Imagine an AU where the GIW are less Ghost Hunters and more scientific. Being Ecto-Biologists and trying to learn more with as little harm to creatures, but of course fumbling a bit because it's a new field of science.
Just, the GIW getting lucky and capturing Danny as Phantom, knocking him out in the process. No vivisecting or cruel tests happen. Instead he's put in a room they designed with the younger ghosts in mind, (here's soft toys and blankets, Legos, books for a wide range of ages, things of that nature) but it's not perfect because they didn't know who'd they get.
They feel terrible when Phantom has a full-blown panic attack when he wakes up and crams himself into a corner so he can see the whole room. They quickly send in the onsight psychologist to help him through the attack and explain his new situation. His reactions are way too real for them to be faked.
A few days later, while trying to let Phantom settle into his new environment, they catch a second ghost and learn he can tell they have someone new, but the other ghost can't sense him. Phantom's fear and depression turning into worry (for both the ghost and humans) and determination, his attempts to break out of his room increases significantly. It makes them realize Phantom is a very social ghost and probably needs to see his "friends" to be healthy, but since they know what "ghost fights" look like they can't allow it yet. They need to ghostproof a large area without destroying anything.
Cue the GIW catching a few more ghosts and realizing Phantom is a bit odd for ghosts. He's the only one that they NEED to send the psychologist in regularly because of panic attacks, and start to realize Phantom is getting sick. They're not quite sure what his obsession is, they think it might be either space related or protection related since he's very passionate about both, but the poor ghost is literally starving and it's devastating to the scientists observing him. They can't understand what makes this ghost so different to the others, whom they've all gotten settled and, while not exactly happy, content. They've gotten really good at providing what the other ghosts need and gained enough trust for them to talk to them about their species. It helps when the GIW explain that this is meant to be more of a catch and release program, they just don't have access to a portal yet and are using the time it takes to build one to understand them all better.
A good chunk of the other ghosts express genuine concern over Phantom when they're told he's been there the longest. No one is sure it's healthy for Danny to be ghost so long, but aren't sure how to explain without outing the Halfa.
Phantom ends up passing out and reverting back to Danny, outing himself, because of lack of food or water. He'd be less skeletal if he could indulge in either of his obsessions, but neither were plausible while captive in a secret government base. He wakes up very distraught in a ghostproofed medbay.
The GIW is VERY confused and concerned by Danny's everything, but several behaviors make sense to them now and they start providing for his human half instantly.
He ends up explaining his situation and how it happened the best he can. He realizes they weren't trying to hurt him or the other ghosts, but still feels better when they wheel him around the base to see the ghosts (he's too weak to walk or turn ghost currently) and the scientists are intrigued by how happy and concerned the ghosts are to see the kid still kicking.
The ghosts were more meh to see either other, but are literally vibrating with glee to see the kid. They later explain they tend to see the "little protector spirit" as a cute baby or annoying little brother.
The GIW aren't sure what to do with the kid now. They originally planned to send him through the portal with the rest, but he's part human? They are even less sure when they find out his parents are the FENTONS who definitely didn't know. The whole situation turns into a mess, but this is their kid now. They shall help him.
Things I’ve noticed are essential in plotting and would probably have saved me a lot of time if I had considered it earlier
The START of your story - how fucked up flawed is your premise/character at the start? what do they have to change? why are they HERE?
The END of your story - How do you want your main character/theme/universe to change after your story? Does it get better or worse? THIS SETS UP THE TONE DRASTICALLY.
What you want to happen IN BETWEEN - the MEAT of it. What made you start writing this WIP in the first place. Don't be ashamed to indulge, it's where the BRAIN JUICE comes from. You want a deep dive into worldbuilding and complex systems? Then your start and end should be rooted in some fundamental, unique rule of your universe (what made you obsess over it?). Want to write unabashed ship content? Make sure your start and end are so compelling you'll never run out of smut scenarios to shove in between scenes (what relationship dynamics made you ship it in the first place?).
The ANTE - the GRAVITY of your story. How high are the stakes? Writing a blurb or interaction? start with a small day-in-the-life so you can focus on shorter timelines and hourly minutiae that can easily get overlooked in more complicated epics. Or you can go ham on it and plot out your whole universe's timeline from conception to demise. Remember: the larger the scale, the less attached your story may get. How quickly time flies in your story typically correlates with the ante (not a hard rule, ofc, but most epics span years of time within a few pages, while a romance novel usually charts out the events of a few months over a whole manuscript.)
Hm, I was pondering about the recent-ish trope of Adventuring Guilds (effectively trade unions for protagonists in fantasy rpg-inspired settings, which I’m sure I’ve seen in a bunch of things but the main example that springs to mind is Goblin Slayer to my annoyance but the Hero Association in One Punch Man has a similar albeit superhero-slanted deal), and how mechanically in the setting they exist to ensure x reward is provided for x amount of work/danger involved but in a meta sense are there so the characters don’t have to go looking for heroing gigs on ye olde Craigs Lyst or something.
