“I do have a huge collection of video games. […] I’m sure they can keep me busy for a while” ~ Andy Weir
A recent interview of Kane Parsons (The Backrooms) about his influences brought up Portal, reminding me of my own love for it. This compounded with my fascination for Project Hail Mary, and the community of artists and writers adding their own spin to that universe.
So, here’s my snapshot theory for how two space-buds might stay sane in the lightyears between Tau Ceti and Erid.
Some Creative Liberties:
The mug next to Grace is a mixture of coma slurry and Taumoeba paste, cut with an increasingly meaningless amount of coffee flavouring. Rocky understands that Grace needs time, distractions, and judgement-free public-eating acceptance to get through it.
The porting of Portal to the Hail Mary screen room system has somehow allowed a 360-degree field-of-view that is not available in the game’s settings normally.
Hail Mary was shipped with a game controller. In an unfortunate coincidence, it was the same generic brand as a certain ill-fated Titanic-tourism submersible company. This was raised frequently in Stratt’s post-launch international criminal trials.
Tim: So... Where did you find a wild Batman clone anyway??
Kon: His parents are mad scientists. They cloned Batman cause they thought he was a ghost. When they made a human baby? The forged paperwork to make it look like he was theirs.
Tim: .... What's he like? I need to meet him. B raised by mad scientists?!? I have to know!!!
Kon: Well, he's dating me. So there's that. He's just so funny too. Also super powered due to a lab accident. And super protective of people he loves. Just so clever and good at fighting. He's really good at engineering and stuff. And he's kind. Not anywhere near paranoid enough to be a Bat though!
Tim:... Take me to my not quite Uncle!!!!!
----
Danny: Ellie? You know how you were super unstable till Mom and Dad got told and fixed you? It's cause I'm also a clone. So you are the clone of a clone.
Ellie: Oh shit! Who's your template?!?
Danny: Batman... Mom and Dad thought... Well you know what they are like...
Ellie (incoherent gleeful noises and laughter): No!!!! Batman?!?!?
Damian scowled as he approached his quarters. It had been a frustrating day, attempting to focus on training while someone who shall remain nameless (lest she be summoned by her name) had added glitter to his favorite dummy to stab during practice. So when he'd impaled it, the tiny sparkles of green had puffed out from the force of impact. It was more aggravating than that "pocket sand" trick he'd observed from Beast Boy! If he hadn't had his mask on, it could have agitated him or scratched his cornea! Reprehensible, really.
As he arrived, his communicator beeped and he answered it, ready to be distracted from the fact that he sparkled like the bloodsuckers on that movie Stephanie had forced them to sit through. He had firmly been Team Truck, but alas... the young lady had been spared at the last moment and the movie had carried on for another hour as she floundered like a fickle fish between a racist interpretation of indigenous werewolves and a WW1 vet turned vampire that looked distressingly like his father as a young man.
"Hi Baby bat! We were wondering if you were com- holy crap! Did you get sneezed out by a fairy or something?!"
"Or something," the younger man would never admit to pouting, but mainly because that bottom lip jutted out far enough to get the seaweedy flavor of her eco-friendly mischief making mess caught in his mouth. With a look of revolt, he used a bit of his cape that had been shielded by his body to wipe his mouth off.
"We have a prankster on the team."
"A prankster? Only one? Who got kicked off?" Dick spluttered, mirth clear in his eyes as Damian employed a gesture he'd learned from Jason, middle finger high in the air. Truly, Damian must be out of sorts for his words, often his second weapon after the blade, to fail him to such an extent.
"I meant the newest member. She reminds me of our siblings at their most chaotic; if not for the fact that her hair is white and her eyes are green, I'd suggest a DNA check to disprove relation."
Damian doesn't see it for the same reasons many siblings don't see the resemblance between each other; but others do and there are already bets on the exact relation.
It's especially obvious on the rare occasion Damian lets out his own mischievous grin. Even with the mask, seeing Robin's and Dani's matching grins next to each other creates an immediate moment of, "Are you related?"
Meanwhile, Tim is meeting 'B but a little to the left' and can't quite decide if it's hilarious or freaky. It's not just a kid their own age wearing Bruce's face, which is weird but Tim is used to Kon so it's meh.
No the thing that's really catching is the mannerisms. All the little Bruceisms that are still there somehow. Like the way Danny goes almost statue still when he's thinking really hard. The way he kind of hovers around people he cares about. Even going so far as to drape himself over them like Bruce basically does with his bat cape. The short staccato rhythm he taps when bored, the little twitches and aborted motions of fidgeting. Even a lot of the same dry wit.
These things juxtaposed with all the ways in which Danny is antithetical to Bruce makes the meeting weirder. The open expressions of emotion, the ease with which he touches people, the jokes and puns and open open open passions.
Bruce: Jason, I know you're a healthy young adult, and you'll have relationships that are more pleasurable than commitment-based, but-
Jason: Whoa whoa whoa! Bruce, it's like seven in the morning! It is far too early for you to be sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, i.e, my romantic relationships-
Bruce: Your boyfriend is cheating on you!
Jason: ....what?
Bruce: I'm sorry, Jay-bird. I know about Danny Fenton. I knew for a while, but I thought it was better for you to come forth and introduce him. The thing is I was keeping a eye on the situation-
Jason: The situation!? My love life is a situation-!?
