Ruminations

Art Enjoyer. Art Reblogger.

[remosdeerica]

DeadSerious prompt: #3

If there is one thing that Damian is afraid of, it's his mother and grandfather going after Danny.

Danny is one of the few normal people Damian has ever met that he actually likes to spend time with. And one of the only ones that can stand to spend time with him.

They've only been dating for a few months but already Damian knows that he loves Danny. He just hasn't gotten up the courage to explain the whole... Former assassin thing. Or the son of Batman thing. Or being Robin. Or that he maybe doesn't want to be Robin anymore...

He has talked to him about med school though. Damian thinks he deserves some points for that.

Needless to say, Damian knows that he's hiding a huge part of his life from Danny. And the longer he goes without telling him, the more likely it is to blow up in his face.

So one night Damian asks Danny to come over to the Manor and have dinner with him. He asked Alfred to help him make dinner for Danny as a way of hopefully smoothing over what he was about to tell him.

But Danny never shows. And he doesn't answer his phone when Damian tries to call him.

Immediately Damian is panicking. Even when they fight they never go no contact. Gotham is a dangerous city, they promised each other that they would always respond to a text or call no matter how angry they were with each other.

Instantly Damian suspects the al Ghuls.

And he's correct. Talia wasn't sure exactly what to make of Damian's paramour. He's quite handsome, with ice blue eyes and unruly black hair. His fashion choices could use a bit of work, but she can see why her son might be drawn to the young man.

But what perplexes her is that she has very theatrically kidnapped him... And he seems completely unbothered by this fact.

They are sitting together at a small table with tea and biscuits surrounded by league assassins and the boy is happily munching away on the biscuits without a care in the world. His innocent eyes taking in the people around them and giving them a kind smile.

"So, you're Damian's mom, right?" The boy asks.

"I am his mother, yes..."

"Yeah, I can tell. He looks just like you. Pretty and dangerous." The boy smiles at her.

Talia can admit that she's a bit flattered. Usually people go on and on about how her son resembles his father. It's nice to know that at least someone sees her in his features.

"You are Daniel Fenton." Not a question.

"Yup! Although I prefer Danny if you don't mind. Only people who want to kill me call me Daniel."

Talia smiled darkly, "and what makes you think I don't want to kill you."

The boy, Danny, just blinks at her and cocks his head in consideration. "Just a feeling," he says.

Before Talia can say more her son bursts into the room adorned in his Robin gear.

"Mother!" He cries frantically. "Release Danny at once!"

Before Talia can respond Danny laughs. "Oh, come on, Angel. Your mom is just looking out for you. We're all friends here."

Danny then takes a sip of the tea. Oh dear, Talia perhaps should have thought twice about brewing poison tea. It's one thing to poison her son's paramour when they are alone. Doing it with Damian in the room will likely result in her son not talking to her for a very long time.

But nothing happens. Well, nothing except for the wide smile that Danny makes when he looks over at Talia and exclaims " Oh my Ancients, I LOVE Belladonna tea! How did you know?"

Perhaps this boy is worthy of marrying into the family after all.

[nerdpoe]

still not for tiktok y'all's scalpers still don't have permission to rip my shit

Danny's been cornered by the worst kind of villain imaginable; reporters.

Okay, well, more like he's trapped in the same room as them and one of them is just asking random questions to keep him calm while they free him from one of Vlad's new and improved torture cubes. Some Metropolis vultures, a big farm dude named Clark and a sharp scary woman named Lois.

"You're a ghost, right?" Clark asks, straining as he tries to, according to him at least, hold open a panel for Lois to get into. "Do you have any living family you'd like for us to reach out to?"

Danny...Danny decides to give the craziest, bullshit answer he possibly can.

"Not in the normal sense; I'm a failed cloning attempt that was a mix of Superboy and Red Robin."

Clark seems to twitch, and Lois chokes on air.

"But you uh...are, what, only a few years younger than them?" Lois asks when she regains composure of herself.

"I mean I was adopted by Kronos, the timestream is a bit optional, so..."

The cube straight up cracks in half, and Danny shoots into the air, laughing.

"Thanks! One second this won't take long!"

Danny leaves the two reporters, unaware of the shitstorm he's left behind.

[writingpitcheswearingpearls]

The question isn't if Kon and Tim would go along with it for the bit.

The question is how little information would they need in order to go along with it for the bit

[nerdpoe]

lol from having read young justice it'd be from "a clone died but had developed a soul and his ghost got adopted by kronos"

"Yeah that's our long lost son, Bartholomew Sandsmark."

"Yeah, we named him after Bart and Cassie."

[lunar-fandom-eclipse]

Or...

Do Tim and Kon take this not as a bit, but as truth? Do they think that someone got their DNA and cloned them? Danny never said who did the cloning after all.

How much information do they need to go from "holy shit we have a SON we have to take care of our BOY!" to being absolutely committed to the bit?

[thatrandomsarahchick]

So there's this one point in the comics when Kon died, Bart died, and Bruce got lost in the timestream (they thought he died). I think Steph was also faking her death at this point, and Tim had just come off of the 16th birthday test from Bruce where Bruce pretended someone was going to betray the family and Tim went a bit crazy trying to figure it out - he went full paranoia over it. Oh, also Damian had been repeatedly trying to murder Tim, and then Dick took Robin from Tim and gave it to Damian.

Anyway, shortly after Kon dies, Tim goes a bit crazy and tries to clone him a bunch of times. I believe at one point he even tries to combine their DNA. They all ultimately fail and shortly afterwards he goes on the Worst World Tour Ever, where he loses a spleen and takes down multiple assassin organisations in his pursuit to prove that Bruce isn't dead.

Tim gets his proof and the Justice League rescue Bruce from the timestream, while Tim finishes crippling Ra's Al Ghul.

Shortly after this, we find out that Kon and Bart were brought back to life in the future and then they travel back in time, and we find out that Steph is not dead. Tim takes on the mantle Red Robin, and then we never really mention the cloning thing again.

