#i think danny should be alternate bruce

[charlietheepicwriter7]

In front of the entire Justice League, Dan (who was in a 25 year old clone body) along with a de-aged/ghost aged Danny fall out of one of Clockwork's clock portals. They'd just gone through something extremely traumatizing, likely the deaths of their friends and family and the destruction of their entire dimension. So Clockwork, like the true neutral that he is, only saved Dan and Danny and threw them into an alternate universe for safekeeping. Upon seeing the Justice League, Dan bursts into tears because he's had a long day.

Also, Danny, therefore Dan, are either alternates or doppelgangers for Damian Wayne.

So Batman witnesses a man who looks like his teenage son step out of a time-themed portal holding a child that resembles him. This man then proceeded to look at him and burst into tears.

[catmaraudersfan]

😳 ..... I just had an idea. 🤯:

I was reblogging a story idea, when it made me think of another few prompts, and it gave me an IDEA~ (This idea has only been done once and even then I'm gonna spin it differently.)

Rather than be Jason or Damian's alternate self, Danny is BRUCE WAYNE'S alternate self!

*The Batfam winds up in the DP world (I got the "DC winds up in DP" idea from a brilliant prompt scroll my blog. You should find it. I reblogged it very recently.), sees Danny, and IMMEDIATELY clocks him as alternate Bruce.*

After getting used to each other, the topic of alternate timelines gets brought up and with them evil selves get brought up too.

Seeing the gloomy looks starting up, Danny decides to cheer them up by giving them hope and brings up Dan. (Post Glitch in Time.)

At first, the Batfam is HORRIFIED. Bruce isn't too shocked. He made the "No killing" rule FOR A REASON. Jason ........ now gets why B never killed Joker. This actually helps him start to forgive him.

Bruce SHUDDERS to learn that this almost happened to him, powers or not, if he had leaned into his rage and didn't have Alfred.

They then are happily shocked when they hear future-B was redeemed. They weren't surprised, B is B no matter the timeline.

Sometime later a kid looking like Danny's twin shows up with a girl who looks EERILY similar to them both.

They aren't surprised by the twin, Danny explained about the clone body thing. They're more interested in the girl.

Dan sees the lack of surprise at him, sees the surprised looks being aimed at Ellie, and correctly assumes the twirp told them about him but didn't get to explaining Ellie yet.

*Dan:*

The name's Dante Masters. This is Danielle Masters. Vlad (he also correctly assumed Danny explained Vlad.) created her after the twirp rejected his proposal to be his son.

[treepainting]

Ooooh I just came up with an idea

You know all of this fics where Danny is an alternate universe version of like Bruce or Jason? What if it was with Damian

There could be some kind of ritual that sends Damian into Danny’s universe only they both get caught by the GIW and Everything Goes Wrong

By that I mean both of them get vivisected. And the Fentons should do at least some of it, and that Jack looks just like Bruce for extra ✨trauma✨

They both go on the Road Trip of Hell while escaping and Danny’s just working on building a temporary portal to the Ghost Zone/Damian’s home dimension.

I want Danny to lean out of a car with like a mcguivered bazooka or something to try and drive off the GIW for a while with some kind of crazy/stressed smile back at Damian.

I want little moments where they’re bonding/teaching each other how to fight (Because Damian knows formal fighting, and if we go with Danny knowing some self defense from his mom he’s not completely horrible at it, but Danny knows how to fight like a feral raccoon. It’s effective and Damian DOES like animals right?)

I want them to finally get to Damian’s dimension and when they finally finally gets to the bats and Bruce reaches out to help his son Damian flinches

And then I want it to get into the fluff/healing/trauma dumping part where the newly dubbed twins (who get along scarily well and everyone is pretty sure are trauma bonded) are healing while simultaneously causing the other bats to become more and more distressed (it may or may not be on purpose)

It would also be pretty cool if their habits and mannerisms rubbed off on one another, so they can be uncannily similar one moment then completely different the next

I also had the idea of them being literally the same soul- like, the soul that originally formed was completely identical when they were babies but diverged due to different experiences, so it’s literally a ‘same soul two bodies’ thing. I just think it would be neat, even if it’s not even really mentioned, but just like, Implied you know?

[avaritia-apotheosis]

5 Universes Parallel and 7 Perpendicular

Trouble often found Constantine like maggots to a corpse

A DPxDC Crossover // Read on [AO3] [FF.net] // Fic Masterlist

Trouble often found Constantine like maggots to a corpse. 

This time, Trouble’s name went by Danny Fenton. Some random kid— “hey I’m fourteen!” — with an impossible physiology and a soul that not even the most desperate demon or benevolent angel would take. Not because Danny is in any way particularly good or evil, but because Constantine is 99.998% sure the Lords of Hell and the Heavenly Hosts even knew what Danny’s soul even was in the first place. 

(If you could even…call it a soul, anyway. He isn’t sure how he can explain it, and Danny has zero clue at what Constantine’s asking for anyway. “It’s science,” Danny would say with a shrug. “Weird science, anyway. Something about ectoplasm and imprinted consciences and mutations in the DNA. I’m not sure on the specifics, but my parents can tell you.”)

Of course, being lost in another fucking universe probably didn’t help.

He clips another cigar and lights it. Cuban, full-bodied, good blend; he got it as a bonus from some clients a few weeks back and he’d been slowly making his way through the pack. He lets the smoke settle on his tongue before he puffs it out, slinging his legs up to rest on top of the coffee table with a groan. 

Danny scrunched his nose at him, uncrossing his arms to go over and open a window. 

“What?” Constantine rolled his eyes, gesturing to the boy with a cigar. “You don’t get to complain. You don’t even need to breathe.”

“Yeah and smoking still makes everything smell like crap. It’s a terrible habit, y’know.”

He huffs, smoke billowing out, and makes a note to himself to smoke like he’s a goddamn dragon just to annoy the kid. “Hey, I think putting up with a bit of my bad habit is enough compensation for having to help your penniless ass, brat.”

Danny scoffed. “It’s not like I had any choice in that.”

Which was the crux of the matter, of course. See, Constantine has had his fair share of inter-dimensional or inter-planar travel. But shit like parallel universes …well, that was more the Justice League’s purview anyway. All those alternate universes where everything is a distorted mirror of their own reality—and apparently home to way too many evil Supermen to be comfortable with— not exactly Constantine’s cup of tea. He’s had his fair share of experiences with them, but definitely not enough to actually help someone whose universe is nowhere even remotely similar to his own.

Oh, according to Danny his Earth did have a London and an America and a Korea, etc. The majority of their countries were the same, give or take a few that only seemed to exist in Constantine’s universe. But it was the people where they differed.  Remarkably, there was no Justice League in Danny’s world. Or any kind of superheroes at all. ( Like in comic books? Danny had said when Constantine asked.)

As far as Danny knew, he was the closest thing that came to a superhero in his world and half of the time people just consider him a menace.  Even big shot ‘civilians’ like Bruce Wayne, Lex Luthor, or Oliver Queen were non-entities in that parallel world. Instead they got some creepy asshole called Vlad Masters who should probably get another hobby that isn’t ‘terrorizing a fourteen-year-old.’

But where this strange alternate world lacked in martians and cosmic world-ending threats, they made up for with a shit ton of ghosts. Which brought them to their current predicament: through a ridiculous set of circumstances that Danny really didn’t want to explain, the kid managed to tumble through a rift in the Infinite Realms (something that Constantine hasn’t heard of but you’ll be damn sure he’s gonna make it his business to know) and landed probably five parallel universes and seven perpendicular universes away from  his own earth and right in front of Constantine’s doorstep. (No, those were probably not the correct scientific terms but Constantine was a fucking occultist not a physicist so sue him.)

(Actually, don’t. He’d rather not deal with it.)

Constantine did try his best to do right by the kid. He’d taken Danny’s case up to the Justice League to see if they had the tech that could send the kid home. No such luck at the moment. And even if they did, they weren’t sure if they had the capabilities to connect to not only Danny’s specific branch in whatever cosmic tree was keeping everything afloat, but the correct version of Danny’s universe as well. Constantine’s other contacts said much the same thing.

And since Danny Fenton didn’t exist in this universe, he felt bad leaving the kid alone, so he offered him room and board at his place until they could find a way to get Danny home. (Or until the kid got sick and tired of Constantine’s antics and just moved out.)

(Or until Danny died. Constantine had a pretty bad track record of getting his friends killed by association, y’know. Though considering Danny’s half-ghost… could he even die again?)

(Better not push his luck.)

Constantine set his cigar aside. Danny’s still by the window, elbows propped up on the sill, eyes trained a thousand miles away. No— ‘light-years’ is probably the correct measurement here. 

Constantine rests his chin against his knuckles. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Danny shrugged, chin nestled against his open palm, fingers curled near the seam of his mouth. Nervous nail-biter, maybe? “Just…worried.” His voice is level, but you could feel the anxiety nestled deep within from the sharp staccato of his fingers against the windowsill. Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap. “I’ve never been gone this long from Amity Park before. It tends to…attract a lot of annoying ghosts, and it’s up to me to make sure their trouble doesn’t get too out of hand.”

“Ah. Define trouble.”

Danny laughs. “It depends on which ghost it is, I guess. Some of the regulars honestly just want to annoy me. There’s the Box Ghost—yeah that’s literally what he calls himself, he controls boxes, no I am not making this up—who should really learn to just stay in the Zone already. I think my record for beating him is like 15 minutes, and 10 of those minutes was just trying to find him. Skulker’s a bounty hunter that’s just dead set—pun intended—on skinning me for my pelt. I don’t know what he’s gonna do with that pelt, and at the rate things are going I don’t think I’ll ever find out. I’ve probably destroyed more of his robot suits than anyone else.”

Some of his rogues want to skin him? Huh. Maybe Constantine should be more concerned about how nonchalant Danny is when describing all of this. “If you got regulars, then that means you also got ghosts that only come in sometimes, right?”

“Yeah…” Danny raked a hand through his hair. “It’s part of the reason why I’m so worried. Those kinds of ghosts have been coming up at an alarming rate recently. Like, the last ghost I dealt with was this guy named Undergrowth. He’s big, green, looks like a giant weed, and is pretty much able to control all plant life. He took control of the entire town and essentially enslaved everyone using mind vines. I literally had to develop a new powerset just to fight him.”

“Huh. Must be tough, having to fight all this on your own.” 

“It is, yeah…but I’m not alone. My friends help me.”

Constantine lowers his feet to the floor. He scoots up to the edge of his ratty old sofa and pats down the spot next to him. “Friends? That’s good, at least. Tell me about them.”

“Well…” Danny let out a sharp exhale, eyes wavering between the window and the empty spot on the couch as if deciding where he’d be more comfortable being at. Eventually, he pushes himself away from the window and tentatively sits down on the couch, fingers drumming against the burgundy cushions. “There’s Sam and Tucker. I’ve known Tucker since forever ago, but the two of us became friends with Sam back in middle school. They were there with me when I, well, became this. And ever since then, they’ve been helping me fight all the ghosts that’ve been coming through the portal.”

There’s a smile on Danny’s lips as he talks about them. Soft but bright. A flash of teeth every time he has to hold back a laugh whenever he suddenly remembers a funny story. He talks about Tucker’s genius with technology, Sam’s interest in the occult,  and how the two of them have a running argument regarding their food preferences. He goes into anecdotes about their adventures, and how so many of Danny’s own victories couldn’t have been done without their help.

“Sounds like you trust them,” Constantine said.

“With my life.” There’s an air of gravity in the way Danny said those words. As if they were an unwavering truth of the universe.

He placed a comforting hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Then trust that they’ll be able to hold down the fort until you get back.”

Danny’s eyes widened a fraction, before he hung his head low, smiling sheepishly. “Yeah, yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Suddenly finding himself feeling very awkward at this almost-tender moment, Constantine slapped his knees once and pushed himself off the couch. “Well, best stop your worrying for now, kid. Come on, grab your jacket. Let's go get some Nando’s.”

Danny’s brows scrunched up in confusion. “The heck is Nando’s?”

“Oh you poor, poor, American. Come on, let me introduce you to the wonders that is peri peri chicken.”

Trouble often found Constantine like maggots to a corpse. But maybe this time, he didn’t mind Trouble so much. 

[britcision]

And part two! So a good chunk of the reason the chapter got so long is that around halfway through this part I realized… Danny and Jason didn’t have a single scene together

And we can’t have that!

And then they just kept being adorable

So this is my promise to y’all that whenever possible, we will have at least one scene of the lads directly interacting every chapter 😁

Part 1:

—————————

The Finished Core part 2

Jason was stable, his core fully formed for a little less than a month, and they’d hung out and done ecto shots until midnight last night. Danny had no homework due, but would be starting a big project by the end of the week. His schedule wouldn’t be this empty for at least another two months.

And if he delayed beyond that. He’d either never do this, or have to explain to Jason what he was doing, because Jason would probably ask.

Jason being unavailable tonight (something big was going on with his library project, which Danny thought was just adorable) was actually why Danny had to do it now.

Because Jason would want to come with him. And, as fraught as his relationship with Bruce Wayne obviously was, Danny was pretty sure it wasn’t “have a good reaction to hearing about Danny’s evil alternate self killing him” bad.

And. Y’know. The end of the world thing.

And that Danny wanted to put him on parole.

That was all gonna be way too complicated for Danny to explain easily, so he had to go talk to Nocturn tonight. While he could do it alone.

Because maybe “here is my formerly evil alternate self” would sound so much better all the problems would just melt away.

Whatever. That was Future Danny’s problem anyway, which was okay because Dan’s timeline divergence was now very firmly in the past.

Dan wasn’t the Ghost King. He should be comparatively harmless.

Danny wasn’t thinking about how comparatively harmless he’d been when he stuffed Dan into a thermos.

Sucking in a bolstering breath, he floated up to the deceptively simple door to Nocturn’s lair and knocked.

Waiting to be let in was a formality; technically Danny could have ripped open a portal right into the heart of Nocturn’s lair and there was nothing the Lord of Dreams could do about it, but. Nocturn had done him a favour. Danny was trying to be cool.

There was a long enough wait that he almost wondered if he should just push in, show that he wasn’t fucking around either, but then the door swung open.

Nocturn was waiting for him just inside, his white jester’s mask arranged into placid servility that Danny didn’t buy for a moment. Tendrils of night curled around him, swaying ever so slightly but tucked in close. He clearly didn’t want Danny too deep in his lair, and Danny decided to respect that, coming in just far enough for the door to close behind them.

Technically, it’d put him in Nocturn’s power, if he wasn’t the Ghost King. The whole Zone was his lair if he wanted it to be.

Nocturn inclined his head gracefully, his voice smooth and impassive as he spoke.

“You desire something, my king?” He asked carefully, and Danny hesitated.

He didn’t like doing the whole… thing. Would have preferred not to need it. But if they were standing on ceremony…

It was barely a thought before the Crown of Fire formed above his head, the silhouette of the crown itself fading in before it caught with spectral green flames, that themselves were overwhelmed by creeping spires of diamantine frost.

The cape spilled down from his shoulders, its folds lit with galaxies and nebulas far grander in scale than Nocturn’s own star-speckled form. There was no weight to it, and no wind, yet it rippled and swayed anyway, plucked by solar currents.

Danny consciously cut the change off there. Any of the armour or other regalia could be taken as a challenge, and while Nocturn was just as unwilling to actually become the King personally, it’d make him cranky. And Danny needed another favour.

“Yes, Dream Lord. It’s… it is about the charge I placed in your care. The one who sleeps in the Evermoving Now.” Ancients, Danny felt like an idiot every time he had to talk like this. He was sure he sounded like a particularly cheesy “historical” fantasy, and had to consciously avoid slipping into an awful British accent.

Maybe he should have brought Jason. Jason could have made it sound cool.

Danny’s best guess at formality was “no contractions”. Jason actually knew courtly manners from the Elizebethans to the Tokugawa shogunate.

At least it wasn’t like Nocturn expected better from him. He simply nodded, his expression unchanging.

“He is still sleeping, my king.” A flicker of annoyance skated across his face, gone before it was even there. “He is… not so resistant to my power as you are, but still exerts his own demands upon what dreams he will tolerate.”

Yeah, Danny had figured. Dan had damn near Ended his universe’s Nocturn, and he’d had to give Nocturn a chunk of his own power as the King to keep him safe enough to work on Dan at all. Keeping people unconscious was not usually in the Dream Lord’s power.

Honestly, Danny had been kinda hoping that all the time just in Soup Jail… the thermos might have made Dan a little more. Well. Not nicer? But. Less fussy about distractions.

He returned the nod a little awkwardly, offering a smile that he hoped wasn’t too sheepish.

“Yeah… yes. I was afraid of that. But… I want to speak with him. Perhaps make him a little more… amenable to your gifts. And maybe take him off your hands entirely, if all goes well.”

That did provoke a reaction, an eyebrow raising as interest lit Nocturn’s red eyes. Dan must be a real pain in the ass.

“It… can be arranged,” he said slowly, scanning Danny up and down for the first time. Looking for what, Danny wouldn’t even guess, but whatever it was he had no idea if Nocturn found it.

Danny nodded again, fighting the urge to fidget.

“Great… yeah. Yes. Good. Obviously not in physical forms, given his confinement, but.” He drew himself up, thinking back to all the shows he’d been watching with Jason over the last two weeks. Not many kings, but all sorts of stuffy nobility.

He tried to call up his best Liz Bennet.

“I would have you link our dreams, so that he need not wake, and we may speak entirely in your realm. Tomorrow night. Ah… I will… let you know how it goes?” He trailed off, and Nocturn let out a huff which might have been amusement or irritation.

Danny wasn’t gonna push for an aura read to check. He didn’t wanna know.

“I presume, my king, that I need not care how it goes until you ask that I remove him from my dreams. And in exchange for this…” he let the sentence hang, not actually asking for anything.

Technically, Danny didn’t have to give him anything. He could make it a Command, with the whole weight of the Infinite Realms behind his order. Nocturn would have no choice but to obey.

But he didn’t want to be a tyrant. And he’d expected to have to give something, and he’d come prepared.

A real, not entirely nice smile pulled at his lips.

“You must be tired of being confined to the Zone, and having to spend so much of your power catering to Dan’s dreams. For your ongoing service and assistance in this matter, I will give you the power to keep one single human asleep indefinitely, and you can give him any dreams you like.”

Now that definitely got the ghost’s attention, his whole posture stiffening, outline sharpening as he leaned in ever so slightly. There was a very real hunger in his gaze.

“Did you have a human in mind?” He asked, his voice a low hiss of want.

Firmly squashing any trace of discomfort, Danny nodded.

“The Joker.”

Nocturn’s eyes widened, and then a slow and far more genuine smile spread across his lips.

**

If he were being honest with himself, Vlad certainly hadn’t expected to hear from Wayne again so soon. They’d gotten along delightfully well the day after the gala, right up until Daniel’s little “rescue attempt”, which was just adorable.

Of course, Wayne had insisted any reconcilliation with Timothy or Richard would have to be between them as men, which was annoying. But Vlad could be magnanimous.

Thanks to Danielle and Daniel he was at least vaguely aware of what young people wanted, although Daniel was no longer a teenager. He’d never been a rich teenager though; doubtless the Drake-Wayne boy could afford any consoles or games he desired.

He was vaguely aware that Drake-Wayne was interested in technology, fully up to date with the workings of the company he was now CEO to.

Vlad wasn’t. He didn’t much care for what human technology could do without the boost of ectoplasm; Wayne Tech largely worked in communications devices and medical technology, all of which was easily reverse engineered and improved by Vlad’s own companies to run with ectoplasm.

It would mean far too great a loss to give the boy access to an ectoplasm battery… although if Daniel were cosying up to his brother, they’d have access to ectoplasmic technology soon anyway.

A loss to his corporate dominance, then, in exchange for a gain with his godson. It could only help their relationship if Vlad could endear himself to his future sons-in-law, and perhaps be yet more proof of his good intentions.

Of course, for it to be proof, an older battery wouldn’t have done. The technology remained proprietary, and the ecto batteries never broke down or lost charge (until Vlad wanted them to), so they rarely needed replacing, so Wayne Tech would need to be doing corporate espionage of their own to have any access at all (and be able to get past the little ectoplasmic tricks and traps that continued to befuddle poor dear Luthor’s attempts to steal his technology over at Lex Corp; Vlad did so enjoy reading of the corporate disasters that marked unsuccessful attempts).

A newer model of battery would make for a better gift. And an offer of a deal, to provide more for the next generation of Wayne Tech devices for only a meagre percentage. An apology fit for a king, or the regent of one, complete with diplomatic offers for the future.

Dick Grayson was some kind of police officer. Vlad just bought his department a suite of new computers and a new espresso machine. Simple.

He’d have liked to have it all delivered before he saw “Brucie” next, yet the man had been utterly intent on coming to see him as soon as possible, barely a week after their last meeting when he got in touch. That was unusual; Vlad usually had to be much more proactive to gain access to the kind of person worth overshadowing.

Not that he would overshadow Wayne now. Daniel had staked his claim rather firmly on the whole family, and Lady Gotham was not a spirit Vlad intended to cross. Honestly he was a little surprised she tolerated Daniel cuddling up to her pet socialites, yet the boy was king. She must approve of the match.

(Vlad might wish his own opinion mattered in such a situation, but Jason Todd had provided such a delightful opportunity to prove himself to Daniel that nothing else could touch it.)

Still, it was nice to know that Brucie at least already liked him. He’d made such a touching little speech to Jason at the gala, they simply had to be on better terms than he and Daniel, and hopefully he would also be on good terms with Daniel too by now.

He’d seemed very interested when talking to Vlad and the Mansons, and Vlad had talked up all of Daniel’s best traits; now they would have travelled back to Wayne Manor together and would surely be well acquainted. The man certainly looked enough like Jack Fenton for a sentimental soul like Daniel to get attached.

A slight grimace tugged at Vlad’s face as his limo pulled up to the airport. Really, that was the only downside with Brucie Wayne; it was like hanging out with a slightly more reasonably sized Jack. Intellect and all.

That would be trying over the man’s stay, but he had insisted on putting himself up in a hotel rather than staying at Vlad’s, and if he could just keep the two apart… Vlad reassured himself that the Fentons had gone to visit Jasmine over the holidays, and absolutely couldn’t have returned to town without him noticing.

Which, of course, was a thought as sure to summon Jack Fenton as an unwise wish to summon Desiree.

A large hand clapped across Vlad’s entire back just as he stepped out of the car, making him flinch.

“VLADDIE! Lovely to see ya, buddy! You’re not heading outta town again, are ya! You only just got back!” The man bellowed, and Vlad’s eyebrows twitched.

As if they weren’t both standing in front of the Arrivals lounge.

Perhaps Jasmine was making a late return, anything to avoid sharing a flight with her parents… it certainly couldn’t be Daniel, Vlad would have sensed him long before now. The boy couldn’t help travelling with a spectral fanfare these days.