Bruce: Wait. Please, I know I lack tact, and I know my word choice might offend you, and I don't mean to. But I really need to have this conversation with you. Jason, I saw him let another man into his room. I don't think you are the type of person who is poly or have open relationships- if you are that's great!- and I don't want you being hurt.
Jason: ....Look, I get that you're doing this out of love, and it's the only reason why I'm still entertaining this conversation, but Danny isn't my boyfriend or even my casual hookup.
Bruce: He isn't?
Jason: He's a roommate. I offered him a bed because he was in some trouble.
Burce: Trouble?
Jason: The Scorpion gang are after him.
Bruce: What!? He's meta?
Jason: Yes, he has a second form when he uses his powers. Glowing, white hair, green eyes and-
Bruce: Oh.
Jason: ?
Bruce: Okay so he wasnt cheating, he was just going home.
Jason: Ha! You thought Phantom and Danny were different people and banging? That's hilarious.
Bruce: Yes its humorous now.
Jason: It's good that it was you. Can you imagine if Dick thought my boyfriend was cheating?
Bruce: .....OH SHIT
Miles away:
Danny: *Flying and screaming bloodly murder*
Dick: I WILL RIP YOU APART
Danny: Leave me alone! I didn't do anything!
Dick: I. WILL. SEND. YOU. TO. HELL.
News anchor: Good afternoon, if you're just joining us, this is hour four of Richard Grayson's mayhem chase through Gotham. He's been on a rampage chasing the previously missing hero of Amity Park, Danny Phantom, and seems unstoppable. GPD has attempted four different tactics to detain him to no avail. Property damage has increased since the chase began. We go live to the Gotham News helicopter for a better view-
All fun and games, till Danny heads back to the shared apartment in tears (after losing Dick's rrail). Dick has been debriefed and while they're all having a laugh about it, they hear sharp cries and see that Oracle has tuned into the bugs in Jason's apartment. Danny is crying a lot and can barely breath through his tears, but he doesn't stop packing.
Just as he is grabbing the last kf his things, Jason gets home. Danny puts his belongings into a pocket dimension and hugs Jason. He tells him thank you for providing him a safe place to live and heal, but that he has to go. Thanks to the bigot Dick Wayne (he doesn't know they're related), his safety has been compromised and he has to leave this dimension.
He mentions how he doesn't know what it is he did to the bastard (as an insult, and not in anyway insinuating he is illegitimate and without parents) that warranted being hunted through the streets like a monster. He worked hard in Amity and the people treated him like this. He lives in Gotham, and despite there being heroes who aren't fully human, if at all, he expected the child of Wayne, a man close to the heroes to have more tact than let his racism and bigotry be made public knowledge.
He mentions how he circumvented war multiple times, but he is absolutely done helping anyone on this side of the veil anymore.
..
A. If a regular side: He tells Jason that he considers 7/8 billion a good save, with Jason being part of the seven (Jazz, Sam, Tucker, Ellie, Dan, Vlad, and Jason).
B. If a Nobody knows au: He tells Jason that he considers a 1/8 billion a good save, with Jason being the 1.
..
The bats had stop laughing a long while ago.
--
Danny tells Jason, that in a month or so, he'll come for him, so that he'll be far from the chaos when it starts. Then he runs open a portal and walks through it. That's the list time he is seen.
Danny has never hated a word before. He's hated a lot of things in his life: Vlad, The GIW, the way artafical sweetener tastes. But a word? Seems kinda dumb.
And yet, there is one word he hates. A word that if Danny had the power to, he would blot out of existence.
Because every time this word comes up, every time it's uttered -be it in lighthearted jest or in insult- it makes his boyfriend's eyes go a little hollow. Makes his shoulders tense, just the slightest bit.
Demon.
Danny has never hated a word so much in his undead life.
No one else seemed to notice that this word bothered Damian. His family and friends have been calling him some iteration of the word since he arrived at the manor. To most of them it feels like an inside joke they have with Damian, a fond shared rememberance of the past.
But to Damian, that word is a reminder of everything he hates about himself. Everything he wished he could eradicate about who he is, and how he was raised. It's a reminder that no matter how hard he tries -to be better, be good- he will never be anything more than a monsterous creature pretending to be human.
It was the hatred of this word that led Danny to doing something that he he still considers to be his crowning achivement to this day.
Damian is a simple man, he's not overly flowery with his words or petnames. When he wants to get Danny's attantion, he calls his name. If he wants to be affectionate, he tells Danny that he's kind, or beautiful or strong. When he's angry or annoyed he calls him "Daniel".
Danny, on the other hand, loves petnames. He's called Damian almost every petname under the sun. : Baby, honey, Darling, Love, Babypop, sugerplum, cuddly muffin cakes, the list goes on.
But there is one name he's never called Damian. A petname that was actually pretty common, Danny just hadn't gotten to it yet.
And so one bright morning Danny strut his way into Wayne Manor and looked at his boyfriend with a wide smile and said, "Hey, Angel."
And watched transfixed, as his sturn and serious boyfriend stared at him with wide eyes... and blushed as red as a fire engine.
