#eldritch!danny

[faithblob-says-things]

Dp x Dc prompt 3

(probs Eldritch and or Ghost King! Danny. whatever suits your taste)

Danny goes on vacation to the dc universe, only to vibe and do nothing else. He'll let the heroes in this universe deal with whatever. He doesn't plan on doing any hero work or getting involved in any of their nonsense. Every magic user however is scrambling and panicking over the overwhelming amount of death magic that just entered their universe and is just sitting there menacingly.

[nanaarchy]

okay, so can we all agree that @zillychu's fire core au is spectacularly zetsy? it's now in my brain rent-free. I have so many thoughts. so many questions. I am going to be normal about it for so long

danny died in the 1920's... so so many thoughts. little crechure is such a gentleman !!!

on instagram below!

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[entity-of-the-rift]

DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT REPOST

[clockwayswrites]

Shadow of a Bat - Starting Snippet

Other Part, (set further after this when they get to the Watchtower) WC: 1263 Synonymous: Captured by the GWI, Phantom was a mere shadow of the thing (no, person, he had to remember he was a person) that he used to be. He thought he would never be freed from the bright white room. Not until what seemed like a mass of living shadow swept into the lab and Phantom suddenly, for the first time in a very long time, felt safe.

When Batman swept back out of the seemingly empty lab, he was none the wiser for the eldritch Phantom stowed away in his shadow.

At least not at first.

-----

For Batman, it started when he caught Nightwing off guard.

As Batman, Bruce was used to startling people. It was a tool he used ruthlessly. Startling his children, however, was a rare occurrence. As the oldest, Dick was immune to the tricks of the trade even at his most relaxed; it’s what made him so good with Damian and Cassandra. When Dick was started on the job as Nightwing, something was truly off kilter.

Bruce’s initial assumption was that that Dick was under the weather or had a case from work on his mind. That was quickly disproved; Nightwing performed exceptionally as always while they took down the joint drug ring operating across the Gotham and Blüdhaven boarder.

So Bruce started to pay attention. He paid attention to the way that the shadows seemed to cling a little closer to him, that the element of surprises always on his side, that the criminals seemed more afraid than normal.

It was all circumstantial, of course. But circumstances could turn dangerous in an instant, and so Bruce started to pay attention to the darkness surrounding him.

It was always little things, things that couldn’t be conclusive on their own but started to build a pattern. A henchman would stumble on nothing and the shot would go wide. A punch on an attacker would land harder than expected, knocking them out of the fight. Perusers would run right past whoever he was trying to protect. And in the cave, whatever he needed seemed always nearby.

Something— someone— was watching over him.

-

For the bat brood, it started with things being just a step off normal.

Dick was startled when Bruce actually got the drop on him. From that night on, Batman seemed to blend deeper into the shadows.

Jason noticed when he got the feeling around Batman that the other was hurt. He dropped some subtle questions to his siblings, even reached out to Oracle, but none of them brought up Bruce being injured. The feeling didn’t go away. Something still… called to him; though it slowly got less intense. But it still bothered him.

Tim dismissed it, at first, as needing more sleep. He’d shown up to a board meeting at Wayne enterprises and, for a moment, Bruce’s shadow and seemed off. It had seemed smaller than it should have been. The problem was, Tim kept noticing things from with the shadow. A moment where there were too many arms, where the tips were missing from the cowl, where the cape flared in shadow but not in reality…

Steph wasn’t around as much. She might have not caught onto anything if it wasn’t for Cass. Cass who had started humming (softly, soothingly) when it was too quiet in the Cave while researching a case. Steph swore the shadows sometimes rippled in response. She didn’t ask Cass, and Cass didn’t offer any explanation either. She didn’t think asking would get more than enigmatic smile.

Damian felt the hair on the nape of his neck stand on end whenever he got too close to Bruce. There was a ripple of energy around his father now that there hadn’t been before. It was the same feeling that the Lazarus Pits had given off, just softer (kinder).

Duke swore that sometimes Batman’s shadow seemed to glow green. On double take, it never was, not even to his powers.

Alfred was on edge because his family was on edge, though he hid it behind his unflappable demeanor.

Something had changed about Bruce.

Something that made them alert.

Tim was the one to finally broach the subject in their group chat. He needed to know if he was going crazy or not.