It’s an interesting idea, similar in a manner to the many fantasy trope-tinged guilds in the Discworld novels of the late great Terry Pratchett, although an amusing idea occurred to me with the idea of trade unions for fantasy heroes.
Like, if there are unions to ensure employment and fair pay for folks clearing out dungeons, getting gnolls out the cabbage patch, stopping gnomes from going through your bins, and so on, then, logically, there much exist fantasy hero scab workers as well.
Folks that the local king or something brings in for lower pay on more dangerous jobs. Folks who are, say, completely new to the setting, out of their depth, and are thrust into a dangerous situation by a seemingly benevolent authority figure because said authority figure is too cheap to hire someone who understands the risks involved and asks more suitable wages for the role…
I mean, even as the person who suggested it I’d admit it’s really silly, but at the same time even modern capitalism sucks when dealing with organised labour, I’d imagine that in a pseudo-feudal setting they’d be even more awkward about it.
Wizard: Do not be afraid young one, I have summoned thee from across time and space to our world, we are in desperate need of a hero to save our world from the forces of darkness. It is your destiny to save our world from utter ruination. Will you take on this epic quest.
Kid: Sure!!!
*Bunch of adventurers kick open the door*
Wizard: Oh shit oh shit no no no no.
Head adventurer: AINT NOBODY GOING ON ANY EPIC QUEST.
Kid: Um, who are these guys?
Wizard: Um, they are agents of the dark lord sent to stop you, quickly run past them and go do that quest.
Head adventurer: Yeah you can shut up now. PAULIE. SILENCE SPELL.
Paulie: You got it boss. *Silences the wizard*
Head adventurer: Look kid, we’re representatives of the local 102.
Kid: Uhhh….
Paulie: The adventurer’s union.
Kid: Ah. Okay I know what Unions are. They have those here?
Head Adventurer: Sure do kid, and we got word that this douchebag was using magic to pull in unqualified under aged non union adventurers from another dimension so that he could avoid having to pay us our proper due. How old are you kid?
Kid: Um….14?
Head adventurer: Come on.
Kid: Okay twelve
Head adventurer: *Turns to wizard* You kidnapped a twelve year old kid to go fight the dark lord? Were you even gonna give them any equipment? Any magical training? Any supervision?
Wizard: *shrugs*
Head adventurer: *Hands kid a scroll* Here is a portal scroll back here, you want to still do this in like six years, give us a holler and we’ll set you up with some basic training and an apprenticeship, Until then, go back to your world and do whatever kids there do.
Kid: Yessir.
Head adventurer: As for you ya douchebag, Go tell that fat gasbag of a king he wants the dark lord defeated he better pony up the cash to hire a real, union certified adventuring party. And you try this crap again then the next kid you summon is gonna have an epic quest of dislodging my boot from your ass.
Writing tips for long fics that helped me that no one asked for.
1.) Don't actually delete content from your WIP unless it is minor editing - instead cut it and put it in a secondary document. If you're omitting paragraphs of content, dialog, a whole scene you might find a better place for it later and having it readily available can really save time. Sometimes your idea was fantastic, but it just wasn't in the right spot.
2.) Stuck with wording the action? Just write the dialog then revisit it later.
3.) Stuck on the whole scene? Skip it and write the next one.
4.) Write on literally any other color than a white background. It just works. (I use black)
5.) If you have a beta, while they are beta-ing have them read your fic out loud. Yes, I know a lot of betas/writers do not have the luxury of face-timing or have the opportunity to do this due to time constraints etc but reading your fic out loud can catch some very awkward phrasing that otherwise might be missed. If you don't have a beta, you read it out loud to yourself. Throw some passion into your dialog, you might find a better way to word it if it sounds stuffy or weird.
6.) The moment you have an idea, write it down. If you don't have paper or a pen, EMAIL it to yourself or put it in a draft etc etc. I have sent myself dozens of ideas while laying down before sleep that I 10/10 forgot the next morning but had emailed them to myself and got to implement them.
7.) Remember - hits/likes/kudos/comments are not reflective of the quality of your fic or your ability to write. Most people just don't comment - even if they say they do, they don't, even if they preach all day about commenting, they don't, even if they are a very popular blog that passionately reminds people to comment - they don't comment (I know this personally). Even if your fic brought tears to their eyes and it haunted them for weeks and they printed it out and sent it to their friends they just don't comment. You just have to accept it. That being said - comment on the fic you're reading now, just do it, if you're 'shy' and that's why you don't comment the more you comment the better you'll get at it. Just do it.
8.) Remove unrealistic daily word count goals from your routine. I've seen people stress 1500 - 2000 words a day and if they don't reach that they feel like a failure and they get discouraged. This is ridiculous. Write when you can, but remove absurd goals. My average is 500 words a day in combination with a 40 hour a week job and I have written over 200k words from 2022-2023.
9.) There are dozens of ways to do an outline from precise analytical deconstruction that goes scene by scene to the minimalist bullet point list - it doesn't matter which one you use just have some sort of direction. A partial outline is better than no outline.