They Waynes may not have seen how Damien actually felt about the Demon Brat nickname but they sure as heck can see how he was feeling for Angel. Wowzers, and what a reaction it was.
It doesn't have a title yet, sorry. Anyway, I was teasing this idea for a while, and while I'm not writing for it Right Now, I did get a good bit written so I figure I may as well share what I have over the next week or so until I'm home. <3
It needs a first part that I,,, haven't written yet, to explain the mechanics and give some lead-up to this, so be prepared to be dropped in headfirst with no explanation lol.
Edit for anyone who wasn’t following this: soulmate AU, they swap bodies when they both go to sleep the night the younger soulmate turns 15, they won’t swap back until they both go to sleep in the same bed. They can also sense the amount of danger the other is in at all times.
---
The moment Damian opened his eyes, he realized that he had made a few too many assumptions in his desperate analysis of his soulmate's situation.
There was something painfully wrong with the body he now inhabited. It felt strange, as if the sensation of lightheadedness filled his entire body. A bone-deep chill seemed to originate from deep in his chest, and it seemed to struggle to draw enough breath. The left hand was half-numb, but there was a sharp pain on the opposite forearm. His ears rang as if damaged. Had his soulmate been dangerously ill all this time? They would have to find… him better care than he was currently receiving. Dangerous chronic illness could certainly explain the constant danger his soulmate lived in, as well as its frequent spikes.
When he carefully sat up, however, there were no widespread aches or trembles. There didn't seem to be any significant weakness, nor dizziness. Checking the arms revealed a bandage wrapped tightly around the left forearm, and he could feel a bandage under the pajama pants his soulmate wore.
Finally, Damian looked up and surveyed the room he found himself in, something that he normally would have done before anything else. His soulmate's bedroom was small and messy, scattered carelessly with clothes, trash, and discarded homework. They would require a firm talking-to about cleanliness, although not right away. The lack of medical equipment implied that the condition, whatever it might be, was either stable or new; Damian leaned toward the former.
He looked down. The comforter on the bed was space-patterned, and there was a wall dedicated to model spaceships, as well as several posters. Clearly, his soulmate had a primary interest.
There was no note on the nightstand or desk, and the phone he found charging on the nightstand was locked. There were four notifications: two from 'Inquisitor' asking if his ears were still ringing and if she needed to come home and run interference, one from 'Sam' reminding him about an upcoming history test, and one from 'Techno-Luddite' telling him about the release date of an upcoming game.
After the nightstand and the phone, the most common place to leave a note for a soulmate was on the computer. There was a desktop in the corner of the room, in good condition but several years old. Damian got to his feet, ginger and careful, and made his way over there without incident.
It was already on, he observed. He woke it with a flick of his wrist, and the screen lit up, showing a chat window. He crossed his arms on the desk and examined it, frowning.
napstablook: ringablingblingbling
napstablook: my ears are bleeding again
TF (Too Fine): i thought the fenton phones were helping?
napstablook: they were
napstablook: until they started testing a new frequency that cuts right through them
TF (Too Fine): shit
TF (Too Fine): okay bring a pair to school with you and i'll see what i can do
napstablook: thanks tuck. i owe you one
TF (Too Fine): you owe me many
Damian made a note of the requested item, a pair of 'fenton phones,' and moved on. It was tempting to scroll up and get more context for the interaction, but not now. He minimized the window, the browser underneath, and Steam before reaching the desktop, where he was able to quickly locate the expected file.
soulmate_readme.docx
Perfect. Damian opened it and scanned the note his soulmate had left for him.
Hey, partner. You're lucky I'm older, or you would've just gotten [pleasantries and stuff] at the beginning of this.
I'm Danny Fenton! I'm 17 right now and you're in Amity Park, Illinois. I'm really passionate about space, and I also like video games and concerts. I used to want to be an astronaut but my life plans got thrown off-track a few years ago, and I'm still figuring out what to work toward instead. I'm kind of jumpy by nature, please don't take it personally if I'm like that with you at first, but I can be a bit of a gremlin too. And if it's okay, I'd really like to go stargazing with you when we meet, before we go to sleep.
I'm excited to meet you! I really am. I'm getting the idea that we have a lot in common, so I kinda geared this list in a certain direction. Hopefully I'm not misreading things too much. The rest of this is all warnings, don't skip any of it. I'm sorry, this probably won't be very fun for you.
First: I'm also a metahuman. Synthetic. My parents don't know, please do not tell them. I don't know how much of my control will stick with you through the swap (online reports are kinda inconsistent) but Sam, Tucker, and my sister Jazz should be able to help you if something happens. The main concern is phasing through things by accident, but you might also turn invisible sometimes or notice some ice slipping out, especially if you get worked up.
Second: Amity Park is not really safe. You probably know that already. There are frequent extradimensional attacks and the beings behind them are pretty strong. Avoid them if you can, but they might seek you out. You'll know when they're around because your breath will run cold.
There's two weapons in the bottom of my closet. One of them is a wristband with a plasma gun in it, the other is a lightsaber-style bo staff that splits into two if you prefer. Take both and use whichever you're more comfortable with. If you're not experienced, I recommend the blaster. The thermos is a capture device. Take the cap off, point, and shoot.
