#Justice League dark is going to be freaking out

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 101

 The Fentons have created a machine! A wonderful machine that will reveal a ghost’s true form! So that everyone will see their trickery! They’ll see that the monsters they really are! 

 Now, to know what all went wrong, one would have to know some things about the ghost zone, and more specifically the area the Fentons had managed to punch through to. 

 For one, ghosts do not age like humans. Oh they might take a form similar to that of their death, which may appear as an adult or teen or something similar, but with how they can only die by the complete destruction of their core, theoretically a ghost could live forever once formed. 

 In fact, the equivalent of eighteen years for a ghost was one-hundred realms-years dead. And those years don’t always sync up with the years of the living world that one might open a door into. Thankfully, the Fenton’s world, being one of those synced closer to the Realms, only had a time dilation of a few seconds. 

 That being said, the area their portal had ripped into was incredibly rich in ectoplasm. And areas like that, were where newborn ghosts were formed and arrived. A ghost daycare of sorts, almost akin to a toddler area of the zone. 

 Which meant that when they shoot the Phantom-menace and other pesky ghosts to revert them into their true form, it isn’t exactly monsters that appear. Instead, there are now several ghost toddlers- or in the phantom-trio’s case literal babies- flying around. Very unhappy ghost toddlers. 

 What a horrible time for the Justice League to arrive. Though perhaps some would say it was actually perfect timing. 

[nerdpoe]

Danny got caught up in a huge knock down drag out fight with a bunch of aliens with weird magic, fighting alongside the Justice League and Justice League Dark.

He took a hit to the chest, and woke up at the end of the fight very small, and in his human form. Standing up makes his shirt look like a dress, and he knows he can't go ghost.

So he picks his way through the wreckage, and runs straight into the legs of someone.

Danny, internally freaking out, lets out the weakest Ghostly Wail he's ever let loose, knocking the person back only a foot.

Black Canary stares down at him, mystified and very amused.

"That was adorable," she says, covering her mouth to hide her smile.

Or; Danny gets deaged, Black Canary finds him, assumes he's a kid meta with powers like hers, and gets attached.

[bbbbbbbbatman]

Once Batman has revealed his identity to the JL, after some strong encouragement from Superman and Wonder Woman, Bruce decides to try to start being a bit more "personable" with the rest of league. They've been colleagues for a decade and he trusts them all, and according to Clark and Diana this means there's no need for his whole mysterious "shadow of the night" bit, so he invites the league to dinner at the manor.

It is raining heavily, and even though it's not that late, it's nearly pitch dark but for the frequent lightning strikes. The league arrives together at Wayne Manor and the wrought iron gates stretch upward before them, ending in spikes at the top with ivy overgrown across them. They stand there, uncomfortable, wet, a bit weirded out, wondering how they're supposed to get passed the gates.

"This is creepy, right?" Hal says. "It's not just me?"

A voice. "Hello." As the league turns to the sound, thunder claps loud enough to startle everyone as lightning strikes, illuminating a small child standing on the other side of the gates that was definitely not there a second ago. He stands motionless under an umbrella, seemingly unbothered by the rain, expression vaguely irritated, and his eyes seem to flash green in the light. "I have been instructed to escort you inside."

The child doesn't move in any way but the gates slowly swing open, the creaking sounds sound straight out of a horror movie. Once they are fully opened, the boy turns and starts walking down the path without a word.

The league, some members quite freaked out at this point, follow him after exchanging some looks. They round a bend in the path and the manor comes into view. It is a massive dark structure, rising from the ground. Another lightning strike illuminates pointed spires, jagged edges, and it's gloomy, gothic nature. The sound of bats shrieking can be heard in the distance over the rain.

The league finally arrives at the front door, cold, wet, and thoroughly discomfited. An old man, a butler, looking out of time, opens the door, the child disappears inside. The butler welcomes everyone inside graciously but with a distant politeness. Despite the appearance of the exterior, the inside is well lit with warm light and seems inviting, though ostentatious. The league is relieved.

Until another massive lightning strike and thunder clap cuts the power off and the room is pitch black.

"Oh, you're here," a deep voice says from somewhere up above. No sooner are the words out than another lightning strike illuminates a dark, hulking figure on the staircase that was also definitely not there a second ago. At least two people scream.

Bruce is wildly confused as to why his guests are screaming, he didn't think any of them were afraid of the dark? The back up generator kicks on and the lights come back on and everybody seems to calm down. The rest of the dinner seems to go well (as well as a dinner can with the justice league and all of Bruce's kids) but strangely, to Bruce's confusion, it somehow only made his "spooky" reputation worse. He's not really sure why the whole league seems to think he lives in a haunted house.

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

Danny wasn't sure what to do. Was this legal? He knew the bats were part of the Justice League and whatnot but surely they can't just pick him up off the street after he got into a brawl with some creeps trying to mug him!

Sure, Nightwing had jumped down to help and Danny, still in his living form with its crappy human vision, thought he was another mugger because of the dark and attacked him too.

Now he's sitting in the back seat of the batmobile with his hands in wierd bat handcuffs.

Was everything these guys owned bat themed? Yeah his parents put there last name in all the titles of their inventions but they had a brand to sell so it was excusable. Batman however, is clearly living out his bat shaped dreams. Usually Danny was all for the furrys doing thier thing, one of his best friends was a proud furry and Danny 100% supported him, but there was a line you don't cross and tall dark and fuzzy crossed it when he kidnaped one 14 year old Danny Fenton.

He couldn't Go Ghost right in front of Batman and Nightwing but he could use the one thing his mom made him take with him everywhere since he was a little boy.

His panic button.

It was powered by ectoplasm and could get through signal jammer with no problem. If he pressed the button his parents would drop everything to come save him. They made sure to put little sirens and flashing lights in thier own hazmat suits to make sure they didn't accidentally miss it. Sure they looked hilarious the few times he had seen it go off in his life but it was highly effective.

So he pushed the button and his parents were charging torward them in record time, the GAV playing chicken with the freaking batmobile. Suddenly his mothers voice came from the panic button, "Are you in the front of back, sweetie?"

"I, uh." He stuttered, looking up at the shocked face of Nightwing before answering, "The back."

"Perfect." He mother said darkly.

A trio of high mechanical whines filled the air and Danny didn't need to look through the windshield to know the buzz saws were out.

----

Bruce just wanted to know why Danny Fenton, youngest of the Fenton Family and son of Jack Fenton and Madeline Walker, two people whose marriage brokered peace between thier prospective mafia syndicate families, was doing in Gotham beating up low level thugs.

He was not expecting overprotective mad scientist parents.

[moss-on-trees]

Dp x Dc Prompt: Royalty visits the DC Universe AU

Pariah Dark is released again and instead of being his usual evil self, he decides to go and adopt the baby ghost who defeated him and didn't even shatter his core like a proper usurper would. The enforced naptime gave him time to think and he came to the conclusion that the kid was just too cute and just as angry as he was, though he hid it better. The Ghost King felt seen. And the Infinite Realms getting a Crown Prince was much more important than world domination. (That can come later.)

Danny did not sign up for this, and especially not for the lessons that come with the title. Queue him being dragged to the realms for tutoring and escaping repeatedly for weeks - he can't even fight him properly because then he'd have to take the Crown, no thank you - until he finally figures out how to make portals to escape more easily. The problem is that there's literally nowhere on Earth Pariah Dark and his blasted Observants (who are traitors to the cause of leaving the king to his naptime) cannot find him. On the latest chase, he's so desperate he doesn't notice he just portaled into a completely different dimension. Pariah Dark follows him soon after.

The Justice League aren't too sure what to do about the interdimensional kid arguing with his dad about not wanting the crown but their fight is starting to freak out the civilians (probably because the kid batted Superman away without noticing while he was angrily gesturing) so they might have to try their hand at being family therapists.

[dead-girl-tells-stories]

Everyone from babies to young adults suddenly disappears from Amity Park, and the ghost portal self-destructs as well. The GIW and the Fentons obviously come to the conclusion that it’s ghosts but realize that this issue is way bigger than they can handle, so they call in the big guns, The Justice League.

Of course, they don’t tell the Justice League everything when they come. No matter how much they thought themselves to be heroes, they were simply glorified police in spandex. And with how they operate, they are all too small-minded and won’t be able to see the bigger picture. They also knew fully well that a lot of their methods weren’t even remotely close to being morally or ethically right, and if the JL found out, they would be screwed. So they simply told them enough to get them on their side. 

Besides, how could they not help with how many people were missing? This was going to be easy.

_______

The Justice League didn’t trust the GIW. Something about them was just off. But so many missing people were on the line, so many kids! 

Ghost?

Should they call in the JLD?

_______

Jason knew something was off with Crime Ally.

Nothing was wrong per se. In fact, everything was going great. Crime was at its lowest in like… forever. The general atmosphere was more calm, if not a bit chilly. He himself was calmer. And there were fewer kids on the streets. Which would have been a good thing if this wasn’t fuckin’ CRIME ALLY!

Jason’s been stressing himself out, trying to find out what was going on. He’s been searching up and down, talking to people left and right. No one was reporting anything amiss. Some even told him that they still saw the kids walking around, though not as often as before. And they also looked like they were being well taken care of.

He even saw and talked to some of the kids himself and it was the truth. 

But when he asked where they went, they only laughed and ran away from him. Shouting that he would know soon before they disappeared around the corner. At this point, he was sufficiently freaked out and was so close to getting Batman to contact the JLD, but something told him otherwise.

A few days later Jason was in bed. He had ended patrol early that night and intended to get a full eight hours if he could.

But as fate would have it, he would not. Because just before he could hit the hay he heard it. Well, felt it would be more accurate but how could you feel a siren’s song? Pulling you? Drawing you in. Telling you that it would give you your deepest desire.

He didn’t even bother to suit back up into Red Hood. He just followed it. Followed and followed, Until he got to a dead-end alleyway. But there was no ‘end’. All there was, was darkness. 

He began to get skeptical and took a few steps back. But the feeling was still there. Pulling, telling that all of his answers were in that darkness. Everything he wanted, needed, awaited beyond it. 

He did the stupid thing and went into the darkness.

He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t the feeling of walking through thick goop. But the feeling didn’t last long, and he eventually stepped out.

Again, he didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t this. 

Kids running around without a care in the world, unrestricted. Teenagers just hanging out and being kids too. Whatever adults he saw all looked pretty young, but they were all happy. 

