Idk man I’m just here. Coffee addict DC, BNHA,Marvel comics, Danny Phantom, and multi shipper nerd. I’m not even gonna be active much lol. I just like sharing other people’s greatness with other!✌️ No politics pls I have enough of that irl.
One of those "Danny needs a consort" fics where a bunch of people are invited to a mass speed dating event. The invitation uses prettier words but thats what this is. Now Batman wants to go get a look a this super powerful being and see if he's a threat or ally, and would you look at that, most of his children fall into the age bracket the invitation specifies 
(or maybe the batkids have just been touched by death enough they're viable candidates and got personalized invitations. Either way Bruce wants to go)
So Batman says a few of his kids will go and he's tagging along as a "chaperone". Maybe a few other JL members do the same with their proteges. The hard part for Bruce is actually getting his kids to agree to go. The biggest surprise is Jason finds out and demands to go.
Now Jason, a known lover of regency period romances, read a copy of the invitation the JL got and knew exactly what this was. There will be a ball. The word "courting" was used. This is a chance to live out his secret romance novel dreams and nothing is getting in the way of that. So he calls the batfam to say he's going
The batfam are like flabbergasted that Jason wants to go to a spooky speed dating event but it has the added bonus of getting the kids to start volunteering bc they have to know why Jason is so excited about this
I want jason to go ALL OUT on his costume to go like this os his chance to live romance novel dream and he's not going to prepare according red hood isn't active for a solid month simply because jason is painstakingly stitching proper period accurate stitching a whole ass suit
He goes hard making it and due to the wording of the letter calling him death awoken (he was fully dead for years and then revived he's more than just death touched) and referencing he was robin redhood and jason todd he adds elements of all into his suit (its not just because i want a redhood useing a cane with his helmet as the cane head shut up)
He adds robins flying on the inside of his jacket he spells out the streets and allyways that he grew up in stiches he crafts custom redhood cufflinks slowly and painstakingly stitches a suit for the ball of his childhood dreams that are finally coming to fruition
Something deep deep inside of him Something of something primal Something no longer living (something bubling and swirling with thousands of voices) compels him to prick his finger on a roses thorn and drop a tiny bit of blood on it and when he does the rose changes to the swirling green that haunts his mind and against all odds he adds it to his suit
Jason is thriving by the time the ball is due to start he has a home made spectacular suit that'd make even the lords and ladies of his books green with envy he's not even planning on trying to romance the supposed courtee he's going soly to live his dream
On the day the ball is due to start he finally emerges from his room he bangs open his door as his goons turn to stare at redhood decked out in the most spectacular stunning and jawdroping suit (quite a few males started question their feelings)
"I'm heading out clear the road of everyone " he anounced as he slowly walked forward after a beat of silence there was a rush of activitie as all the goons rushed to clear a path
As jason stepped out he took a breath of the smog filled air it smelled of home and his dreams coming true as he stepped further out he noticed his goons had done remarkable job clearing the road
As he walked forward he heard a thunderous clop of hooves and looking forward he saw a deep dark gothic style carriage waiting for him the seemed to have melted right out of thin air
Entering the carriage he saw a 'person' and he used that definition loosely because the being before him was shifting constantly the wierd this was jason knew the people the being was shifting into
"Hello Jason," it said, shifting from Bill his goons face to tomy, one of his clean business owners "who are you what are you" he asked sitting at peace in this carriage with this stranger who wore the faces of those he knew
"Hehaheha" the being laughed switching to the crabit old lady who lived atop the apartment building just inside his territory "oh dear look deep in yourself you know who i am after all I've been with you for a very long time even when you died away from me i never stoped clinging to you" the now 70 year old mr crochit said
Jason thought back back to his days as robin and before and remembered the being who was always there just out of eye sight but protected him none the less who'd stand infront if the dumster he hid behind makeing those who wer looking turn an just miss him the being who after he had suffered a particularly bad beating had numed the pain the being who pointed him towards the batmobile the 'person' who he could always see in Gotham
"You're Gotham aren't you" he said stareing at the being who's form flickerd and he had a glimpse of the true Gotham a dark jumbled mass of smog sluge and blood a being with sharp teetha and a familiar smile whose eyes shone a bright glow their pupils a dark bat their skin craked woth bloodshed and violence and cuses galore
Before it was all gone and he was just looking at himself "hmhmhm you were always my favourite you know? You were truly of me sure bruce and tim are of me too but you you are of me in a deeper way you are of the children of Gotham who swipe and steal to survive you are of the fighteres just hoping to survive you are truly of me" the second jason said
"But why are you here now?" something in him already knows but not able to speak it the being let out a sigh "i am an old city batman was not the first to try and make a difference nor will he be the last, but he was the first to succeed on both fronts on the criminal and political side and he didn't seem to be stopping no matter how hurt he got he always went back for more so i did what i must i claimed him as a knight if my territory, of course I'm not all powerful and was stretched quite thin due to all the damages over the years so i couldn't give him true superpowers but i could give him a boost stronger faster blend in better that sort of thing"
the second jason sighed before slower morphing into bruce "and then along came Richard poor boy he was trying so hard i just had to so i blessed him with knight hood after he proved himself then so on a new robin comes i test if they are truly up to snuff and bless them with knight hood and all that comes with Gotham carriage
"So when i felt the spark of myself in you as you responded to that letter, i knew you had to travel i style, so I figured I'd take you in my official Gotham carriage so you could truly live your dreams now we're here i must be off go have fun live your dreams my favourite knight Gotham said switching for a moment to their true form before letting go and switching back to human
As jason stepped out still reeling from the info dump he looked up and saw the most stunning castle he has ever seen walls of crystalline stars and spiralling towers a garden of flowers of all shapes colours and sizes
Gapping for a moment longer he composed himself and walked forward now was time to shine time to live his dream and nothing would take that away as he walked he showed the door man his invitation an was ushered in side
"NOW PRESENTING JASON TODD OF THE REDHOOD PROTECTER OF CRIME ALLY AVENGER OF THE INOCENT KNIGHT OF GOTHAM" the crier shouted
I love his introduction here. This implies he is a known entity. That brings here know about him and his work. He is not news. And he arrived dressed to impress. We will have brings trying to flirt with him. Because he's he would be a worthy consort for the King. But dammit I want him too!
Imagine his reaction to Lady Pandora. She walks up to him and asks for a dance. Jason is like yes! Hells yes!
"It is a pleasure to meet the Avenger. My people follow your work! A true Knight, Gotham must be so proud. I see they have you their mark!"
" Yeah, it was a bit of a shock to get their blessing. You follow my work? "
"Of course we do! So few understand the need to avenge those hurt! Many in the Realms died. Painfully. To see someone avenge their death is a relief! How could we not love your work! My warriors would love to meet you!"
" I would be honoured my Lady. "
"Sweet boy. Come I shall introduce you around."
And then proceeds to drag him around meeting some of the most important brings there. it that Jason knows that. But a lot of lower ranked ghosts are just like *Lost my chance sigh*.
Jason becomes very much the talk of the ball. Bruce is losing his damn mind. His baby boy has been whisked off by a high ranking spirit. Dammit this was not the plan! No, Jason come back! Wait, where did Tim and Cass go! At least Damian is stood next to me? Oh no, he found a dog. Fuck!
Pandora just showing off her new friend. Oh Ghost Writer, he likes books! Frostbite, he helps sooth the scared and hurt! Clocky! Look at this bean! Dora, he is a Knight of Gotham! I know, isn't he a sweetheart!
The entire lot of them scheming to trip him Into Danny. Look, he would be the best choice for their young King. If they have to push the boys into ridiculous situations to manage so be it!
When Danny first sees him, he’s enamoured. It’s simple really; a handsome man in a suit made to resemble a lost skin, a man who chose to wear his deathday clothes in pride.
