#Adam Fenton

[centrestagereviews]

Interview: Adam Fenton - The Solid Life of Sugar Water

Interview: Adam Fenton - The Solid Life of Sugar Water 🍊 #TheSolidLifeofSugarWater opens on 19 October, with previews from 15 October, and runs until 12 November. It will be available via OT On Screen between 15–18 November.

The Solid Life of Sugar Water will run at the Orange Tree Theatre till 12th November The Orange Tree Theatre have announced the full cast for Jack Thorne’s The Solid Life of Sugar Water. JMK Award Winner Indiana Lown-Collinsdirects Katie Erich and Adam Fenton.The award provides Lown-Collins the opportunity to stage her own full-scale Orange Tree show production where she will work with designer…

[phantom-0-writer]

what even is your life danny?

Danny had been shocked awake by Adam practically breaking down the door to Wes’s room as he barged in. “Wake up!” He yelled frantically. 

“What’s wrong?” Danny asked, sitting up at the thought of a ghost attack. 

“Wha-” Wes asked, bleary-eyed from his side of the bed, drool still wet on his mouth. Adam in all his everlasting energy, practically pushed Wes off the bed, making room for himself. 

“Y’know Nightwing’s recent case-” He started excitedly before turning around to face the two of them, his voice more serious, “You know about it, right?” Adam asked. When they both nodded- as if Tucker would have let them go this long not knowing about it- Adam continued in his original energy. “They finally released the names of all the kids that got switched.” Adam started in the same excitement someone would announce they won the lottery in a hallmark movie. “They made this mini-identity check thing, since, y’know it counts as personal medical history, and it legally can’t be free access to the public. It’s actually quite ingenious- yet simple.” Adam’s voice began trailing on the edge of mystification before snapping back to his original energy. “I thought we’d all give it a shot to see if any of us qualify!” He ended happily. 

“Dude, how can you have so much energy so early in the morning,” Wes asked, bundling himself in his blanket, his voice heavy in a sleepy drawl even though he looked much more awake now. 

“It’s 1:30. Regular people like me have been up for hours now,” Adam responded snottily, shoving a hand in his younger brother’s face.  “Also Danny, your phone’s been going crazy all morning. You left it on the couch last night.” Adam said, handing the device to Danny.

“Who was it?” Wes asked, looking over at him. 

“My parents,” Danny put the phone on speaker. Two rings echoed in the still anticipation of the room before the familiar voice of his mom came through the other end. “Hi, sweetie!” She said happily, “Did you just wake up?” 

“Oh, uh Yeah. I did. I was-”

“We got a call this morning and you’d never believe who it was.” Mom started, her voice only marginally louder than the loud work of whatever she was doing. “The FBI! Can you believe it? They said you were one of the children involved with Dr. Kilye’s case-” 

Danny looked up to share a look of shock with Adam and Wes, jaws loose, having pierced the puzzle together. 

“-Apparently the child they swapped you with, mine and Jack’s biological child, had been born with an undiagnosable fatal condition, and hadn’t been able to make it. His name was… Philip. We were quite sad about the news.” The sound of the drill echoed through the room. “But apparently the agent- the FBI agent!- had already talked to your biological parents - you know Jack and I always wondered who it was you took after, and I thought it was my Great Aunt Sally, but Jack always said his late Uncle Bob. Oh right, what was I saying? Oh! Your parents- right! They seemed pretty eager to meet you. Or at least your father, I think -or was it your mother, I can’t remember. The other one went missing a while after you were born. I don’t remember all the details. I sent you the phone number they gave me, I figured you’d want to talk to her.” And before Danny could even get a word out she hung up. 

There was a palpable silence, “I’ll make us some food,” Adam said, being the first to leave his spot. 

Wes jumped up instantly at the declaration, “No!” 

“How about I make us some food.” Danny offered, making his way to the kitchen.

“Yes, that is the better option.” Wes nodded sagely, plopping onto the barstool as Danny took inventory. Adam hauled himself onto the counter, letting his long legs dangle right above the floor as he watched Danny cook. 

“You got your bio mom’s number, right? Are you gonna talk to her?” Adam asked his hyper attitude from the morning replaced with a still-eager yet more restrained and slightly somber one. 

Danny let himself consider it before responding. “I don’t even know her name or anything though. What would I even say?” 