He looked around and noticed that it looked like a weird mix between a suburb and a night market, but it worked quite well. The stalls were all unmanned, and it seemed whoever could just take whatever they wanted. Dim but pretty lights connected all the stalls to as far as his eyes could see. And the sky.

In Gotham, there’s so much smog and bad weather you’d be lucky to even see a piece of blue during the day so no wonder people often forget about the night. But this, the night sky wherever he was, was beautiful, beyond what words and even thoughts could convey.

“Hello, Mr. Red Hood.”

Jason jumped. Was he so out of it that he didn’t even notice someone coming up behind-

Forget what he just said about the sky. The woman right here that was now standing before him? She- She-

“Are you single?”

There was silence. Then she giggled. Guess Jason didn’t need his helmet huh? His face was enough.

He also wanted to die again but hey, at least she laughed!

[sonnyaavce]

DP x DC prompt # 6

There’s a kid crying, a blue skinned white headed kid that was just sitting there crying his eyes out in a panic as he was covered in a very large and dark cloak that was dwarfing him… that was cute to see but, the thing wouldn’t be an issue if there weren’t for the clusterfuck of dead cultist surrounding a green ominous portal under him while the poor kiddo shed luminescent tears nonstop.

“Why is there a kid?” ‘dumb question to ask Captain but sure let’s go with that yeah?’ scoffed annoyed Constantine after eyeing the magic champion while some of the members of the Justice League finished some of the goons that were still alive and resisting, Constantine just watched in dumbfounded stupor the crying baby eldritch abomination still wailing over there.

“I’ll go check on him first” said Wonder Woman, being the first to react after finishing her part, slowly walking forward with gentle steps and humming tunes to make the small baby calm down a bit and refocus on her. Dianna never went too closer to grab the small kid, but she slowly crouched in front of him, palms out and leveling her face in a calm expression, so the kid wouldn’t freak out while she still hummed songs and cooed calming words.

The poor kid wails gradually subsided and ‘oh my god, why are those eyes way too green!’ His eyes were completely black except his irises being a bright neon green shine, his small body trembled when only small hiccups stayed, in his small crying fit the lad had ended up sucking his thumb in a desperate attempt to calm down while looking for any non-frightening competent adult and after only seeing Dianna in front of him he tried to raise his small arms towards her but immediately cried as his arms wouldn’t move at all.

“I think the little boy is injured…” said Wonder Woman, breaking the silence once all suspects were aprehended and tied down “explain what you can see Wonder Woman” chastised Batman as he tried to walk towards her to check on the small boy only to be stopped by Superman, who had his eyes shinning red as he looked at the kid “For what I can see, the small child seems to have some broken bones and some internal bleeding… also there’s seems to be a sphere in the middle of his chest?”

“The demon baby is hurt?” Constantine blurted out incredulous, Zatanna wacked him furiously for that comment “if you haven’t heard what Superman said, he said he saw a sphere so it’s not a demon John! it’s a tuttelagé you idiot!”

“How the fuck would you know that isn’t a démonos, Z?!” cussed the magician as he moved a bit back while Zatanna then moved towards Wonder Woman, with spells already healing the poor baby body “tuttelagés are known to be protective spirits of kids that died wishing to protect their loved ones, their wish is then concentrated in their chest as a sphere so to see a young one hurt like this…” Wonder Woman looks grimm at the implications while Zatanna finish healing the young spirit and allows Dianna to pick him up once he’s done healing and calmed down bit.

“Someone must have hurt his protegué so bad that his body is getting affected by it” sentenced Batman as he glared with concern at the small baby who now is now resting his head in Wonder Woman arms and falling asleep.

MEANWHILE

Danny is soo scared and hurt all around his tiny body, the wounds he had while being subjected to the examine table makes him tear up in pain while also making his chest feels funny once the weird forced summoning spell stops pulling his being into existing; green stops flooding his vision only to be meet by a dark and open space full of dead people dressed in weird costumes, so the only answer he has to this is to wail.

Because thats all he can do now, cry. He cries and cries after all what had occurred to him; he cries for his parents betrayal and rejection of his being, he cries for the cruelty they subjected him into, the torture he had to endure and almost making his core break, he cries for his friends deaths when they tried to free him from all his pain but failed.

He cries and cries until the pain into his core is unbearable because he just lost his fright, his connection to the living, his reason of being here. He’s still crying when his senses tenses the moment something changed in his surroundings, he hears fighting and grunting and something falling down and he cries harder; because he’s scared and tired and he just wants Jazz to carry him and…

There’s someone humming, nice humming, calm humming, steps coming closer and then he looks up, scared and hurt and just tired only to find a beautiful black headed and blue eyes woman dressed in a nice outfit crouching in front of him, she’s humming something to him and just looking at him with calm and such gentleness that it makes him croon at her because he feels his core sing ‘she’s nice and pretty and safeSAFEsafeSAFE’ he tries to reach out to her but his arms fell numb and ouchie and he looks up to her, in a silent plea for her so she would carry him but she’s not moving, just looking at him gently.

Until he sees another woman coming closer to them and he tenses up again, afraid and cautious, still a bit frightened by her aura but her hands are starting to glow and he immediately feels his body swaying and feeling a lot better, so he relaxes his body and let’s the pretty woman carry him so he can rest his head and nuzzle asleep.

His core sings pleased ‘I’m safe… she’s nice and safeSAFEsafeSAFE’

[mutable-manifestation]

Actual Scientists Jack & Maddie AU Part 3

Part 1 & 2

***

The lab is empty when they get to Fenton Works, his parents busy off helping the JLD wherever it was they were working from.

The journey the rest of the way to the Far Frozen passes relatively quickly under the weight of discussing how to reverse engineer the sarcophagus of forever sleep to make Naptime Box 2: Vlad Edition.

Could they probably just beat him up with the right plan and aid? Sure. But then they risk having to play royal hot potato (Danny doesn't want it and he doubts most of the allies he has would want the extra responsibility. Assuming there are responsibilities - Danny wouldn't know since there hasn't been a king, for all intents and purposes, since well before he became a halfa so who knows what the position even means in the context of the Zone).

Plus it would be way more satisfying to shove him in a box. Vlad gets a nice long nap and Danny gets to live the rest of his half-life without worrying about his Dad getting stabbed or something if Vlad starts feeling impatient.

It would also give Danny plenty of time to find some way to buy the Packers - not because he wants them, just because it would be really funny if Vlad eventually woke up to find that the only thing he wanted other than Maddie was now also very permanently out of reach.

The city of Green Bay could fold eventually, after all. But Danny? Danny would never yield, just to spite him, and Vlad would know that.

He probably won't actually do it, seeing as a) expensive and b) probably complicated.

But it would be really funny.

Their discussion on the ethics of using the Fenton Stockades as the base for the Box cut off as they land.

Without the distraction of their chat the adrenaline of panic comes rushing back, and he transforms as he steps out of the Speeder, nyooming to hover in front of Frostbite so quickly that the entire welcoming party - Frostbite somehow manages to have one arranged every time he drops by, and Danny is usually willing to at least try and indulge them since it seems to make them happy - jolts in surprise.

"Greetings!" Frostbite smiles wide, arms open in a grand welcoming, the only hint of lingering surprise the trails of slightly puffed up fur up his arms and the sides of his neck that has already mostly smoothed itself back out. "The Far Frozen welcomes the Great One and friends-"

"Hey Frostbite sorry for being abrupt but I'm kind of freaking out and you seemed like the best person - uh, ghost to go to because you always seem to know lots of things and I kind of need to know what's going on as soon as possible just in case it's a worst case scenario because the Justice League came to talk to my parents about some papers and I probably haven't mentioned them to you before because they're awful and I thought my parents made them but surprise I was wrong! Which is good! Except the League was mostly worried about them maybe causing the new ghost king to war with the human realm because apparently there's a supernatural branch of the Justice League and they think there's a new Ghost KingTM as in the Ghost King after Pariah Dark and I'm kind of freaking out because if there is a new ghost king there's actually a chance it's Vlad and oh ancients please tell me it's not Vlad or that the League heard wrong please."

Sam and Tucker had caught up by then, coming to stand on either side of him as Frostbite blinked.

"You are...asking me the identity of the current High King?" He asks, face scrunched in a bewildered expression.

"Oh my gosh Batman was right!?" He floats a bit higher at the news. "Please just tell me it's not Vlad! Uh, Plasmius."

"Plasmius?" Frostbite asks, eyebrows crawling higher. "Certainly not! What in the realms - do you truly not know?"

"Oh thank goodness," Danny sighs, sinking back to his usual level. "Not Vlad, okay, one less disastrous possibility. And whoever it is probably already knows they're the king and nothing bad has happened yet so it's probably fine, right?"

He looks back to meet Frostbite's eyes.

"Wait, nothing bad has happened yet, right? Like, is everything okay? I know Pariah caused you guys a lot of grief before; the new guy 's not going around causing trouble for you and you just haven't told me because you're worried about being a bother, right?" He frets, eyes flicking about, searching for fresh injuries on the various members of the welcoming party.

"...No, Great One," Frostbite answers, blinking away the surprised expression to be replaced by something soft. "Though I, and all the Far Frozen, are honored by your concern. While Pariah Dark is no longer the High King of the Infinite Realms, I can assure you, with utmost certainty, that you have nothing to fear from his successor. But I believe we have much more to discuss. Come, let us find somewhere more comfortable to talk - and get your human friends out of the cold."

***

It didn't take them long to reach a sitting room, and soon enough they were all settled into the enormous, fuzzy chairs in one of the warmer rooms available, Danny and Frostbite each with a cup of shaved ice tea while Sam and Tucker were offered beverages warm enough to steam in deference to their need for warmth.

Once everyone had taken a sip - or bite - Danny launched back into his questioning.

"So did Dark have a kid hidden away somewhere or did some kind of council finally decide on his replacement? Actually can ghosts even have - wait right Box Lunch, forgot about that on purpose but never mind. Or is there some fourth option that isn't those or trial by combat that we didn't think of?"

"Before I answer that, Great One, may I ask why you have already discounted trial by combat?" He returns curiously.

"Because if it was trial by combat it would be Vlad - er, Plasmius - and you already said it isn't him."

"Or it could be you," Tucker ribs, waggling his fingers at him.

"We already talked about why it couldn't be me, Tuck," Danny huffs, rolling his eyes and taking another bite of his... smoothie?

"Oh? And why do you think it would be Plasmius?" Frostbite asks.