Danny was jealous, he’d hated the hazmat suit he’d died in, but this man? He wore something so close to his death with such pride, joyful in the green-gold of the ball. Ghost Writer seemed to be having the time of his life talking to him.
Ember, prettied up in her own style, slides up next to him, eyes following his gaze, “So, babypop, found someone you like already?” She teases. Of course she does. Despite her elaborate technic-punk ballgown, she was still Ember in this stupid little consort-seeking ball to precede the coronation ceremony Danny was stuck in. Half of the party-goers weren’t even there to be consorts, how in the hell was he meant to find someone?
A man in a blue suit with a simple but subtly glamourous look is talking with the Man, he’s got his arm around him and had dragged him away from a conversation he’d clearly been enjoying. If he anything, he looked more delighted that this new guy had popped up, seemingly rambling about something. He wasn’t the right angle to see Blue Guy’s face but he was probably laughing with him about something or other. They seemed to know each other, and then both had similar Domino masks on.
Ember had slid off of him, and he could feel Jazz’s judgement of him from one of the balconies, but damn it, he’d at least found someone. Even if he might be taken. Fuck it all, he was gonna talk to him.
Danny stepped down, uncomfortable in the dark boots styled like riding boots and the thickness of the velvet coat cut to smother his features into a silhouette and allow the white accessories and accents to stand out like stars in a void. A few ghosts saw this as an opportunity to talk to him, judging by the way some of them honed in on his movement, but Danny just sped up.
Pandora had spotted the man and seemed to be dragging him (and a younger dark skinned boy who was holding Cujo and also Domino masked?) towards CW, which was great, he’d have an excuse to get an introduction.
“Clockwork! Pandora! Who’s this? You two don’t talk much to strangers at these functions, I know that much,” Danny spoke, who wasn’t even lying. He laughed a bit, exhilirated with the adrenaline of managing to get to the group in time.
“Oh Danny, meet the Red Hood, and Robin, of Gotham City,” Pandora introduces, “Red Hood, Robin, meet Danny.”
“Hello,” Danny breathes out, “I’m Da- Daniel, I- uh, call me Danny. It’s nice to meet you two.”
‘Robin’ only gives out a small grunt of acknowledgement and isn’t making eye contact with Danny. He’s watching ‘Red Hood’, so Danny turns to the man in question.
He’s… looking at him, and Danny feels as though what he’s wearing is suddenly inadequate, but he isn’t left hanging.
“Hey, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The taller man looks awkward, “Are you… human?”
Oh. That’s an odd question, almost everyone invited was ghostly, been in contact with ghosts, or- well, Danny was in his human form because Clockwork and Pandora and Frostbite had helped his design and form a Ghost King outfit for his coronation at the end of the ball, so he supposed the few humans at the ball wouldn’t know him.
“Yeah.” He answers, like a liar. He can feel Pandora’s judgement on him, but Clockwork doesn’t out Danny so she concedes to now-old-man’s choice. Danny’s gonna crash and burn but so be it.
A very very quick doodle for this thing haha o7 the proportions are all fucked and i know it’s not period accurate or anything but fuck if i care
Stop giving my fucking plunnies ideas (don't stop, kthanks)
[Imseet Catchy Name Here]
Danny tugged again at the bowtie his father, Jack, forced him into for what felt like the millionth time that night. The "Party" was in full swing, and the expansive dance floor of his Keeps ballroom was full of well-dressed ecto-entities, liminal beings, death-adjacent, death-touched, and deathborns.
Danny was looking for love (true), and he was offering his hand in marriage to the one who could catch his eye (not right away, damnit. He had to get to know them first!). It was pedantic, stupid (in his perfectly valid opinion), and bordered on cruel since everyone would be leaving disappointed tonight.
John Constantine, Zatanna Zatara, and the champion of Magic, Shazam, were amongst the crowd somewhere, having been some of the Mortal Emissaries to hand out invitations to the myriad invitees on the other side of the Veil. He spied Constantine talking animatedly with a group of Yeti's, and guessing by the awed looks on their faces was entertaining them with a story of heroics.
Beings from all over the Infinite Realms had flocked to try their hand at garnering Danny's affections, though the man had yet to meet with anyone he felt even a modicum of interest in besides the polite etiquette that Lady Dorathea and Lady Pandora had drilled into his thick skull all those months ago.
There were chaperones for those too young to be by themselves, and even a few representatives from the Living World were intermingled on the sidelines. Most were from other realities, though a few Danny recognized from pictures he had been shown earlier.
The people of the Far Frozen adored hero stories.
His mother's hand slipped around his wrist and took hold of him in a vice-like grip. "Sit up straight, Danny. Proper posture, please." Maddie glanced over at him, her tight smile strained and the crows feet around her eyes crinkling under her forced cheer. Danny's mom was not a fan of this whole affair but knew, because of Danny's Kingly status, that she had no real say in how the Old Texts treated the possibility of marriage to the thrown.
She had lamented her sadness at losing her baby boy already (Danny made the mistake of saying, "I'm 22, mom, I'm an adult now." To his mother once. The wails and clinging he received were heard all throughout the lair for weeks afterwards.) But Danny had assuaged her worried... Kind of. He would make it a long engagement and she would have a say in most of the wedding planning.
Jazz had laughed outright after that before Maddie had cornered her and said she'd do the same for Jazz whenever she found her forever person.
Danny laughed at her right back for that one.
But now, after nearly four grueling hours of hand shaking, fake smiles, forced bravado, and tedious conversations, Danny was mentally done.
A glowing sticky note floated in front of him, and the young King snatched it from the air. He jumped up, turned to his mother, handed her the note, and booked it out of the main ballroom and into the winding gardens that connected to the right side of the ballroom before she could stop him.
The soft purples, pinks, and yellows of the flora, the gentle orchestral music, the faintly glimmering fairy lights that lined the cobblestone walkways eased the tension from Danny's shoulders as he shifted from his Ghoat King form to his human form. But, even Human Danny couldn't get out of wearing some type of monkey suit.
His dad had insisted.
It was a standard black suit, tailor fitted to his body ("Thanks, Vladdie! You didn't have to!"), with a soft blue button-down, long sleeve shirt that "brought out his eyes," as mom said. He had a blue pocket square, shiny black shoes with red bottoms, and his Hero emblem as gleaming cufflinks. He felt pretty fancy, but still, he felt like scratching his own skin off because of all this hullabaloo.
"Fuckin' shit, I'm so tired." He grumbled while pulling his jacket off and draping it over his left forearm, insistently tugging at his bowtie until he huffed out angrily and phased it through his neck. Feeling somewhat childish, Danny chucked the offending choker ahead of him, only to squawk in surprise when an immaculately dressed tank of a man turned the corner, right into the ties flying trajectory.
Said man's soft, "Oh!" And quick hands made sure the stupid tie didn't hit him square in the face.
Danny felt his cheeks turn red before sheepishly walking towards the taller man. "Sorry, man. Didn't know anyone was gonna be out here." He apologized, ears burning as his embarrassment grew.
The man's striking blue-green eyes glanced at him, doing a quick once-over, before a blindingly bright smile spread across his (kissable) mouth. "Not a problem, sir. I take it this isn't your type of party?" He walked over to Danny, and the halfa mentally cursed, once again, that Jazz got Dad's tall genes, and Danny got Mom's lithe, short-stack genes.
The guy was almost a head and shoulders taller than Danny, with broad shoulders, a tapered waist, long legs, and big hands. He looked like he could wrestle with his dad and could maybe, maybe, win.
"Ugh, no. My mom 'n dad kept bugging me to go and then my peepaw was all, 'If you don't then the Realms will fall to ruin,' and my sister kept being a brat about it and..." Here, Danny waved his hand to summon a garden bench, big enough that if Tall, Tan, and Handsome wanted, he would have room to lounge. The ravenette flopped down and flicked open the top button of his shirt.
