[Timkon lovesquare au] okay here’s the part I never posted here! This was a two part comic with the first one exploring superboy going for more traditional superman look (sort of based on an mlb episode where chat noir changes his whole suit and demeanor) after getting shunned by the public and media while this part was about Tim’s belief in him inspiring him to just be superboy
I’ve honestly been so busy with two jobs and having like no free time that I barely draw but I want to add more comics to this au 😣🙏
I recently posted my first DPxDC fic in case any of y’all are interested. It’s a DeadTired meet cute.
title: love is a frozen foor
author (me) : Bluebird8683
summary:
Danny has freshly turned 18, yay! He's officially made it to adulthood... if you ignore the fact that he's only half alive. That also means that now the Observants are chasing after him in order to make him the King of the Infinite Realms, good thing there happens to be a conveniently placed door when the eyeballs try and sneakily place the crown on him in the Realms. Hopefully where ever he winds up is cool with him chilling there for a bit!
--
Tim is tired, hurt, and ready to go bed after patrol when someone bursts into his apartment (from the closet door?! How?) while he's still mostly in his Red Robin suit. Guess he's going to have to do some investigating into this handsome stranger before he can go to bed.
Tim: No, I mean as Robin. I have to fill out these forms for a new hero team but it won't let me submit it without a surname and they don’t know who I really am yet so...
Dick: Oh, it's Knight. That's actually Bruce sanctioned.
Tim: He agreed to it?
Dick: Not exactly. He had to full name me in the field once in front of Lex Luthor and said 'Robin the Boy Wonder Knight, if you do not get down from there this instant...'
Tim: Does he use it?
Dick: I think so. After I started using it. He's sentimental like that.
Tim: And it has nothing to do withthe fact that it means he can write alias: Batman, forename: The Dark?
Danny has seen several ghosts warp and change their appearance from Bertrand to Amorpho, and he's gotta admit he's jealous.
Now, it takes him a few weeks but he eventually figures it out in his ghost form, but now he kinda wants to be able to do it in his human one as well. Making temporary fangs and doing fun things with his hair and height all sound fun and like something he can use for some pranks to get back at Sam and Tucker for always arguing.
About a year later and he’s finally done it!!!
Except… now his hair refuses to remain the same shade of black and his eyes keep going rainbow and his skin doesn’t want to stay pale and…
So, Danny has an issue because the only kind of thing that could cause this is ghosts and he really doesn’t want to end up on the GIW’s radar anymore than he already is being the son for Drs. fenton.
Danny has seen several ghosts warp and change their appearance from Bertrand to Amorpho, and he's gotta admit he's jealous.
Now, it takes him a few weeks but he eventually figures it out in his ghost form, but now he kinda wants to be able to do it in his human one as well. Making temporary fangs and doing fun things with his hair and height all sound fun and like something he can use for some pranks to get back at Sam and Tucker for always arguing.
About a year later and he’s finally done it!!!
Except… now his hair refuses to remain the same shade of black and his eyes keep going rainbow and his skin doesn’t want to stay pale and…
So, Danny has an issue because the only kind of thing that could cause this is ghosts and he really doesn’t want to end up on the GIW’s radar anymore than he already is being the son for Drs. fenton.
Hal, sitting on the desk chair for the Batcomputer: Whoa, your chair's duty heavy times a million! This chair can take the impact of crashing against an F-16
Bruce: Made it myself.
Hal, smirking: You wouldn't happen to have brought this out for.... specific purposes, no? 😏
Bruce: My kids.
Hal: ...what?
Bruce: My kids sit on it.
[Bruce rolls a video feed on the Batcomputer of him sitting on the same chair some few hours ago. One by one, the kids file into the Batcave rambling on about something, then ending up draped on Bruce. Damian takes his left lap and Jason on his right. Dick perches on one of the arm rests. Cass balances on the back of the chair. Tim is on Bruce's shoulders. The chair neither creaks nor wobbles, even as Bruce starts spinning around the Batcave to make the kids laugh]
Hal:
Bruce: :))
Hal: Spooky, this chair could theoretically carry 7 Hal Jordans
Bruce: 7 Hal Jordans and 5 Barbara Gordons with the wheelchair, to be precise
When Batman dies he comes back as a ghost nearly immediately. He soon finds a stable portal to cross through, intending to find Gotham as soon as possible.
What he finds is a teen hero in desperate need of help. He can help.
Ah, Danny now has a hero mentor. This would be better if his main antagonists weren't ghost hunters. Danny is trying to keep Batman in the Realms... It isn't going too well.
It's the escape artist training, Dad Shaping, and unethical use of Logic(tm). Which is a crime against him, Danny, specifically. This dad shaped man is bullying him! With earnest concern and offers to help and support him!
Is clearly terrified for his family and city but REFUSES to "abandon" Danny! D:> Stop being everything Danny's been praying for! This feels like a TRAAAAAP! He's gonna get attached then something BAD WILL HAPPEN!
*awkward BatHug deployed* its going to be Okay, Danny.
Nooooooooo T^T *is imprinting so hard you can see it from space*
Bruce probably starts guarding the inside of the portal. Sets up traps using Fenton tech. Makes sure no ghosts cause trouble during school. Well, for the ones he can stop any way. Danny hasn't had this much rest since he died! Batman is so nice. 10/10. Teaches him stuff, without being creepy!
Consider, the Ghost Baby Off-limits headcanon is at play, so even though this is a veteran Batman, he's seen as a baby. And when he explains why he's guarding the portal? It's seen as a baby being taken care of by a even babier baby.
Imagine Danny's rogues having their meltdown about being beaten by a baby. In front of Bruce. Who is like... How did you not understand that he was freshly dead? Power levels are not always indicative of age people!!
Bruce drops his head thinking for a moment. Ok, understandable. But! Natural portals can do that! You have a time ghost! You could have asked! Phantom isn't even two years dead! Now go say sorry! Says the two month dead ghost. At least he died an adult, and therefore will be respected. More so than still a teen, baby ghost.
Jason gets a call one day from a random number and theres a kid on the other end saying Jasons Dad told him to call.
Obviously Bruce has been dead for a bit so Jason is sus until the kid says one of the batcodes
The whole family is wondering if Bruce is actually dead or if this is more of a lost in time thing again (hes very dead but he does not care. Hes Batman.)
Given that the code is about a new family member needing training? Jason might just laugh himself sick. Look, B is dead, and somehow still adopted. What the fuck B!? He is absolutely tying off loose ends and getting himself to Amity Park. He can't wait to see what the fuck is happening. If he is taking a camera along? Well that's between him and Babs.
Batman of corse returns to Gotham and crime fighting. No one knows batman was/is dead.
Cue the justice league having to summon or fight someone from the GZ/Infinte realms. They take one look at Batman and just start parenting/baby talking/treating him like a child.
And Batman doesn’t do anything about it! His core is humming happily because he is a baby ghost despite being a adult human.
Batman has to have not known this was the magic users plans. Or he would have just called Danny. Which, let's be real? As soon as he knew this was the plan? Danny got a text off his ghost bestie/hero mentor. Promptly dives through the phone and pops up just behind him.