Do not go downstairs. Take the rope in the bottom of the closet and leave through the window if you can. I am so serious. My parents mean well, but as soon as they know it's you, they'll give you a bunch of stuff that may or may not be safe with my meta abilities. If they try to put a metal belt on you, do not let them. If you can't leave through the window, call Sam or Tucker. My phone's passcode is 990198.
First aid kit is under the bed if you need it. Sorry again. Drink one of the green vials if you're injured. If you're really injured, use a syringe and drink three vials.
Sam and Tucker should be able to give you the rest of the rundown, whatever info is up to date. We've been planning this for a while. Call when you can and we can talk about what travel arrangements make the most sense.
Good luck. And happy birthday.
Damian sat back, crossed his arms, and frowned at the screen.
First: it seemed his assumption about Danny being a vigilante had indeed been correct, and Danny had deduced the same about him. That was good; it meant his soulmate was intelligent. He also seemed rather excitable, given the tone of the first few paragraphs. Should Damian have included more information about himself as well? He shook the thought off impatiently.
He also went by a nickname. Using it would be Damian's first major concession to the relationship.
Second: it was unusual for non-alien metas to have more than one or two powers, and Danny had listed three. Then again, 'synthetic metahuman' was a broad category that could include any number of inciting incidents. Damian would have to inquire into the details later. At least it explained why this body felt so… strange.
Third: he clearly considered both his home and his hometown at large to be an active hazard to Damian. And since Danny was the older, he hadn't been able to arrange for Damian to wake up in a safe location. That was unfortunate but understandable. It mattered little, since Damian was more than capable of taking care of himself with the information and tools provided. Still, with the note that extradimensional beings were likely to seek him out, it would be best to rendezvous with 'Sam and Tucker' for more information.
Decisively, Damian turned away from the computer and moved toward the closet, careful not to stumble in his soulmate's altered body. His center of balance was unnaturally high; Damian would need to practice some maneuvers before attempting serious combat.
Upon opening the closet, Damian discovered that Danny had an appallingly casual sense of style. That would have to be fixed. Damian's soulmate needed to own clothes outside of jeans and t-shirts. He picked a pair of black slacks and a navy blue button-down, then turned to the bed and laid them out.
He knelt down and pulled the first aid kit out from under the bed. He opened it, then faltered at what he saw. The cold spot in his chest seemed to magnify.
Five corked vials and three capped syringes of glowing green fluid. Lazarus water. Where… how…
Damian took a deep breath and forced himself to focus. He knew of no use for Lazarus water in small quantities, despite having grown up around people that actively studied it. There were multiple things in nature that glowed bright green; radium did, after all, as well as the Green Lanterns' constructs. He picked one up and tilted it, baffled to discover that it was viscous, like honey.
Would it be better to be suspicious, possibly denying his soulmate's altered body a necessary supplement, or to trust his soulmate blindly, consuming a substance he didn't even know the name of?
He drank it. It had a peculiar taste, like a hyper-concentrated electrolyte mix, but Danny's body responded positively to the flavor and swallowed eagerly. Damian grimaced, set the vial on the nightstand, and forged on.
The injury on his soulmate's arm appeared to be a knife wound, quite deep and clumsily stitched with an odd glowing suture; it seemed likely that Danny had done it himself, with his left hand. No antibiotics or antiseptic - allergy or oversight? He rewrapped the injury and moved on. The injury on his right thigh was a second degree burn, most likely from a plasma gun judging by the uniform shape. There didn't seem to be any decreased sensation either; it was quite painful. He applied burn cream from a nearly-empty tube and rewrapped that as well.
Finally, he manually tested the sensation in his left hand, flexed it experimentally, and then decided that was enough. He dressed, fetched the three remaining implements from the bottom of the closet, and picked up the phone.
Since Bruce was… unreliable, on the topic of personal boundaries, Damian had gone to Dick for advice on this matter. Dick was very firm on his suggestions: Damian was not to go through his soulmate's messaging history, internet history, photos, or any diary or journal he might find. Under the circumstances, Damian should probably not linger too long at all and instead move on as quickly as possible.
Damian hesitated, then unlocked the phone and checked the notes first. There was another copy of the readme there - useful. Several other notes included a short review of first-aid procedures, a list of locations where a local organization would perform stake-outs, a list of locations where his soulmate had stashed go-bags (making heavy use of his meta abilities, it seemed), and some computer game-related notes.
Finally, Damian went to the browser, and searched 'Amity Park vigilantes.' No relevant results were returned.
He searched 'Amity Park.' There were several cities by that name, none in Illinois.
He left Google, and performed the same searches on Bing, DuckDuckGo, AOL, YouTube, X, and Bluesky. None of the search results indicated that a town called Amity Park existed in Illinois, nor did one with any known vigilante activity.
Amity Park, it seemed, had been delisted from everything.
Well. This was a problem that could be addressed later. Damian pocketed the phone, took the rope from the bottom of the closet, and fastened one end to a curtain bracket above the window.
The rope was knotted, as to facilitate cautious descent and easier climbing. Damian made the decision not to be offended by this, and swung out the window, dropping down a few knots at a time.
Hopefully, Danny was having a somewhat easier time than this. Though given that he was facing the scrutiny of Damian's family, Damian doubted it.