So ... it is entirely possible that Danny could have been a failed clone that gained sentience and was ghost-adopted by Kronos. It honestly would not have been the widest thing to come out of that year for Tim.

[nerdpoe]

I know Tim's cloning lab was destroyed, but I can't really remember who was responsible for that destruction; was it Clark or Tim himself?

[thatrandomsarahchick]

I know it was one of Lex Luthor's old labs, but I don't remember it specifically being destroyed. From my memory, I think Cassie finds the lab and stops him from keeping going with the cloning. I think that's where they had their falling out?

I'd have to unearth my comic books to double check, but I've just moved and I have no idea which box that run is stored in.

[barefeet-only]

Danny and Damian are related, with a twist.

Danny is the son of Talia Al Ghul, however he is NOT the son of Bruce Wayne. Ra’s has had his eyes on various people across the world that have either impressed him or show a unique skill set that he’d like to have. One such person was under the both categories and he got Talia to collect a DNA sample and as a result Danny was born.

This was before Bruce’s time with the League by a few years, but very quickly Danny was not meeting expectations. And by the time Bruce did show up Ra’s had lost all interest in Danny, moving on to better things.

Talia always hated Danny because she was forced to have him with a man who she never liked in the first place. Furthermore, because his skillset was lacking she found that even more reason for her distain. In her eyes, he wasn’t worth even considering her blood.

Danny, knowing that he was doomed if he didn’t make an escape, left the league sometime around when Bruce was moving up the ranks and was making waves within the organization. Perfect timing honestly, any attention he might have had was quickly gone when this prodigy showed up.

Danny escaped the League and went into hiding quickly after, settling on a rural area of the United States after bouncing around countries for a few months. This was mainly because Jasmine Fenton saw a young boy pick pocketing strangers while her family was visiting Chicago and scolded him. Her mother and father saw the boy and also lectured him to which Danny responded it was his only option (he was trying to get this loud family off his back so he could sneak away). Eventually the Fentons decide that if he has nowhere to go he might as well go with us, and Danny decides blending in with a Nuclear Family is the best way to ensure that his peaceful life away from the League stays that way. Oh how little did he know.

Flash forward a few years, Talia, who was visiting Gotham to check on Damian, sees a glimpse of a boy (now man) she thought she had forgotten. Her blood runs cold, if this abomination is in Gotham then her son is likely in danger and she would never let anything happen to Damian.

[writer-of-fandoms-4321]

Danny had been in Gotham scouting for colleges, Gotham University wasn't half bad if you got past the fact that the physic's teacher was a villain on the side, and the Headmaster was sort of insane. He had felt a glare burn into his back, and hadn't thought much of it until he had been wandering a fairly empty park.

"Danyal." He sighed, and counted backwards inpig latin, searching for the illusive feeling of patience.

"Talia." Not mother, never mother.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, Danny turned finally, staring at the woman he used to think hung the stars in the sky. "Collage. Might go here." he said in the most nonchalant voice he could summon. "Then again, I do have a full ride at a few other places, so it's really just looking."

"I don't how you found out about Damian but I will not let you harm him-" Danny blinked, then blinked again. He took a deep breath, then exhaled.

"Who?" talia cut off mid rant her eyes wide and oh would you look at that, Robin and Batman were hovering at the edge of the park how nice.

When Talia didn't say anything, still staring dumbly at Danny. And he sighed, Maddie, who in his mind, was his actual mother was beginning to approach from behind.

Danny might not be considered and Al Ghul, but he still knew how to read a situation.

Why else would Talia be in Gotham if not to visit her beloved and their child?

"He's your son isn't he?"

Talia tensed as if he had spat at her.

And Danny just felt tired. He didn't hold anything against Damian, but he dispised the woman in front of him with a passion that rivaled obsession.

Maddie was closer now, and so was Batman and Robin.

"Look Talia, I don't give two flying fucks about you, who ever you slept with, or whatever brat you had. I stopped giving any shits about you or what you do in your free time when you kicked me out and told me to 'fend do yourself you abomination.' So kindly, get the hell out of my life, I'm not some vengeful-" "Dan-o!" Maddie's voice cut through the tension like a knife, and Danny smiled wide and warm.

"Oh, hey mom, thought you were still in the car." he commented, leaning into the tight side hug he was given.

"Well you were taking forever, and I could've sworn the ecto-detectors went up!" his mother chirped, before she caught sight of Talia, and finally seemed to read how tense Danny was. "Danny whose this?"

Danny looked his birth giver dead in the eyes.

"No one important." he said in a dead tone. Turning around he began to slink away. "I"m skipping Gotham University, to many unpleasant figures, to little learning." Madide blinked then smiled.

"Ah, well, Star City is much better, want to head there next?"

"Yeah, that'd be great." _____________________________

Talia blinked after the boy and the redhead.

He had called her mom.

She had been 'no one important.'

Didn't her boy once look at her like she had hung the very sky?

She had ruined that, hadn't she.

but why was he calling that woman mom?

She was his mother.

She was.

"Talia." Danny's voice called. She hadn't seen him turn back, nor the way the woman paused. "Kindly stay at least 100 miles from my Family. I don't need you ruining that too."

And then he left.

ANd something ugly curled in her chest.

[leilakeila]

Oh I like that!

Better even if Batman and Robin finally approach Talia to find that Damian has an older brother (half-brother).

Funny if the way Danny looks makes Bruce think he had another kid before Damian and then learns it is actually not his kid biologically.

[zealouswitchwerewolf]

Kind of want no one to know who Danny's bio dad is (only Ra's but he doesn't count). It doesn't truly matter to the parties involved, Talia hates that she didn't choose him or even know him, Danny already has a dad and has no need for another, Ra's won't tell. All in all, this just makes Bruce more convinced that he is in fact the father. The less proof of the contrary the more he believes it. After all, if it wasn't him, why would they waste so much time trying to hide it?