Danny: Why is Lady Pandora here?
Batman: Realms issue came up. As Earth's resident Realms wrangler? I thought it time to introduce you to JLD. As they didn't even explain that it was a Realms issue until they summoned Lady Pandora.
Zatanna: How do you even know about the Infinite Realms?!
Danny: Cause he's Batman. Duh.
Batman: This is Phantom. The hero of Amity Park. He babysits a permanent portal between the Realms and Earth.
Danny: Urgh. Babysits is right. So! Who are we fighting this time!
Zatanna: Batman? Are you sure? The being running around isn't an everyday spirit! The Ancient of Dreams isn't something for a teen to fight!
Danny: Wait! Nocturn got out again!?! Urgh! What's he doing this time?!
Batman: Phantom has previously fought Nocturn, Undergrowth, Fright Knight, Pariah Dark and Plasmius.
Danny: I've fought more than that! But they were the most powerful yeah.
I’m still imagining an eldritch being cooing over The Batman.
Eldritch being: *gasp* A BABY!! Coochie coo! Coochie Coochie coo! Hello little one!! 😍
The Batman, slightly tilting his head back so the eldritch being can gently tickle his chin with their huge fuckin claws: *deadpan* Hello. It is very nice to meet you. I know that I am a very cute baby, but my associates have summoned you for assistance. Please focus.
Love that the League summoned an (probably known to be extremely powerful) eldritch entity for help, only for said entity to do absolutely nothing helpful and this "random" Midwestern teen to show up and upstage them all.
The Ancient would absolutely help once the babies went to battle. Just in case. They would do that thing. You enter the fight as well, just in case. Watch every move. So you can jump in if needed, but let the kids figure it out. If not needed? You can then coo and praise them. If needed to help? You coo and reassure.
Ancient: It’s like watching their first steps once they stop holding your hand. You stay close enough to catch, but really you are just there to be a cheer section.
You know after Diana and Clark at the very least are going to demand answers. Bruce just sighs. And clicks a button on his wrist. The magic users/sensitive in the league all turn to him in shock. What the fuck! Batman! Since when!
Bruce: I died six months ago. As is protocol it wasn't announced. Since many of us return, one way of another. This time I came back as a ghost. Phantom is the protector of Amity Park's permanent portal. I stayed for a while to mentor him. But had him contact my children. They turned up to help. And likely to ensure I was still myself.
Marvel: Uh, question Mr Batman. How did you damper your aura like that?!?
Bruce: Phantom created the device. It users electromagnetic fields manipulation to scramble and hide Ecto signatures.
Zatanna: Wait! The kid?!?! How?!
Bruce: He is incredibly intelligent. And the son of mad scientists. He used their work on reading Ecto signatures to work it out.
Clark: Why did you hide it from us?
Bruce: Why would I mention it? I am still here. Changed yes. But not gone. It would have caused unnecessary distress.
Fsssssffffffx ‘unnecessary distress’. That is so in-character.
On the other hand, you know who would have been in real distress? His kids, for those two months or so between his death and Danny’s phone call.
Bruce died as Batman, from an injury in the field. He was still alive when he was brought back to the Cave and died in the presence of his family. Though he didn’t regain consciousness and they didn’t get to say goodbye, there was no chance for the body to be swapped; there is no doubt that Bruce is dead.
They all get very drunk for a night or two. Even Jarro, who, as a telepath, is basically getting drunk by proxy.
They had a drawn-out knock-down fight over what to do about Bruce. Tim and Damian were in favour of attempting a resurrection (Pit or Apokalips). Dick and Jason and Cass were very much not. They’ve reached a compromise; they are not actively working on it but the body is in frozen storage with a lot of alarms on it.
Jason, who’s doing a lot better these days, took the cowl. Cass will take over eventually, but for the moment Jason is the best at maintaining the illusion of continuity. They have a cover story ready to go for Bruce Wayne’s death.
And then Jason receives the phone call, to his Oracle-secured batphone from an unknown number.
That usually means one of the other Bats on a burner, which usually means trouble, so he answers.
“Um, hi?” Not a voice he recognises, at all. “Is this Jason?”
Young. Male. Midwestern. Asking for Jason on the Batphone. Could be real trouble. “No, this is Mark,” he says. “You’ve got the wrong number.”
“He said you’d say that. Um, Jason? I have a message from your dad.”
Jason gets angry and breaks code. “My dad is dead.”
“I know,” says the voice. “He says, recognition code bee zero one, whisky delta india hotel mike… no, sorry, hotel sierra mike kilo, circumference, um… flange, uh… requirement? Requirement.”
Jason can’t say a word. Can’t breathe. It’s B’s code all right, no coercion, not compromised, and he felt the need to specify no time travel. But what he really can’t get over is the way it sounds like the kid is listening to someone prompting and correcting him, someone who’s standing there with him.
“And he says, contingency four two seven gee and… three one five? Yeah, three one five bee.”
Jason doesn’t know these from the top of his head. He rouses enough to drop Tim a quick text. Tim knows all the contingencies, the little freak.
Jason: contingencies 427g and 315b
Tim: !!!!!!!!!
Jason: what are they?
Tim: holy shit
Tim: moving to group chat
Jason swipes over to the batchat group.
Tim: jason just texted
Tim: b’s come back as a ghost
Tim: and he’s adopted again
“Jason?” says his phone. “Jason? …are you still there?”
Jason is, of course, somewhat overwhelmed by this new knowledge. Relief and grief mixing together. because his Dad is back! But.. His Dad is a ghost. Still dead, changed forever. But, has adopted again? So still the same man they all know and love. His newest baby brother sounds so young and unsure. Clearly B's only just found him. Not had enough time to train him properly. He needs a minute, but his new baby (probably a ghost, oh fuck, B's ghost has adopted a dead teen.) brother is still on the line. So he has to push it to the side and get his shot together.
Jason: Yeah, yeah I'm still here. So, B's a ghost huh? How'd you meet him?
Danny: Oh, um, there's a portal? To the Infinite Realms in my city. It's um, it's in my basement? My, my parents built it. I accidentally turned it on. So, so it's my job to keep everyone safe. Batman heard about it. He wanted to get back to Gotham. Um, but he um, he felt I needed help. But, I'm not, not always there. So...
Jason: Its ok kid. Take your time. Sounds like B has his hands full over there. He asking for Justice League backup?
Jason heard the muttering start again. Why wasn't B using the phone? Maybe it was a ghost thing? Something to ask the kid.
Danny: No. Batman wants you to come visit. And help train me? Batman can't leave until we figure out a way for him to have a believable human form. And figure out how to get him enough Ecto to feed off.
I can't help but imagine the sigh the leaves Frostbite when he sees; the Great One, the Batman, the Red Hood and Batman's corpse being brought to him. And when he asks why? Gets told they want to know if Batman can use it as a way to pass as a human. If his old corpse will be able to sustain such.
(Also, side note, but do colour inversion rules work here? Because B? Probably not best pleased if he is bright white.)
Okay, I see your white Batman suit, and raise you he's Eyesearingly Neon Pink. You know the color, the one that seems to dlow in the dark.
