Danny Fenton had lived a life far too strange for someone who wasn’t even twenty.
He’d died at fourteen, come back with ghost powers, fought his own evil future self, and somehow survived high school. By nineteen, he thought the universe had finally decided to leave him alone.
Then Clockwork showed up holding a tiny, furious, three-year-old version of Dan.
A toddler with glowing red eyes. A toddler who could melt doorknobs with a tantrum. A toddler who refused to be put to bed unless Danny lay beside him and hummed off-key lullabies.
Clockwork placed Dan into Danny’s arms like handing someone a baby tiger and announced,
“Rehabilitation is most effective with early intervention. Congratulations, Daniel. You’re a father now.”
And just… left.
Danny stood there, a nineteen-year-old ex-ghost hero, cradling a three-year-old who—at full power—could disintegrate continents.
Then the toddler nuzzled into his shirt and drooled on him.
Meanwhile, in the Future
Flash arrived in a timeline of smoldering ash, the sky split and warped like reality had been pulled apart by giant claws. The ruins of cities stretched for miles, scorched down to the bones.
The only name whispered by the trembling survivors:
Dan.
A great evil. A monster in a fake human form.
Flash barely escaped with his life. Glowing red eyes haunted him. He sprinted back to the present, heart pounding, mind racing.
Dan was coming.
He had to warn everyone.
The Justice League Meeting
Flash burst into the Watchtower, panting.
“GUYS—WORLD—ENDING—DAN—EVIL—HELP!”
Batman narrowed his eyes. “Slow down.”
Superman gently placed a hand on Flash’s shoulder. “Take a breath.“
Flash didn’t.
“Some guy named Dan destroys the entire planet in the future! I don’t know who he is—I don’t know what he looks like—all I know is that he’s powerful enough to wipe out the League, several times over!”
“Cause?” Batman asked immediately.
Flash hesitated. “No idea. But… It sounded personal. Emotional. Like something broke him.”
That got everyone’s attention.
A being strong enough to unmake the world… driven by heartbreak?
Not ideal.
The League spread out their intel teams.
They dug through databases.
They searched for the name Dan.
Nothing.
But if there was going to be an apocalypse child, they swore they’d find him.
Protection Detail: Beginning Unknowingly
Danny, meanwhile, was living his best low-budget college life.
He was taking night classes, working part-time at a ghost-free café, and raising a toddler who called him “Dada” in a surprisingly demonic tone when cranky.
Dan clung to him constantly—shirt, leg, arm—like Danny was a portable emotional support human.
Danny didn’t mind.
It was weirdly… nice.
One day Danny stopped at a park so Dan could feed ducks without accidentally overshadowing them. Dan's control over his powers was a bit wonky with the de-ageing.
Flash spotted them first.
And immediately froze when he heard the older black haired man call the toddler Dan. and he saw the todllers eyes flash that terrifying Red.
That’s Dan! That’s the world-ender! And that’s—who is that holding him?
Then Dan stretched his arms out toward Danny and chirped,
“Dadaaa!”
And Danny scooped him up with the kind of fond exasperation usually reserved for parents of clingy toddlers.
Flash’s brain did a barrel roll.
Oh god. Oh no. It’s his father. Something happens to his father—that’s what makes future Dan snap!
Flash vanished in a streak of lightning to warn the League.
Screw finding Dan—he’d already found the key.
They needed to protect… the dad.
Within 24 Hours:
—Superman began casually “flying by” Danny’s route to class.
—Wonder Woman “coincidentally” started getting coffee from the shop where Danny worked.
—Batman installed surveillance drones around Danny’s apartment building. (Tim removed the ones Batman missed because they were too obvious, but left the rest. Just in case.)
—Green Lantern offered Danny free rides whenever his car wouldn’t start.
—Martian Manhunter shapeshifted into an elderly neighbor “who needed help carrying groceries,” just so Danny wouldn’t go anywhere alone.
Danny thought Gotham had been weird.
This was weirder.
People were so nice here.
He told Dan, “Wow, buddy. Metropolis is so friendly!”
Dan, perched on his hip and eating Cheerios out of a plastic container, nodded seriously. “Fwiendwy.”
Sure, he still sometimes hissed at Superman (instinct?), but Superman didn’t take it personally.
Danny: Not "duh"! Why do you have paw pads? I don't have them! Why do you?
Dan: I don't know ghost puberty or something. Or maybe the more you give into your bloodthirsty nature the more you change. I mean you just got your claws.
Danny: My nails are just growing out.
Dan: Nope. Claws. Same thing happened to me. Don't forget your fangs and....the other thing you get.
Danny: What other thing?
Dan: ...oh you are going to be in for a surprise your first time. Fuck, mine was wild. Got muzzled by that Gotham twunk though. Worth it.
An unfinished comic of my own take on the classic Danny-Vlad body swap scenario; envisioned as a true homage to Freaky Friday, this version is called Typical Tuesday.
A lengthy description of the ensuing silliness (that is entirely an excuse to peddle my theater-kid-Vlad agenda) is under the cut.
Danny and Vlad reluctantly agree to live each other's lives to the best of their abilities for a day, since they both have pressing engagements they can't miss, and then beat up the mind ghost who switched them around at the beginning (they were fighting in the Ghost Zone and disturbed Psyche, who promptly zapped both of them so they could "learn to see past their differences and get along").
During that day, Vlad goes to Casper High and is immediately found out by Sam and Tucker, who take it surprisingly well, besides Sam's totally unprovoked burst of violence. Before going to class, they try to bring a wildly out-of-touch Vlad up to speed on what kids are into these days.
Vlad directs a snide remark towards Dash, who barely understands what he said but stuffs him in a trash can anyway.
"Some things never change, huh?" Sam says.
They're doing a Shakespeare unit in Lancer's class, and it just so happens that it's presentation day. Danny insisted that he can't miss it because if he does it will tank his grade, and Sam in particular threatens that "he'd better not ruin this for Danny, or else." Vlad glances over Danny's note cards, rolls his eyes, and launches into an extremely dramatic recital of Hamlet's "To be or not to be" monologue. When he's done the entire class is staring in varying degrees of WTF at him, including Lancer, who wipes tears away and proclaims "Midsummer Night's Dream! If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were possessed by the spirit of a true thespian, Mr. Fenton!"
"Why, thank you, Mr. Prancer," Vlad replies modestly.