-

For the Justice League, it started when Batman sent the founding seven, plus Constantine, an encoded message. He stated that there was an entity of some sort that had attached itself to him. So far it was not only non-hostile, but seemed to be actively helping, on occasion. Batman was clear to remind them all that meant no grantee the entity would remain an ally.

He disclosed that none of the instruments in the Cave had been able to pick up on the entity— not in any distinct way. The closest factual data was the occasional cold spot drifting near Batman or around the cave and the resonate vibration that sometimes echoed the song that Black Bat was humming.

Batman was confident that the entity was around, though, as were the rest of his people, and so Batman was purposing to bring the entity to the Watchtower. There it could be analyzed with other types of passive technology as well as the powers of members such as J’onn and Constantine.

Based on the timing and the being’s nature, the hypothesis was that it had come from the lab.

None of the League had to ask what lab. For those who had been on the mission, it wasn’t someplace they would soon forget. Even those spared the mission hadn’t been able to avoid hearing about the horrors that the GIW lab had held.

The organization had gone to ground after the bills protecting metahumans had passed, taking the unethical Anti-Ecto Acts off the table with it. Operating on the other side of legality didn’t seem to have slowed down their work any. Batman suspected it made them all the more fevered— all the more dedicated to prove that they had been right about ghosts.

All the more willing to cross unspeakable lines.

There were obvious signs of imprisonment, torture, and dissection. There were remains— all carefully labeled and stored— to corroborate that. Later, from the tapes, they would learn that vivisection was far more accurate a term.

The only living— as much as the term could even be used— entities found in the lab were three green blob like creatures.

The entity with Batman gave them hope that maybe they had least gotten there in time to save one soul. Despite the risks, that hope made them start to plan the visit to the Watchtower.

-

For Phantom, it started weeks earlier when he felt a presence in the bowels of the GIW facility.

He barely felt anything any more.

There was barely any of him left to feel things, not after the scientists had pulled him apart again and again and again.

But when what seemed like a mass of living shadow had swept into the lab he was kept in, a wave of safety had washed over him. Safety was, perhaps, the wrong word for the feeling. Most people wouldn’t feel safe around the wave of emotions. It was a swirl of all encompassing rage. But under that rage was an aching sorrow and the driving chant of protect protect protect—

For Phantom it sang of safety. This being— person?— was enraged by the lab. It threatened to consume them. They were everything the cold scientists weren’t. This being felt things.

Phantom felt things too.

Or he thought he used to.

He wanted to remember what that was like, to feel something other than numb terror.

So when the seal of his containment was cracked open, Phantom seeped free of the box he had been kept in and towards the being. The shadows shrouding them made space for him, welcomed him. It was like slipping into a hug. He was too weak to talk to them, to talk to the being that was robed in them; he couldn’t let them know he was there with them. He could only curl up in the cocoon of the feelings.

He was safe.

-----

AN: I debated posting more of this or not since I’ll prob stick the finished thing up next week on ao3, but I’m a ball of pain and agony today (fuck you weather!) so have a little treat for me. I’m not sure if we’ll go into the horrors of the lab more than what I’ve already written- this may get a little darker but I’m still feeling out the mood as this is more, er, experimental(?) than I usually write as Danny tries to remember what it’s like to be a person and not just a test subject.

Oh, and Jason, Tim, Cass, and Damian are more sensitive to Danny’s presence because of their exposure to the Lazarus Pits, was my thinking. Bruce is a bit oblivious at first, because how often does one pay attention to their own shadow?

Itty bitty tag list: @vehan-tikkun-olam-and-stuff​ | @idfk-man10​ | @lazy-bouqet​ | @meira-3919​ | @illusionwolfwriter24r8

[little-pondhead]

Hi can anyone tell me what the FUCK happened here??? This was supposed to be an eldritch!Danny design. I don't think this is Danny.

[abrielarnold]

There's a ghost in Amity Park.

It wears a human face.

[brothebro]

Ectoberhaunt, day 3 Chaos

Rating: T

Relationships: danny & the a-listers. Danny& wes

Warnings: mild bodyhorror in the form of eldritch monstrosity Danny, reference to bullying (dash being his usual awful self)

[nerdpoe]

Dick is waiting for a bus when he notices the guy next to him staring intently at the glass wall of the stop.

"Uh...how many teeth do humans have again?" The guy mumbles.

"Thirty-two," Dick says helpfully.