And let's say for angst, that no. He cannot use the preserved body BECAUSE it is preserved. The preservatives have filled in enough of the body so it no longer counts as "Bruce" to his ectoplasm
Look, we all know Tim would hear that and cackle gleefully. He gets to use his cloning knowledge for good you say? It'll take a few months for the best to be ready. Just you wait. *gleeful evil laughter*
The reason I was going with white? Was mainly the pun-tential. He's no longer the Dark Knight. But the Light Knight. (Because nite lite).
How about mostly white with eye-searingly pink Bat symbol/belt.
Or maybe a neon green suit with the eye-searingly pink symbol/belt. Which would obviously be irritating for him in the human world. Neon green and pink are very attention grabbing. But then in the realms he would retain his nature and ability to slip into the "shadows". The shadows here more or less just being the ambient environment which Ghost Batman still blends in to.
In a way, it would be like the Universe itself telling Batman, "No, you don't belong to this world any more. Batman belongs to the Infinite Realms now. Go back to the new shadows you fit into." Not that Bruce is going to heed that message.
As for the body, it's at least still good for a dna sample. From there, Tim can work with the Yetis to grow Bruce a ghost compatible, empty human body. Although I don't think it should be quite that simple or easy. There needs to be some kind of counter-balance. A price to pay for the luxury of returning to and passing freely in the human world.
Ecto green with neon pink belt and symbol is perfect. Yeah, the universe can say what it wants. It allowed him to continue his existence. The universe should have known better than to think he wouldn't go home.
Oh absolutely. I'm thinking corpse au shenanigans? If Bruce wants to use his ghost powers he has to drop his body off at the cave. Whoch, let's be real, would cause some serious psychic damage to his family the first few times.
Maybe there's a grace period. That can be extended by putting the body on life support/in suspension. Not at all further traumatizing his kids. Right up till they are numb to it and begin making jokes. Bruce coming back to find them play acting "sad about Dad in a coma". Or his face being covered in doodles.
There’s a grace period where the body will keep breathing on its own, AND of course, sometimes there’s ghost emergencies where he doesn’t have time to get it back to the batcave. So he has to drop it off somewhere and call someone to pick it up.
Which generally leads to Bruce’s body getting “weekend at Bernie’s”-ed by his children.
They get a whole scrapbook’s worth of embarrassing pics they posed him for, a few of which have his ghost in the background smirking. This technically counts as family bonding time right?
Of course, now the rest of the Justice League know about this? He can traumatise them as well! Just, leave his body to stretch out properly and then get back in. In full view of the team. Who are now included in the emergency body pick up plans. They also get to see him in all his green and pink glory. Danny of course is not at all fazed when Batman drops his body. Ever. As far as he is concerned? The body is essentially a coat. This only re-inforces the fact that this is a dead teen. The fact he also has his living form? Doesn't matter here. He's dead enough for that to be nothing important.
Imagine that for his Brucie persona, he says that he has suddenly and spontaneously developed narcolepsy to explain why his body just suddenly ‘faints’ for long periods of time out of nowhere. Bruce just turns invisible before exiting the body so he can be in a hotel, meeting, gala, or car and the body looks like it just goes slack (but is still breathing). So while Bruce is often unconscious during villain attacks he can also do this to respond to SOS messages from the other bats. (does he use this ‘fainting’ to get out of meetings? Oh yes he does.)
(Or even better. He hires a blob to ‘take the wheels’ for a bit whenever he has to go Batman. This shall be Alfred the Blob).
Maybe he offers Deadman the chance. since he is a colleague he can trust. Like, I have a two week mission. where ghost powers would be best. If you could over shadow my corpse and make a few public appearances? Give you a chance to eat something for a change.
First time letting Boston “Deadman” Brand have the driver’s seat, Batman gives him a list of ground rules, things not to do, etc. ending in “and don’t shoot anyone this time!”
Also, what with him being a trapeze artist in life, I imagine Boston would move a LOT like Dick. Up to and including causing a few moments of“wait, Nightwing? Where did you come from? I thought that was you in the Batsuit?!?”
(Last but not least, I really want them to get to hang out and bitch about having died in-costume and being stuck in those for the rest of their afterlives)
(Danny’s gonna get a laugh about the whole “died while in zombie makeup” thing.)
King Phantom going through some of the backed up paperwork and finds Janet's contract. Her first born belongs to Phantom now since Pariah never did any paperwork. Those that he did claim had already been rescued where they could and made comfortable when there was little to be done.
He's outlawed new deals since a lot of the time the validly of the sacrifice can be questioned. The observant s are annoyed at babysitters duty but it gets them out of annoying Danny and lets him be productive so he plans on milking it for as long as there are deals under review. Just like with the one Pariah claimed, a lot of them are undergoing investigations and that's where Janet's deal comes in.
Tim like many other firstborns are watched over. Anytime they are in danger, the observant responsible invokes Danny or his claim to protect them from the shadows. On occasion, they might have been relocated but never has Danny collected on any of those deals until Tim.
Tim unlike the other firstborns is a hero. Tim is also aware something is watching him as he will make comments for Danny or thank him for a save nobody else noticed and Danny is instantly smitten. Danny watches as Tim does so much good for Gotham both as a civilian and as a hero. Even when he is taken for granted, it doesn't slow Tim down and Danny admires him more.
Danny knows Tim has massive potential, and he trusts him to understand the gravity of how far his influence runs. He had no doubt in Tim when he was trying to clone his lost friends. Danny understood was part of his grieving process and everyone grieves differently. Did he also swoon a bit? Nobody witnessed it so it didn't happen (but his friend do tease him about it since they were aware of his crush)
It becomes the last straw for Danny when Nightwing acting as Batman turns everyone against Tim. He reminds himself everyone copes differently for all of one minute before saying man fuck that guy and sends a sticky note to Tim. On that sticky note he offers his help and protection, but it can't be revoked once accepted.
It's the first time he has 'shown' himself outside of the assists he's made, and it feels like agony as he watches Tim. Eventually Tim does take up his offer and while Danny fell first Tim fell harder. Bruce is the second person Danny saves that day and the moment Tim realizes it he is extra cuddly with Danny.
The alternate rescue is Danny being dramatic about collecting Red Robin in front of Dick and the Justice league. Tim meanwhile is like good luck keeping me here, but when he takes in his first view of the Infinite Realms he has sooo many questions so he could stay for a bit for science.
I am picturing the JL about to detain Tim. Tim going "have fun with that" screams "i accept" Danny just apearing full eldritch horror. Picking Time up and disapearing and depositing Bruce in his place.
Tim and Danny waiting a full week of the JL thinking they made Tim make a deal with an eldritch horror to save Bruce and now hes gone before he comes back.
With a Danny that is not an eldritch horror laughing his ass off at ALL OF THEM
I can't write a fic but here is a ficlet because I loved this idea but didn't have a lot of time so we miss out on the JL side and Bat reunion
“Your’e surrounded Red Robin, stand down or we’ll have to use force. Please don’t make me use force on my little brother. I can’t lose you too.”
Rodin stands right next to Dick. His hand rests on his katana, almost ready for Tim to resist. You can only kick a dog so many times, and for all Damian adores animals, Tim is less deserving than an animal in his eyes.