He forced a polite smile onto his face, moving firmly towards the doors and hoping to lose the man inside.

“No, Jack, I’m here to receive a friend. As you are, I presume? I didn’t realize you were already back from your own trip.” He didn’t really bother listening to the answer, glancing around quickly to see if Madeline was also here. It would be nice to see her briefly…

Jack Fenton laughed boisterously, crowding along behind him far too close for comfort.

“Ah, that’s ol’ Vladdie! Sharp as a pin! Yeah, a colleague called and asked us to outfit some big wig visiting for his first trip to Amity Park! Maddie’s got the Spectre Deflector an’ a couple other toys, he’s some big tech guy from some other city, Gotham or something?”

For a second Vlad thought his ghost sense had somehow missed Daniel; the unmistakeable feeling of ice slithered down his spine. It took a moment to actually pinpoint the cause.

Gotham.

No.

He couldn’t be.

Vlad’s life could not be this cursed.

He’d done nothing to deserve this.

He’d fucking forgotten that Daniel was Jack and Madeline’s son, and had probably given Wayne his parents’ contact information.

He’d actually stopped walking as the impending dread washed over him, Jack leaving him behind by a few paces as they reached the terminal lounge that Brucie Wayne would be entering at any second.

He’d. Tried to emotionally prepare himself. To perhaps set up a meeting between the two parties. Where he could be on the other side of town.

But no, they were all here, and there was Madeline as resplendent as ever in her teal bodysuit, her arms filled with beeping and flashing Fenton junk. His heart still gave a flood of warmth at the sight of her, but that was all.

Just his heart. Not his core, not his Obsession. That was still a bit of a relief, every time. She’d made it quite clear that they couldn’t be friends while he was so fixated on her; on removing Jack.

He caught the moment that she spotted him past the exuberant and loving display she and Jack shared, as if they’d been parted for decades instead of minutes. Managed a small but genuine smile, and settled further when she smiled back.

Reserved, certainly, especially in the wake of her obvious passion. But it was a real smile, and meant far more to him than those she’d faked for Jack’s sake at the height of his mania.

Madeline’s friendship was infinitely more precious than any notion of possessing her, and he had been so lucky to have any left to rekindle by the time he’d finally gotten control of himself. They may never be as close as all three of them had once been in college, but for Madeline he could even smile and embrace Jack.

(Which had become immensely easier when he’d been able to rationalise that Jack Fenton was simply incapable of the intellect, malice, or even comprehension to have killed him. All three of them had worked on the portal; it was simply poor luck that had him take the brunt of the accident and the ecto-acne that followed.

Or perhaps good luck; after all, he was now essentially immortal, rich beyond his wildest dreams, and powerful. He’d finally acquired sufficient leverage to have effective control over the Packers, even if he couldn’t own them outright! He even had Madeline’s son for his godson, and one day the boy might even accept him.

They had all eternity to find out.)

His reluctance waning slightly with Madeline’s company, he made his way to join the couple; he may as well stand beside them, if they’d come for the same man.

Madeline even rewarded him with a handshake, and he easily resisted the brief urge to kiss her hand or try to extend the gesture. He truly was growing and improving all the time.

“Madeline. Jack tells me you are also here for Brucie Wayne? Making sure he’s safe for his visit to our fair city?” He asked cheerfully, nodding to the pile in her arms.

It didn’t even hurt when Madeline shot a beaming smile at her beloved husband.

“Oh! Yes, and of course we simply had to get to know him. Danny’s already told us that Brucie knows about his condition, though we’re never to mention Jason’s of course,” she added sharply, giving her husband a stern look which somehow cleared the ridiculous distance to fly right over his head, then smiled back at Vlad, “but since our boys are getting along so well he’s almost family anyway!”

That was an interesting tidbit which Vlad hadn’t previously been privy to; he hadn’t known just how far Daniel trusted Brucie. Not far enough for the details on his own son, which was… interesting.

Not that Vlad would have said anything; perish the thought. One simply did not out another ghost of any description. It was rude. And would have no benefits for him anyway.

Interesting to know that the man was in on the fact that halfas existed, if not how close he was to one of course. Perhaps he could get some extra points by sharing his own secret?

That would wait until he had some idea of how discrete Brucie was capable of being. Evidence suggested that it would be “not at all”, but… if Daniel had shared his…

It seemed Vlad would need to get more out of this little visit than he’d expected.

As if specifically to disrupt his thoughts, the man of the hour appeared at just that moment, all broad smiles even fresh from a commercial airline of all things. Not even a private jet, yet he still looked freshly composed and perfect even amidst the bedraggled public.

It was frankly unfair, but Vlad didn’t have time to sulk before he had to dodge one of Jack’s massive arms flying into the air to wave, apparently recognising the man on sight as well. It shouldn’t be unusual of Bruce Wayne, yet Vlad highly doubted Jack could have recognised the man a week ago.

Celebrities that were alive were a closed book to all four Fentons, as far as he knew.

“BRUCIE!” Jack bellowed, waving enthusiastically with both arms like he wasn’t head and shoulders taller than the entire rest of the building.

Even Brucie was momentarily taken aback by the sheer size of the man, which Vlad wasn’t remotely bitter about anymore. Then he clocked Vlad beside the Fentons and that perfect, vapid smile slid across his face again.

“Vlad! Won’t you introduce me to your friends?” He asked easily, ever charming as he slid over to join them.

Maddie and Jack began sizing him up immediately, not even waiting to say hello before grabbing at his arms to lift and turn them. Vlad sighed heavily and gave a tight smile of his own, Brucie looking quite alarmed to be manhandled by such a tall man as Jack Fenton.

“Brucie, it’s good to see you again. These are my friends, Drs Maddie and Jack Fenton. I believe an associate of yours has asked them to… outfit you for your stay in our town?” He asked smoothly, not even tripping over the word “friends” anymore.

Not even when it meant Jack. It meant Madeline, and they were a package deal. He’d come to accept that, and the place she’d allowed him in their life. That he only had because Jack had never noticed how their relationship had changed.

Shaking away the thoughts, he refocused on Brucie, who’d turned that so charming smile on the Fentons and was now allowing them to fit him with a Spectre Deflector, one of their wrist lasers, and… well, he had to assume the large and oddly rigid pocket-square had to be another of their new inventions.

Very new, since Jack hadn’t showered him in its praises yet, but he was quite happily trying to sell it to the head of Wayne Enterprises entirely unaware that he’d likely have to get the Drake-Wayne boy to get any actual decisions made.

Brucie did at least look fascinated, and managed to ask just enough questions to keep Jack going. Honestly, if Vlad wasn’t careful Brucie would keep them trapped there all day… although that might not be all bad.

If he could leave the man in the variably capable hands of the elder Fentons, he could at least get some actual work done. Get the details of the battery proposal for Timothy finalized…

Brightening up a little, Vlad clapped his hands.

“Why, I have a great idea! Jack, Maddie, I’m sure Brucie would love to take a quick tour of the portal, to really see what makes our little town special.”

After all, Brucie would certainly want to take the time to get to know Daniel’s other family, and if Vlad could just ensure that all the time he spent with Jack was away from Vlad… well, he’d also have a brief reprieve from them both, guaranteed.

All three of his companions were visibly surprised by the suggestion, with just the faintest flicker of suspicion in dear Madeline’s eyes… for her alone, he gave his best conciliatory smile.

“And I can think of no one better to prepare Brucie for the delights of our little town. They are our pre-eminent ectologists,” he told Brucie, even bestowing Jack with a mostly sincere smile.

As always, he swelled with pride at the compliment, and Madeline’s face softened. She gave a very tiny nod, her approval still chasing the warmth of a summer breeze in his heart. Worth the sacrifice.

That left Bruce, surprised and delighted as ever, smiling with as much thought behind his eyes as a hamster.

“What’s this about a portal? You’ve told me all sorts of tales of ghosts in Amity Park, is that what this is about?”

A bit of a surprise to Vlad that Daniel hadn’t already mentioned it, but the boy had been…. Distracted by Jason Todd. Perhaps it wasn’t so surprising.

Vlad kept his smile bright, clapping his hands.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. Jack gives such wonderful tours. And then perhaps once you’ve finished there and had a look around town, I could take Brucie off your hands for dinner and let you get back to work?” He asked somewhat hopefully.

Small, controlled doses of both mountainous men. That would be fine. It would have to be.

Madeline did truly hesitate, and he knew the passion for her work would be nudging at her. She was a dedicated scientist, as much as she loved their “field work”; too long away from the lab made her itchy.

Jack, of course, didn’t notice, clapping Vlad firmly on the back.

“Nonsense, Vladdie! You just come along down to Fentonworks when you’re done bustling about and we’ll cook you up a Fenton Family Feast along with our guest!”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose,” Wayne began as Vlad struggled to think of an argument.

The Fentons having anything even edible in the house was no guarantee, let alone the time to prepare a real meal. He was quite sure they’d been subsisting on ectoplasm alone since before they even recreated the portal.

Unfortunately, knowing Jack, there was only one way out of it.

“My staff have already begun preparing dinner, and I would hate to put all their work to waste,” he said silkily, making a mental note to message his assistant and have her set up something suitable. He’d been planning on a restaurant, but personal plans were harder to change. “And of course if you have the time we would love to have you both over as well.”

He didn’t even have to grit his teeth to finish the sentence, didn’t even have to focus solely on Madeline. It barely even twinged. That old, hateful Obsession would have no power over him.

Proof of his own progress put a more genuine note in his smile too, and Jack beamed back as innocently as ever.

“Aw Vladdie, that’d be great! So, the portal, a tour of Amity Park, and then dinner at Vladdie’s! We can tell you some of those good ol’ college stories from back in the day!” He told Bruce enthusiastically, slapping him on the back hard enough that the man stumbled.

Part of Vlad was beginning to wonder if he should have sent the poor man a warning packet on the Fentons. But then, his boy was courting Daniel. Surely that would have been Daniel’s job, if he’d wanted the man warned.

Brucie looked between them all with that same innocent smile, clearly not following… but he must be used to that.

“Oh, I’d like a chance to get to know the town myself for a little bit… y’know, stretch my legs a bit and get regrounded after the flight. Is there anywhere I could just take a little walk, maybe a look around? This all sounds like real important stuff and if I go in all fuzzy-headed I just know I won’t make heads or tails of it,” he laughed, waving a hand self-deprecatingly.

Vlad hesitated. The Amity Park (and ancients he still hated the name but it was better than Amity Park Park) would be the obvious choice, or perhaps the shopping district would be ideal. Yet since the Fentons were already here…

This time it was his own back that Jack’s meaty paw slammed down on. The only reason Vlad didn’t stumble the same way Wayne had was his resilience as a halfa. And even then it was a close thing.

“Sure, sure! Tell ya what, Vladdie, you run along and get to all your important mayor duties,” Jack tipped Bruce and Madeline a wink, clearly indicating that they were all going to have a lot more fun, “and we’ll take ol’ Brucie down to the park! And then when you’re feeling better we’ll get you right to Fentonworks for the portal tour and some of Maddie’s famous fudge! It’s a secret family recipe, there’s nothing better for getting your noodle cookin’!”

Vlad did not sag in relief. He had far too much pride for that. Instead he looked to Wayne for agreement, only raising one perfectly poised eyebrow.

“I hope you won’t think me a poor host if I pass you off so soon…” he trailed off, not quite hinting his own preference. Certainly not obviously enough that Brucie Wayne would notice.

And indeed the man just beamed at him, giving Jack a firm pat on the back too.

“Not at all, that sounds just the thing! Just a couple minutes out in some fresh air away from that tube and I’ll be right as rain! We’ll see you again at dinner, Vladdie?” He added with that far too charming smile, immediately picking up on the nickname.

That. Was pretty much the biggest thing Vlad had been hoping to avoid. His smile strained a little around the edges.

“That sounds perfect, Brucie.”

At least he’d have a little time alone to recompose himself.

**

Danny… dithered. That was the only way Jason could think to describe it. He’d been in an odd mood since he’d called that afternoon, and while Jason was getting used to Danny completely forgetting to mention important things, this looked like the opposite.

And given what he’d just blurt out apropos of nothing, whatever had him opening his mouth and abruptly reconsidering couldn’t be good.

He’d texted and said he needed to talk to Jason about something important (a message that totally never caused any additional anxieties), and then called the minute his last class ended (which was so much more reassuring), but when Jason dropped by the university to pick him up… Danny insisted they go grocery shopping.

So now here they were, an hour later, and Danny was reading the full nutritional information on every box of cereal.

Finally running out of patience, Jason plucked the Frosted Berry Crunch Whatever from his hands and tossed it into the cart. Danny was already protesting as he turned, but Jason and the cart had a head start up the aisle.

“C’mon, your highness, we’re putting at least two vegetables in here and then we’re going home.”

Because see, Jason knew what decision paralysis was like. He knew what brain fog was like. He also knew what procrastinating was like, and there was only so much he was willing to put up with it.

Especially when he was beginning to suspect that the tingling at the base of his skull had less to do with Danny being accidentally ominous, and more to do with Danny possibly actually being in danger.

What the hell in Gotham could lay a finger on the half-dead king of ghosts? Malnutrition, sure, given the state of their cart, but Jason didn’t think that was it. He’d have been summoned by the contents of the dorm fridge alone if it were that simple, weeks ago.

If Bruce had still been in town, he’d have suspected that asshole was up to something, but he’d flitted merrily away to Amity Park. Which… was still concerning, but Jason figured that his magic knight sense or whatever would at least give him some sense of how immediate the danger was.

This didn’t feel distant, like something all the way in Bumfuck, Idaho. This felt close, immediate, and the way Danny was acting? Only made him more sure.

Which meant the threat to Danny was probably Danny himself, surprising precisely no one and least of all one regent of Time.

So what the hell was Jason supposed to do about it? Other than not put up with the prevaricating.

Obviously Danny wasn’t going to just take it lying down, though. He was already half a Wayne that way.

“Hey! If I’m the king, don’t I get to decide what we do!” He argued half heartedly, still following Jason down the aisle.

Jason stuck his tongue out at him over his shoulder.

“Be grateful I’m letting you pick the vegetables.”

Danny opened his mouth on what was sure to be an utterly scathing retort (not), and was immediately side tracked by something at the end of the aisle. Which he immediately snatched up three boxes of.

“Oh no way I didn’t think these were real! I’m picking these!”

Jason fielded one on its way past, and glared at the cheap cardboard box.

“Lucky Charms pancake mix? Fucking seriously?” He asked incredulously, turning the box to look for nutritional information. Because he liked horror fiction.

(And a little bit to mock Danny’s earlier bullshit.)

Danny snatched the box out of his hand and added another two to the cart on good measure.

“Hey, fuck you, I was craving the hell out of exactly these way back when you went to put Tuck’s name on the gala list! This is a gift from the universe to make up for my shitty life and I will not be denied!” He declared dramatically, even throwing up an arm in full Shakespearian declamation.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Jason scooped up three of the boxes, now turning the sceptical glare on Danny.

“Dude, if you want pancakes that bad, I’ll make them myself. This is just an overpriced marketing gimmick!” He shook one of the boxes for good measure.

Danny snatched that one back right away too and stuck his tongue out at him.

“Listen, I’ll take you up on that too, but I’m getting these! If I only wanted marshmallow pancakes I could make those myself, I need the soulless crunch of Lucky Charms!”

And alright, Jason’s aura reading was definitely still off (at least around Bruce), but he was pretty sure he was getting better at projecting specific words and feelings. Because he managed to project some combination of disbelief and garlic powder hard enough that Danny punched him on the arm.

“That was literally one time!”

“And I don’t want garlic pancakes,” Jason shot back, mildly surprised at how much the punch actually hurt.

Danny stuck his tongue out at him and went for the display of boxes again. Rolling his eyes, Jason scooped the other man over his shoulder instead, hauling him and the cart away.

“Fine, fine! Get your boxes of garbage, you fuckin’ raccoon, but you don’t need the whole stand and we’re leaving,” he declared firmly, one hand still firmly pinning a wriggly fuck and trying not to think about how optional Danny’s bones were.

Danny grumbled something unintelligible but went limp (not no-bones limp though) and let Jason carry him to the cashier. Who smiled as she checked them out, but didn’t comment on Jason unloading the cart or bagging their supplies one-handed.

Danny gave a feeble wriggle of protest, both when they reached the register and when they left, but subsided quickly back into a sulk each time.

Which… convinced Jason that there was something wrong more than calmed him. Danny wasn’t one to miss an opportunity to tussle. Lie low until someone let down their guard, sure. Give up? No.

When Danny even let himself be tossed onto the back of the bike without complaint, Jason made up his mind.

They weren’t going back to the dorms. They were going back to one of his safe houses again. If Danny noticed before Jason pulled into a garage distinctly not near the university, he didn’t comment.

Hell, all he actually said when unloading the groceries was a terribly blasé “so is this a kidnapping then?” To which Jason obviously responded “yes now shut up”.

Luckily there wasn’t much perishable in their bags, and it fit in the slightly beat up fridge that had definitely been washed since the last time he stored human body parts in it (probably).

Danny took his kidnapping with good grace, flopping onto the only slightly beaten up couch to watch Jason fuss over the fridge. In between playing with his fingers.

Because he was definitely still procrastinating.

Leaving everything that wasn’t likely to go off bagged, Jason dropped onto the couch beside him and stuck a finger in his ear.

“Now tell me what the hell you want to talk about.”

Danny hesitated for a moment, visibly torn, and Jason pointedly licked his finger and held it up as a visual threat.

“No bullshit Danny. I was a fucking Robin, I know when some dipshit engineering student is trying to lie to me.”

Danny squirmed a moment longer, but caved when Jason reached menacingly for his ear again.

“Okay, okay! It’s… it’s not actually a big deal, alright? I’m just blowing it up in my head into something it really isn’t, and yeah, being a dipshit.” He gave Jason a self deprecating grin, and Jason gave him the respect of three seconds of consideration.

Then resumed his attack on Danny’s ears.

“That’s not an answer, asshole!”

This time Danny made an actual attempt to fend him off, and Jason was a little surprised by how strong he was. Sure, Danny’d easily hauled him around plenty, but that was when he’d been cooperating.

That was very different from Danny just grabbing his arm and Jason… completely failing to even budge him. He couldn’t even twist free, Danny’s grip was immovable as a rock.

Being hot also wasn’t going to make Jason any less worried, though, so he nobly ignored the way that made his insides squirm. Sobered when he realized that Danny’s smile had faded.

He was worrying his lower lip instead, and let Jason go when he pulled away more gently.

“This is not reassuring,” Jason prodded, settling in to sit beside him.

Danny gave him another attempt at a smile, still far too worried to be convincing.

“Yeah, that’s kinda the problem. I’ve been turning it over in my head all day, and like I said, it’s really not a big deal… but there’s no way to say it that doesn’t make it sound like a big deal.”

Jason raised an eyebrow at that, but did not react further. Because he was a mature adult, who could be calm about things, even when Danny was being an ominous piece of shit.

“Maybe there’s a reason for that?” He offered sceptically, and this time Danny swatted at him with all the force of a baby kitten. Stark contrast from the immovable grip, but Jason wasn’t going to guess why.

“Oh, shut up. Look, it’s just…” he subsided into silence again.

Jason considered him, this time not just with the hyper-observant eye of a Robin, but with his aura too. He was more used to reading Danny, and Danny actually communicated his emotions.

Kinda.

When he didn’t have to use words.

Which Jason wasn’t criticizing for the obvious (massively hypocritical) reasons.

It was confused at first, tangled and muddied on the surface. Jason took a breath too, settling into the silence, and stopped pushing. Let the right feelings come to him.

Regret. Danny regretted saying anything? Regretted letting Jason know anything at all? Little shit.

Guilt. No guess there, really, but Jason knew all about randomized guilt attacks.

Reluctance. And he didn’t need any magical fucking powers to guess that one, thanks. And underneath it all…

Yearning. Fear. That, at least, was more reassuring; Danny did actually want to tell him. And the fear didn’t even catch and snarl at Jason’s core, so he… didn’t think it was a fear of danger.

No points for guessing that either. He was scared of how Jason might react to whatever the fuck he was all knotted up about. Maybe of how he was already reacting; with no fucking clues, Jason couldn’t begin to guess just how concerned he should actually be.

Or what Danny could be afraid that he’d do.

Well, statistically speaking, Danny probably wasn’t scared that Jason would just. Be fucking chill. About whatever this crap was. Because that didn’t usually freak people out, not because Jason wasn’t usually chill about pretty much everything (the Pit’s lack of chill was not his fault and totally did not count).

Taking another breath, a little surprised that it was only the second since, Jason calmed down. Forcibly. Because winding Danny up more wasn’t going to help. He tried to project calm-understanding-acceptance, although he was pretty sure just fucking do it was sneaking in too.

Danny was quiet for another long moment, not even looking in Jason’s direction let alone meeting his eyes. Which was why Jason knew exactly what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

“I’ll… look, I’ll tell you in the morning, alright? Promise.”

Jason rolled his eyes. Like he wasn’t an expert in exactly this kind of shifty bullshit.

“Right, so whatever dumbass shit you’re doing goes down tonight. Good to know,” he snarked back, and Danny tossed both hands into the air.

“The dumbass part is not going down tonight, I don’t even know if I’m going to be doing the dumbass part yet!” He protested. Futilely.

Jason raised an eyebrow at him, waiting a few seconds after Danny had quieted. Just to prove a point.

At least he’d admitted part of it was going to be a dumbass decision. That was a start.

“So what is going down tonight then?” Jason prodded, once Danny was sufficiently squirming.

Danny puffed up his cheeks, clearly considering another smart ass retort, and surprised Jason a little by blowing it all out with a sigh of his own.

“Tonight, I see if it’s even worth trying the dumbass part. I’m not going to be in any physical danger,” he added quickly, raising both hands and rolling his eyes like he didn’t run around the shady parts of Gotham for fun and no profit, “honestly, the worst that’s gonna happen is I have to deal with some home truths. Nothing can hurt me, I’m fine.”

Jason noted the qualifier. Nodded down the hall towards what passed for a bedroom.

“Then you won’t mind spending the night to be sure.”

Not like it’d put him out; he’d not had any plans for the night, beyond more practice on going intangible at will… and more importantly, also becoming tangible at will.

Danny grimaced at their surroundings.

“Dude, this place is a wreck. I don’t even want you spending the night here,” he joked feebly. And deflated a bit when Jason just stared at him. Sighed heavily.

“Look, it’s not gonna make any difference where I sleep, or where you sleep, cuz nothing’s going to happen! That you can do anything about,” he added almost under his breath, and Jason fought back a wave of something hot and green that felt like jealousy-anger-denial-concern-offence all at once.

Because that was different from Danny wanting to run off on his own where Jason couldn’t protect him. That was Danny thinking that Jason wasn’t capable of protecting him. And that hurt.

“So what happens if it all goes wrong?” He asked quickly when Danny flinched, clearly reading all that and more from his aura. Well, tough titties for him, Jason’s pecs were rock hard and they weren’t gonna talk about it.