"Because! I may have fought Pariah Dark, and sure I put him back in the sarcophagus, but I was running on fumes by that point, and he was still slamming around in there! Vlad, as much as I hate to admit it, is the one that turned the key and made sure he stayed locked away. It took almost everything I had to keep him pinned long enough. If...if he'd been even a few seconds later I probably would've died the rest of the way before he even had the time to break out a second time."

"But had you not put him there, no key would have mattered," Frostbite begins quietly. "Plasmius was no match for Pariah Dark; he was defeated in an instant the first time they clashed."

"Well, yeah, but so was I," he protests, not liking the direction the conversation is beginning to take.

"And yet, you alone went to face him a second time. You alone stood against the King of All Ghosts while your armies clashed."

"Our-!? I didn't have- you mean the ghosts that came to help me???" Danny sputtered, incredulous. "They weren't an army they were just-"

He pauses, searching for words that would not come.

"They were just a large group of ghosts who sided with you, who aided you in combat and kept the multitudes distracted while you went to face their leader alone. However you thought of them at the time, whatever they were to you up till then or are to you now, after, in that moment they were your army."

"Danny's totally the ghost king, isn't he?" Sam drawls after the brief silence that follows.

"Indeed," Frostbite answers her, but he looks Danny in the eyes as he does so. "You are the savior of the Ghost Zone, Pariah's Bane. And you are the High King of the Infinite Realms."

"I cheated!" Danny blurts out, shooting up to float above his chair.

"Cheated?" Frostbite's lips twitch as he fights down a smile.

"I had the Fenton Ecto-Skeleton! That's totally cheating! Don't combat trials have to be honorable or something?!" He begs.

Frostbite chuckles.

"I apologize, Great One, but I am afraid there is no such thing as an honorable war," he says, expression briefly turning solemn. "And even if it were, just as you had your "Ecto-Skeleton," did not Pariah have his ring and crown?

You issued a challenge and he answered, your armies clashed while the two of you stood against each other and each other alone; you alone put him back into the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep, and you alone held it shut long enough for Plasmius to turn the key.”

Danny drifts back down to his seat as Frostbite speaks, then continues slouching further with every word.

“I am given to understand that Plasmius likes to think of others as pawns on his own personal chessboard,” he says, “But at the time he was but another ghost, come to fight Pariah's army on your behalf - as a member of your army. A pawn, to paraphrase his own words, that you used to topple a king - not through any intentional manipulation, but through the sheer magnetic charisma of your willingness to stand against monsters like Pariah Dark and of your ability to do so. The confidence to stand alongside you that such strength inspires. 

He would not have approached if he did not believe you could win - would not risk endangering himself so. At best, you could consider him a referee, calling the match to a close once it was decisively in your favor.

Plasmius may think of existence as a game with himself as the only player, and he may have been acting in his own self-interest overall, but by every measure, in this instance, he was undeniably your piece.

The Zone itself acknowledges your right to rule by the way the crown of fire sits where you left it, unmoving on the floor of Pariah's keep until the day you finally choose to wear it, no matter how many hands may try to move it."

Frostbite's words are slow and measured, but as undeniable as the creeping of a glacier. And by the time they cease, Danny has sunk so far as to end up an undignified heap on the floor before his chair.

The trio remains silent as they absorb his words.

Minutes pass before Danny finally speaks.

"If the crown can't be taken, then how did I get it from Pariah?" He questions, a final hope that Frostbite may be mistaken.

"It will only remain unmoved until you first put it on. After that, it will be up to you whether it stays safe on your head."

Danny groans his despair, final bit of hope shattered.

"I must apologize again, Great One," he says solemnly. "Had I known you were unaware of your station, I would have informed you sooner."

He frowns heavily, looking into the distance thoughtfully.

"The Observants should have informed you long before now."

"Well, that explains it. The Observants hate Danny's guts," Tucker says.

"To neglect their duties for such a reason...," He trails off, his glower highlighting the inhuman nature of his visage. 

The trio fidget.

Danny coughs after a few seconds of tense silence.

“Uh, speaking of duties,” he begins, relaxing as Frostbite’s expression smooths back into something kind and polite as he listens, “What exactly does the Ghost King even do? Like. Pariah was locked away for… a long time? I guess. So does the Zone even need a King? Can’t I just, like, resign?”

“I suppose it might seem that way from a younger ghost’s perspective - Pariah has been locked away for millenia, after all, and the Zone is still in one piece.” 

Frostbite pauses, leaning back in his seat and taking another bite of his drink. 

“However. What you must understand, Great One, is that the problems caused by the absence of a king in the Infinite Realms are not the whirlwind that such a thing would be in the living realm - social order is affected, but the speed of bureaucracy is slower by orders of magnitude in the Realms, and there is not the same level of inter-reliance that the living tend to require - but rather, they are winds and waters sliding against a rock, chipping away at it bit by bit until it is either worn smooth… or the whole structure collapses under its own weight.”

“How does not having a king cause dimensional collapse!?” Tucker shrieks, clutching his cup like a lifeline.

“How long do we have before it collapses?” Sam asks urgently not a second later.

“Oh shit, how long do we have before it collapses???” he echoes, hunching over his cup enough that the steam adds a layer of fog to his glasses.

Danny sits bolt upright, whipping wide eyes away from his friends to join them in staring at Frostbite.

“Total collapse would take millenia more to truly begin,” he placates before taking a more grave expression. “This does not mean that there will not be issues before that point, however; the symptoms of the High King’s absence have begun to show this past millennium. But rest assured, there is time enough to heal the wounds that have been wrought. The only permanent damage would be the collapse itself, and that, as I said, is millenia away.”

“Is… is that why you never mentioned it to me before?” Danny asks, dropping back to the ground in relief. “Because it’s not urgent and you figured I’d just…get to it eventually? Actually, why did you think I knew if you knew that the crown was still in Pariah’s Keep?”

“It is the duty of the Observants to observe, but also, as you have experienced, to oversee - the timeline, trials, the general functioning of the zone. Without a king to report to, much of their ability to act is crippled, of course - their ability to interfere directly with the timeline has always been severely restricted, their options for sentencing are severely reduced, and there are some things the Realms require that only the High King can provide - but one duty remains unaffected: overseeing the ascension of new kings. 

Coronations have taken many forms in the past, from a quick swap in the battlefield to a formal ceremony to a celebration that lasted a decade. Given the dark era we are, at last, able to put behind us and the non-urgent nature of even the most severe problems that the Realms are currently affected by, I had assumed that the large delay was in preparation for that last form - the lead-up to a grand celebration.”

“Except instead it’s just them being petty,” Sam notes, sitting back up from her own relieved slouch. 

Danny groans, leaving his tea to float and covering his face with his hands.

“Why couldn’t it have just been as easy as shoving Vlad in a box,” he whines.

“I mean, we still can?” Tucker offers, prompting Sam to smack him over the head before pausing consideringly.

“OW!”

“He might be right, actually,” she says, ignoring his exclamation. “Given Vortex’s trial and sentencing, there’s clearly some kind of legal system in the Zone that isn’t just Walker on a power trip. No doubt he’s broken some kind of Actual Realms Law - I’d be surprised if breaking Pariah out like he did wasn’t some form of highly illegal - so you could probably send him to actual Ghost Jail. It’s certainly where he belongs, given all the….”

She makes a vague gesture with her hand in lieu of words.

“That doesn’t resolve the problem of I Don’t Wanna Be A King!” Danny exclaims, sitting back and throwing his hands in the air.

Then he turns to Frostbite, eyes pleading. 

“Can’t you be king?” he asks. 

Frostbite opens his mouth to reply, but Danny steamrolls over him.

“It makes sense! You already know how to lead people! And your people love you! You already know about all the king stuff too! You’ve beaten me in spars before! We’d just have to go to the keep, I put on the crown, you beat me, and problem solved!”

Frostbite’s smile is a mix of amused and pitying.

“I have only ever beaten you in training spars, Great One, and you and I both know that is largely because they were focused on improving your skill with ice and ice alone. Even if I could defeat you in a true all-out fight as you are, I believe you underestimate the boost granted by the crown of fire.”

“I can just put it on then take it off again before we fight! And we can stick to ice!”

“I’m afraid it is not so simple,” he shakes his head. “If you do not give it your all, the crown - the Realms - will not recognize the transition. The only way to “throw the match” successfully would require your opponent to fully End you: to crush your core and snuff your spirit from the very fabric of existence. I am unwilling to do such a thing, and I sincerely hope you would not ask it of me - or, indeed, of anyone.”

Danny paled enough that he nearly matched his human form in skin tone.

“Right. Let’s… let’s not do that, actually.”

“On the bright side, you can probably weasel ruling tips out of Aquaman in exchange for not declaring war on the Living Realm!” Tucker chirps, aiming to cheer him up.

“I’m not going to threaten the Justice League!” he yelps, scandalized.

“But you probably won’t have to threaten them,” Sam chimes in. “They’re already trying to summon you, you already know their goal is to avoid a war. As long as you don’t ask for anything unreasonable, they should be inclined to give you what you want in exchange for peace.”

“Once you offer peace, they will be invested in your successful rule of their own volition as a means of perpetuating said peace,” Frostbite corrects. “If you would like to set preconditions to an accord you should make them things that will not readily be given as a result of said accord. But before we discuss further, perhaps you can fill me in on why war was a concern in the first place? I believe you mentioned something about papers?”

[anti-the-glitch-bitch]

To be or not to be (a blackmailer) part 3

Duke thinks of how ironic it is that he named his ability the ghost sense when he never believed in ghosts. He understood the confusion when people found out about it for the first time. For the record, Duke has seen some absolutely crazy things, but he has never seen a ghost. He knows Justice League Dark has a ghost informant that was made by magic or something like that, but he doesn't know if that actually counts as a ghost.

Imagine Duke's surprise when he was walking around the shopping district of Gotham, and he sees this bright light in the vague shape of a person also walking around. Well, he wouldn't call it walking. It was more like floating. Anyway, it seemed to go from store to store where it would disappear for a few minutes inside the store and then come out again a little bit later. Whatever the thing was filled Duke with intrigue and, just like the rest of the Batfam, he had to investigate this phenomenon.

That was harder done than said. At times the vague shape would look exactly like some guy who looked kinda familiar but also not really, and then other times, it was so bright he had a hard time looking at it. It also seemed to get faster the more he followed it. A few times, when the thing looked more person like it seemed to stare directly at him with a cocked head, and then it would take off and disappear for a few minutes. It was really, really weird.