Tim remembers feeling hurt as Dick chose to believe Damian without looking for the truth, betrayed when Robin was taken back, and anxious as he set out alone knowing Ra’s waited.
Now he feels nothing.
Not even audacity as his forgiveness is assumed.
Internally he scoffs as the surrounding heroes tear up at Dick’s words. They lower their guard in one form or another, but Tim is going to give them a little reminder of why you don’t drop your guard.
“Yeah, have fun with that.” He inhales watching as they become confused just before he shouts, “I accept!”
The sudden cold at his back all but embraces him. It’s a little startling to see a massive black claw land beside him while another curls protectively in front of him. The lazarus colored veins alternate between glowing and dimming.
Tim relaxes knowing Bruce will be saved and marvels at the veins that begin to slow down and speed up again. Like a heart beat. Tim’s heart beat to be exact.
He no longer hears the shouts or alarm and for him to run.
All he can focus on is Phantom, the being who has all the power in the world and chooses to make Tim his heart. He looks up into the voids that take the place of eyes. Along with the grimaced smile, it would make for an unsettling sight but not for Tim who can see beyond the facade.
“No finer tribute will ever be found.” He sees stars in the void and how they twinkle just for him. He loses sight of those stars as they turn towards everyone else. “You wretches will have your Bat at the behest of my Birdie.’ The dramatic laugh that follows drowns out the chorus of no’s.
The claw curled before him moves to press him against the massive chest, but Tim doesn’t panic. He closes his eyes as a portal begins to swallow them both.
He feels as the other form shrinks. The laugher is not so booming now that the chest he’s held against is smaller.
“Oh my god you have some balls man. Imagine if I would have left you hanging? That would have been so embarrassing”
Tim looks at Phantom. For so long he’s been his secret protector. The constant comfort in his life who made even the Drake Manor feel less lonely. He feels nothing but affection for this being that saw Tim and found him deserving. “You’ve never let me down before, I knew you wouldn’t when I needed you the most.”
“ASDfghjkl?!”
Tim can only smile at the lovely flush on Phantom’s cheeks and the recreation of keyboard smashing. Teasing a king sounds like a fun way to pass the time, especially when they are this cute.
Just once, I want Danny to spout off something that he’s clearly heard from Jazz and then cringe at it.
Jason: “Just gotta wait until the Stockholm Syndrome kicks in!”
Danny: “Actually, that is a phony diagnosis created by a sexist psychiatrist who saw a hostage situation on TV and decided that the woman, in fight-flight-fawn mode, was in love with the man waving a gun at h-"
Jason: *raises eyebrow*
Danny, realizing: "Oh, you meant it as a joke… Ancients, I sounded like Jazz there.” *shudders*
Dick, exasperated: “Monkey see, monkey do, after all…”
Danny, eating a snack: "Actually, monkeys mimic behavior as a form of communication and survival, while the so-called Chameleon Effect is influenced by a desire to fit in and be liked by the people around us. It's also influenced by a part of the brain that certain- *pauses* *pushes snack away* And that was super fucking weird to bring up all of a sudden, sorry, what were we talking about?" *face screwed up in disgust*
Dick: *is just amused*
Damian, angry enough to turn red: "-I will eviscerate you so much that even your mother would be disgusted by your incompetent-"
Danny, off to the side and kinda zoned out: "Did you know that excess violence in teenagers, while typically attributed towards early childhood development by those around the teenager, is almost always caused by their current situation and a feeling of estrangement, lack of control, or- wow, yea, okay, I'm shutting up now, I just realized what I sounded like. Uegh."
Damian, suddenly calm: "You bring up a valid point, Daniel. Come, make your argument in front of father. Please."
Tim: "I'll sleep when I'm dead; for now, there's coffee."
Jason: "That shit stunts your growth, pipsqueak."
Danny: "That was actually debunked. What coffee does do is it blocks your adenosine receptors and enhances your dopamine signaling, increasing your mood and motivation as well as enhancing your memory, and then it also improves your attention and alertness. However, it also increases your anxiety and sleep disturbances, which can mess up your memory consolidation and brain recovery." *makes a disgusted face* *shudders* *takes a sip of an energy drink* "Anyways, ignoring all that nonsense that I'm definitely ignoring that I've accidentally memorized, sleeping when you're dead is also a myth. I would know." *chugs energy drink*
Tim, despairing with a tight grip on his coffee: "Nooo, I was relying on that!"
some hyper famous artists like Van Gogh transcend overratedness and become underrated because they're so normalized. Like I'll look at a van Gogh and I'm like wait this really is amazing you guys don't get it
Please stop trigger tagging with #epilepsy tw/cw/warning/etc.
I need every single person to understand how horrible tumblr’s tagging system is
I go into the tag for epilepsy and its all flashing lights. We can’t use our own tag because people without epilepsy fill it up with improper warnings.
Use ‘flashing’ in place of ‘epilepsy’ in your tags. You aren’t warning people of epileptics, you’re warning us of flashing lights. Please please tag properly. Epileptics say this endlessly and constantly and it’s ignored. You are risking lives by doing this.
Here’s proof of what I mean:
THIS POST IS 100% OKAY TO REBLOG, I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WITHOUT EPILEPSY TO ESPECIALLY DO SO!
Then Lian gets hit with something and gets very sick. But no matter what they do, they can’t cure her. Their only option is to seek out someone who can but not even the other ghosts in the Justice league knows what to do. She’s not a pure ghost. Which means that if they want to help Lian, they need to find another halfa.
Which would be easier if apparently, they weren’t the rarest ghost in in all the realms with only 3 others known in existence.
This right here? Perfection.
The Justice league are in a panic, they have two deathly ill girls in the sickbay and they are going crazy trying to find a solution. Constantine and Zatara are consulting every magic book they can find on any legend for even a glimpse of where the last halfa might be. All they get is some vague mention of someone called the ‘great one’ but nothing else. Not even a name. Batman is doing thorough research and working with flash to try and rework some GIW tech to track ecto signatures (which is unfortunately not working as since the world is full of ecto, you can only track a ghost within a certain range, not a worldwide search. Plus, there are far too many ghosts on earth.) Other Justice Leaguers are scanning GIW file to try and find anything on halfas (which unfortunately, the GIW didn’t even know about. They think all ecto entities are the same.) Even Wonder Woman has gone home to themescara to ask if anyone has ever encountered, or even heard of a halfa or the infinite realms. Captain marvel has also gone to consult the rock of eternity and even the green lanterns are reaching out to the lantern core about this supposedly new and possibly endangered species. Roy (and possibly Cheshire) are raiding every enemy base they can find. If the heroes don’t have any information, perhaps a villain might.
They don’t find anything about Danny but they do have a lead. A being who is said to know everything. Now they just have to contact this Clockwork.
Danny needs a few...odd things. A few dietary and emotional requirements unique to his physiology.
Meat is one of them.
But like, raw meat. He doesn't have to eat it often, maybe twice a month, but it does need to be completely raw.
He also needs to eat non-sentient blob ghosts, which are very different from sentient ones. Same amount, maybe twice a month.
