyes bruised by shadows and stained red by tears. His back was hunched, less from the weight of his backpack and more so from the grief that hung on his shoulders. 

“Mr. Pennyworth?”  Danny’s voice was a dull timbre, nearly cracking at the edges. Alfred shook his hand (freezing cold, but not clammy). “I remember you. Mom always made sure to send you a Christmas card.”

The Fenton family Christmas card was always something Alfred appreciated. He had no family of his own that he was particularly close to, his immediate relatives all dead or estranged in some way. That Alfred received a card without fail every Christmas was always a novel feeling. It was…nice, to know that he still had ties somewhere. Danny, Alfred remembered, never really smiled in those cards. Oh he’d stretch his lips wide and show his teeth, but it was obvious from the way the smile never reached his eyes, and the tightness around his jaw that Danny wasn’t a Christmas person. 

And now, with only a few weeks left till Christmas, he might never be one. 

The two slid into the Bentley and drove off in relative silence. Danny had his head pressed against the window, eyes glazed as he watched the high-rise Gotham streets soon fade into open, rolling hills, and then the palatial monument that was Wayne Manor. 

At the sight of the manor, Danny blinked. “You a millionaire or something?” (Shoulders tensed. Hands curled into fist. His jaw clenched into a hard line, and there was a kind of acidity in his tone at the question. Problems with wealth? No. People with wealth.)

“No.” Alfred kept his tone bland. “But I do work for them. I am the Head Butler for the Wayne family, and have lived here with them while under their employ. They’ve graciously extended that hospitality to you.”

“Do I have to work for them or something?”

Most definitely a problem of someone with wealth.

Alfred shook his head. “While I would appreciate some help here and there, you have no obligation to do so. This is where you’ll live, with me. You can live here for as long as you’d like, and when you feel ready, we can also talk about entering you into school again.”

Danny drums his fingers against his forearm, eyes trained on the stone statues that guarded the door.

Thomas and Martha welcomed the boy with open arms. Danny shook their hands and thanked them with a raspy voice, polite smile not reaching his eyes. 

Master Bruce, shy and wary of the newest addition to the Wayne household, hid in the shadows of his mother’s ash mauve skirts. His blue eyes peeked upwards at Danny inquisitively.

(Later, after Alfred helped Danny settle into the room across from his own, Master Bruce would pull Alfred aside and ask why Danny looked so sad. 

Alfred knelt to Bruce’s eye level and pressed a warm hand on his shoulder. “He is sad because his family is gone.”

Master Bruce tilted his head. “Gone where? When will they be back?” For all that he was an intelligent lad, Bruce was barely more than a child. Death was a foreign concept. The death of a loved one was even moreso.

“Somewhere far, far away.” Alfred doesn’t want to be the one that teaches Bruce about death.)

◆◆◆

three. 

Wayne Manor was rumored to be haunted. It was a silly rumor of course; the Manor was an old house, and old houses have a tendency to make noises. But with Danny, one might almost be tricked into thinking it was true. 

Danny was a wraith. He haunted the wide and empty hallways with preternaturally silent footsteps, the hairs on Alfred’s nape standing on ends whenever he’d suddenly catch a glimpse of the boy at the corner of his eye. Sometimes Alfred would see him linger in shadowed nooks or in the solitude of his bedroom, staring vacantly at nothing. 

“He is still grieving,” Thomas would say. “Be patient with him.”

“He needs space,” Martha advised. “Just be there for him, Alfie. Let him know you’re someone he can trust, someone he can count on for support.”

Alfred looked down at his white-gloved hands. He knew that. He knew Danny needed support, needed space, needed time . But what about after? When the pang of grief had dulled with time, and Danny decided to step into the world instead of letting it pass by him? He was a child, and all children need parents.

Alfred remembers his time as an intelligence officer, slumming with petty criminals and socializing with wealthy targets. Living double, triple, quadruple lives, and exploiting every weakness that he could dig up in order to tear people down. 

Nurturing hands he had not.

(Fatherhood would never suit someone like him.)

“I don’t know if I can,” he confessed.

“But you must either way,” said Martha. “You are all Danny has left in the world.”

“The best is all you can really do,” added Thomas. “Look on the bright side: you’re already doing so well with Bruce.”

Sighing through his nose, Alfred rubbed the ache away from his temples. Recalled, then, the distant past with his own father who cared more for another family than his own. Jarvis Pennyworth was an austere man who embodied the ‘stiff upper lip’ idiom so commonly applied to the British people. Even in Alfred’s memory, Jarvis barely smiled. 

Jarvis was not a warm father. And yet…

Alfred still remembered the warmth that bloomed in his chest whenever he was young and saw a plate of freshly peeled fruit sitting on his desk.

Jarvis was not a particularly warm father, and more often than not was clumsy and awkward with his affection. But he loved his family still. Even far away, Alfred knew that his father would always be there for him.

And maybe, that’s what Danny needed from him too. 

◆◆◆

four. 

Alfred's previous occupation necessitated light sleeping habits, and for all Danny's too-quiet footsteps, he too was at the mercy of the Manor's age. Danny's door creaked open in the dead of night, rousing Alfred from his rest. From there, it only took Alfred fifteen seconds to ascertain that Danny had already turned around the hallway.

Alfred rose from his bed and tied his dressing robe around his waist. His nephew had a habit of wandering outside his room late at night. At first, from Alfred's observations, it was only to aimlessly walk throughout the Manor. After the first week, Danny had begun to gravitate to one place in particular.

The library.

Though it was less for the comfort of books or the rather comfortable wingback armchairs that surrounded the fireplace, and more for the small balcony that overlooked the topiary garden.

The first time Alfred had followed Danny there, he nearly had a heart attack when he saw Danny sit at the edge of the balustrade, feet dangling twenty feet above the ground. He nearly gave away his hiding spot in the shadow of some shelves. Fortunate for him that Danny wasn't the most observant person. He was like his mother in that way; for all that Maddie was an intelligent and frightfully observant little girl, she could be totally blind to some of the most obvious signs. (Alfred wondered if she ever grew past that.)

Like the first time, Danny sat at the edge of the balustrade. His fingers drummed a rhythmic pattern against the stone, head tilted up as he watched the starry sky above. Unlike the first time, Alfred made a stop at the kitchen first, coming out with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Made just the way his own father used to. 

Alfred deliberately stepped on a few creaky floorboards on his way over to alert Danny of his presence. He set down his own mug atop the railing before offering the other to his nephew. "It's cold out."