10.) Write for yourself, not for others. Write the fic you know no one is going to read. Write the fic that sounds ridiculous. You will be so happy you put it out in the world and there will be people who will be glad it exists.
So I just had this idea randomly while laying there getting stabbed repeatedly (electrolysis) and tbh I haven't put much thought into it beyond that but hey i figured why not share it:
AU of Dany Phantom where instead of ghosts, it's more eldritch stuff inspired by the Lovecraft mythos and adjacent material
Maddie and Jack are the classic archetype of "investigators tormented by the eldritch knowledge they've learned"
But hey on the bright side that knowledge lets them figure out how to make things that would otherwise be impossible
Instead of trying to make a portal, they were trying to make a device to seal a portal/dimensional rift
Danny still gets caught in an unintentional activation of the device his parents were making, like in the original
But instead of becoming a half-ghost, he has eldritch energy stuff from the rift sorta stapled into him
He isn't technically human anymore, but he can shape himself into an approximately human body well enough that he's just a little unsettling to look at instead of visibly monstrous so he can still act like a normal(ish) person
Technically any other similarly intelligent eldritch entity probably could do the same pretending-to-be-human thing too, but Danny having been a human kid for his whole life before that means it's a lot easier for him
Instead of "going ghost" he just kinda... unfurls his eldritch-y-ness
He probably struggles a bit to "detransform" actually, since his human form is more like a disguise than a fully distinct form he can switch between
I guess the ghosts would be replaced by the more minor entities from the mythos? I'm not super familiar with a lot of the mythos stuff tbh
and maybe dealing with human cultists too
The story's version of Amity Park probably takes a bunch of inspiration from Innsmouth
Oh that just made me think "The Shadow Over Amity Park" could be a fun title for this maybe
"...Timmy...?"
Dick hasn't called him that since before Bruce disappeared, but it's the only thing he can say as he stares at his brother's broken, bleeding body.
Tim, Timmy, his little brother in all but blood, bleeding from his ears and eyes and nose, burned so severely his skin is peeling off, actually turns to look at him.
Freezes.
"Shit. No one's supposed to see this." Tim says, and Dick lurches forward to do...something. He doesn't know what, for all his first-aid training doesn't know how he can help when there's this much damage, but he has to do something.
But Tim disappears, like he was never there.
Or; On a ghosts death day, they gain the appearance they had at death. This includes the injuries.
Danny spends his death day very far away from home, since it actually makes his human form look like he got electrocuted to death by untold voltage and mass dosages of radiation, and he really doesn't want his mom and dad to see that, even if they're cool with the half-ghost thing.
Problem; apparently he's a dead ringer for someone Nightwing knows, and he just mentally scarred Valerie's favorite hero.
Fuck.
I see the vision but I also see the vision of Death Days being so much that Danny just isn’t aware of anything around him.
That is why he had left Amity, his family, his friends, and everything in between so he could safely go through his Death Day in peace. Danny had it all figured it out even!
He had scouted out this specific place here in New Jersey, in the darkest parts of Gotham, where barely anyone even went into anymore even in its decrypt state of potential!
Danny had made space for himself, carefully nesting out an area to comfortably die in, and waited.
He felt his body arch sharply, throat closing up on a scream as a burning struck itself through bone and flesh. He felt his blood boiling, felt his muscles jump and jerk, felt blood vessels pop until all he could taste is blood in his mouth and down his throat, drowned in blood through his nose, and went blind by the blood in his eyes.
His mind faltered in the throes of that pain, and he allowed himself to retreat into himself as his body began to break.
It isn’t Danny’s fault he was walked into!
He had accounted for everything!
He had even made sure to carefully board up his little space too (paranoia and the need to comfort himself through his death assuring that he was well hidden and protected in his most vulnerable state), so it isn’t really Danny’s fault that Nightwing crashed straight into the hallway of the building and floor of where Danny was staying.
It also wasn’t his fault that he had heard Danny’s gurgles and dying whines, nor was it Danny’s fault that apparently he looked horrifically similar to someone the guy knew.
But as Danny was very dead to the world as he was going through his aptly named Death Day, he was not aware of Nightwing keening in distress, dropping next to him and calling for attention from his fellow vigilantes within Gotham. Nor was he aware when Nightwing gently assured him that help was on the way, nor that he was being carefully transferred out from his little space towards the Batcave.
Tim Drake, also known as Red Robin, was somewhere in Europe, assisting an acquaintance he had made during his time traveling across countries, unaware of the chaos occurring back home. He was after all a little too preoccupied setting things on fire and disappearing into the darkness with dramatic flares of his cape.
But we can say that Jack and Maddie, in their many experiments with making a portal to the Ghost Zone, the place between dimensions, had at least one incident where they randomly got a perfectly human baby they named Danny.
And that it was Tim from another universe.