He's weak to hot temperatures, where most humans require some sort of positive contact he needs to fight, if he gets too much sunlight his dopamine levels drop, and oddly enough as he got older milk or products with a lot of milk started to affect him like alcohol affects humans.
Now that he's made it to college, hiding most of these things is easy enough.
He chose Gotham, because of minimal sunny days and naturally cold weather. He regularly goes for walks at night, to fill his need for fighting. He says he has a milk allergy, and avoids milk products.
The blobs and the raw meat are a little uh. Those are a little hard.
He's taken to ducking into a bathroom stall to just swallow the blobs whole. But the meat...
He decides to sear the outside and leave the inside entirely raw. Does this detract from the nutrients by cooking them off? Yes. Does it mean he needs to eat raw meat four times a month instead of twice? Yes. Does it mostly hide that he's doing this in front of humans? Kind of.
Until he got a vegan roommate.
Said roommate is far too sharp-eyed for his own good, and now the guy is being weird.
Or: Damian's roommate is a meta who clearly has dietary restrictions outside the norm. It's fine; Damian understands that like animals in the wild, people have different diets. But the cuts of meat Fenton is eating are...subpar.
Damian isn't sure how to be...civil, or appear polite, or not be a "snob" if he suggests Fenton allow him to procure farm fresh cuts of steak from cows raised in an open pasture and were well taken care of.
Danny stared at his plate, looked up at Damian, and then looked back at his plate. “I know this is your turn to cook and all,” he started. “But I thought you were vegan, so I mean, the meat is already a little weird but like, this is raw. Like, somehow there is still blood dripping out of it onto my plate. Also, you don’t even have a plate, you just gave me this.”
When Danny looked at him again, Damian had that particular unimpressed look on his face like Danny had failed some weird test, which was rude because Danny was too busy trying not to drool over the cut of perfection in front of him. “I fail to see a question in your subpar descriptions, Fenton.”
He rolled his eyes. “What I’m trying to ask is why is it on my plate?”
“Last week,” Damian started, “you attempted to use a toaster to burn the meat. That was one of the most horrific mundane instances I’ve had the misfortune of watching. What’s more is that the meat you consume comes from subpar origins which both encourages cruel meat industry practices and gives you less nutritional value. I have a friend who lives on a family farm, and he was happy to provide adequate cuts of meat.”
Danny blinked as Damian leveled an expectant look towards him. That was a lot of effort to go through for just a roommate. “But it’s raw,” he said dumbly.
Damian let out the loudest sigh Danny ever heard. “Daniel”—oh this was serious, okay—“you do not have to hide how you crave raw meat. Obviously, you have different dietary restrictions than others. Considering how your teeth are shaped, you are most likely a meta with a mainly carnivorous diet. That did not bother me, but your refusal to actually stick with your diet is obviously having negative effects on you. So,” he gave a sharp gesture to the still bleeding meat, “eat. I can leave the room if that would make you more comfortable.”
Danny had not eaten meat since two weeks ago and that was gray-ish meat from the store a few blocks away that tasted like ash in his mouth. The meta bit was wrong but Damian did seem like he cared; and honestly, Danny was a bit too hungry to second guess his intentions. So, why not?
The first bite into the bloody meat made Danny realize just how hungry he was. He tore into it, disregarding any mess he made. It was so good, Danny felt a little drunk. His eating became faster; he forgot about the other person in the room. The blood tasted like the most divine thing in the entire world; he felt a dribble of it run down his chin but he was too busy to care.
He didn’t know how long it had been, but his frenzy died down as the last bite of meat disappeared. He sat there, feeling full for the first time in a long time, absently licking his lips and tasting blood.
A wet cloth touched his face, and Danny tried to focus on the hand attached to it but his mind felt hazy from the satisfaction eating gave him. The cloth wiped the lower half of his face where most of the blood was smeared. “Next time, Fenton, perhaps you will actually use the utensils beside the plate.”
Danny felt a purr build up at the affection. Ancients, when was the last time he actually purred? Years ago, probably.
The cloth paused, and then moved on to Danny’s bloody hands. “You’re definitely a meta, or at the very least not a base-line human. Maybe the next cut of meat should be less bloody.”
“No,” Danny immediately denied, voice hoarse. “The blood is—it’s the best part.” He remembered his manners. “Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” It was a mumbled slur of words Danny wasn’t entirely sure Damian caught.
Damian took the cloth and wiped away some missed blood on Danny’s jaw. “You are welcome.”
Let Damian give Danny a bag of blood to snack on after a busy day even though Danny says he doesn't need it. Because clearly Danny can't take care of himself, and Damian can. So just take the bag, Danny.
But where's the blood coming from?
Don't worry about it.
Now, Danny's even more worried, not enough to waste the blood, but you know that's shady, right, Da- wai- Damian, come back here!
The blood is actually Damian’s. He convinced Dr. Leslie to have the Batfamily start donating blood to her in case they need a blood transfusion. Damian then began to occasionally nick a bag of his own blood to give to Danny.
Let's say "sharing ectoplasm" is part of intimate ghost bonding.
Now if/when Danny learns where the blood is coming from... he really needs to have a chat with his roommate before his ghost instincts get the best of him.
Danny is old(young adult), on the run, and under a fake name. He is also neighbors with young Jason and became a safe place for him to crash or someone he can ask for stuff when they are running out of food.
That doesn't change even when he starts living with the Wayne's. And even after that
Aka next door neighbor unofficial uncle Danny
(It'll be funnier if he accumulated Bruce's kids, becoming their safe space and became their unofficial godfather too, and he's STILL in hiding. Someone save him. Bruce still doesn't know about him least of all his 'meta' abilities)
Danny was aware that he'd let himself go in terms of appearance, but he was equally aware that by doing that he'd given himself a disguise. He looked just shy of homeless, and after wandering around Metropolis for a bit, he'd decided to go to Gotham, where he'd fit in far better.
Where he wouldn't draw attention to himself.
Plus, there were more ways to earn money under the table in Gotham.
The rush to leave Amity had meant a lot of unfinished business, a lot of goodbyes that were never said, a lot of things left behind, and a lot of secrets being revealed.
For instance, that no one was actually allowed to leave Amity.
He'd learned that when Tucker and Sam had been forced to use themselves as a distraction so he could run.
He'd been on his own, with a backpack full of money that Sam had all but thrown at him, a list on company stocks that Tucker had been raving about (it was from the future, apparently? Tucker had managed to annoy Clockwork into giving it to him. Somehow. Or perhaps Clockwork had foreseen Danny's current predicament.), and a PDF capable of breaching the Pentagon that he didn't know how to really use.
Once he'd reached Gotham, the Identity was the first thing he needed to get under wraps. Luckily, there was no shortage of people who would make incredibly good fakes for a pittance. Oversaturated markets were good for consumers, bad for sellers, and Danny got to take full advantage of that.
The hardest part was the name.
He couldn't go by Danny. He couldn't use Fenton. He...
Wait.
Jasper.
Jasper Dante Nightingale.
Because if he had to name himself, he was naming himself after the strongest version of himself that he knew, Dan, and the best parental figure he'd ever had, Jazz.