It would all be easier if Danny would let them take a quick blood sample to do a paternity test, alas the teen is nowhere to be seen most of the time and in his few appearances, he always notices someone's getting close to him before they have the chance to poke him.

Danny's very done with everything. He knows he's being stalked and just wants them to leave him alone. They haven't even tried to talk to him? At this point, he's considering moving to the infinite realms for a few years to see if he can lose them that way.

In the meantime, Damian's decided to go against his father's orders not to contact his brother and has set up a meeting. He doesn't particularly care if Danny is Bruce's son or not, he just wants to get to know his cool older brother who managed to leave the league and live a normal happy life without the protection of someone powerful like Batman.

[tim-drakes-missing-spleen]

Wait, what if after Danny meets Talia again or what ever, Ra's tries to summon the ghost king to find another way to stay forever immortal (or something like that) . Only to find out that the Ghost King is the same boy he once loathed for not being good enough. Like just imagine:

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

Ra's stared at Danny in shock after he emerged from the summoning circle.

Danny glared at Ra's while still wearing his pajamas. "Hey, asshole" He hissed.

Talia also stared at him in complete shock. "Danya-?!" She tried to say, but was quickly cut off.

Danny, who is now glaring at Talia as if she killed his family interupts her. "Shut up. Shut the fuck up." He tells her eerily. "I told you to stay away from me and my family, and yet here I am! You're both such pieces of shits, you know that?! Before you all hated me and treated me like an abomination, and yet you have the nerve to stand here and ask me for some sort of favor?! And before try to defend yourself, I know for a fact that you didn't just summmon me for fun, you want something, and I'm not going to give it to you."

Ra's face started to twist with annoyence rather than shock before he started to talk, venom laced in his voice. "Danyal, you are being unreasonable. You shall not prevent me from earning what I already deserve simply because you feel petty. You were once a disgrace to the Al Ghul bloodline, but now-"

Danny yet again interupts him, but now he looked downright pissed "Didn't I just tell you to; Shut. The. Fuck. Up!"

Th other members of the league watched in horror as the temperature in the room drastically went down, and a bone chilling wail escaped Danny's mouth. Danny took a deap breath to try to calm himself before he straightened his posture, and stared blankly at the people he used to call his family.

"I am done with you all constantly discriminating me for simply being human. I am done with looking up to you as if you were some sort of God. I am done with trying to prove myself to you both despite the fact that I will never be good enough for you. Most of all, I am done with the both of you. I was a child, I didn't deserve being treated like that." Danny spoke with a blank tone that got more and more vulnerable the longer he talked.

Talia tried to ignore the burning guilt in her gut as she listened to the boy who once adored her. She was once his inspiration, why could she only see that now? She looked at his empty face, and mentally compared it to the face of the boy who once looked at her with constellations in his eyes and a smile full of admiration.

Danny sighed.

"I am done. Don't ever contact me again." And with that Danny transformed into his ghost form, and left. Talia continued to stare at his retreating for even as Ra's voice registered in her brain. She simply just stared, and wondered why she never returned his love back when she had it.

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

But I don't know, that's just some random crack idea. However, if anyone has any fic recs for either the original post or this one, please comment them!

[levi-ethan]

I want to imagine the "3 strikes" thing with Talia. Like the summoning was the second time she tried to interfere in his life (albeit unintentionally this time), and seeing that Danyal holds a high position in the Infinite Realms means that he every authority on the Lazarus Pits.

But Talia couldnt accept it and plotted force Danyal to her side; Ra's didn't want anything to do with Danyal unless he became a problem, and this is a problem.

They planned on threatening Danyal's loved ones along with some sort of binding spell; he'd have behave and obey if they wanted to live.

Fortunately, they underestimated how crazy prepared Amity Park was and were swiftly countered point-blank with a gun. Maddie even had the pleasure of being the one who countered Talia; Mom to Mother after all. The binding spell didn't even work bc of Danyal's status/extremely powerful ghost.

Since this was the third time they tried to "take him back" - after explicitly mocking that he was a failure - it was the last straw and Danny ordered all of the lazarus Pits in the world to be sealed off and the bases collapsing. Ra's, Talia, and their entourage bore witness thru a portal of the collapse of the League and then came their punishments: Ra's residual ectoplasm was torn off his being as he slowly wrinkled and decayed into dust in front of his daughter's eyes. Talia's punishment was relatively more "simple"; since Damian still somewhat cared abt her, Talia would beaten down, then healed, and finally placed a curse on her. The markings would act as a police ankle tag, monitoring her movements and action; if she tries anymore shit with the LOA and his family, her soul will burn and immediately transported to Danny's castle for the final judgement.

Lest to say, shes learned a lesson. And the Batfam witnessed the whole thing in the bushes. Bruce technically unable to interfere with the killing thing and according to Constantine, the Dead have their power systems and rules, best not to interfere.

[e-e-e-s-the-avatar]

The Blue Spirit putting out firebending with a bucket of water is the absolute funniest thing ever done in avatar combat. It just is.

[e-e-e-s-the-avatar]

oh my god @murple

[barefeet-only]

Danny and Damian are related, with a twist.

Danny is the son of Talia Al Ghul, however he is NOT the son of Bruce Wayne. Ra’s has had his eyes on various people across the world that have either impressed him or show a unique skill set that he’d like to have. One such person was under the both categories and he got Talia to collect a DNA sample and as a result Danny was born.

This was before Bruce’s time with the League by a few years, but very quickly Danny was not meeting expectations. And by the time Bruce did show up Ra’s had lost all interest in Danny, moving on to better things.

Talia always hated Danny because she was forced to have him with a man who she never liked in the first place. Furthermore, because his skillset was lacking she found that even more reason for her distain. In her eyes, he wasn’t worth even considering her blood.