“We could look it up on the thing Adam was tellin’ us about.” Wes offered. “I’ll grab my laptop.”

“Your call,” Adam added. 

“Yeah… I think that’d be good.” Danny looked up from the food he was preparing, “Thanks, guys. I dunno how I would’ve taken this without you.” He smiled softly. 

“You’re the one cooking for us, man. We should thank you.” Adam laughed. Plates wiped clean and in the sink, they all huddled around Wes’s laptop as Danny put his information to the FBI’s server. 

“Dude,” Wes gasped reading the file, placing his hand on Danny’s shoulder as he leaned in closer from behind him.

“Your dad-” Adam spluttered, “Your dad is Bruce Wayne?” He practically yelled, turning to look at Danny for confirmation. As if he had any idea what was going on. “Bruce Wayne.” He said, again amazed. 

“What even is your life Danny?” 

“Did my mom just casually send me Bruce Wayne’s personal phone number?”

“Tucker’s so going to lose his mind.”

except from regular boy: daniel wayne (chap 6)

[breakandbuildfiction]

How about Danny Phantom X Hazbin Hotel?

I know I'm not a big or popular blog or anything, but as someone who has seen and really liked a LOT of DP x DC blurbs, prompts, fanfics, and fanart, I want to say that it's about time we branch out with Danny Phantom a bit. Throw the gremlin into new worlds, come up with new pairings both serious and crack, and just generally fuck around with different stories and plotlines.

With that in mind I am putting forth the suggestion of Hazbin Hotel and/or Helluva Boss as a universe to make Danny suffer through!

The pain of having family or friends being doomed to a Hell where they are in constant agony and in danger of a second death, dealing with envoys like Adam or Charlie, him meeting and talk with Stolis about the stars and space, or maybe he decides to go 'evil mode' and have fun in Hell by messing with Overlords.

So many possibilities...

[ifellbecausegravity]

[glassroo]

God can't stop me

[blossyossyossy]

Another year, another favorite character bingo

2023 Version

[stealingyourbones]

Offering of a juvenile nile crocodile skull

(Yes it is real and it is Very Cool)

Thinking about those AU's where there is something Other and Wrong about Danny Fenton

And just. People interacting with him who Know something is Off but they don't know what but they're trying to pretend everything is Okay because they don't want to be rude

People tip toeing around Danny because he is Creepy

Bonus point is Danny just doesn't notice anything. He's too tired to notice that people are acting strange ~~how is the way theyre acting any different from how people have always acted around him?~~

But like, less angst and more undead comedy. Something that *could* have been angst but framing makes it funny rather than sad

Addams-family-like Maddy and Jack Fenton where they aren't Bad Parents it's just that what they think is a good parent is Absolutely Not what everyone else thinks is a good parent. *convo between fenton parent and their kids when they were toddlers* 'Oh honey why are you carrying that little knife?' 'I want to kill the monster under my bed' 'why are you using that then? Here take this one' *hands them the fenton bazooka*

Something Off and Different about Jazz too - and Sam and Tucker. Less so with the latter two.

Dani is the most normal of the lot. The Fentons adopt her and absolutely no one questions it because thank god there is finally someone Normal in that family (once she gets enough ectoplasm to properly stabilise she becomes Less Normal but she is normal when they meet her and it happens slowly so they don't notice as both she and the rest of the town slowly and slowly become weirder)

OH! What about Amity Park, at some point, merges with a replica of it in the Ghost Zone? Amity Park IS Phantom's lair and thus it is the Lair of the Ghost King - it exists in both the living realm and the infinite realms. Someone who has lived in Amity Park for long enough can go into either the human world or ghost zone by leaving the towns borders - they end up in whichever realm they are trying to go to. A ghost can only go into the infinite realms (if they want to go to the human realm that isnt just amity park they MUST go through the fentons or vlads portal) and a non-amity park human can just go to and from the human world in amity park - again, they specifically need to go through the portals to switch between realms.

Animals associated with death can also use amity park itself to traverse the realms - this does not follow any logic beyond that of human myths and legends. Animals not associated with death are bound by the same rules as humans.

I have never even thought of 'Fenton's are the Adam's Family of Amity Park' but I need like 10000 fics of it now I love it sm.

[iluvkiss1]

I had a very interesting talk with my sister a while ago about cult horror movies and stuff. We get to Frailty from 2001 and ultimately I think that movie and Supernatural have more in common than it seems.