Wordlessly, Danny wrapped his hands around the mug and tucked it close to his chest. His blue eyes— startlingly bright in the darkness—scrunched in confusion as he tried to figure out Alfred's angle.

"It's not poisoned," Alfred joked dryly. He took a sip of his own mug as if to prove it. "That's too cliche."

"Too suspicious, too. It'd be easier to just push me off the balcony. Makes it look like an accident." Danny turned pink, sheepish. "Oh no that was kinda morbid. I'm sorry, I don't — I don't know why I said that."

He chuckled. "I'm the last person to reprimand you for morbid jokes, boy. And besides, you're right." Alfred smiled from beneath his cup when he saw Danny take a sip of the hot chocolate. "What brings you out here, anyway?"

There was a line of chocolate above Danny's lip. He wiped it away with the back of his wrist. "Stargazing, I guess. It's— there's less light pollution here and I wanted to just…look, I guess."

"Do you like astronomy?"

Danny nodded, gazing upwards at the cluster of stars above. "I wanted to be an astronaut when I was little."

"And now?"

"I still do. A lot. But I don't think that's possible for me anymore."

Alfred adjusted his grip on his mug. “Why not?”

Danny shrugged. “I don’t…know, really.” His voice is infinitesimally small that it is almost carried away by the evening wind. He hunched forward, elbows resting on his knees and mug settled on the bannister. Looked as if he was teetering on the edge and Alfred’s hand itched to pull on his arm as if to anchor him. “It feels as though I’m someone else. Like the Danny that wanted to become an astronaut lives in an entirely separate reality, and it feels weird to still want that dream because he and I are so—” 

His breath catches in his throat. Eyes wide as a single tear slid down his cheek.

Then, all at once, his energy leaves him. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I don’t know what I’m saying.”

Alfred shook his head. “No. Don’t apologize. You have nothing to apologize for.” He met Danny’s gaze. Hoped that the boy would see the sincerity in his own eyes. “You are right. You are changed, Danny. I don’t know in what way, but you have changed and it is alright that you feel like a different person. Grief changes you, but it doesn’t mean you have to distance yourself from who you once were.”

Danny gripped the bannister tight. Fingers dug harshly into the stone. “I heard a lot that ‘time heals all wounds.’ ” He laughed humorlessly. “Is that actually true?”

“No,” Alfred said. “It doesn’t. The wound will never heal, but time will numb it enough that it no longer feels as painful.”

Danny looked at Alfred for a long moment, searching for something. The cold wind tousled his hair. Despite the frigid temperatures, Danny had not shivered even once.

Then, he spoke. “I still don’t think I can become an astronaut.”

Alfred’s gaze softened. “That’s alright. You’re still young, and you have plenty of time to decide what you want to do with it.”

◆◆◆

five. 

Surprisingly—or perhaps, unsurprisingly—it was Master Bruce that pulled Danny out of the shadows of grief. Not completely, but…enough so that Danny began to finish everything on his plate and was unafraid to sleep some nights without waking up in nightmares.

Thomas and Martha were pleased, of course. For all Bruce’s brightness and endearing personality, he was so shy and struggled to make friends his own age. Danny at fourteen was still years older, but progress was progress. The Wayne couple would encourage the two’s friendship with a warm smile and an overindulgence in their antics. As long as Danny and Bruce didn’t leave the estate without their permission or stay out too late, the boys were free to wander as they liked.

In Alfred’s eyes, the connection between the two was obvious. Like called to like. Loneliness called to loneliness.

Once, Alfred caught the boys laying down in the soft grassy fields behind the manor. Their heads are pillowed by their arms, eyes craned towards the bright array of stars above, and willfully ignorant of the curfew they were breaking.

Danny lifted his arm to point at the sky. “See those three stars in a line?” he said to Bruce. “Those three stars make up Orion’s belt, and are the brightest stars in his constellation. See? If you follow it, you can sorta make the shape of a person.”

“I see it!” Master Bruce exclaimed. He traced a vague shape in the air. “There’s his chest. That, his arm. And look! I can even see his bow!”

“You know, a lot of people actually think that’s a shield.”

“But that looks nothing like a shield!” 

Alfred couldn’t see for certain, but he felt that Danny would’ve shrugged at that statement. “Shield, bow, pelt of fur, doesn’t really matter in the end. The important thing was that you could see it. The ancient Mediterraneans used Orion as, like, an old calendar to know when it was a good time to thresh—that is, to separate the seeds from like a barley plant—their crops.” He moved his hand again. “The other cool thing about Orion is that it’s a good way to find other stars. See, if you follow the line of his belt away from his bow, you’ll find Sirius, which is the brightest star in the canis major constellation.”

“Is that his dog?”

“Yeah, that’s his dog. Sirius is also the brightest star in our night sky— well, after the sun at least. Anyway, if you follow the line of Orion’s belt towards the bow and even past it, you can see a cluster of stars way up there. There should be seven, but it might be hard to see all of them.”

“I think I see it? Is it that one?”

“Uh, a bit further— yep! That one. That’s the Pleiades, an open star cluster and probably one of the most well known stars in history. There’s actually way more than seven stars up there, but as far as seeing with the naked eye goes, we can only see seven. Like Orion, they were used to mark when it was a good time to harvest, but more than that, they were used by Greek sailors to know when it was a good time to sail. If the Pleiades were setting, or they were gone from the sky, then the seas would be too dangerous and it was better to go home.”

“What about that star over there?”

Alfred sees Danny shift, his head tilting towards the small lump that made up Master Bruce. “Which one?”

“Between the Pleiades and Orion there’s this really bright orange star.”

“Alpha Taurus. The brightest star in the Taurus constellation.” A beat. “Aldebaran, I think is its name. They call it ‘The Follower’ because it always follows after the Pleiades. Fun fact, it’s like over forty-times larger than the sun.”

“Really?” Alfred could hear the incredulity in Master Bruce’s voice. “It doesn’t look like it.”

“Well, all of those stars are lightyears away. They’re so far away that, technically, we’re not really seeing the stars. The light they give takes a long time to actually reach here on earth for us to see, so what we’re looking at is the light of a star from hundreds or thousands of years ago.”

Danny went quiet for a moment. “Really…for all we know, some of the stars we’re looking at have been dead for a while. Alive to us, but dead in reality. A weird kind of limbo.”

“Does it matter though?” Master Bruce said.