At lunch afterwards, Sam demands answers. "What, you're a Shakespeare buff in addition to being an evil billionaire supervillain? How many cliches do you need?"
"I am a man of many talents, Samantha, and I don't appreciate being labeled as a supervillain," Vlad replies without a hint of irony, sitting in between her and Tucker and displaying no interest in the tray of cafeteria slop in front of him.
"Oh, I'm sorry! How about 'creepy criminal dirt bag'? That any better?"
"So," Tucker interjects mildly. "How long were you in your high school's drama club?"
"All four years," Vlad says without thinking and then looks ruffled that Tucker clocked him so easily.
"Ohhh," Sam drawls. "Yeah. That makes almost too much sense."
Vlad goes on to recount the story of his high school's Hamlet production during his senior year, how he obviously had auditioned for the title role and poured his heart into it, only to lose the it to a freckly, snot-nosed freshman because the director was his mother.
"I have never forgiven them," Vlad says, brimming with decades of unresolved theater kid angst.
"Uh huh," Sam rolls her eyes, completely unimpressed. "So who did you end up being? Tree no. 2?"
"Nah," says Tucker knowingly. "Not Tree no. 2. You got cast as Hamlet's creepy, murderous uncle, didn't you?"
Vlad twists Danny's face into something absolutely medusan and looks like he wants to say something, but doesn't.
"I'm not hearing a no, dude."
Meanwhile, Danny stumbles his way through corporate meetings, gets tired of spending Vlad's money on dumb stuff, realizes just how empty, lonely, and boring his mansion is, and finds himself on FentonWorks's doorstep. He spends a great deal of this adventure hanging out with his own parents as Vlad, which barely ranks in the top 5 weirdest things that he's ever done.
Back at Casper High, Sam and Tucker have to practically throw Vlad at the attacking ghost of the day, which he complains about the entire time.
I haven't fleshed out the climax of this story as much, but Danny and Vlad manage to trip their way through fighting Psyche and all is made right in the end. The two of them elect to learn absolutely nothing from this incident specifically to spite the mind ghost and continue with business as usual.
EPILOGUE:
"It's good to have you back, man," Tucker says to Danny the following day, somewhere in one of Casper High's hallways.
"It's good to be back," Danny agrees. "Thanks for keeping Vlad in check while I was gone, guys. That must have been an ordeal."
"Uh," Sam says, but is interrupted by a few other students walking by.
"Hey, Danny!" one of them says. "Wow, dude, we're still reeling from from the other day. We had no idea you could sing that well."
"Yeah, congrats on landing the title role!" the other exclaims.
A sinking feeling begins to form. "Um, guys? What are they talking about?" Danny asks, but then Mr Lancer appears and begins shaking his hand enthusiastically.
"Mr. Fenton, we on the faculty had no idea you had such talent, but after yesterday we expect great things from you, young man!"
"Guys, what did Vlad do?!" Danny hisses, and Sam sheepishly rubs her arm while Tucker looks at the ceiling awkwardly. "We tried to stop him, Danny. Honestly, we did."
YESTERDAY. Vlad, in Danny's body, freezes midstep in the hallway, a bulletin catching his eye. He reaches up, intent, and pulls it from the wall. It's a colorful poster with bold lettering and a pixelated jpeg of a distinctive white theater mask. CASPER HIGH PRESENTS: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. AUDITIONS TODAY ONLY!
A smile-- tight-lipped, wide, and unmistakably, gloriously evil--spreads slowly over his face.
Meanwhile, Vlad sits at his desk with his cat in his lap. The phone rings. He snatches it off the receiver furiously.
"Hi, this is Bob with the Loony-Bin Psychiatry Clinic. I'm calling to confirm your Thursday therapy appointment--"
"Cancel it," Vlad snarls and hangs up.
The phone rings again. For the thirtieth time.
"Oh, for the love of--!"
The idiot boy must have called every individual therapist listed in the entire phone book.
Bruce inside Thrasher suit: Sorry, darling, I'm doing some maintenance.
Cass: It's alright, I need fatherly advice but I can-
Bruce: *throwing himself out of the suit among a choirs of crashes* FaThErLy AdVice!? Me cAn!
Cass: Thanks. So there's this boy-
Bruce: Kill him
Cass: Ha ha very funny. Anyway there this boy in my Chemistry class and he makes me feel...odd. My heart is racing, my palms are sweaty, when I lock eyes with him a shiver runs down my spine and thats only when I can stand to look at him. He makes me so nervous my eyes move away from him against my will.
Bruce dead serious: I can kill him for you
Cass: Bruce, be serious. Do you know why he makes me feel this way? He doesn't move like a warrior or has any form of training so I shouldn't be registering him with such caution.
Bruce throw gritted teeth: I think you have a crush on him.
Cass: Oh. Oh! This is what a crush feels like? Is it supposed to be close to fear?!
Bruce: Most of mine feel like that yeah.
Meanwhile at Dan and Danny's place: *Dan cooking Danny while Danny doodles*
Dan: Who's that?
Danny: This girl in my chem class.
Dan: She's out of your league.
Danny: Har har. For your information I'm not trying to date her or anything. She's just interesting.
Dan: Oh? How so?
Danny glowing green eyes light up with mischief: She fears Phantom. Doesn't seem aware that she can spot him in my body language and it freaks her out.
Dan: Stop feeding on fear idiot. Do you want the bats to know two emotion eating ghosts got stranded here? Go feed on lust like me.
Danny: You get your fix of ectoplasm your way and I get it mine way.
Dan: Stupid city has so much death and yet doesnt produce enough physical ectoplasm. Ugh fine, just dont get caught and make sure not to get Batman and his crew's attention. Last thing we need is fighting off humans in spandex while trying to get back to the Ghost Zone.
Danny: Stop nagging me, Im being careful. What are the chances I'll even encounter the Bats. Im such a good law abiding citizen *eyes glow intensifies*
Dan: This city is corrupting you. We have to get out of here.
Danny: You say that as if though you haven't been slowly getting corrupted. I know you're craving to go out there and find another idiot to take to bed even with that one in there. Whats wrong with him anyway? He seemed brain dead when I went into your room to borrow a shirt.
Dan: He's fine. I just took a little too much from Jason. He should be up in a bit. He'll only be a little confused and missing a few hours.
Danny: And that wont be suspicious to the Bats?