That way he could still go by Danny. Easy.
Setting up the identity of Jasper Nightingale had cost him around 12k. That included the IDs, the false paper trail, the Social Security Number (that had been the most expensive bit, since he'd wanted one that wasn't stolen), and the transcripts for a college he'd never been to. The backpack had 15k left. He knew he needed to put about 10k of that into those stocks on that list, and 2k for a computer with which to do that as well as clothes and a mattress, at the very least.
That left him with 3k for an apartment, with no credit history and a suspiciously new drivers license, but no references.
He needed a landlord that wouldn't ask any questions and had cheap rent.
It didn't take long to find out where the cheapest apartments were; Crime Alley.
He got a cheap laptop, a cheap mattress, some thriftstore clothes, some groceries, and moved in.
It wasn't great, not by any stretch of the word, but it was safe and it was his.
~~~~~~
Danny shoved his out-of-control hair out of his face and stared down, bewildered, at the small kid in front of him.
The kid glares up at him, ears a bright red to match his face.
"Do you..." the kid trailed off, finally looking away and to the side.
Danny had just gotten back from his shift at the gas station, had gone through three robberies while at work, and had been the one to close after also being the one to open because the robbers had shot Jessica through the leg. He was tired, he smelled like disinfectant and old hot dogs, and he'd literally just let his hair out of its weird half-ponytail.
He really, really wanted to go to sleep and thoroughly begin his enjoyment of his first day off in three weeks.
"Look, kid, I'm a little busy, can this-?"
"We're out of food," said kid finally spat out, not looking up. "Do you. Do you have any extra?"
Ah balls.
"...Yeah, I've got some cans of Spaghettios somewhere around here. One second." It was fine. As a Halfa, Danny didn't need to eat as often as a human.
He just. Kinda liked doing it.
Also he'd been looking forward to those Spaghettios.
It was fine, he'd just skip dinner and hit up the gas station tomorrow for the "lost" stock that everyone picked away from.
He gathered up the four cans of barely-pasta he'd been carefully stowing away for his day off and made his way back to the door, handing them off to the kid. It wasn't without a pang, though. He'd been careful to get the ones that had meatballs in them.
But the kid needed it.
"Th-thanks," said kid ground out, eyes clearly watering even as he darted down the hallway to another apartment.
Danny sighed and shut his door, making his way to where he'd hidden his laptop and list of stocks.
If he was going to be feeding another mouth, and that mouth's family, then he needed to see if any of his stocks were ready to sell.
~~~~~~
Danny's hair was finally in the stage where it could go entirely into the ponytail when he tied it back.
Finally, he could work with it out of his eyes!
The beard was easier to maintain, even if he was sloppy about it and perpetually looked like he had a five-o-clock shadow.
He'd also been promoted to manager of the gas station! So like, five more bucks an hour! Granted, the only reason he'd been promoted was his ability to look down the barrel of a gun and not blink, partnered with his tendency to pick up robbers and physically throw them outside, but still! He'd take it.
He just needed to keep the job for two years or so, and then one of the stocks he'd gotten would be ready to sell, according to the list that Clockwork had left him. Then, then, he could maybe catch a bit of a break.
To celebrate, with his first manager paycheck, he decided to treat himself.
He got some two-dollar steaks, a bag of frozen veggies, some potatoes, green onions, butter, and rice.
Things would be tight until his next paycheck after bills and all, but when weren't they?
He was allowed to have happy moments where he could.
When he got to his apartment, though, there was a kid sitting in front of it.
The kid looked up at Danny, and very pointedly tried not to stare at the grocery bags.
Danny looked down at the kid, grip tightening on said grocery bags.
"...You and your folks need food?" Danny asked, keeping his dismay off of his face.
"...Mom's in the hospital. Dad's out at...work. Just me."
"Nothing in the apartment?" Danny asked, trying to comprehend why the kid would be left alone by his father.
"Dad was supposed to come back with some food two days ago."
Fuck.
Danny wasn't about to call the police or whatever New Jersey's Child Protective Services were called, not with what he knew about Gotham. Maybe the kid's dad was just delayed. Yeah.
All Danny had to do was play babysitter.
"Okay. That's shit. Come on in, I've got enough for two anyways."
~~~~~~
The kid's name was Jason, and Jason stayed in his own apartment, and only dropped by for food or leftovers.
Danny picked up a second job just to feed the kid.
He'd been wrong to be hopeful about Jason's dad, though. The man had died as a goon to a villain called Two Face, just trying to make ends meet.
So, since Jason's mother was on welfare and disability, Danny didn't mind picking up the slack to make sure her and Jason were fed.
Danny's second job at least allowed him to stay at the apartment; repairing odd household items. Vacuum cleaners, toasters, TVs and such.
Which was good, because Jason was spending more and more time over as his place.
Danny didn't mind though; he let the kid go on and on about school, or a book he'd read, or a cool car he'd seen, and quietly work on repairing whatever it was he was working on that day.
But one day Jason had come in, pale and shaking, and just sat next to Danny, leaning into him, not saying anything at all.
Danny let him, confused.
"...Mom's in the bathroom," Jason finally whispered, after half an hour.
Danny didn't say anything, still very much not understanding what was happening.
"She's on the floor. She's cold. She's not breathing. I don't...I can't..."
Danny tugged Jason into a bear hug, careful not to break the human with his enhanced strength.
~~~~~~
Jason refused to stay in Danny's apartment. He also refused to go to the CPP. Danny couldn't adopt him, because his false papertrail wouldn't withstand the background check that they'd do for adoption. He also didn't make nearly enough money to support a child.
The best Danny got was getting Jason to agree to stay with him when it was cold.
Jason, due to dodging the CPP, also couldn't go to school. Or any of the shelters.
Danny really, really tried to give the kid an education whenever Jason decided to stay, but he wasn't a teacher.
Then, one day, Jason had come over and was actually well-dressed.
He was clean. He looked healthy.
He'd been adopted by the richest man in Gotham.
Danny made him promise to drop by whenever he felt like things were too much, or if Wayne turned out to be an asshole.
~~~~~~
Jason had brought someone over.
It was an angry teenager, who was furious to be in the same city as Bruce Wayne.
The teen, who called himself Dick, was also angry at Danny for 'taking advantage' of a kid.
Jason, the little shit, had just sat on the sidelines and eaten from Danny's last bag of chips while Danny tried to explain why Jason kept coming over.
"Look kid, I used to babysit him when he lived here, that's it-"
"-Then why is he still coming over here? What are you bribing him with? No one hangs out with their old babysitter!"
"Clearly I'm bribing him with chips, since he's just eaten the last of mine."
Dick snapped and took a swing at Danny.
Danny caught it by reflex alone.
"Gonna need more strength than that to knock down the Bouncer of O'Haire's Gas Station, Dick," Jason drawled from the countertop, having moved on to eating Danny's apples.
Danny tossed a small glare over his shoulder, and Jason shrugged at him.
"You help people. He's angry like, all the time. Help him."
Danny frowned, turning around to look at the rowdy teenager.
He looked pissed, alright, but his eyes were a little distant. Danny looked back over at Jason; he was pretending to be relaxed, but that was definitely stress eating.