After a good couple of hours, Duke finally lost the weird thing in a crowded grocery store, where it disappeared through a wall and never reappeared. Confounded, Duke immediately called for a family meeting because if ghosts were real and his ghost sense wasn't just a made-up name, then he wanted to know so he could freak out later.

Bruce immediately called up Constantine (it took several calls to the weird magic guy and a call to Zatanna before the guy actually answered the phone), who started cussing worse than any sailor and told Bruce that he'd be there in a few hours to take a look around. Chaos erupted at that news, and the clan gathered around Duke, bombarding him with a million questions that he didn't have answers for.

Duke did, in fact, freak out later that night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny just wanted to check out the stores in the nicer parts of Gotham without having to worry about being mugged or some crazy villain popping up where he was, so of course, he went there invisible and intangible. Imagine his surprise when he caught some guy following him around. At first, Danny thought it was just a coincidence. It wasn't until he came out of the third store that he noticed the guy staring at him with shock and confusion.

He did a few experiments and visited a few more stores before being absolutely certain that he was being stalked. It would have been pretty unnerving if Danny had been honest with himself. He didn't need any of the Bats catching wind of him here. He's dead, which is a medical condition, but Batman may not see it like that and consider him meta.

Everyone knows how Batman feels about metas.

The guy followed Danny for hours until he just couldn't take it anymore. He went into the busiest store he could find, which just so happened to be a grocery store. The creep, of course, followed him in, but Danny lost him by walking out the back wall of the store and flying off.

He was quite upset that he couldn't buy anything while he was out. He'd just have to wait for another day off to actually go shopping, not that he could afford much in this part of town. Still, it was coming up on Tim and his 4-month anniversary, and Danny wanted to get him something special. Maybe his boss will let him leave work early tomorrow?

[maria-from-ga]

Cyborg, the Greatest Titan

(Titans (2023) #7- Cyborg shows why no one can bring him down)

So there was once a seemingly innocuous question asked on Titans Twitter:

Though some used it to prop up their faves, it turned into a serious and big discussion: Who is the Greatest Titan, epitomizing what it means to be a Titan the most?

There were a variety of answers, majority being one of Dick, Donna, Starfire, Raven, or even Wally. But what I noticed was the surprising lack of one answer: Cyborg.

One of the most popular Titans, whom DC clearly sees as one of the Titans Trinity (upper right corner):

(The Promotional Art for DC Comics' Dawn of DC Initiative by Dan Mora. Cyborg was to chosen to represent the Titans along with Nightwing and Starfire)

Whose removal from Titans lore caused a massive fan uproar, yet among Titans Twitter, probably the most dedicated of Titan fans, Cyborg's name was barely mentioned as a candidate to be the Greatest Titan:

Victor Stone who at his lowest, found the Titans, a team who became the family he needed who loved him without judgement:

(New Teen Titans #1 - Cyborg meeting the Titans for the first time)

(Teen Titans 5x10 "Go" - The prequel episode where all the Titans meet. Cyborg is ashamed of his cyber-mechanics but Beast Boy repeatedly assures him that they are cool and shouldn't be hidden)

The man who took what the Titans did for him and made it his mission to be that for others.

(New Teen Titans #22 and Titans Vol 2 #21 - (Left) Cyborg realizes the Titans mean so much to him because they are his friends who helped him not feel alone & (Right) Cyborg's internal monologue about how Titans taught him being part of team and accepting help from others was a good thing)

(Teen Titans 5x10 "Go" - Assured by Beast Boy, Cyborg tell an ashamed Raven she's a freak among freaks and fits in just fine, a nice callback to his NTT origin)

(Teen Titans (2003) #1- Cyborg relaunches the Teen Titans to include the upcoming generation of teen heroes so they can have a place to grieve Donna's death & find acceptance)

(Teen Titans 3x12 - "Titans East" - Cyborg helps establish the first off-shoot of the Teen Titans: Titans East)

He transformed the team from simply being a group of former sidekicks to a safe haven for all teen heroes

(Teen Titans #100 and Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe: Together - showcasing the multi-generational roster of Titans that Cyborg helped establish)

(Teen Titans 5x12- Titans Together - The global roster of Teen Titans that Cyborg helped to create that expanded from the initial off-shot of Titans East also started by Cyborg)

The Titans Are About A Team of Teens That Grew Into A Family

(Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe: Together - Donna talking about how much the Titans grew from a team of 5 into multi-generational families)

A Family of Teenagers that not only help each other in the struggles of being a hero but also the struggles of being an adolescent, having turbulent emotions in a turbulent world

(Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe: Together - Donna talking about how much the Titans had it tougher than the League because they had been facing Justice-League-level problems since they were kids, and yet every time still came out on top)

And who has committed to this mission more than Cyborg?

Victor who fought for the team when everyone including past leaders like Dick and Donna walked away:

(Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day and Titans (2008) #21 - Left: After Donna's death, Dick decides to disband the Titans and everyone walked away. Right: After Final Crisis and Prometheus' attack on Roy, nearly all the Titans have left the current Titans roster, but Cyborg stayed fighting for the team)

Why: Because he knew how much future teen heroes needed the Titans. To guide them and give them a home as the Titans did for him long ago

(Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day and Titans East Special- Left: After Donna's funeral, Cyborg sees members of Young Justice, especially Cassie, not handling Donna's death well and generally feeling worthless and he decides to restart the Titans. Right: Cyborg tried to convince the New Teen Titans and Roy to start up a new team of Teen Titans to help more teen heroes, but they all refused)

Stubbornly keeping Titans alive when everyone else wouldn't, allowing Titans to reach their greatest potential: a global network so any teen of any generation can find a home

(Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe: Together - Titans across generations have gathered to join the fight against Batman Who Laughs)

A man who because the Titans gained utter defiance in who he is, saving not only himself from despair, but also became devoted to giving other teens that same courage, inspiring them to show that they are not freaks nor they are ever alone, thus changing so many lives (go to 2:38 for the start of the iconic speech, but I recommend starting at 2:17)

(Teen Titans 3x13 - "Titans East" - Cyborg's defiance in who he is prevented him from falling to Blood's mind control, defeating Blood saving his fellow Titans, and thus saving the day)

Victor is not only a candidate to be the Greatest Titan, but ultimately is the Most Deserving.

Cyborg is the Greatest Titan, the Lynchpin, without whom the Titans will not work and ultimately cannot because he believes in it the most and thus embodies its ethos the best

(Teen Titans #20- Tim Drake realizing how essential Cyborg is to the team and how he changed Tim and helped Tim after the death of Donna)

The Greatest Character in Fiction, An Inspiration, A Legend: BOOYAH!!!

[inthememetime]

There are plenty of posts where Justice League and Constantine sees Danny's Ghost King Form in all of its Eldritchy glory, from on being Lightning Based to one being compared to an event horizon, as he takes down the ghost that was giving the League problems and it basically freaks them out.

So when I stumbled upon this picture

I knew that this could be an excellent form worthy of a King if it was tweaked to fit Danny with ghostly elements, and maybe ice themes sprinkled with something Space related.

Like Vortex or Undergrowth is giving the League trouble, then this thing straight out of the Old Testament shows up, takes down the Ghost, and turns back to Danny who didn't know he just melted the League's brains.

Or, maybe during The Legion of Doom / The Light tries to summon the Ghost King for power/ take over the world, and Danny comes along looking like that and scares everyone there shitless.

How do you think that will go down?

I have had this in my drafts for So Very Long... Im sorry!!!

Holy *^$π, Batman!™

I LOVE the image, and 100% agree, it's an awesome base to work off with Danny.

I think it would be hilarious. Matter of fact, I wrote a fic about it. 😁 If you have an AO3, let me know and I'll gift it to you.

Ao3 here

Be Not Afraid- or Whatever

Summary: The weather god- though Constantine swore it was 'just' a ghost- had pinned down the entire Justice League. While they'd managed to trap Vortex in a two square mile area and evacuate civilians, and even arrested the cult responsible, they in turn were trapped in a small warehouse, protected only by the blood blossom spray and salt circle Constantine made.

With no way to fight it, they had only one choice: summon another ghost. Enter Ghost King Danny Phantom, stage right.

    Rain, wind, and hail pounded heavily against the metal roof and walls of the tiny back office of a warehouse. 

    Earlier today- just this morning, in fact- it had been a bright and warm summer day. The Flash flinched as a piece of hail broke through a window. Constantine didn't flinch, intent on his task. Superman was still unconscious, Batman picking out shards of kryptonite from a bullet that had hit its mark too well. 

    It was silent but for the occasional pained gasp from their Kryptonian friend, and Constantine's low mutters in what sounded like Ancient Latin to Barry's untrained ears. 

    Thunder roared, and the single lightbulb went out. Wordlessly, Batman cracked a pair of glowsticks, passing one to him so he could hold it up for Constantine. Clark groaned quietly. 

    A cult of summoners swearing fealty to Vortex, Lord of Storms, seemed easy enough to stop; Batman made the plan and coordinated with everyone. He and Superman rescued hostages and dock workers alike as Batman and Constantine took down the cult. 

    It was supposed to be easy. Simple. It was anything but. 

    The smell of the weird floral spray Constantine used- Blood Blossoms, the magic user had said- was beginning to fade. A drop of sweat fell down Constantine's face. His lips were pressed tight, white against the odd pallor of his face. 

    "John," Barry whispered, "how much longer?"

    Another window broke. Batman swore quietly. "Good news is, we've got the blood sacrifice ready," he joked under his breath. He winced then, and pressed his hand against the bandage on his arm. 

    It had bled through again, but the others were needed for Clark. In a rare event, the alien was the most injured on the team. 

    The cultists had purchased bullets laced with kryptonite from somewhere, which didn't hurt Constantine any more than a regular one. The same couldn't be said for Clark. 

    The magic-user hesitated until water started to bubble underneath the door, threatening the complicated circle of chalk and blood. He spoke, and this time it wasn't in Latin. Barry couldn't recognize it. 

    The temperature began to drop further while the air around the man began to shimmer, almost. Ozone gathered in the air, and the darkness increased until he couldn't see anything. Even the glowstick was a pinprick of light so tiny he couldn't be sure it was real. 

    A low rumble sounded and a radioactive green pool started to open. One massive clawed hand grabbed the edge. Constantine's voice cracked- but didn't stop. Another hand pulled out, and another, folowed by one more. 

    They were white as snow up to the wrists. One massive wing shot up, far too big for the office, followed by another, both black as night and covered with starry patterns. The next thing Barry made out was a crown of twisted black iron and glittering jewels, wreathed in green flame, atop two large horns, blue like sea ice. 