Dan: No. There is nothing in his system. He'll just think I'm that good. Unlike fear, lust doesn't linger as badly and isn't worth looking into. Especially when Gotham is known for having a mad man with liquid fear as his main weapon.
Danny: Like you said. My victims don't have anything in their system either. They just suddenly developed anxiety. Happens to the best of us.
Dan: Uh-huh. Just....make sure you feed from this girl in small doses, alright? And do your homework. You have a image to uphold. No one suspects a sweet straight A student.
What if Danny got the full Tumblr DPxDC treatment, becoming the Ghost King, being the Ancient of Space, being an engineering genius, being super skilled at combat and mystical randomness, having access to and being knee deep in intergalactic and interdimensional culture, slightly inhuman looks, multiple instances of time travel, just EVERYTHING.
BUT... Only Danny gets this treatment. Everyone else from Danny Phantom is like they are in canon. No Tucker being some god-tier hacker that makes Technus and clowning on comicbook geniuses like Cyborg and Oracle. No Jazz being some god tier therapist for superheroes who can fight on par with Batfam members. No Sam suddenly being all in on using her family's money to gentrify Gotham or having Undergrowth's powers. No Valerie somehow being able to kick Danny's ass even without her suit and weapons. No Jack and Maddie being ghost hunters that can actually threaten even Ghost King Danny. No GiW being able to hide their actions from the entire world, including Batman and the Justice League Dark and being a real threat to even the most powerful of ghosts. None of that.
Just Danny being a Triogon level powerhouse with a ton of powers and skills, running a cafe bookstore in Gotham for the vibes, possibly being a Kryptonian deity thanks to time travel, and being friends with some random humans from the Midwest who, while abnormal, are nothing really special or notable.
How would the contrast between Danny and his friend group and sister look to outsiders? How would said friend group and sister feel about Danny being basically a god compared to their normal human selves? What about how they react to Danny having connections to the likes of Bruce Wayne and the Justice League, not as a hero but as an engineer?
What would a DPxDC world where only Danny was altered to match the over-the-top power level, skill, and scientific ability of comics look like?
How the Justice League Accidentally Gained a Weirdly Intelligent Cat Mascot (Where on Earth Does He Keep Finding All These Kittens?)
Summary: In most universes, Bruce Wayne is the highly respected member of the Justice League, known as Batman.
In this universe, Bruce Wayne is a stray tomcat who likes to hang around the Hall of Justice, known as Bat.
A/N: This is set in an AU where everyone is still a hero except the Batfam, who are not heroes because they are, in fact, cats. The justice League is still formed, but without the deep pockets of Bruce Wayne backing them up, the Watchtower does not exist, and their main base is the Hall of Justice.
My mental picture of the batkids in this fic was based heavily on these Warrior Cats AU designs by @/lovesick-joey
(Read on AO3)
~~~
There was a cat in the Hall of Justice.
He was a severe-looking tomcat with sleek black fur and piercing yellow eyes. The only interruption to his dark coat was a multitude of scars that showed off just how many fights he’d been in in the past, and a white splotch on his chest, vaguely shaped like a bat.
No one knew where he’d come from. Most of the heroes assumed that he was the pet of a minor hero, someone who only visited the Hall occasionally. The time it took for them to realize this wasn’t true was prolonged by the fact that the cat seemed to disappear at random intervals, never staying around for long.
By the time they came to the realization that he wasn’t simply someone's pet who had a habit of wandering off, it’d been more than a month since the cat had started showing up. It hadn’t done anything more malicious than knocking the receptionist’s mugs off the counter, so there’d been an unspoken decision to leave him be. It wasn’t causing any harm, and many of the employees had already grown attached to the scarred tomcat.
If he were a shapeshifter with malicious intent, he would have done something by now. J’onn said he wasn’t able to sense any thoughts from it beyond what was typical for a cat. So it was determined that he must just be a stray that had managed to slip inside one day, and decided the Hall of Justice was a nice place to visit.
To be fair to the cat, the large windows in the entrance hall of the Hall of Justice let in a lot of sun in the morning, warming the smooth marble floors. It wasn’t uncommon to find the cat sprawled out in the corner of the smooth floors, his black coat soaking up the sun’s rays like a sponge.
It didn’t take long after that for the cat to be named Bat after the marking on his chest, and for the Justice League to gain an unofficial mascot.
~~~
SuperStan @/SuperStan13
My class had a field trip to the hall of justice this morning. We saw a random? cat?? Just hanging out in the reception hall? What’s up with that
[Photo ID: A picture of the shadowy corner of a room with a marble floor and white walls. A blurry black shape is tucked into the corner, and you can just barely make out a tail, two ears, and a pair of yellow eyes staring straight at the camera]
>Mothman is Real and I Have Proof @/cryptidenthusiast
Creepy…. 😬
>>SuperStan @/SuperStan13
No, it’s not creepy. The Void is simply staring back at you 🖤
>>>Mothman is Real and I Have Proof @/cryptidenthusiast
Bro, look at those eyes. It’s creepy asf
>Read Bio for Com Info @/Drawing_Heroes_Daily
Should you be taking random pictures in the HoJ? The cat could be someone with shapeshifting powers like Beast Boy. Taking their picture without asking would be pretty rude if so
>>SuperStan @/SuperStan13
I don’t think so? It was just acting like a regular cat. I wanted to pet him so bad but I didn’t just in case he actually was a hero lol
>Man of Steel @/Superman_Offical ✔️
That’s Bat! He’s a stray that started hanging out around the hall a while ago and just decided to never leave. As far as we know, he’s just a regular cat!
>>SuperStan @/SuperStan13
Superman responded to my post?? Hello? Sir I’m your biggest fan.
>>Mothman is Real and I Have Proof @/cryptidenthusiast
What do you mean “as far as you know?” And why’s the cat so blurry in that picture? The rest of the picture is clear?
>>>Man of Steel @/Superman_Offical ✔️
Bat is just like that
>>>>SuperStan @/SuperStan13
Thank you, Superman, sir, that clears up nothing!
Mothman is Real and I Have Proof @/cryptidenthusiast
This just in: the Justice League has a new mascot: a bat-cat-cryptid-thing that just? Showed up one day? And then never left??