Danny, knowing that he was doomed if he didn’t make an escape, left the league sometime around when Bruce was moving up the ranks and was making waves within the organization. Perfect timing honestly, any attention he might have had was quickly gone when this prodigy showed up.

Danny escaped the League and went into hiding quickly after, settling on a rural area of the United States after bouncing around countries for a few months. This was mainly because Jasmine Fenton saw a young boy pick pocketing strangers while her family was visiting Chicago and scolded him. Her mother and father saw the boy and also lectured him to which Danny responded it was his only option (he was trying to get this loud family off his back so he could sneak away). Eventually the Fentons decide that if he has nowhere to go he might as well go with us, and Danny decides blending in with a Nuclear Family is the best way to ensure that his peaceful life away from the League stays that way. Oh how little did he know.

Flash forward a few years, Talia, who was visiting Gotham to check on Damian, sees a glimpse of a boy (now man) she thought she had forgotten. Her blood runs cold, if this abomination is in Gotham then her son is likely in danger and she would never let anything happen to Damian.

[writer-of-fandoms-4321]

Danny had been in Gotham scouting for colleges, Gotham University wasn't half bad if you got past the fact that the physic's teacher was a villain on the side, and the Headmaster was sort of insane. He had felt a glare burn into his back, and hadn't thought much of it until he had been wandering a fairly empty park.

"Danyal." He sighed, and counted backwards inpig latin, searching for the illusive feeling of patience.

"Talia." Not mother, never mother.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, Danny turned finally, staring at the woman he used to think hung the stars in the sky. "Collage. Might go here." he said in the most nonchalant voice he could summon. "Then again, I do have a full ride at a few other places, so it's really just looking."

"I don't how you found out about Damian but I will not let you harm him-" Danny blinked, then blinked again. He took a deep breath, then exhaled.

"Who?" talia cut off mid rant her eyes wide and oh would you look at that, Robin and Batman were hovering at the edge of the park how nice.

When Talia didn't say anything, still staring dumbly at Danny. And he sighed, Maddie, who in his mind, was his actual mother was beginning to approach from behind.

Danny might not be considered and Al Ghul, but he still knew how to read a situation.

Why else would Talia be in Gotham if not to visit her beloved and their child?

"He's your son isn't he?"

Talia tensed as if he had spat at her.

And Danny just felt tired. He didn't hold anything against Damian, but he dispised the woman in front of him with a passion that rivaled obsession.

Maddie was closer now, and so was Batman and Robin.

"Look Talia, I don't give two flying fucks about you, who ever you slept with, or whatever brat you had. I stopped giving any shits about you or what you do in your free time when you kicked me out and told me to 'fend do yourself you abomination.' So kindly, get the hell out of my life, I'm not some vengeful-" "Dan-o!" Maddie's voice cut through the tension like a knife, and Danny smiled wide and warm.

"Oh, hey mom, thought you were still in the car." he commented, leaning into the tight side hug he was given.

"Well you were taking forever, and I could've sworn the ecto-detectors went up!" his mother chirped, before she caught sight of Talia, and finally seemed to read how tense Danny was. "Danny whose this?"

Danny looked his birth giver dead in the eyes.

"No one important." he said in a dead tone. Turning around he began to slink away. "I"m skipping Gotham University, to many unpleasant figures, to little learning." Madide blinked then smiled.

"Ah, well, Star City is much better, want to head there next?"

"Yeah, that'd be great." _____________________________

Talia blinked after the boy and the redhead.

He had called her mom.

She had been 'no one important.'

Didn't her boy once look at her like she had hung the very sky?

She had ruined that, hadn't she.

but why was he calling that woman mom?

She was his mother.

She was.

"Talia." Danny's voice called. She hadn't seen him turn back, nor the way the woman paused. "Kindly stay at least 100 miles from my Family. I don't need you ruining that too."

And then he left.

ANd something ugly curled in her chest.

[zhelin-thames]

The quiet after Danny's departure settled over the park like a smothering fog. Talia stood unmoving, her expression unreadable, though her fingers had curled into trembling fists.

Batman and Robin approached with measured steps.

Damian's sharp green eyes flicked between his mother and the fading figures of Danny and the red-haired woman he had called Mom.

"Who was that?" Damian asked, voice clipped and low.

Talia didn't answer.

Bruce's jaw tightened. He already suspected, piecing together the fragments. The way Talia stared. The boy's words. His stance, his subtle movements-trained, but faded by years away from the League. And yet, unmistakable.

"You didn't tell me there was another," Bruce said coldly, voice carefully neutral.

Talia turned to him, a storm behind her eyes. "He was a failure," she spat. "Weak. Soft. Not fit to carry the Al Ghul name."

Damian blinked slowly. "Then why are you shaking?"

She said nothing.

Elsewhere - That Night

Danny sat on the motel bed, legs pulled to his chest, Maddie on the other bed quietly fiddling with a green-glowing device. She was giving him space-she always did when he got like this. When the old scars flared up under his skin and left him hollow.

She hadn't asked about the woman in the park. She hadn't needed to.

Jazz had always said that their mom was terrifying when she was calm. But Danny disagreed.

Maddie Fenton, ghost hunter, scientist, fiercely loving mother-not by blood, but by choice-was strongest when she didn't press.

Danny loved her for that.

"You okay, Dan-o?" she asked softly.

He swallowed. "Yeah. I just... forgot she existed for a while. Would've liked to keep it that way."

Maddie looked up, and for a second Danny saw that steel behind her eyes-the kind that had made literal ghosts tremble. "We don't have to go anywhere near Gotham again."

Danny smiled faintly. "Appreciate it."

Wayne Manor - The Next Day

Damian stood at the edge of the Batcave training room, not doing his usual warmups. His mind was elsewhere.

Bruce entered silently, eyes flicking toward his son.

"He's your brother."

It wasn't a question.

Damian nodded once. "Half."

There was no venom in the word. Just confusion.

"He looked... normal, Damian admitted. "But he

moved like one of us. And he called Mother 'no one important."