The guy shifts his jaw, there's a cracking sound, he spits something into his hand, and he finally turns to face Dick.

"Thanks," the guy smiles, Lazarus water smearing down his chin like blood as his eyes glow the same color.

[chaos-bringer-13]

I've seen a lot of people writing Danny as a space ancient and Dan and Dani as ghosts with moon and sun cores, being sort of parts, versions of Danny and therefore weaker. Now, consider: Dan and Dani are both powerful ghosts with really cool cores and stuff but Danny is just some guy™

Dan, who came from an alternate timeline and is kind of from the future but also not, is Clockwork's apprentice and will eventually become an ancient of time. He probably only agreed to have some lessons with Clockwork to understand better what happened to him, but he enjoys his apprenticeship now.

Dani, with her love of travelling, loves seeing all the different places the world offers to her, and that includes space and different planets and maybe even parallel universes, and she accidentally ends up being an apprentice of the space ancient. For now she's probably a baby ancient of freedom or something like that, but she might become an ancient of space in the future.

We can also have something like Dan having a core of destruction or Dani being the Speed Force if you want it to be dcxdp, or any headcanon of yours about their cool powers.

And then there's Danny. And yeah, everyone knows that he's super powerful, but also he's just some guy.

It can go different routes. Does everyone know that Danny is just Danny? Or do they think that with siblings (well, technically a clone and an alternate version, but whatever) so powerful, he must be even stronger? Is Danny actually something terrifyingly eldritch and ancient and strong, almost a god, but he just doesn't know himself? Or is he just really some guy?

Now, because it's obvious that I have a dcxdp brainrot, have a regular "JL summons/meets a powerful ghost" but its Dan and Dani, and they keep mentioning their original/brother who won a fight against them at some point. The JL is very concerned about Dan and Dani's godlike powers, and they can't imagine what Danny is like. And then they meet him (in his human form), and it's just a young adult in casual clothes, very friendly and helpful, with no evident powers. Imagine the confusion. Imagine Dan and Dani, radiating power, in their eldritch ghost forms, admitting that fighting Danny for real is the dumbest thing to do and not even they would succeed... And then there's Danny is jeans and silly t-shirt, waving shyly.

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 257

Now Danny loves space. He loves everything about it, to the point his core quite literally is space. And he’s also a baby ghost, even if he could argue he’s not in human form. But see, being baby has an honestly great consequence once it’s noticed- despite the Observants’ best attempts at hiding it, the assholes. 

Of course he would be far more worried- and even a bit pissed- if his caretaker wasn’t who it was. Look, he’d never met Clockwork’s siblings before, but apparently everyone was really against Clockwork himself adopting. 

But Clockwork as his uncle is fine. Besides, his caretaker is Space! Space itself is holding him, cooing gentle words in the sounds of the very cosmos. And they’re huge, like parts of their body going through portals so they can fit outside Long-Now sized big- and apparently Clockwork can get just as big and they can get even bigger- 

Okay, he needs to take a breath- even if he doesn’t need to breathe- to stop his squealing because holy Realms this is so cool. 

Space is awesome! And he’s getting so much more rest than he did in Amity- and even if Space sort of shrugged at the idea of school at first, they did help him set up online schooling. So there’s that, and it’s just the start! 

He gets to learn so much about space and it’s honestly kind of… nice? To be taken care of? And he can do whatever he needs for his Core and Obsession with only a few interruptions to take care of his living needs. Erm, sort of living needs? 

But even that gets turned into a bit of play or even a lesson too! He’s honestly having such a good time right now! He’s learning so much about spaaace! And dimensions! And interdimensional portals and- oops! No one saw that. 

Ahem- But he’s learning so much about space and getting to explore other dimensions with Cosmos! And sure he no longer looks as human as he once did and all that, but he’s seen so many people who also don’t look human that does it really matter? 

Of course it doesn’t, and he matches his sort-of-dad! Even though the streaks of color in their hair are more of a brown-red like they’re literally bleeding out the cosmos around them instead of it fading to void and space like his own. But still! They match and it’s fun! 

And they’re going to go on another trip from the in-between to one of the dimension realities! He’s going to start a game of tag this time he thinks! But no cheating with portals or bending space! Tag! 

Look, the Justice League? Not paid enough for this. In fact, technically not paid at all due to being volunteers (not that it stopped them from finding money in their accounts) but still. 