So when the bats run Danny's DNA, it's mostly corrupted due to Ecto, which is so pure it's being read as Lazarus Water, but there's also enough left to match him to Tim Drake. :)
~~~~~~
Damian, who doesn't like Drake but is well past wanting him dead, is furious. Whatever his grandfather did, whatever Drake did to his grandfather to earn his ire, this is too far.
He's spilling every single secret he can remember, every single location he can recall, every single trick in the books.
He agrees with Father's conclusion that his grandfather is involved; Drake's blood is a mix of mostly red, streaked with green. The more time passes, the more green there is.
Every time he sees Drake, it fuels his need to make his grandfather pay.
No one deserves this.
When he's not telling Father all that he can remember, he's sitting next to Dick, refusing any and all efforts to corral him upstairs.
He is Damian Wayne, son of Talia al Ghul and grandson of Ra's al Ghul, raised as an assassin from birth and with an impressive kill count of his own.
He will not shy away from death. He will do the duty Father refuses to and stand vigil.
~~~~~~
Dick keeps sitting next to Tim, trying to keep him clean and comfortable, but that's hard when his skin starts sloughing off from the severe burns.
Timmy's blood vessels won't stop rupturing, and he's gone through multiple blood transfusions. Leslie said it was like he was being electrocuted in slow motion, but it feels a lot more like he's just...rotting away.
Dick goes to pet at Tim's hair again, as gently as he can, only for a portion of skin to peel back with the hair at the slight pressure.
The noise Dick lets out isn't human, and Leslie is quick to block the sight from his eyes.
When she moves away, there's a bandage resting lightly on Tim's forehead, hiding the new wound.
He doesn't know why Ra's locked Tim in that room. Doesn't know if he'll ever get the image of Tim writhing on the ground as burns started appearing from nowhere, and his blood poured out of his face (he knows he won't).
The most he can do is be there, because he doesn't know when Tim's last moment will be, and according to Leslie, it's coming.
~~~~~~
Bruce is a whole different level of traumatized.
He's watched all his kids die. He's watched them come back in one way or another.
But this? This slow, painful decline? The knowledge that his son is still alive but slipping through his fingers and he can't do anything about it?
No.
He refuses.
He's not spending time with Tim beyond checking in on him every four hours, because once he finds a way to cure this, and he will, he can spend as much time with him as he wants.
Leslie is wrong. Tim will not die.
~~~~~~
Duke has been trying to get ahold of Young Justice. Any of them, at all.
But he's not having any luck.
He's two steps away from stealing the jet and going to Cissie King-Jones, stardom be damned, because he knows the kind of weird shit Young Justice got up to from his interactions with Tim, and they will never forgive any of the Bats if they weren't made aware that Tim was...that Tim was dying.
He needs to let them know, because it doesn't look like anyone else will.
It's what Tim would want.
Okay, also Duke knows Tim has a boyfriend but he can't crack any of Tim's security, and he can't remember said boyfriends name, so he really, really needs Young Justice to respond to him so they can tell him that.
He'd ask someone in the family, but this isn't really a good time and he doesn't feel like poking an already pissed off bear.
He'll figure it out on his own.
Totally.
~~~~~~
Cass can't stay in the Batcave.
Tim is too still; the others keep saying he's alive, but from what she can see he is not even present enough to dream.
He is already dead. His body just doesn't know that yet.
She cannot watch her brother's body decay while it still has a pulse. It's worse than her first kill, and she won't subject herself to that. It's what Tim would have wanted.
Instead, she occupies her time following Bruce's orders and taking out base after base of assassins.
She doesn't think she will find a cure, like Bruce is hoping, but hitting back the people who killed her brother gives her a visceral pleasure.
~~~~~~
Jason was just starting to be on semi-good terms with Tim. Sure, things weren't great, but at the end of the day he'd come to see Tim as his little brother.
Definitely not as close as Dick or Cass were to the kid, but close enough that he suited up and left with Cass without a word when he saw Tim...dying.
Decaying in real time.
Cass might not kill, but Jason has no qualms about regressing just a little bit.
He's going to make Ra's hurt so bad he'll wish he was dying slow and rotting like Tim.
~~~~~~
Alfred...can't do this anymore.
It was bad enough when Master Tim had the Clench, but at least then there was some real hope that Master Bruce would find a cure.
Bruce always looks a certain way when he's onto something, when he knows without a shadow of a doubt that he will not fail. That Bruce is very different from the Bruce sitting in front of the computer, eyes bloodshot and hair a wreck as he runs test after test.
Alfred has no illusions.
Master Tim is going to die this time, and there's not going to be a last minute save.
The most he can do is make himself help Dick treat Tim, help keep the lad as comfortable as he can.
The dust can gather upstairs. Alfred can order takeout on that damnable DoorDash. But Alfred refuses to be separated from Timothy any longer than he has to.
~~~~~~
Leslie, when she got the frantic call at 4 in the morning, had known it was going to be bad.
She hadn't known it was going to be this bad.
She didn't bother telling them to take Tim to the hospital.
In her kit, the one she always carries for cases like this, she has a series of pamphlets she makes sure are up to date. She had always hoped she would never, ever need to use them.