For a moment, Danny was definitely about to argue. Jason could all but taste the words lining up to be said. Then he sighed and flopped in against Jason, aura a gentle apology that made absolutely nothing better.

“That’s what I’m saying, man. There is literally nothing that can go wrong. I’m gonna go to sleep, I’m gonna have a dream, Nocturn’s gonna hook me up with a favour and then we both wake up in the morning. Nocturn can’t even make me fall asleep or stay asleep, and he doesn’t want the damn crown any more than I do.”

A wry smile tugged at Danny’s lips, and he reached up without looking to poke a finger into Jason’s mouth.

“And even if he did, I can fucking take him. I kicked his ass when I was fourteen and a nobody. There’s literally no risk here… besides hearing something I don’t wanna hear. But hey, what’s life without a little more emotional damage?”

Jason considered this, reasonably and maturely, like an adult, and bit Danny’s finger. With it out of his mouth, he gave the scrawny king another gentle nudge.

He definitely didn’t believe Danny was telling him everything. But he could read enough honesty through everywhere they were touching to know that Danny did also believe everything he was telling him.

“And you’ll tell me everything in the morning?” He prodded warily.

Didn’t actually smile at the wave of relief which coursed through the whole apartment as Danny finally relaxed.

“For sure. And then I’ll decide if I do the dipshit part.”

“We’ll decide,”Jason corrected firmly.

Danny snorted.

“Hey, I’m your king. If I wanna be a dipshit I can be a dipshit.”

“You may be King Dipshit all you want, but you’re not doing it alone,” Jason shot back, reluctantly pulling out a brand new trump card Frostbite had let slip last time. Definitely not smirking as he said it. “So you’ll be bringing a brand new baby ghost into whatever brand of dipshit you’re doing.”

Tensed to argue with whatever he said (although still more playfully than he’d been before), Danny inflated for a moment, then deflated with a hefty sigh and slumped.

“Oh that’s so not fucking fair.”

“I’ll tell Lady Gotham on you,” Jason added for good measure, with a vicious triumph.

“She’ll tell you not to go with me!” Danny protested, still utterly futilely.

Lady Gotham looked after her own. Not one part of that included even vaguely discouraging them from throwing themselves face first into danger.

She’d push him in, if she thought it needed doing.

“No she won’t.”

Danny groaned heavily and lifted himself up solely so that he could flop harder and heavier onto Jason. With, yeah, all the weight of a wet baby kitten. Jason didn’t even give him the satisfaction of a huff of air, which did make him smile even if it was reluctantly.

“Alright, fuck you. Can we stay at one of your good places instead, if we’re still doing totally unnecessary slumber parties? I wasn’t kidding, this is a fucking dump. And I live in a dorm. You coulda mentioned this place when we first started sprucing up your haunt, cuz it desperately needs it.”

And listen.

Robin training.

Lived with Bruce.

Even slightly self aware.

Jason knew exactly what deflection sounded like, even when done far more expertly. It was a choice to let Danny get away with it.

But knight pact or no, Danny was his friend, not his boss. And that also meant Jason wasn’t his dad, or anyone who could actually force him to do anything.

If it actually got Danny staying overnight, he’d do it. Soothe the part of him that fretted even with Danny’s assurances, make it easier to tell him in the morning, give him a chance to try and feed Danny decent pancakes over soulless commercial profiteering? All wins.

So he shrugged.

“Hey, this one’s closest to the campus. You got any morning classes?” He’d been intending to let Danny go back to his dorm (after he talked), so he hadn’t cared that it was one of his less cared for haunts.

For an actual sleepover though? Well, they’d already had one at one of his better places, nearly had another at his actual home. They could go wherever Danny wanted.

Danny made a face like he’d said something weird (or he’d forgotten he had classes), then pulled out his phone to check his schedule.

“Nah, I got a tutorial at eleven thirty but I can probably skip it,” he said a moment later, shooting Jason a wary look. Like he knew there was a trap in Jason agreeing with him, but wasn’t sure how to counter it.

Jason raised an eyebrow at him.

“What class?”

Danny rolled his eyes right back, glanced at his phone again, and stuffed it in his pocket.

“Just Mechanical Engineering. We’ll be starting a major project next week, but I know what I’m doing already and the prof cleared it. You can just drop me off at the dorm if you’re that worried,” he added, slightly smug with this new suggestion.

Jason considered it for a moment, mostly for the theatrics. Then he shrugged. He’d never willingly skipped a class, but it had still happened more than once. But he could still call Danny’s bluff.

“Sure, I’ll bring a pillow and camp out on the floor.” He’d never been back to Danny’s room, largely because other than the bed, there was barely enough floor for Danny to lie down on, let alone someone built like Jason.

Danny’s eyes narrowed, and Jason grinned. Try and bluff a bat; they were the kings of commit to the bit. Jason could and would squish himself to sleep damn near anywhere.

Clearly unable to deny that, Danny finally rolled his eyes and flopped back against the couch cushions instead.

“Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. All the groceries are in the fridge,” he added when Jason stuck his tongue out at him.

True, but not an issue. Untangling them enough to get up, Jason made for the kitchen.

“And they’ll go back in the fridge at my place.” He hesitated barely a second, but he’d already made up his mind, hadn’t he? As soon as the subject came up. “The place at the library nice enough for you?”

It was his home. Sort of. His real home, or the one he wanted to be, except that it still didn’t feel like it yet. Because he wanted to keep it nice, clean perfect and unspoiled, so he never really used it.

Having Danny over to watch truly awful sitcoms in the New Year had kinda highlighted that while all his nicest stuff was there, it wasn’t going to be a home until he’d lived in it. And having Danny there had helped start that too.

And sure, it’d be funny to use all the good stuff on Danny; give the world’s most reluctant king the royal treatment.

Little fuck was already pulling faces again, squirming on the couch.

“Man, that place is way too nice… I was scared to touch the floors.”

Which was kinda exactly what Jason had thought too. But he had to get over that part eventually; he could clean pretty much anything up. But living was messy, and apparently only more so for the half dead.

So he flipped Danny off.

“You can float. Just don’t cover anything in garlic powder this time,” he added with a snicker.

Danny flipped him off back, grinning reluctantly.

“And again, fuck you that was one time!” He protested with extra drama.

“Unless you make it a habit,” Jason shot back, restuffing groceries into bags. Danny hesitated a moment longer, then visibly caved.

Felt like agreeing to wait for morning had been the right move. They could both make concessions.

“Alright, but swing by the campus first. I wanna grab a change of clothes for tomorrow, I’m not doing another walk of shame,” he teased with a sly smirk, and Jason’s heart skipped.

For no reason.

Totally unnecessary.

It wasn’t like the memory of Danny running around in his clothes for a day was going to spark anything in him. Wait, actually…

“Yeah, you can grab my shirt too, I need it back,” Jason said with a snicker.

Danny’d gotten most of his stuff back to him within a week. Except the Soup Powered Fuck Machine shirt, which he’d worn to more than one of their adventures through the city.

Jason was well aware he wasn’t getting that shirt back. He even agreed it was much funnier on Danny.

(And, well, ridiculously oversized, which meant that once jackets and sweaters came off Danny still tended to tie it into a crop top like a country girl in her boyfriend’s shirt. It was cute.

Jason was maybe considering giving in and letting Steph get him in a crop top.)

Sure enough, Danny stuck his tongue out at him, reluctantly hauling himself from the couch.

“No idea what you’re talking about, I gave you all of your clothes back weeks ago.” The odds that Danny would bring that shirt along, just to wear tomorrow? High.

Chuckling softly, Jason grabbed the bags.

“Oh, then I must be mistaken. Clearly all of your clothes are actually the right size, right?” He asked sarcastically.

Danny nodded archly anyway, as regal as an offended cat as he flounced to the door.

“The right size is whatever size I want them to be,” he declared airily, and Jason… couldn’t argue with that. And then just as Jason had locked the door behind them and was reshouldering the bags, Danny turned back suddenly, all airs and graces apparently forgotten.

“Oh, and I need a thigh selfie from you. There’s some nerds in my class totally obsessed with Red Hood, but obviously yours are better.”

Jason didn’t quite drop anything breakable. But that was only because they hadn’t bought anything breakable.

Boxes of Lucky Charms pancakes spilled across the floor.

———————

And there we have it! 😁 our first timeskip, a couple plot beats all set up, and maaaaybe a little hope that by the end of next chapter we’ll have one less secret!

And Bruce is improving! Ish. Look how good he did though, said sorry and everything! And now he’s being subjected to Vlad and the Fentons, which can only possibly go well!

[nanenna]

Alternate Ending

So there was a comment on AO3 that got me thinking and... yeah. I don't hate the previous ending but I don't really like it either, so have a 6k+ offshoot that takes off shortly before the final scene change above. Enjoy! UwU

----

“I would like to state for the record,” Duke was saying as they filed out to the lobby, “that I called it. Bruce as my witness, right down to the bad dye job.”

“I dunno,” Jason replied, “I think the hair is legit. I’m pretty sure Phantom was doing some kind of magic with his voice too. The same kind of magic as Ember, but a different spell? I’m not really sure how to explain it.”

“It makes sense Daniel would learn magic if he took up with magic users,” Damian said stiffly.

“Oh,” Bruce had spotted a stand selling memorabilia once they hit the lobby, “how about we stop and get some of the new merch before meeting them? It would be silly to have Phantom sign something outdated.”

His children all shrugged and went to go join the queue. Bruce pulled Damian off to the side where they were less likely to be overheard. “I know you want to stick to the plan, but Daniel has already proven to be a flight risk.”

Damian scowled mightily, clearly unhappy to hear this. “What do you suggest, then?”

The fact Damian was even asking showed a great deal of restraint as well as a willingness to compromise that Bruce wanted to encourage. “For tonight you and I sit out from the meet’n’greet, then we do some planning. Before you start, I know you want to reach out to him, and I still think you should, but if he runs again we might truly never see him again, he has access to a whole other dimension that we simply cannot get to on our own.”

Damian, who had tensed up to argue, let his shoulders fall slightly, “What do you mean, Father?”

Bruce sighed and glanced at where the others were in the queue. He lowered his voice and bent down to speak into Damian’s ear, wary of being overheard. “Phantom is a known entity to the JL, I’ll brief you later.”

Damian nodded, understanding how vital being properly informed was.

If Danny fled into the Infinite Realms not even the JLD could help them reach out again. It broke Bruce’s heart, knowing that Daniel was Phantom, knowing that he was in fact still fully dead, knowing what he’d been put through when he should be resting in peace. It broke his heart even more knowing he was going to have to expose Damian to all that, Harley had beaten it into his head that just because the children had seen some horrible stuff that it didn’t make them immune to being exposed again.

“Here,” Dick called as he sauntered over, holding a bag out to Damian, “we got you some things too.”

“Thank you, Richard,” Damian said politely, though how eagerly he peered into the bag to see what he’d been given belied how happy he was.

“And for you as well,” Dick said with a smile, offering a smaller bag to Bruce.

“Thank you,” Bruce said genuinely. “Alright, let’s get going before they decide we’re all a bunch of no-shows.” As they walked Bruce leaned in close and said, “Change in parameters, observation only,” softly, and as an extra precaution he said it in French. The others all nodded their agreement.

After flashing their backstage passes, the group was led to the green room, where Bruce decided to take up shop just outside the door, Damian in his shadow. When security gave him a questioning look Bruce just gave one of his patented Brucie smiles, “Oh I’m just the designated driver and wallet for the kids.”

The security snorted in amusement, then went on to ignore him. Bruce sent a few texts off to Babs explaining everything and requesting she set up an abridged version of Phantom’s file for him to present to the others once they get back to the hotel, along with anything else from Amity Park that seemed relevant. Bruce could delude himself it was all a coincidence and the Phantom of Amity Park wasn’t Phantom Dwarfstar.

“Where my Parkers at?”

In their line of work there were no coincidences.

Once that was done he looked in his goodie bag to find the tour’s album, a key chain of Phantom’s face, and an acrylic standee that would be joining the other on his desk at work. He was just browsing Ember’s official site to see if they had a vinyl for Die With a Smile available when he heard newcomers walking down the hallway.

“I told Ember not to do any backstage experiences for this concert,” a feminine voice said in clear frustration.

Bruce looked up and spotted the source, his heart dropped. Walking down the hallway, flanked by two unknown teens, was Jasmine Nightingale, formerly Jasmine Fenton, the daughter of the doctors Fenton who were currently incarcerated for charges of supervillainy. The same Jasmine Nightingale who was mourning a younger brother who she claims her parents murdered, a younger brother who the Fentons had had declared legally dead yet no body had ever turned up. The same Fentons who had captured and tortured the Phantom of Amity Park  and recorded it all ‘in the name of science.’ The recordings where Phantom had cried out for his parents before the doctors had muzzled him.

Bruce felt like he was going to be sick.

He quickly looked back down at his phone as the trio approached, partially to avoid their attention and partially to quickly add Miss Nightingale  and her younger brother to the requested information for the brief later.

“It shouldn’t take too long, just shake some hands, sign some merch, take a few pictures, then presto done!”

“Unless Ember can get them chanting her name.”

“Danny will smack some sense into her if she does,” Jasmine said confidently.

Bruce nearly fumbled his phone, he had to swallow down the bile rising in this throat.

“Uh, who are you?” The trio had stopped just outside the door, one of them looking up at Bruce warily.

“Hm?” Bruce replied as he looked up from his phone. “Oh, don’t mind me, I’m just waiting on the kids.” He nodded to the green room’s door and smiled brightly. The three teens were looking at him suspiciously, but Bruce feigned ignoring them and went back to texting Babs.

One of the unknown teens, a girl with black hair and purple lipstick, bent over so she could look up at Bruce with a furrowed brow. Bruce hoped she wouldn’t decide he looks suspiciously similar to Daniel, from what little he’d seen Daniel took after him in much the same way Damian did.

“Bruce Wayne?” the girl asked.

Bruce looked up and gave one of his gala smiles, “Oh, it’s rare to be recognized so easily outside of Gotham.”

“Yeah, well, my parents have been desperately trying to get invited to one of your shindigs for years.” The girl rolled her eyes, clearly not sharing her parents’ feelings. “What’re you doing here? I wouldn’t expect a billionaire to come to some small time concert.”

“Oh, you know, one of the kids stumbled on a new artist and became a big fan, so I thought coming to see her in person would be a good family bonding experience.” Bruce surreptitiously handed off his small goody bag to Damian, who was still hidden behind Bruce’s bulk, followed by the faint sound of paper sliding against paper.

The three teens just nodded along, though with the way they were looking up at Bruce they were likely thinking how suspiciously similar he looked to Daniel.

The door to the green room opened and the children started filing out. Dick, as a full fledged member of the Justice League had likely already made the Phantom connection, paled when he spotted Jasmine. He valiantly put on one of his gala worthy smiles.

“Dick,” Bruce greeted quickly, “how did it go?”

“Oh, it was great! I got a few things signed.” Dick held up his own bag, which looked a little overfull compared to the others.

“Well come along, let’s not block the hallway, and we have a reservation to get to.” They didn’t, but it was the sort of thing expected of people at their level of wealth. Bruce ushered Dick along, Damian easily slipping into Dick’s shadow and away from those they couldn’t risk recognizing him, and made a show of counting heads as the rest of the children followed. Bruce smiled and waved to Jasmine and her friends, “It was lovely meeting you, have a good night.”

The brunette girl scoffed, but they made no objections as their group left.

“Danny,” Jasmine called as she headed into the room.

“Jazz!”

Any further conversation was cut by the sound of a door closing.

Truly Bruce was glad they didn’t have a reservation to get to, he was sure he couldn’t stomach any food right now.

🎶💚🖤🎵

Once safely inside their suite at the hotel Dick sighed deeply, “So, Phantom,” he said tiredly, “think it’s just a coincidence?”

“He called the people that already knew him Parkers,” Bruce deadpanned.

Dick sighed again, his shoulders drooping. “Yeah.”

“Should we be worried?” Jason asked with a furrowed brow.

“Remember that big to-do recently about expanding the meta protection acts? The Phantom of Amity Park was why.”

“I’ve already asked Babs to send over all the relevant information,” Bruce cut in. He wanted the degree of separation treating this like a case would give him. From the look Dick was giving him he didn’t agree, but it was this risk Bruce losing his lunch.

Dick sighed, but called Babs and put her on speaker. “Hey, Babs, how we doing this?”

“Everyone grab a screen and settle in, I’ve got a presentation all ready to go, I can just sync your screens with mine.”

Settle everyone did. Jason picked an armchair and Cass settled on one of the arms, leaning half against the back of the chair and half against Jason as she looked down at the tablet he was holding. Bruce chose to sit on the couch, holding up a tablet to share with Damian and Dick, who were squeezed in next to him on one side, and Duke who was squeezed in on the other. Tim sat in his own armchair with his own tablet. Once everyone was settled, Babs took over the screen.

“These are the doctors Jack and Madeline Fenton, residents of Amity Park. They’re currently in jail for reckless public endangerment for punching a hole into a dimension full of hostile beings that, due to the Fentons’ negligence, caused wide spread property damage.”

Duke whistled, “That is some supervillainy.”

“Oh it gets worse,” Babs said darkly, “they should also be in jail for kidnapping and torturing a minor, but due to some legal fuckery because of what the kid is it technically wasn’t illegal at the time.”

There were sounds of outrage and protest from the children, save Dick who already knew what was going on.

“I know. There’s also suspicions they murdered their own son, but without a body or a witness there’s no way to prove it.”

“We should probably show them Phantom first,” Bruce suggested.

“I know, I was getting to that.” Babs sighed deeply, “Alright, so the kid in question went by the name Phantom, and unfortunately the only photos I have available of him were from when he was captured.” A photo of Phantom strapped down to a table and muzzled came on the screen. The main features Bruce tried to focus on were the white hair, the bright green eyes, and the white stylized D emblazoned on his black suit.

Dick had pulled out his phone, “I’m sending you something.”

“Oh? What are you… oh! Well that’s a sweet picture.” A moment later a picture of Dick standing between Phantom and Ember, all three smiling brightly at the camera, appeared. “Mind if I update his file with this? Because I gotta say, I love the costume change, and the fact he’s not in the middle of a panic attack.”

“I would appreciate it,” Bruce said. That earned a few odd looks, but they hadn’t seen the other photos, or videos. All that green, all that screaming.

“From what we can gather Phantom was rescued and fled to the Infinite Realms, that’s what’s on the other side of the Fentons’ portal, by an unknown party. What was going on in Amity Park was brought to the League’s attention, the messed up government organization was cleaned up, the laws were changed, the portal safely closed, and justice was served.”

“And these Infinite Realms,” Damian asked, “are another dimension?”

“Yes, or rather it’s every other dimension from what I understand. Everything but the actual afterlife, some of it’s closer to the physical world and that’s where things like underhill and crossing the veil happen, other parts are so far out of sync with us it really is a different dimension. The Fentons called it the ‘Ghost Zone’ because they believed it’s where ghosts uh… existed. And the part they connected to did happen to have a lot of ghosts, but it had other beings too.”

“And that is where Daniel was? He was existing as a ghost near that part of the Infinite Realms and crossed back to this side when the Fentons opened the portal?”

“I’m sure that’s what he wants the world to think of Phantom, but as Bruce brought to my attention we now have a trail. It’s time to look at the Fenton children. There are two, the first is Jasmine Fenton, now Jasmine Nightingale.” A photo of the young woman along with her profile, including age and date of birth, popped up on their screens. “The other is her younger brother, the one supposedly murdered by their parents, Daniel Fention.” A profile for the boy popped up, though no photo was available.

Damian leaned in close to read the profile. “The birthdate is wrong.”

“Wrong how?” Babs asked.

“It’s the right year, but the month and day are reversed.”

Babs hummed, “It’s possible when asked his birthdate he wrote it down European style and then simply went with it.”

“I don’t see how this can be our Daniel,” Damian muttered. Bruce was so proud of him for being inclusive. “We know who his parents…” Damian trailed off, likely having just gotten to the part of the profile that listed Daniel’s adoption date.

“I already checked, the date he was found matches up with the date he went missing.”

“I don’t understand,” Dick said sadly, “if he was revived, why is he a ghost now?”

“We don’t know,” Babs said tiredly. “The earliest recorded appearance of Phantom was a little over a month after the portal opened, but Daniel’s timeline continues on uninterrupted. He keeps going to school, he still used socmed, there’s not even a hospital visit. The only clue we get is a sudden and drastic drop in his grades while teacher complaints about tardiness, skipping classes, and sleeping in class skyrocket.”

“All signs of an unsupported teen vigilante,” Tim pointed out.

“Man, even the kids you don’t raise end up going into cape work,” Jason griped.

“I would like to point out that both Stephanie and Duke were already vigilantes before meeting me, and also that Cass and Damian were already exceptional martial artists,” Bruce defended. Cass and Damian preened at the praise, while Duke looked completely unashamed.

“Maybe Daniel didn’t die?” Dick suggested. “Maybe he learned magic?”

“Maybe he transformed into a fae and was lucky enough to learn glamours fast,” Tim suggested.

“Maybe we should stop speculating and actually ask him?” Duke said sarcastically.

“We are not even sure Daniel Fenton is our Daniel,” Damian insisted.

“Unfortunately for you, we now have a Fenton family photo.” The screen changed yet again, this time to show the Fentons all gathered together. Jasmine and Daniel were much younger than they were now, Jasmine looking to be a young teen while Daniel looked to be not quite in his teens yet. Bruce zoomed in so they could see Daniel’s face more clearly.

“What a sweet baby,” Cass cooed.

“Damn, he and the demon brat could be twins,” Jason said with a laugh.

Damian didn’t respond, he simply looked sad.

“All this to say,” Bruce said to fill the silence, “that Daniel has abilities and a refuge that are currently beyond our understanding, and has already proven himself a flight risk. But he chose to come back to Earth despite the danger he believes himself to be in, so the best thing we can do is find a way to reach out to him that’s more passive, let him feel safe and in control.”

“Cornering him at a show twice would probably have him give up on Ember altogether,” Duke said sagely.

“We have time to plan,” Dick added. “We can keep track of him while the tour goes at least. Likely they’ll all go home to the Infinite Realms when it’s over, but so long as Ember keeps touring and he stays in her band we can keep an eye on him.”

“Fanmail,” Tim suggested.

Damian nodded, “Would a letter be sufficiently passive?” Damian turned to look up at Bruce.

“Hm… perhaps not a direct letter.” Bruce took a moment to consider the matter. “A letter within a letter. Address a letter to Ember asking her to pass on a sealed letter to Daniel if he happens to contact her again.”

“Make sure not to mention Phantom or her band at all,” Dick reminded Damian.

“Skittish feral cat,” Cass agreed solemnly.

“And wait at least until the next concert, too soon and Daniel will think he's been made.”

“Of course, Drake, I am not so foolish as to make such a blunder when being delicate.”