>SuperStan @/SuperStan13
Omg, just because there’s a creepy blurry picture of something doesn’t mean it’s a cryptid 🙄
~~~
“I think that cat that hangs around might have a cold.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah, I was waiting for Green Arrow in the entry hall, and he was sitting all creepy in the corner-”
“He’s not creepy just because he’s a black cat! They aren’t actually bad luck, you know? That’s just superstition.”
“No, yeah, I know that. I love black cats. I used to have one when I was little. I know black cats can be just as sweet as other cats. I’m only saying Bat in particular is a little creepy. The way he hangs out in dark corners and stares at you like he’s being paid to do it?”
“Okay, I can see your point.”
“Yeah. Anyways, I was standing there, and he kept making this weird hacking, humming sound? Like ‘Hnn, Hnn,’ you know?”
“Oh, no, I think that’s actually just how he meows.”
“Really? That’s weird.”
“Ehh, yeah. But all cats are weird, and as you’ve already pointed out, Bat’s a little stranger than most. I’ve never actually heard him meow like a normal cat. It’s always that little humming noise.”
“... Well, now that I know he’s not sick, I gotta say that’s honestly adorable.”
“Don’t let him hear you call him cute, or he’ll steal your soul.”
“Haha. He’s a cat, he doesn’t understand English.”
“With the way he stares, sometimes it feels like he definitely understands.”
~~~
Someone had stocked the fountain in front of the Hall of Justice with goldfish. No one owned up to it, but neither did anyone complain, especially not after a video taken by one of the younger heroes made the rounds around the hero community.
The video showed Bat crouching perfectly still on the edge of the pool, his only movement being his eyes flickering back and forth to follow the fish. Then a black paw suddenly darts out with extended claws, and the fish Bat had been watching was scooped out of the water. A bite delivered swift death to the wriggling fish before it could flop back into the water. Then Bat picks up his prize and trots away, presumably to find a private place to eat his meal.
There was some concern that Arthur might be offended by the cat eating the fish, but he quickly dismissed the notion.
“Cats are predators that eat fish.” He started with an uncaring shrug when the Flash asked him about it. “Many creatures in the ocean eat fish. It’s perfectly natural.”
After that, the fountain remained fully stocked at all times, no matter how many fish “mysteriously” disappeared every time Bat would visit the Hall.
~~~
“Did you see that Bat has a kitten now?”
“I did! I’ve been calling it Robin. Cute little thing.”
“Why Robin?”
“Bat had caught a robin and was feeding it to the kitten when I first saw them together.”
“Oh. That's… gruesome.”
“Yeah, but it’s still a cute name!”
“I guess.”
~~~
A sharp yelp from the other side of the meeting room had Diana whipping around at the sound. She relaxed when all she saw was Hal, scowling and clutching at a bleeding hand.
His shout of “The damn cat bit me!” had Diana relaxing completely. Looking downwards toward the floor, she found the culprit. Bat was crouched on the floor, fur puffed up and ears pinned as far back as they could go. His fangs were bared in a silent hiss.
Diana looked back up and arched a brow at Hal. “Were you trying to pet him again? You know he hates that.”
“No, he just hates me,” Hal protested. “I swear he’s hated me ever since I stepped on his tail. He’s holding a grudge!”
There was a familiar whoosh of displaced air while Hal was talking, and suddenly Barry was next to them, a wrapped breakfast sandwich in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other. He handed the coffee to Diana, receiving a grateful thanks in return.
Then Barry turned to Hal, rolling his eyes. He’d clearly put together what happened from what he’d heard Hal say and the pilot's bleeding hand. “He’s a cat, Hal. He’s not some mastermind plotting your demise.”
Barry watched as Bat’s fur slowly smoothed back down. The cat’s intense yellow eyes remained fixed on Hal though, unblinking and unwavering.
“Oh, come on,” Hal complained, not meeting the cat’s stare. “It’s not like he likes you any more than he does me.”
“He definitely likes me better. The only reason he runs away from me is because suddenly appearing somewhere you weren’t before or running around at my speed tends to scare animals.”
“Whatever,” Hal scoffed. “I’m going to go get a bandaid, and probably a rabies shot. I bet that damn cat’s infected.” The last part of his statement was aimed at Bat, who only made his strange little ‘Hn’ sound, and then stalked away to curl up in Superman's as-of-yet unoccupied chair.
Diana turned to Barry after Hal left, taking a sip of her coffee. “Sometimes it feels like Hal forgets that Bat is just an animal, and can’t understand him.”
Barry shrugged, unwrapping his breakfast sandwich. “I dunno, Diana, Bat acts so human-like sometimes that it’s easy to forget.”
~~~
“Oh, look, it’s Robin! Weird to see him out and about without Bat hovering over him.”
“That’s not Robin? Robin is bigger than that one. Greyish blue tabby, with cream color across his chest and down his front legs?”
“No? Robin is that brown cat with the weirdly bright red chest, head, and front legs?”
“What are you two talking about? That one right there is Robin. He’s a brown tabby with white socks and white belly. I’ve never seen a cat around here that looks like either of those descriptions. ”
“...”
“Wait…”
“…Oh no.”
~~~
It took a long while for the naming problem to get sorted out. Apparently, there were multiple kittens that had taken to following Bat around, but they’d never shown up at the same time, leading different members of the Justice League and the staff at the Hall of Justice to think that the one that they’d seen was the aforementioned “Robin.”
The only one who seemed unperturbed by the situation was Alfred, an elderly British receptionist and one of the only people Bat tolerated physical affection from.
Most of the kittens needed new names, since they couldn't very well all be named Robin. The largest one, a greyish blue tabby with a cream belly and front legs, was dubbed Nightwing by Superman, named after an ancient Kryptonian legend.
The second largest- which clearly was one of those rare animals that had some sort of meta gene, given the startling fire engine red color of his head and chest, and his glowing green eyes- was named for his distinctive red coloration, and was called Red Hood.
The smallest one ended up being called Red Robin when someone got confused and mashed up Red Hood’s name with the name the cats had previously shared. By the time people realized they’d been given such similar names, it was too late and the names stuck. Especially since Red Robin actually responded to his name. It was an unusual show of intelligence from a cat, but all of the cats that visited the Hall of Justice were unusual in one way or another.
“Naming them in such a similar manner will lead to confusion and misunderstandings,” J’onn pointed out, while being locked in a staring contest with Bat.
Clark shrugged carefully so as to not disturb Nightwing, who was perched on his shoulder. “Well, they’re cats. It’s not like they’ll mind.”