“What?”

He turned over, laying on his belly and holding himself up on his forearms. “Dead or alive? Does it matter?” 

“I don’t…”

“I don’t think it does.” Master Bruce flopped back down to the grass. “If it’s alive, it’s alive. If it isn’t, then… it’s still alive in a way? My dad said that you’re never truly dead as long as someone remembers you, and as long as we see the star then it’ll always stay alive.”

Danny was silent for a moment.

Then he laughed and ruffled Bruce’s hair. “You know, Bruce, you’re way too smart for your age.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No. Never. You kinda remind me of my sister a bit.” 

Alfred’s breath hitched. It was the first time he had ever heard Danny willingly bring up his family since they first met. 

“She was a huge know-it-all,” Danny continued. “Annoyed me a lot because everyone always noticed that I wasn’t smart like her, but…she had a big heart, like you.”

Danny hauled himself to his feet before offering an arm to Master Bruce. “Come on, we better head back before anyone notices that we snuck out past your bedtime.”

Master Bruce whined. “Can’t we stay a bit longer?”

“We can do this again tomorrow night.”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die and all that.”

The two walked arm in arm back through the patio entrance, Danny’s footsteps still that same eerie silence, and little Bruce’s slowly matching his gait to copy Danny’s movements. Neither were aware of Alfred, who clung to the shadows, watching his two boys go.

(Alfred said nothing of the boys’ late-night astronomy lessons. He continued to say nothing whenever he caught the two of them breaking curfew. Instead, he’d settle on a chair in a hidden nook that comfortably kept the two in sight, and watched the stars.)

◆◆◆

six. 

Months passed, and slowly, Danny learned to move on. He ate more now. Smiled more. Laughed more. Lived more. 

Danny was a delight to have in the Manor. He was an extra voice that bounced around the vast hallways, another plate set down for family meals, and a point of normalcy in the glittering world of the Waynes. He was Alfred’s apprentice in the kitchen, their handy mechanic when technology went awry, and Bruce’s ever watchful guardian. 

Martha and Thomas loved him. Bruce adored him. 

And Alfred?

Alfred could not help the little voice at the back of his head that wanted to call the boy his own. Danny was his nephew, his family along with the Waynes. 

Despite all the tragedy that brought Danny to Gotham, Alfred could not help but be happy that Danny was here with them.

But Gotham was a cruel mistress.

And Happiness was as fragile as a string of pearls.

Alfred drove Bruce away from that godforsaken alley as soon as he could. The boy (eight years old, he was eight years old and stained in his own parents’ blood) shivered in the passenger seat, an officer’s jacket slung over his small frame. He was silent. Unmoving. Hollow eyes trained at the darkening sky ahead.

They reached the Manor to find Danny furiously pacing on the front steps, teeth worrying the end of his thumb. He froze as soon as Alfred stepped out of the black Bentley.

He jumped down the front steps, shoes skidding against the gravel. “Alfred?”

What happened?

Is everything alright?

Alfred could read every bit of Danny’s body language as if the boy was an open book. The tense line of his shoulders; the rigidness of his spine; the sudden depth of his respirations as if Danny was forcing himself to calm down but couldn’t quite get there in time. There was a wild sort of desperation in his eyes— but Danny wasn’t looking at Alfred. Wasn’t here. Not completely at least.

Some part of Danny was back in Amity again. A young boy like Master Bruce watching his whole world fall apart with a bang. 

Alfred kept a stiff upper lip as he opened the passenger door and helped Master Bruce onto unsteady legs. He had to be strong now, for both his boys. 

“Alfred,” Danny started again. “What— what happened? Where’s—” At the sight of Master Bruce, Danny stumbled to his knees. 

“Bruce? Are you—” He cradled Bruce’s blood-stained cheek, fingers shaking. 

Bruce spoke. The first words he’d said since Alfred came to get him. “What do I do, Danny?” His voice is shaking and raw and so small . The wind could almost carry it away. “They’re gone, Danny. My parents are gone, too.”

Alfred could see the instant Danny broke. 

(Alfred could feel the second he broke, too.)

He pulled both his boys into his arms and held them tight. They were all each other had in this world, and Alfred begged to a god he hadn’t believed in for years that the world not separate them even more.

◆◆◆

seven. 

It’s been a week. 

Alfred found both boys curled up in the grassy fields behind Wayne Manor, staring at the dark expanse of night.

“I never want anyone else to go through what we did,” Bruce said. 

A promise. 

Danny turned to look at Bruce, a hand held out. Aldebaran shone bright and red above him. “Never again.” 

A pact. 

◆◆◆

eight. 

When Bruce is midway through his first year of university and Danny is nearly finished with his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, the two of them dropped out of college, packed a bag each, and disappeared into the night.

 They gave no word. They left no note.

Months later, they were declared dead. Another tragedy for the people of Gotham, who mourned their bright prince. 

All of Bruce Wayne’s finances and belongings were left to Alfred, who continued to tend to them, as if any day Bruce Wayne and his smiling shadow would return. 

Time passed.

The world turned.

Bruce Wayne and Danny Fenton remained dead. 

Until one night, when the Pleiades had begun their descent from the sky, Alfred woke to a phone call. He held the phone to his ear, spoke into the receiver in hushed tones, and hung up a few minutes later. 

He readies his uniform. Made sure that it was free of lint, and the fabric was ironed out of any wrinkles. He dressed, made himself presentable, and drove the black Bentley all the way to a lonely airfield on the outskirts of Gotham.

He waits. 

He does not wait long. (He’s waited long enough.)

A small plane descends. Landed on the runway. Stopped. 

An eternity, and the doors opened. 

Out steps two young men, tall and lean, with whipcord muscles and scars that held stories that Alfred might never know.  Their eyes are tired but bright. Hungry for vengeance, for justice, for Gotham .

Alfred smiled at his boys.

“Welcome home.”

[lina-lovebug]

USM characters dating a villains daughter

- you were recruited into SHIELD based on your merits and smarts

- also including the fact that your dad was a villainous genius and wanted you farrrr away from all that mess

- you helped the team every now and then concerning tech stuff or hacking, and Spidey developed a crush on you

- you found him cute, having seen his face a few separate times, but knew that once he found out that your dad has made multiple attempts to clone his DNA and/or kill him then that crush would die

- it was a small accident from one of the other agents, but one that made you avoid Spidey for WEEKS

- "Oh hey Miss. Octavius" "Oh hey-"

- normally you'd let that slide but not when you were having lunch with Spiderman

- "Octavius? Like-?" "Wow, I'm late for a meeting. Bye!"

