Fun fact, apparently, the inverse of brown is either blue or grayish-blue. Don't quote me on that, though...
Jason was, well, he wasn’t freaking out, but he was having a bit of a crisis.
There, on the big screen of the computer the damning evidence stared back at him.
Willis wasn’t his bio father.
“Jay lad, do you,” Bruce cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable, “do you want to find out who your real father is?”
Jason didn’t know what to feel so he settled to his usual, safe default of anger.
“Why? So I can be disappointed again? I’m already batting zero on the parents department,” Jason heard Bruce suck in a deep breath and he felt a bit better, “I don’t need anymore disappointment in my life.”
“Besides”, he continued after a minute of silence, “if he was able to fuck Sheila then the likelihood of him being a good person are almost zero.”
Bruce looked at Jason with a blank look on his face. If he had been anyone else but one of Batman’s kids' proteges, then he wouldn't have caught how conflicted Bruce was.
Tough, Jason didn't want to think about his sperm donor and left the Batcave.
Jason took the knowledge that he (maybe still) had a biological dad living somewhere in the world and put it in a little box. He shut it up, locked it, threw away the key, and then threw that little box into the deepest corner of his mind.
Jason didn't know if Bruce told any of Jason's siblings that Willis wasn't his real dad, but they never brought it up.
Jason was okay with that.
It wasn't until a year after that discovery that he was rudely reminded of that knowledge.
Twenty-two years ago, when Danny Fenton had just turned eighteen, he told his parents he was a half-ghost.
To say they took it poorly would be an understatement.
To be fair, it could've been worse. They could've dissected him, pulled him apart 'molecule by molecule', turned him over to the GIW...But they didn't.
They listened silently to his explanation, got up, and left the room. The next day they gave Danny a debit card and a pin number and told him they would deposit a certain amount every month, but they didn't want him in their house.
He had been kicked out at 18 years old with nowhere to go.
So he went into the Ghost Zone and discovered the second biggest afterlife-altering news of the day.
"I'm sorry can you repeat that?"
Clockwork looked at Danny and explained again patiently, "The Ghost King is chosen by right of conquest. You defeated Pariah Dark in single-handed combat so, by that right, you are now the King of the Infinite Realms. Now that you are considered an adult you must take the crown."
"Yeah, that's what I thought you said," Danny said, numbly.
He had gone to Clockwork because he hadn't thought of anywhere else he could've gone as a newly homeless teen; he had entered the Ghost Zone because the world that had birthed and created him had rejected him
'My parents don't want me,' and now, it turned out, he was the fucking ruler of the world that had taken so much from him.
'My life, my teenage years, my grades, MY LIFE,' and he was meant to rule it? He had barely even passed high school.
'Because the Zone stole that from me, too.'
Danny got up and left Clockwork behind. A part of him wondered why the older ghost didn't stop him, but he decided not to question it. He went through Vlad's portal and left it without being spotted.
He chose it on purpose; Vlad was in Amity at the moment, and he wouldn't be able to stop Danny. Besides, Danny was Vlad's king, so he should be allowed to use Vlad's portal.
Danny laughed a bit hysterically, he was Vlad's king!
Danny flew; he kept flying until he reached a gloomy city with a thick layer of fear and smog coating it.
He couldn't even blame what happened next on the alcohol he had been drinking.
He had been down. The older woman had been there. Danny had felt vulnerable and alone. He slept with the woman.
While she smoked, he got up and left the room. He hadn't known her name, and she hadn't known his.
She had punched his card, and he didn't care to find out about her.
Danny hadn't looked back as he went back into the Ghost Zone.
Danny had been furious and was ready to find a way to stick Clockwork in a Fenton Thermos for the rest of eternity, rules be damned.
Danny had felt a disturbance in the Realms. A new halfa had just been created. As soon as he felt it and was about to go look for the new half-ghost, Clockwork appeared.
Jason Peter Todd-Wayne, who had been pawned off to an abusive man and a woman with a drug addiction.
Jason Peter Todd-Wayne who had been forced to steal from a young age to stay alive and keep his barely functioning adoptive mother from ODing.
Jason Peter Todd-Wayne who had been adopted by Bruce Wayne, aka Batman.
Jason Peter Todd-Wayne who had been betrayed by his birth mother, tortured, blown up, and killed. Who tried to protect the woman who sold him out.
Jason Peter Todd-Wayne who didn't survive past his fifteenth birthday.
Jason Peter Todd-Wayne Fenton who rose from the dead six months later. Just like his birth father, Death could not hold on to Jason for long.
"At least you survived longer than me," Danny said under his breath while making a portal to Gotham.
Jason knew he had been living on borrowed time.
Still, dying sucked. He felt his body go cold as the bullet wounds on his chest bled out every bit of precious lifeblood.
The enemies around him had been killed, but they had gotten some good shots.
He didn't dare call for his dad Bruce. He hadn't been able to save Jason the first time. Why would this time be any different? However, he couldn't leave just like that this time. Not without saying his last words.