Danny woke up, and had to immediately stop himself from panicking.
His body felt heavy and hot; the cold spot in his chest was gone, and he was warm through for the first time in years. He was breathing hard, and his heart was racing. His ribs were cracked, aggravated by his heaving breaths, and he was sure they hadn't been last night. His shoulder ached like he’d wrenched it, and he could feel something like road rash on his cheek. That usually healed overnight; it was odd to wake up to the sensation. But the painful burn on his thigh was gone, and the knife wound on his arm.
He opened his eyes to a room he'd never seen before, and far too late, it clicked.
His soulmate had finally turned fifteen, and they'd swapped bodies.
Okay. That was… fine. That was great, even - he was starting to worry. Most soulmates were born within three years of each other. Apparently he and his soulmate were at about two and a half. Good to know.
He'd apparently forgotten what it felt like to have a normal human body. That was also fine. It would probably never matter again after today, because he didn't have one of those.
And his parents weren't working on anything too awful! The frequency weapon was aggravating, but even if his soulmate got caught in range of it, he wouldn't get seriously hurt or anything. That was good.
…They really needed to meet up, like, as soon as possible.
Danny pushed himself upright with a wince and finally took in the room. It was huge, he realized - at least as big as Sam's room, maybe even bigger, and just as richly decorated. There were swords on the walls, some paintings, a couple of bookshelves, and some massive windows. Apparently his soulmate was from a wealthy family. Weird.
There was a notebook on the nightstand, flipped open to a simple note.
Bonded.
I am Damian Wayne. I expect you to be normal about this.
Refresh yourself in the bathroom in the northwest corner. My phone's passcode changes on the hour, the key is underneath the top drawer of the nightstand. Wear any clothes you like.
Whatever your own circumstances, you are in no danger in this home. I have a father and an appalling number of siblings, listed below in order of seniority with some notes. All of them save Todd are likely to be present, as they are extraordinarily nosy. Father and Richard should be waiting for you in the living room downstairs. Head there when you are ready and you will be given breakfast.
When you are ready to make arrangements, call. If you do not, I will do so myself.
Bruce Wayne - My father. Despite what he shows the public, Father is a sharply intelligent and goal-oriented man. Be respectful of him.
Richard Grayson - I would advise you to stick close to Richard, as he is the most sane and will do his best to protect you from my siblings' nonsense.
Jason Todd - Can be temperamental. Put space between yourself and him if necessary.
Cassandra Cain - Semiverbal but extremely observant. She communicates primarily in ASL.
Timothy Drake-Wayne - No notes.
Stephanie Brown - Intentionally annoying.
Duke Thomas - Enhanced vision.
Danny lifted a hand to his mouth, stifling an incredulous laugh. Okay, so Damian was kind of funny - super formal, clearly, and his exasperation with his siblings bled clearly through the page. He was a little disappointed that he hadn't written more about himself, but that was okay. They'd have time to talk, probably, if Damian forgave him for the situation he woke up in.
Anxiety bit at him again. He hoped Damian made it out alright. He'd been so sure, with the levels of danger that Damian regularly got into, that his soulmate had to be a vigilante. But the Waynes were in direct danger all the time, weren't they? Because of rogues and stuff. Heck.
And that was the other thing: Danny had to admit, he was sort of uncomfortable with the idea of being in the Wayne family's orbit. Not that they seemed like bad people or anything, but he just didn't need that much attention on him.
Well. Not like he was getting out of it now. He'd figure something out one way or another, right? And he and Damian had to be soulmates for a reason. Even if they didn't click romantically, they'd probably be good friends. Hopefully.
Danny did his best to shake off the creeping anxiety and followed Damian's instructions, going to the bathroom before he went to check out the closet. It was, like Damian's writing, really, really formal. He picked out a polo shirt and a dark pair of jeans, wincing at the creak of cracked ribs.
The sharp spike of pain made him pause. Cracked ribs. Why would a random rich kid have cracked ribs? He silently put the vigilante hypothesis back on the table.
Finally, he dug the passcode key out of Damian's nightstand and worked it out, unlocking Damian's phone after almost five minutes. He wanted to text Sam and Tucker, but hesitated - Damian probably wouldn't want Danny giving his number to people he didn't know, right? That was the sort of thing public figures worried about; Vlad was pissed when Danny gave out his number (which happened pretty regularly.) But Discord used two-factor authentication, and he didn't have his phone.
He sighed, went to email instead, and logged in one of his accounts. He wrote a quick email to Tucker, explaining what had happened and asking him to stay on standby and go to Fentonworks at eleven if he hadn't heard from Damian by then. Then he emailed Jazz to let her know too, and ask her to come home soon if she could. Then Valerie, asking her to cover.
After a moment of thought, he opened Chrome and Googled each of the names on Damian's list. It wouldn't hurt to recognize them once he saw them. They were public enough figures that they probably expected him to.
He put the phone and the passcode key in his pocket, took a deep breath, and tried to shake the nervous tension out of his shoulders. With all of that done, there wasn't anything left to do but go and talk to Damian's family. Right? And he'd talked about this part with his sister before too. Before he knew it was the Waynes.
Danny exhaled harshly, then pushed himself forward and out the door.