- it sucked too because you used to have a great relationship with your dad but his change and obsession over Spiderman drove you two apart

- you missed your dad

- each time you walked past the team training or happened to be in the same room as Spidey, you'd avoid him like the plague

- you would have kept doing that but suddenly found your hand webbed to your desk

- "You're avoiding me" "who said that?"

- after a long conversation that you weren't a spy or a weird creepy person trying to clone him, he let out a sigh of relief

- "And here I thought my crush on you was ruined" "yeah same here. . ."

- the team teased you both about that for the next month

- it's not everyday that you find out your dad is a terrorist

- okay not exactly a terrorist but one of the most dangerous men in the entire world to the point where they locked him in a prison without any metal

- yup, your father is Magneto

- it was fresh into your relationship with Danny when you found out. Your mom died when you were a baby, and you were adopted by an Agent of SHIELD

- it began to explain so much - your powers always have been strong, even for a mutant. You excelled in your strength and control, except for the few moments where anger woukd get the better of you

- you were scared to tell him. You had been dating for barely a month now, what if he got scared? Magneto brings fear to his name for a reason

- but you didn't have to tell him because Magneto had already found you. It's a strange thing to feel your child through your shared gene of controlling metal

- "(Y/N), I know I was never present before, but I never knew that you-" "Love, what's he talking about?"

- Magneto raised his brow at the green clad boy beside you and you rightfully began to p a n i c

- "I'm her father, and you are?"

- Danny is like 👁👄👁

- "You're not my dad. My dad is Agent (L/N), and as far as I'm concerned, the only person who knows me."

- and still, Danny is just 👁👄👁

- also okay my girlfriend didn't know that her dad is one of the few people I'm scared of

- After the initial blow up, you refused to talk to him. Erik Lensherr wanted to get to know you - to know the little girl he never knew he had even though this motherfucker has kids EVERYWHERE

- it was Danny who encouraged you to know him. You didn't have to force yourself to call him dad but you could atleast try to see if he's worth knowing?

- "How long have you been dating that boy?" "Oh, uh, a month now." "Hmm. . .he says strange things but I like him"

- He never saw it coming but Danny is the number one favorite of your adopted and biological dad. Yippee

- "When do I get to meet your dad, babe?"

"Uh. . .how do you feel about never? Also he's in prison, so not exactly the best meet up scenario."

- Luke knew you had a complicated relationship with your dad but never knew exactly how complicated

- first few years of your life, you were always on the road with him. You never thought much of the constant moving and new motel rooms every week - it was just a roadtrip

- until that roadtrip ended with your dad in custody and you cowering in the bathtub with claws and trying to act like a very scary person

- you looked like a spicy cat

- Luke was still curious though and since you weren't giving him much, he decided to sneak into the SHIELD database

- Sabretooth a.k.a Victor Creed who is sadistic and violent, and used to bring you on "roadtrips" which could have very easily ended up with you being killed

- also making Wolverine your uncle who didn't visit much himself

- "ooohh that's why she accidentally called Fury dad that one time"

- daddy issues to another level

- anyway

- Luke respected your decision not to see nor talk about your dad, now knowing that he never really cared about you

- it also made him realize why you were so avoidant when you first joined the team #likefatherlikedaughter

- but you were nothing like Sabretooth thank fucking christ and loved Luke, so he planned a dinner for you to meet his family

- and if you're wondering, yes, Victor found out you were dating whilst in custody and ended up destroying his prison cell

- oh yeah, Sam already knew

- you mean to tell me that a girl with green magical powers, a golden headpiece with horns AND who calls Thor "Uncle" is Lokis' Daughter?

- :0

- you weren't exactly subtle when it came to the few times the team and Loki butted heads

- "Dad, stop fighting my friends!" "They started it!"

- Meanwhile Sam over here like "Wow my crush is an actual Goddess"

- being half Frost Giant and half Asgardian came with perks, and one of those being that your body temp was always cold so Sam CLUNG to you during the hot summer days

- you and Sam were on the roof of the Hellicarrier when you confessed your feelings and out of excitement, Sam grabbed your face and kissed you

- spoiler alert: Loki also decided it was a perfect time to visit you

- so imagine your dad's surprise when he portals to Midgard to see his daughter and sees some mortal sucking her face off

- it was a very eventful and frightening evening for everyone, to say the least

- "Dad, I'm sixteen. I'm allowed to date" "that's like a fetus in Asgard. Come back to me when you're 500 and perhaps you can date"

- you dated anyway

- Sam didn't care that Loki is your dad, insisting he also wasn't afraid this bitch is terrified

- despite your differences, you do love your dad and he loves you, so you don't understand his hatred for Sam

- that was until Thor dropped the bomb

- as an Asgardian, you're immortal and Sam will eventually die. So Loki is terrified that one day you'll lose Sam and be left with nothing

- cue the mental breakdown

- "You did WHAT?!" "you weren't giving her answers, brother." "No but you've given her a crisis!"

- It was something Sam thought about from time to time but seeing you so heartbroken about it made him sad, and it kept you both distant

- Loki forced himself to talk to you, telling you to enjoy your time with Sam and if you wanted to one day - you could give up your immortality, if that's what you wanted

- after a long and much needed discussion, you came to Sam with the information. He felt bad that you'd have to surrender all that you were just to be with him, but you said:

"I'll still be who I am; I'll be the annoying magic girl who saved your ass"

- with a bonus of Loki admitting that Sam wasn't that bad he adored you two

- so like

- your dad is kinda fucked

- you just so happened to be the one who was somewhat sane

- you happened whilst your parents were casually dating, and while any other kid might want their parents to stay together, you were more than happy that your mom left

- your dad is Victor Von Doom and your mom? Hot asf Susan Storm

- Reed and Susan raised you away from him, and you inherited your own abilities from when Susan was caught in the storm in space

- you met Ava when the Fantastic Four visited SHIELD for some meeting, being the teenager dragging along because you've always admired your mom and dad's work

- Fury was eyeing you for your brains, considering bringing the matter up to Invincible Woman and Mr. Fantastic first

- after some debate, you were in and met White Tiger first and once she took off her mask, you were like "damn"

- "what?" "I-I mean, damn it's nice to be apart of the team"

- you both got along great, and she admired how smart you were and capable

- she asked you out and it had been a great few months, but you did receive a yell from Fury after he caught you two in the main tech area

- you weren't hiding it necessarily but it did shock her that you never told her, I mean, dudes number one for a reason

- "your dad is Doom?!" "Hes not my dad, he's my sperm donor - there's a difference"

- never in a million years did you consider Doom your dad. Reed raised you, and he called you his daughter from the moment you entered his life, so no - Victor Von Doom was not your dad

- she knew she touched a nerve, almost sounding accusatory, and apologized

- but she had no reason to, you reassured her, before giving her a kiss and asking if she wanted to come over for dinner to meet them

- she said yes :)

[radiance1]

Remember that post where Danny was a dragon and Vlad was a pheonix?