~~~
“My dear boy, I know the computer keyboard is warm, but would you mind not sleeping on it?”
‘Hn.’
“I see. If I were to order you a heating pad, would you be willing to stop sleeping there?”
‘Hnnn.’
“...”
‘Mrrrrp!’
The sound of a cat jumping up from the floor and landing on the reception desk with a light thump accompanied an exasperated sigh from Alfred. “Red Robin! Not you as well, young sir!”
“Mmrrrr.”
Neither cat seemed to care about the elderly receptionist’s despair. They curled up together on the computer’s keyboard, and managed to type ‘hggsgS;/’ooooop’[kL:FGkek de/////#$I($(rn’ into the document that was open on the computer.
Alfred sighed.
~~~
There was something horribly wrong with Red Hood.
No one knew what had happened to him, but he had entered the Hall early in the morning, limping so badly he was nearly dragging one of his legs behind him. He made a beeline toward the front desk, where Alfred had just come in for his shift, and curled up underneath it.
After he collapsed under the front desk, he did not rise again. He only lay there breathing heavily, each inhale he took sounding like a rattling wheeze.
Bat hovered near his kitten, hissing and swiping at anyone who dared try to touch Hood, let alone pick him up. Even Alfred wasn’t allowed near the younger cat. This more than anything gave the observers a clue to how badly Hood was hurt, given how tolerant Bat usually was of the older man.
It eventually took Superman’s invulnerable skin to remove Hood from Bat’s protection in order to get the kitten to a vet.
Bat yowled for hours after Red Hood was taken away, before finally seeming to give up. He slunk out of the Hall of Justice, and neither he nor any of his kittens were seen again for three days.
~~~
When Bat finally reappeared in the Hall, it was with clear reluctance. He slunk into the Hall, following Red Robin as the younger cat trotted in, as confidently as he ever had. In contrast to Red Robin, Bat seemed incredibly wary, crouching in the shadows while still remaining as close as he could to his kitten.
Red Robin seemed to ignore Bat’s disapproving grunts at his actions, and ducked away from the older cat the few times he tried to grab Red Robin’s scruff.
When Red Robin left the entrance hall to go further into the building, Bat was even more reluctant to follow. He stayed crouched at the doorway to the more private, off-limit areas of the Hall of Justice, meowing after his kitten. When Red Robin didn’t return, Bat turned and slunk right back outside, still clearly unhappy.
~~~
Bat started to return of his own accord after that, but his appearances in the Hall of Justice were much rarer than before Red Hood’s accident.
He’d taken to ignoring Clark, which was better than attempting to outright attack him like he had when Clark had taken Red Hood away. But he still started hissing when the man approached Bat or his kittens.
On one memorable occasion, Bat even tried to carry his kittens away from Clark. Red Robin was squirreled away first, taken out of Clark’s sight. Then Bat returned for Nightwing. Bat wasn’t quite as successful when he tried to pick up Nightwing, who was almost full-grown by now and too big for Bat to effectively haul around.
It would be a funny sight if Clark didn’t know the reason behind Bat’s overprotective actions. A pervasive sense of guilt haunted him, even if he knew he had to do it for Hood’s own good.
He wished he could communicate with Bat, and tell him why it had been necessary for him to take Red Hood away. It hurt that the animal Clark had grown so attached to might believe that Clark would hurt his babies.
Hopefully, Bat would forgive Clark once Hood was returned, maybe a little worse for wear but still alive.
~~~
It took two and a half weeks for Red Hood to be well enough to return to the Hall of Justice. The vet’s office that Clark had taken him to was simply the closest one to the Hall. It was a small family-owned practice, with a father and daughter pair- Ra’s and Talia al Ghul- being the two practicing doctors.
When Clark got the call that Hood was ready to be picked up, he didn’t hesitate to rush over the very next morning to pick him up. Talia greeted him in the front of the office and showed him to the back, where Red Hood was waiting in his cage.
“I’m a little surprised how well he managed to recover,” she told him. “You said you didn’t know what happened to him, but it's not unusual for people to hit an animal and then keep on driving, unfortunately. That’s likely what happened to him. He was very lucky that you were able to bring him in when you did, Mr. Kent. I doubt he would have survived much longer.”
She left to go grab him a cat carrier, since Clark didn’t actually have one. (He thought of the increasing number of cats roaming the Hall of Justice recently, and resolved to buy a cat carrier to keep at the Hall.)
As he waited, sticking a finger through the bars for Hood to sniff- and ignoring the way the cat bit him- Clark looked around the room. There were a few cats in the other cages. They all looked plump and well-groomed, clearly beloved family pets. None of them looked badly injured, and none of them were in as bad shape as Hood had been in.
What really caught his eye was the cage directly above Hood’s. At first, Clark thought it was empty, and the blankets and food bowl just hadn't been cleaned out from its previous inhabitant.
What really caught his eye was the cage directly above Hood’s. At first, Clark thought it was empty, and the blankets and food bowl just hadn't been cleaned out from its previous inhabitant.
A tiny mewl from the cage corrected that assumption. With a quick flash of his x-ray vision, Clark saw the form of a tiny kitten hidden under the blanket. It was squirming around as if trying to nuzzle into the warmth of the blanket, and Clark’s initial response was to melt at the sight.
Clark wondered what was wrong with the kitten. It wouldn’t be at a veterinarian's office if there was nothing wrong with it. He wasn't a vet, but even he could tell the poor thing was skinnier than it should be.
Talia soon returned, cutting off Clark’s worries. “Hmm. Is Robin moving around? That’s good.”
Clark let out a startled laugh. “Robin?”
Talia raised an eyebrow pointedly towards the clipboard on the front of the kitten's cage, which had the name ROBIN written across it in bold font. “That’s his name.”
“Oh, sorry, I know a few other cats who were named that, I just thought it was a funny coincidence.”
Talia hummed in acknowledgement, but in a tone that indicated she also didn’t care very much. Clark thought that was fair. She was a very no-nonsense woman, and he didn’t think she would care much about tales from his personal life.
As she opened Red Hood’s cage, expertly grabbed him before he had a chance to escape, and maneuvered him into the carrier, she told Clark about Robin. “He was brought in two days ago. The person who found him couldn’t find his mother anywhere.”
“He looks very skinny,” Clark said hesitantly. He wasn’t an expert after all, and pointing out a cat’s medical problem to a vet seemed cocky, but Talia only nodded.