    The figure continued to rise as John spoke, revealing a second, then third set of wings and a mane of white hair which flowed in a wind he couldn't feel. Four sets of eyes opened, some solid green and glowing, some pitch black, some solid white, and the last a myriad of colors. 

    The thing's face was almost tan, almost the color of mortal flesh, but green scars like lightning bolts marred it. A thud alerted him of one massive foot, then another, both white and clawed. 

    The rest of its body except a shining white D was black as the void. When it opened its mouth, he had to look away, unsure if he feared or loved it, found it beautiful or terrifying. 

    Abruptly, the light from the sticks was back. He didn't dare look at Clark or Batman to see how they were doing; every instinct said he was in front of a predator, and showing the weak of the herd would be a death sentence. 

    Finally, Constantine fell silent. 

    "What's up? Kind of a weird place for a summons, you know," it said, and Barry swallowed. It sounded like a child, an old man, a windstorm, the shriek of a blizzard, the thunder of roaring waves all at once. 

    "I have summoned you, King of Ghosts, to take your servant back to your realm," Constantine managed, voice only wavering a little. 

    It leaned forward. "And the price?"

    The thing sounded almost teasing. Amused. 

    "What would you ask of us?"

    "Autographs," it immediately said. "From Martian Manhunter, Superman, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman."

    Wait. What?

    "I'm a big fan," it added. 

    "Should all of us survive today, we will do so," he agreed. 

    "Sweet. Gimme like 5 minutes. Maybe 10, Vortex is a bit of a bitch. Also, be not afraid or whatever. I'm one of the good guys."

    It was gone, then, and abruptly Barry sucked in a breath. Sounds of a fierce battle echoed from outside for several minutes before the storm abruptly stopped. 

    Slightly singed, the Ghost King returned. "Hey, does Supes over there need a doctor? I know a good one in the GZ."

    He swallowed. Batman cleared his throat. "We only need to get the kryptonite out of him, he'll be fine."

    "Okay!" It chirped, then reached over and, without so much as ruffling the suit, reached into the alien and pulled out a small handful of shards. "I'll be back in a few weeks for those autographs- I'd say tomorrow, but time is weird. Bye, guys!"

    "Wait- can I ask for a way to contact you? If you'd be willing to help in the future," Constantine asked. 

    "Yeah, sure. My Chirper handle is @realdeadguy, all lowercase, no punctuation," he said, "and you can call me Phantom if you want."

    -

    "Guys!"

    Sam groaned and Tucker covered his face with a pillow. 

    "Dude, we know you just got back from a summons, but it's 3 am."

    Danny rocked back and forth, wings twitching. "I met the Justice League! They're so cool! Batman was there! Batman!!!"

    "I thought you were all about Su-"

    "And I saved Superman's life, isn't that awesome?! I kept the kryptonite, look, real-life rock from space!"

    "Rocks aren't alive, Danny," Sam muttered. Then, a second later, "wait, what?! You met the Justice League? Was Wonder Woman there?"

    "No, but I asked for an autograph."

[chaoswarfare]

dp x dc prompt #29

Dannys family and friends die due to the GIW in amity, and danny in grief fueled rage, absolutely dismantles the entire organization. clockwork sees how he goes down a dark path no matter what he does in the living realm, and moves him into his haunt until he recovers emotionally.

seconds and years pass by like blinking but neither of the two ghosts change at all. danny gets drawn in to the gear windows that show alternate realities that don’t exist, but clockwork is too busy monitoring the current timeline to really look into it.

so when clockwork sees the strain on danny from not helping his human half, he doesn’t even think about what he saw on the monitors as he sends danny back down to earth to find new people to protect.

danny has seen every dark future of many justice league members, and freaks out over them all banding together to accomplish something. he needs to stop them before it’s all too late for the world. this must be why he was sent here by clockwork.

when the jl go out for defending another invasion, they hardly expected a new unknown rogue with the power to destroy universes to declare himself their enemy.

(or alternatively- danny thinks the jl are villains planning on world takeover and does his best to keep them from winning.)

[sourpatchys]

Title: Life in Carnet

Word count: 2.2k

Rating: PG-13, fluff. F!reader

Time: after Overhaul, before PLF

Summary: An issue has developed. Though, you can’t say you mind much. The future is yours.

A/n: This was supposed to be much longer and I may still add a second part later on, but it’s been sitting in my drafts for much too long and I decided it was finally time to just post it and let it out into the world!

Masterlist guidelines

—

The terrors of the underworld were almost too much for you at times. Watching over your shoulder just to be sure a knight in shining armor wouldn't pop out and slice you under the guise of misplaced justice.

There was no justice in a world so cruel. The arms of the masses kept those unfavorable in a tube. Never to be loved, never to be seen or heard. Though that tube would grow, freaks of nature holding hands inside the vessel, ready to break the glass.

It was almost poetic, knowing that loneliness could never touch you, it could only stand by and watch as you desecrated its makeshift grave.

You were not lonely— and you never would be again.

The deadly hands of the misunderstood held you close, a warm embrace that shunned all the coldness and misfortune in the world. You were like royalty, standing above those who were nothing but pawns ready to die for the cause.

You were not ready to die, you had finally spread your wings— you were ready to live.

And who better to stand by your side than the King of demise, Tomura Shigaraki.

In his own way, he had become the very thing he hated most— a symbol of peace. He gave hope to those the world had shamed, giving a reason to live to the ones left to rot in the gutters.

Hero's couldn't save everyone— Hero's didn't want to save everyone. Anyone who goes against their morals is doomed to suffer.

It pained you to see the children left to die on the streets, the addicts that had been deemed lost causes, and the broken who were left to crumble. You could see a piece of yourself in all of them, their rose tented glasses had been shattered and they were left to cut themselves on the glass.

Tomura didn't care much for any of them, and yet he had still managed to replace that in which had been broken.

He cared for the league, for the posey he had created with his own two hands. And he cared for you. The woman he saw cursing the world with blood stained hands.

Your introduction to the league wasn't pretty. You were dirty and untamed— having just taken the life of someone you held dear— there was darkness in your eyes.

No one asked you questions, no one made you feel like a freak. You became their healer— using your quirk to its fullest potential, never once holding back.

Your ability was known as the 'Touch of life'. Originally, you had hated your quirk. Being pawned off from person to person, forced to heal strangers who saw you as an object more than a person. Growing up you weren't allowed to attend school, forced to stay home and work— not a dime going into your pocket.

People were supposed to want to help people. That's what you had been told over and over again. You couldn't complain, you couldn't fight back or refuse to help.

You didn't want to help anymore.

The league never made you heal their scrapes and bruises, only asking for your services when it was absolutely necessary. You finally felt free— free to be a real human being.

And then Shigaraki, a man usually so careful with his hands, had sliced his palm. You couldn't even remember how— the memory had long since faded away. You grabbed him without thinking, taking his entire hand into your own, stitching the skin back together with a ray of light.

That's how you learned you were immune to decay. Your body fighting against his quirk so quickly it was at if he didn't have one at all.

And that's how you learned you loved your quirk after all.

Once it became apparent, he couldn't keep his hands off of you. He was like a wild animal hunting its prey— a touch starved villain feeling for the first time.

He was gentle with you, holding you close, running his calloused hands up and down your sides, forever in awe at the feel of your skin on his own. Awkward and untamed, vibrating with uncertainty and longing for more.

His kisses felt like fireworks, they seared into your skin, dangerous and yet oh so wonderful. He was addicted to you, and soon enough you were just as addicted to him.

Your relationship had no title— though with the way his scared lips would trail up your throat, nipping and pleading— you were sure it was love just the same.

Regardless of the tender kisses and soft touches, Shigaraki was still a deadly man. The king of the underworld, the high ruler of chaos.

So when you saw those glaring, unforgiving, bright pink lines, you found yourself being swallowed whole.

Your body was shaking, from fear or joy you couldn't be sure. It was unrealistic to bring a child into the world, especially when that world was crumbling— when the father was the one crumbling it.

You couldn't hold back a smile though, your anxieties fading quickly at the thought of a future. Placing your life giving hands over your abdomen— it felt right. You finally— undeniably— felt whole.

Dabi was the first one to notice you after you'd left the makeshift restroom, his piercing blue eyes looking you up in down with a frenzy.

"You look creepier than usual."

The rest of the leagues eyes met your own, their own curious glances boring into your soul.

"I have no idea what you mean by that— but I feel like I should be offended." You mocked a scoff, cocking your eyebrow in amusement.

Toga laughed, sitting up straight and tapping the cold cement floor beside her, urging you to sit with her. "You do look a little brighter than usual!"

You took the invitation, a small smile still grazing your lips. It was impossible to fully contain yourself— you were sure you'd explode if you had to reel in all of your facial expressions.

"I just got some good news is all— I wouldn't worry about it."

"Did that 12 handed freak finally propose or something?"

A small snort left your lips, "No, not to my knowledge. Speaking of— where is he?"

"Ohhh, so it does have to do with him!" Toga wiggled her eyebrows, giggling to herself.

Your relationship with Shigaraki wasn't a secret. Neither of you had said anything to anyone, but you weren't actively hiding it either— it just was.

Giving the teen a gentle shove you allowed yourself to let out a soft laugh of your own, "doesn't everything have to do with him?"

You got a strong mumble of agreement from the group, their annoyed expressions almost making you laugh fully.

"He said he'd be back before nightfall." Dabi finally metered, "Then again, who knows?"

Humming in response you decided to sit tight, pulling a heavily water damaged book out of your backpack.

— — —

Somewhere along the pages of Prince Charming finally realizing the girl of his dreams was only a few feet away— you had dozed off.

It wasn't often you got the privilege of sleep, the constant traveling and change of pace was hard on your body and mind. So being shaken awake wasn't exactly something you'd normally let slide— but seeing those carmine eyes so full of worry, you decided it wasn't a hill worth dying on today.

"Good morning." You sighed, slowly blinking the harsh tingling of your sleep deprived eyelids away.

Tomura wasn't amused by your lackluster approach, his body basically caging you in from where you sat, his eyes growing darker by the second.

"How are you feeling?"

At first his question confused you— your dreams still drifting away as reality tried to take over. Oh yes, that's right— he'd known you hadn't been feeling well.

If you weren't so sleepy you'd probably be more embarrassed over the fact that you had in fact— only grabbed a handful of pregnancy tests and booked it out of the closest convenience store. You hadn't even tried to get anything else.