After looking over Tim, she had taken a few breaths. Braced herself.
Pulled them out.
Pamphlets for the best Hospice cares she knew.
She didn't take it personally when Bruce slapped them out of her hand. Didn't listen to him when he told her to leave.
Instead, she made herself at home, taking on the majority of the dirtiest work in keeping Tim as stable and alive for as long as she could.
~~~~~~
Tim is in Budapest, with the entirety of Young Justice (sans Cissie and Anita because they had previous obligations and wouldn't listen to him when he begged) and also Steph, currently dismantling an underground smuggling ring that they just found out is also a doomsday cult.
Because why not.
He's not talking to the Bats, because fuck them they all went out for ice cream and didn't invite him. They also didn't invite Steph, which was what led to her telling him about her smuggling ring she was looking into.
So everyone went for ice cream but didn't invite him or Steph.
And like, he knows it's because they didn't realize that he was awake, but still.
They could have at least tried to wake him up.
It was an asshole move, and Tim is justified in not talking to them.
Bart agrees, naturally. Kon isn't completely on board, but relented when Tim showed him the emergency beacon he'd taken with him, so not telling Bruce where he was going was covered cuz all he had to do was push the button.
Tim's pretty sure they can wrap everything up in a week anyways.
~~~~~~
A week later, Bruce hears the many, many monitors they have on Tim start beeping.
One, after the other, after the other.
Then, finally, the long, continuous wail of the heart monitor. It's quickly followed by a wretched scream from Dick, petering off into sobs.
He failed.
He didn't make it.
Tim is dead, and he didn't spend any time, at all, with his dying son.
Damian is whispering hoarsely in Arabic, a prayer that Bruce knows but cannot think of the name over the roaring in his ears.
He turns, looking at the wreck Ra's made of his son, the remains...that are glowing.
They are glowing.
The wounds recede, the blood disappears, the monitors, one by one, go silent.
Tim opens his eyes.
"...Uh. I'm...sorry?"
It is this, this stupid apology over something like dying, that finally makes Bruce break down and cry.
~~~~~~
Danny's confused. Danny's so confused.
What is happening?
What is going on?
Why is he being smothered by crying dudes in a high-tech cave?
Why does he feel like he just spent a week in a five-star spa?
Why is there a teleporter in the cave?
Why is Red Robin walking out of the teleporter tube?
Danny stares in an odd, mystified horror as Red Robin removes his mask...and his own face stares back at him.
For lack of anything to say to his apparently twin or clone or whatever, Danny defaults to motioning helplessly at everyone in varying states of mourning around him.
"I think I fucked up," is all he can offer.
~~~~~~
"Have we discovered what we did to anger the Detective this time?" Ra's sighed, dropping the report of the most recently destroyed bases in favor of massaging his temples to ward off an incoming migraine.
"Black Bat and Red Hood appear to be operating under the assumption that you have poisoned the Drake boy, and act under my Beloved's blessings."
"...But we haven't. Well, I haven't. Talia, did you poison-?"
"-No. No, I have not."
"Huh. Well, the Young Detective will survive, as he always does."
"I will go tell him that this is not an action that the League-"
"-No. He destroyed my bases, I, as the youth say, do not owe him shit. Let him find out on his own that he targets the wrong foe."
The Fentons were a loud family. Jack didn't know the concept of an inside voice, explosions follewed them everywhere and their driving left wreckage anytime they they got on the road. Most importantly of all, they were loud about their emotions.
Loud and obvious about their love, or hate. Rarely changing their minds, once a Fenton loved they loved with everything they had, with shouting, broken down walls, fudge, cringe worthy nicknames, loud proclamations and dramatic actions.
Now, Tim knew this before he started dating Danny. Knew that Danny wouldn't be ashamed to scream his love from the roofs. But it still took him by surprise when the grand gestures, loud confessions and over the top actions continued the longer they dated, if anything Danny got more intense.
He could admit that he expected Danny's displays to slow down or stop completely the more he got to know Tim. The more stupid excuses he made, the more dates he missed because crime never stops in Gotham, but Danny just kept accepting excuse after excuse with a smile. Danny still showed up randomly with flowers and homemade sweets and gadgets he made specifically for him.
And Tim just couldn't keep lying, so he came up with a plan. Invite Danny to next family dinner, let Danny charm the Bats enough they let Tim confess about being Red Robin. Truly a flawless plan.
Except Danny, upon first meeting Jason started a fight. And threw a knife at Damian, Damian threw it first, but that was beside the point. And argued with Bruce. And somehow managed to insult even Dick by going on about he hated circus. This just couldn't get worse.
“And another thing!” Tim hit his head against the table as Danny continued to argue with Bruce, who was arguing back. Their argument was going on while Jason was trying to tackle Danny and Damian kept throwing knives at Tim’s boyfriend.
‘Why? Why did this have to happen?’ Tim didn’t know what went wrong. They had come in and Jason was there trying to act all big, probably going to attempt to embarrass Tim by giving Danny the shovel talk, and Danny just let out a screech and charged at him and everything just devolved from there.