“He’s barely old enough to be eating solid food, but he keeps refusing it. It’s leading to failure to thrive. He needs more focused and consistent care than what we can give him.” Talia shook her head in regret.
Clark hesitated at the thought that came into his head, but only for a second. “You know what, I think I might have a solution…”
~~~
Talia hummed with approval as she filled out the last of the paperwork needed to hand the two cat carriers over into Clark’s care.
“If you have any further issues, don’t hesitate to come back in.”
“Thank you,” Clark smiled at Talia in an expression that was much closer to his real smile than the beaming grin he put on as Superman. Despite her brisk attitude, it was clear she truly cared about the animals that were brought to her.
~~~
Red Hood’s return was unceremonious.
The cat was tucked into a carrier supplied by Talia, and carried back into the reception hall by Clark, who was now dressed as Superman.
It was still early in the morning, and the only other people there were the receptionist- not Alfred this time, but a new hire Clark hadn't gotten to know yet- and Impulse, who was playing with Red Robin, flicking a bit of string around for the kitten to chase. The rest of the cats were either outside or deeper in the building.
Clark set the carrier down near Red Robin and Impulse, who stopped what he was doing to zoom over, happy to see Red Hood back again. Clark smiled at the young hero and flicked open the carrier's latch, releasing Red Hood into the Hall.
No one could have predicted how poorly the cat’s return would go.
~~~
Not an hour after Clark left the vet, he was running back with Red Robin, who was now the one curled up in the carrier, covered in scratches and bite marks courtesy of Red Hood.
Red Hood himself had disappeared out the front door, not to be seen for the next month.
Robin, on the other hand, seemed to grow attached to Bat as quickly as Clark had predicted he would, accepting the fish Bat brought him from the fountain to eat.
~~~
Diana couldn’t wipe the frown from her face as she observed the scene taking place in the entrance hall. Red Hood was sitting on the receptionist’s desk while ignoring Alfred. He was glaring at where Bat was crouched by the front door with a strength of emotion Diana had never seen from a cat before, and frankly hadn’t previously thought a regular cat could express. Bat was returning the glare, ears pinned back.
“This can’t be normal,” she remarked to Clark, who was standing next to her, looking stressed. She could relate. She had to admit that out of all the cats that roamed the Hall of Justice, she had a special fondness for Red Hood. Seeing him acting so out of character and aggressive toward those he had been so friendly with before was distressing.
“The vet said that it wasn’t unusual. Feline non-recognition syndrome, she called it. For some reason, Hood’s brain just can’t connect the other cats to the ones he knew before he was separated from them for a while.”
“Is there any way to fix it?”
Clark shrugged helplessly. “She said all you can really do is wait and see. Either he’ll get over it, or he won’t.”
~~~
Barry did a double-take when he saw Bat sitting on the meeting table, Robin crouched behind him, batting at the older cat’s flicking tail. “What’s he doing here?” he asked, somewhat nonsensically.
“What do you mean?” J’onn asked as Bat’s head swiveled around so he could stare at Barry, as if he knew he was being discussed. Robin stopped playing with Bat’s tail when he noticed the other cat’s attention had shifted, and also sat up to stare at Barry too. “This is not the first time he has decided to sit in on one of our meetings.”
“Well, yeah,” Barry spluttered, still looking confused. “But I swear I just saw him out in the front hall.” In a faint crackle of lightning, Barry disappeared, only to reappear in a flash a few seconds later.
“Look!” He insisted, showing his phone which was open to the camera app. The picture showed a slightly blurry photo of the space under the reception desk. J’onn leaned forward, scrutinizing the image. On further inspection, he could see the form of a black cat tucked into the shadows under the desk, yellow eyes shining in the flash of the phone camera.
“How is he here and out in the front hall at the same time?”
“Clearly, he cannot be,” J’onn pointed out. “It must be a different cat, then. Perhaps Bat has adopted another kitten?”
“One just as spooky as Spooky himself, apparently,” Hal laughed as he peeked over Barry’s shoulder at the picture. “It blends right into the shadows just like Spooky does.”
~~~
Black Bat became a common visitor to the Hall, getting along with the other cats seamlessly- besides Red Hood, who was still aggressive towards everyone to some extent, though it had calmed down since he had attacked Red Robin upon his return from the Vet.
She looked incredibly similar to Bat, the only difference between the two was the fact that Black Bat was smaller than Bat was. Often, the only way to tell which cat was which was to see them side by side and see which one was bigger.
Her similar appearance earned her a name that was equally similar. Much like Robin, Red Robin, and Red Hood, it inevitably led to slight confusion, but no one seemed to care, and the name stuck.
According to the rumor mill, Black Bat was often seen outside the Hall of Justice with two unfamiliar cats, a golden long-haired cat and a ginger cat with a green collar, though neither of the unfamiliar cats ever ventured inside the Hall of Justice.
~~~
“Did you see earlier in the entrance hall, Red Hood was letting Bat groom him?”
“Really? That’s great!”
“Honestly, he didn’t look too happy about it, but he seemed to take a liking to the little Robin so he was putting up with it for him.”
“Pfft, well, that’s one way to cure his anger problems. Just throw a little sibling at him.”
~~~
“Oh dear.” Alfred blinked as he looked under his desk. Finding a cat curled up on or under the reception desk was no longer an unusual sight- hadn't been for a while now- but this was a bit unusual.
“Hn.”
“And who is this fine young man?”
The dark brown and tan kitten looked up at him with golden eyes that glowed so strongly they lit up the entire area under the desk. If Alfred didn’t know any better, he would say that Bat looked disgruntled at the fact that there were no shadows to lurk in.
“Another one? Where on earth are you finding all of them?”
“Hnn.”
~~~
“Wait, so, how many kittens does Bat actually have?”
Demon siblings au(not twins, Danny is older), but while Danny doesn't live with the Wayne's, Damian has Danny on, what's essentially, Summons Speed Dial, and he constantly uses Danny as some sort of Summon Attack. Rather its an actual emergency, like Damian is outnumbered or the world is in danger, or if its just petty disputes with his other brothers, and Damian is losing, Damian will call Danny to come help him.
Damian, pouting because hes loosing an argument: Hmph *pulls out his brother's summoning*
Tim: Phantom is not a Summon Attack!