There is some sort of figure… being… thing… zooming around the asteroid belt, about the size of Earth itself. Let them repeat themselves. A planet-sized creature (are those hands or paws? Tail or simply its body stretching? Hair or the Abyss-) is currently darting around the asteroid belt like a child running through grass. 

That is, without noticing or caring if something bug-sized might be crushed. And they are very much bug sized, as the governments are concerned about. Like really concerned about. Like talking about trying to nuke the entity if it wanders closer sort of concerned. 

Which they are all very concerned and very much like, against. Because it isn’t seeming to notice the asteroids it’s knocking into their area. It’s like… not a space whale or eel or anything like that but also is something like that. 

And they would also maybe like to see if they can attempt to talk it down first maybe and-

oh. 

Oh. 

That creature is the baby. And mama just arrived, stretching across the entire galaxy, from them to Pluto and beyond, like something took the cosmos and shaped it like clay into some sort of form. Like reality itself has wandered into their galaxy with what they are suddenly realizing must be a very young child. 

Shit, they really have to make sure no one tries to piss either of these things off-

[entity-of-the-rift]

So this Eldritch!Danny was inspired by this but could be for any Eldritch Danny prompt:

He did have a crown but it was too much and I may add it in on a future drawing. Added a no background cause I like it. If anyone writes about this one could i get a heads up pls? I wanna read it!! Also NO STEALING, NO REPOSTING

[clockwayswrites]

Shadow of A Bat- Ch 2 snippet

Chapter one is up on ao3 (including scenes not posted here).

It was only afternoon, and Bruce was already in the Cave. Phantom was proud that he knew that it was the afternoon. He was also proud that he could tell that even though they were in the cave, this Bruce and not Batman. Not yet at least. He could see the easy slope of Bruce’s shoulders, the way the eyes weren’t tense, the casual way Bruce looked through the files.

He’d been getting better at noticing things.

He’d been getting better at everything.

The longer he spent in Bruce’s shadow the easier it all became. Yes, sure, there were still days where he lost sense of everything. There were moments when he was still terrified, but even those were less and less and shorter and shorter.

On days he was he was feeling especially good, he even left Bruce’s shadow.

Today was a good day, he thought. He took a moment to make sure that Bruce’s tea was still warm before he drifted up out of the Cave to find someone else to be with.

With time, Phantom had come to see the other members of the family as safe. Not as safe as Bruce (he was still the safest), but when he spent time with the others he was able to experience things that he didn’t get to with Bruce.

His favorite to spend time with was Alfred; Alfred who felt of warm and safety and spice. With Alfred he could watch the other cook. Phantom was pretty sure that cooking like this was something new to him and it was nice to have something that didn’t pull at his mind demanding he remember remember remember.

Remembering was exhausting.

So getting to be with Alfred when he cooked was nice. Phantom drifted towards the kitchen, rather sure that Alfred would be making dinner at this point or be soon to. He had visited Alfred in the afternoon before, but usually he saw him in the morning when the rest of the manor was still asleep (or begrudgingly waking up).

Phantom felt… complicated about mornings. He didn’t really know if he liked them much, but he did like watching the sun rise and feeling warmth sweep over him. And he liked being with Alfred as the other sipped on tea and watched it with him.

Well, Phantom liked to think that they watched it together.

In reality, he didn’t know if Alfred noticed him at all. He hadn’t been… as cautious lately. Not since that night on the roof when he thought he had lost Batman. But then Batman had come back from him and hummed to him and Phantom, after thinking on it later, felt pretty certain that Batman knew he was there. And the other hadn’t turned him in or tried to capture him or run any experiments.

So cautiously, Phantom started to show himself just a little more. To the one of silent death he would sometimes hum back now. Just barely. When the laughing one was there, it sometimes turned onto a quiet song in the round. With the one who was always focused, he worked to keep the coffee warm. For the one who’s emotions were so loud yet so controlled,Phantom would tidy up the art corner now and then. With the bright one, he was a presence when the others were others were busy.

The eldest two— oh, they were older brothers. Yes, Phantom understood that now. The thought made his heart ache, though he didn’t know why. The eldest two were around less, but he would curl up with the one scarred by rage who would sometimes read out loud. And the golden one was always a distraction when Phantom needed it. A few times he had even bravely foolishly rolled a ball back to him. It seemed to make the other happy.

And they all would just talk sometimes.