Suddenly Danny got a call on his phone and he held up a finger which surprisingly stopped the others, “Jazz? What’s wrong? Dan is relapsing again!? I’ll be right over!” Danny hanged up and got off of Jason’s back, “Sorry to cut the fun short but my brother needs me.” Danny gave Tim a quick kiss then left.
Tim waited with bated breath for the others to make plans to go after his boyfriend, “Gotta say Timmers your boyfriend is fun.” Jason let out a laugh and patted Tim on the back, “He sure knows how to spar.” Spar? That was them sparring!?
“And his reflexes are quite sharp. Father, may I train against him in the future?” Damian and Jason were way too calm and it was freaking Tim out.
“Yeah sure, I still need to debate him about Arkham, but he did raise some interesting points. I should get someone from Dark to look into any curses on the asylum.” Bruce ruffled Tim’s hair, “So how long has he known about us being the bat family?”
“I-I didn’t tell him, this dinner was supposed to help me get permission to tell him.” Tim muttered out, not understanding what was going on.
“Really?” Alfred asked as he cleaned up the surprisingly small mess that the fight had made, “Well it seems he understands how this family works even if he does not know our secret. I would say he is a keeper.”
Danny for his part, was very happy that he gets along so well with his boyfriend's family. He isn't quite sure however, how his own family would do with Tim.
Danny was concerned. He had moved to Gotham for college, and was honestly excited that he no longer had to worry about fighting off his food. If Gotham wasn’t so crazy, he might have missed the ghost attacks. But things had calmed down in Amity, and he went back to the Zone twice a month for scheduled brawls and time-stopped mentoring sessions.
However he had noticed recently that he had been feeling sicker and sicker. He felt mostly fine in his ghost form, though still a bit lethargic. He had been considering going to Frostbite soon, even though he kept trying to convince himself it was just some kind of ghost flu again.
He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard screams of terror. Looking over he paused, seeing gaseous clouds billowing everywhere and closing in on him fast. Groaning, he looked to the smog filled sky, resigned to probably getting outed. “Ancients why now? My gas mask broke because of that mugger and I didn’t get a chance to fix it!”
Before he could do anything else the fear toxin cloud enveloped him. He closed his eyes waiting for the haze to take over. And waited. Why is it not working yet?
Frowning he opened his eyes and looked around. No, that was definitely fear gas going by all the panicking, screaming people around him. But for some reason he was unaffected? Actually, now that he’s paying attention… he actually feels better than he had in weeks? What is going on?!?
Thoroughly confused, he quickly turns around to get back to his apartment. He needs to get out of here so he doesn’t catch someone’s attention due to him being unaffected by the fear gas. And maybe figure out why it makes him feel better.
So standard demon twin/sibling setup where after dying for dissapointing Ras Danny is thrown into the pit where he doesn't surface. Damian mourns his brother but never tells the bat's at first because it's to painful but then because he doesn't want to cause his family pain with the knowledge that they have a brother/son/grandson respectively. (I personally like Danny being the older one in this whether it's just the first born twin or he's a couple years older is up to you all)
The rest under a read more.
So we cut to an older Damian as Robin and the batfam are fighting a exiled member of the League of assassins who wants revenge on something Ras did and decide that they will hurt Damian to hurt Ras.
So this exile uses a magical ritual to summon the ghosts of every assassin Ras turned on and killed (its a lot of them) so the bat's are not able to stop the ritual in time because they couldn't get a skilled enough magic user to Gotham in time (is there some other threat? Just out of contact? Performing at little Jimmy's birthday party? Who knows.)
So the bat's are getting what anti ghost gear they can (nth metal weapons magic doodads whatever) when the last and most powerful ghost is pulled through. Damian freezes because he knows that face, he's older and he has an unnatural glow, but Damian will never forget his brother.
The exile is laughing taunting the Bats about the dead son come for revenge on his brother who betrayed him Damian is emotionally distraught crying, apologizing, telling his brother that they tried to bring him back but the pit took him from them.
The other bat's are freaking out in their own way because holy shit this is true?! Meanwhile Danny is staring silently at Damian face completely blank. While the feral ghosts of the assassins are trying to break out of the summoning circle.
One ghost manages to find a crack from where it was weakening from the thousands of ghosts trying to break it and rushes to attack Damian who is too distracted and too far from the others to react. He throws himself back scrambling for his sword as the assassins lunges forward to rip his heart out with his bare hands.
Yet as is seems he's about to meet his doom the assassin jerks to a stop before his momentum is reversed and he's thrown back into the circle. Everything is silent because the one who saved Damian was his own brother who was not even slowed by the magical protection (because he's half ghost not that anyone knows this but him)
The insane assassin starts going on about clearly his betrayed brother has decided that only he is worthy of striking down the heir to the demon. Except as he's mid monolog a ice knife is thrown into his leg missing all the arteries but causing a lot of pain. Then Danny speaks.