Jason turned on the comms.
"Hey," he coughed, and blood spilled out of his lips, "anyone there?"
"Hood," came out Batman's emotionless voice, "report, why do you sound like that?"
Jason couldn't help but apologize, he didn't want to leave Bruce his dad with any sort of guilt or regret.
"Dad, I'm sor-sorry. Please don't feel bad," Jason coughed, and more blood poured out of his mouth.
"Jason?! Jason, where are you what happened?"
Jason ignored the questions and kept talking, "You know, for all the shit I've given you these past few years," another cough, "I never actually, I never hated you, B. I just wanted to make sure you loved me more than your mission. I should have never done that."
Jason was barely breathing anymore, his chest giving out its last rattles.
"Oracle, find Jason's location, now!"
Aw, Dick, always trying to find a way to help.
"I love all of you-even you, Tim. Damian, don't give dad a hard time, 'kay."
"Todd, you imbecile, stop talking that way. We'll be there in 2 minutes. Keep talking, get angry."
"Too tired, baby bird," he slurred out.
His body gave one last breath before stopping.
That should've been the end; however, Jason didn't know about his birth father.
King of Ghosts, defender of the Infinite Realms, the Balance between Life and Death. Jason came from an impressive bloodline that had the habit of defying death.
But, before that is hit upon, a bit of a backtrack.
Jason gave his last breath just as Bruce and Damian entered the abandoned warehouse. Jason was surrounded by nine bodies, a pool of blood that made it impossible to find out whose it was.
Bruce ran up to his son, "Jason, Jason! NO, not again, God almighty, not again! Jason, wake up!"
Bruce Wayne cried into the still chest of his son for a second time. The first time Jason died had almost killed Bruce. This time, he doubted he would survive at all.
"Jason, Jason. Jay lad, please, I'm sorry. Wake up."
Dick and Tim showed up a few minutes later and watched as their father broke down over their brother's still, cooling body. A thick layer of sadness, grief, and anger surrounded the family. The comms were loud, different voices demanding to know what was happening, what was going on.
Now, back to Jason's heritage.
Jason hadn't cared enough to find out about his birth father. He had slept with Sheila, and considering her track record with Willis and the fact that she had had no problem selling Jason out to the Joker...well, there was no way his bio dad could be a good person.
If he had investigated a little, he might have found out about Daniel Fenton. Younger brother to Jasmine Fenton, the leading criminal psychologist. He would've found out about ghosts, and how his dad had a habit of not staying dead.
He would've found he was the Prince of the Infinite Realms.
He would've finally figured out how he had returned to life the first time.
Jason hadn't wanted to know, though, and now his family was, once again, grieving him.
The difference between his first death and this one was that he had been thrown into a pool of glowing, green water before. Lazarus water, they called it.
Better known as ectoplasm.
As his adoptive dad cried over his dead body, the ectoplasm in Jason's blood reacted differently from the first time. Oh, he already had ectoplasm in his blood (his father's first gift), but it had been so low that it had taken six months for it to bring him back, and even then, it hadn't fully healed him.
It would've eventually healed him, but it would've taken years.
However, unfortunately, a certain assassin had found him and pushed Jason into a pool of ectoplasm. Had it been corrupted? Yes. However, Jason's healing body needed ectoplasm, and fucked up ectoplasm was better than no ectoplasm.
So Jason had woken up fully healed, with a more resilient body, but full of rage...
As Bruce once again picked up his son's body and cradled it to his chest, a miracle happened for the second time...
(Death could never hold on to Danny, and it couldn't hold on to his son...His father's second gift).
Jason took in a deep breath, and his chest started moving again. It hadn't been gradual, no, one minute Jason was dead, and the next, he was screaming in pain.
Before Bruce could do anything, a bright white light filled the warehouse and in Jason's place was a glowing young man with a green hood and bat, a white kevlar suit, and a grayish-blue leather jacket.
Bruce tried to get his son (who was screaming in pain, crying), and his hand went through Jason.
Suddenly, the light came back, and Jason was on the floor.
"Dad, dad, make it stop, dad, it hurts."
Bruce got a hold of his son (Jason's chest was moving, his heart was beating, and he was ALIVE) and tried to soothe his miracle child.
"It's okay, Jay lad, you're okay. I got you."
"Dad, it hurts, why am I back? Why can't I stay dead," Jason's voice trembled over the last word. Bruce didn't have the answer to that question, but he was glad. His son was alive. Bruce could figure out later why Jason kept coming back...
"Uh, guys," Tim said, sounding scared, "What's that?"
Everyone but Jason looked as a being in a black hazmat suit, white boots, gloves, and hair and stepped out of what looked to be a portal made of Lazarus Water. The being didn't appear to look older than twenty-five.
Bruce stiffened, as did his other children; Jason was still crying in his arms.
The being put up his arms in a show of surrender.
"I, um, come in peace..." The being trailed off as he zeroed in on Jason.