[ghostly-penumbra]

Seven Ways to Summon the Ghost King

Chapter Two: The Friend of a Friend

[1] [here] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Ao3

Summary: Dean wants his brother's soul back. Danny is ready to help.

Warnings: Some blood and the aftermat of a fight.

- - -

Dean left the shitty store and Doc. Roberts’ shitty ‘office’, standing in the middle of the convenience store that served as a front for the doctor’s more arcane business. “This better work.” He said to himself. “Messorum evoco qui me titigit.”

“Dean? What the Hell?”

Dean turned around, meeting his reaper once again after all these years. “What do you know? It worked.” She seemed to remember him well, if her choice to go with her human-looking shape rather than her ‘spooky bed sheet ghost’ attire was any indication.

“I was in Sudan!” Tessa exclaimed. “What’s with yanking me ov-” She stopped, actually seeing his current state, “wait, why are you dead?”

Finally! To the point. “Tessa, I need a favor.”

“Oh, you’re kidding. You died to ask me-”

“Tell your boss I need to talk to him.” The hunter hastily interrupted. Only three minutes.

“No.” Tessa said immediately.

“Please?”

“Where do you get the nerve?”

“Desperate times.” That was as simple as he could say it, since he didn’t consider the bread aisle next to the rotisserie chicken to be the perfect place to talk about it.

“He calls for us.” The reaper finally explained. “We don’t call him.”

“You make an exception!” Dean snapped, his patience was wearing thin.

“I can’t!” But even a reaper had limitations. There were rules they were bound to.

“Can’t or won’t?!”

“Both!”

“Hey, um, sorry to interrupt, but you’re Tessa and Dean, right?” A lanky guy that almost looked like Tessa’s little brother interrupted and- wait, was he actually her Reaper lil’ bro or something? To be here with them in Limbo…

“Danny?” Was what she said instead, gobsmacked. “I mean, sir-”

“Danny is okay, really.” The guy said, putting up both hands in front of himself, as a placating gesture and to fend off the formality. “Anyway, Death sent me.” That caught Dean’s attention. “I’ll take it from here.” Danny told her kindly. “You can go back to work, don’t worry.”

Tessa looked back at Dean, lips pursed and finally nodded. “Behave.” She warned the hunter one last time before disappearing.

“So, who the fuck are you?” Dean demanded from the new guy. “Can you actually do something or do I have to ask for the big boss again?”

“Woah, calm down, man. I just got here. My names Danny, by the way. Death’s busy so she delegated to me. What do you need?”

Ignoring the odd pronoun, Dean went right back to the chase. “My brother’s soul is in Hell, in the Cage! While his body is up here being a fucking psychopath!” He was breathing hard, closing his hands into fists and then opening them again. “He’s down there being tortured by Lucifer and Michael and I… I can’t leave him there.” He looked up to meet Danny’s eyes.

Had they been green a minute ago?

“Where is his body?” He said with a chilling intensity.

“Why-”

“You said his body is up and about, I need you to keep it in one place. I don’t know how long it’ll take me, but I need you to keep his body in one place: where?”

“… Singer Savage, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.”

Danny nodded. “Go there, lock up your brother’s body and wait for me.” He commanded firmly. “Understood?”

At Dean’s nod, Danny put a hand on the hunter’s chest and-

-Dean came back with a deep gasp, as his lungs tried to compensate for the time his body had been starved of breath.

“I have to go.” He sat up shakily, just in time to avoid a shot of adrenaline. “I need to-”

“Aw, this was the best part.” The goth chick next to him grumbled, syringe still in hand.

“Oh, boy, you’re alright! How did it go?” Doctor Roberts asked him, and Dean felt his heartbeat accelerate.

“It was- great. Awesome. And I have- I need to go back to Bobby.” He made for the door, but Roberts put both hands on his shoulders and sat him back down.

“Dean, you are in no state to drive. You just came back from the dead, you need to recover.” He said, handing him a glass of water of dubious origin.

“No! What I need to do is go back with Bobby and keep Sam in one piece- place, and quickly. Danny said-”

“Alright, big boy.” The assistant drawled, smirking. “No need to throw a tantrum. I can drive you there.”

Dean seriously considered saying Cristo right then, because the smile Eva gave him was nothing short of devilish.