The Waynes were more understated about their wealth than Vlad was. The wall trimmings were simpler and more elegant, the furniture Danny could see was more well-made than opulent, no gold anywhere. That wasn't a huge surprise; Vlad liked to show off.
He was worried he was going to get lost trying to find his way downstairs, but luckily it only took two turns before he could see the loft. He made his way over there and leaned against the railing to look around. The loft overlooked some kind of ballroom; an expensive-looking chandelier hung from the ceiling, there was a fountain in the center of the room, and the walls were edged with elegant carvings that looked difficult to keep clean.
"Need some help?"
Danny jumped a mile and instinctively jerked away from the unexpected voice, turning to face him as he took a few steps away. It took him a moment to place the face of the man in front of him - Richard Grayson, giving him a friendly smile that looked… not fake, but rehearsed. He didn't move any closer, letting Danny put space between them.
It took Danny a moment to process what Richard had said, and then he ducked his head uncomfortably. "Yeah, if that's okay. Um, I'm Danny." Luckily, since Damian was younger, they were probably ready for this to happen. Even his parents had taken the day off when he and Jazz each turned fifteen.
"Hey, Danny. Call me Dick." Richard - Dick - held out his hand, and Danny hesitated before scooting closer to shake it. Dick let go after a moment, still smiling amiably. "Let's head downstairs. It's just Bruce and Alfred for now, so we should have some time to talk before the others can't help themselves anymore." Danny smiled a little and followed him toward the stairs, a few steps back. Dick half-turned to face him without missing a beat. "So, do you have any questions you want to start with? I know this must be a bit of a shock for you."
Danny could see why Damian had instructed him to stick close to Dick; it was obvious he'd been assigned the role of settling Danny in. He thought about it for a moment and then shrugged.
"I don't know how this stuff gets handled with high-profile people," he admitted. "All the examples I can think of are like, child stars and stuff." He'd seen some stories in passing, and most of them talked about arranging a meeting through their agents, which wouldn't be the case here. Right?
Dick gave him a smile that looked genuinely pleased, so apparently Danny had said something right. "We'll talk about that soon," he promised. They turned down the stairs, but Dick kept facing Danny, not missing a step. "Okay, is there anything you want us to know up front? Any warnings, concerns, special circumstances?"
Danny reached up and ran his thumb along the line of his jaw without thinking. Damian's jaw felt different from his. Sharper. "Um…" He grimaced. "We should probably go get Damian soon."
"You're not safe at home, right?"
Danny froze. Dick took a few more steps down before turning to face him completely, raising one eyebrow without faltering.
"You don't have to hide it," Dick said, when Danny didn't respond. "Damian's been keeping track. And that's why you're worried, isn't it? Because he's swapping into the circumstances that you've been living in?"
Dick's eyes were too sharp, too observant. Danny looked away, crossing his arms tightly, and continued walking down without answering. Dick didn't push, turning to continue the walk downstairs in relative silence. They hit the marble floor, and Dick directed them toward a side door.
"Don't worry," Dick said at last, pausing just outside the door to meet Danny's eyes. "Damian is pretty good at taking care of himself. He'll be alright."
Shows what you know, Danny wanted to say. He held his tongue.
Dick maintained eye contact for a moment longer, then turned away and pushed through the door.
Going down the hall led to a living room that looked almost normal. It was big, sure, and richly decorated, but it had couches and armchairs and a television, a coffee table, some bookshelves, a large high window. It was nice. By the coffee table, Bruce Wayne was on one of the couches, using a tablet. An older man, like, retirement age for sure, hovered nearby, already looking their way. Danny smiled fleetingly when their eyes met, then dropped his gaze again.
"This is Danny!" Dick announced as they came in, drawing Bruce's attention up to them. "He's a bit jumpy so go easy on him, and he also wants to know how we're planning to handle this process since he knows it'll be different from the norm."
"I see," Bruce said, and gave Danny a warm smile, gesturing to the couch across from him. "Take a seat anywhere and we can talk things over. Are you hungry?"
After considering his options for a moment, Danny sat in one of the closer armchairs instead, then drew his feet up and crossed his legs. He grabbed the hem of one leg and rubbed it between his fingers, braced his elbow on that knee to ease the weight on Damian’s cracked ribs, then shook his head. He felt more than saw Dick and Bruce exchange a look.
"Something small, then," the older man cut in, approaching with a kind smile. Damian's family seemed really nice, Danny thought distractedly. "Does anything sound palatable?"
"Oh, um…" Danny glanced up, startled, and met the man's eyes. Alfred, he realized belatedly. Dick said Bruce and Alfred were waiting for them. "Fruit is okay, I guess. Thanks."
"Of course," Alfred said warmly. "I'll be back in just a tick, then."
Danny smiled briefly, then looked back at Bruce. Dick had sat on the couch across from him, leaving Danny slightly more on Dick's side than Bruce's, but both of them a comfortable speaking distance away. Almost as soon as it registered, though, Danny frowned again, looking down to pick at the hem again.
"Really though," he said after a moment. "We should go get Damian soon."
"About that," Dick said, and when Danny glanced up he wasn't smiling anymore, though he didn't look angry either. "What exactly are you worried is going to happen?"