A giggle left your lips as you leaned forward and gave your captor a kiss on the cheek, "it's fine don't worry about it."

Sighing he shifted so he was sitting beside you, his hand immediately grabbing yours. He loved holding your hand— you weren't sure if it was just to remind himself that he could or if it was lasting deprivation from being touched starved for so many years— but you couldn't find it in yourself to care, so long as he never let go.

"You haven't been eating right."

It was a statement meant to guilt you, to force you to tell him every single thing that's been bothering you— to outline your sickness in a bullet point list so he could take care of you.

"Is that so?" You turned to him with a raised brow, daring him to continue on with his spiel.

He, ever so observant, took the bait and ran with it.

"You can't keep anything down, you're light headed, and you're way too exhausted for everything to be fine." His voice broke a bit at the end, and with good reason. Not being in good health while simultaneously living on the streets isn't exactly a good combo.

He cared about you too much to let anything bad happen. After dealing with the yakuza he'd slowed down entirely, refusing to move too fast or too far until he knew exactly what needed to be done— all because you weren't feeling good. He'd never say it out loud— but it was easy to tell.

"It's not something I'll die from, modern medicine will make sure of that."

Turning his head and looking you up and down, he had a borderline disgusted look on his face.

"You've been sick for how long now? And you've shown no signs of getting better."

You hummed, putting your hand on your chin and pretending to think. "Yeah I'd say it's been a good two months now."

"This isn't a joke."

Giving him a serious expression, you replied "I know it isn't, you definitely aren't going to think it's funny—the league might though."

He smacked his head against the back of the crate the two of you were leaning on, looking up at the broken ceiling. "So you are dying."

"I already told you I won't die." You punched his arm, "I'll just be out of commission for a little while."

"And what, exactly, does that mean?"

You let out a nervous laugh, leaning your head on his shoulder, "it means next time we go out we're gonna have to steal some prenatal vitamins."

You felt his body stiffen under you after a few minutes, his mind putting the dots together painfully slowly. This isn't exactly how you thought this conversation would go— though knowing Tomura, he'd never expected this conversation at all.

"Oh."

Afraid to see his expression, you kept your eyes towards the floor, squeezing his hand that was still wrapped in yours.

"Is that okay..?"

It was silent for a while, the sound of the other members snoring being the only noises keeping you sane. You knew this may not go over well, even as excited as you were, Tomura had an entire world to destroy, he had people to kill and a kingdom to build. How would a baby fit into that life?

Finally, you felt a large inhale from under you— taking that as permission you looked up to his face, surprised when you saw the fond look in his eyes and the soft smile on his lips.

"Yeah, that's more than okay."

You sat up, lifting your head off of his shoulder to look him directly in the eyes, awe, ever apparent, on your face.

"Really? You aren't mad?"

A dastardly grin made its way onto his face, his pearly white teeth glistening in the moonlight. Truly— it was a sight to behold.

"I don't see anything wrong with carrying on my lineage— especially not with you." He chuckled, a dark frenzy coming into his eyes, "besides, you hang back anyways, nothings going to hurt you."

You thought on his words. It was technically true, being a healer meant you weren't fighting so much as laying low and taking care of the aftermath— the only change you could see happening is you not being on the battlefield at all, staying at the base until they returned.

But that came with some risks on its own.

"You're taking this better than I thought you would."

That same gleam was in his eyes as he looked you over, his hands making their way around your waist as he pulled you into a tight embrace, inhaling the scent of your not-so-freshly washed hair.

"I suppose I should be nervous. But I always knew this was a risk." He took in a breath, a laugh passing through as he thought it over, "I'm ready for anything. I'm going to destroy this world, but that doesn't mean I can't make my own in the process."

The Tomura before you was different than the one you had fallen in love with. He was different than the one that pulled you off the street and gave you a reason to live— this Tomura was confident, this Tomura had a plan.

This Tomura knew what he wanted.

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

Halloween prompts no. 12

Danny kills Darkseid au but not only does he freak out, he is essentially kidnapped by Clockwork and dragged back into the DC universe for a "vacation". When Danny tried to argue the old stopwatch confessed that Dannys core was essentially eating the dark gods energy and he would need to stay in his Phantom form 24/7 to be able to "digest" him. Which gave him a few new things to freak out about. Yay.

Danny was given some new clothes-all glowing black and white of course- and money (where did clockwork get this much cash??) and told to find so.ewhere safe to live in.

Danny went ghost and got changed and started to fly off when clockwork stopped him and told him to behave like a normal human. There are a lot of people in this world with superpowers and while they might look at him strange they would likely ignore him for the most part. But if he started showing off all these cool powers its going to gain unwanted attention. Like another Vlad. Danny shuddered.

As a last parting of wisdom, he tells him not to give out his real name and if anyone asks questions just repeat, "I'm on vacation." then time unfreezed.

So Danny walks out of the alleyway he was in and into the city where he immediately looked for a place to make a underground ice cave to live in. Despite having a crapton of money now (wth clockwork???) He still couldn't get an official apartment due to being fifteen.

Within a few days of just casually going about in Central city he had been approached by "talent agencies" and headhunters offering him jobs as an actor or model and he flusteredly turned them down but was always somehow railroaded into taking a business card. (He wasn't that pretty, surely. All of his fame back home was due to him being a hero...right?)

One particularly insistent guy just wouldn't give up and cornered Danny. It was when he thought he was going to have to break this guys nose to get away that the local hero Flash stepped in and the guy finally backed off.

Danny thanked him and the Flash (who felt clockwork freeze time before and nearly had a panic attack along with Zatanna and Captain Marvel) asked about the weird quantum energy around him and in his panic Danny stupidly confessed to having a magical artifact that makes him immune to time freezes fused into his chest by one of his bad guys.

Which led to him stupidly telling him his name was Phantom, he was a superhero who was on (forced) vacation due to injury-kinda, he wasn't allowed to help out sorry, and he was from another dimension and oh crap he had been truth serum-ed!!! How dare?!

Flash apologized, but after the global time freeze (it was global??) The Justice League was on high alert and the Batman was super paranoid and liked having answers. Unfortunately for this bat guy he was miffed at being drugged and refused to answer anymore questions.

Still, with the disappearance of Darkseid and Apokolips, the global time freeze and now this glowing kid from another dimension? They had to be connected somehow. The league was sure of it. The new gods were freaking out and searching for answers themselves and the speedsters were trying thier best to get this kid to open up to them. After a while with little success they start sending in the Teen Titans and the Young Justice teams in hopes that he'd be more social with people around his own age.

It did not go as planned.

---

People: *telling Phantom that he's beautiful*

Phantom: Is this a trap?

[quintessencewrites]

Little Panther

Shuri x black!fem!reader

And collect my son I do, adorning his little fluffy figure in kisses. "None for me?" Shuri pouts, eyes begging.

"Uh, uh. You told me to collect my son, not my girl."

Warnings: FLUFF!! Implied smut, explicit language.

Word Count: 1.9k+

Tags: @yvxmpire @zestgodtj @k3nn3dyxo @mlmilani @letitias-fav @doms-fav @sweetalittleselfish-honey @g4yforu @remwritess @widowmakker @becauseimswagman1 @zayswriting @inmyheadimobsessed @laurensmabel1 @malltake12

Request by: @laurensmabel1 I hope I did this justice for you lovely!

A/N: Don't got much to say this time, other than enjoy my loves <3

Translations: sthandwa - my love; umama womnthwana - baby mama; usana - baby; mama wabantwana bam - mother of my children; i-panther encinci - little panther; molweni ekuseni, sthandwa - good morning, my love; enkosi, intombi yam - thank you, my girl

I was taking a risk, removing the beautifully sculpted kimoyo bracelet from my wrist and dropping them on the end table by my front door. Shuri knew my schedule better than I did; she would be ringing my beads, wondering why my location revealed me to be home and not in class. What she didn’t know, however, was that my Metallurgy class ended an hour early today, giving me enough time to execute the idea I’d been sitting on for weeks. 

The bus ride was far too long, my patience burned short with excitement. When the double doors parted at my presence, I felt like royalty; the way my Shuri must feel often. “Hi! Welcome to The Animal Rescue League of Boston. How can I help you today?” The chipper girl’s grin was contagious and I caught it like a virus. 

“Uh, hi,” I stated, suddenly feeling timid. “I’m interested in adopting a kitten.”

Her eyes could not have lit up any brighter, gifting her a glow that could rival the Sun. “Oh my goodness, absolutely! Are you a first time pet owner?”

I shook my head, easily. “No ma’am. I had a cat growing up, from the day I was born. She lived 17 years.”

Her already bright smile grew larger. “Oh, so you’re a pro then! Also, you can drop the ma’am; I’m not that old. Name’s Mackenzie.” Extended is her hand, awaiting my own. I give into the offer and give a gentle squeeze. “Y/n,” I say back, still smiling.

“Y/n? That’s so freaking pretty! Come, follow me. I’ll introduce you to our felines.” Mackenzie stands, and I follow, each step igniting a thrill in me. We make a sharp left and soon approach a glass door, behind which tiny predators flock and flit around. 

I catch a glimpse of dark fur sprint across the room, and when I enter it, that’s the first kit I go towards. With a timid hand outstretched, I wait, beckoning the little thing to come forward. It was beautiful, with more fur than it had body and a dark hue mirroring that of a night with no moon. Golden eyes peered at me, filled to the brim with playfulness and curiosity.

The tiny puss pounces at my fingers, dangling in its face. 

That’s it. That was all it took to melt my heart. “I’ll take this one.”

Mackenzie beames down at the two of us. “Yeah, he took to you instantly. He’s a beaut, isn’t he?” 

“He’s gorgeous,” I mew. 

Moments later, the baby ball of fur was in his crate, rapid meows spilling from his body whilst I joined Mackenzie to fill out the appropriate papers. “What’ll you call him?”

“Little Panther,” I respond with no thought, no doubt. 

When we arrive at my apartment, I barely walk through the door, greeted with my abandoned kimoyo beads buzzing furiously. When I pick them up, an image of my Shuri greets me. “Hi, my love,” I welcome her, placing Little Panther on the floor to explore, out of Shuri’s line of vision. 

“Do not ‘hi, my love’ me,” She threw back, clearly angry. “Why have you ignored my first…” She glances down at her own beads, probably recalling how many times she’d tried to reach me with no avail. “Ten calls,” she continued. “I was worried. I thought something had happened to you. I thought-”

“Baby, calm down,” I sooth, sensing a panic rising in my queen. “I’m okay. In fact, I have a surprise for you. How soon can you get here?”