"I never blamed you little brother. Now dry those tears and Al-Ghul never shows weakness to an enemy."
As he says this for the first time since he's summoned Danny no longer has that blank face instead he has the most affection filled smile you can imagine while he wipes his brothers tears before he turns to the massive swarm of ghosts.
"Any who would seek to hurt my brother must first go through me, The Phantom, Pariah's bane, keeper of Balance and guardian of the mortal realms, but if you think you can take me by all means just do me a favor, let some other poor sap try first."
Now if the ghosts heed his warning or not is up to you if they do then Danny just opens a portal to the ghost zone for them to flee into, if not then he proceeds to beat the unliving shit out of them before tossing them through a portal anyway.
After everything is said and done Danny goes over to Damian talking about how proud he is to see him growing into such a good person and how it's so wonderful to see him again after all these years. Just really heartwarming stuff there's hugs Dick is crying into Jason's shoulder everything.
Then Danny says it's time for him to go he can't stay forever. Damian is upset saying he can't lose him right after he gets him back. Danny then laughs and says..
"This isn't a goodbye Damian it's just a see you later, I promise we'll see each other again before you know it."
And the batfamily are all crying thinking this is him saying that he'll be waiting in the after life for Damian. Before he goes through the portal closing it behind him
The bat's all handle the clean up and police for the crime scene before returning to the manor and getting explanations from Damian.
After all that the family come together to make a shrine to their departed brother with Damian being the last one to walk away to get some sleep.
The next morning everyone feels lighter with this secret no longer between them as they chat and laugh as they get ready for breakfast.
As they are all sat together ready to eat one of Damians siblings asks if there are any pleasant memories about Danyal Damian wants to share and Damain decides to tell a carefully edited version of one of their escapades (conveniently leaving out that he was responsible for the situation in the first place) only right as he finishes a voice chimes in.
"That's not how I remember it little brother." And standing there leaning against a wall is Danny himself.
Tim is...thirsty. Like, literally, he can't stop drinking water.
He has no idea what's going on.
He went to the doctor for his civilian persona, went to trusted doctors he used as his Red Robin persona, and there's nothing wrong that they can find.
But he feels like he's dying of thirst all the time. He's waking up every two or three hours to chug water like a man dying, he's tried to resist but he feels like his skin literally starts to crack and peel.
However when he went to the local magic users, even pestering Raven, they swore up and down that he wasn't cursed.
He's resorted to carrying multiple water bottles with him at all times, and it's as he's walking down the street in his civvies that he bumps into a teen girl who has just as many water bottles as him.
She blearily looks him over and groans.
"You too, huh?"
"...Wait, it's not just me?"
"I mean, technically water cores are rare, but that's no reason to get Main Character Syndrome. Hate feeding a developing one, though; it's a bitch."
"What."
"Uh, your Water Core? The-do you not know you're dead?"
"What."
"Yeah, for like, two years it looks like."
"Two ye-? Ra's."
Or; Tim is developing a Ghost Core with a Water element, because Ra's lied when he saved Tim from bleeding out.
He wasn't successful.
Tim did die.
He was placed in the Pits, and...did not emerge awake? He came back to life with not a single trace of pit madness in him, peacefully sleeping and breathing in Lazarus Water like it was air.
Ra's had his spleen surgically removed, because he really, really needed to find out how Tim did that so he could replicate it later.
Tim was really starting to get worried about his new brother.
Danny moved into Wayne Manor after his parents were arrested. Jack and Maddie Fenton opened a portal to the infinite realms with no way of stopping any of the world-ending threats. They let the ghosts wreak havoc and never once closed the portal.
Danny had gotten some sort of connection to an ancient being. The Justice League Later found out that the ancient being was using the connection to gain a way to stay on Earth. They were able to sever the connection but Danny is not getting any better.
Since the attacks in Amity Park started Danny has been getting sicker and sicker. He got paler and started to bruise more easily. But after they severed the connection he seemed to no longer have energy.
Even now that they have gotten him away from amity park, nothing seems to be helping. It's been 3 months with no sign of getting better. they're on their last straw and they finally decided to get a magic user to try and help. unfortunately The person who knows the most is Constantine.
Constantine walked into the room with Bruce. Danny had no idea that they were connected to the Justice League and they were hoping to keep it that way. They don't want to stress him, especially with how sick he is. Constantine and Bruce stopped in front of Danny.
Bruce tried to use a gentle tone and said “ danny I know you're having a lot of trouble so I called in someone to help “
Danny had an apprehensive look.
“Kid, I just need your hand,” Constantine said as he reached out a hand. ”I'm not going to do any creepy shit, I'm just trying to make you better”
Danny reluctantly placed his hand onto constantines. it was a few minutes before Constantine Swar under his breath.
"What is it” Bruce demanded.
”the little ghosty left a parting gift”
“that's not an explanation”
“the kids got a neverborn”
“What's neverborn?” Tim asked, interrupting their conversation.