Bruce leaned against the railing above the training floor. "Respect is earned, Damian. Not forced. You

know that better than anyone."

"He didn't even look at me." Damian's voice dropped lower. "Like I wasn't even worth noticing."

Bruce didn't speak immediately. Then: "You've spent your whole life trying to earn Talia's respect. What if

he stopped trying long ago?"

Damian turned that over in his mind.

"And still turned out okay, Bruce added.

Three Days Later - Star City

The Fentons rolled into Star City with more gadgets than sense and a van that rattled like it was held together by duct tape and spite.

Danny was quietly hopeful. New city. New chance.

But of course, the universe had a sense of humor.

Because that very night, while he was checking out the physics department at a campus open house, a figure landed in front of him with a dramatic whoosh of a cape.

"You're Danyal."

Danny looked up from his clipboard, sighed, and

pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You're the demon brat, aren't you?"

Damian Wayne crossed his arms. "I came to see what kind of person you are."

"Should've just sent a friend request, man," Danny muttered.

"I want to know why she hates you so much."

Danny met Damian's gaze, something dangerous sparking behind his tired blue eyes. "Because I wasn't

what she wanted. And she doesn't know what it's like to love something without expecting it to be useful."

Damian blinked. That landed heavier than he expected.

Danny sighed, turning away. "Tell you what, Robin.

You stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours. I'm not trying to ruin anything you've got. I just want a

quiet life. That too much to ask?"

Damian hesitated.

Then: "Noted."

He turned and vanished into the night without another word.

And Danny?

Danny let out a long breath he hadn't known he was holding.

Star City might not be far enough after all.

Two Nights Later - Star City

The air in the park turned unnaturally still.

Leaves hung suspended midair.

Animals fell silent.

The kind of silence that made instinct scream wrong.

Danny felt it immediately. Not the cold of a ghost, not quite. But something older, steeped in arrogance and legacy. His fingers clenched around the thermos on his belt before he even saw the figure.

Ra's Al Ghul emerged from the shadows as if they bent to let him pass. Cloak trailing, stance regal, face unreadable.

Danny didn't flinch.

"Ah. I see the Lazarus Pit hasn't improved your taste in entrances," he said dryly.

Ra's smiled thinly. "Danyal."

"Ra'shole."

A flicker of irritation.

"You've grown," the Demon's Head remarked. "But not matured."

"You still talking like a rejected Shakespeare villain?

That's cute."

Ra's let the insult slide, stepping closer. "I heard of your little confrontation with Talia. I assumed you'd grown into a shadow, scurrying under false names in lesser cities."

Danny leaned lazily against a bench, entirely unthreatened. "Nope. Grew into a king, actually."

Ra's paused. "A king?"

Danny's grin turned cold. Eerie green light flickered behind his eyes like a storm on the edge of reality.

"Did you think your League was the only group with ancient power? You threw away a boy and I became a ruler of the dead. So thanks, Dad, for that one-way ticket to character development."

Ra's narrowed his eyes. "You believe ruling dead spirits makes you powerful? You are still but a-"

"Careful." Danny's voice dropped an octave, echoing with something wrong. "Say 'abomination' again and I will show you what I rule. The Zone doesn't take kindly to threats."

The air behind Danny rippled. A green portal flickered faintly into view, howling winds whispering secrets only the dead knew.

"You gave up your claim on me when you let your daughter toss me aside like garbage. My family? They found me. Loved me. Even when I glowed in the

dark and talked to ghosts in my sleep."

Ra's stepped back once, subtle. But Danny caught it.

He stepped forward. "So if you came here thinking I'd fall in line like a good little heir, think again. I don't

want your League. I don't want your name. And if you so much as breathe near Maddie Fenton or her family

-my family-I will unmake you in ways not even your precious Lazarus Pit can fix."

The green light flared behind him-taller, jagged with power.

Ra's met his eyes-and saw the truth.

This was no scared child.

This was the Ghost King, the ruler of a realm he could never hope to touch.

"...Very well," Ra's said quietly, his voice like steel cooling. "You have chosen your path."

"And you chose to be irrelevant. We're both happy.

Now get off my lawn."

Ra's vanished without another word.

And when the winds died down, the park was quiet again.

Danny exhaled and sat back on the bench, muttering, "God I hate family reunions."0

[radiantworm]

danny is in gotham for college!

and he's not used to the amount of the toxic ectoplasm in the environment... gotham doesn't have a very good filtration system, and the lady is overworked.. but that's ok! frostbite got him! as long as keeps a healthy halfa diet, his core will filter the ectoplasm around him! and he's a powerful halfa so-

other then that, gotham is great, he doesn't know how it earned that "doom and gloom" reputation really, the sun is shining, birds are chirping, and there are many butterflies around! everyone is so nice, he has not even encountered a single villain yet!

unless you count doctor pamela, wich he doesn't because she was so nice, even gave him tips on how to take care of his ghost plants!

aka danny is working as a filtration system for gotham, and lady gotham make sure he is treated like the fucking disney princess that he is, gotham recognize him as a good effect on her, and she is NOT letting anything/anyone touch him

aka danny is broadcasting whimsy and good vibes in gotham

aka dannys time in gotham is sunshine and rainbows(literally)

aka everyone in gotham is so sus, especially the bats

aka sunshine danny KOs gotham curse

[sunnysolaria]

Imagine it's like Gotham as grandma and Danny unknowingly puts fresh filters, cleans her bed, puts clean water and takes care of all the nasty pests trying to cling to her so Gotham just spoils his not grandkid with lots and lots of good things.

Just, Gotham going back to being gloomy because it's harder to breath, the waters are dirty again, her bed is a mess.

And it' just Danny visiting his sister in another city

And the citizens feel how the city got heavier with his absence. Gothamites wouldn't want their city, their grandma, to be in pain I'm sure

[ziziziziboom]

Thank you @blogfuzzypenguinbouquet for reminding me that I can do a second part.