Keep in mind, my mentality for this au is that Danny's a super older brother(I'm thinking a half brother through Talia via artificial splicing or something), like he was 18 when Damian was born, and it was thanks to Danny that he had any semblance of a childhood. But Danny also kinda spoiled Damian, so while Damian still has league teachings, hes also used to Danny giving him whatever he wants, and being a bit babied by him(not infantilised, just doted on and spoiled).
Lowkey like the Idea of Danny getting to know the Wayne's, not being adopted obviously but just that hes close to them because of Damian, but either way Danny would be the oldest out of all of them(if my math is right Danny would be about 28 when Damian moves in with Bruce, and Dick would be around 26ish? Idk let me know if I'm worng) so Danny tends to also baby and dote on all the Waynes, and Damian get a bit jealous and pouty because hes used to having all of Danny's attention and thats his big brother dangit!
Of course he'd realized that Gotham city would be louder than rural little Amity Park. He just didn't think it would be… this loud, which might be dumb of him.
Danny has a nice apartment, it's several floors up, it's got big windows (bullet proof too, but he's heard that's pretty usual in the 'nicer' parts of Gotham), an actually serviceable balcony, a decent view if you like streets and other towering buildings (at least he's not staring directly at the windows of a different apartment complex), and that's on top of other great amenities.
Arguably, he can't complain about anything.
It's just that with his enhanced hearing the extra dampening effect of the thick windows isn't doing anything.
every night is a never ending stream of car honking, police sirens, the occasional noise of gunshots, shouting, a helicopter passing over, jet engines?!
At least the rain on the windows sounds nice.
And he has tried ear plugs but they cause irritation and he just can't sleep with them in, He's tried tea that's meant to help with sleep and meditation music to drown out the noise of the city but neither helps.
But besides all that he's fairly certain there is a different reason why he can't seem to relax and fall asleep.
Honestly, people are starting to think he's a native Gothamite what with the tired and 'done with life' look on his face during the day.
It's not after a week that something happens that changes everything.
He'd been curled up in bed, trying his hardest to just fall asleep (and hopefully stay asleep) when he'd thought he heard a faint zwip followed by a thunk and a slight creak of metal. It would have probably been missed by anyone with normal hearing.
Danny had carefully opened his eyes and noticed the caped figure on the railing of his balcony, perched and canvassing the surroundings.
He'd instantly recognized this individual as one of the Bats, which one? Too hard to tell from the angle Danny was at, the pelting rain sure didn't help either.
But even so, suddenly a calm passed over Danny, settling under the covers was easy and comfortable and falling asleep happened quickly.
Conclusion, having a guardian gargoyle right outside his window puts the part of him that needs to be reassured that everyone is protected at ease and finally lets him sleep.
This poses a different problem however… sleeping just becomes impossible again the next night when he doesn't see a bat.
Danny decides the solution is simple, he reinforces his balcony, creates somewhat of a overhang that shrouds a part of it even more in shadow and shields it a bit from the rain and then he spreads rumors of gang activity in the neighborhood.
It's annoying and probably a manipulative waste of their time, but Danny is desperate, he needs his sleep dammit.
meanwhile in the Batcave Danny's balcony gets added to the list of favorite spots to land during patrol.
After moving away from Amity Park, he found himself discovering more about ghosts and other ecto beings that he didn’t know about before. Obviously during Halloween, there were the ghosts that would terrorize the town. That’s why it was important to leave things in the windows for them to take as offerings for their obsessions. The whole reason the holiday was so popular was because of this phenomena. Trick or treating was a ghost’s favorite way to blend in and take candy from people as they hid amongst the living.
It was such a normal thing for him to do that he never thought that maybe other places didn’t still leave out the offerings. When he moved to Gotham of all places, he was sure that the locals would respect the dead but no. Nobody seemed to remember or care. And Danny was the one being questioned like he was stupid.
It turns out, most people don’t see ghosts. And he was so used to everyone in Amity Park seeing them he just forgot it wasn’t a normal thing.
Danny: *setting out his offerings of cookies in the window of his apartment*
Roy (his roomate): Dude what are you doing
Danny: I’m leaving cookies out for Batman.
Roy: *raises an eyebrow* Batman is just an old wives tale.
Danny: *glances over at the warped shadowy vaguely shaped bat figure in the corner* Are you sure about that?
Roy: Well I mean I guess it’s based on real people. A whole family that would fight crime or whatever and they were called that Bat Family.
Danny: Oh does that mean that there’s kids? Should I leave out some toys or activities?
Batman in the corner: *nods*
Roy: That’s not- do you really believe in ghosts?
Danny: I’m inclined to- *looking at Batman trying to decipher his gestures*
Batman: *gets frustrated and just stares at Danny until he airdrops the information via cores*
Danny: *looks at Roy* I think we need to go to the craft store.
Someone please write this. Give me adult Danny sitting on that sweet Fenton family money. Give me Danny with that Ghost King money. Give me Danny with a deaged Dan and Dani as teens. Give me vigilante Phantom who needs to feed his protection ghost obsession by protecting the people of his city. Give me Danny Phantom with an empire of vigilantes who work with him in his name who are also his family. Give me Danny being Bruce Wayne.
Except, he’s significantly better at it than Bruce.
The Pham keeps growing and the lineup of vigilantes that all share the same symbol on their chest keeps getting better. Every member of the team is loved and cared for. And no one who isn’t already dead dies because you better bet your ass they have a plan for EVERY scenario. If someone gets hurt? Phantom will avenge them. The Ghost King can and will collect any souls that are overdo. He can and will allow those who have killed may be ripped apart by the ghosts of their own victims.
The lineup of vigilantes may have started out small, just Phantom and Red Huntress. But then it grew. Tucker joined behind his computer, providing technical support as Firewall. Sam stood beside him with her ever growing plant magic as Iris. Jazz offered her ability for psychoanalysis, giving her ability to use Tucker’s research and her own brain for profiling as Mandela. Dani joined her father as Spector and Dan wasn’t far behind as Wraith.
That was only the beginning. After Phantom was officially asked to join the Justice League, the Pham only grew. Much to the dismay of the others.
Superboy was no more after Danny watched Superman speak in such a horrid way about the boy. Kon was doing just fine now in the Pham. He was much happier as Spright. After Danny adopt him, he never had to feel like he had to be ashamed of who he was as a clone. Dani was a clone too and Danny loved her all the same.