“Y/n, sthandwa, I am queen of a nation. I can not just up and leave on an impromptu trip to the States.” 

She’s trying so hard to be serious and failing miserably. “So,” I trail. “I’ll see you in an hour?” Shuri bears barely there smile in defeat. “Make it an hour and a half. I have to pack.” 

I can’t hide my excitement anymore, jumping up and down and squealing like a child. My sounds scare Little Panther, who squeaks a shrill noise and seeks sovereign underneath the couch. “What was that?” Shuri attempts, but I stop her short. “Okay, my queen. Have a safe flight, see you in a few, bye,” spills from me hurriedly, as I hang up on Her Royal Highness to tend to my fur baby crying from his safety. 

Exactly 90 minutes later, a key is inserted into my locked door as Shuri lets herself in, bags in tow. I anticipated her arrival, hiding Little Panther in my bedroom, wanting to build up to his reveal. 

“Baby,” I rushed to her, truly excited. It had been a month since we’d adorned each other last, both our schedules conflicting frustratingly so. My queen’s arm snakes around my waist, pulling my body against hers. “I’ve missed you,” I admit. Shuri doesn’t speak, taking in the moment with me in her hold. My gaze climbs hers and I confess. “I have news, my love.”

My attempt at a heavy demeanor brings my Shuri’s features to pull into a smile. “What? Are you pregnant?” Her tone is joking and the claim almost causes me to break character, but I decide to play into it. 

Taking her hand and pulling her to the couch, I sit her down. My seriousness is threatening to crack but determined to hold it together, I sigh, a deep, troubled sound. “Shuri, we have a son.”

Her sculpted brows jump, yet her dark eyes narrow in suspicion. Mouth agape, all she can utter is “What?”

“We have a son,” I repeat, corners of my mouth rising, but so little, I’m sure it goes by unnoticed. “Would you like to meet him?” Shuri’s mouth barely moves, though her eyes dart to my belly, as if searching for a bump. When I stand to retreat to my bedroom, her eyes refuse to leave my abdomen, as if the baby that’s not there will grow before her eyes. 

In the safety of my room, the giggle fit erupts, and by the time I find Little Panther and bring him out to the living room, the laughter hasn’t subsided.

“Shuri, my love, meet our son.” Her eyes drop, caulking with boredom.

 “A kitten?”

An excited nod shakes from my head, Little Panther in my hands preparing to leap straight onto my love’s skeptical form. 

“You got my hopes up, umama womnthwana,” she admits, actually sounding disappointed. 

“Shuri, how-nevermind. Here, hold him.”

“Why?” my dubious girl questions slowly.

“I got him cuz he reminds me of you, mamas. He’s my Little Panther.”

“First of all,” Shuri starts dramatically. “He is a he.” My eyes roll to the sky, then back to my queen.

“Secondly, I am nothing like a meek kitten.” She spits the last word like it disgusts her. “I am the Black Panther, protector of Wakanda. I am not a kitten.”

Smirk growing on my lips, I retort, “Oh, really? You be purring for me when I touch your-”

“Eh!” the Black Panther exclaims. “Hold your vulgar tongue. I am trying to be annoyed with you.”

“Trying?” I ask, hopeful that the girl would share my excitement. 

“Mhm, trying usana. So, you’re not giving me an heir?”

This girl gotta be joking. “Usana,” I repeat, throwing it back at her. “Ho-how would I be pregnant? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, though I’m sure you have, being the world’s greatest scientist and shit, but we don’t have the parts for that.”

A mischievous grin spreads across her cheeks and she wiggles those beautifully thick brows. “I have ways, mama wabantwana bam, if that’s what you want.”

“What do you keep calling me? It’s sexy, coming off your tongue like that, but I feel like I should be insulted.”

Shuri’s curls bounce as she shakes her head, leaving my question stranded. “Well, then,” I propose. “Let’s start with a fur baby.”

I catch the grimace glitter my girl’s face and she stands to stretch before heading to the kitchen. “Nope.”

The night goes by and when the sun rises on the next day, Shuri isn’t in bed with me. Searching for the royal doesn’t take long. She’s in the living room, hands trying to type furiously at something on the laptop she brought with her. Little Panther is thwarting her attempts, swiping and springing at her nimble fingers each time. 

Neither of them have noticed me yet, and I watch in amusement. Shuri takes a deep, frustrated breath. Creeping down to be eye level with the fiery orbs of the tiny puss, my queen seethes “Listen you litte fur ball. You are getting in my way.” 

Little Panther swipes playfully at Shuri’s nose, causing her to scoff. “You are nothing like me. I am mighty. You are mild.”

The kitten opens it’s tiny mouth to meow an insult back at my girl. “I-panther encinci, little panther. Little Panther,” she drags. Her eyes never leave the cat’s, and it leans forward, butt wiggling in the air. “Oh, you better not-” Shuri starts, but Little Panther heads her words, leaping from the table and onto her lap with a fury. “I bet you think you just did something great, huh?”

Finally stepping out of the shadows over to my queen changes her whole demeanor. “Molweni Ekuseni, sthandwa. Come collect your son.”

And collect my son I do, adorning his little fluffy figure in kisses. “None for me?” Shuri pouts, eyes begging.

“Uh, uh. You told me to collect my son, not my girl.”

Little Panther has taken a liking to the Wakandan Queen and he was determined to crack her hard demeanor. Later that day, when Shuri napped, head in my lap on the couch, LP took it upon himself to climb atop her chest for his own nap. 

My queen’s eyes opened at his presence, but she left him be. That night, she bore her claws and let them swing in the baby cat’s face, allowing him to practice his pouncing while she rattled off tips and pointers as if he could understand.

“Enkosi, intombi yam,” Shuri spoke to me the day before she was due to return to Wakanda. 

“Translate, baby.”

A smile bore her face, Little Panther asleep in her lap as her fingers shyly pet his furry body. “Thank you, my girl.”

“For what?”

Her eyes were glossed over and she hesitated to speak. “This Little Panther…. He is nothing like me, I still stand firm on that.”

“Mhm,” I start, but her interruption cuts my voice short.

“But, he does remind me a lot of a greater Black Panther. The greatest one, in my opinion.”

The tears streak her face and I catch on. “T’Challa?”

“Yes,” she bites her lip, inhaling deep to steady her words. “He was meek and bold and determined all at once. He was a force to be reckoned with, one whom did not take no as an answer. Much like this Little Panther. That is his namesake, not my own.”

My own face is wet now as well, and I pull Shuri in close, her arm wrapping around me on instinct. “So, he’s grown on you?”

My love’s eyes roll, causing more tears to spill. “He broke my guard as soon as I realized his eyes matched the gold in my suit.”

Laughter pours from my lips and I accept the victory. “Yes! Welcome to the family, LP.”

Shuri’s head sways back and forth, a besting beam washing over her. “Welcome to the family Little Panther.”

[mistical52]

DC x DP Crossover

What if the Justice League needed to summon the Ghost King to help them face some big threat, and John Constantine has the bright idea to have someone who's a part of the Ghost King's dominion to pacify the king when he arrives. So Jason Todd is brought in. Because dying and coming back is kinda like being a ghost right?

Feel free to use this as a prompt if you want! But I do have a one-shot written below as well.

Ao3

---

The large room in the watchtower was locked down tight. The reinforced blast doors covered the entrance and the windows were shut and sealed. Standing around the painted circle were all the heads of the Justice League along with John Constantine, Zatanna, all of the bats, and Jason’s friends Roy Harper and Starfire. 

Normally the bats, Roy and Kor wouldn’t be involved with some magical bullshit being done by the heads of the J.L. but none of them were going to let Jason go in there without them. Since apparently, Constantine had said that whoever the fuck they were summoning might take it easy on the Justice League for disturbing them if the Justice League had someone who was kinda, sort of, almost, maybe at one point was a part of their dominion. That person just so happened to be Jason. Which freaked him the fuck out. Not that he’d admit that. At all. 

Though he might admit it to Roy and Kor after this mess was over. 

But since Jason had died and come back to life he might still be considered a citizen of the dead, or else he might be remembered for holding that status at one point. Which was what Constantine was banking on. 

Normally Jason would tell him to fuck off but the lives of everyone on Earth were on the line. And since Jason lived on that so-called planet and so did people he tolerated and maybe even liked, he was willing to step up if his being there could help in any way. 

Fuck Trigon honestly. The fact that Raven, their biggest asset for defeating Trigon was hurt and draining herself to hold him at bay had worried the Justice League. They were willing to call in an unknown for backup. They needed someone who could counter magic. Especially since most of the Justice League was susceptible to magic.  

So here he was standing in front of a fucking summoning circle with all of his siblings and his two friends there for support. Even Barbra was here in person. 

Constantine and Zatanna started to chant and the circle and the other symbols started to glow white. As the spell progressed the glow changed from white to blue. The blue then started to transition to green while black lightning started to spark from the circle as an impossible wind picked up in the sealed room. A chill went down Jason’s spine as the temperature in the room dropped dramatically. Frost creeped out from the edges of the circle as the glow settled on a Lazarus pit green. 

Jason’s shoulders drew tighter at the sight of that colour, but he stayed perfectly still otherwise. 

Zatanna and Constantine stopped chanting at the same time as a loud crack from the lightning filled the room and the horrid green glow from the circle became almost blinding. 

After a second the glow died down, the lightning halted and the temperature stopped dropping. 

The echo of the crack was still bouncing off the walls when a gloopy white hand with long spindly fingers and long claws on the end of each finger reached up from the circle. The claws clicked as they came back down and made contact with the floor of the watchtower while the palm of the hand made a soft wet splat. A second white hand reached up through the summoning circle and planted itself on the floor. Small clumps of the hand dripped onto the floor. Both hands flexed and gripped the ground, claws scraping and leaving scratches on the floor. 

Slowly a burning crown and a head emerged from the depths of the summoning circle. The head hung low and the only discernible features visible were white hair and pointed ears while the dark crown was surrounded by otherworldly fire. The torso followed closely behind the head. The being let go of the ground and rose above it, floating till they were fully through the ground with the painted summoning circle. A long tail followed the torso and slowly moved underneath the being. The end of the tail turned into gloopy wisps that periodically broke off and faded. The being was easily over ten feet tall without including the full length of the tail or how it was floating a foot or so off the ground. The arms of the being were lanky and too long to be human. Most of the body was a cold black that seemed like it just held back an endless void. Patterns of white broke up the black with the hands and forearms ending in a blotchy white. Two bands wrapped around the top of each arm while white covered the sides of the torso. White also wrapped around the waist and splattered the neck. 