"I'm sorry you feel that way." The other man said, plopping down unceremoniously next to Danny, even going as far as looping his arm around the bedrest to relax further. Danny felt his blush spread down his neck because no one had any right to look that fucking sexy without even trying, and the halfa would know, he could generally get the surface emotions of everyone around him if he focused.
And this guy? This guy was practically on cloud nine right now. He was so in his element, Danny could taste it.
It was nice, though, to bask in so much happiness and giddy vibes. He could feel his own trepidation at the entire event smooth out. If someone like this guy, who looked like he would (and probably could) sword fight for his honor, felt this comfortable, maybe Danny could to.
Turns out, the dude, Jason, was a hero in his home dimension but was also a major book nerd. He even confessed that he came here to live out his romance novel fantasies. "Look, if Jane Austen taught me anything, it's you gotta do what you enjoy. And this? All this shit? Fucking slaps in my opinion." He said, even going as far as to quote some of the stories he's read.
Danny didn't know them, but was impressed that such a masculine guy could have such a soft and sweet side. It was... Endearing. Sweet.
Danny talked about his own story a little, letting Jaspn know that he was a retired hero, how he died at 14 ("Wow, small world! I was killed at 15 being stupid, too. Obviously it didn't stick, but... You do what you can with the life you're given."), that his parents were ghost hunters turned ghost anthropologists.
What was supposed to be a quick five minute walk turned into an hour of connecting with a sweet man with a heart of gold and a laugh and smile that sent Danny's heart racing.
So, when Dorathea came to collect him, saying he needed to get back to selecting his Consort, Danny waved bye to his new friend (crush) and transformed into King Phantom as he floated by his ghostly friend.
👻❤️💚 Jason POV 💚❤️👻
'I'm gonna tap that.' Jason thought as Danny cackled loudly at his latest 'heroic tale'. With their magical meeting to the way the two just clicked, Jason felt like he was literally living his fairytale fantasy.
Almost get hit with something the other protagonist threw? ✔️
Size difference? ✔️
Feel his heart race when the other smiles? ✔️
Like the way they laugh? And that they laugh at his jokes? ✔️
Enjoy the way the lights danced across their adorably freckled face, how they made Danny's eyes bright and adding a soft glimmer to them? ✔️
Everything on his mental bucket list was being checked one after another. But, as it was, the universe came to ruin his fun.
As Jason watched the glowing ghostly blonde woman who looked to be straight out of a medieval TV show float towards them, a sinking feeling entered his stomach. The guy across from him, Danny, was so funny, smart, and sassy.
Jason didn't want to end the night.
"Danny, darling, it's time to return. Lord Clockwork says you have had a long enough break. Your... choices... are getting restless." She said, voice soft and sweet.
Danny groaned, letting his head fall backwards onto the backrest of the wrought-iron garden bench. "Do I gotta, Dora? It's so fucking boring." He whined and Jason nudged his knee with his own.
When Danny turned turned his head to lock eyes with Jason, Jason couldn't stop his devilish smile from forming or the way he winked playfully at him. "Don't worry, Cinderella, I'll find your shoe later tonight."
"Get the fuck outta here, bookworm." Danny laughed, raising his hand to shove, gently, at Jason's shoulder. "I'm not Cinderella, that's you."
The ghosts smile was teasing, "Now, now, my King, acting like a child is unbecoming of someone of your status." Her red eyes glimmered as she extended her hand for Danny to take. "You may speak to your friend afterwards. I will send a guardsmen to keep him company, if you wish?"
'King?' The sinking feeling turned into a gaping hole as embarrassment speared through Jason. He kept his smile as cordial and light as he reanalyzed everything Danny had talked to him about. How he lamented being here, how he thought it was so stupid to pick a partner like this, how he thought the King should be able to just date without the whole rigmarole of the ball and courting and the stuffy suits.
Before he could voice anything to Danny, Jason watched as a ring of bright white light circled his waist and in place of the sweet, snarky man Jason had been talking with for the past hour stood High King Phantom, Savior of the Infinite Realms, Defeater of the Mad King and Guardian to All.
Danny turned and waved happily to Jason before looping his arm with the female ghost, letting her lead him back to the ballroom.
Jason exhaled sharply before he tilted his head backwards, letting his eyes trace the glowing green skies above him. He couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up from his mouth at how storybook perfect this whole night had been. Maybe he could sneak into Danny's room later that night and take him on a magic carpet rife?
He sat forward suddenly, steepling his fingers together while he rested his elbows on his knees. The turn of events were picture perfect for so many storybook Happily Ever Afters.
👻END👻
Now, which one to choose?
OK, this took hold of me. I don't know what else to add and I def started to run outta steam at the end, but... Enjoy? Maybe? Eh.
I might be weird for thinking about this, but it won’t leave my mind, so here I am.
One of the “Jack and Maddie realizing Phantom isn’t dangerous but still don’t know he’s their son” scenarios in my mind is when after a fight, Phantom was left pretty exhausted and weak, and since he’s helped them out a lot even when they were attacking him, Jack and Maddie decided they’d help. At first, the ghost kid freaked out and tried to get away from them, but he couldn’t. Jack was the one to pick him up and noticed how surprisingly flesh-like Phantom was.
He started poking around and Phantom suddenly stopped trying to escape and covered his mouth. His shoulders began shaking a little and he began trying to push away the hand poking and gently pinching himself sides. After a moment of confusion, Jack gasped and shouted to Maddie to come check out his new discovery: Ghosts can be ticklish.
And in Phantom’s case, unfortunately, very ticklish. He proceeded to scribble around his sides, belly, and ribcage as they walked to the ghost van. Poor Phantom was laughing and kicking around the whole time, pleading with Jack to stop, and was truly exhausted by the time Jack stopped and set him down on one of the seats.
fed up with Bruce tracking them/invading their privacy in the name of safety, i like to think the batkids pull an uno reverse and microchip Bruce while he’s passed out after a bad patrol injury. they start tracking his phone activity and texting him about wherever he is. bringing up things they know he’s searched for one his phone/people he’s been talking to, showing up at wherever he is during the day and interrupting him just to prove they always know where he is; just overall trying to annoy him the best they can.
issue is, Bruce is just so happy to see and talk to his kids at any point that he doesn’t even notice the breach of privacy, and the kids just end up feeling really awkward about how happy their dad is to see them.
Jason will bring up something in conversation with Bruce that was only privately relayed through texts between Bruce and a colleague, smirking because he knows Bruce is gonna be really paranoid about who’s watching his texts, except Bruce just smiles and happily chats with him for thirty minutes and he’s in a good mood all day because Jason willingly had a casual conversation with him, and when the JL ask why Batman’s in such a good mood at a meeting later that day Jason just goes bright red and doesn’t know what to say because he didn’t realise how much Bruce genuinely craves just catching up with him every now and then.
Dick will stalk him for weeks and wait until Bruce has a really tough busy day at work, specifically so he can wait for the evening where Bruce finally has a single moment to himself in a bar somewhere to relax, and then he busts in loudly sitting down next to Bruce and talking non-stop while ordering a drink, thinking that Bruce is going to be mad because this was his one peaceful moment and Dick ruined it by constantly tracking him. but instead the second Bruce realises Dick’s there all his exhaustion disappears. he gets a really wide genuinely pleased look on his face and happily offers to buy Dick a drink because ‘it’s so rare that they get to hang out!’ and Dick is left floundering because he was trying to be an asshole but now he just feels bad that he doesn’t spend time with Bruce outside of patrol business.