Time to separate them, then.
"...Jay," Danny said, interrupting whatever Dick was about to say to the human vacuum. "The emergency stash in the coffee tin in the freezer? Go get everyone some ice cream."
Jason complained, but it was for show as he practically bolted out of the room.
"Now, who really pissed you off? Was it Wayne? Is he actually a bitch?"
~~~~~~
Dick had apparently decided that Danny was alright.
Dick also had weird friends.
Dick had also decided that whenever he came to Gotham, he would stay with Danny instead of Bruce.
The bright side of this was that when he brought his friends along, they'd bring food to restock his fridge with.
~~~~~~
Jason slammed into Danny's apartment, thoroughly scaring the shit out of him.
"Dick said I should stay here until B pulls his head out of his ass. Also I stole his card."
They went out and got the most expensive groceries they could.
They ate popcorn and watched pirated movies on Danny's small, only a little broken, TV he'd saved from the garbage.
Jason told him about finding his mom's letter, about the birth mom.
That he wanted to go meet her.
Danny...
Danny was about to quit anyways; he'd finally reached one of the marks and sold all of his stocks in Lexcorp, and he had a very nice full bank account. It wasn't a lot, compared to other people, but he hadn't had a lot to put in.
But three mill was still three mill.
He could definitely take the time to make sure Jason wasn't going to get hurt.
Danny asked if he could come along to escort.
~~~~~~
Danny really, really didn't like clowns.
So when he'd seen one in that warehouse, after he'd slept off whatever drug that Shiela bitch had fed him, beating the shit out of Jason?
Well.
Ethiopia was not the same government as America.
As long as Danny didn't transform into Phantom, then it was fine.
By the time Batman got there, the Joker would never move again.
His shattered spine ensured it.
Apparently there'd been bombs as well? Danny hadn't noticed them, and they'd never been primed, so he didn't really care about that.
What he did care about was that his sort-of-a kid was apparently Robin, and that Bruce fucking Wayne didn't know how to say no to a child.
~~~~~~
Jason would be in a wheelchair for a year, maybe two.
Danny knew it was time to move.
He kept the price low, stayed in the 'bad' area of town, and bought an old firehouse.
It was big, it was sturdy, and it was perfect to renovate into something Jason could easily maneuver through.
~~~~~~
There was a small child staring up at him, stopping him from entering his new house.
Well, child was a bit much.
Still small for a tween, though.
"Um. Hi?" Danny offered, balancing six 2x4s on his shoulder while he carried a box for a circular saw under the other arm.
"Hi."
Okay.
"Can I help you?" Danny tried again, trying to pretend like he was straining to carry his very heavy items.
"Oh, you don't have to pretend. I know you're Superman."
Danny stopped pretending, not because the kid was right, but from the sheer absurdity of that accusation.
"Well. That's wrong, first off, and second; can you please let me go inside?"
The kid jumped and turned to open the huge doors.
...
The doors that Danny had definitely locked.
"Kid, who are you?" Danny asked, walking inside and being careful not to knock the kid out with one of the boards.
"My name is Tim Drake, and you have to stop Batman!"
~~~~~~
"So...You're not Superman."
"No, I'm not."
"You just have super strength-"
"-Enhanced strength, there's a difference-"
"-And just happen to be close with Batman's family."
"Still not sure how you figured that out, but yes."
"And he won't listen to you if you tell him to stop?"
"I mean. Probably not? I've never actually met him, so."
"Well he's sent multiple people to the hospital. Think you can try?"
~~~~~~
"Oh thank fuck, you're here." Jason sighed, slouching in his wheelchair. "The boob's downstairs, glaring at the computer to convince himself I'm alive instead of actually coming up here and talking to me."
"Wow. Okay, yeah, I'll go talk to him. Hey, watch the kid for me, yeah?"
Danny made his way to the professional looking Butler man, totally not eavesdropping on the interaction behind him.
"Wait, aren't you the stalker kid?"
Damn, he should have stayed back there to listen in more openly.
~~~~~~
"How did you get in here?"
"Butler let me in."
"Why are you-what have you done to my car?"
"Not just the car, every vehicle down here and up in your normal garage. No patrol until you stop trying to beat people to death."
"You can't stop me-"
"-I can, actually, but I'm not going to. She is."
Danny nodded his head at the Batcomputer, where the profile for Black Canary was pulled up.
"I can easily defeat her."
"I'm telling you to go to therapy, dude, you actually really need it."
~~~~~~
Bruce Wayne, the real him and not the stupid mask he put on for Gotham, caved and agreed to therapy after the seventh consecutive day of Danny sabotaging his vehicles.
The man's butler may or may not have helped with that decision, when said butler kept letting Danny in.
~~~~~~
Tim, Dick, and Jason made it a habit to pop by Danny's place so often that they had designated rooms.
That was fine, there was a lot of rooms.
But it was starting to get a little...concerning? How often they chose staying at Danny's over going home.
The living room had bookshelves, since Jay kept leaving them lying around. Everything was wheelchair accessible.
The old garage was full of acrobat practice equipment, so that Dick could burn off some of that eternal energy. That did not stop him from finding ways to lounge in places he should not have been able to get to.
Tim's projects littered the coffee table, and his skateboard was more often than not leaned up against the couch.
All of their rooms were fully furnished, even if the rest of the house still needed renovations and repairs.
~~~~~~
There was a strange, blonde girl sitting at the table with Tim.
Tim looked up at Danny, unashamed.
"...I'll get another room ready."
As he turned and went back down the hallway, he heard the girl pipe up.
"That was way easier than you said it would be!"
~~~~~~
"-And I really think that she just needs some help! She can definitely be hero material, I know it." Dick finished, brandishing his spoon and splattering the back of Tim's laptop with milk.
Tim looked disgusted.
Danny was...concerned.
Because everything Dick was describing to him about this...this Catalina, sounded very much like manipulation.
"One second," Danny muttered, getting up from the table and looking around for a spare piece of wood or something.
There! It was perfect! Small and round and not that sharp.
Danny didn't even bother hiding it as he grabbed a nail and stabbed a hole in the wood with his bare hands.
Next, he carved the sigil of the Fright Knight into it, and wrote on the back in Ghostspeak about what debt that would erase if the Fright Knight allowed the summons.
Then, a drop of his own blood.
With a soft flash of green, the regular piece of wood became a summoning spell.
"Wear this, every time you deal with her," Danny instructed, looping some extra twine through the hole he'd made and handing it over to Dick. "I don't trust her."
Jay, Dick, Tim, and Stephanie did not mention the very clear magic they'd just seen.
Dick put on the necklace.
~~~~~~
It was in the very early hours when Danny felt that necklace get activated, and felt the Fright Knight allow the summons.
Dick was in good hands.
Terrifying hands, but good for protection.
~~~~~~
Dick stared up at him, and the red-head next to him looked startled.
Danny was tired.
"Is she another one we-?"
"No! No, she's fine, she's got a place. Unless you want a place here?"
The girl shook her head, starting to flush from embarassment.