―――――

In Danny's castle, somewhere in the Infinite Realms:

Sam: Can you repeat where you plan to take your date?

Fright Knight: to the island of dolls, a place full of terror and mystery, perfect for a mind as disturbed as Timothy's!

Tucker: Yeah... I don't think you should call your date “disturbed.”

Sam: I don't think you should take your date to the scariest place on Earth!

Danny: No, no, no, no, let take him. If Tim is as ecto-contaminated as I think he is, he'll love the place!

Fright Knight: MY KING HAS SPOKEN! I WILL TAKE TIMOTHY TO DOLL ISLAND!

Fright Knight disappears.

Sam: ... Well, that date is going to be a disaster.

Tucker: One question, is that island really haunted?

Danny: Ohhhhh, it's VERY haunted, trust me, you don't want to mess with the ghosts the there.

After the date with Tim.

Fright Knight enters the castle: THE FRIGHT KNIGHT HAS RETURNED TRIUMPHANT!

Sam: Holy shit, seriously?

Tucker: Maybe Tim YES IS disturbed...

Danny: Hehe, I told you so, congratulations Fright Knight!

―――――

Part 1

[remosdeerica]

DeadSerious prompt:

So, Scarecrow attacks Gotham Academy for some reason. All the kids are scared and Damian is angry and frustrated that he can't do anything to help without risking his identity.

As the chaos is unfolding, in stumbles a half asleep Danny (new kid at school) with a coffee in his hand and no spacial awareness. He just strolls right into the middle of what's happening without even opening his eyes. Just trying to make it to class before the bell rings.

Scarecrow, obviously annoyed, grabs Danny and tries to get him to stop.

Danny grabs the guy's arm so hard you can hear his bones creak and judo slams him into the ground, eyes still closed and coffee still in hand. He tilts his head back in a giant and excessively loud yawn and looks down to squint at Scarecrow.

"Dude, Halloween isn't for another six months. What's with the costume?"

Everyone looks on him horrified fascination as Danny decides not to wait for an answer to his question, and instead lumbers off. Still half asleep and trying to get to a class that is most definitely canceled.

And Damian, is left standing amongst the crowd wondering if he can convince his family that 16 is old enough to get married.

[bluerosefox]

This would be hilarious.

Damian sets out to convince his family to let him marry and then tries his best to woo his tired classmate. No one will stop him, its love at first rogue beat down.

meanwhile tired Danny is tired and wondering why he's getting random gifts in his locker/at his desk, some are cool but others are totally unnecessary? Though he's gladly taking the coffee that shows up in the mornings, those can keep coming.

[n03l1987]

Even better is Danny is built like his mom but has his dads himboness and Damian is built like Bruce but has Talia’s intenseness. Everyone views it as the two adult couples 2.0 but reversed.

[bianca-hooks123]

Bruce, interrupting Damian and Talia’s biweekly zoom call: This is all your fault! He’s only sixteen, and he wants to get married, all because he can’t resist a man who judo flips people in his sleep. Why did you do this to us Talia? Why did you make our son like this?

[lessfriendlyghost]

Talia to Bruce: 😒Why did I teach our son to value commitment? Because I am his mother. As for where he inherited his preference for a partner who can judo flip him in his sleep? For that answer Beloved, I’m afraid you will have to look in a mirror😑.

Talia to Damian: Now my dear, tell me all about this boy who has proven worthy of your heart.

Damian: He disabled the Rogue Scarecrow without opening his eyes. Once he acknowledges my courtship offer I intend to look into his home life. He doesn’t seem to get enough sleep.

Damian: But describing my Beloved was not the purpose of this call mother. I must ask for your advice in gaining Daniel’s attention. No one in this manor has any game and they all have negative rizz.

Bruce: *offended noises*

Batsiblings on the other side of the door evesdripping: *outraged squawking sounds*

[hdgnj]

On the other side we have Danny coming home from school, multiple times, with what his Mom is pretty sure are courting gifts. The sort of things *she* have to Jack before he wised up and noticed. Does someone have a crush on her baby boy! Ohh, how exciting! Now, she won't tell Danny, that might ruin things. But she is telling Jack, Jazz and Danny's friends. So they can keep an eye out. Maybe spot the person behind the gifts. Give them a check over? Protect her baby boy in this at least. He deserves the best!

[bluerosefox]

Okay but lets add in Maddie and Talia knowing each other from back in the day. (They met, fought and became friends)

Talia takes one look from the boy her son has decided to wed to Maddie and goes "Ah, I see. Approved."

AND if we go either Ghost King or just very powerful Phantom route in this Talia would be so smug that her son would of course only choose the best partner for himself.

[glowinggemma28-fangirl]

Talia coming to visit Damian and because she is curious about this Daniel because there’s something familiar about him….only to run into her friend.

Talia: Madeline is that you?

Maddie: Talia? It’s been so long! how are you?

Talia: i am doing quite well! I’m here visiting my son. If memory serves me right you have 2 of your own last I checked.

Maddie: oh we have 4 now! Jordan and Jazz are both attending university and meanwhile Danny and Ellie are both attending Gotham Academy! I offer to get lunch right now but I’m on a bit of a mission. Someone’s been leaving courting gifts for Danny and I’m trying to learn who! He mentioned a Dami recently and I’m following up!

Talia: Madeline by any chance did Danny recently have an alteration with Scarecrow/Dr. Crane during school hours?

Maddie: How did you know?

Talia: Because my son, DAMIAN, has been asking for Advice on the best way to woo a new classmate of his that proved themselves capable against Gotham’s rogues, with his eyes closed. And now I know why Daniel seemed so familiar. He clearly takes after you in more ways than just looks, dear.

Maddie: *gasp* Well now, We have to…*realized they were spotted* Oh Danny! Sweetie! I’d like you to meet an old friend of mine!