Tim keeps watching him through security cameras and updating him through text on his location in an attempt to make him tired of the constant supervision, but every time he texts Bruce like ‘you just walked into starbucks for the second time today.’ Bruce will just openly smile at his phone and respond like ‘would you like me to get you a drink? i can drop it off at your office if you’d like :)’ and Tim has to give up almost immediately.
essentially i like the idea of the batkids trying to annoy Bruce with themselves, forgetting that Bruce is just a dad who really loves his kids and can’t ever be annoyed by them.
finding a new doctor. applying for jobs. searching for apartments. messaging used car dealers. getting your health insurance to do their job. getting a pharmacy to do their job. getting the dmv to accept the documents they told you to bring. just listing things they probably make you do in hell
It was a simple mission. Damian was working with Father to confirm the existence of a Lazarus Pit below Gotham, as Ra's Al Ghul speculated. And they had found it, deep in the caves below Gotham. A Pit the size of an Olympic sized swimming pool, bubbling and steaming. He'd only looked away for a moment.
"Kin-slayer."
Standing waist deep in the water stood Damian's reflection. The hair might be white, and the eyes glowing with the waters, but it was his face. But not his face alone.
Danyal's ghost glared at him. "Get in the water."
Father threw a batarang at him, but the metal flew straight through his head like it was air. Danyal didn't even glance at him, his eyes fixed on Damian. "Get in the water," he ordered again. He stepped closer to the shore and the green water sloshed up the bank higher than it was before. "Or I'll raise the tide so high, all of Gotham will die. So get in the water."
Damian's heart jumped into throat. "Wait-"
"Get in the water."
Father shoved Damian behind him, as if it would protect him, as if he could stop Danyal. "Stop this, please-" If he could just explain-
Another step and the waters surged forward, nearly touching Father's boots. "I'll make whirlpools so profound, your entire family will drown," he promised.
"NO!" Not his brother, his kind brother-
"THEN GET IN THE WATER!" Danyal snarled, revealing monstrously sharp teeth and a black tongue from Damian's poison. "G̴̩͍͆͆̈́e̵̹̣͆t̷̬̋ ̸̻̮̎̒ĭ̸̟̰͙̏̃n̵͙̝̟̋͐ ̸̛̳̃t̶̪̣̅ḣ̸̳̇͜è̵̠̲͖̔̑ ̶̢̹̖͗͐̀w̵̜͍̤̌a̵̬̞͝ṫ̴̩̣̣e̶͉̲̯͂̏̎r̴̉͜!̷̡͔́̀̽" He lunged and Father pushed them back down the passage they'd come. "Don't mistake this for a bluff, brother. You've lived more than enough. Just get in the water." Damian swallowed, throat dry. Was this Danyal's revenge? Did he finally have to face what he had done?
"Robin, who is this?" Father snapped, trying to keep retreating down the cave. But Damian wouldn't let him; the waters, and Danyal with them, would only follow.
Danyal looked between them, scowling. "G̴̩͍͆͆̈́e̵̹̣͆t̷̬̋ ̸̻̮̎̒ĭ̸̟̰͙̏̃n̵͙̝̟̋͐ ̸̛̳̃t̶̪̣̅ḣ̸̳̇͜è̵̠̲͖̔̑ ̶̢̹̖͗͐̀w̵̜͍̤̌a̵̬̞͝ṫ̴̩̣̣e̶͉̲̯͂̏̎r̴̉͜!̷̡͔́̀̽" he snapped again. "I'll take your father and gouge out his eyes, unless you want to stop being a coward and choose to die. Now... get in the water."
@victoria-has-no-secret it would be the most traumatizing 15 minutes of his life knowing that danny will drag it on long enough for maximum terror. When he gets there, Danny would be all 'professional-like' and devoid of the resentment that Damian, in his panic, thought this was a different ghost but wore his brother's face for some reason. It doesn't help that Danny assumed a more 'human' form than the mangled more ghostly form back at the pit waters. The whiplash of attitudes, denial, and the adrenaline would convince him that Paperwork! Danny is different from Siren-would-drown-gotham-if-damian-doesnt-kill-himself! Danny
Meanwhile batfam are Panicking. Some weird Pit demon just dragged their baby bat into its waters and hasnt come back to the surface! (Time is a bit weird between the infinite realms and dc-verse) Bruce could feel the immense resentment that was honed in on Damian. The pit demon ignored him with single minded focus to get at Damian. He tried to push his son behind him, telling him to fall back but Damian is just... frozen there. A complicated look on his face before settling on horror and reluctant guilt. Bruce doesn't know what to think about that. The being screeched at Damian again to get in the water. It was making him choose to kill himself and Bruce is not having any of that. He was horrified to see Damian, as if hypnotized, grimly enthralled, slowly steps forward to it despite Bruce's protests. Teeth grit in terror and guilt and frustrations as if his body was being controlled and Damian couldn't fight it. He sees the glowing green waters slowly surging forward worryingly close as if waiting to snatch up his son. Bruce snapped out of it and dropped whatever he was holding and tried to physically drag his son out of there but- but he couldn't?
Damian's breathe hitched and Bruce looked down to see a sickly pale clawed hands holding onto Damian's lower. The rotting mangled flesh of its face that looks so eeriely familliar. That is his son's face. Damian's face. The demon called his son 'kinslayer'. Who is this?
In that split second look down, the demon opened its mouth, showing a dark rotten tongue and screeched,
It made Bruce's ears ring despite all the protections his suit had to things like it and unconsiously loosened his grip on Damian. A mistake. The demon quickly tugged him away from his arms and dragged him bodily through the dirt to the glowing waters. Damian tried to claw his way from it but ends up in the shallow pools shouting and gargling from the waters from each tug that unbalance him and forces his head to fall to the waters, slowly dragging him deeper. Bruce, quick on his feet, tried to chase. Tried to dive in but as he stepped on the shallow waters, his feet slowly sink on the ground. Tripping and slowing him down, not helping his panic and the jackhammering of his heart as his watched his son slowly disappear under the pits.
As his family panics, Damian is suffering paperwork with shaking hands and heavy guilty heart as this being that wore his dead brother's face is smilling at him as he explains each part that he needs to fill up. He wary, worried he'll see his actual dead brother at the corner if his eye.
One is a demon. A Reaper. A bloody and vengeful Siren. The other a mocking bureaucrat. Neither a child. Neither who his brother WAS. The dead do not change, do they?
So why...
Who.....
Who EXACTLY has his brothers soul? He has never wondered. Never considered. But... but surely he was at rest, right? Yet he can not fool himself. These mockery are too well done. Do they have him?
Does Danyal suffer in the clutches of these demons? Lost amongst the restless dead? Because... because he was unavenged? Because of Damian?
It hurts to breathe. His hands shake.
Is... is the only way to SAVE his brother to avenge him? When he was the one who... Must he kill... himself, then? Would that bring Danyal's soul peace?
Or is it a trick? Played by demons? Preying upon the sins he can not forgive himself for? The mistakes of his past?
The Bats? Gonna be IN IT for a looooong while. So much arcana research and magician bothering. Long nights, climbing very, VERY tall mountains to go bother old monks. Leave the monks alone guys, they are busy doing monk business.
All? While Danny is like "well'p! That was fun! Sure spooked him! Glad I got that outta my system!" *promptly forgets about it*
Red Robin and Nightwing had arrived in time to see Bruce screaming for Damian, futilely searching the shallows where he'd last seen Damian's head go under. The bubbling acidic liquid was already eating into Bruce's suit.
Direct exposure to the Pit would kill the healthy and risk temporary Pit Rage for those it heals. Tim had to drag Bruce back out. Then he had to catch and drag Nightwing away to keep him from diving in after Damian.
Once he was sure they wouldn't kill themselves trying to dive in, he jury-rigged a grapple to try to dredge the pool. If there was even a chance... The Pit might revive him if it killed him. He'd dredge the whole pool if he had to. He wasn't giving up on his gremlin brother.
Dick and Bruce joined in with their own jury-rigged grapples as soon as they could.