Phantom liked to think they were talking to him.

(Sometimes he was was almost sure they might be.)

Now he passed through the closed door to the kitchen. Alfred was sitting at the island, flipping through a collection of hand written recipes. Phantom darted over, jumping between the shadows. He made a little game out of not touching any of the smaller black diamond shaped tiles inset into the floor. Settling in next to Alfred, hidden in the shadow of the vase, he reached out to warm up Alfred’s tea.

Alfred reached out for the tea a moment later and hummed as he wrapped his hands around the warm cup. “I’m thinking perhaps the vegetarian lasagna for tonight. It is a bit chilly outside, and the lasagna will be rather warm and filling for the family. Perhaps I should see if Master Dick and Master Jason would wish to stop by for dinner. They both do like the dish and it would be rather nice to have a full house.”

Phantom gave soft little trill, the sound involuntary.

That did sound nice.

“Yes, I think that would be good. I had best get to work then,” Alfred said and set his tea down. He draped his jacket over the stool he vacated and rolled up his sleeves.

-

Bruce glanced at the notification that flashed up on the screen. It was a message from Alfred that the ‘little shadow’, as Dick had taken to calling the entity, was in the kitchen and seemed content to stay there for a bit while Alfred cooked.

Despite the potential risk an unknown entity still posed, Bruce and his family had been pleased by the increased interaction from the entity. They hoped it meant the little shadow was feeling safer there with them.

Bruce credited a great deal of it to Cass’ suggestion that they speak some of their thoughts out loud to the entity. Of course, at first they couldn’t always be sure when they had company, even if there was often a feeling of it, so there was a great deal of time they were truly talking to themselves.

They all agreed it was small sacrifice to make, especially after Jason had, hesitantly, admitted that he felt pain from the entity.

Since the entity was currently occupied, Bruce took the moment of isolation to call up to the Watchtower. He had been careful with what he accessed when the entity was around. This was both for security reasons, but also to keep the entity from having to hear about the GIW Labs.

“J’onn.”

“Batman. Your timing is is impeccable, as always.”

“The process has finished?”

All of the data they had been able to retrieve from the lab had, of course, been encrypted. Harder to overcome was that a good portion of it had also been partially destroyed in the self destruct process of the lab. They had recovered much of database already, but any video files had been undergoing a lengthier process of defragmentation. It seemed it was done.

“Yes,” J’onn said with a gravity that was sever even for the Martian.

“They’re what we expected?” Bruce rumbled.

“That and worse. I suggest you watch them alone.”

“Understood, send the files through.”

-----

AN: Apparently, I completely failed at getting the tag list up to date on this one, so people who asked to be tagged for the ao3 posting announcement did not. I should have everyone now? If you are not on the list and want to be (and please check first), just let me know. Not sure how that happened. Those who only wanted the ao3 notice (second group), I'll remove you after this unless you'd like to be kept on for snippets. (If your name is tiny, you are unable to be tagged).

Anywho, been poking at the right way to handle this chapter, but I think it's getting there! Sorry for all the mistakes, the endless migraine continues. I'll likely have it on ao3 next week or the week after. Stay delightful!

the hopefully correct tag list: @vehan-tikkun-olam-and-stuff | @idfk-man10 | @lazy-bouqet | @meira-3919 | @illusionwolfwriter24r8 | @kyrianclawraith | @chaoticchange | @hearthandhauntingsproductions | @ashleysmshly | @azuremayscarlet | @miraculousandmore | @oddessy | @idkmrpianoman | @skulld3mort-1fan | @manglethemingle | @reinaluna | @littlemrscookie | @phantomskeep | @vipower001 | @thebraincellbehindthecouch | @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit | @amuseofminds | @blackfoxsposts | @mewzaque | @hearthandhauntingsproductions | @chaoticchange | @addie-lover-of-stories | @ballzfrog group 2 @mayonnaisepudding | @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit | @apointlessbox | @cyber-geist

[alienzil]

DP x DC Prompt/notion # 4

So Danny has the classic reveal gone bad scenario and the Fentons try to capture him to "tear him apart molecule by molecule".

Danny escapes into the ghost zone with the help of Sam, Tucker and Jazz but he's in bad shape.