Danny: *walks over completely oblivious* Hi nice to meet you miss…

Talia: *shakes his hand* Talia Al ghul. And the pleasure is mine I’ve heard quite a lot about you from my son.

Danny: *tilts his head like a puppy* your son?

Damian: Mother there you are I was…notices Danny and a woman that is clearly Daniel’s mother.

Danny: Damian hey I wasn’t expecting to see you til later! *turns to his mom* and I didn’t know you and Damien’s mom knew each other!

Maddie: yes me and Talia had the same martial arts teacher a long time ago. But that’s ancient history! But learning you two are friends is such a nice surprise! Talia told me how proud she was of your progress that time we crossed paths Damien. I would love to test your abilities in a spar! It’s always good to train with new people so you don’t develop bad habits! Heaven knows it’s a nightmare finding people on Danny’s level to spar with!

[glowinggemma28-fangirl]

Damien: *reads between the lines* I want to test if you’re worthy/good enough for my Son

Of course Mrs. Fenton, Daniel was just telling me that you’re the one who taught him. I would be honored to be tested by someone of your caliber. I accept the challenge.

Maddie: *smiles* aren’t you such a gentleman! So glad my son has such a good influence in his life! Especially after the Vlad incident.

Talia: tilts her head* The Vlad incident?

Maddie: oh you see an old friend of Jack’s had a hard time respecting boundaries and the word No. don’t worry we were able to straighten him out! He’s currently on a wellness retreat, very exclusive! Why it’s a nightmare trying to get a hold of him now!

[touchofhemlocktea]

I've seen the idea that the Phantom Zone and the ghost zone are basically the same place.

What if Danny, after he becomes king, realizes that living criminals (?) and dangerous items are being dumped in the realms and he has both create a space to keep them contained/protected while figuring out who is dumping them there.

Once he does Superman receives a cease and desist request from the new ghost king.

[seraphichana]

The cease and desist order is made very public, Tucker and Technus had a blast making sure the (clear) video oof the delivery was posted all over the internet.

The GIW try and use this as a reason the Anti-Ecto Acts are very morally correct only to have literally every magic user and a large number of lawyers refute this.

Luthor, knowing humans become ghosts and that this is against Superman, becomes Pro-Ecto due to post-humans able to deft Superman, who is weak to magic and its like.

One tiny peice of paper provided enough proof that Ghosts are both sentient and not inherently malicious towards the living unless given reason.

[fluffy-and-feral]

Why is the new secretary breaking the cameras?

Danny Fenton gets a job at Wayne Enterprises.

A secretary job.

Honestly, he’s just happy someone hired him. Rent exists, ghost hunting equipment is expensive, and apparently “saving a town from supernatural disasters” doesn’t count as work experience.

So now it’s his first day.Danny stands in the elevator, staring at the mirrored wall while the building climbs higher and higher. New job. Corporate office. Terrifyingly expensive building.

He sighs, pulls out his phone, and takes a selfie.

Caption:first day at wayne enterprises. if corporate america kills me tell my enemies it was a skill issue.

Today’s outfit is a dark red dress, fishnets, and a dramatic blouse with huge sleeves. Danny decided a long time ago that gender roles are fake and clothes are just vibes, so every day he dresses however he wants.

The elevator doors open and Danny walks out like he absolutely belongs there.

Because honestly?

If he can survive ghost fights and high school, he can survive emails.

Probably... Hopefully.

Elsewhere in the building.Tim Drake is reviewing security footage.Because Tim Drake reviewing security footage is basically a lifestyle at this point.

He pauses the screen.

“…huh.”

The elevator camera caught the new hire.

Blakc hair.

Fishnets.

A dramatic blouse.

Taking a mirror selfie like this building isn’t owned by one of the richest men in Gotham. Quiet bold actually Tim cant say he hated that. Thou the problem was not the selfie itself.

Tim squints at the screen.Because the camera flickered when the guy entered the elevator.

Just for a second.

Like static.

Which shouldn’t happen.

The Wayne security system is ridiculously overengineered. He maked sure of that. Bruce maked sure of that

Tim rewinds.

Watches it again.

Camera glitch.

Just one frame.

Then normal.

Tim leans closer to the monitor.

“…weird.”

Behind him, someone leans over his shoulder.

Dick.

“Whatcha looking at?”

Tim points at the screen.

“The new secretary.”

Dick looks.

He pauses.

Then he smiles.

“…wow.”

Tim looks at him.

“What?”

Dick gestures at the screen.

“I like their outfit.” like that has ti do with anything.

Tim sighs. Doing his best to not role his eyes.

“That’s not the point.”

Meanwhile Danny has discovered something amazing about corporate offices.

Unlimited coffee.

This is the best job he has ever had.

No ghosts.

No portals.

No evil ghosts trying to conquer Earth.

Just emails.

Schedules.

Coffee.

Danny is convinced this is the calmest period of his half alive life.

[azuragalaxya]

Watch Tim go crazy over trying to prove there's something wrong with Danny, but Danny is unconsciously too good at keeping secrets.

[dat1angel]

No cause I love this.

Like, the idea that Danny legitimately isn't trying to hide anything or keep secrets, it's just his default state now. He literally said he tried to use his vigilantism as work experience(tho he probably took it off his resume after the fifth interview to tell him it doesn't count), I think he would just tell Tim if he actually straight up asked about it. But Tim's detective training is kinda screwing him over here because he's trying to discreetly dig around and collect info by making casual conversation to fish for answers. And Danny 'Oblivious' Fenton-Phantom is just like 'What a nice boss! So good that he's interested in connecting with his employees. Feels like he really cares'. Plus, Danny genuinely doesn't realize he's doing it but if a conversation drifts too close to ghost/hero/vigilante stuff he'll deflect or change the subject out of habit. And because he's not doing it on purpose it doesn't ping their bat-training on detecting when someone is lying or avoiding something. So if Tim were to just bluntly ask 'Hey the security cameras glitch when you walk into frame why is that?' Danny would be completely honest and tell him it's because of the ghosts in his blood. But Tim won't be so direct like that unless he's well and truly desperate and thus the cycle continues.