Time passed differently in the Realms than in the living world. Hours of paperwork was barely fifteen frantic minutes under Gotham.
When Damian finally finished with the paperwork, the Paperwork Demon shoved him out of the room and between one blink and the next, the Pit Demon was back in front of him. His dead brother's face in a rictus viciously mocking grin.
"Time's up," the demon(?) with his brother's death-pale, sunken face mocked as his clawed hand gripped Damian by the collar, yanking him into the air.
Damian scrabbled at his hand, reflexively trying to escape. "Wait! Ple-please," he choked out. "My-my brother-"
The grin twisted into a scowl. "You lost the right to call me your brother when you murdered me, kinslayer." He hissed, sharp teeth snapping at him.
"Let- my bro- Danya-" Damian choked again as the grip tightened and shook him.
"SILENCE! You're not worthy. You never deserved me."
Damian wheezed, trying desperately to ask if this demon truly spoke for Danyal. Was Danyal here? The true Danyal? His brother's kind, gentle soul - too gentle for the League of Assassins and grandfather. The paperwork and Pit demons wore his face and knew too much of him, but they weren't truly his brother, right? Right?
"Dan-"
But the Demon's face twisted and suddenly Damian was launched backwards and through a standing wall-portal(?), and green covered his vision. He thrashed in the thick liquid, instinctively struggling to surface. He had no idea which way was up or out of the liquid.
Just as he started fearing he would drown, something touched his back. He twisted, grabbing at anything solid, and his hands brushed and then grabbed onto a familiar sort of cable. A grappling line.
He pulled at it, desperately hoping, and abruptly was being yanked forward, up and out. The green parted and he gasped in air. Voices shouting but he couldn't parse what they were saying. He was pulled across the pool, hanging onto the line with a death grip. Stone scraped his knee pads and he tried to push himself up and out. But then there were familiar hands gripping him, lifting him out of the Pit and onto dry land.
Damian coughed, breathing roughly as Bruce folded his youngest into his arms and held him close. Dick was right there clinging and fussing over Damian. Tim was right beside them, easing his grapple line out of Damian's grip. Damian switched his grip to the edge of his father's cape.
-------
Danny huffed and then slowly inhaled and exhaled, letting his features morph back to normal. He let go of the spike of old anger and current annoyance. Then grinned. Damian had deserved that prank. It had felt vindicating to watch him sweat and flail out of his depth, nothing like the proud, superior princeling of the League.
But he had a lot of other names to go through.
Danny pushed aside the old memories. He'd never been wanted by his birth family, never been good enough for them to actually care. He'd moved on with his life. He had found a new family that wanted him.
Damian had deserved a good scare after all he'd done.
This fandom goes dark sometimes, but this is brutal. Not that I don't adore a different take than just "Danny forgives Damian immediately because it was Ra's' fault for raising him that way despite that in any Demon Twin AU Danny would be raised the exact same way and came out fine more or less."
Damian can't sleep anymore, every time he so much as blinks he sees the funhouse mirror version of his brother waiting, always ready for him.
Him explaining to his beloved family exactly who Danyal was, and why he would be so furious with Damian was a really bad conversation for everyone. Trying to explain how he hadn't brought it up because he didn't think he had done anything wrong for the first several months, and then continuing to say nothing because he was too guilty, did not help the situation.
Constantine reassures Damian (under the strictest of oaths to keep his trap shut) that "Danyal" was probably a Guilt Demon - never alive, couldn't be his brother at all - just reading his mind and picking the most painful form to paralyse him. Damian protests but John reminds him that it did actually work, Damian ultimately fought off his own father and entered the water of his own free will following the demon. Constantine puts himself on the case of exactly why a demon lord was so desperate to temporarily drag Damian to hell.
Damian still isn't sleeping. Bruce benches him and is more scared than ever when it barely gets a reaction.
The name 'Constantine' begins with a 'C'. After Danny purposefully chose Damian as his first victim, he goes alphabetically for the rest. And returning from the dead isn't as common as you'd think - the Justice League are just outliers. So it doesn't take too long for Constantine's reckoning.
He's missing for a week.
Constantine shows up on Wayne manor's doorstep with terrible news. The being wasn't a demon - a being who had never been anything else. It was Damian's brother. Or it had been, once.
"You grew up around water. " Constantine started his explanation on what had happened to Danyal. From all of Damians accounts he was a kind and gentle soul. One who broke down after being forced to make his forst kill. One who chose to train stealth and quick kills rather than interrogation. One who hadn't made it to double digits. "You grew up around death waters. That has an effect. You had been seperated long enough that it's hold on you is fading but him? He was most likely drawn to the water spirits after death by its essence. They are not kind and being under their care may have changed him. This is all conjecture but he may have been made into a retreiver. They take those who have evaded death to be dealt with. Damian died and came back and it was coincidence his brother was assigned to grab him. However emotions are magnified after death and the most prominent emotion becomes a significent part of them. If what you say is true than he formed in the afterlives believing you murded him and that fear and dislike could have become hate and embedded itself into his spirit. He was given the chance to punish his murderer. He took it. Your brother is suffering, it would take a lot of work to help and even then it would only be if he felt the issue resolved he could release the emotions." The bats were horrified at the fate of a child but they were determined to help him.
In another part of the country Danny, released of his grudge towards his brother, grabbed another soul to bring to the paperwork room and felt like something significant had happened which would bit him in the ass.
Being a ghost is Different, and as much as he's alive he is dead. What if, if they see the one responsible for their death, true or perceived fault, they Need revenge. From a petty prank to long time haunting to a fatal "accident" befalling them. It's instinct. When Sam set up Danny's accident for the second time, it was murder, Danny found out after the fact and he did get revenge. I don't know how but he did. And as soon as he saw Damian's name on that list he Had To. But he chose not to hurt him, physically/ worse. To a ghost I imagine this was fairly tame considering all after the water scene was just Danny's emotional reaction. It was the first part that was the revenge, the change of looks and empty threats (not that Damian knew that)
Random villain: *successfully disarmed both Nightwing and Robin (Tim Drake) leaving both their weapons on the ground*
Robin and Nightwing: *quickly pick back up the weapons closest to each of them, but Tim ends up with Nightwings escrima sticks and Dick is left holding Robins bo staff*
Villain: Ha! You may be good, good enough to rearm yourself in a matter of seconds even, but you idiots rely to heavily on one weapon. Your at a disadvantage without them, and now I have the upper hand!
Nightwing: *wordlessly snaps the bo staff into two sticks with the click of a button*
Villain: Uh...
Robin: *grinning, twists the escrima sticks together to form a bo staff*
New idea : time travel/magic where the Batkids actually see important events that shaped Bruce, feat. Alfred, and realise that Bruce is a cycle breaker who tries his best. - @superblyscentedflower
The spell seemed harmless enough, the batkids had returned in less then an hour. Bruce had panicked of course, he had began his search for them already (not that he would admit that), but they were unharmed.
Yet the kids seemed.. off.
They looked at Bruce like he was something to be pitied, like he was fragile.
"What's happened? Are you hurt?"
"I- No, no injuries."
"Good, good.." Bruce wondered if asking 'what happened' another time would be 'crossing another boundary', he decided he didn't want to risk it. If they wanted to tell him, they would come to him.. Probably.
"Let's go home, Alfred is just as worried as I am."
The kids stiffened, which would've gone unnoticed, but not by the world's greatest detective, not by batman, not by their dad.
The car ride was quiet and a bit tense, with looks being shared between the kids and then towards Bruce. Bruce has absolutely zero clue what happened for any of this to make sense but decides against prying.
They would come to him, they should come to him. But he can't help giving worried glances in the mirror, what has happened?
The kids stood up —after the dizzyness had faded and their vision had returned to normal— to check in on eachother and their surroundings.