🎶💚🖤🎵

“Fanmail,” Ember said in an annoyed voice.

Danny looked up in confusion, “Morty already doled out the fanmail?” He had a sizable pile, seemed his identity was an open secret at Casper High now and a lot of them were trying to set up being penpals, talking about the good old times of hanging out with Danny. He was currently pointedly ignoring those.

“Well your creepy brother sent me a letter to pass onto you.” She dropped a couple papers on Danny and stormed off.

Oh no, she's jealous of Danny getting more attention than her. He keeps trying to redirect all the attention, it's not Danny's fault he's so charismatic and marketable (Motry's words). Danny sighed and picked the letter up.

Dear Miss Ember McLain,

Danny snorted, how polite and formal.

I hope you and your band are doing well. Please forgive me for inadvertently causing Daniel to flee, it was not my intention. In that vein, I am imposing on your good nature once more to ask that should Daniel ever contact you again to please pass along the enclosed sealed envelope. It is my hope to alleviate some of the very justified fears he has, and hopefully he will be willing to return to his previous musical career as well. Yours sincerely, Damian Wayne

Danny squinted and read the letter again. He doubted Damian wasn’t keeping track of Ember (and thus knows “Frosty” has already been replaced), so he must be pretending not to know. Was it to give Ember a false sense of security? Because surely he knew it wouldn’t comfort Danny at all. Danny frowned (it wasn’t a pout) and read over the letter again, picking it apart for any more hints. He knew it was useless, Damian viewed Ember as a civilian, someone oblivious who it would be easy to manipulate with a few careful words. And well… he wasn’t entirely wrong.

With a deep sigh, Danny tore open the still sealed envelope and began reading.

أخي You were mourned

Danny dropped the letter as if it had bit him, the first phrase burning in his mind. He was mourned? He was mourned?! Giggles bubbled up from Danny’s throat, who would have mourned him? Their severe, distant mother? Their uncaring tutors? Grandfather?! Or perhaps the too serious little boy who only ever saw Danny as competition.

Ancients, he knew the rest of his day was wrecked. He picked up his phone and sent a quick group message telling everyone his brother had sent “Frosty” a letter through Ember and he probably wouldn’t be hanging out tonight. Then he picked the letter back up and started reading.

The letter was about how when he was 10 Damian was introduced to their father, Bruce Wayne, and had lived with him since, even after Mother tried to bring him back into the League. Damian went on to assure Danny that their father is the great man Mother used to tell them stories of when they were children, that they have many rambunctious siblings and a new grandfather who all love Damian very much and already love Danny even though they haven’t met him yet. He ended the letter with a list of ways to contact Damian or their father: phone numbers, e-mails, even a couple snail mail addresses. Damian even included a drawing after signing his name: a dismembered demon.

The head was fully separated from the body by a large margin, most of the empty space filled with blood drops. The head also sported a dagger half buried in the top and large, dark Xs for the eyes. It was very clear Damian was trying to convey their Grandfather had died, likely been killed. Danny didn’t believe it, there was no way he wouldn’t come back in some form or another, his death hardly mattered.

The demon’s body was not bleeding, but it was divided into several pieces. The cuts were clean and mostly straight, only a few zigzags here and there. Danny took that to mean in Grandfather’s absence the Demon had splintered. The League was in pieces, each run by a different person. The only acceptable heirs either in America and refusing to take up the mantle or dead. (Technically Danny was both, but they didn’t know that.)

Danny looked back up at the list of ways to contact his birth family. It felt like a trap. A tempting trap, with the promise of not being found by the League as bait. But the anonymity felt safer, they couldn’t hunt him down if they didn’t even know he was alive (sorta) to even hunt, let alone where to look even if they did suspect.

Was Damian still in contact with Mother? Had he told her about Danny’s revival like he’d told his father’s side of the family? Hah! Family! Danny wasn’t even sure he wanted to give it another chance. They say third time’s the charm, but he couldn’t take that kind of betrayal again.

Danny folded up the letter and tucked it away.

🎶💚🖤🎵

Danny was staring at the letter with blank eyes. Again.

“Dipstick! It’s been three days!”

“I don’t know what to do, Ember,” Danny whined.

“Then call up your brain trust and ask them,” Ember said with a huff.

“I guess,” Danny conceded. He stayed in his spot, hunched over with his chin resting on a table, the letter propped up in front of him. He probably had all the contact information completely memorized by this point.

Ember sat down next to him and patted him on the shoulder. “I think you’re overthinking things.”

“If I do get in contact with him he’ll know I’m still in contact with you, and all that effort to convince him to leave you alone will have been for nothing.”

“Yeah,” Ember agreed, “but wouldn’t it be worth it? To have someplace in the physical realm to go to between tours? A home? A family?”

“That’s Jazz,” Danny said firmly. It was almost his 18th birthday, after that they were going to revive his legal identity and change his name to match Jazz and live with her between tours. Danny was already funneling some of his earnings to her to help get things set up. He felt bad she’d dropped out of college and lost her scholarships just so she could brow beat the JL into finally helping. She was going back to school again, new scholarships and everything, even if they weren’t as good as the old ones.

“You can’t pin your entire attachment to the mortal plane on one person,” Ember said with some exasperation.

“Sam, Tucker, Val, and even Dani since she likes exploring on this side of the portal.”

“Fine whatever. Just make a decision and stick with it, stop sitting here with your wheels spinning and getting nowhere. Call your brain trust already. But do all that later, we’ve got practice right now.” Ember ruffled his hair as she stood back up. Danny sighed, but also got up. He collected his letter before following Ember to go join the others.

That evening Danny did call up his friends and sisters. He’d already explained to them as much as he’d explained to Ember about the whole assassin cult thing, still careful to not give any specifics. For Jazz and Tucker it gave a lot of context to how he’d acted when he first met them. He had somewhat been reined in by the time he met Sam and Val, and obviously he was fully who he is now by the time Dani was born.

“Are you finally ready to tell us about this letter, little brother?” Jazz asked gently.

“I… yeah. Sorry for procrastinating.”

“It’s a lot,” Jazz said firmly. “This is a big deal and could be a huge change for you, I understand you needed time to process all of that first.”

“So, what’d he write?” Dani asked eagerly.

“He said he’s been out of the cult since he was ten-”

“Just a year after you,” Tucker cut in excitedly.

“I… yeah, it is. I don’t think he integrated the same way I did though, he seems very formal.”

“And has access to trackers,” Val added.

“And has access to trackers,” Danny agreed. “But it turns out he’s been living with our father ever since, he gave me a bunch of contact information and says that side of the family wants to meet me.”

“And do you want to?” Jazz asked, voice oh so gentle.

“I… I don’t know,” Danny finally admitted. “He was six the last time I saw him, he’s fifteen now, I don’t know him anymore. He probably barely remembers me, and I was a completely different person back then and… I don’t know. He says he’s out of the cult and has nothing to do with them, but there has to be a connection there somehow or how else would our parents have met? And if I do contact him do I tell them about being Phantom? I’d have to, right?”

“Breathe, baby brother,” Jazz said firmly.

Danny sucked in a deep breath.

“That is a lot, it’s understandable you’d be overwhelmed,” Jazz reassured. “So let’s just take a minute to breathe, alright? Damian gave you the power to decide, you can take all the time in the world to think about it.”

“Until Damian gets impatient and breaks into the bus again,” Danny said snidely.

“Does he even know you got the letter yet?” Val asked.

“No,” Danny said, then took another breath. “He shouldn’t, anyway.”

“So let’s take a minute do a little mindful breathing.” Jazz started loudly exaggerating her breathing, Danny followed along.

“What if I want to meet them?” Dani asked before things could get back on track.

“They don’t even know about you!” Danny said, horrified.

“Yeah, but I’m their family too, right? So who’s our real dad?”

Danny took a deep breath, he’d looked up his father’s name and knew what everyone’s reactions would be. “Bruce Wayne.”

There were a couple sharp breaths sucked in, but rather than the explosion of surprise he expected there was only silence.

“Uh… guys?”

“I don’t know who that is,” Dani said, bored.

“You might already be made,” Sam said carefully.

“What?” Danny asked.

“The first concert, the debut, the VIPs that evening,” Sam seemed to be scrambling verbally a little to give Danny all the context.

“Mr. Wayne was outside the green room, he said one of his kids was a fan and they went to the concert as a family thing,” Jazz filled in.

“The group of implausibly muscular people?” Danny asked faintly. He remembered it because they seemed more interested in him than Ember despite it being his literal debut and them not being from Amity Park. They’d had him sign so much stuff! Ember too, of course, but if that was just a cover…

Danny groaned, “That means they know I got the letter and all that work to convince them I’m not in contact with Ember was for nothing.”

“Sorry dude,” Tucker said with a chuckle.

“Wait,” Dani suddenly yelled, “the guy’s super rich?!”

“His money could run circles around Vlad’s money,” Sam said with an audible eye roll.

Danny just can’t escape the wealth, no matter how hard he tries.

“I think this is a good sign,” Jazz said cheerfully. “Look how respectful they’re being, giving you the choice of contact or not! He’s not barging in after shows or breaking into your hotel rooms, and he’s given you so much information.”

“You know,” Dani said in that special way that meant she was about to be an absolute menace, “Gotham’s not that far. I can go do some spying if you like. Invisibly do some eavesdropping for you.”

Danny wasn’t sure if he should let her, something about Gotham itched at the back of his brain.

“Oh!” Sam said eagerly, “See if you can get Poison Ivy’s signature for me while you’re there.”

“And maybe Batman’s too,” Tucker said with a laugh.

What?!

“He was very polite the few times I met him,” Jazz added.

“No wait, hold up!” Danny said, suddenly connecting a bunch of dots. “Holy shit! That’s what was bugging me, Batman’s from Gotham! Oh ancients!”

“Yeah,” Val said slowly. “Superman is from Metropolis, Wonder Woman is from Themyscira, and Batman is from Gotham.”

“Son of the bat!” Danny yelled in much the same way one might say ‘son of a bitch.’

“Huh?” A few of them asked.

“Me! I’m son of the bat, it’s one of the things we were called as kids!” That and son of the demon and a few other things.

“WHAT?!” Everyone cried.

“Bruce Wayne is Batman?!” Val asked in shock.

“The himbo?!” Sam sounded offended.

“I thought he just funded Batman,” Tucker murmured.

“So he’s one of the good guys, right?” Dani was asking with a cackle. 

“Oh my god, I’ve been made! I’ve been made three times over at least!” Danny hopped up and started pacing his hotel room. “There’s no way the man Grandfather called the Detective hasn’t already figured out my entire life story and made all the connections!”

“In that case,” Val said far too reasonably, “they know you’re not just still in contact with Ember but touring with her too. No point in avoiding them as some kind of way to protect her.”

“Batman did a lot of work to help expand meta rights to include you,” Jazz added. “He was very polite and professional the few times I met him.”

“He didn’t know yet,” Danny moaned. “About me being your brother. Or rather about having another son at all yet, Damian said so in his letter. He didn’t know about Damian until Mother dropped him off, apparently.”

“Well!” Jazz said, she certainly seemed to have opinions about that she’d keep to herself. For now.

“So,” Tucker said, drawing the sound out, “now what?”

“I still don’t know,” Danny said in frustration. “It doesn’t change the fact I still haven’t seen Damian since he was six, not really.”

“So that means take getting to know him again slowly,” Jazz said in her gentle voice. “You can start with just texting, don’t even worry about an in person meeting until after this tour’s over.”

“And don’t say you’re still scared of your mom’s cult,” Val said sternly. “Your dad’s Batman! If anyone can protect you from them it’s him.”

“You did say your little brother’s been out for years,” Sam backed her up.

“He even said Mother tried to bring him back and he refused,” Danny confirmed tiredly.

“There you go,” Val said smugly.

“Uh guys? We might have a problem,” Tucker said nervously. “Little Dani hung up.”

“What?” Several of them asked.

“Looks like it was a couple minutes ago, dropped right out of the call.”

“Oh no,” Danny said in horror, “she probably went to Gotham. I’ve gotta go.” He hung up and transformed, diving through the hotel’s roof without another thought.

🎶💚🖤🎵

Batman was in the middle of his patrol when a figured popped out of thin air in front of him. A girl, around Robin’s age if he had to guess, glowing white hair held back in a ponytail, black and white suit, and when she had stopped being bent over while breathing heavily: glowing green eyes and an all too familiar stylized D on her chest.

“You are hard to find!” The girl crowed.

Batman relaxed his defensive stance, though he was staying alert. “And you are?”

“Dani with an I. Is it true? Danny thinks you’re his dad. The other Danny, with a Y.”

Batman tapped the comm in his ear, “Robin.” He waited for the comm to be channeled to the correct line, “Do you have a sister you never told us about?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Robin replied warily.

“Sister?” Orphan asked hopefully. As expected, the question had caught Oracle’s attention, and now all the Gotham vigilantes were on the one channel.

“I mean, kinda?” Dani said, unable to hear the chaos erupting over comms. She drifted in the air slightly, “He calls me that now, and we’re working on getting me a legal ID and all that. But technically I’m his clone.”

“His clone,” Batman repeated, causing the chaos to abruptly cut off. Robin scoffed, but otherwise didn’t reply. Batman had known Phantom had been involved in cape work before his capture and escape, so a clone shouldn’t be as much of a surprise as it was.

“Yeah, so anyway… is it true?”

Batman simply nodded.

Dani with an I grinned and did a fist bump, “Awesome! He’s being such a nervous Nelly about the whole thing, has himself all twisted up in knots. But like, you’re one of the good guys! So now I can rub it in his face that I got to meet you first.”

Far too trusting, but also younger than she looks, and that’s very young to begin with. Batman fully relaxed, or as much as he ever let himself relax while in the cowl, and held a hand up to Dani. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She floated a little lower to be even with him and eagerly took his hand to shake. “Nice to meet you too, pops!”

Bruce couldn’t help smiling at that, it was quite refreshing having a child who’s so friendly and open.

Dani was hit by a blur of glowing black and white. She and her attacker hit the roof Batman was standing on, bounced up into the air, and stayed there. Batman stood tensed, having just stopped himself from throwing the batarang in his hand when he recognized the attacker.

“Dani! I can’t believe you!” Phantom was wrestling with Dani, maneuvering her into a headlock.

“You were dragging your feet, we all know this is how things were going to end up!”

“Noogies for ten thousand years!”

“Nooooo!” Dani shrieked as Phantom administered the threatened noogie.

Batman smiled to himself as he tucked the batarang away. Not once has he ever encountered a clone made for ethical, upstanding reasons, and yet here Phantom was antagonizing his clone as if she were a beloved little sister. They’ll get along well with the others. He stepped forward and cleared his throat to get the children’s attention. “Hello, Phantom.”

Phantom looked up and visibly paled, eyes huge. He winked out of the visible spectrum, then winked back in. Phantom looked down at Dani with a glare, then they winked out and back in again.

“Will you quit that,” Phantom hissed.

“No, just say hello!”

“It doesn’t have to be more than hello,” Batman said gently. “I’m just glad I finally get to meet you.” He held a hand up to Phantom.

Phantom hesitated for a moment, then finally let Dani go so he could give Batman a brief handshake. “Hello, sir.”

“You got the letter?” It was a useless question, they both knew he did, but it was the easiest opening.

“Yeah, I got the letter.”

Batman nodded, “It would be nice to hear from you then.” When Phantom looked confused Batman decided to elaborate, “There are a lot of us, we can be quite overwhelming. I don’t expect you to just come home with us tonight, especially when you have a prior commitment.”

“He means Ember,” Dani loudly whispered.

“I know that,” Phantom groused.

Batman heard the sound of tires squealing, followed by a grapple being used. Likely they wouldn’t be alone for much longer. “The plan was always to get to know you slowly, we’re all strangers right now, it’ll take time for that to change.”

“Jazz said the same thing,” Phantom grumbled.

“And Jazz was right,” Dani said with a grin.

“I have a feeling your older sister has an annoying habit of always being right,” Batman said with a smirk.

“Akhi!”

Phantom’s head snapped over to where Robin’s voice had come from, darting up into air and dragging Dani with him, shoving her behind him. He relaxed a little when he realized it was Robin running up to them.

“Akhi, please don’t run again!” Robin slowed as he approached, likely soothed by the fact that Phantom lowered a little, though still out of reach. “I did not expect you to come to Gotham so soon.”

“That’s my fault,” Dani chirped as she leaned out from behind Phantom. “He only made the Gotham-Bat connection just now, it was so funny!”

Phantom’s face started glowing green.

“I had to come meet you for myself, it just had the bonus of making Mr. Anxiety finally stop talking himself in circles.”

Phantom groaned in embarrassment, “Dani!”

“What? It’s true!”

“His anxiety is understandable after what he’s been through,” Batman said firmly. Then he looked Phantom in the eyes, “And none of it was your fault.”

Phantom’s face flushed green once more as he averted his gaze.

“So, now what?” Dani asked.

“If you have your phones on you we can exchange information,” Batman offered.

Phantom scoffed, “I already have it all.”

“In your phone?” Robin asked.

Phantom’s face glowed even brighter. “Fine, here.” He pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and tossed it to Robin.

Dani darted around her brother and zoomed right up to Batman, her phone already held out for him. He quickly put in Bruce’s private contact information and sent himself a text so he would have hers. When that was done, he handed Dani her phone back.

There was an awkward silence after that, no one quite sure what to say.

“Well this has been nice and all,” Phantom started, “but I’m sure you’ve got important crime fighting stuff to get back to.”

Dani snorted a laugh.

“It was good meeting you both,” Batman said with a nod.

Phantom nodded back. Then he grabbed his little sister and they both vanished into thin air.

“He’ll be in contact,” Batman told Robin, trying to be comforting.

“Of course he will. And as he said, I have patrol to get back to.” Robin turned and stalked to the edge of the roof, where he leapt off.

“Two for one,” Orphan said with a giggle over comms.

“It certainly seems that way,” Batman growled. Inside he was smiling, Dani had certainly given them a better chance to get to know Danny, and he was looking forward to getting to know his new daughter as well.

“Are you going to inform Mother she now has a daughter?” Robin asked.

“Perhaps… in about ten years or so.”

That's Not How You Keep a Low Profile

Available on AO3

DPxDC

Danny joins Ember's backup band and goes with them on tour, he didn't take into account that he was in hiding from several groups and organizations chasing after him for various reasons. Who knew Ember would get popular enough to be noticed by one of them?

🎵🎸🎶

Damian entered the classroom to find Skylar and a couple of her friends standing off to the side, clustered around one girl holding a phone that was playing loud rock-and-roll music. Damian set his bag down at his desk, then went to go join them. “Good morning, Skylar.”

“Damian, hi!” Skylar greeted cheerfully, then moved so Damian could join their group. He obligingly moved in so he could also peer down at the video playing on the girl’s phone. “It’s this new artist who’s been getting popular recently, Ember McLain. She’s doing a tour right now and is going to be pretty close to us, just over in Pennsylvania.”

Damian studied the vocal artist, a young woman dressed in mostly black with a few silver accents, bright blue hair, and what he believed Brown had called “corpse paint” make up. Though from the way her hair seemed to almost defy gravity and the blue skin tone of her back up musicians perhaps she was a meta or alien like them. The exception was a baseline human young man dressed in a similar style to McLain with dark hair and a regular skin tone, playing back up guitar and doing back up vocals.

Damian frowned, something about the back up vocalist was familiar.

The song wound down, the back up vocalist abandoned his stand mic to move to front stage next to McLain while swinging his guitar behind himself. The keyboardist picked up a virulently pink guitar and took the vocalist's place. Damian pointed at the phone, “Who is he?”

“That’s Frosty McGee, usually he’s the back up vocalist but they have a duet.”

Damian scrunched up his nose, but chose not to comment on the poorly chosen stage name. The camera zoomed in, finally giving him a clear view of the older teen’s face as he opened his mouth and started singing.

Damian’s whole body went cold.

It couldn’t be, it just couldn’t. He’d watched his older brother die with his own eyes, lowered into the Lazarus Pit never to rise. And surely if he did somehow survive he wouldn’t be singing for some rock-and-roll band in America, he would’ve found some way to return home. Surely.

“This…” Damian tried not to let his face twist as he spoke the name, “Frosty McGee is a stage name, correct? What’s his real name?”

Skylar looked thoughtful as she pulled out her own phone and began typing away. “I don’t think their real names are public,” She said slowly as she navigated to the artist’s website. While she went to the “about” page, Damian pulled out his own phone to follow Skylar to the website. “Yeah, all they have listed are everyone’s stage names.”

Damian just nodded, already looking up their tour information.

🎵🎸🎶

Danny collapsed into a chair in the green room, exhausted after spending half the night tapping into his ghostly wail while in human form. Ember and the zombies looked fresh as ever, the consequence of Danny being the only one with a heart beat in the band.

“Your stamina’s getting better,” Ember offered with a smirk.

Danny resisted flipping her off, he knew she really meant it, even if she seemed to like getting under his skin a little too much.

“Look alive,” Mortimer, their manager, said as he walked into the room. “Someone actually bought a VIP ticket with the backstage experience, so you’re going to meet a fan.”

Ember perked up, already excited. “Just one? Or a whole group?”

“Just the one, so be ready to give him the full experience.” Morty left then, likely to go walk their fan back.

“Try to look a little tired at least, you are supposed to be a normal human,” Danny groused as he sat up and went about mopping up what sweat he could without smearing his makeup.

Ember scoffed, “No, we’re metas, Danny. You’re the one who’s supposed to be normal.”

“Or aliens,” Gunther said with his craggly voice. “We never did decide which one we like better.”

“You can be aliens, I’m a meta,” Ember declared proudly.

There was a knock on the door. Everyone straighted and turned to face the door, a bright smile spread on Ember’s face.

Danny’s own soft smile fell as he watched their fan enter and look around the room. A boy, the same age Danny was when he stepped into the portal, with an all too familiar face. His sharp green eyes zeroed in on Danny. There was a long tense moment where everyone simply stood, Damian just inside the door and Danny just in front of his chair (when had he stood?), staring at each other.

“Akhi?”

In a panic Danny turned partly invisible, “It’s been eight years Damian, let me go.” He finished slipping from human sight, then intangibly slipped right out of the room. He raced invisibly through hallways and walls until he got to their tour bus. Technically as ghosts they didn’t need it, but 1) the living expected that sort of thing and 2) Ember insisted on doing the whole experience. (He knew it was really because as someone who wasn’t entirely ghost Danny did actually need someplace to sleep and eat and shower and all that, that Ember actually got the tour bus for him.)

Once inside Danny let his powers fade as he curled up on a seat in the back, arms wrapped around his legs and face buried in his knees. Stupid! Why did he say that? Why did he run?!

He knew why.

“Baby-pop?” Ember called faintly, phasing into the van.

“Here,” Danny called miserably.

“Okay, good. We're all here just open a portal and we'll skedaddle.”

Danny sniffled but nodded. He looked up to find everyone was already gathered in the bus, all staring at him with worried faces. “Right, yeah, okay, I can do this.”