- - -

Dean stumbled into Singer Savage, thankful he had left his baby back here, otherwise he feared Eva would demand to drive herself back. That girl really was hell in four wheels.

“Bobby!” He called, entering the old house and looking for the old man. “Where is Sam?!

“Over here, boy.”

As he walked towards the voice, he noticed the disarray the place was in, with broken furniture and stuff thrown around all over the place.

He found Bobby sitting in front of a big metal door nursing his flask close to his chest.

“What happened here?” He asked in concern.

“Your baby brother is what happened.” Bobby said, pointing at the door with his thumb and taking a swing from his flask in his other hand. “Fuckin’ tried to kill me and failed!” He told him, with the last bit thrown over his shoulder towards Sam’s cell.

“So he’s there? He’s trapped?” Dean looked through the small window, finding a dirty and bloodied Sam sitting on the floor glaring daggers at him with heartless –soulless– eyes.

“As well as ‘can be since we don’t have a human-trapping circle yet. You know, other than walls.” Bobby extended his hand and Dean took it, helping the older hunter stand up. “Did you make it? You got the deal?”

“Yeah, I- I got the deal.” He put a hand in his pocket where the ring-

The ring wasn’t there.

Had the kid taken it while Dean didn’t notice? How could Dean not notice? Had he tricked him into believing he would save his little brother so Dean would back off?

A lump formed in his throat and his knees trembled. Had he damned Sammy?

“Move over!”

It happened in a flash. One second he was questioning all his actions that led up to this moment and the next his life of obeying his father was kicking in and he instinctually followed the order.

The next moment, both he and Bobby had a lot to process.

Not just because a glowing, white haired kid with a bruised face caked with a green substance had just passed through the steel door dragging an equally bruised, equally glowing Sammy, but also because he had left another person behind, laid on the floor just as bloody and bruised but not glowing like them.

“What the hell was that?!” Bobby voiced their thoughts.

“Adam?” Dean knelt next to the still form of his half-brother. The surprise and confusion were clear in his voice, not only for the fact that Adam was there but for his current condition. Was he actually alive? Was this his dead body and had his soul already left?

A blood-curdling scream tore Dean away and back towards the door, where he only caught a flash of bright light through the small window before he could finally find both Sammy and Danny thrown on the floor, unconscious.

Bobby turned to Dean, confused, “Son, you better start doin’ some explaining.”

- - -

“So, this half dead thing, how does it work?” Bobby asked Danny, handing him another ice-pack, this one going to his split lip.

“Usually better than this.” The young man replied with a grimace. Young man. An adult again, while his other half had been just a boy. “Usually I heal kinda fast, but I don’t think that’ll be the case this time.”

“Because you took on two archangels.”

Danny almost doubled over laughing, but his cracked ribs and Bobby’s firm hand on his good shoulder stopped him from causing himself more damage.

“Easy, boy.”

“Sorry, it’s just- I didn’t ‘take on’ two archangels. I didn’t even face them! I just, got in while they were at each other’s throats, distracted, snatched up the guys, and turned tail as fast as I could when they noticed.

“If I had actually tried to fight them, none of us would have gotten out.” His face had sobered, looking at his bandaged hand.

Who had he been holding with that hand? Would it had been Adam or Sam who got dragged back to Hell? Bobby shuddered to think that. These boys deserved to be finally free.

Speaking of which…

“But you still went to the end of Hell and back to get ‘em back. And I owe you for that. Thank you.”

The boy blushed and ducked his head, shrugging. “It had to be done.”

“No, don’t.” The weathered hunter gripped Danny’s shoulder more firmly, but still mindful of his injury. “Don’t undermine what you did, kid. You saved these boys. So, again, thank you.”

Ha had saved Sam’s soul, and if his soulless body’s previous attempt at patricide showed something, it was that Sam saw Bobby as a father as much as Bobby saw him as a son.

And maybe he hadn’t raised Adam like he had his boys, but he still was so young, with a whole life ahead of himself. He would have to come to terms with his mother’s loss and the years he’d missed but if he had that Winchester stubbornness in him he would be okay. Eventually.

“If there is anything I can do…” Bobby offered again.

“Uh, actually…” Danny’s sheepishness turned into outright embarrassment. “I could really do with a ride home. My friends and sister are at college and I really don’t trust my parents’ driving.”