They were at the manor, but something was off. It seemed too cold, too distant, too silent. Like no one had lived there in a long while and the only thing that suggested otherwise was the fact that everything was clean.
Not a spec of dust to be seen. Not a sound to be heard.
"Where... Are we?"
No one had an answer, it was the manor but.. it also wasn't.
"Shh, I hear something"
Scratching. And without communicating any more, the 7 of them moved in perfect unison. In perfect order, like a milatairy force if you will.
While they made their way towards the noise they could hear another, faint crying. Although they didn't really hear the crying itself, they heard the faint gasping for air.
The cries of a child who wasn't allowed to be heard. And maybe that hit some of them harder then the rest.
When the kids came close enough to identify where the noise came from —a cubboard— the noises stopped. Replaced by a hoarse voice,
"Alfred..?"
The kids weren't even near the door yet, how did this kid-
"I promise I won't run along the corrdors again, just let me out Alfred."
And while the safest choice was probably to back away slowely, Tim couldn't let this slide. So he made his way to the door, stopping in front & putting a hand on the expansive wood.
"We're not Alfred, little guy."
Tim could practicly hear the gears turning in the kid's head.
"Who are you?" The voice was not trembling anymore, but it was hoarse. Like he'd been screaming... Oh. Oh..
"We're just friends who want to help you," he wispered against the door, while his hand was testing the lock. "I'm going to open the door, okay? Get yourself out of the door's way."
He'd felt the door oppened inwards, and the lock was fairly easy to open, harder then the average lock, but he was done in under a minute.
The door opened and Tim stared at a little boy, no older then 10. He stepped back when he saw the icy blue eyes examining him.
He'd seen those before, they were in every portait in the manor.
"What are you doing with that boy?" A stern voice echoed down the hall and the boy flinched. Actually flinched.
Tim turned his head towards the new voice, the man was Alfred, but much younger and with eyes that looked 10x as old as their Alfred.
He oppened his mouth to form a response but before he could do so the blinding light returned and for a second they felt weightless.
When they felt solid ground under their feet again they nearly tumbled over.
"What the fuck was that about Red?" Jason asked, suprisingly calm for how he was feeling. He'd seen the expression on Tim's face when opening the door and he wasn't quite happy with what that implied.
"That.. I.. That was Bruce.." Tim mumbled, a feeling of familairity creeping its way into his chest. The kid'd had bloodied nails and red eyes from crying, that was nothing he expected Bruce to go through.
Jason was about to ask what he was on about when a child sneaked around the corner.
Oh. That was Bruce.
He looked around the same age as before, although he had a much different vibe about him. Where he'd looked scared and sad earlier, he now looked like he had accepted the situation and tried his best.
Jason expected the kid to see them and freeze, but he didn't. In fact the mini-Bruce didn't even seem to notice them.
The kid looked around to see if no one was watching and then hid some kind of snack or candybar inside a vase. And that's when Jason froze, because he remembered Bruce, his Bruce, letting him leave his hoarded food in places all around the manor.
Why did Bruce have to do that? He was a billionair, why was he hiding away food?
The kid turned towards them and ran. Not the other way, but towards them & before anybody could fully get out of his way he passed trough. Like a ghost Bruce ran trough them & down the hall, towards the stairs.
"..."
"What in the.."
Without another word they all followed the smaller version of their father. They watch as he hides a few more foods in various places around the manor, checking for somebody watching everytime.
Every single time Bruce revealed an hiding spot it was like Jason got punched in the stomach, most of those he'd used himself. They weren't original.
Someone used them for the exact same reason years before.
Once evening hit they waited for Alfred to call for dinner like he'd always had. But it never came.
They had seen Alfred walking around doing various chores, but not a sign that he was taking care of Bruce in any way.
The sun set. Nothing.
It neared midnight. Nothing.
1 in the morning. Nothing.
At 3 there was a change, Bruce came downstaires and grabbed something from behind a book.
The light returned and dissapeared, a lot quiker then last time. They also didn't feel as weightless or disorentated anymore. It was improving.. Whatever 'it' may be.
This time they didn't even get the chance to ask questions, there was yelling just on the other side of the wall.
"You do not get to fool around like this, young man!"
"This is my house, is it not!?"
"Master Bruce, you ruined the furniture with the stunt you just pulled, go outside and do not come back before you've calmed down!"
"Fine, I will! But not because you told me too"
The next thing the kids knew the door slammed shut.
And then the door locked.
"Wait, Alfred, what are you doing?"
"Outside is all the room for you to fool around in, I will let you in ones you've learned your lesson."
"Alfred, it's raining and it's already dark-"
But the older man was gone, the key hanging in front of the window. Teasing. Threatening.
Dick walked up to the door, placing a careful hand on the old wood at around the height Bruce's hand was aswell. But he passed through.
His hand passed through in the same way Bruce had done earlier. Like a ghost.
So he stepped through, sub-conciously still preparing for a thud but it didn't happen, instead he was standing behind the small version of his dad.
Bruce looked older, older then last time anyway.
It was cold, really cold. Too cold for Bruce to be outside without a hoodie. Not in the Gotham winter.
To Dick it feels like he's under-reacting to the fact that Alfred, their loving butler, just locked a child outside in the Gotham-winter-night. But there've been a lot of discoveries about Alfred and Bruce's childhood, could you even call it that? in the past.. it felt like days.
Bruce took a step back, not a single ounce of anger or sadness on his face. Just.. Acceptance.
'He accepted it? He accepted the fact that he might freeze here? Or starve? This boy looks like he hasn't aten in days!?'
And Bruce just sits down under the nearest tree. Cold, wet & hungry. Dick sat down next to him, arms around the little boy like Bruce, their Bruce, had done countless times to him. To them.
His siblings neared them, sat with them, trying to give the littlest bit of warmth to Bruce. The rain slowely turned into snow as they sat with him, not touching but hopefully close enough for the boy to feel the slightest bit loved.
12 hours. 47 minutes. 23 seconds.
In the snow, underneath a tree. Not a word spoken, just the quiet humming of a boy. A boy much too young.
And then the light returned, a bit sloppier this time.
They returned to the manor, the warmth welcomed with open arms.
At this point they knew the drill, although they really wished it'd be over soon. It's been about 24 hours, and the kids really can't stand how familiar the boy's face is.
"Master Bruce, don't you think you're being childish?"
No response, that's new.. Odd.
"Very well, suit yourself then."
Cassandra checked if they could touch stuff again, she could. Good, the last 12 hours where horrible.
And then they all saw Bruce, much older at this point but still young. Sitting at the end of a dinner table, no food, no people, just plates & cutlery.
And the silence Alfred left him with.
Speaking of Alfred, it didn't look like he could see them as he'd just walked past them without batting an eye.
They weren't sure if the residents could hear them and therefor stayed silent, comunication consisting of looks & nods.
They moved again, but as soon as they stepped in eyes view of Bruce the boy looked up, eyes wide, still silent, hand grabbing the first thing he could throw; a knife.
They all ducked, years of training seen in a fraction of a second.
But this kid hadn't gone to training yet, Bruce was way too young to have gone already. But the knife penetrated the wall behind them, moving a bit from the sudden stop & then staying there, halfway in the wall.
Bruce opened his mouth but there were no words, just the quiet breathing and his stance that indicated that he did not trust them.
"We're safe, we won't hurt you."
He seemed to relax a tiny bit, still on edge but not about to throw a fork anymore. Cass started making her way to his side, slowely, trying not to scare him or make any sudden movements. Kind off how you would aproach a scared cat.
"What's happened?"
No response,not verbal atleast, but the way his body tensed tells her enough. She slides over a notebook and a pen, which she carried with her in case she went non-verbal. Maybe in the back of her mind she also kept it in case someone else needed it.
"How can we help you?"
The boy's pale hand reaches for the papers carefully, checking for any chamge of mind before scribling down 'Just stay, please'.