Oh, that was… a bad question, but fair. Danny grimaced. If they weren't going to believe him until he explained, though… "Well… I guess the first thing is the house." He bit his cheek, trying to decide how to explain, then stopped quickly. Not his body. He rubbed the cuff of Damian's jeans harder. "I'm… a meta. And my parents are inventors. And they keep making stuff that hurts me by accident. And Damian doesn't know what's safe for me to handle and what's not, so he really shouldn't be in there, in my body, by himself." He shrugged uncomfortably. "I told him to leave through the window instead of going downstairs, but I don't know if he'll take me seriously."
There was a heavy pause. Danny squirmed. This really wasn't a great start.
"You told him to climb out the window rather than risk coming into contact with these inventions?" Bruce asked, with a dangerous edge to his voice that made Danny flinch.
"Sorry!" he yelped, scooting back, away from him. He clamped his hands around his elbows, squeezing tightly. "I, I didn't know when it would happen, so I wasn't sure what they'd be working on when it did! And I guess it's just the frequency weapon, and that wasn't that bad, but I was worried it'd be one of the aerosols, because those always make me really sick, or one of the auto-targeting weapons and he doesn't know to look out for those, or, or…"
"Easy, Danny," Dick cut in, low and soothing enough that Danny blinked, glancing up in confusion. Dick wasn't smiling, his eyes dark, but his tone was carefully modulated. "Bruce isn't mad at you. Damian won't have any trouble climbing out a window, and he knew he was walking into a dangerous situation, so I'm sure he looked hard for any notes you left him. It's just very concerning that you're in regular contact with something so dangerous for you."
"Oh- it's okay." Danny tried to relax, but ended up just squirming backward some more. He let out a shaky breath, wincing as his ribs protested, and eased over enough to take the weight on his elbow again. "I mean, I do know what would hurt me, so I can usually avoid it."
"I'm sure you can," Bruce agreed, more calmly. "So, assuming he escaped your home unscathed, what else are you concerned about?"
"Well…" Danny loosened his death grip enough to pluck at his shirt. "Rogue attacks, I guess. The Red Huntress should be out on patrol today, but they’re still frequent enough to be a concern.”
"He'll be fine," Dick said, firmer than Danny would have expected. Huh. Did that mean Damian's family knew what he, maybe, did? Danny relaxed a little, letting out a soft breath, and nodded. Dick continued, "Rogue attacks, huh? Where do you live?"
"Amity Park, Illinois," Danny said, settling enough to go back to rubbing the cuff of Damian's jeans. "Don't bother looking it up though. It's been delisted from pretty much everything. Even the mail goes through a relay now. Every time I look on Google Maps I'm surprised it's still there." The following pause was so heavy it made him look up. "What?"
Both of them were frowning again. Danny cocked his head, uncomfortable.
"…Do you know why that is?" Bruce asked at last. Danny's mind flashed back to Damian's note.
Despite what he shows the public, Father is a sharply intelligent and goal-oriented man.
Instead of scoffing outright, Danny huffed softly and pulled his knees closer, tucking his feet under him. He spared a moment to be glad that Damian seemed to have a similar build to him. "The GIW doesn't want the Justice League catching wind of what they're doing, probably."
"I can make that happen." Bruce's gaze was intense. It occurred to Danny that actually… he probably could. Even Vlad wouldn't be able to do anything about it until it was too late.
Vlad. Shit, Vlad. Danny's fading anxiety clamped down on him again, and he sat up. "We should go get Damian first," he said again, feeling embarrassingly like a broken record.
He craned his neck to find Alfred bringing a massive plate of fruit over, like, way too much. Danny thought for a moment that he was going to put it on the coffee table for everyone, but he set it on the arm of Danny's chair, and Danny automatically reached up to balance it.
"Um, thank you," he said awkwardly, looking up to give Alfred a nervous smile. "Alfred, right?"
"That's right," Alfred confirmed with clear warmth, and then pushed a glass of water into Danny’s hands as well. “Master Damian had an accident recently; I assume you’re feeling sore this morning.”
Startled, Danny looked down at the plate, and found two aspirin sitting on the edge. “Oh. Thanks.”
It had been a while since he bothered taking painkillers; they barely worked on his human form. He swallowed both, then downed the rest of the glass of water as Alfred addressed Bruce and Dick.
"I think that's enough business for now, isn't it?” Alfred said, subtly pointed. “I do believe both of you agreed to ask the young man about himself, not his circumstances."
Both men looked rather sheepish at that. Danny ducked his head to hide a smile and looked down at his plate - slices of peach and orange, strawberries cut in half, some blueberries and blackberries. It seemed like a lot for a vague request for some fruit. He picked up some blueberries and started eating.
"We did get a bit sidetracked, didn't we?" Dick chuckled, seemingly embarrassed. "So, Danny, how old are you?"
Danny hesitated, shifting uncertainly. The berries were perfect, but his stomach churned nervously. "I really think we should go," he tried again. They didn't know the full extent of what was at stake, after all. 'Rogue attacks' didn't exactly cover it.
"Did you direct Damian to somewhere safe?" Dick asked. Danny nodded. "Where did you have him go?”