Bobby huffed out a laugh. Of all things he could have asked…

“Sure thing, kid. Do ya mind if I call someone to pick you up? I gotta fix this place, and I really wanna keep an eye on these boys.”

“No prob’, sir, just, generally speaking, if we could keep the ‘half ghost’ thing between the people here, y’know, don’t let word get out, that would be great.”

“Understood.”

- - -

Sam and Adam were still out cold, but alive. Dean had wanted to stay by their bedside, but Bobby left no room for arguing in that he had to thank Danny before he left for home. Home, which was his parents’ house in Illinois, when he wasn’t at college.

Was he seriously just some guy? Part-timing as a reaper… ghost… friend of Death of all beings.

Said guy was currently resting against Garth’s truck, eyes closed and face tilted upwards just basking in the sunlight after having gone to the depths of Hell and back. Because Dean had asked.

Yeah, he should thank him face to face.

“Hey.” He called out as he approached.

Danny looked back down and Dean finally got to see his busted lip and split eyebrow, which had been easier to ignore than the arm in a cast, but harder than the bad posture hiding his broken and bandaged ribs.

“Hey, man.” He said with a weak grin. “Ready to move on, huh?”

“Yeah, I already called my parents, told them I’ll be visiting… I didn’t tell them it’s gonna be a recovery visit, though, or they would have insisted in driving here.” Danny said with a grimace. “I’m just waiting for your friend Garth to finish talking with Mister Singer, and then we’ll go.”

Dean nodded along but on the inside he steeled himself, cowboyed up, and began, “Hey, listen, about Death’s ring, I know you already took it but-”

“I didn’t take anything.” Danny said calmly making the hunter pause. His expression was knowing and serene. “If you had something of Death’s that she wanted back, there was nothing you could’ve done to keep her from getting it back. Death is everywhere and you can’t escape her forever.” He said it so matter-of-fact and with such acceptance that it rankled Dean, who had already died and come back as well.

“Ok, well, then you still went to Hell and saved my brothers, and I know you told Bobby we owed you nothing and only want a ride home but-”

“Mister Singer owes me nothing, but you do.” The halfa interrupted him again, leaving Dean flabbergasted.

Was he really saying…? Well, it’s not like Dean wasn’t in the middle of offering anyway, but still…

The hunter nodded. “Okay.” He didn’t know what he was signing up to, but he had already sold his soul once to save Sam, and he would do it again if it came down to it.

“You don’t owe me because I saved your brothers.” Danny explained. “I’d have done that for free, any time. You owe me one for not telling your youngest brother that you didn’t even think of him when you asked me to go on a rescue mission to Hell.” Danny’s glare wasn’t hateful or even angry, just disappointed and disdainful.

Dean was still stunned, he closed his mouth then opened it again but no sound came out. He really hadn’t thought… hadn’t considered… fuck. Shit! Damn it!

He shook himself out of his thoughts and nodded again. He deserved whatever he got.

- -

Garth and Bobby wrapped up their conversation, and soon enough Danny was out of Singer Savage and headed back to Illinois.

They still had to deal with the angels’ war, and see what would happen with Adam, what he would choose.

His brothers were fine, they were safe for now, and they would get better soon.

Still, as he watched the back of the speeding truck get smaller and smaller, Dean was left feeling hollow.

- - -

The first bit of this chapter was directly taken from a transcription of "Appointment in Samarra", the episode where Death has Dean do his job for a day to teach him the lesson that murder is okay if done by someone better dressed than you! asdfghjklñ. I just added some descriptions.

There, Death asks him "which brother" to save from the Cage, since Dean tty forgot about lil Adam smh.

Let's just say that the setting (me, being the one to write this) demanded Danny to be Not Cool with that, so this is a little fix it. I did this for Adam and have no regrets. Youngest half siblings for the win!

[johnnyutah]

omg just watched the bill paxton/mcconaughey movie frailty have any of u seen that?? it fucked me up i need someone to scream abt it with

[puppetmaster13u]

DC x DP but it's like a Mandela Catalogue situation

[neopuff]

vlad/maddie // if i had you

[breakandbuildfiction]

Long Distance Relationship (Heaven)

After learning that there was a new Ghost King, Sera sent Emily and a few other angels to go meet him and see if he was an improvement over the old one. When the younger seraphim returns she happily reports that the new Ghost King was named Danny, that he is a much nicer guy than Pariah Dark ever was, and that she needs something called a ‘cell phone’ to make use of a series of numbers Danny gave her.