Rock got behind the wheel while everyone else settled in. Danny had to leave the bus, having been taught by Wulf on making portals. Not every ghost could learn, but Danny was predisposed to it because… well, it was pretty obvious why.

Danny clawed open a portal to Ember's lair, grabbing an edge and pulling it wide enough to fit the whole bus. The bus trundled through and Danny quickly followed, closing the portal behind him.

Almost on reflex he transformed once fully in the Realms, taking a deep (but completely unnecessary) breath of that crisp, fresh ectoplasm. The others filed off the bus, Ember put a gentle hand on Danny’s arm. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Good.” Ember crossed her arms and gave Danny a Look™, “Care to explain what just happened?”

Danny groaned, he knew this was coming. “I’d rather not.”

Everyone frowned at him.

Danny scrubbed at his eyes briefly. “I haven’t told anyone, not even Sam and Tucker, not even Jazz!”

“So… do you want to conference call them in and explain it to everyone at once? Or is this a dead men tell no tales kind of situation?”

Danny gave Ember his own Look™. “I know what gossips ghosts are.”

“Hey,” Gunther cut in, “if you want us to not tell anyone we won’t tell anyone. Promise.”

Danny groaned as he thought it over, but he kinda did owe them an explanation. “Alright, but can we go somewhere a little more comfortable first? I’m still exhausted.” He wasn’t, not physically. But ghosts aren’t physical so being emotionally exhausted was basically the same thing.

“Yeah, let’s go hit my lounge.” Ember slung an arm over Danny’s shoulder and led him away from the bus.

Danny smiled, feeling loved and cared for. It was still a little weird sometimes, realizing how much his former rogues actually liked him despite how at odds they’d been at the start. They’d basically been coddling him ever since…

Once in the lounge everyone picked a plush, overstuffed piece of furniture to literally lounge on. Ember had no shoes off rule, it felt weird to just put his boots up on a couch, so Danny chose to slouch comfortably into the back while his legs stretched out to the floor. Once everyone was settled, they all looked over at Danny expectantly.

How to even start? “So uh… I’m adopted.”

“Wait, how does Jazz not know you’re adopted?” Ember exclaimed.

“Oh no, that’s the part everyone actually knows, or at least everyone I knew back then. It’s everything before that that no one knows.”

“That kid is from your bio fam,” Steve wheezed. Everyone looked at him, then back to Danny.

He shrugged and looked down at his gloves, “Yeah. That’s Damian, my little brother.”

“And you just ran from him because?” Ember prompted.

Gunther snorted, “Didn’t just run, he literally ghosted the kid.”

Danny couldn’t help blushing, “I panicked, okay?”

Everyone relaxed at that, smiling brightly at Danny’s embarrassment. Morty pulled out his phone and started tapping away, “Should I get in contact with him about a redo then?”

“No!” Danny yelped, his voice cracking like it hadn’t in almost two months. He flushed harder, Ember was going to tease him about that later. “No, no absolutely not. Honestly if he’s found me then that means Mother and Grandfather know I’m still alive after all. I think… I think I’m going to have to stay in the Realms.”

“What?!”

“Baby-pop, no!”

“You can’t!”

Danny looked down at his gloves, picking at the seems. “Look, no adoption starts for happy reasons, every adoption comes from a tragic backstory. My birth family is dangerous, even to us. No, listen,” Danny said harshly when the others scoffed. “They’re dangerous, they’ll hurt you trying to get me back.”

Ember’s lips thinned, “Are they ghost hunters like the-” she cut herself off, her face getting all the grimmer.

Danny shook his head, “No, magic users. They won’t have to know what you are to use magic artifacts against you. After all, blood blossoms were believed to be harmful to witches, it was just coincidence they were harmful to ghosts.”

“Okay,” Ember said, looking over to the rest of the band. “So Frosty McGee is quitting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still hang around us. You can be a roadie,” Ember cut in when Danny tried to protest. “Wear one of those medical masks when you’re working, never be on stage or in front of a camera, that’s fine. But we still need you, Danny. You’re the one who’s been dead the shortest, you know how things work now. You’re the one that suggested I get a manager and start doing things legit instead of just overshadowing my way into gigs.”

“We didn’t even know metas were a thing until you told us,” Gunther added.

“I wasn’t aware of how much technology had advanced,” Morty added. “If it weren’t for you we would have a completely outdated website and no youtube channel. We’d probably only have half the merch we currently have available.”

“Don't forget the portals,” Steve wheezed.

“Yeah! Without portals we couldn’t make regular pit stops back to the Realms to recharge. So we need you, Danny. Frosty can quit, but don’t let Danny abandon us.”

Danny sighed, but he couldn’t help smiling at his friends, even if his bottom lip was wobbling dangerously. “Alright, I get it. I’ll stay, a roadie you say?”

“It’ll make us loading and unloading the bus more believable if we have hired muscle pretending to do it.” Morty smirked down at his phone.

“Ugh, gonna make me earn my keep.”

🎵🎸🎶

Damian stood in the green room in shock, unsure what had just happened. His mouth felt dry, his skin felt cold, every hair on his body was standing on end, his hands felt clammy. Daniel had just vanished right before his eyes. He turned to ask someone, anyone, what had just happened.

The room was empty.

Damian looked around, the door behind him was still closed, there were no other exits, he was the only living being in the room.

Metas, Damian reminded himself. He was fairly certain McLain and her band members were metas, likely the phrase Daniel had spoken was actually a code phrase for immediate evac. Damian turned and left the room, quickly making his way further into the building and out to the back. There was an employee parking garage just behind the venue that surely the band’s equipment vehicles were kept in during the show.

The garage was not completely empty, but it was completely bereft of trailers, tour buses, or other equipment hauling vehicles. Damian had been too late, they had fled completely. Damian kicked a support pillar in frustration, it didn’t help.

All he knew was his brother lived, and for some reason he chose not to return home, had fled at the mere sight of Damian.

Well, he would have some research to do. But before that, he had to return home before his absence became suspicious, there was only so long his careful web of misdirection would hold.

The next morning he returned to the manor, no one the wiser. Thomas was on his way out and greeted Damian as he entered. “Hey, how was the sleepover?”

“It was an experience,” Damian commented absently.

Thomas laughed at Damian’s response. “I’m glad you had fun.”

He was about to leave when Damian realized this was the perfect opportunity for some information gathering. “One of my peers said something I didn’t understand, I believe it was a meme.”

“Oh yeah? Which one?”

Most memes followed a format where the exact details could be adjusted to the situation at hand. Considering Daniel had said Damian’s name and the specific number of years he’d been -dead- missing likely he could swap those out for less suspicious details. “It’s been two years Thomas, let me go.”

“Ah, okay so you just claimed to be a ghost or a grief fueled hallucination and that I need to get my shi- uh… stuff. Together. My stuff together. Anyway, usually whoever says that also disappears right after they say it.”

“And is this meme recent?”

Thomas shrugged. “Eh, not really? The concept’s been around for decades at least, even in that format, but I don’t think I’ve seen it used as a reaction until a little bit ago.”

Damian nodded, “Thank you for the clarification.”

“No problem.” Thomas waved and was on his way. Damian went to his room to take care of his overnight bag. A quick check of McLain’s website showed no change, but that was to be expected so soon after they fled. He wondered if the whole tour would be cancelled.

Damian spent the next few days practically haunting McLain’s website (when he wasn’t systematically searching for Daniel’s likeness on public cameras), as well as the website of the tour’s next venue. He even went so far so to create a throw away email, signed it up for McLain’s fan club, and set it to alert him of incoming emails. Thus he was one of the first to find out when the next concert was suddenly cancelled, all tickets refunded. The newsletter that followed informed the fans that, “Sadly Frosty McGee has had to part ways with us due to some matters Frosty wishes to remain private. We wish him and his family well.” It went on to promise that though the next concert was cancelled the rest of the tour would continue as scheduled.

So Daniel had fled.

Damian wasn’t surprised, judging from his reaction Daniel felt his new identity had been compromised. Damian just didn’t understand why. Why Daniel was afraid of him. Why he hadn’t attempted to contact Damian. Why he hadn’t come home.

He had been away from the League and Grandfather’s influence long enough to understand why Daniel would choose not to go back to them, but Damian had been out of the League for five years, did Daniel not know? Had he not heard the news about famous billionaire Bruce Wayne’s youngest and only (known) blood related son?

It didn’t matter, Damian wouldn’t have the answers to any of his questions unless he found Daniel again. Even if he has fled again, Damian really only has the one lead and he would follow it.

In the meantime he had his regular duties to attend to.

🎵🎸🎶

“C'mon, what are you doing just sitting around? It's time for lessons.”

“What?” Danny looked up from where he was slouched in a chair with phone in hand, blinking at Ember.

“Lessons, we still haven't gotten you to sing and play at the same time yet.”

“I… quit… the band?”

“Frosty quit the band, I figure we can use this time to really work on your skills so they're finally up to snuff when we debut Phantom.”

“What?”

“What do you mean what?” Ember huffed and rolled her eyes. “Do you know how many people asked for refunds when we said you quit? I'm not letting any more fans get away.”

Danny just kept blinking, “You know Phantom is in hiding just as much as Danny, right?”

“So you get a costume change and pick a different stage name. Your old duds are outdated anyway.”

“It's what I died in???”

“And you think I died dressed like this?”

Danny wasn't sure how to respond to that.

“So we get you some new duds, pick out a better stage name, and wear makeup while performing. Do you know what contouring can do?”

“It would be suspicious-”

“If we brought you in right now,” Ember cut him off. “Which is why we're aiming for the next tour, which will give us time to get everything set up, including improving your abysmal guitar skills.”

Danny couldn't help smiling, “Yeah. Yeah, okay, let's get to it then.”

🎵🎸🎶

When the time came, Damian knew better than to buy another VIP ticket, they would be on guard for that. This time he decided to find and sneak into their vehicle while the concert was held. There was the risk the band would take a taxi or uber to their hotel instead, but considering the size of the venue and number of tickets sold they would likely attempt to reduce spending, especially since they missed the previous concert. It was a simple matter to pick the lock and sneak onto the bus. He sat waiting in the driver’s seat, making it impossible for them to drive off without him.

McLain stood just outside the bus and opened the door with a scowl on her face, crossing her arms once the door was open. “I could have you arrested for this.”

“I merely have a few questions for you.”

“I should sue you for lost revenue, do you know how much we lost in deposits alone? All those tickets we had to give a full refund on. Not to mention we lost 10% of sales for the rest of the tour, which might not sound like much but when you’re counting pennies that’s a lot!”

“How does Frosty McGee feel about having such loyal fans?”

McLain threw her arms in the air, “I don’t know! We haven’t heard from him since he left. Just took one look at you, packed what he could fit in one bag, and hopped the next bus.”

“And he told you nothing?”

“He told us he was oh for two on families, but you were from the first set of fuck ups and he wasn’t going back.”

That was disheartening to hear. It sounded as if Daniel had found a family to take him in the way Father took in children, but it also sounded as if they were not good to him the way Father is with his children. “Who was his second family?” Damian would make them pay.

“Fuck off, I’m not telling you that. It doesn’t change anything anyway, they know where Frosty is even less than us.”

Damian would like to find out what Daniel had been up to since his disappearance, there was also the chance it would give him a better idea of Daniel’s direction, and certainly he would like to find out what this so-called family did and find a way to get justice for Daniel, but McLain was not wrong that little of that would be useful in tracking Daniel down. He pulled a business card from a pocket and held it out to her. “If he does contact you again.”

“No.” Despite her words she took the card. She took it and set it on fire before dropping it to the asphalt beneath her feet. “In the extremely unlikely event he does get back in contact, I’m not telling you. He clearly wants nothing to do with you, got spooked real bad.” She crossed her arms again and looked away. “I’m worried.”

“Very well.” Damian descended the bus’s stairs, the band moving aside to glare at him as he passed. “You’re not the only one worried for him, it may have been years but he’s still my brother.”

“That’s none of our business.” McLain waved him off as she entered the bus, the manager and the rest of the band following behind her. Damian stood to the side and watched as the bus trundled out of the parking lot, leaving him behind.

🎵🎸🎶

Danny watched Damian until he was out of sight, going so far as to lean invisibly out of the bus. Once the building they were passing came between him and his little brother, he finally moved back inside and quietly scoured the bus.

“Baby-pop?” Ember asked as she watched him methodically search high and low.

Danny put a finger up to his lips, then went back to scouring. One thing Danny had learned over the years is that ghosts have a 6th sense for when they’re being observed, they always know when being watched or listened to. Danny felt that subtle itch now, a scratch at the back of his brain that felt a lot like how on edge he used to be all the time, like the paranoia Grandfather had carefully beaten into him.

The first bug he found was just a tracker, a weirdly spiky oval with a tiny red light to let him know it worked. Well, that he would leave on the bus, their whereabouts would be public anyway, and if only one of the bugs goes out Damian might not come back to plant more. He handed it to Morty with another finger over his lips again, he’d answer questions after he found the other bug.

Eventually he found the listening bug, this one a plain little button shape. It almost looked like an oversized button, the holes for the mic a good disguise. This one he showed to the others before phasing his arm out the car and dropping it in the road. He did one more sweep to make sure there weren’t any others, double checked the weirdly spiky tracker didn’t have any tiny cameras or mics attached, by the time he finally sat down to explain the bus was parked in the hotel's lot.

“The one I dropped outside was a listening device, that one I gave you is a tracker. Since where we’re going on tour is already publicly available I don’t see a point to getting rid of that one too, though we should probably leave it behind when we go to the Realms.”

“Ancients,” Morty murmured, staring down at the tracker nervously.

“Not painting a very reassuring picture,” Gunther agreed.

“Danny,” Ember said softly, “your little brother broke into our bus and hid bugs inside.”

Danny sighed as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Right, this is the part even Jazz doesn’t know about. You need to keep this to yourselves, you can’t even hint you know what I’m about to tell you.”

Everyone nodded.

“Jazz and… the Fentons believe I was raised in a cult before I met them. Honestly, looking back at it now, they’re right. An incredibly violent assassin cult that worships pools of nasty smelling, bubbling, glowing, green water.”

Everyone was staring at him with wide eyes, forgetting to even pretend to breathe.

“The person who both started and runs this cult is my Grandfather, who is over five hundred years old and still alive. Well… mostly, so far as I can tell. I didn’t know about ectoplasm or the Realms back then, so it’s kinda shifted my view of a few things but I can’t really confirm anything without going back there, yanno?”

“That is… a lot,” Morty said quietly.

“Have you ever assassinated anyone?” Gunther asked.

“I was nine when I got out,” Danny deflected.

“Has your brother assassinated anyone?” Rock asked.

Danny shrugged, “I dunno, probably?”

“Ancients,” Morty murmured again.

“So we’re just… keeping this?” Ember plucked the tracker from Morty’s open palm.

“I’m hoping if the tracker keeps working and is accurate he won’t break in and put more devices in here.”

“Lovely.”

“I can see why you were hiding,” Morty said tiredly.

“And also why I didn’t want to tell anyone,” Danny added. “Ghost hunters may have all the specialized tools to hurt us, but most of the ones we’ve met so far are pretty incompetent.” It had taken Danny letting his guard down for him to be caught in the first place, and by the time he had realized the betrayal it had been too late.

“That explains the hat though,” Steeve wheezed with a laugh.

Danny hadn’t just been wearing one of those paper medical masks, he’d added a brimmed hat to hide his hair and face from cameras. The mask got hot and sweaty sometimes!

“Well this just makes our decision all the better, you'll blend in better if we have other roadies,” Ember said confidently.

Danny perked up. “Oh? Who'd you get? Johnny actually looks human, I could blend in with him. And Kitty would kill it as security.”

“They're waiting in the hotel, you'll see.” Ember winked as she got up and exited the bus. Danny followed, eager to see more familiar faces. 

The faces waiting for him in the hotel were familiar, but not the ones he expected.

“Sam! Tucker!” He ran to them, arms open wide. His best friends eagerly opened their own arms in welcome. It was like coming home and breathing for the first time, being in his best friends’ arms. Only one thing could make it better, but no annoying older sisters were in sight. Danny wasn't going to let that ruin this reunion, though.

Danny leaned back just enough to look Sam and Tucker in the eyes. “What are you doing here? How?!”

“We took our finals early,” Sam supplied. “And since the last week is just classroom parties we took it off.”

“We're gonna spend the whole summer with you!” Tucker grinned so brightly Danny thought he might go blind. Or it might just be the tears brimming.

“You guys!” Danny snuffled and swiped at his eyes.

“Check it out.” Tucker turned around to show the back of his shirt, which had “STAFF” in big white letters across the top, stark against the black shirt, and the tour's info below.

Sam pulled out a black fabric face mask from her pocket and offered it to Danny. He held it up to find it also had “STAFF” in bold white letters across what felt like very breathable fabric. It probably wouldn't stop a sneeze, but it worked great as a disguise.

Danny couldn't help barking out a bright laugh, “You guys going to help me load and unload the band's gear?”

Tucker scoffed, “You wish, I'm Ember's new tech guy.”

“Makeup and costumes,” Sam said in a deadpan before raising her voice slightly. “Which seems pretty sexist.”

“Do you want to help Danny cart gear or not?” Ember asked from where she and the others were watching their reunion.

Sam made a face and sighed, “Makeup and costumes it is.”

“So glad we got that figured out. Hey dipstick, open a portal to my lair. The boys and I are gonna party.”

Danny rolled his eyes but obliged. Honestly it was sweet of them to let him have the room to himself while he and his best friends caught up. Danny was so lucky to have so many good friends.

🎵🎸🎶

After Damian’s lackluster conversation with McLain, dashing any hopes for progress or leads, it was time he told Father and the others the situation. Truly he knew he should have before now, springing Daniel on Father would not be kind, he had simply hoped to have Daniel's whereabouts known so Father could meet him as soon as he was ready. Instead Damian was going to need to request assistance in tracking Daniel down.

It felt like a personal failure.

Still, to tell Father about his living, if missing, son was far preferable than him finding out about Daniel some other way and believing him dead. Damian had just finished setting up his presentation on the large screen TV in the media room when Father and Alfred entered.

“All ready to go, chum?”

“Yes, Father, we’re just waiting on the others now.”

Alfred began setting out drinks and snacks while Father took a seat in one of the armchairs. “While we wait, any chance of a hint on what all this is about?”

Damian was unsure how to answer, the news was not all bad but it seemed Father was under the impression this was some left over school project or something of the like. “It is a very serious matter,” was all Damian ended up saying.

Father smiled, “I’m sure it is, you wouldn’t have gone to all this effort otherwise.”

Damian nodded, glad Father understood.

Soon the others began trickling in. Thomas and Cain, as other residents of the manor, had been invited, Richard of course was also invited as he would be devastated to learn of a new brother any other way, Gordon and (reluctantly) Drake had been invited as Damian would be requesting their help in searching for Daniel, and Todd had been invited purely as curtesy and had, expectedly, turned the invitation down. Damian had considered some of the other Gotham vigilantes, but had ultimately decided against it. There were already enough people crowding into the room.

Once everyone had arrived and found their seats, Damian started his rehearsed presentation. “Thank you all for coming, I appreciate the support. I’m afraid this will not be as light hearted as you may be expecting. In fact, I have some rather distressing news. Father, at Mother’s behest I have been keeping a secret from you.”

Father sat up straighter, his pleased smile falling into a frown.

Damian took a deep breath, “I am not your firstborn, I had an older brother.”

As expected, this announcement caused quite the stir. There were a few shocked gasps, Richard looked devastated, Father had hunched forward to rest his elbows on his knees while staring down at the floor, Alfred moved to stand beside father with a hand on his shoulder.

Damian gave them a moment to digest what he had just told them before moving on. “His name was Daniel, when he was nine and I was six he went on a mission and came back successful but critically injured. Grandfather granted him permission to use one of the smaller Lazarus Pits, but he died en route. Mother put him in the Pit anyway, but the device used to lower him broke and his body never surfaced.”

“Oh Dami,” Richard said softly, a hand held out as if he would pull Damian into a hug.

“I’m telling you all this now because five weeks ago I saw him in a video for a performing artist.” Damian started the visual portion of his presentation, beginning with with a promotional photo of McLain and Daniel, then zoomed in on Daniel’s face.

Everyone’s heads snapped back up, entire focus laser guided to Daniel’s picture.

“He is using the stage name Frosty McGee,” Damian paused to allow the snickers and guffaws he had been expecting, he switched to a different promotional photo, this one including Daniel’s bandmates, “and was performing as a back up guitarist and singer for the artist known as Ember McLain. As they were, and still are, touring I attended a concert under a VIP ticket that included meeting the artists after the show.”

Father frowned, “I didn’t know you went to a concert.”

“It was an information gathering mission for personal reasons, of course you were not informed. I simply wanted to be sure I was not mistaken and McGee was actually Daniel before I burdened you with this distressing secret.”

“Daniel isn’t a burden, none of you are a burden,” Father said tiredly.

“And you confirmed that Frosty is Daniel?” Tim asked rather loudly.

“Yes, Drake. Unfortunately he recognized me as well. He said, and I quote, ‘It’s been eight years Damian, let me go.’ Then he and the other artists all vanished into thin air.”

There were more titters and guffaws. Thomas smiled brightly, “Ah, so that’s why you asked about that meme.”

There were a few frowns, clearly the others already putting puzzle pieces together. “Vanished?” Drake asked.

“I believe the other backup band members may be metas, possibly McLain herself as well. Invisibility is not a common met ability, but it is not unheard of either.”

“Or magic,” Cain offered.

Damian nodded to her, “Magic is also a possibility. Unfortunately,” Damian clicked to the announcement about Frosty McGee leaving the band, “McLain claims Daniel packed his belongings and left without any further explanation, neither she nor her companions have heard from him since.”

“Oh no!” Richard and Gordon both said together.

“I have monitored all publicly available modes of transport out of Midville, Pennsylvania, but I have not been able to track Daniel’s movements.”

“Send me what you got, I’ll see what I can do,” Gordon ordered.

Damian nodded, glad to have her help. “There is one last matter. McLain said Daniel had been adopted, but he was hiding from them as well, I suspect that was why he was using such a ridiculous stage name.”

“Well we’ll just have to look into finding them as well,” Gordon said with a wicked grin.

“They don’t have any shirts in my size,” Richard whined, staring down at his phone.

The others all pulled out their phones and began tapping away.

“Oh,” Thomas said brightly, “he has a credit on one of the songs!”

“Yes, he performed a duet with McLain.”

“Anything for You?” Tim scrunched his nose as his phone.

“Unfortunately,” Damian agreed. “A standard pop love song.” For the duet no less.

“Everything from the tour is listed as limited supplies,” Richard said morosely, swiping further.

“Of course,” Gordon said with a smile, “Frosty left without saying he’d ever come back, they aren’t going to make more merch with a member who’s left.”

“I don’t think they have shirts wide enough to fit any of us,” Thomas said.