What Danny had never been told is that newly formed ghosts like himself are considered babies until they're at least a century old. Baby ghosts generally either have parents if they're born in the realms or get adoptive parents shortly after forming and are highly dependent on their guardians until their core is fully matured. Every ghost can sense a baby and has the instinctual urge to protect them (especially if they haven't been adopted yet). Every baby ghost has the instinctual urge to find a compatible parent or parents. A baby won't imprint on just anyone and will hide or run from most ghosts until they find one that they can imprint on. The majority of the ghosts that have met Danny never knew he was a baby, both because he already had his living parents and his emotional connection with them was close enough to satisfy his ghostly need for a parental bond and because, with his abnormally high power level, it never would have occurred to them to think he might be an infant. A newborn ancient is exceptionally rare and your average denizen of the realms will have never seen one. Basically, to your average ghost, Danny feels like he's eons old and any hint of "baby" they get from him mostly just ticks them off because they think he's mocking them and pretending to be less powerful than they know he is. The other ancients knew of course, but they also knew that Danny's human guardians were satisfying his needs for now and most assumed he would be adopted once they passed. Half a century or so isn't very long to wait after all and the new baby is half human so it's probably best to let these things happen naturally.

Knowing none of this, when Jack and Maddie rejected Danny it severed their connection and the backlash of losing that bond caused his Phantom self to naturally revert to a smaller form that more closely matched his actual age as a ghost. Still in shock and operating almost entirely on instinct and emotion, Danny started to search the Realms for what he had lost. He needed to find his parents.

*****

Meanwhile, John Constantine had a problem with an upstart cult that had summoned an interdimensional...something. He really didn't care. Whatever it was, was behind a barrier they'd thrown up that he couldn't breach. He'd be perfectly willing to leave them to their own mess except their whole damn town was behind the barrier so now it was his problem to fix.

Interdimensional problems call for interdimensional solutions so he'd called Bob. Bob wasn't really his name (nor was he really a he) but he hadn't objected to the moniker or the pronouns John had given him so Bob it was. Bob was an eldritch nightmare of a creature who kept the bulk of his true form politely out of this dimension and only just barely inched in for a quick visit every 20 years or so. Constantine had worked with him before, he was a pretty nice bloke for an unknowable monstrosity.

Bob fed on energy and his usual diet consisted largely of the background energy of the cosmos but he liked a special treat now and then (who doesn't?). So John made a deal with him. Bob took care of his little cult problem and John spent a very... ahem... "energetic" evening with Bob in exchange. Not really a hardship on John's part, Bob wanted more energy, not less, and knew a thing or two about how to get it.

*****

The creature known as Bob was preparing to withdraw the small portion of his presence that was currently on Earth with the human called John Constantine when another part of him noticed something. Bob smiled to himself (as much as Bob could smile that is). What a wonderful coincidence that the Constantine human's energy would be so perfectly matched to this other beings and that Bob was here at the exact right moment to assist with their meeting!

"I thank you again for sharing your energy John Constantine. It was delicious as always."

"Don't mention it mate. Look me up next you're in town and feeling a bit peckish. Always happy to oblige." John replied with a smirk.

"I will heed your words John Constantine and seek your presence upon my return. As a token of my affection for you, a small gift that you might enjoy until we meet again." Bob briefly opened a portal between the Infinite Realms and the House of Mystery as he left. He hoped his human friend would enjoy the gift. Bob had never spawned himself but he'd heard parenthood was one of life's great joys.

"Gift?" John had just enough time to say as he was hit in the face by a chirping, wriggling, excited creature.

"Oi!" John stumbled back a step as he reached up to try and pry the thing off his face. He managed to grab ahold of the damn beast and held it out at an arms length to get a look at it. Deprived of his face, it wrapped its body tightly around his arm and nuzzled its head into the palm of his hand.

John stared at the creature. It was the roughly the length of his arm, mostly black with white markings and white floating hair on a human shaped head and face, complete with glowing green eyes. It was vaguely snake shaped...or... one might say...tentacle shaped...

John gulped and pictured Bob. Bob's appearance, or what little bit of his appearance John was able to perceive, was a writhing mass of black tentacles that glowed a bright, luminous green.

So, the "gift" Bob had left him mostly had Bob's coloring and was kinda Bob shaped. Except it had small human arms and hands and a tiny mostly human head and face and... was that his nose?!

"Oh bollocks, I'm a dad!"

[deadsetobsessions]

Tim Drake, Danny’s human identity in this universe, is a boy trapped in an empty manor with absentee parents a low socialization.