Yea, they're thought here too.

And Danny is obvi an eastern dragon.

Also kinda inspired by the Kwami from mlb.

Danny became the prince of the Far Frozen, after having been adopted by Frostbite a few centuries earlier. Danny is immortal here, and lived past his family so he just spends most of his time in the Far Frozen now.

Vlad meanwhile just stuck to his own lair, a great zone of fire filled with his signature black flames. Occasionally he goes out to the human world to check in on Vladco, he unfortunately had to leave his business up to an heir since it would draw a great amount of suspicion if he were to still be the head after, say, a hundred or so years.

Did he have a child with someone? Hah! No, he just took an orphan off the street, cleaned them up a lil, and turned them into an heir worthy of Vladco.

Vlad and Danny aren't exactly friends, nor enemies either. The most accurate term would be that they're Frenemies. After a few hundred years they've just resorted to that.

Vlad is an enemy of Prince Aragon, surprisingly he didn't actually do anything significant to earn his ire, Prince Aragon just hates him because he's a phoenix.

Danny is also enemies with him, since he was one of Danny's enemies before when he was a teen and the guy's attitude didn't at all help in making Danny not be his enemy really.

So you can say they bonded over their shared hatred for that one guy a little bit.

Cute forward a couple years into the future and Danny and Vlad have gotten trapped inside some magical artifacts.

Why?

Because some wizard wanted their power for his own gain and such made a plan to pit them against each other, make them tire themselves out and injure the other, and then turn them into artifacts.

Danny got transformed into a necklace and Vlad got transformed into a ring.

In hindsight, they should've seen this coming.

Like the Kwami's from mlb they can come out of their respective items in a chibi form. Tiny eastern dragon and tiny phoenix that gave the wizard who turned them into what they are now hell.

They were sassy, straight out insulted him and laughed to each other about it straight to his face, and when the situation allowed it. Hindered him instead of helping him.

It got so bad that the wizard who turned them into jewelry decided to just give them off instead of holding onto them.

They've been given away, sold, auctioned off. A lot of things, though after being handed off from the wizard they were mostly silent. Over the years they were unfortunately split up, going to different owners.

Fast forward to another couple more years and Danny found himself dug up from a casket belonging to a long dead wizard and then just dumped into the custody of one Timothy Drake.

Meanwhile, Vlad found himself bought Lex Luthor, then he went: "Wait a minute, something about you is familiar.." then found out he was the descendant of that one orphan kid he took off the streets.

Danny appeared to Tim because he was lonely, and basically became his best friend. Though he was confused about his apparent obsession with this Batman character.

Vlad also appeared to Lex Luthor, though he did haggle him quite a bit for his business and what did you mean that kid's descendants ran his business into the ground? He taught that kid everything he knew and his descendants had the gall to run his business into bankruptcy just because he wasn't around?

If he got his claws on them he swore he would-

Anywho, who the hell is Superman and why do you hate him?

[stormnightingale]

https://www.tumblr.com/dcxdpdabbles/737569117273456640/there-are-so-many-fics-out-there-where-danny-is?source=share

So after reading this ☝️for the who knows how many time, when an idea or something just popped out. Now we all know that in this magnificent fandom(dpxdc) that Amity is a no go area right? Well what if and I mean what if the Bats after talking with sad trenchcoat man(Yes I called John that and no I will not stop thank you very much) about Amity, Conny goes hesteria cause he outdated and stuff or just didn't know King Phantom but yeah starts talking about Pariah Dark(who is redeemed or just in the dog house cause he pissed of clockwork), ghost zone being dangerous etc etc.

Now this makes the bats assume even more that our space boi Danny is not safe. So what they do? After idk bribing the judge or somehow provide 'proof' of abuse which makes the Fenton's lose custody(Danny is not happy), takes Danny to Gotham(via knockout cause my boi will go feral), then returns back to amity as the furry squad. Do some hacking shit but since they don't know Fenton tech and Fenton thinking(I genuinely believe the Fenton's are Hella smart like Hella smart it might piss of Lex) and probably set up the self destruction system(TUE vibes).[which to normal people is the portal closing shut permanently,data is gone or encrypted by which a Fenton can access idk it's your choice person who decides to read and write or see this interesting].

Now we can make it that either one adult comes back alive or survived the blow due to being heavily ecto contaminated or be a ghost but I'm hoping Maddie (and Jazz) cause guys lets be honest here. Maddie is a beast when it comes to her family and kids, I can tell through canon wise she will literally go through hell, Tartarus, hell even throw hands with some ancients just for her kids. But anyways one Fenton comes back, teams up with Vlad(could be poly or good asshole uncle Vlad) along with the Elinor or Elizabeth(Yes Dani's other name is Elizabeth or Elinor) and Dante to try get Danny back.

Now to our boi we love, care Danny. So we have suspicious, angry and so many emotion Danny Fenton-Wayne. So we Danny who was practically taken away from his safety, his home, family, his friads and into another on in America. Now we can all agree that Danny is not happy about this and not because of the -whole taking me away from my family and no I'm not being in denial they love me so stop talking u ancient poorly dressed furries- It's about something much bigger and we all know, we hate it, despised it and we call it.... ANTI ECTO ACTS or as I like to call THE REBOOT WITCH TRIALS.

So that abomination there is something Danny hates,fears so him being in America puts him in bootleg men in black because of a bitch named Lex Luthor. It's like painting a bullseye on him, a huge ass arrow pointing at him with the signs 'Im a ghost in America come cut me up'. So yeah its bad for him especially when he finds out the Wayne's are sponsoring The furry squad and the justice league which in turn make things worse for him and the ghost zone cause the ghost(and other supernaturals cause u can't tell me, once a vampire or mermaid find out humans are now hunting ghosts they wont immediately assume they are next? Let's cause mass panic with the other supernaturals, witches having PTSD, they tweeking seeing the acts)are demanding blood, war, retribution from the living. So he is in emeny territory trying to survive, try get back to his family and try to calm the other ghost cause they thought he died to the explosion(yeah Danny won't be okay)but never came to the ghost zone so vengeance for the king.