"Okay. Just. Dick, come on man, you have a bed. The couch? Really?" Danny groaned, walking past the rumpled pair and into the hallway.
"We weren't doing anything!" Dick called out, desperately trying to deny it.
~~~~~~
Danny's new place wasn't perfect, but he was starting to come up on the dates for selling the other stocks he'd gotten, so the surprise fixes weren't an issue.
He was in the middle of installing the new cabinets when the lift he'd had installed activated, and Jason rolled in.
"One second, I have to finish up." Danny called out, trying to hurry without actually messing anything up.
He finally wriggled out and made his way over to Jason, who seemed...off. Not in a bad way, but in a 'he's thinking deeply' way.
Danny decided to wait it out.
"I'm gonna order some Korean. You want any?"
"Uh, yeah. Some Kimchi Pancakes, or Tteokbokki." Jason muttered, wheeling himself to the kitchen.
That...wasn't a super healthy choice. But sure.
The food had just been delivered and Danny was setting it out on the table when Jason started talking.
"I'll make a full recovery, aside from some pain, but. I. I don't want to be Robin."
Danny sat down, giving Jason all of his attention.
"What do you want, then?" He asked, completely nonjudgmental.
"I think I want to do what Dick did. I want to make my own Mantle."
"Okay. Well, let me grab one of the spare notebooks Tim left behind and we can start brainstorming. But Jay." Danny said, waiting until Jason looked him in the eyes. "You don't have to be a hero at all, if that's what you want. I'm not telling you to retire, I'm just saying that if you want to, you can. No one will judge you for it."
He pretended not to notice Jason rubbing away the tears that had started up as he made for the living room.
~~~~~~
Apparently, Tim had been going out to tail Batman even after Batman stopped beating people within an inch of their life.
He found this out not because he stumbled across something like a bunch of photographs of Batman, or because he interrupted Tim trying to sneak in, or because he caught Tim trying to use the acrobatic equipment downstairs.
No, he found out because the little fuck called him and asked if he knew how to stitch up a bullet wound.
Naturally, Danny had called Bruce and snitched.
~~~~~~
Dick and Jason had come to the unanimous decision to give Robin to Tim.
Not because they wanted him to be a hero or put his life at risk, they just decided the best way to leash him was to tie him to Batman directly.
Batman's argument was shutdown by Jay and Dick, as one, unanimously pointing at Tim Drake's new bullet wound.
~~~~~~
Tim was being sent overseas for training.
Danny hadn't known about that, not until Tim had called to let him know that he'd arrived safe and sound.
Danny dropped everything to go to Bruce Wayne's house and yell at him, as well as to go over who was supposed to be training Tim and what safety measures were in place.
~~~~~~
Tim ditched the safety measures. Tim ditched his assigned teacher and managed to get taught by Lady Shiva.
Danny wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry.
Bruce, predictably, got growly.
~~~~~~
The renovations were finally done, and Danny leaned against the new countertop for the bathroom.
He looked nothing like he had when he'd left Amity Park.
His hair was well to his waist, an unruly mass that looked like it could come alive at any moment. The perpetual five-o-clock shadow successfully hit any and all baby fat he might have had left over. His eyes had taken on a teal color instead of blue, probably due to neglecting his Ghost form.
"Oh my god are you about to flex?!" Stephanie laughed, snapping him out of it.
Right.
He had other things to worry about.
Like what he was going to feed the four black holes that were under his roof.
~~~~~~
He hadn't even noticed the fifth room being taken.
He'd just walked into what he thought was a storage room, and instead came face to face with a black haired teen that was letting Stephanie to her nails.
The room was entirely furnished and done up.
"Uh...Okay then. Steph, where's the things I used to have in this room?"
"We moved them to the last room down the hall."
"Great, thanks. Hello whoever you are." Danny offered, and the black haired girl gave a vibrant smile back.
He liked her, he decided.
~~~~~~
The earthquake had been an awful surprise.
Danny was very fortunate that his renovated fire house was sturdy. Also that he had been reinforcing it with magic sigils activated with his blood.
He'd have to find a way to thank Sam for-
Oh.
Right.
So many years, and he still forgot.
~~~~~~
Arkham had suffered a mass breakout. Cops weren't in control anymore. Batman was off doing who knew what, and Danny would deal with him when he had time.
But currently he was working with Nightwing, Spoiler, Batgirl, Orphan, and Robin as their coordinator from his currently reinforced house to try to keep order.
With Jason not ready to go out yet, and still wheelchair bound, he and Danny worked day and night to funnel information to the rest of the Bat Clan.
All of them were working as hard as they could.
And apparently Robin had run away from his father?
Concerning, he'd look into that later.
But for all their efforts, it wasn't working.
They needed a stronger deterrent.
They needed someone like Batman. Superman, if no one else was available.
Like Phantom.
Who was available.
At the price of everything he'd built, he could bring order to Gotham.
~~~~~~
Phantom, the first meta who had taken up the mantel of 'hero', made his second debut in Gotham.
He made sure to alter his suit, however, so that his face was hidden.
He wore a gas mask, glowing a sickly radioactive green, and essentially bitch-slapped anyone who tried to step out of line.
He was a very successful deterrent.
He stayed and kept order right up until he saw men in very familiar white suits starting to try to infiltrate the city.
Then, he tagged out.
Batman had returned, after all, and he could handle the city while Danny prepared to run.
~~~~~~
Batman released a public statement.
He had summoned a being from another world to help maintain order in Gotham while he'd been predisposed.
Once he'd been ready to come back, he'd dismissed said being.
The Guys in White slowly trickled out of Gotham.
~~~~~~
"I'm working on them," Bruce told Danny as they watched the kids try to outdo each other on the practice mats. "But the laws are filled with so many loopholes, it'll take a year or so to weed them out. Them, and whoever signed off on them."
Danny very deliberately did not look at him.
"They won't take you."
~~~~~~
Jason got better.
Jason took on the moniker of 'The Red Hood', to reclaim some of the fear that had haunted him since the Joker tried to kill him.
He still had days where it hurt to walk, but ultimately nothing stopped him from gearing up and going back to protecting Gotham. Specifically, Crime Alley.
Danny's house, more or less, became his permanent residence.
~~~~~~
Danny walked up to his front door, and a small, angry child glared up at him.
With a horrible sense of déjà vu, Danny took a deep breath through his nose.
"One of Bruce's kids, or adjacent?"
"You would dare to insinuate that I am not the blood son of Bruce Wayne?"
Oh yeah. That was Bruce's kid, through and through.
"One of the others left you here with a note, didn't they?"
For a half a second, he though that the kid wouldn't fess up. Then a note was begrudgingly handed over.
It was from Dick.
Apparently, he wanted Danny to 'work his magic' and tame the kid, who's name was Damian.
Danny frowned and looked up, taking in Damian's...everything.
Oh.
Oh that child was liminal as fuck.
No wonder he was difficult. There was no way normal humans were meeting his basic needs of conflict; of course he'd lash out.
"One second," Danny muttered, taking out his phone and shooting off a text to Bruce that he needed to hurry on that certain thing because his kids were now in it as well.
Then he turned off his phone, reached over the kid to unlock the door, and nodded to the house.