[nikkiruncks]

Added some of my ocs too

[ghostbsuter]

Can be read as a continuation of this

.・゜-: ✧ :

Standing by Batman's side, Billy and Danny were very much standing out, ignoring that they're kids and in street clothes.

There was a curse, and the cave was flooded with various people, both recognised as Bruce's legal and otherwise wards.

Danny knows that blue bird symbol even if the vigilante was over 500 meters away.

"Nightiwing!" He cheers, nudging Billy who was still pouting.

The man in question seemed so confused.

A rough "behave" from batman, and they were both grumbling, Billy adamant that he didn't even do anything.

"Uh– B? Why are there two black haired, blue-eyed children behind you?" Nightwing approaches cautious, attention to the two now.

"You two orphans?'

"Yep!" "Yeah."

"...tragic backstory?"

A shrug and a 'so-so' gesture.

"Shit, welcome to the family then."

The words make Billy grin. "Nah, we're not adopted, as much as the big probably want to." He adds as afterthought. "It's just our week with the big bat!"

Spoiler, giddy, approaches as well. "Damn bigbat! Felt broody again?"

Danny laughs at the question, the man only grumbling.

"So, who are you two? I personally don't believe Batman would bring in two random orphans to the Batcave."

Their attention is now on Red Robin, who's idly playing with his staff.

"Well, I'm Danny! Danny Fenton."

Matching his mischievous grin, Billy gestures to himself. "Billy, Billy Batson."

"Stop being menaces and go on." Batman nudges the two, cowl resting somewhere and his brow is raised.

"You hurt us, Bruce!" Billy shakes his head. "And here I thought you of all people would take these secret identities serious!"

Somewhere someone mutters a 'of course they're vigilantes' and it has them grinning even bigger.

"Alright, we will tell you! Since we got busted not long ago anyway."

Two white rings split across his abdomen and reveal Phantom. Justice League member Phantom.

"I'm also known as Phantom!" Danny– Phantom!?— re-introduces, then gestures to Billy.

Getting into position, the teen with a feral glint in his eyes shouted. "Shazam!"

A bolt of lighting hits the cave– now wasn't that a freaky thing?— and Captain Marvel stands where Billy was.

"Captain Marvel, to your assistance."

Oh my god they are child heroes.

"We managed to trick the Justice League only for so long, unfortunately."

"Was amazing tho!"

"Definitely."

Oh my god, they were child heroes that managed to trick the big three.

(Silently, dick bemoans that they're gonna fit right in in their chaos, but now he got more brothers to spoil so yay?)

[jinjeriffic]

DCxDP Prophecy Universe Part 4

Part 3

Aaaah, Tim had missed undercover work! There was just something thrilling about becoming a whole new person by making a few small tweaks here and there. He had combed his hair in a side-part, carefully applied make-up to make his skin look paler and his eyes bigger and put on a pair of thick rimmed glasses. Worn sneakers, baggy jeans, a loose plaid flannel shirt with a hoodie tied around his waist hid his lean, muscular frame. A slight slouch and his old high-school backpack completed the look. Goodbye Tim Drake-Wayne, Gotham socialite. Hello Adam Taylor, college freshman.

Jason took one look at him and practically fell over laughing.

“Oh my God, you look like a total dork! Would you like some braces to go with that?” he heckled, catching himself against the side of the car.

“I’ll have you know that this is the height of broke college student chic,” Tim sniffed in mock offence, “It’s called ‘blending in’ Jason. Maybe you should try it!” He walked past his snickering brother to get in the passenger’s seat of the beat-up Ford they used for travelling incognito.

“No thanks, I’ll leave the theatre performance to you,” Jason drawled, tossing the keys in one hand before getting behind the wheel. “I’ll just hang back and keep an eye out in case things go tits up.”

“I don’t even know why you insisted on coming along. I’m just going to question a civilian!”

Jason gave him a Look before starting the engine. “A civilian raised by mad scientists. The way our lives work, we’ll find her building Kryptonite powered robots in the janitor’s closet or something.”

“And the fact that she’s a cute red-head has nothing to do with it?” Tim teased.

“Nope!”

“Liar.”