Father tapped his phone decisively, then tucked it away while looking quite proud of whatever he’d just done.

Damian sighed deeply, from his very soul. “McLain also has a youtube account, there are a few private videos with behind the scenes footage if you wish to see Daniel in a more casual situation.” Damian regretted going straight to the next concert rather than doing his due diligence on digital information gathering, at the time he had felt rushed by the concert being only a couple days after his discovery.

Drake was already pulling a laptop from some hidden place while Gordon rolled over to his side of the couch, her own phone in hand.

Father stood and came to stand next to Damian, an arm reaching across his back to rest on his far shoulder. “Would you like to talk? About Daniel?”

“I believe I have given you quite a shock, do you not need time to digest the information?”

Father shrugged, “Likely, but we all know if I’m left to my own devices I’m going to just start digging and not come up for air for three days.”

“Yes, anything to prevent you from spiraling, Master Bruce.” Alfred smirked at Father before turning his attention to Damian. “I understand why you did not inform us of Master Daniel sooner, thank you for letting us know now.”

Damian nodded, glad he did not have to explain himself on that part.

“Too easy,” Drake crowed as the TV sputtered to life with one of the private videos.

Daniel and his bandmates were sitting on folding chairs in an otherwise empty space, likely an on stage rehearsal. On screen the recording of Daniel hopped up onto a folding chair, “May I have your attention, please! All rise for the national anthem.” There were titters from behind the camera, but the other three members of the band all obligingly lumbered to their feet. Daniel took a deep breath, then started singing, his voice low and haunting even as he pulled his hand into a sloppy American style salute.

Seasons don't fear the reaper Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain We can be like they are

The other band members were laughing and hooting when Daniel started singing, but quickly fell in to join him on the chorus.

Come on, baby (don't fear the reaper) Baby, take my hand (don't fear the reaper) We'll be able to fly (don't fear the reaper) Baby, I'm your man La, la, la…

Daniel started laughing too hard to keep going. The other band members were laughing right along with him.

“C’mon, dipstick!” McLain’s voice came from behind the camera. “Have you no respect? Finish the national anthem!”

Daniel was laughing so hard he tumbled from the chair, though the short fall didn’t seem to do him any harm. He attempted to sing the second round of “la la la” from the floor, but was incapable through his laughter.

Damian looked up to see Father looking on fondly, smiling gently as the video came to an end. The others were smiling at the video as well, likely glad to see Daniel being happy and enjoying himself. Despite everything he’d been through he still found his own happiness.

And then Damian’s impulsivity had driven him away from the friends and happy life he had made for himself. Damian needed to find Daniel.

🎵🎸🎶

Danny, Sam, and Tucker were just hanging out in the latest hotel room after a long day on the road, just a pit stop between one concert venue and the next. They could just use portals, but for some reason Ember was insisting on the full concert tour experience, including greasy diners and sketchy hotels.

Danny collapsed onto his back on one of the beds, “Ugh, Ember has me practicing singing and playing at the same time by singing Anything for You,” Danny complained.

“Well, it’s your duet,” Tucker pointed out.

“It’s Frosty’s duet, I won’t be singing it when I re-debut. Besides, it’s such tripe, just the required slow song to cool things down before the grand finale.”

“So… re-debut with a new duet?”

“Avoid love songs this time,” Sam ordered from where she was hunched over a notebook at the hotel room’s desk.

“I think Ember has it stuck in her head a slow duet has to be a love song,” Danny scrunched up his nose at the thought.

“There are plenty of duets that aren’t love songs.” Tucker defended.

“Name one,” Danny said with a huff. “No really, I need examples.”

“Easy, there’s… uh…” Tucker blinked and trailed off, suddenly looking kinda scared. “What about… Mungoje- no… um… there’s always You’re the Top uh…” he started visibly sweating. “Anything You Can Do… oh! Somebody I Used to Know.”

“Ooooh! A break up song!” Danny liked that, it would definitely be something more along Ember’s whole image too.

“I’m Not Writing You a Love Song,” Sam offered.

“Not a duet, but a good example of something that feels like a love song without being one.”

“You could also go all in on the devotion, sing about how you’d die for her or something,” Sam continued. “Or sing about loving each other even after dying, real obsessive stuff.”

“Have Ember sing about wrapping my calcified heart in my own poetry?” Danny asked with a cheeky grin.

“Not my fault Mary Shelley invented romance,” Sam said with a sniff.

“I hate to say it, but Sam’s right,” Tucker added. “That would really fit the whole undead thing more.”

“They’re all great ideas, I’ll bring it up to Ember tomorrow when we do lessons.”

“Your re-debut as Phantom is going to be great,” Tucker said with a laugh.

“Yeah… Phantom,” Danny replied morosely.

Sam sighed, “I don’t understand why you won’t even brainstorm on possible name ideas.”

“It’s just!” Danny sighed and rolled over on the bed to look at Sam, “If I pick a new name I can’t use the logo you designed for me any more.”

“And I can design you a new one.”

“I know, and it’ll be awesome. But you worked hard on that first one, and it’s so… perfect. I’d hate to never use it again.”

“No one says you can’t keep the old logo too,” Tucker cut in before this old not-quite-argument could play out again. “One of the costume ideas was a jacket with patches on it, so put the DP on there somewhere.”

“Right at the top of the sleeve,” Sam suggested, pointing to her arm just below the shoulder joint.

“You can have patches for everyone, even. A skull and crossbones for Youngblood, a paw print for Wulf, a thirteen for Johnny.”

“A heart dripping poison for Kitty,” Sam said thoughtfully. She turned and started furiously scratching at her notebook. “Pandora’s helmet with four crossed swords behind it…”

“Pandora uses one single magic staff,” Danny said in a deadpan.

“Do Frostbite’s ice and bone arm, that’s rad as hell.” Tucker laughed to himself.

“Just don’t design anything for Spectra, I refuse to have her on my cool jacket.”

“So you’ll do the jacket?” Sam didn’t even look up.

“Yeah, I really like the idea. It’s a good way to keep my logo and little reminders of all my friends. You’ll do patches for yourselves too, right?”

“And Jazz,” Sam promised. “Val too, even. Red Huntress deserves her own logo.”

“Yeah, she does.” Danny rolled back onto his back and picked his phone back up, going to the notes app. “So I guess I can’t really use Phantom at all since I’m still hiding from the GIW and any connection to Amity Park.”

Tucker sighed, “Yeah, probably not.”

“And Ember has already vetoed any more ice or cold names.”

“Which is too bad, there are some killer ice puns out there.”

“Could always go with Great One,” Sam said airily, “that’s your yeti name.”

“Absolutely not,” Danny said with an upside down glare sent Sam’s way.

“Tyrant’s Bane,” Tucker suggested.

“Guillotine,” Sam gave her own suggestion.

“Imperial Coup.”

“Monarchy Ender.”

“Twenty-three stab wounds.”

“I didn’t even kill the guy, just put him back down for nappies.” Danny couldn’t help laughing. Any further banter stopped dead as Danny’s phone started buzzing and dinging. Danny sat up, “It’s Jazz.”

Sam and Tucker both turned to look at Danny, staying quiet as he answered.

“Hey Jazz, you okay?”

“Danny! Have you heard the news?” Jazz sounded excited, so hopefully it was good news.

“Not yet, hold on a sec and I’ll put you on speaker for Sam and Tuck.” While he put his phone on speaker, his best friends both moved to sit on the bed, surrounding the phone. “Okay, so what’s this news?”

“The Justice League is finally getting somewhere! Mom and Dad are on trial for supervillainy, the GIW is suspended while under investigation, and the anti-ecto acts are being repealed!”

“Oh shit!” “Really?!” “Finally!”

“Well,” Jazz hedged, some of her excitement dimming a little, “the GIW is probably going to be disbanded, so that’s good at least. But it turns out the anti-ecto acts are scattered over several bills working together. Apparently several pieces were hidden in environmental acts, probably betting on ecto being misread as eco. The big thing they’re trying to focus on first is all the legal definitions that are scientifically incorrect, like ecto-beings being non-sentient.”

“Yeah, I’d kind of like the government to acknowledge I can feel things,” Danny said with a hollow laugh.

“The other big news is the meta protection acts are getting expanded to include anyone from the Realms!”

“Danny!” Tucker was bouncing in place in excitement, “Danny you’re going to be legally protected!”

“Yeah,” Jazz agreed. “The meta protection act should supersede the anti-ecto acts. The main thing is that everyone from the Realms are going to be considered people now.”

Danny didn’t know what to say to that, it was… it was great! It was wonderful!

“So you keep saying everyone from the Realms, is that more than just ghosts?” Sam asked.

“Any kind of spirit, actually. Nature spirit, city spirit, spirits of the dead. Since the Infinite Realms are infinite it actually includes a lot, mostly it’s ‘the otherside of the veil’ and is also where fairies and elves and goblins live? And maybe demons and angels and some gods?” Jazz sounded less sure the more she said.

“Oh, nature spirits,” Sam said thoughtfully. “I guess that explains Undergrowth.”

“Something like that. Basically anything supernatural is getting lumped in all together. And also a few undead too, guess they’re using this as a chance to really expand things. From the way Wonder Woman was talking a lot of the magic users are upset this wasn’t done sooner.”

“Well considering that a few heroes have died and come back they were really leaving themselves open to be blindsided,” Tucker joked.

“It’s about time they stopped and considered actually doing what they promise to,” Sam grumbled.

“Danny,” Jazz asked in worry, “you okay?”

“I’m… legally a person.” Danny felt a little numb and kinda floaty, but he was pretty sure he was still on the bed.

“You’re legally a person,” Jazz said warmly.

“Hey,” Tucker said, “does this mean Phantom doesn’t have to be in hiding and you can use it as your stage name?”

“Just because I’m legally protected doesn’t mean all the people out for my head are going to suddenly stop. People do illegal stuff all the time,” Danny said.

“Yes,” Jazz agreed sadly before plowing on with steel in her voice, “but you shouldn’t have to hide anyway! If you want to be a ghost on stage then you should get to use your name.”

“It’s not like they wouldn’t recognize you anyway,” Tucker added.

“Plus, any former GIW agents that come looking for you won’t have government backing anymore. They might not even have access to any useful anti-ghost weapons.”

“I’ll think about it,” Danny said. “Later, for now I just want to enjoy this good news.”

“We should tell the others,” Tucker exclaimed.

“We should throw a party!” Sam scrambled off the bed and went digging through her luggage.

“Yeah,” Danny thought that was a great idea, “let’s throw a party!”

🎵🎸🎶

Time passed and life moved on, much to Damian’s annoyance. Daniel never resurfaced, not surprising when all Damian had was a single chance encounter after 8 years of hiding from The Demon. They couldn’t find any hints of how he managed to leave Midville, and no hints he was still there either. McLain was no better a lead, Gordon found she had had a few shows a couple years earlier, but all traces of it had been scrubbed from the internet. Likely her previous debut had been a humiliating flop and McLain wanted to bury it. Unfortunately for the bats whoever she got to do it was good, they didn’t even know where shows had been, let alone if it was where she had met Daniel. Gordon had set up a facial recognition program that was constantly scanning for Daniel, but all it ever turned up were false matches. It was frustrating, but it was beginning to look as though they would have to wait for Daniel to realize Damian wasn’t a threat and reach out to him.

Damian hoped Daniel would realize.

Father’s order came in, copies of every piece of McLain merch that had Daniel on it, including the duet as a single. On vinyl. Most of it was put on display in Father’s office in the manor, an acrylic “standee” ended up on his desk at Wayne tower, nestled in among the various photos of the family. When Damian saw it he wondered if Father’s employees had noticed it and if he’d explained who Daniel is to them yet. That would certainly be an interesting conversation.

Damian had also ordered a round of merchandise, even if most of it wasn’t displayed. The private videos had been downloaded and saved in various storage states to preserve them. Damian watched one from time to time, it gave him strange feelings watching Daniel be happy knowing he wasn’t living like that right now.

Damian hoped Daniel found new friends and another new life to be happy in. He hoped Daniel hadn’t gone and become a hermit somewhere to be so hard to find.

But all of that fell into the background as life continued. Summer was in full swing in Gotham, which meant miserably wet and hot days with barely any reprieve at night, and a population whose collective patience was at its shortest. Then school started, the weather finally cooled in the fall, Damian turned 15, and then another busy holiday season rolled around.

Damian wasn’t sure, but it seemed his family was specifically avoiding mentioning Daniel. It was understandable, they still had no idea where he had run off to, he couldn’t join them for the various holiday traditions they all partook in. When he asked Richard about it, he had told Damian that in these kinds of situations it’s better to focus on the people you are with than the people who can’t be there. As if to prove Richard’s point, Todd even showed up for a few of the holiday traditions.

And yet all Damian could think about was how every Christmas he’d ever celebrated had been without Daniel.

Then on Epiphany something happened. McLain announced a new tour in the spring, this one featuring a special surprise guest. It was all Damian could talk about at dinner that night. “Surely if she were just replacing Daniel’s role she would not make such an announcement.”

“Maybe, you said she lost a lot of fans when Daniel left?” Father asked. “It’s possible she feels highlighting the rest of her band may be a good PR move.”

“What are the chances it’s Danny with dyed hair and facial recognition obscuring stage makeup?” Duke asked jokingly.

“That would be utterly foolish,” Damian said with a sniff. “Daniel is smart enough to know better than to keep company with anyone he’s already been discovered with.”

“I don’t know about that,” Father said with a furrowed brow.

“Father, you’re not insulting Daniel’s intelligence!”

“No, no… not at all. But after you told us about him I don’t think any of us looked into Ember’s current doings too much. Bands usually have a lot of staff traveling with them on tours, and they usually don’t have photos taken of them. We couldn't find out much about her staff, it seemed she was paying them all under the table.”

Damian frowned, “Aside from their manager, I didn’t see any staff with McLain.”

“Well, it certainly won’t hurt to look into the staff working this new tour, just in case.”

“We should go to the new show either way, see who this special surprise guest is,” Duke said with a cheerful grin.

Damian did allow himself to make a sour face at that, sitting through the first show had been enough punishment.

“I will say, after paying so much attention to her I have grown a soft spot for Ember’s music,” Father said with a mischievous smile.

Damian did not want to go, but she was still their one and only connection to Daniel. “Very well, I will allow you to make the arrangements.”

Now time was passing with a goal, Damian found himself anticipating the coming spring break. It was foolish, he knew this likely wouldn’t lead to Daniel’s whereabouts, and yet the anticipation persisted.

When the night of the concert arrived Damian had found some of his family had chosen the most ridiculous clothes. Father was sensible, wearing his usual casual clothing. Damian, Cain, and Drake were all wearing the shirts from McLain’s previous tour, since they were available in their actual sizes. Richard and Thomas were also wearing the same shirt, but since it wasn’t available in a size that would fit them they had both altered the clothing by taking off the sleeves and seam ripping down the sides until the shirts gaped, like the ones worn while lifting weights at a gym. Todd chose to wear a shirt that actually fit him, though his was for a completely different band called The Grateful Dead, apparently it is a faux pas to wear a band shirt for the band one is seeing. Judging from how many other attendees were wearing either the previous tour shirt or the one with just McLain’s face on it, it’s not much of a faux pas.

The night went much the same as Damian’s previous McLain concert experience, neither improved nor worsened by his family’s presence. Although Todd kept making odd faces. Between songs he motioned them all to lean in close.

“There’s something going on with their voices, magic I think. Not sure what though.”

Ah, so it was magic that was used to spirit Daniel away when he was discovered. There was even a chance he had been learning it as well, it might even explain why they couldn’t track him down after.

“Alright, Easton!” McLain said loudly, earning a round of cheers from the audience. “You guys ready for the debut of a brand new song?” Judging from the way the audience cheered, they were. “Anything for you, my lovely fans.”

That earned a round of surprised gasps along with the cheers. The lights suddenly turned off and the audience hushed in anticipation. A spotlight came on, shining on McLain as she started strumming a slower song.

I, I just woke up from a dream Where you and I had to say goodbye And I don't know what it all means But since I survived, I realized

What followed was a bittersweet song about spending the end of the world next to her lover. It seemed morbid, but the sentiment all the sweeter for it. The song built in intensity as McLain wailed the chorus, then the song pulled back. A second spotlight came on, a new artist was strolling onto the stage.

Oh, lost, lost in the…

The rest of the line was drowned out by excited screaming from the audience, which was quickly hushed by the rest of the audience. The teenager that came walking up as he sang was playing a glittering, white, translucent guitar that looked to be imitating ice. He was wearing a black jacket covered in colorful patches over a black shirt, silver belt, and loose black pants tucked into silver combat boots. Most notably his hair was pure white and seemed to defy gravity while his eyes were such a bright green they could be seen even in the audience.

The pair sang together, trading off lines in the chorus or harmonizing when they sang together. The effect was certainly haunting, but most haunting of all was just how familiar the new singer’s voice was. Damian glanced at his family to see them all staring at the stage with similar focus, clearly thinking the same thing as Damian.

It seemed whatever magic or cosmetics Daniel used to change his appearance couldn’t be done to his voice.

Thomas was going to be insufferable.

A large screen at the back of the stage lit up and words appeared. Phantom and McLain held their hands out to the audience, who started singing along.

If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you If the party was over and our time on Earth was through I'd wanna hold you just for a while and die with a smile If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you

As the song wound down Father leaned down to whisper into Damian’s ear, “I’m glad I sprung for the backstage experience after the show.”

“We’re not deviating from the plan,” Damian responded.

“Yes, of course.” Father straightened back up and clapped along with the audience once the last note played.

The audience screamed, “Phantom!” loudly from behind them. Damian turned to find a portion of the audience jumping in place, holding up signs with what seemed to be a stylized D on them or the name Phantom scrawled across.

Daniel, presumably Phantom, looked shocked. He put a hand up to shield his eyes against the now brightly lit stage lights. “Is that…?”

“Surprise!” McLain called cheerfully as she patted Daniel on the shoulder.

“Oh ancients, you guys!” Daniel was clearly struggling to keep hold of his emotions. He rallied with a bright smile despite his glittering eyes, “Where my Parkers at?”

The audience screamed, yelling phrases such as, “We love you Phantom!”

“I missed you guys too.” Daniel sniffled, but was smiling so wide it was becoming unsettling.

“For those of you who don’t know, this is our surprise secret guest: Phantom Dwarfstar!” McLain paused to allow the audience to express their excitement. “Now nothing and no one can replace Frosty McGee as a person, but Phantom here is taking his place in the band.”

“I was actually supposed to debut with Ember, but couldn’t until now.”

“And it’s great to finally have Phantom up on stage with us, right where he’s supposed to be. Let’s hear it one more time for our newest member!”

The audience cheered once more, most of it coming from the section that already knew him, it seemed the rest of the audience had mixed feelings about Phantom. A glance at Father showed him him frowning for some reason, clearly looking concerned.

Daniel smiled and waved, “Alright, enough about me. Let’s hear it for the real star of the show. Ember! Ember!”

As if on cue the portion of the audience that had been chanting for Daniel started chanting for McLain, the rest of the audience quickly picking the chant up as Daniel jogged over to join the rest of the band.

“Alright, you guys ready for Remember?!”

The rest of the show went on as before, save for Damian and his family keeping their eyes solely on Daniel. Once the show ended Father herded them towards the backstage, where their VIP experience would pay off.

“I would like to state for the record,” Thomas was saying, “that I called it. Bruce as my witness, right down to the bad dye job.”

“I dunno,” Todd replied, “I think the hair is legit. I’m pretty sure Phantom was doing some kind of magic with his voice too. The same kind of magic as Ember, but a different spell? I’m not really sure how to explain it.”

“It makes sense Daniel would learn magic if he took up with magic users,” Damian said stiffly.

“If we’re going to stick with the plan you need to use his stage name,” Father said softly.

Damian nodded. He knew what he had to do.

🎵🎸🎶

Danny and his friends were celebrating in the green room after the show. Danny felt… strange. Emotionally tired, physically pumped. Guess doing the show as a ghost really changed his stamina.

“I can’t believe you guys!” Danny said with a laugh.

“I give the best surprises!” Ember cackled, spinning in the air in delight. “The look on your face!”

“It’s amazing! Any clue on when they have to go back? It’s Saturday night…”

“It’s spring break, dipstick,” Ember mocked him. “They’re here until next weekend!”

Danny felt gravity’s hold on him slip away, the room growing brighter. “The whole week?”

“It took a lot of doing to arrange things like this, you better appreciate!”

Danny darted over and pulled Ember into a hug, “You’re the best, Ember!”

“And don’t you forget it!”

There was a knock on the door, Morty poked his head in. “The VIPs are here for their backstage experience.”

“Awesome!” Ember settled down on the floor, always excited when these happened. Danny was rather proud, he thinks it was one of his better suggestions. He moved to go perch on a nearby armchair while the zombies all leaned back on a couch.

Morty opened the door wide and in filed a group of people. Four absolute tanks of men, one guy who was just regular buff, and a woman. One of the tanks, an older man with gray in his hair, stepped off to the side while everyone else approached Ember for the meet’n’greet. Something about the older man looked strangely familiar. It wasn’t helped by the way everyone kept glancing over at Danny. At Phantom.

“And you are?” Ember asked the older man after meeting everyone else.

“Bruce Wayne, but I’m just here as the chaperone.” Which was an odd thing to say, everyone else was at least old enough to drive but half of them looked like full blown adults.

Ember seemed to agree, “You guys need a chaperone?”

“Not them, no. My youngest.” Mr. Wayne looked back, “Do you want to come out and say hello?”

Damian stepped out from behind Mr. Wayne.

Danny couldn’t help stiffening up in shock, looking between Damian and Mr. Wayne. He was paler than Damian, but the similarities were there. ‘So that’s where I get my eyes from,’ Danny found himself thinking.

Ember also recognized Damian, crossing her arms and scowling. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Hello, again,” Damian said blandly. “I simply wish to send a message to Daniel.”

Danny caught the way Damian’s eyes darted to him for a moment. Time to commit to the bit, “Ember, who’s this?”

“This is the guy who scared Frosty off,” Ember motioned to Damian. “And I already told you, we haven’t heard from him since he left.”

“Nevertheless, if he does contact you please inform him that Grandfather is dead and I left the League years ago.”

“WHAT?!” Danny couldn’t help shrieking, rocketing into the air in shock.

Everyone in the room turned their attention fully on him, including Damian. “Grandfather is dead, and I left the League years ago. I’ve been living with our Father.” He motioned to Mr. Wayne, who waved awkwardly.

Danny didn’t know how to react to that, didn’t know how to feel about that. His legs wisped into a tail before popping back to legs, a layer of frost coated the room then vanished. Danny looked over to Ember.

“Baby-pop I swear if you abandon the tour again!”

“No, no, of course not,” Danny defended.

“I’ve already bought so much merch, how can I brag about you to my board members if you drop out again?” Mr. Wayne asked.

Danny felt something in his brain break and couldn’t help giggling at that.