She nods before passing the note down to Jason who eyes it suspiciously.
They could wait, it's not like they had much of a choice anyway. Whatever spell that had been, it's been quite clear what the point was.
The note made it full circle and landed back with Bruce who's blue eyes had followed the strangers with a suspicion that could rival Jason's.
"Would you like to tell us what happened?" Dick asked, pointing at Bruce but nothing in particulair.
The younger Bruce eyes them suspiciously before writing down a single word.
'Bullying'
"Almost forgot that'd happened.." Duke whispers somewhere at the end of the circle they'd created.
But before anyone could start comforting Bruce the blinding white light returned, for much longer and completely fucking up their balance.
As they returned to reality they all stumbled fir a bit, their balance gone to shit & the light had been much brighter this time.
They checked their surroundings and came to the conclusion that Bruce was no where to be seen and took the oppertunity to make conversation.
"Right. So, what the fuck's going on?" Jason exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.
"This-" Duke huffed "This is Alfred?"
No one had an answer on either of those questions. It's not like they really wanted an answer, not really.
"You really haven't changed, have you, master Bruce?" Alfred's voice cut through the air like a bullet.
"Alfred please, I don't think I can handle this right now." That was 100% Bruce, he sounds much older & much more tired. Not yet The Tired Dad Voice(tm) though, they supposed that happened later.
"Always so emotional, master Bruce. You're home now."
"That's not the point, Alfred. They were my friends."
The kids all looked at eachother in unison, they all knew where this was going.
Bruce was sitting hunched over, head in his hands, clearly upset. If they could tell, why couldn't the older man who was standing behind him, cleaning some older-looking vase.
No one said anything after that, Alfred just finished up and left, leaving Bruce alone with his thoughts. Bad idea, especially if this was after his training-years.
Damian clearly remembered how supportive Bruce had been during the transition from the LoA to the manor, he'd been very understanding. He thought him slowely how to be a child, a son.
They carefully made their way around the corner, a lot more careful with the fact that sometimes they can get percieved.
But Bruce didn't seem to notice, not when they coughed either so they took the chance to gather around him. A cuddle-pile subconciously formed around their dad, they'd hugged the kid version, younger version and now they just needed to hug their dad.
When Bruce stared sniffing and hiccuping all of them tried their best not to cry with him, but when Damian started taking shuddering breaths they all broke.
How could have Alfred looked at their dad like this and leave him? How could Bruce give them the support he never got, even when he needed it most?
The white light was really flickery this time, and the only reason they didn't fall over was because they were holding eachother.
When they opened their eyes they stared right into the icy-blue eyes of Bruce. Smaller again..? So much younger. Why had they gone further back in time?
"Master Bruce. You can't let your education go to waste like this." His voice was raised. Alfred actually raised his voice, he did that?
"But Alfred, he made fun of my parents!"
"That is no excuse young man, one more call from the school and there'll be consequences." Bruce looked down, nodding his head.
"What was that?"
"Yes, Alfred.." Bruce's voice was barely above a whisper but Alfred looked too tired to fight the boy on it. "Go to bed, master Bruce."
Duke really wished he could punch Alfred, but he was physically unable, he also couldn't because it still felt wrong deep in his bones & he didn't think he'd win the fight.
His time at school after his parents' "death" wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows either. He'd really struggled, he wanted to spent all his time looking for them, school wasn't the priority.
And Bruce'd had the same problem. Except he saw his parents die, he saw it happen. And now his only parental figure didn't understand, not realising the affects that can have.
The following transition of white light was really dim now, still disorientating but less blinding.
"You are doing what?" Alfred's voice was the closest to normal it had been in a while, the kids would sigh in relief if they weren't focused on the tone of his voice.
It was mocking, Alfred was mocking someone. Bruce probably, why would he-
"Dress as a bat and run around, fighting muggers?"
Oh. What the hell. They'd imagined this conversation plenty of times but witnessing it..
"Did you hit your head, master Bruce?" Alfred's voice seemed genuinly concerned, except for the way he said 'master Bruce' as a swear. Like it disgusted him in this moment
"I can't let anybody go through what I did, Alfred. You don't have to help me," Bruce inhaled, "But you can't stop me either."
Alfred really wasn't supportive of Batman, was he? They hoped it was mostly out of concern, please let it be out of concern.
Them it hit Steph, she also needed to prove herself to Bruce. It took a while and she hadn't been very happy with how dismissive he'd been in the beginning but..
He'd given her a chance.
Alfred had not.
Bruce had given her chances and time to prove herself, he'd been suspiciois —but really, who wouldn't have? Her dad was an enemy of Bruce— but she'd had a chance.
Then they were suddenly back in the open air, no light, no weightlessness, no dizzyness. Just a quick teleportation.
Green Latern had the alien —who'd cast the spell— in a ball, the magician furiously banging against the green orb.
As soon as Batman spotted the kids he ran walked over, barely containing the urge to hug them. Maybe when they were back at the cave, if they'd allow him.
Tim whistled, snapping his fingers in support at Selina’s beauty. She looked around, checking if someone was behind her.
Robin!Tim: She is everything and a bag of chips. She’s everything all at once, and then some!
Selina, in her new tasteful Catwoman suit, looked around, wondering if the new Robin was talking about her.
Robin!Tim: I’m talking to you, girl. Modest too? Ms. Catwoman, you are gorgeous. I can’t believe it, you’re the elusive Catwoman, the one who dated this fossil?
Batman: Fossil? That’s hurtful.
Selina: Why… yes. Yes, I am the one and only… Catwoman.
Selina posed with a smile radiating sensual power, making Batman blush. Robin!Tim turned to Batman and raised his arms in a confused shrug.
Robin!Tim: How the seven sectors of hell did you cross her radar?
Batman: Excuse me?
Robin!Tim: That was harsh, but you and her? Her and you? And she knows who you are outside the mask?
Batman: Y… yes.
Tim walked over to Selina, maintaining proper distance before asking his question.
Robin!Tim (to Selina): No one else is around… Is it because of his money? That’s it, right?
Selina (shaking her head): Surprisingly, no.
Robin!Tim: You like him? Like, you'd be with him over everyone else? Or woman? Or in between? Honestly, you’re out of almost everyone in Gotham’s league.
Selina (flattered): I am. Thank you for noticing.
Batman: Am I actually dead and in hell?
Robin!Tim: Batman! Hey, Batman!
Batman (mid-sigh): Yes?
Robin!Tim: I’ve rarely seen women this pretty. Like, that is perfection! You better not lose her again.
Batman: Stop talking!
Robin!Tim: No… This is amusing you in a funny way.
Batman walked over and yanked Tim back by his collar. Tim smiled, pretending he wasn’t annoying his mentor.
Batman: How do you know about us?
Robin!Tim: I stalked you for years. Don’t think people don’t talk? Oh, and Nightwing told me more. You dropped the ball with her… like, a lot.
Batman: You have a big mouth, you know that?
Robin!Tim: I got it from my dad. Anyway, ask Selina out before the night ends. It’ll be hecka romantic.
Selina couldn’t hold back her laughter, not a sexual laugh, but genuine enthusiasm. Batman moaned, embarrassed, and released his grip from Tim’s collar. Tim adjusted his suit, looking between the two, hoping for sparks or drama.
Selina: I’m sorry, it’s just… after three Robins and being with you, Batman… a lot of fear is gone.
Batman sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.
Batman: Yeah, I don’t know what to say anymore. They keep finding me. I have this one now. You know who I am… I used to be more closed off.
Robin!Tim: If you kept that up, you’d be the next Hannibal Lecter or Dexter or—
Batman: What do you watch? Forget it. Selina, ignore him. I was just checking in on you.
Selina: Hm, I’m amazing as usual. I’ve been thinking about us, and if I’m going to be with you, you’re going to have to introduce me to this… family of yours.