The second Robin? Haha…. yeah the moment that boy died, Danny adopted him. Jason was heartbroken and betrayed by Batman but he knew he would never have to feel that way again. He could spend the rest of his half life with the magic Robin once gave him as Lucky Charm. Except now? He knew the magic came from inside him. Not from his title.
Danny may or may not have stolen the fourth Robin as well. All Danny needed was to watch him yell at her during a meeting one time. Once she joined the Pham, she was always respected and no one yelled at her. Her more unpredictable tendencies? Completely welcome and very effective when the team around you is just as wild and creative. Stephanie liked her life as Violet.
After working with the Titans, Danny may or may not have also picked up Raven on the way. She really needed a father figure and Danny was more than willing to provide. Rachel was invited to every movie night, family dinner and party the Pham had and of course, she had her own room in the Pham household if she ever needed a place to crash.
Give me Danny pulling a Bruce Wayne so hard that he outBruces the Wayne. Give me Danny being the best dad on the planet. Give me Danny also funding the JL just so Bruce can’t. Give me Danny casually knowing all the dirt on all the other JL members because he stole their kids and they aren’t afraid to tell him what they did.
So! Unfortunately Danny's parents had gone just a little too far on one of their Ghost Hunts while outside of Amity Park, and they had been arrested.
Apparently they had attacked some Heroes in Gotham thinking they were Ghosts, and were legally deemed Supervillains for their troubles.
Thie of course meant that Danny and Jazz had to be relocated while their parents were in Prison and their home was investigated by the Justice League. The Portal to Hell in their Basement probably wouldn't help their case.
Anyways, unfortunately for Danny and Jazz, their Aunt Alicia was unable to house them because she was in legal trouble for not paying her taxes. They would have to be sent to a Foster Home.
It took a while for one to stick. At first they tried to seperate Jazz and Danny, but every time they did one of them would run away to find the other.
Then they tried sticking them in a Foster Home made up of children of other Supervillains, which would have been fine actually if the other kids parents didn't attack the house on a weekly basis to try and get their kids back. Jazz made the call to ask to be moved to a different house, though she kept contact with the other kids.
Finally they landed on a Foster Home in Fawcett City. They seemed nice enough, though they did have a lot of kids already.
Danny and Jazz ended up staying there for a few months, getting to know the Vasquez Family pretty well, until one day they got a new addition.
"No, I'm not an undead therapist, Im a therapist for the undead"
Being the only counsellor for a huge team of heroes can get overwhelming and even possibly conflicting. Black Canary is pretty confident in her abilities to separate personal and work relations, but even she would advise herself to get a second counsellor to be safe.
Now it isn't easy picking a civilian counsellor when the clients are mostly superpowered individuals with vastly varying experiences and trauma. No, Dinah needs someone who isn't a superhero themselves but can stomach and handle a superhero lifestyle. Someone like... a daughter of infamously renowned scientists and self-proclaimed ghost hunters... well. She's heard worse.
After a thorough background check, Dinah's quite taken with the girl. Impressive grades and certification. No suspicious money movement. She cut ties with the parents, so no worry there. There were a few reports of her talking to herself, but nothing too serious that could pose a problem. At that point, there's only one thing left to do. Meet one Jasmine Fenton.
Now if only Jasmine could just not be in a graveyard so often.
I think Jazz would be unphased at most of the league's trauma and be able to remain professional about it because she too has seen the horrors (her little brother getting vivisected by their own parents) and had to keep a level head (to flawlessly escape their town with her little brother)
After the fiasco where the Anti-Ecto acts were finally abolished with the help of a lot of lawyers, Amity Park has a new normal.
In fact, the Amity Park Hospital has a very odd, very important, and very unique position.
I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS OR THEIR WORLDS. I DO NOT INTEND TO MAKE MONEY WITH THIS POST. IF THIS POST IS ON TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN TUMBLR I DID NOT CONSENT TO THAT.
In every surgery, in every ward where people are at risk of dying, there must be a trained Ghost Hunter on standby to battle it out with their ghost should they die.
At least until their ghost can calm down enough to move on.
But the ambient Ecto, the Ley Lines, and the proximity to the Portal means that there is roughly a 50% chance that when someone dies in the hospital they become a ghost first, and as a new ghost, they are confused and scared.
Once the initial shock is taken care of via combat, the new ghosts usually get their wits back and go meet with their still living relatives for one final goodbye.
So when a member of the Justice League needs emergency medical treatment, they're surprised to see another, younger hero in the operating room before they go under.
It's a young man in a jumpsuit, with white hair and green eyes, and a young girl who is clearly his sister.
"Hey; don't worry, we're just here to beat up your ghost if you die," the boy says, shrugging.
"Yeah, and we'll make it hurt!" His sister shouts, punching her fist into her hand.
That's the last thing the Justice League member hears before the anesthesia and blood loss kick in.
~~~~~~
"You guys are assholes," Dan says from his shadowed corner, doomscrolling.
"Nah nah, it's like, encouragement," Dani reassures him, hovering near the ceiling while the doctors get to work.
"No, I actually was trying to be an asshole," Danny says, crossing his arms and stepping back. "I just don't like this...I dunno their preferred pronouns. If I'm going to insult them, I'm doing it with their correct pronouns."
While Gotham was a cheap city (why else would anyone choose to stay) he still needed money.
Thanks to his stint as a teen vigilante turned interdimensional prince, Danny didn’t have the grades to get a scholarship. Plus a rogue attack and destroyed the dorms meaning Danny now needed to get an apartment, preferably one with no roommates as his last ones kept thinking he was dead when he was asleep.
The problem, actual legitimate jobs were scarce and he had promised Jazz he wouldn’t get involved with anything shady.
Danny needed money quick but using the Ghost King’s treasury was not an option, you try turning that shit into cold hard cash without using the black market.
So here he was, sitting in a crappy coffee shop that didn’t even have good pastry’s, scrolling through job finding sites and hoping he wouldn’t have to ~ugh~ ask Vlad.
That’s when he saw it.
Wanted: Engineer. No formal education needed. All parts and tools provided. Must be willing to sign NDA and work with free spirited artists with a vision.
And the number of zeros on the potential paycheck made Danny snort/choke on his dark roast.
The ad even mentioned the job could be a gateway to other local creatives who needed someone to bring their vision to life.
That amount of money, future commissions and nothing that would set off Jazz’s disapproval glare