Danny Phantom, on the other hand, is Gotham City himself. He could fly, he could interact, he could be the heart of his city like he needs to be. From the lowest of the lows to the highest of the highs, Danny loved the people that were his. Well, most of them. Child molesters often found themselves crossing paths with a vengeful, mostly recovered Robin.

He is the city, he is Gotham. And with his status came more changes, ones he welcomes more readily that the changes that came with his title of Ghost King.

Being a city couldn’t change him as much as it would have, had he gained the title before becoming King. But now, his shadows are dark, curling around his shoulders and curling away what little light he allowed into his city. His skin, having once glittered green with stars and galaxies and black holes, clouds over just a bit. It gives him a misty quality. His hands become sharper, stronger. Gargoyle-like. He wonders what he looked like to Batman, holding his broken son cradled safely to himself. He’s crueler, now, but that’s easily balanced by his years of being a vigilante himself.

He loves these changes. They are loved in a way changing into Dead Danny Phantom and Ghost King Danny Phantom will never be loved. And even though his human features are different in a way he never had to deal with as Danny Fenton, because it was his body that he died in, Danny finds himself enjoying the distinction. And he enjoys when they combine, because in the end, they’re just facets of who he is, now.

Gotham flies through his city, and enjoys it as a whole. A bigger picture.

Tim Drake walks through his city, and enjoys it as an individual. The smaller picture.

Being Gotham reminds him of what he had to protect as a whole. A duty he gladly bears.

Being Tim reminds him of the people he’s meant to help, the stories he doesn’t get as Danny. A connection he gladly encouraged.

Gotham is power. He is duty, he is fierce love. But for the good of the whole.

Tim is kindness. He is choice, he is gentle devotion. But for the good of the individual.

He’s both.

Danny. Danny Phantom.

Phantom glides through the smog.

The ebb and flow of people is his life blood, the thrumming of life and death and fear and hate and love and everything the city is sung through him and Danny sung back with everything he had. Danny is the gargoyles perched high, watching everything. He’s the stone curves of the sewers, sheltering his rats and mutant murderous crocodile man. The is no love comparable to a city’s mutant rats and their sewers. Ancients, he loves his city.

It would be nice, Danny thinks wryly, if they’d love me enough to stop blowing up buildings.

The sting of destruction to his city would hurt much more, had he not also been King. Regardless, every time there’s an explosion or general large scale property damage, he feels a stab of mild pain. Catching sight of his Bats, Danny stays invisible while following them. He wills the shadows to cradle them, to hide them further. He softens the stone, the mortar, the steel, just a hint. Their footsteps, silent and aided by the city himself. The wind steal away the noise of the grappling guns, so when Danny’s favorite vigilante duo (a fascination he shared with original text!Tim) broke into the building, not a single soul aside them are aware of the intrusion.

Batman skulks across the support beams, Robin following with an anticipatory grin. Danny floats, invisible, undetectable, besides them.

“C’mon!” A goon grunts beneath them. Danny tilts his head. A… Dresden Aberthy. Wow. That’s one hell of a name.

“Hurry it up! Boss said Batman’s going to get here soon!” Another goon- Robbert- said, waving around a gun like a moron at the terrified hostages. Danny could tell half of them were part of a tour bus, mostly because the other half were his Gothamites, bored and unfairly used to this kind of thing. The tourists… He’s fond of them, having kept track of their progress through his city. He doesn’t care for intruders on his haunt, but tourists like to appreciate his city and its doubtlessly Sam-approved architecture. Most of them. Rude tourists get pigeon shit on their heads and food stolen by his lovely rats.

He’ll have to make sure none of the bullets hit the tourists. He likes this group, even if he has enough awareness to question their sanity in choosing his city to sightsee. He knows it’s a mess. It’s Danny’s mess though, so whatever.

——

All said and done, Batman whoops ass and Robin rescues the hostages just fine. Danny grins proudly as Robin knees a guy in the crotch and punches a lady’s throat in order to incapacitate them.

After they tied the goons up, and interrogated them for Two Face’s plans- explode a quarter of Gotham to distract the Bats from his diabolical plan to murder half of Gotham’s judges and lawyers that have been going after him and his people- the duo retreats to the rooftop.

“Didja think Gotham saw that?”

Batman goes to reply, but Danny beats him to it, coming back to visibility with a wind touched laugh.