The drive to Metropolis passed in a mix of mutual ribbing, arguing over radio stations and discussion of recent cases. They carefully avoided the elephant in the room - the reason for their current investigation. The sullen anger of their youngest brother, the quiet grief in Bruce’s eyes whenever he thought no one was watching and the mounting tension within the family. Tim doubted that this excursion would be all that fruitful, but he needed to get out and do something for the sake of his own sanity. The last thing he wanted was to watch Bruce emotionally implode over what may or may not be another dead son.

Getting onto the university campus was no problem. Tim had a fake student ID on him just in case, but it looked like he needn’t have bothered. His hacking had revealed that Jasmine Fenton checked into the university library after her last class almost every day, so it was just a matter of biding his time. He sat at one of the carrel desks, idly flipping through the latest issue of Forbes. I wonder if Luthor’s new tech acquisition means he’s up to something? Hm…

“Heads up, target at your 10,” came Jason’s murmur through Tim’s earpiece. Tim turned another page then sat up and stretched, glancing around casually. He instantly recognized the red-head from his earlier research. Tall and light build, long hair held back by a head-band, wearing skinny jeans and a dark grey sweater. She made her way over to the row of desks, carrying a small stack of books and a pencil case. She walked past Tim, only sparing him a glance and eventually settled down at the table farthest from the entrance and away from the other students. Perfect.

Tim got up and returned his magazine to the periodicals section before meandering over to Jasmine’s desk. He put on his best impression of a nervous smile. Showtime.

“Hey, is this seat taken?”

She only glanced up from her work briefly then went right back to taking notes. “No, knock yourself out,” she said in a bored tone.

Tim pulled out the chair next to hers and turned it slightly to face her. He sat down and cleared his throat.

“Hi, sorry to bother you. I’m Adam. Adam Taylor,” he lied, offering his hand to her. She gave him a tight, polite smile and shook hands with him.

“Jazz Fenton,” Her tone was light, but her body language screamed ‘please go away’. Tim filed the nickname away for later, “Look, it’s really nice to meet you but I have this project I need to work on, so…”

Ah, she probably thinks I’m trying to hit on her, Tim thought.

“Oh, I understand completely! I don’t wanna take up too much of your time, I just… I was just wondering if you could tell me about… you know,” he whispered with affected hesitation, “...ghosts.”

The smile dropped from her face and her gaze sharpened. “Excuse me?”

“Sorry! It’s just… your parents run Fenton Works, right? The ecto-biologists?” Tim rushed out, “I just wanted to hear your opinion on their work…” he trailed off at the look of tightly controlled anger on her face. She turned and scanned the room around them.

“Alright. Where’s the camera?”

Tim was caught completely wrong footed. Was she onto them?

“Camera? What camera?” he hedged. She slammed her notebook shut and glared at him.

“I get it. Lets pretend to interview the girl with the crazy ghost hunter parents and have a good laugh at her on social media later. Very funny, har har,” Jazz stuffed her pen back in its case with sharp movements, “Well I have better things to do than make you TikTok famous, so if you’ll excuse me,” she gathered up her books and stood.

Tim winced. He really needed to salvage this situation and quickly. He held up his hands in a placating gesture.

“I’m not filming you, honest! I just read some of your parents’ papers and wanted a second opinion on their research! They, ah… they seem pretty biased,” he said apologetically.

Jazz narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “Why are you researching ghosts, then?”

The best lies are built on truth.

“Because…” Tim took a deep breath, “I think my brother might be one,” he forced out, then swallowed hard and looked away.

“Oh,” the anger had drained from her voice, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Tim glanced at her as she sat back down. “Thanks,” he croaked and blinked away fake tears. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

“Adam, what makes you think your brother might have come back as a ghost?” Jazz asked gently.

Tim collected himself for a moment, thinking about how to score the most sympathy points.

“It’s hard to explain. My younger brother… he saw something strange and now my whole family is freaking out. Dad is putting on a brave face but I can tell this is eating him up inside but he refuses to talk about it. I just… I need to know if there’s a scientific explanation to all this. I need to make sense of this whole mess!” he looked up at her through his lashes with his best puppy-dog expression, “Please, can you help me?”

Tim could practically hear her heart melting.

“And the Oscar goes to… Timbird!” Jason teased over the comms.

“Alright. But not here,” Jazz said, standing up again, “This is gonna take some time. And diagrams.”

Oh goodie.

Part 5