Slowly but surely the being raised their head and looked at the people surrounding the summoning circle. 

It’s empty, Lazarus pit green eyes landed on Jason and stayed there. 

Jason felt The Pit jump and he instantly took a step back his heart rate spiking. 

Not here. Not now. He had to stay here. He had to help. Please, not now. He didn’t want the madness and rage to come for him now. 

The being, the Ghost King moved towards Jason not taking their eyes off him. Not even blinking. 

Jason took another step back. He tried to breathe. He needed to calm down. He could feel The Pit making his eyes glow. 

“No,” said the Ghost King in something that was definitely not a human language. Though how Jason understood it was beyond him.

The Ghost King moved forward again, but as the being got closer their form melted and shifted. A cape with stars shining through the underside flared out from behind the king as their form shrunk. When the form settled it was on something almost human, with pointed ears, and a suit with the same markings the being had before. The Ghost King took a step forward, and it was a step, the king now had sturdy-looking white boots replacing his tail. 

“It’s okay,” continued the Ghost King in what was definitely English this time, “Please don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you,” he said with a gentle smile. 

The Pit rose at that statement and Jason took another step back. Even though he couldn’t feel the anger that usually came with The Pit. 

Jason looked into the gaze of the Ghost King and his Lazarus pit green eyes and tried to swallow down his rising panic. They were the exact shade of burning green. Jason didn’t want to be there again. He didn’t want to be anywhere near those waters ever again. Of course, the fucking Ghost King would have eyes the same colour as the Lazarus pit. He was the king of ghosts after all. King of the dead in a way. Fuck. Jason was in his jurisdiction, wasn’t he? He didn’t- he wouldn’t be controlled by The Pit again or anything related to it. 

Screw this, Jason wanted out. He wasn’t going to let himself be thrown into madness again and hurt his family. 

Jason was about to signal to his friends and family that he wanted to leave, but the Ghost King spoke again. 

“Your mark of death isn’t right, but I can help,” the king paused for a second and winced, “Though I lied before, sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was trying to be reassuring. This is going to hurt, but you’ll be better after.” 

Kor and Dick stepped in front of Jason, half blocking him from view while the rest of his family positioned themselves on either side of him. Roy was behind him, arrows ready. Batman was still off to the side, but he had a hand on a few batarangs. 

The Ghost King stepped over the edge of the summoning circle and the other Justice League members snapped into fighting stances. 

“Constantine,” Batman hissed, “You said he wouldn’t be able to cross the circle.”

“Bloody hell! He shouldn’t be able to do that!” responded Constantine, preparing a spell. 

The Ghost King held out a hand towards Jason and twisted it into a fist. 

Jason gasped and clutched his chest, stumbling forward. The Pit felt like it was being yanked forward in his chest. His blood felt like it was paused in motion and pulled towards the Ghost King. Wisps of an oily putrid green seemed to be pulled from him. Jason grabbed his chest tighter, he couldn’t breathe. His veins were on fire. He was only just aware of the fact that he was screaming. 

The sounds of a fight were so distant to him. Jason was just trying to focus on staying awake. Jason closed his eyes for what he thought was a moment and when he opened them his whole world was tilting and Jason was aware that he was falling. He closed his eyes before the impact. 

Jason didn’t know how long he closed his eyes but he wasn’t lying flat on the ground. He was on his knees being held up by someone, his head on their shoulder. The person was rubbing soothing circles into Jason’s back. Jason groaned. Everything ached. He weakly grabbed at the person holding him and he got a handful of a cape.  

“B, you get the number of the truck that hit me?” Jason asked weakly. 

The person holding him gave a soft chuckle, “Sorry, that was me.” 

Jason suddenly realised why the person holding him felt smaller than Batman, and why the cape felt finer. Jason’s head snapped up to see the Ghost King holding him. Jason scrambled back, his heart drumming loudly in his ears as he reached for his knife. 

Glancing around Jason saw that the two of them were encased in a small green dome. Outside the J.L. was trying to crack it open. The sounds were muffled but Superman and Wonder Woman’s punches still caused an echoey boom that reverberated throughout the whole dome. 

“Hood!” called Batman’s concerned voice over the coms. Jason could see Batman near his position in the dome, a blowtorch in hand. 

“I’m awake,” replied Jason, he could hear the sounds of relief over the coms. 

Jason narrowed his eyes behind his helmet as he turned his attention to the Ghost King, “What did you do to me?”

The Ghost King held up his hands in surrender from his seated position, “I’m sorry I hurt you, but it had to be done. It feels better now doesn’t it?” he asked as he tapped his sternum while keeping one hand held up. 

Jason frowned, and then he felt it. The Pit. It was quiet in a way it had never been. It was peaceful. Jason’s frown eased slightly, then it came back. 

“Yes it does, but you didn’t answer my question.”

“You had contaminated ectoplasm in your system, Ancients know how you managed to do that, and I got the contamination out,” answered the Ghost King. 

“Where is it now?” asked Jason. 

One of the Ghost King’s hands rubbed the back of his head. The motion was so human that it threw Jason off kilter for a moment. 

“I uh, I absorbed it,” answered the Ghost King, “It’s fine for me. My system will eat through it in a day. It’s better than just leaving the nasty parts of the contaminated ectoplasm lying around.” 

“Yeah, I guess,” said Jason, who knew nothing about ectoplasm, contaminated or otherwise and how well eldritch beings absorbed it. 

The Ghost King rocked to his feet and Jason tensed. 

The Ghost King saw this and held out placating hands, “That’s it I promise. You’re all clean and from what I can tell you have a clean bill of health. You know, for someone who died. Actually, I’m going to need to ask Frostbite if he knows what you are because you’re not a ghost and you’re not a halfa either,” the last part was muttered but it wasn’t quiet enough to stop Jason from hearing it.

The Ghost King took a few slow and deliberate steps forward. Jason kept his knife in hand and shifted for a better angle to lunge if he needed to. 

Stopping at Jason’s feet the Ghost King smiled and stuck out a hand, offering a hand up, “I’m Phantom. You’re Red Hood right?”

Jason looked at the hand and felt the quiet peace from The Pit.

With a strong grasp, Jason took the Ghost King’s hand and let himself be pulled up. 

“You can just call me Hood.”

Phantom gave Jason a warm smile. Jason was surprised to note that Phantom was looking down at him. Phantom was taller than Jason by a couple of inches, though his build was lean and strong. The Ghost King looked no older than twenty, though Jason knew that appearances could be deceiving in that regard, especially for some kind of eldritch being like Phantom. 

Jason let go of Phantom’s hand and took a step back as he put his knife away. 

A resounding boom shook the dome they were in and both Jason and Phantom looked over to see Green Lantern’s hammer construct pull back for another swing. 

“Do you mind telling them to knock it off? I don’t exactly want to add the Justice League to the list of people I’ve fought,” said Phantom. 

“Hey B, tell everyone to stop. I’m fine,” said Jason into his com. 

“Hood you are not the fine! You passed out!” exclaimed Starfire over the com. 

Jason winced slightly not expecting the volume, “I promise I am perfectly fine. King Phantom didn’t hurt me.”

“J-Hood, you were screaming in agony before you blacked out. If that doesn’t count as ‘hurting you’ I don’t know what does!” said Roy, adding his input. 

Phantom winced next to Jason, “I am very sorry about that. If I knew another way I would have done it.” 

Jason glanced over at Phantom before locking eyes with Harper from behind the dome, “He can hear everything on the coms. He’s sorry and he said he didn’t know how to do it another way.” 

“Do what?” asked Batman. 

“Get rid of the contaminated ectoplasm or some shit,” explained Jason, “Look, we don’t have time for this. We’re on a time limit. Everyone stop fucking attacking the green dome thing,” Jason waited a moment and when the attacks seemed to pause he turned to Phantom, “I assume you made this,” he said gesturing to the dome, “Can you get rid of it? Please.” Jason tacked on a ‘please’ when he realised he should at least use manners with royalty that supposedly helped him. 

Phantom scoffed, “Of course, I can.” 

With a wave of his hand, the dome disappeared. 

As soon as the dome disappeared Dick was by his side looking him over with Superman zooming forward and bodily putting himself between Jason and the Ghost King with a wary gaze on Phantom. 

Dick checked Jason over, lifting up his arms and checking him for injuries. Jason squirmed out of his grip and battered his hands away. 

“I’m fine. Really I am,” he said in an attempt to reassure his older brother. 

“Jaybird,” said Dick as he locked eyes with Jason and used his ‘don’t lie to me’ tone. 

“Really. He helped me. I’ll explain a bit more later, but I am fine.” 

Dick looked at him for a few more moments before backing off and turning his glare to Phantom, who it seemed was not immune to the big brother stare. 

Jason needed to put an end to that. They still needed the Ghost King’s help. 

Jason took a breath then stepped forward around Superman, dodging the hand that reached out for him and stopped right in front of Phantom. As casually as he could manage Jason offered his hand to Phantom, “Thanks.”

“Hey, no problem. I’m here to help. That's why you called me,” replied Phantom with a smile while he shook Jason’s hand.  

“Actually, the ectoplasm contamination wasn’t why we called you,” informed Jason. 

“It wasn’t?” asked Phantom tilting his head, “What else could you need my help with? You’re the only one here who’s died.” 

“If you don’t help us there’s a chance that more will be added to that list,” said Jason grimly. Usually, he’d joke about death. But this wasn’t his own, he wasn’t going to joke about the death of his friends and family. 

Constantine stepped forward, “His name is Trigon. He’s from another dimension called Azareth. He’s a powerful demon that wants to come here and destroy all life or consume it. Most of the Justice League isn’t suited to fight magic. Raven, our best bet against this twat got injured when he reached across dimensions and injured her. She’s doing her best to hold him off so we have a chance to make a plan and gather our resources.” 

Phantom’s face twisted to a frown, “I may be the king of ghosts but I have no interest in watching my kingdom grow like that. If that does happen it will throw out the balance. If the living world is destroyed then so is the Ghost Zone and the Infinite Realms. One can’t exist without the other. Not to mention that I have living people I care about too. What do you need?” 

During Constantine's talk with Phantom both of Jason’s friends and every single one of his family members came to check on him. Even the Demon Brat gave him a once-over.