“I did, little Robin.” Danny smiles, fangs and shadows on display as his vigilantes startles and whips around to face him. “You did well.”

Robin- Jason!- gapes at him.

“I see you’ve recovered, little bird.”

“Gotham! Oh. Wow. People always said Gotham was a lady, but you’re a guy!”

“It was a Lady,” Danny confirmed. “It’s complicated, little bird.”

“So, you’re really… you’re really Gotham? The city?”

Danny looks at Robin with the weight of the city behind his gaze.

“I think you know the answer to that. But yes, I am your city.”

“Constantine,” Batman starts. “He said that city spirits only appear in times of grave danger.”

There is deference in his words. Batman is Batman for Gotham, after all. Danny just wishes he could… well, be friendlier with his knights. May this is a good place to start.

Are you in danger? What threats do we need to handle? How can I help? How can I protect? Please, let me help.

His Knight always felt more than he ever says. Danny smiles.

“Was Robin’s wellbeing not in grave danger?” Danny floats closer. “I am your city. You protect me, it is only right that I protect you, no?”

“Thank you for saving me, Gotham!” Robin’s grin is a touch more sincere than usual.

“Of course, Robin. You are loved.”

“Is there… a reason you’ve shown yourself today? Gotham.”

Danny chuckles, understanding the awkwardness that was Batman addressing someone with deference.

“I wanted to tell you that you did well tonight. Those tourists weren’t harmed in the slightest. Well done.” Danny gave Robin a playful but sincere thumbs up.

“They weren’t a match for us!”

“No, they weren’t.” Danny ruffles Robin’s hair, noticing how still he grew at it. “Robin was too fast for them. That maneuver at the end was masterfully executed.”

Batman clears his throat and Danny resists the urge to laugh at him. It would be mean.

“Thank you, for the… praise.”

Fuck it. He’s played well behaved for too long.

“Yes. I read in child rearing books that positive reinforcement is necessary for healthy development. You did well, Batman.”

Despite trolling Batman- and somehow holding a straight (and hopefully wise face)- he meant every word.

Allowing a small smile to slip at Robin’s chortles and Batman’s quiet sputtering, Danny moves on.

“Where is Nightwing, Batman?”

“He’s still on a mission...”

“If it is awkward to refer to me as Gotham, Phantom will do.”

Batman dips his head once. “In space, with the Teen Titans.”

“I see. Please tell him I request his presence,” Danny barely waits for Batman’s oddly acquiescing agreement before summoning a pigeon.

“Follow her,” Danny instructs the duo. “She’ll lead you to the places with explosives. I will guide you through her, to Harvey Dent.”

Danny winces as another explosion rings out.

“Your face is cracking!” Robin exclaimed, worried. He surged forward to stare at the hairline cracks appearing on Danny’s jaw.

“That would be the explosives. Any damage to the city will be shown on me.”

“Well take care of it.” Batman growled, shoulders straightening once more into an imposing symbol.

“Yeah!”

“I know you will. Stay safe.” Danny disappears, spreading his awareness and directing his Birds to the explosives that will go off the fastest.

Batman and Robin share a glance and leaps off the roof, ready to save their city once more.

——

Tim Drake wanders around Crime Alley, and meets a blonde nine year old trying to throw hands at her absentee Riddler knockoff of a dad. He dodges the brick en route to his face and kicks the guy’s knees out.

“You okay?”

The girl blinks. She stares at her dad, groaning on the dirty street of crime alley, and flicks her gaze back up to Tim, who waits casually.

“Yep. I’m Stephanie. We’re gonna be friends now!”

She grins at him, a baby tooth missing, and Danny melts.

“Heck yeah. Tim!” He introduces himself for the first time in a long time.

Maybe with Stephanie around, he’ll finally use the name Tim? Maybe he’ll get used to it, finally!

[jessilynallendilla]

DPXDC AU idea

Danny is the ghost king

one problem he is a minor

so all summonings get redirected to his parent

Cut to Gotham Batman and his flock have finally tracked down a cult trying to summon the ghost king to bring about the end of the world

They're too late as the cult finishes the summoning...only for Batman to disappear and pop up in the summoning circle

Criminal Underworld: sees it as proof the Batman is some kind of eldritch being

Batman: frantically researching why he was summoned in place of the ghost king

Danny: oblivious to the chaos

[merlinemrysse]

transition goals ammirite