Welp that what came up in mind, u can ignore it, or whatever just thought I share something with yall. But yeah basically for the last paragraph I want maybe the Justice League to either face backlash or punishment for agreeing with the law, cause in most fics we don't get to see what the ghost think or if they forgave em. Cause while the humans(idk why I'm calling people human when I'm human as well) think the Justice league was writing a wrong most will question if this won't happen again. I want the supernatural to actively be upset with them especially those from the magic committee, to question whether they should be trusted seeing as this was a retry of the Salem Witch Trials Era. And to exactly be wary and suspicious of Bruce or just genuinly not trust or like him cause guys let's be fucking honest here while yeah the bats is awesome we forgot one thing he is human flesh and bones, something so fragile in the eyes of all supernatural that they can accidentally squish him because they used to much strength or smth. And suddenly some supernaturals are scared of him? They fear him because of what? His paranoia, his contingencies? Nah that should be a warning cause logically and I mean logically can u tell me straight in my face that u trust this man while knowing he stalks you 30/7, goes through Ur personally stuff without permission btw, breaks in your house when u were at a wrong time, wrong place?? Have either his kids pretend y'all are buddies or your lover just to keep u on a leash?.

And if we are going to do the Lazarus Pits is ectoplasm, then the bats are done for especially Jason. Cause I can tell once the ghost found out the league agreed to the acts be lawful they won't help, cause why help the ones that tried to eradicate them?(how u may ask? Well it's simple, some soon to be fading corrupted ghost escaped when the portal first opened causing massive damage, some deaths etc and maybe the other reason maybe the citizens first cause of the negatives in the show, public enemy number 1 so forth). So the league after failing formed the GIW and soon left Amity thinking the people will be 'safe')

One note, would it be funny if the League of Shadows find out about the Acts and Lazarus pit being ectoplasm and just had straight to Amity for protection and probably swear loyalties to the ghost zone since the be liminal asf lonly to be stopped by Maddie and after some good ol' fashion Fenton style shenanigans, Maddie is either adopted to be the new Demon head or is the demon head??

So yeah that's what came to mind, so tell me what u think.

[animeredhead101]

Minor Ships DP x DC Crossover

Duke Thomas / Danny Fenton

You Are a Monster (But So Am I) by TheWrittingOwl :

Gotham was not known for its snowy weather. Sure, they'd get decent snowfall in time for Christmas, and they often fell victim to the east coast blizzards, but never had they had snow earlier than Thanksgiving. Of course, it's while Duke is doing his Halloween patrol that a freak blizzard hits Gotham. As he waits for someone to relieve him for the night patrol, he comes across something... strange in the snow. The weather may be strange, but it is still Halloween. AKA 5 Times Duke denies he's a monster fucker and 1 Time he kisses the monster Word Count: 16,046 Completed

Cassandra Cain / Danny Fenton

lex luthor's ascent from supervillainy to fatherhood by halfgone(milkywxy) :

Based on this Tumblr prompt.

Lex Luthor has recently acquired a son. Weapon? Parole officer? ...Lex now has a teenaged god and he'll be damned if someone tries to take the kid away from him.

Word Count: 519,936 On-going

I wasn't expecting this fic but I love it! I usually hate Lex Luthor but I love how the author developed his character with Danny. One of my new favorites for sure!

Kon-El | Conner Kent / Danny Fenton

play it cool for you by aschriles :

Just because Tim had gone and got himself a boyfriend didn't mean Kon had to go and get himself a... whatever the heck he and Danny had going on. Fuck buddies. They were fuck buddies. Word Count: 18,409 Completed

Eat the Acid by DisillusionedDanny :

When Elle decided to introduce Danny to her new clone friend Conner, she was expecting a new brother. Not a new brother-in-law. Tie that in with some clone chaos, best friends Vlad and Lex, and a baby, and Conner and Danny are in for a ride of a lifetime. It could have only been fate that caused them to meet when they did.

Word Count:24,788 Completed

Seeing Double by Scififan33 :

What do you do when you find out you aren't who you always thought? Jazz knew it was the chance to get Danny away from their Phantom obsessed parents and Danny was just in shock. Hopefully, he'd be allowed to explain but why would he want Danny around? Word Count: 20,098 On-going What do you do when you find out you aren't who you always thought? Jazz knew it was the chance to get Danny away from their Phantom obsessed parents and Danny was just in shock. Hopefully, he'd be allowed to explain but why would he want Danny around? Word Count: 20,098 On-going

Thomas Wayne / Danny Fenton

Mourning a Young Soul Leads to Shared Custody by Olive_of_Vanders :

Danny was given a choice.

Become King or parent a ghost kid. Ghost kid sounded a lot more easier to him.

Word Count: 41,929 Completed

John Constantine / Danny Fenton

Completed

And My Exes, They Haunt Me by JoyLess_NightSky :

"Look, mate-" "Don't call me mate. That's weird." "Right. Your highness-" "That's even weirder. But, fine. Go on?" John sighed, obviously done with the interruptions. "This isn't just about us, luv. Alright? I get why you're angry, but me mates need ya. Heck, the whole bloody damn world needs ya! The twat that came through is very much about to do the whole bloody world domination schtick ya kept Pariah from doin'. That ain't something you're alright with, is it now?" The summoned man gave Constantine an unimpressed look. "If it's you asking? I might make an exception." OR: The Justice League is in over their heads with the new enemy. They need help, and Constantine may know a guy. But the guy… doesn't really like Constantine a lot right now. Word Count: 2,914

On-going

Lair of the Mysterious Reaper by Joshua2000 :

Danny's lair is the House of Mystery. When he enters it for the first time, he finds John Constantine and Zatanna Zatara occupying it. Between being the ghost king, the reaper of the souls of heroes and keeper of the balance Danny really needs a break. Based on a series of prompts by Sleepy (LonelyLittleWhiteRabbit) Original prompt here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45336712/chapters/114063079#workskin

Word Count: 6,815

Like and Survive- Phantom’s Guide to Young Hero Survival by robinasnyder :

When the world becomes aware of teenaged superheroes there is an immediate and fierce wave of backlash and controversy. That's where Phantom comes in. Phantom saved the world from a meteor fifteen years back; an impressive feat back in the day but now that meteors threatening all life on earth is such a common event that hardly anyone thinks about it. Phantom is considered an old timer who deals with a small city and nowhere else. When he begins uploading videos with advice for young heroes, he hopes a few new heroes might avoid some of the pain he went through. He's shocked at just how popular his advice suddenly becomes. Word Count: 306,940

[weresilver]

Fuck it Friday

I still have an hour of my Friday, ok.