Robin!Tim: It won’t be the weirdest way someone’s gotten a role in this team.
Batman: I’ll let that slide because that was funny and true.
Robin!Tim: Batman’s got a girlfriend, and I was here to witness it? Yes!
Batman: You need to have less energy.
Robin!Tim: I usually can, but then I saw the bombshell, and I’m giddy. Seriously, what do you see in him?
Selina: He makes me laugh.
Robin!Tim pointed at Batman doubtfully, and Batman smacked his hand away, smirking at the young Robin.
Bruce leaning into the whole airhead billionaire shtick at certain events, knowing that it pisses off Lex Luthor, who cannot prove it but knows that Bruce is not that dumb. For fuck sake, Lex knows that Bruce is a polygot, that he can follow physics equations, that Bruce literally aced his exams. Why? They shared a dorm room in boarding school. However, Bruce sees how much it winds him up so he really plays into it.
Bruce outs Clark as Superman while Clark is interviewing him and Lex. "I don't know why you two can't get along like you are now 😔 Superman, maybe Lex just wants to spend time with you 🤔 And Lex, babe, the robots are cool and all but you can't like throw them at Superman 😶 That's not how you make friends." Lex tells Bruce to stop, rolling his eyes. Bruce goes on a rant about how the butts match etc. Clark is literally sat so still, trying not to move.
Lex yelling at Bruce when he pretends to not have overheard a conversation Lex was having with an arms dealer in Korean and Lex is all "you speak fourteen languages, Bruce" and you got Bruce who is near tears over his puffing because he only speaks two? "I only speak American and English 😭😭"
Bruce giggling at some charity quiz show panel between Ollie and Lex, because he's so sorry but he doesn't know any countries? Like what are they??? Lex is screaming at him while Ollie hits the button so confidently going "Las Vegas".
Bruce sitting next to Lex on a plane (they're economising for PR) and he's fucking reading a book that's upside down???
Bruce asking Lex about the business finances, asking which company is "winning"? It was the day that LexCorp stock was tanking.
Classic Demon twins, but Damian and Danyal has been fundamentally raised different on purpose to test which approach was better.
Damian has been raised for combat and quick missions. He's good with weapons, sneaking on people, giving one quick effective blow, and retreating quickly just to approach from a different angle with more strength. He's efficient. He was raised to be obedient, never leaving the leagues walls for long, just short one hit missions. Never really learning about the outside world. Damian rarely ever knew about his victims more than their name and face.
Danyal was raised for spionage, infiltration and information gathering. He can defend himself well enough as an Al-ghul, but they focused his education on poisons. He learned the art of manipulation and how to fit seemingly within a society even without knowing a single thing about it, just with a couple of hours of observation. He had to be good at thinking for himself because he was meant to work within uncontrolled environments; you can't plan out month long interactions. His missions were long and ended silently.
Danyal knew every single detail from his victims, he spent months gaining kids trusts enough to get into their homes. Acting the part of the perfect friend and sneaking into off limits parts of the house for information. Playing the innocent lost kid if discovered. Ending whole powerful families with a single drop in the juice jar.
The issue was that with Danyal spending so much time on outside missions, he knew there was more out there. And as much as Danyal tried, it was impossible for a little kid to not get attached to people after a couple of months. It was after Danyals seventh family that he was starting to break. This kid in particular had had similar tastes to Danyal, and he had barely needed to act out a new personality to become closer. It had made it all so much more difficult to maintain non-personal.
That was his friend he had just killed.
It wasn't the first time he had thought that. He always mentally reproached himself, because those weren't friends, they were simply tools he had used. Except, this time it was harder to deny it. That was when Danyal decided he had to leave the league.
Despite the different ways they were being raised the twins were close. Sure, the adults around them were grading they're development and competing their results, but ultimately, they're opposite upbringing was also meant to make them complementary. They were taught to use each other strength to cover their own faults. Hyper-specializing the kids was a side effect that was expected of this experiment, and Talia had made sure Damian and Danyal knew to depend on each other, as they would need so to survive.
So it wouldn't come to a surprise that Danyal wanted to leave with Damian. He just wasn't aware of how different their world views were. Damian was quick to tell mother of Danyals nonsensical fantasy, a decision he would soon regret when Danyal laid in front of him in the brink of death.
It was meant to be a message for Damian, to keep behaving or he would end the same. It did the opposite. Damian dared to go against grandfather for the first time that day, taking his brothers body and running to the Lazarus pit with everything he had. It was lucky he was the twin train for combat. It was lucky his mother helped. He kept whispering reassurances and apologize to his twin.
"I am so sorry, I am so sorry Danyal. It will be okay. The Lazarus will heal you and then we will leave like you wanted. We will go where ever you want. I promise."
But Danyal never surfaced from the Lazarus waters.
With one twin gone, and Damian's crude awakening to the league of assassin's cruelty. Talia deemed it too dangerous for Damian to stay, and quickly brought him to Bruce.
I think a lot of autistic taking-things-literally goes under the radar because what the diagnostic tests and shit ask about is not what that generally looks like in an adult and often not in kids either and much more importantly it’s not what generally actually causes problems in real life instead of being irritating for caretakers or funny to bullies or easy to diagnose
I have absolutely no issues understanding metaphors or idioms. When someone says their heart is on their sleeve they mean they’re emotionally expressive and openly display their feelings, not that they have a chunk of cardiac tissue on their shirt. I very rarely have issues with sarcasm. I sometimes have issues telling when someone who’s said something mean is about to say “just kidding”, but tbh I think that’s more on them than me.
BUT
My grandmother asked me “Do you know when the trash was taken out last?” and I said “I think Eliot took it out yesterday” and a few hours later she yelled at me for “not taking out the trash when I asked you to” and I was like???? You didn’t ask me????
I dread filling out forms and am crap at filling out diagnostic tests or personality quizzes because there are always questions I don’t know the exact answers to (how am I supposed to know what day I got dental surgery seven years ago?) or don’t understand exactly what they’re asking or the wording’s unclear and they could mean this or the wording says this but I’m pretty sure what they actually meant was this and should I answer what they said or what they meant, and how does everyone else just whip through the form when surely they can’t know all the answers either? Does everyone else remember the day they got dental surgery seven years ago?
I get tangled up by bureaucracy because the rules on the website say that for this you need that and for that you need the other and for the other you need something else for which you need the first thing, and I go in circles for hours or days or weeks or months or years because their stated rules say there is no way to get what I need, and when I talk to somebody else they’re like “just call them?” and I’m like “how could that help? the rules say that what I’m trying to do is impossible”
And all of that? That’s how “taking things literally” ACTUALLY affects your life as an adult. It’s not “haha you think ‘getting under your skin’ means parasites”. It’s “you have real difficulty functioning in the world because everyone else is conveying things through implication and assuming that you know that rules are flexible and questions are approximate and you’re supposed to lie on job applications, and you don’t”.
Hey, so this may be a weird place to put this, but if your college or school uses Canvas, it was likely affected by the recent data breach. As of right now, the most likely personal information swept up in this hack is names and email addresses. Login and financial information were not included in the breach (as far as we know).
Right now, as a student you should beware of phishing attempts. Do not click on links seeking your login or financial information. Do not respond to emails about financial aid until verifying the email is legitimate first. Call your school or go speak to an admin in person if you have to. Report any suspicious emails to your school's IT department.
Want to add that mirrored sites are a very likely avenue of attack here. If you receive a legitimate-seeming e-mail telling you that you have to log in to a given account and take some action, navigate to the website for that account through your browser and do NOT click the link. It's fairly easy to create a perfect simulacrum of a website and only redirect you to the legitimate website after obtaining your login credentials in order to avoid arousing suspicion
Be especially wary of e-mails claiming to be from Canvas, as it's the one site the hackers can guarantee you use and are expecting communication from
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