[zealouswitchwerewolf]

Of course Danny "my parents know, my rogues know, why would I keep my identity secret" Fenton would put he's phantom on his resume. Unfortunately for the bats, amity was not impressed with phantom and half of them still considered him the enemy after all the property destruction in his earlier years of vigilantism. Danny took it off before he ever started looking outside of his home town.

All that aside, Danny's good at his job. He's genuinely passionate about it. He loves it. He can multitask like no one else. He gets things done fast and effectively. He's reliable and loyal. He has shown up even when most of his office stays home because of rogue attacks, even when they've told him he doesn't have to. He has the boss's boss's boss attention (he's very nice, he lets me go on and on about space and he never complains, he even takes notes!). He knows things have a delicate balance. He absolutely refuses any type of promotion. They have offered him plenty. He knows if he makes any wrong move his peace will be gone. He does not want to risk it. He has everything he could want, why would he change positions? This only works to make Tim more suspicious. Danny is still oblivious.

[sideblog-for-fic-reblogs]

Danny is also actively reining in his camera-and-electronics-disturbing aura/powers. By this point it's probably not something he has to think about, but only making them glitch as he enters frame is yet another thing he does to maintain his peace here.

So when does that restraint falter?

[glowinggemma28-fangirl]

Ok but Bats have a a rouge that is a ghost! I think he’s called the Gentleman Ghost and he’s a thief! Wouldn’t it be funny if he broke into Wayne inc. tried to get away with the bats trying to catch him (especially Tim abd anyone that doubted him) only for Danny who was working late to just effortlessly take him down. Not sure what would be funnier. If Danny openly used his powers in front of the bats (anti ecto laws probably aren’t a problem here judging by the tone of the prompt. So they either were never real or were taken down before they gained enough traction for the bats to be aware.) and just calmly explain he’s classified as an ecto being and as such he has all the *standard* powers of one with a few extras.

Or he just uses Fenton tech like the wrist ray and Fenton thermos and tells the bats that he comes from a family of ghost hunters and his parents created the tech and he never leaves home without since it has literally saved his life for times than he can count. He then goes home and when he comes into work the next day he has blueprints and suggestions on how to improve security and causal mentioned it would also stop cameras from glitching when he walks into frame.

[isaactheautobot]

Look me in the eyes and tell me this Danny doesn't have a Fenton anti creep stick under his desk.

Just picture the bats chasing Gentleman Ghost through the building and then bam! The secretary hits a home run with a green baseball bat right in the thief's kisser. The disbelief they would feel as the ghost flies through the air.

[babbling-babull]

DP X DC Prompt #49

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.

[hdgnj]

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.

[evilminji]

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*

[hdgnj]

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!

[babbling-babull]

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.

[hdgnj]

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!!

[babbling-babull]

"HE WAS IN THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS, I THOUGHT HE WAS OLDER THAN US"

[babbling-babull]

"HE WAS WHAT" -a ghost, probably

[hdgnj]

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.

[brain-deadx0]

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.)

[hdgnj]

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.

[emerald-cobracat]

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.

The justice league is going nuts.

[babbling-babull]

Funny if it's a child, funnier if it's an adult. But consider, they summon an eldtriitch being who won't stop cooing about babies

[hdgnj]

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.

[unprecedenteddpxdchyperfixation]

Constantine in the corner, paling with every name added to the list and hugging his flask like its a lifeline

[bianca-hooks123]

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.

Eldritch being: You. Are. ADORABLE!! 🥰

[hdgnj]

As soon as Danny arrives they gasp again. Another Baby! You have friends! Aww! Ouch! Bitey baby! Aww. Lookit his lil fangies!

Meanwhile Batman just taps Danny. We have an actual issue! Danny stops biting and listens. Oh sure! He can do that easy!

[ailithnight]

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.

[hdgnj]

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.

[bianca-hooks123]

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’re doing amazing sweeties!!

😭😭😭🥹🥹🥹

[hdgnj]

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.

[avayarising]

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?”

[hdgnj]

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.

[ailithnight]

A believable human form...

"What if I brought his preserved corpse with me? Think that would be of any help?"

[hdgnj]

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.)

[babbling-babull]

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

[hdgnj]

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).

[ailithnight]

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.

[hdgnj]

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.

[babbling-babull]

Especially if the bodies dies without Bruce to pilot it. Like pulling the keys out if a cars ignition

[hdgnj]

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.

[backupstardust]

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?

[hdgnj]

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.

[kizzer55555]

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).

[goddessofbees]

Haven't done a Dc x Dp in awhile so here's this!

Ko-fi

[starry-bi-sky]

We're coming out swinging but you know what

Whenever I redesign Danny's ghost form in my aus and try to incorporate the trope of "ghosts containing features that symbolize the way they died" into the design, my mind always inevitably wanders to the full extent of injuries his corpse could have sustained.

And, inevitably, since I tend to lean towards "plausible realism", my mind always wanders to how graphic those injuries would be.

Whether its the electricity that kills him or the radiation/plasma of the portal itself, the end result is the same: Danny is hit with enough sheer energy to rip a hole through reality.

His corpse is going to be covered in severe, charred black burns. If we wanna follow the route of high voltage electrocution: hello exposed bone.

That's enough heat to fuse the fabric of his suit to his skin. To steal from a friend: his eyes are gonna pop like grapes. Melt right out of his head.

Melt everything else too!

Danny's corpse could be,,, utterly unrecognizable. And it's as horrifying as it is intriguing.

[sagetsukimura]

My piece for Haunting Heroes Discord server WCT. The theme was 'Wings'.

I'm so happy with this one guys

[vimesy-art]

Mollymauk + corsets = 💜

[epiclad]

“Be the chaos you want to see in the world.”

[lululocomo]

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!🌈