“How much longer is this going to take?” Dash’s voice came loudly yet muffled from the hallway. “We have an afterparty to get to!”

“Give them a moment, Phantom’s in the middle of a reunion with his birth family,” Morty snapped back.

“WHAT?!” Jazz shrieked. Oh, Jazz was here too! This was great! The door to the green room burst open, Jazz standing in the doorway. She leveled the Not-Fenton-Anymore Anti-Creep Stick at Damian and said, “You!”

“Jazz!” Danny zipped down and wrapped himself around her for a full body hug.

“Danny!” Jazz hugged him back, everything was right in the world.

“Ms. Nightingale,” Mr. Wayne said with a strained smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Bruce Wayne, Danny’s father.” He held a hand out, which Jazz ignored.

“It’s okay, they said Grandfather is dead and Damian’s not in the League anymore.”

“I’m assuming the League is the cult you were born in,” Jazz said with a fond sigh. She turned her attention back to Mr. Wayne. “How do you know my name?”

“I’m one of the Justice League’s backers, I like to keep abreast of their bigger projects. Finding out the US government nearly started a war with an entire dimension was quite the shock.”

Great, now Damian was going to look up everything to do with Jazz and find out all about everything.

Sam and Tucker slipped into the room and joined the hug. Okay, now for real everything was right in the world.

“So, how about that afterparty?” One of the tanks asked, Danny thinks he introduced himself as Jason.

“Can we come?” One of the other ones asked. “It’s okay if not, we can just exchange phone numbers, it’s a lot to take in.”

“No, afterparty’s fine.” It really was, Danny was actually pretty happy about getting his little brother back in his life, and he was super curious about his birth father. “You guys got a hotel for the night?”

“Wait, hold up,” Sam demanded. “Is that Bruce mother fucking Wayne?!”

“He did fuck my mother, thank you for reminding me,” Danny deadpanned.

“Danny!” Jazz snapped, accompanied by a relatively gentle smack to the back of his head.

“Hey, watch the piercings, those hurt!” Danny protectively put his hands up to shield his ears from any errant hands. The piercings may be fake, but only because he just straight up phased them into his ears.

“No, back up, you’re telling me Bruce Wayne is your bio dad?!”

“I literally just found out myself.” Danny sighed deeply, then squinted at Sam, “Wait, how do you know him.”

“He’s richer than Vlad and kinda famous for it.”

“Oh… gross.” It seemed Danny just couldn’t escape from money. Danny idly wondered what his too-rich-for-his-own-good secret underground lair was, couldn’t be worse than Vlad’s cloning lab or Grandfather’s afterlife sewage jacuzzi.

“To answer your question,” Mr. Wayne said with an amused smile, “yes, we do have hotel rooms booked for the evening. Though we can extend it a little longer if you’d like.” Mr. Wayne sounded so hopeful.

“I dunno, my friends are only here for spring break…” Danny looked towards the door, where the rest of his friends were waiting to start the afterparty. He could hear the rest of his classmates starting to get more and more impatient.

“We can arrange something later,” the second tank said brightly. “We’ll extend the hotel a day or two, exchange numbers, make some plans, and you’ll have the rest of the week to hang out.”

Sam scoffed, “It’s not like Gotham’s even all that far, c’mon let’s get going!”

“Gotham?” Danny asked, that seemed important for some reason, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it as Sam dragged him out the door.  He had an afterparty to get to. He had a new life to get to.

[starry-bi-sky]

Snippets for my Clone^2 Au that I thought was funny...

in incorrect quotes style format (Clone^2 = Both my Clone Damian Au and Clone Bruce Danny aus combined)

Snippet 1: Danny and Damian meeting for the first time

Danny, avoiding Damian's katana: I don't wanna know who made you I don't wanna know who made you I don't wanna know who made you Danny: pleASE STOP TRYING TO STAB ME

------- Snippet 2: Danny and Damian meeting (Alternative)

Bby Damian: gets dropped off in the ONE city where his dad's clone is Danny, internally: damn I don't wanna know who made you

Danny: alright little buddy, lets -- *blocks Damian's sword* please don't stab me -- let's get you something to -- *blocks Damian's sword* please don't stab me -- something to EAT

------------- Snippet 3: Danny checking out books in the library Librarian: oh, are you trying to learn arabic, Mister Fenton?

Danny: oh- uh, yeah :) my parents recently,,, took in a foster kid from overseas,,,, but we found out he doesn't know english and he's having a hard time adjusting Danny, lying (only partially) through his teeth: so I,,, thought,,, maybe it would help him acclimate to his new environment if I learned some arabic :) Librarian: oh how sweet! let me know if you need any help, i can find you more books Danny: thank you

----------

Snippet 4: Damian wants to patrol Damian: let me come with you on patrol Danny, 16 year old idiot who fights without powers: uh. no. you are Itty Bitty Child Damian: comes with anyways

----------- Snippet 5: Damian, trying to fight a ghost without a ghost-proof sword: Danny, catching him and holding him against his chest: *radiating exhaustion* no,,,, no,,,,, not yet,,,,

-------- Snippet 6: danny has an epiphany Danny, realizing that he needs to set an example now that Damian is coming with him on patrol: fUCK Danny: I NEED AN ACTUAL SUIT ---------- Snippet 7; dynamic duo Danny: what is it with you and batman and robin???? Damian, silently sweating: ,,,,,,,because they are exemplary partners and i would like to think that us two are the same Danny, doesnt know identities: ...aww??? thats kinda sweet??? okay :)

---------- Snippet 8: hypocrite Damian: dijaal (affectionate) Danny, on day ?? of solving a cold case after a ghost asked him to: hrbhk - Damian, what are you doing up? it's late, you have school in the morning Damian, staring at him deadpan: you have school too. you should go to bed Danny: five min..utes buddy. then i'll go to bed Damian, grabbing the back of his rolling chair and pushing him to bed: no. now. danny, with eyebags the size of the marianna trench: ...fine. now.

--------- Snippet 9: ...the line Danny, doing homework with Sam and Tucker: Danny: *has an epiphany* wait. shit Tucker and Sam: ...? Danny, his head in his hands: am I Damian's dad or his brother?? Danny: wh- what do we define this??? Tucker: ... you're brothers until its funny? and then you're his dad?

----------- Snippet 10: learning Danny: reading a book about learning arabic Damian, slamming his hand down on the book to get his attention: dijaal, *points to book* kitab Danny, frowning: what? Damian, tapping book: kitab Danny: ..ki..kitab? Kitab? Book? Damian: Boog...book. *points to table* tawila --------- Snippet 11: clone reveal Damian, later after he knows enough english and months of chilling out: i am a clone.... meant to kill my original Danny, internally: wow you don't say? Danny, out loud:..huh. okay. thanks for telling me, uh, same here. except that last part

---

Dijaal = imposter Damian is affectionately calling Danny an imposter because danny is a clone of bruce :)

[wolfjackle-creates]

Ghost!Robin Part 8

Look at you lucky ducks! Two WIP Wednesday excerpts today! I'm afraid you won't be able to get used to it. Going forward I may update each fic on alternating weeks. I have a busy few months coming up if everything goes to plan and could use the buffer in case I can't get much writing done. We'll see, though.

I'm going to start leaving a fic summary at the beginning of every excerpt in case people find this in the wild and want to know what they're getting into.

Summary: Danny is finally going to meet Jazz's boyfriend Jason. At Jason's family's mansion. He spent weeks making sure he could have an evening off of any Ghost King business. But when he meets Jason on the steps of the mansion, he can barely pay attention to the guy because his focus is on the ghost of the dead Robin hanging off his shoulders. Who is very happy to find someone who can actually see him.

Word Count: 1.4k

First, Previous

----------

“Right. Um… Well, I do just kinda do whatever is necessary or find someone who can. Because, um, well, I’m… kinda the High King of the Infinite Realms? There’s a bunch more titles after that but I refuse to memorize them because ugh.”

Danny looked down at his plate, not wanting to see everyone’s reactions. Jazz must’ve made sure he got a piece of pie because it sat in front of him. It looked so good. Did they even know about the Infinite Realms? Justice League Dark members did, but did Batman? Jazz reached over and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Tim and Barbara’s typing seemed to get faster. And then a pair of pixie boots and legs settled on the table next to his plate. He looked up and met Robin’s eyes.

Robin reached out an poked Danny on the nose. He gave a little trill of safe, friends drawing a smile out of Danny.

At the same time, Duke exclaimed, “That’s why you have a crown!”

And Steph said, “Okay, I may be out of the loop, but what the hell are the Infinite Realms?”

Damian snorted. “Aren’t you too young to be a king of anything?”

Danny half stood. “Look, do you want to go spar or something? Is that why you keep picking fights? Because we can do that. Fighting is good for young liminals. But I really don’t think this is the time or place.”

Jazz groaned and dragged him back into his seat. “Stop it, Danny. You’re on Earth right now.” Speaking over Danny’s protests, she explained to Damian, “We wish. Managed to get them to delay until he turned eighteen at least, but his grandfather wouldn’t let us wait any longer than that.”

Danny let the fight drop, but he did notice how Damian’s grip on his spoon tightened. Looked like they would be having that spar tonight if Damian had anything to say about it. Still, Jazz was right and he had to follow human customs on Earth so he bumped his sister’s shoulder and spoke to her instead. “You know as well as I do that he would’ve if it was possible. But thanks to Pariah, there are things that haven’t been done in a thousand years and it’s been causing so many problems.”

“Steph,” said Barbara. “The Infinite Realms are the spaces between universes according to Constantine. His documentation states that the Realm’s inhabitants are all incredibly overpowered and should not be approached under any circumstances. Just one being can evade all methods of capture with standard supplies.”

Jazz nodded. “And our parents dedicated their lives to building a portal to the Infinite Realms, or the Ghost Zone as they call it, and destroying all ghosts.”

“By ‘ghosts,’” asked Bruce, “Do you mean beings from these Infinite Realms?”

Jazz nodded. “Yes. Most beings from the Infinite Realms come into being when a living creature dies in a traumatic way, with a lot of emotion, or near a large source of ectoplasm. Usually some combination of all three.”

Both Tim and Bruce tried to ask further questions, but Jason’s voice cut in over theirs. “Jazz, when you say your parents wanted to ‘destroy all ghosts,’ did they stop after Danny’s accident?” Jason’s question did, at least, cause silence to fall as everyone stared at the two siblings.

Jazz looked down and gripped the tablecloth tightly, jaw clenched. Now it was Danny’s turn to lay a comforting hand over hers.

“No,” Danny said. “They didn’t. They didn’t know what happened for several years and when they found out… Well, there’s a reason I can’t use their last name and Jazz won’t call them ‘Mom’ or ‘Dad’ anymore. But”—Danny clapped his hands—“this is a great segway into what is actually important. Does the Justice League know about the Guys in White? More formally known as the Ghost Investigation Ward? Or even just GIW?”

“That name is unfamiliar to me,” said Bruce.

Tim agreed. “Babs and I aren’t seeing anything in the JL databases.”

Even Robin just shrugged.

Danny didn’t expect the jolt of pain that sent through his chest and Jazz turned their hands around until they were gripping each other’s hands with more force than any baseline human would’ve been able to.

“I told you, Danny. They didn’t know. They didn’t know.” Her eyes were wet, but she forced a shaky smile. “You could’ve had help.”

Danny just shook his head. “Even if I had believed they didn’t know… Without meeting them, without knowing how many of their own were in danger, I would’ve never trusted them. Too many people rely on me for me to risk it.”

“Care to enlighten the rest of us?” asked Dick. His posture was relaxed, but his voice had an edge that hadn’t been there earlier.

Robin nodded from where he sat staring at Danny. He sent out a questioning Danger? pulse at Danny.

“Yeah, danger,” agreed Danny. “Barbara, Tim, if I give you a law code number, can you pull up the law I’m referring to?”

“Of course,” agreed Barbara. “Just a moment… And shoot.”

Danny gave them the code for the Anti-Ecto Acts. “The Guys in White are the government agency responsible for enforcing the Anti-Ecto Acts which classify all ‘ectoplasmic entities’”—he made the air quotes—“as non-sentient and non-sapient and excludes us from the metahuman protection acts.”

“What the fuck!” shouted Duke.

Next to Danny, Dick suddenly was sitting up tense. “That’s impossible.”

“The league would’ve noticed such an act being passed,” said Damian, though he didn’t look as sure as his words would seem.

Cass merely tilted her head and looked at him while Steph choked on her drink.

Bruce looked to Tim and Barbara. “Is this true?” he asked them.

Robin pointed to himself and mouthed the word ‘Me?’ at Danny.

“I’m afraid so. And Bruce, Cass, Steph, and Damian as well.”

Dick’s spluttering got louder. “How are they all in danger?” he demanded to know.

Before Danny could reply, Tim was speaking. “It’s all true. And far worse than Danny implied. Not only are ecto-entities not protected by the metahuman protection laws, but they are to be actively hunted and turned over to the GIW for experimentation and extermination and anyone who assists them is declared guilty of treason.”

“When did they pass?” asked Bruce.

“Four years ago,” said Barbara. “While Luthor was president. They were hidden in some laws about green energy.”

“Ghost are made of ectoplasm,” explained Jazz. “Ectoplasm is a fantastic energy source.”

“It happened a few months after I defeated the previous king but before my coronation,” added Danny.

“Why do you think myself, Damian, Cass, Stephanie, and Jason will be targeted by this Ghost Investigation Ward?”

“It’ll be easier to show you.” Danny reached down and pulled up his bag. The thing was made in Pandora’s realm and was bigger on the inside. Once open, it took him a moment to find what he was looking for. He could see Robin signing to the group next to him. “Here we are,” Danny said as he pulled out three devices. “These are all different ectoplasm detection devices. One is my own design, one is the Guys in White’s design, and one is my parent’s design. I’ll show you mine first because it’s the best.”

“Might be a dumb question,” started Dick, “but what the hell is ectoplasm?”

“So you know how all the elements in this universe came about from nuclear fusion of hydrogen in the cores of stars?” asked Danny. When most everyone nodded, he continued, “In the Infinite Realms, that base element is ectoplasm. But there’s no need for a star to transform it into anything else. It will mold to the shape any consciousness that interacts with it wants. When sentient creatures slip through, either by a portal or through death or any other means, they shape the part of the Realm they’re in to their will. The stronger the ghost, the larger the area they control.” Holding out his hands, Danny called forth a ball of ectoplasm, shaping it into a glowing-green ice duck. “Something like this,” he commented grinning around the table.

Only to be met with horrified looks as most of the table were staring at his hands with distrust. Damian had his knife out again. Jason, his gun with the other arm held protectively in front of Jazz. Bruce was standing and Cass tense.

“What’s wrong?” asked Danny. “It’s just an ice duck sculpture. Completely harmless.”

Jason’s voice was low and threatening. “It’s an ice duck made of Lazarus water.”

More alarming than his voice was the way his eyes glowed ecto-green and the fear-anger that filled the room.

----------

Next

Challenge: Stay on one topic for more than two sentences.

Outcome: Failed.

They keep getting side tracked with more questions. And Danny still hasn't had a bite of his pie. This evening will never be over.

Tag List Part 1

@addie-lover-of-stories, @justwannabecat, @gin2212, @amercurio, @regonold, @overtherose, @readerzj, @sjrose1216, @echoednonny, @deeterzz, @blu-lilac, @number-one-jew, @rowanaway-fromthisbs, @vythika96, @tired-yet-awaken, @themirrorghost, @emeraldcorpral, @all-mights-asscheeks, @darkhinauniverse, @blep-23, @phandomhyperfixationblog, @larkcoe1, @thegatorsgoose, @job-ross-the-second, @britcision, @lenacraft, @bubblemixer, @androgynouslordofescapism, @purefrickingspite, @leftmiraclechaos, @lizisipancardo, @starlight-sparks, @miraculousandmore, @gildedphoenix, @sometimesthingsfallapart, @letmesayfuxk, @phoenixcatch7, @skulld3mort-1fan, @abaowo, @dhampir-princess, @idkmrpianoman, @sarina-elais, @ballzfrog-blog, @undead-essence, @spookytragedyshark, @flyingpansaurus, @akintoabitch, @marivictal, @8-29pm, @justreadingthefanfics, @happybear135, @kisatamao, @spoopyspoony, @adorablechaos, @sara0055, @screamingtofillthevoid

Looks like 50 is the limit for active user tags in a post. Good to know

[batpham-discord-highlights]

Ghostly bats and camera straps

source: #ghosts-and-bats

P

Danny gets stuck in Tim's camera

Tim thinks the fact that all the photos are in black and white are because he dropped/it broke, and that the people he sees in the photos but swears weren't there when he took the photo, well he blames that on a lack of sleep.

if he takes a photo of Jason's ghost following Batman around, then that's a hallucination caused by grief, nothing else

when he starts seeing neon green words begging for help on otherwise blank walls, he realises something might be up

he'll take a photo of graffiti because wow that's some pretty art of Batman and Robin and over top is just bold, neon green text saying he should smash his camera

it's all a big misunderstanding, but Tim thinks there's some ancient evil being in his camera, so he keeps it to make sure that it can never escape

K

his parents brought him the camera back from some place they were doing archeology things at, they didn't know it was left by a magician trying to catch ghosts in photographs

alternately: it fell out of the ghost zone and into their site

P

he sets it up to take a family photo and Thomas and Martha are in the back, standing behind Bruce

K

shows the camera to Raven or Constantine and they're like "!!!"

P

they ask if they can use it, and he gets oddly defensive about it

"no, you can't touch my weird monochrome camera, it was a gift from my parents!"

K

even funnier if some boomerang just comes out of no-where aiming for the camera

follow closely by a girl with white hair yelling, "We finally found the fucker"

Danny's camera got lost in time but they didn't know that, they've only been looking for him for like a dozen hours or so

P

ooh ooh what if the camera can sorta stun ghosts

K

Dani just stops in her tracks, staring, until someone tackles her and she snaps out of it

P

Tim uses the time to run away

que shenanigans of Tim running around Gotham being chased by some weird glowing girl, the only way to stop her being to take a photo of her

even funnier if he's not Robin, and Batman sees this boy running across rooftops screaming bloody murder

maybe Dani can only be seen through the camera lens?

K

omg she goes invisible to try and get the jump on the twerp

Sam and Tucker are in the Fenton jet and batman is like "wtf is going on here?!?! you are 100% not allowed to do that"

P

Sam grabs Tim by the scruff and "politely" asks for his camera

Tucker is enamoured by the Batmobile™️

Danny can only see the photos taken by the camera, there's a sudden influx of blurry/poorly taken photos of who he can only assume is his clone and his two best friends

each photo of Dani, he can vaguely make out her stunned expression

the camera takes perfectly normal photos of ghosts, so the fact that Dani comes out blurred means that Tim is not on his game

h

The messages on walls turn into "those are my friends!"

That doesn't help

S

How does Tim find out that the ghost in his camera isn't evil?

Oh! Danny is hurt really badly and suffering while in the camera and the writing on the walls is written in his ectoplasm! Just for added angst!

H

THIS WHOLE IDEA IS WONDERFUL IM DYING

W

Poor Tim and Danny when Danny finally gets out

S

It actually causes Danny more pain when Tim takes pictures, but it's the only way Danny can communicate or try to reach out.  Tim would feel horrible when he finds out.

W

I can feel the emotional damage lol

S

But still

How does Danny get out?

And I wanna know how the conversation goes when they all figure out the misunderstanding.

H

Sidenote but I vote that we name this AU  Ghostly bats and camera straps

h

Sam punches Tim and Tucker takes the camera

H

yes

[darkmodepls]

I'm not really feeling the dead serious for this prompt, but seeing Paulina as the Demon twin is pretty neat so let me give it a try.

If Damian looks identical to his father but with green eyes, then Paulina is her mother's mirror image with blue eyes. Personality wise, she also has her mother's ability to read others and manipulate them. This makes me realize her rise to the top of the food chain in her freshman year was very deliberate. However, it also makes me realize Paulina has gone full Brucie Wayne during her time at Casper High. Everyone thinks that she's mean-spirited and incredibly shallow instead of the probable genius IQ she inherited from her parents.

That rambled a bit so in summary: Paulina may not have the intensive combat training of her twin, but her high Emotional intelligence is just as dangerous and she uses it judiciously to protect herself at Casper High.

This also explains why Danny never lost his crush on her. We all know Danny loves a girl who could murder him.

As for the GIW and the League, there is no way that Danny and Paulina are the only two flagged by MCOA. I'd say anyone who experienced long term possession would be flagged, which would include over 90% of the student body (Doctor's Disorders). The real trouble is students who had experienced possessions by more powerful ghosts such as Desiree's wish ghosts, the ancients, Kitty, and Walker. AKA the entirety of the A List +Valerie AND Team Phantom. (The Westons probably should be flagged but misinformation is their favorite game)

when the threats start, Bruce offers an olive branch to his long-lost daughter and her friends first, and the Team gets included once Oracle flags them as potential vigilantes.

I can't see the Bats agreeing to house so many unknowns at the Manor, so some alternative arrangements have to be made.

The end result is both groups rooming together and trying not to kill each other while Paulina has many awkward meals with her estranged twin and his family.

So I saw a post with art about Paulina and Damian being twins in spirit and I thought it was so GOOD AND I CANYVGWY IT OIT OF MY HEADDD

So Paulina and Damian were born in the Leauge, and because Paulina was the girl and the youngest she was treated more harshly out of the two.

Talia couldn’t take it and took Paulina to the states and put her up for adoption and told Ra’s she had died. Damian and Paulina were 5

Damian grew up without his twin, believing she died. He moved in with his father when he was 9 and didn’t mentioned because what was the point of mentioning someone who wasn’t even alive anymore. He also wanted to preserve her memory, he knew his sister as a frieze warrior, and the family’s grief and pity would hurt the image he had of he in his mind

So, when Damian is 15 and is banned from patrol for one reason or another he’s in the batcave, looking over the paper work from the MCOA (meta children of America, a program to try and locate meta children with powers to help them gain control and stability) and discovers two extremely powerful metas in Illinois.

Danny Fenton and Paulina Sanchez

(I think the extensive flagged as a meta gene, and because Danny is a halfa and Paulina pent her early childhood years around the pits and amity, she would be affected)

At first, looking at Paulinas photo hurt him, because she looks so much like his sister.

And he realizes that she is his sister.

Without telling anybody, he boards the next flight to Amity.

Paulina’s life as a civilian was jarring compared to the LOA. She had figured out Fentons identity almost immediately and (for fun) decide to pretend to be obsessed with him.

And when the school had them submit their DNA for the MCOA test, she was a bit worried, but here was nothing she could do at the time.

After the LOA didn’t come knocking, she figured she as safe.

Until she was sitting in Lancers class and her twin brother walking the room.

She doesn’t know that he’s not with the League, so she thinks he going to bing her and she not about to return.

So she brawls him in the middle of class.