Bruce tried to shield his crying son with his cape. He didn't like how this unknown entity was looking at his son.
"Jason," it breathed out softly before floating a bit closer.
A sword, escrima sticks, and a bo staff were shoved in Danny's face.
"Who are you," Nightwing asked.
The night had been long and full of emotions, and Nightwing was ready to blow. This...being looked like a good candidate to attack.
Danny once again raised his arms.
"Uh, my name's Phantom, Danny, uh, I mean, Danny Phantom at your service."
Danny rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm the Ghost King; I'm here for Jason."
See, what the Bat family had heard was, 'I'm the king of ghosts. I'm here to take Jason to the land of the dead, where he belongs.'
Danny yelped as he turned intangible. The weapons that had been pointed at him earlier were suddenly attacking him as well as a few batarangs.
"You're not taking my little brother!"
"No, wait," Danny turned partially invisible, "I'm not here to take him!."
"Liar," Robin roared as he attacked Danny with a katana.
(Seriously, who gave this small, violent child a fucking KATANA?)
Bruce got up and was ready to run with Jason when Danny yelled out in desperation, "No, wait, I'm his father!"
Everybody in the room froze. Even Jason quieted down.
"What the fuck did you just say," Nightwing asked menacingly, "Batman is his, our, father."
"No, seriously, I just found out he was my son a few minutes ago as his halfa status resonated throughout the Infinite Realms."
"The fuck is a halfa," Jason asked in a small confused voice.
"It's what you and I are. Half ghost, half human; half dead, half alive"
Jason felt something in him break, and he started laughing hysterically.
(Hey, he had just died a second time and come back to find out some glowing creature that was apparently the King of the Dead or whatever was claiming to be his father.)
"Jason, are you okay," his dad Bruce asked in a low, worried voice.
Jason couldn't blame the man. Jason was giving the Joker a run for his money with the way he was laughing.
(Ha, suck it, Joker, I stealing your schtick.)
Suddenly, Jason felt a wave of calm hit him. He stared (what was his name, Danny?) and growled at the being. Jason knew his eyes were glowing Lazarus green.
(The same color Danny's eyes were glowing.)
"Never do that. I don't like anyone fucking with my emotions," Jason hissed, voice low and dangerous.
Jason could feel Bruce's reluctance as he put Jason down.
"I know Willis isn't my sperm donor, but you're saying that you, a being from God knows where," Jason was interrupted.
"That's where I'm from, the Infinite Realm."
"Fine, whatever," Jason said, put off by being interrupted. "You come here claiming you're my bio father and that you're what, half dead, and so am I?"
Danny shrugged before nodding, "Yeah, pretty much."
Jason took out his gun and shot Danny in the chest a few times, startling everyone. The bullet wounds bled green (always Lazarus green) before quickly healing up.
Jason looked down at his body and pulled up his shirt. Huh, not a scratch on him.
"Please," Danny said, "I just want to explain."
Everyone was quiet for a few moments.
"Alright, glow stick, explain."
Jason lit up his fifth cigarette and ignored Bruce's frown.
It's not as if cancer would be able to kill him.
And wasn't that a kick in the nuts; he was immortal...and a prince? Fuck, Sheila was dead, and she was still messing up his life.
Who would've thought that Jason Peter Todd, Gotham trash, crime lord, a street rat, had some pedigree?
"Are we really not gonna talk about this," Dick asked.
Danny was in the corner of the warehouse, one leg up to his chest as he rested his cheek on it and hugged it close.
"Look, if I had known...I was young, just turned eighteen the day before, my parents had just kicked me out, I found out I was the ruler of a whole ass dimension, and I didn't know who the hell I had lost my virginity to, but if I had known..."
It shouldn't surprise Jason that Sheila Haywood took advantage of Danny, ('She didn't take advantage, it was consensual!' Danny had added without any prompting.) but it did.
"So what now," Jason asked as he lit his...what was it, eighth, ninth, cigarette.
"That's up to you, Jason," Danny answered softly, "I can help train you, you'll be going through a lot of changes, and I know how frustrating and scary these powers can be without help."
Danny took a deep breath, (that Jason suspected the man didn't need.)
"I can stay, or I can go if you want. I can train you, and if you say you want me to fuck off afterward, I will, but..."
Danny looked at Jason with sincerity in his green eyes, "I want to get to know my son."
Jason stomped out his cigarette and looked at his family.
"It's up to you Jay lad, you're leading this one."
"Yeah, little wing, whatever you want to do, we'll support you either way."
Jason turned to Danny, "Fine, but this is just. a trial run, if I say you need to leave, you leave, got it?"
Danny relaxed a bit before smiling, "You got it, dude."
Suddenly, there was a white light, and in its place stood a black-haired, blue-eyed young man that could pass for a Wayne adoptee.
"Huh," Jason said, "so that's where I get from."
Phew, that was hard but fun. I hope you guys like it. I doubt they'll be a sequel, so, yeah. First time writing a full dc x dp fic. Sorry if it's bad.