Because I've been writing and I wanna share some of it. This is one scene of a prologue that I'm sending to, like, a few different people because I'm nervous about the whole concept. But it's fine.

This is an entire scene of a thing. A Hawaii Five-0 thing. Different First Meeting, canon divergence, all wrapped in a nice little Alternate Universe package, I guess? Set in the beginning/during season 3. Danny's not on the team.

Overall, blame @corvid-cryptidd. He's a horrible enabler.

Steve wasn’t sure what to think of all of this. He hadn’t believed Joe when he said he was Shelburne, but all the lies were starting to get him. The fact that he’d been in Suruga before, that Joe had been moving Shelburne just hours before Steve got to a location, stung. Moving and backtracking in order to avoid Wo Fat — and himself — was smart, and exactly what he’d have done. Joe did know how he operated better than anyone else.

His old commander had had a change of heart somewhere along the way, though, deciding to bring him back to Japan after his failed search just last week and take him to meet Shelburne, but none of it made all this secrecy easier to swallow. Whatever this was about, whether it was Wo Fat’s father or something even deeper, his father was executed for it.

They approached the seaside village mostly in silence after Joe’s explanations, but some noise ahead caught Steve’s attention, as if it was being intentionally made. Joe stopped walking, and Steve followed suit.

“Commander White,” a rather short man greeted. He extended a well-toned arm to Joe for a handshake that Joe quickly met. The vest and equipment — including the M16 rifle over his shoulder — made it easy to place him as military. With a nod towards Steve, he asked, “This is?”

“Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett,” Joe introduced, and Steve extended his own hand to the man. “Steve, this is Major Daniel Williams.”

Now slightly closer, Steve could see the American flag on the vest, though no real indication as to what branch the man — Major Williams — was part of.

Eying him up and down with a frown, Williams shook his hand and threw a glance at Joe that Steve couldn't begin to decipher. He shook his head softly.

“You gotta be kidding me,” he muttered, turning around to head back the way he came. “Come on, then.”

Steve could spot more well-armed personnel as they walked, none of them Japanese, all of them carrying themselves in the same way as Williams. The same way Steve saw several other operators move. None of the locals paid any mind to them, though. “What’s with the Army escort?”

“Got a problem with the branch choice, McGarrett?” There was a challenge in his voice, clear even if he didn't turn around to face them. 

“No problem,” he said, easily enough. “I'm just curious." Williams glanced back at him, but didn't say anything. “Wo Fat’s still looking, isn’t he?”

“Wo Fat is in Yakuza custody,” Joe answered easily enough. It explained why Joe had decided to bring him to Shelburne now, at least.

“Whether he stays there,” Williams added, gesturing wildly at the world around them, “Remains to be seen. While regrettable, Anna Douglas’ death at least served as a wake-up call.” There was annoyance in his tone, directed, Steve supposed, at the powers that be. “The CIA no longer wants anything to do with him, the Yakuza wants a piece of him.”

“The man who killed Agent Douglas has been arrested,” Steve said, uselessly. Williams nodded, but his shoulders remained tense. This man clearly knew that Hiro Noshimuri was dead, why else would the remaining Yakuza families be gunning for Wo Fat?

“Good for them.” Williams muttered, stopped from saying anything further by the man approaching them with easy, unhurried steps, interrupting their walk to talk with Williams. Steve couldn't hear what they were saying, could barely make out lip movements, and a glance at Joe told him he couldn't either.

Instead, Steve’s focus went to the man’s vest. The UK flag and S.A.S.-like emblem only added to Steve's apprehension.

“Just get moving, MacTavish.” The man avoided Williams’ swat easily enough, giving him a mock salute as he stepped back. “Go.”

“Aye, sir.”

MacTavish walked between the shacks toward the treeline, finally letting them move on. It wasn't long before the three of them came upon what looked like an abandoned shack, but Joe and Williams stopped well before they reached the door.

“Joe?” He questioned, glancing backwards.

“Go on,” Joe nodded toward the door. “You deserve some answers, Steve.”

[heavenstarship]

tell me about johnny please please please 🙏🙏 you have given me brainworms about him i need to know everything about him 💝💝💝

johnathan "johnny" louise hearst... that little SHIT... you are the third person to get brainworms about him and the second person besides me who has them. thank you for giving me the opportunity to yap about him.

preface: johnny is largely based off of oingo boingo's debut album only a lad, as well as some of their other work (mainly demos from that era and the song cool city by danny elfman). when i say he's based off of only a lad, i mean it. i've wrung every drop of characterization i can out of those 10 tracks. "even THAT one?" ESPECIALLY that one. buckle in.

lore: from the onset, johnny was pretty much out of luck. born into a family with an already plentiful share of problems (older sister who could never really stick to the right path, emotionally unstable mom, military dad), his parents divorced pretty soon after he was born. his mom wound up with primary custody, and he and his sister only saw their dad every so often. johnny starts showing signs of trouble pretty early on, and rather than doing anything about it, his mom opts to leave him to his own devices. he discovers matches, developing his fascination bordering obsession with fire. he was already a trouble in class- couldn't sit still, couldn't pay attention, was a terror on the playground- so lighting something on fire during school hours was the tipping point that got him kicked out of 3rd or 4th grade. since he had no discipline or support, he lacks any real sense of right and wrong... leading him to believe that taking one of his parents' guns, stealing his neighbor's radio, and shooting her in the leg was a completely fine thing to do. she obviously recognizes that the incident isn't entirely his fault and his circumstances are more to blame, but unfortunately his neighbors preferred to cry out about his situation instead of trying to get him help. his mother, reaching the end of her already short rope, seeks to have her child whipped into shape. a close family friend, mr. one-way, notices her plight and offers to take johnny in under his wing to have him reformed into an upstanding member of society.