They keep fighting, Damian fighting on defense, and Paulina digging on offense until Damian chokes out that he’s not with his mother any more and he’s with his father now

Paulina: oh we have a dad now? How is he

Damian: stupid

Paulina: you must take after him! What his name?

Damian: Bruce Wayne

Paulina: 🫢

Unfortunately, someone records the entire brawl and posts it on social media before they realize, and suddenly the Waynes are in Amity and so is the League.

And once the Leiage takes one look at Phangom with his ectoplasmic abilities like the Lazarus pit they also attempt to capture him.

So now not only does the whole world know that there’s another Wayne girl, but that Damian and Paulina were raised in a cult and that Ghosts are real.

So Paulina and Danny take shelter in Gotham with the Wayne’s and JLA protecting them (the LOA is one of the JLAs enemies)

(Danny x Damian!!)

[minnesota-fats]

Thank you for answering my ask!

I can see Bruce and Maddie meeting because of Science and interestingly enough, Maddie and Jack have an open relationship. I don't know why but I do ( on the flip side Vlad will self-destruct on that revelation )

How do Ra's, Talia, and Bruce himself think about Danny, his powers, and being the Ghost King? And Jack and Maddie who raised him?

Also, I find the thought hilarious if Bruce did have a 4th blood child( I'm counting Dani/Ellie ), it's freaking Marinette from Miraculous Ladybug, and JL, DP, and MLB are all on the same Earth.

Ironically Marinette was conceived the same way, drunken nightstand while in a high brow Gala in Paris with Sabine being a server, and shortly after that she met Tom, fell in live, and he raised her as his daughter.

At least Danny and Marinette can bond over them fighting fruit loops who should get a pet cat.

And the JL wasn't really on the up and up about what's going on in Paris because A) Everything gets fixed in the end and B) Kwami hijinks did a notice me not kind of Harry Potter spell until Constantine or Bruce starts poking around there. And C) Clockwerk may had helped keeping the secret because he owned the Kwami a favor.

Poor Damian once he finds out about that on top of still believing with his entire chest that Bruce + Selina = Dani will forever think that his Father, The Batman, is a Hoe 🤣

OH MY GODS THE CHAOS!!!!

—

Vlad would be so mad! And he would bitterly be sitting in the corner at a gala in Gotham and Danny would SO rub it into his face like: “oh look at how cool my second DAD is, dont you think so Vlad???” With the smuggest smirk anyone has ever seen on the boy. All the bats would be confused but Jazz (who is also there) is like: “don’t worry about it, Vlad deserves this.” Leaving the Batfam confused because this was Jazz—the voice of reason—Fenton. Then Elle would join in and just be fuckin brutal, “haha, bitch! bet you wish you were him huh?” And vlad storms off to sulk in peace. (Or try to anyway, there is no peace when there are ghost kids about!)

—

Ra’s would be bitter that the ghost king wasn’t his heir but would ultimately try to obtain Danny as a resource. Talia would be ok with Danny being the ghost king because what better way to have her son be protected than have his half brother be the king of the dead as well as having an obsession dedicated to protecting the people he cares about. Bruce would be devastated that his eldest bio son died before he was able to meet him but would quickly move on when he realizes that it doesn’t change the fact that Danny is his bio son. Ra’s Talia and Bruce all agree that the Fenton’s are very interesting people to say the least.

—

Tbh, Im not completely into the whole Miraculous x DC x Danny Phantom crossover. But I do vibe with the whole, Danny and Marinette bonding over having to fight crazy adults that need therapy. Also its Wayzz that Clockwork owes a favor to and he just puts Paris in its own little time bubble where time flows normally but the outside world is just getting signals from alternate reality Paris where nothing wins wrong.

—

Dani/Elle: “HA- your bio-dads a whore!”

Dami: “shut up!”

Danny: “your my clone so he is technically your bio-dad too.”

Danny/Elle: “HA- our bio-dad’s a whore!”

Marinette: “I don’t know how I got into this situation, I just want to draw in PEACE???”

And as said before, there is no peace when there are ghost children about. (Also batkids)

[scientifically-strange]

What If...?

Danny was falling. He was falling and yelling for a very long time, until he hit the ground with a loud smack! He bounced twice before finally settling. The wind had quite literally been knocked out of him, and it made everything hurt.

He squinted his eyes open, the harsh sunlight attacking his corneas.

Until suddenly it wasn't.

On nothing but instinct he rolled away from the figure that had blocked out the sun. He had been expecting an attack, but when nothing came into contact with the ground he became confused.

He was still a little dizzy from his rough landing but he was able to make out a strong female figure pretty easily. She had dark hair and was sporting a uniform with the British flag on it.

"Who are you?" He asked, standing up slowly as to not make his condition worse.

"Name's Captain Carter," Carter said in a smooth British accent. Danny took a closer look at her. Why did Carter sound familiar? Was she from his textbook or something? And if she was then what was she doing standing in front of him? Usually people from textbooks are dead.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"You must have hit your head harder than you thought. You're on top of Avengers Tower, darling."

"Avengers..."

Now that he was more awake he was able to actually hear the familiar sounds of the city, and the polluted air blowing through his hair. How had he gotten here, though? A few minutes ago he had been in Amity fighting Vlad. Maybe that last blast Vlad shot at him sent him here. Did that mean this was an alternate universe? Had he completely bypassed the Zone altogether? He had to get some answers, and it looked like the best way to get them was through Captain Carter.

"My name is Phantom," he said, offering a hand. She took it, but her shoulders were tense, ready to pounce if she needed to. "I was fighting a villain and I think he sent me here."

"Why would he send you to the Avengers Tower?" Carter asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Well, not the Tower specifically, per se," Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "I think he sent me to a different universe."

There was a pause. Then two. It was a tense silence that seemed to stretch on forever, until the good captain threw her head back and laughed.

Danny sat there, confused as to what he should do next, while Carter laughed her little heart to death.

A few minutes later when she had composed herself, she smiled down at him. "Sorry. It's just-of all the things I've heard after arriving to this century that is the most outlandish I've heard. And I've fought aliens."

"Join the club," Danny said with a smile. "Anyway, can we go see Tony? I need his tools to get everything ready to go back to the Zone."

"Well, before that there is quite a bit of explaining to do."

---------

Once Danny had finished his story to the rest of the Avengers, he figured this universe was just strange when it came to serious information being slapped down on the table. When he repeated himself to the rest of the Avengers, the only people who didn't laugh at him were Bruce and Carter, but only because she had already done that. It wasn't quite as funny the second time around, apparently.

He had also figured out that this was Peggy Carter. It was no wonder why she sounded so familiar, what with how Steve went on and on about how amazing she was. Not that he was standing in front of her, he could understand why. Even without the serum coursing through her veins, he's sure she could absolutely body him any day of the week.

"So let's just back this up for a second," Tony said. He was still a genius, he was still Stark, but he was never Iron Man. He was just a big fan of Peggy, and wanted to help in any way he could. It was weird to see him on the sidelines and not the front lines, but honestly it was probably better that way. Less of a chance of him dying, and all. "You're a half-dead teenager from another dimension? And in your universe, Hulk is green, Carter is dead but the scrawny fuck she dated isn't, and I run around in a big metal suit with a death wish?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Danny said with a shrug.

Tony looked him over once before shrugging. "Yeah, okay. Sure." Tony stood up and stretched his limbs before heading for the elevator. When it opened, he turned around, exasperated. "Are you coming or what, kid?"

---------

Working with Tony in this universe was just like working with Tony in his. It was loud, both from the music and the argument he was currently having with the scientist.

He had been stuck here for a week so far, and trying to build ghost stuff from nothing but memory was hard, okay? And he was tired and stressed out, and just needed a fucking breather.

He slammed his hands on the metal table before storming out of the lab and making his way up to the roof. He needed to feel the cool night air on his skin. He briefly wondered if the stars were the same here or not.

When he got to the roof he was met with familiar broad shoulders and dark hair. She didn't turn around, but she did pat the seat next to her.

"That was quite the argument you were having down there," Peggy told him. Danny just shrugged, not meeting her eyes.

"Tony is just being stupid. He doesn't understand anything about ghosts, and doesn't want to. In this universe and mine. I'm just...Tired, I guess."

"Well, I can assure you he's always been stubborn like that," Peggy told him. And then, as an afterthought, added, "Whether or not that's a good thing or a bad thing completely depends on who he's upset this time."

Danny managed to give her a small smile. He could feel the angry pressure in his chest deflating the more Peggy made fun of Stark. It was funny...Steve sometimes did the same thing when Danny was upset with the scientist.

After a few minutes, he closed his eyes and breathed in the crisp air. It was nearing the end of fall, and soon the snow would come. Thinking about snowball fights with his friends made his heart ache for them. Sam, Tucker, Bucky...Steve.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the sky. It was partly cloudy with the occasional airplane passing through, but from this high up he could make out a few stars.

"He talks about you all the time, you know," Danny said, interrupting whatever Peggy had been saying. "He talks about how you're the strongest woman he's ever met. And how he wanted a different life...With you." Danny turned away from the sky to see Peggy looking at him like he hung the moon.

"Tell me more about him," she insisted. Danny smiled. It was something he could latch onto. A part of his home he was able to share with somebody who understood what it was like to be in a completely different world.

He obliged. He talked about the way Steve talked about her, about how he had defied the government for Bucky, about the art in his sketchbooks and his unwavering need to do good. He quite literally had a heart of gold, and Steve showed it with every action he made. It was deliberate, absolute.

After a while, the two just fell into a comfortable silence. For how long, neither of them knew. It was long enough for Danny to start dozing off, until the slam of the roof door rang throughout the night air.

He was up in a flash, fist glowing, until he realized who it was.

"What is it, Tony?" He asked tiredly, letting the power out of his hand.

"I think we did it," he said. Danny was immediately more awake.

"Seriously?" He grinned. He looked over to Peggy who was grinning back at him. She placed a sturdy hand on his shoulder and urged him forward.

"Come on now," she said. "There's a villain to take down."

-------

It worked. It really worked. And it bypassed the Zone. The timing might be off but he would end up in his universe again. It was a relief to say the least. He turned to the two who had helped him the most.

"Thank you, Tony. I really appreciate the help. And Peg," he turned to the taller woman with a small smile. "I'll tell the big guy you said hi. If we ever cross paths again, I hope it's under better circumstances."

After a quick hug from Peggy and a clap on the shoulder from Tony, he was gone.

----

He was falling again, but this time he caught himself just before he hit the ground. Or, rather, the roof of Avengers Tower. Danny sighed in relief as he placed his feet on the ground, standing tall and firm. Just as he started walking forward towards the door, it burst open, and Steve came barging out, shield at the ready. He blinked at Danny for a moment before rushing forward and crushing the teenager in a hug.

"Danny! We were so worried! Where have you been?"

"It's a long story," Danny laughed. "But first," he phased out of Steve's grip and handed an envelope to Steve. It was a special delivery. Top priority. Orders from the captain herself. He watched as Steve gingerly took it from his hands, his eyes wide and unbelieving as he looked between the letter and Danny. He shrugged and gave the captain a sideways grin.

"Peggy says hi."

[farshootergotme]

Okay, this works if it's an alternative universe. However, in main continuity, the version of Jason Todd who died, killed by the Joker, was never almost adopted by Dick Grayson.

The first Jason is from the Bronze Age, from Detective Comics #526, 1983, written by Gerry Conway. The second Jason is from the Modern Age, being his first appearance in Batman #408, 1987, written by Max Allan Collins, and then later killed in Batman #428, 1988, written by Jim Starlin.

Detective Comics #526

Dick Grayson wants to adopt Jason Todd after the death of his parents.

Batman #408

Jason Todd meets the Batman after stealing his tires.

Batman #428

Batman holding the lifeless body of Robin, Jason Todd.

With that cleared up, let's now talk about the argument between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson after the death of Jason Todd.

Coming back from a space mission with the Titans, Dick Grayson is informed of the death of his brother, Jason Todd, by one of his teammates, Danny Chase.

Danny: It's not a big deal, anyhow. Happens all the time.

Dick: C'mon, already. What is it?

Danny: I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure. I think Jason Todd was killed.

After this, Dick confirms the fact and then we skip to a different scene, a panel of Dick already in the Batcave, waiting for Bruce.

Bruce: I didn't expect to see you again.

Dick: I heard about Jason. I'm really sorry, Bruce.

Bruce: You weren't at the funeral. People asked about you.

Here's where the guilt tripping begins. "You weren't at the funeral" yeah, I wonder why that is, Bruce. Could it be because you never told Dick about Jason's death? (Dick, New Titans #55, to Kory "Bruce never called to tell me what happened to Jason."). Even though Alfred offered to tell Dick himself, but you refused?

Batman: A Death in the Family chapter 5

Alfred: Should I get in touch with master Dick, master Bruce?

Bruce: Huh?

Bruce: No… No, Alfred. I'll handle this by myself.

You sure did handle that well, Bruce.

And then “People asked about you.” People, you say. What people, Bruce?

Jim?

Barbara?

The mortician?

Panel of the funeral of Jason and Sheila Todd, attended by Bruce Wayne, Jim and Barbara Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth and a mortician.

Not only does he make it sound as if he had to explain to strangers why his eldest son wasn't at the funeral of his brother, he blames Dick for it.

But I'm getting off topic here.

Now, let's talk about one of your main points

“Bruce never actually says anything about Jason's death being Dick's fault - Dick pulls that out of nowhere”

See, I don't know about that.

Let's take a look at the scene:

New Titans #55

Dick: C'mon, Bruce–Talk. Don't turn your back on me. I'm here…now.

Bruce: You were Lucky.

Bruce: When you didn't listen to me, your injuries weren't fatal. Of course, by the time I properly trained you–

Dick: Bruce, c'mon…Lay off. I'm not here to fight.

Bruce: Then don't!

Dick: Are you blaming me? I left, so Jason replaced me, and because I left he died? No way, pal.

Dick: Jason wasn't me. I was a trained acrobat. I could think quickly in perilous situations. But why did you let him become Robin before he was ready?!?

When you read the dialogue, it does seem like Dick says that out of nowhere. But let's think about how the whole interaction starts:

The first thing Bruce says to Dick, he already sounds accusatory, “I didn't expect to see you again” with emphasis in the ‘you’. Dick, of course, ignores it, and goes to explain his reason to be there. He's not instigating any kind of fight. Despite that, Bruce continues to act confrontational “You weren't at the funeral. People asked about you.”

There you can already sense a pattern. Bruce isn't outright saying it, but he is subtly laying a guilt trip on Dick.

Now you have to look at the last part of the dialogue Dick interrupted.

“Of course, by the time I properly trained you–” you left. That's what I'd assume he was going to say, thus Dick's next line: Are you blaming me? I left, so Jason replaced me, and because I left he died?

And Bruce doesn't deny it. He doesn't tell Dick he's wrong (which clearly he isn't afraid to say looking at this whole conversation). So, yeah, maybe he doesn't explicitly state it. But silence can be as much of a confirmation.

The whole conversation has been about Bruce indirectly blaming Dick for not being there, for not coming to the funeral. Is that far-fetched to think he's still doing the same in his next dialogue?

Bruce also talks about Dick's time as Robin, comparing him to Jason. Because of Dick, Bruce had an expectation, and because of that expectation, he was careless with Jason. Following this logic, Dick “made” Bruce believe something which then wasn't true for another child. Bruce didn't consider the very different background Jason came from, and gave Jason the training Dick had, which had been more than enough for the first Robin. But they weren't the same people, and this was Bruce's mistake, which he's now projecting on Dick.

Dick, whether he was right or not, already sees where this conversation was going, and so he points this all out to Bruce.

Then comes the widely hated panel from this issue, which turns this interaction from heated to blatantly aggressive:

Bruce: Don't you dare blame me for Jason's death! Don't you dare!

Yeah, Bruce, is not nice when you feel like somebody's blaming for someone's death, is it?

And, of course, he doesn't stop there.

Bruce: Why did I think I needed a partner? They slow you down. They make you worry about them rather than doing your job! He wouldn't listen. He wanted to do everything his way. He was just like you. In a few years I would have had to fire him as I did you.

Bruce: Why are you pretending to be concerned about Jason? You told me you resented it that I had adopted him and not you.

Dick: No, I didn't. I only asked why you adopted him.

Bruce: We've gone over this before, Dick. I'm not interested in continuing this conversation. I suggest you leave. And give your key to Alfred on your way out.

Bruce: I don't need a partner. I never should have had one. And I never will again.

There's a lot to unpack from this.

First, he rants about why having a partner is awful, to his first partner. Then he suggests Jason was a problem because he was just like Dick. What is Dick supposed to say about that? 'Sorry for letting the kid want to be like him?' He follows that by trying to gaslight Dick into thinking he resented Jason, thing Dick never did. And Dick tries to tell him exactly that. But no! Despite the fact Bruce was the one to bring it up, now it doesn't matter. Why are you trying to speak about this, Dick? We already talked about it. Stop. And for the cherry on top—because all previously done wasn't enough—he kicks Dick out of the cave and orders him to leave his key. He's basically telling him he has no place to come back to. This isn't his house anymore.

Now, all of this is to say this is not an argument between two parents, fighting for what happened to their kid. No. This is a father and a son arguing about the death of their other son and brother respectively. An argument that ends in physical assault.

“What Dick says is much more about Dick trying to avoid his own feelings of adult responsibility for a child and guilt for failing that child” he is an adult, but Jason was never his responsibility. Not as a parent, at least.

Does Dick feel guilty for what happened? Yeah. Because that's how he is. He has self-blame tendencies. But his guilt has nothing to do with him seeing Jason as his kid, nor did Jason ever think of Dick as his parent. They were brothers, and that's as far as it goes.

(And their relationship as brothers didn't really have the chance to grow due to Dick's busy life. He did try to be there for Jason and they had some quality time here and there, but not as much as they would've liked.)

Anyhow, it is an interesting idea if you mix both timelines. But, in-universe, the Dick who wanted to adopt Jason Todd and the Dick who met Jason by chance are two different people, and it was the latter who had this argument with Bruce.

I think there's something that gets lost in these conversations about Dick and Bruce's infamous confrontation over Jason's death, and it's tied up in how, originally, Dick wanted to adopt Jason himself. Because he felt a personal sense of responsibility for him for reasons that had little to nothing to do with Bruce.

With that context, the confrontation is much more clearly about their respective senses of responsibility for Jason, rather than Dick simply calling Bruce out. Bruce never actually says anything about Jason's death being Dick's fault - Dick pulls that out of nowhere, apropos of nothing, and it doesn't really matter if it's true or not because you can't really call someone out for something they never said to you. They might be choosing not to say it because they know it isn't a fair or reasonable thing to say.

What Dick says is much more about Dick trying to avoid his own feelings of adult responsibility for a child and guilt for failing that child, even if he's correctly guessed that Bruce is internally doing the same thing.

[phantoms-lair]

Give us Bruce punching clockwork please give us that!

“You lied.”

“I beg your pardon?” Clockwork asked,

Then beg thought Batman. He was in no mood for the so called Master of Time. “A lie of omission. Or rather you let him think Vlad Masters’ lie was true.”

“What makes you think it was a lie?” Clockwork asked, with a smirk Batman longed to wipe from his face.

“Because that’s what Plasmius does. Because the scenario that’s laid out makes no sense. Danny’s next of kin was his Aunt, he would have gone there. He never would willingly have gone to Plasmius. Plasmius would never have forgiven him for Mrs. Fenton’s death. Pasmius claimed Danny human self was destroyed, but the ‘Dan’ in that alternate timeline was able to turn back. He also didn’t jump at the chance to save his loved ones, but instead worked to make that happen. Almost as if he had a vested interest in them dying. And Vlad was working on cloning Danny. So my question is why cause so much trauma to a child over a lie? Why arrange for that trauma to happen into he first place.”

“Because Danny is not just a child and more than Kal El is just a man. He’s important, and which side of things he’s one matters greatly. He was frustrated, his life was coming apart and he had the confrontation with his parents in the near future. He needed the incentive. Now he is cared for and firmly on the side of good. Everything is as it should be.”

Batman nodded. Then smashed Clockwork's face in with an ectoplasm infused gauntlet.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Full-Time Hero, Full-Time Disaster

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/4NB9fnR

by halfagone (milkywxy)

In which Danny is always exhausted, filled with intrusive and murderous thoughts, and Cass thinks he should probably eat more. And borrows his clothes. And shows up at his house unannounced. Okay, the communication is pretty scuffed, but they somehow make it work and that's all that matters.

Words: 9937, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 11 of Readable Arrangements

Fandoms: Danny Phantom, Batman - All Media Types, Batgirl (Comics)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Danny Fenton, Cassandra Cain, Jazz Fenton, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Tucker Foley, Barbara Gordon, Damian Wayne, Background & Cameo Characters

Relationships: Cassandra Cain/Danny Fenton, Danny Fenton & Jason Todd

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, EMT Danny Fenton, I am still on my medic Danny bs, Retired Hero Danny Fenton, POV Alternating, but mainly, Danny Fenton-centric, Danny Fenton Is So Done, Stalking, And By That I Mean, Cass shows her love by stalking people, it surprisingly works, She thinks Danny should eat more, and she does something about it, Misunderstandings, not really - Freeform, Danny's just oblivious for a hot minute, Minor Violence, Implied/Referenced Character Death, But it's Danny and Jason so we're cool, Developing Relationship, Romance, Fluff, Humor, Did I just write a rom-com?, Who am I?, Secret Identity, Language, Illiterate Cassandra Cain, Cassandra Cain is Black Bat, She can talk but not much, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/4NB9fnR

[ao3feed-jasontodd]

Full-Time Hero Full-Time Disaster

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/47232931 by halfagone (milkywxy) In which Danny is always exhausted, filled with intrusive and murderous thoughts, and Cass thinks he should probably eat more. And borrows his clothes. And shows up at his house unannounced. Okay, the communication is pretty scuffed, but they somehow make it work and that's all that matters. Words: 9937, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 11 of Readable Arrangements Fandoms: Danny Phantom, Batman - All Media Types, Batgirl (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, Gen Characters: Danny Fenton, Cassandra Cain, Jazz Fenton, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Tucker Foley, Barbara Gordon, Damian Wayne, Background & Cameo Characters Relationships: Cassandra Cain/Danny Fenton, Danny Fenton & Jason Todd Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, EMT Danny Fenton, I am still on my medic Danny bs, Retired Hero Danny Fenton, POV Alternating, but mainly, Danny Fenton-centric, Danny Fenton Is So Done, Stalking, And By That I Mean, Cass shows her love by stalking people, it surprisingly works, She thinks Danny should eat more, and she does something about it, Misunderstandings, not really - Freeform, Danny's just oblivious for a hot minute, Minor Violence, Implied/Referenced Character Death, But it's Danny and Jason so we're cool, Developing Relationship, Romance, Fluff, Humor, Did I just write a rom-com?, Who am I?, Secret Identity, Language, Illiterate Cassandra Cain, Cassandra Cain is Black Bat, She can talk but not much, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/47232931