“The closest equivalent I can make is that technically Phantom got the kid knocked Up”
In order for a magic user to operate in the Haunt of a ghost from the Infinite Realms, they have to provide a “hostage” item that is as “valuable as the ghost is powerful” according to all the books they have found. This is why the JLD don’t go to Amity Park. They know that nothing is going to equal the power of Amity Park’s ghost.
But now they don’t have a choice, and the entire JLD and JL team are trying to think of something to give the ghost.
Batman has an idea when he sees the wording. They can make more than one offer, but they are worried about insulting the ghost.
When they get there, they can’t see the ghost they are communicating with. Batman reaches into his wallet, and someone starts to scold him for trying to use money. He pulls out the picture he has of all of his kids, a civilian photo, where everyone is laughing and happy. That’s what he offers.
Value is in the eye of the beholder, and what could be more valuable to him than seeing his family like that?
Danny, a kid who maybe hasn’t had a genuinely happy moment with his entire family in a while, accepts it in an instant. The first thing he does once they come into the town is return to visibility.
None of the heroes were expecting the powerful ghost to be a kid.
(yes this is based on the scene in Snuff by Terry Pratchett)
Danny is in Gotham for College or whatever and out of boredom starts a cooking channel on YouTube.
So, picture this Danny is cooking like he’s trying to kill somebody. And never refers to ingredients as their name. And constantly cracks jokes about the recipe he’s cooking from.
This is all well and good until ghosts start asking him to make family recipes passed down from generations, now Danny doesn’t know that there family recipes because the ghost thinks it’s the HIGHEST HONOR for their King to want to cook something from when they were alive.
Cue one day on his channel he makes and pie but not just a pie but a pie MARTHA WAYNE herself created.
Alfred is curious about how this young man knows this recipe, meanwhile Bruce is losing his mind because Danny looks like a male version of his mother.
Ps. Look up Dylan Hollis on YouTube to get what I’m talking about
After Kon came back from being slightly dead, he didn't actually have a place to stay.
Until he did.
He had fallen asleep in a park in some town in Illinois, dressed in his civvies, and was woken up by a lady and a man wearing hazmat suits.
At first he'd thought he was gonna be, like, experimented on and stuff, but they were actually really chill and practically dragged him along into their house.
They gave him a room, told him what time dinner was, and told him to stay as long as he needed to.
He met the couple's kids, Danny and Jazz, and kind of...got unofficially adopted. But it's cool! He's totally Big Brother material, and helping to wrangle a six and eight year old is something a Super can definitely do!
Years and years down the line, he gets a phonecall from a frantic fourteen year old Danny, saying just one phrase.
So I’ve been binging a bunch of DPxDC crossover fics cause they’re hella fun. And I wanted to make some fanart for a handful of the fics I’ve been reading just to show how vastly different Danny gets portrayed. It’s really fun!! I love when ppl make Danny get Jack’s tall ass gene’s, but it’s also funny to see him as a scrawny lil guy. He’s a pretty moldable character
Anywho, it’s just been fun, so here’s some fanart. Thanks to the authors for writing them 🙏
Fics in order of art:
Like Beta Fish Do by @clockwayswrites
Ghost in the Morgue by @the-witchhunter
Secretary Danny by DeathlySilent13
If You Give a Bat a Burger by @noir-renard
If you give any of these a read, just make sure you mind the tags/ratings
DC x DP : The Justice League Summon The Ghost King, but that is how the Batman finds out Danny's secret
So, Danny’s living with the Waynes for whatever reason. They don’t know about Danny’s halfa status, and he doesn’t know about their vigilante identities.
One day, there is an emergency where the Justice League end up having to summon the Ghost King.
Right as the Ghost King begins to appear, Bruce gets an emergency call/message from the manor stating Danny just disappeared through a green tear in reality.
Between that and how much this Ghost King shares a resemblance with Danny, Bruce can only make one logical conclusion.
But now Bruce is in a situation.
He knows that the Ghost King is Danny. He knows the JL are currently asking him to take on a very powerful opponent either the JL can’t fight properly, or they have previously been overpowered by. Despite the emergency and the promises from the Justice League Dark over how powerful the Ghost King is, how much will Bruce fret over Danny going up against a powerful opponent? How much is he willing to say or do in front of the rest of the Justice League?
Also, should he tell Danny he now knows who he is? When and how?
And don’t get him started on the alarming facts that Danny, the teen not ten minutes before he and the rest of the family thought was a perfectly normal alive human civilian, is actually (1) somehow dead/a ghost, (2) an extremely powerful one at that, (3) THE Ghost KING.
Other members of the Batfam may or may not be there for added flair and drama with them dealing with their own internal conflicts as well based on this revelation.
After dealing with the threat, Batman requests to speak privately with the Ghost King. It's there that Batman reveals his identity. During the brief conversation, Danny gets a little emotional learning he is still welcome with the Waynes even knowing he's half-ghost.
So when Batman and the Ghost King come back to the group, it's obvious he had been crying (maybe even see him whipping away stray tears), and other Justice League members are like, "Did-did Batman just make the Ghost King CRY?!?!"