he starts receiving lessons- on how to act properly, obedience, servitude, all things a budding young lass should know for a good future under the american dream- is enrolled back in school, and seems to be getting better. lessons in matters primarily aiming to get the kid to shut up and put his head down give way to easy coercion, and mr. one-way, who should have been helping johnny, uses the opportunity to irreparably damage him. a drastic change in johnny is immediately apparent; sure, he's not acting out anymore, but he's a husk of the bright and bubbly kid everyone knew. eventually, everything that's going on gets too much for johnny, and he tells a trusted adult. word about it spreads fast, and before anyone can get a handle on the situation, the man who committed this horrible deed goes on the run. johnny is left shattered and believing this is all his fault. that coupled with the fact that his mother both blames him for mr. one-way's dissappearance and doesn't believe johnny about what happened pushes johnny over the edge, and he decides to make some very drastic changes. he seeks to destroy who he once was, to obliterate what mr. one-way or anyone else may have seen in him, to reinvent himself in an image that will truly make him happy and break free from the way everyone has always perceived him. with the help of his sister, he lobs his ponytails off, ditches the dresses and joins his local boy scout troop. his mother pitches a fit, but ultimately isnunable to stop him from making his own decisions. he discovers a home away from home in his scout troop; sure, his behavior may not be improving, but at least he's cared for and loved.

things at home and school get worse. his mother hates him now more than ever, and bullying at school increases tenfold. though his sister and his friends try to protect him, they can only do so much. johnny turns to acting out, desperately trying to make someone see him for once, as well as probably trying to scare off those harming him. punishments at home get more and more severe. his older sister eventually runs off with the SLA. harassment at school is driving him closer and closer to making some horrible decisions. during this time, his mental health takes a drastic dip; sure, maybe he was a little overcautious of things before, but now it was getting to the point where he was obsessed and paranoid about practically everything; his mother, god, people outside... something had to change. he finally snaps and decides that if he doesn't get the hell out of where he is now, he'll get out of it in death later. his friends help him hotwire a car and he tries to use it as his ticket out, but due to inexperience, he ends up hitting and killing a man. he's brought to court but, like always, nobody gives a shit. once the case is over, he steps back and looks at himself. he's becoming something horrible, both literally and metaphorically, and if he doesn't do something about it soon, what else could happen to him?

he picks himself up, gets a job, moves out, buys a sweet car, and eventually meets a girl, cali, who he falls in love with and starts to date. things are great for a while... but the two decide it could be even better. after much saving, johnny and cali buy an apartment in and move to cool city! soon they become interested in the nightlife and start going to local shows, discovering a small artist down on his luck and quickly becoming his biggest fans. this artist was none other than so-lo, and the three wound up hitting it off fairly quickly. johnny winds up forming a large part of his social circle through meeting people at so-lo's (and others') shows, though unfortunately for him he winds up associated with the wrong crowd. these new "friends" he makes really see him as nothing more than a tool to use... he eventually drops them, though not before making some very questionable decisions, such as getting a lobotomy to fix his very messed up brain (it did not work). he gradually meets the rest of the boingoverse and they end up becoming his new social circle, so yes, he eventually finds happiness. and a sugar daddy. he gets with the elevator man.

info:

despite his messy and monstrous past, johnny's a surprisingly sweet guy- he always has been. he's kind to everyone and tries to be helpful. kind of a doormat and tends to try and brush off things that bother him

has a bit of a staring problem, as well as difficulty in navigating most social situations. he's always been a very awkward and socially stunted guy

part french on his mom's side. speaks the language a bit, though he hasn’t used it in a while

his teenage monsterism, at one point, had spread over half of his body; it now only affects his right hand and lower forearm. scarring remains where in the affected areas. his teeth and ears were also permanently changed as side effects

his orange glow is “natural”- it’s a tan, though really almost a burn. he spends way too much time outside. of average build, though surprisingly toned; his outdoor activities, like hiking and such, keep him fit

prone to emotional outbursts and fits of sorts. they were more common in his younger years, but still happen from time to time

in his past he’d describe himself as mean, rude, paranoid, an outcast, having extremely shameful and downright self-destructive habits, and a pyromaniac... he’s still a lot of those things, but he’s gotten better

speaks politely but swears like a sailor. has loud and brash humor, with some of his jokes performed in an over-the-top manner. highly critical of the world around him, sometimes to a detrimental and very cynical degree

uses a cane, as he didn't walk away from that car crash unscathed. walks with a limp

special interests include boy scouts and bdsm, of all things... keeps quiet about the bdsm interest but often resorts to yammering on about boy scouts when he's nervous. though he's aged out of the program, he keeps/wears his old uniform for sentimental purposes and still engages in the hobbies he gained from it (knot tying, wood carving, documenting nature, hiking, camping, etc.)

played trumpet in high school concert band. picked up playing fiddle on a whim

relationships with the rest of the boingoverse:

danny (elfman): his dad. no, literally. danny is his dad. this is an alternate universe where instead of just being a military brat he was actually in the military. likes him a lot but wishes he was more present when it mattered

louise (from the song): his mom. suffice to say he doesn't like her

patty (you got your baby back/ballad of the caveman): his older sister! looks up to her a lot though in private he mourns the loss of who she was pre-SLA

california (more of an oc based off of california girls and a mystic knights poster): girlfriend who he loves to death

the hurcules and henderson families (forbidden zone): his neighbors growing up. was friends with the kids and even in the same scout troop as flash

satan (forbidden zone): beat him in a fiddle contest once and satan hasn't spoken yo him since

louis (oingo boingo): pet cat who he absolutely ADORES. i mean, johnny literally keeps a picture of him on him at all times... he has to like him somewhat...

yo-cat (nothing to fear): heavy dislike but who DOESN'T hate this guy

fred (good for your soul): admires him a lot for his confidence and muscles. hopes to be like him someday

so-lo (so-lo): HEAVY admiration, also kind of has a crush on him? sees him like a father figure as well. mixed but good feelings on him

b. dead (dead man's party): they don't talk much but johnny thinks he's pretty chill

the elevator man (boi-ngo): his sugar daddy. a little scared of him but, like, in a consensual power dynamic way where they're both super into it so whatever

b.e. alive (boingo alive): they definitely yap about guns and cars and the wild west together

peter (dark at the end of the tunnel): kind of like his little brother but he's a little weirded out by him because he's seven yet acts YEARS more mature than he does. plays toys with him sometimes

mary (boingo): like a mom to him, though he has some trouble opening up to her

farewell (farewell): he makes johnny sad to he tends to avoid him