“…To my friends,” he admitted, embarrassed not to have anything better for them. “They’ll be able to catch him up on anything I couldn’t put in my note.”
“Then he'll be fine for a little while,” Dick insisted. “Alfred can get the plane ready and we can head out after you eat, alright?"
"…Okay." Danny went back to eating and tried to reassure himself as Alfred headed back out. Sam and Tucker would keep Damian out of harm's way until they met up, he was sure.
Dick smiled at him. It was nice. "Then let's start with an easy one. How old are you?"
Danny swallowed his food and played with the pile of berries with his thumb. "Seventeen." He thought of the obvious problem and winced. "Um, and closer to 'just seventeen' than 'eighteen."
"That's good to know," Dick said amiably, not seeming bothered by the slight age jump. "What are your career plans?" Danny hesitated, and Dick added, "It's fine if they're still loose, nothing wrong with that."
Danny relaxed a little and shrugged again, picking through the berries to avoid looking up. "They're… yeah." He sighed. "I wanted to be an astronaut, but I had a major accident about three years ago that really threw things off, and I'm kind of still… figuring things out. I'll do engineering, probably, since I'm okay at it."
Dick hummed in surprise. "Hang on… three years ago?" When Danny glanced up in question, Dick was looking at his phone, scrolling for something. "…August second?"
What? Danny blinked, and then winced with the realization. "Oh. That was probably pretty hard on Damian, huh? Sorry." The whole lead-up to that, with Danny approaching the plugged-in portal and then actually going inside, like an idiot, must’ve been horrific from Damian’s side. He couldn’t even imagine what Damian had felt while Danny was actually dying.
Then again, he was certain that Damian had at least come close a few times himself.
"It was the most worked up I've ever seen him," Dick agreed, not seeming upset. "An accident, you said?"
Danny shrugged and nodded, biting into a peach. "I got a pretty bad shock from one of my parents' machines. It put me in the hospital for a few days and there were some, um, lasting effects." He paused. "That wouldn't happen to Damian. I did something stupid."
Dick hummed noncommittally. "Is that how you got your meta abilities?"
Danny flinched so badly that he jostled his ribs again, and had to hold his breath for a moment before he could respond. "Y-yeah. But it's… complicated. I don't really want to talk about it. Um, can you tell me how this is going to work?"
Bruce and Dick exchanged a look, and Danny looked away, wrapping an arm around his torso.
"That depends on a few things," Bruce said at last, shifting his focus to Danny. "You know that it isn't uncommon for abused children to move in with their soulmate's family after the switch, yes?"
Danny went still, a cold weight falling over his shoulders.
"Sorry. I should've been clearer." His voice came out wooden. "My parents aren't abusive. They would never hurt me on purpose. There's just… a lot of accidents."
It sounded lame, and he wanted to snap and insist to them that it was true, there was nothing wrong with his parents, it was just that Danny was such a mess- but it would sound like a lie. They’d understand later, he promised himself. When they met.
Bruce studied him for a moment, and Danny squirmed under the scrutiny, fixing his gaze on the coffee table.
"You would prefer to stay with your family?" Bruce clarified after a moment. Danny nodded, hard. "Alright. I understand. In that case, I would like to stay for a few days and speak with your parents before finalizing any arrangements. Do you think they'll be amenable to that?"
Danny let out a relieved breath and nodded. "Yeah. There shouldn't be any problems once I'm the one in my body. They're really very nice." Of course, then he'd have to explain to them why he didn't want Damian around them in his body, but it wasn't like they could deny how often accidents happened.
Bruce hummed. "Most likely, the two of you will stay in your separate cities for the moment. We'll arrange for a set number of in-person visits every month as well as any online or phone communication you agree on. From there it will be up to the two of you."
Danny smiled a little, quietly pleased by the image Bruce painted.
"That sounds good to me," he said, picking at the fruit again.
The sound of footsteps made him look back up, and he only jumped a little as more people emerged from the hallway - Damian’s other siblings, Danny realized. Tim, Stephanie, Duke, and Cassandra. Tim had a laptop under his arm, Stephanie looked avidly curious, and Cassandra lagged a few steps behind, her eyes already set on Danny. Duke’s eyes were intense, boring into Danny, and he looked away quickly, flustered.
“So who’s your favorite Gotham vigilante?” Stephanie asked him, as soon as their eyes met.
“Um…” The question felt oddly like a trap. Was this a Gotham thing, like asking people to pick between Phantom and the Red Huntress? He cast a wary glance across everyone, but they just looked expectant, and he shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t know. I mean, at this point they’re all really experienced and good at what they do. Nightwing, I guess? He does a really good job of balancing being competent and friendly, and it makes him a great point of contact between the Bats and, you know, everyone else.”
Their expressions quickly shifted from expectant to appraising, which was, if anything, even more uncomfortable. Dick’s eyebrows rose, and Bruce’s eyes gained a calculating edge. Danny ducked his head away from all of them, picked up his plate, and leaned forward to set it on the table. By the time he sat up again, their expressions had cleared.
“You’re interested in heroes, Danny?” Bruce prompted, amiable again. Danny instinctively distrusted it, and he wished he could turn that off. It wasn’t helpful right now.
What was it Jazz had said? His soulmate’s family wouldn’t be looking for reasons to separate them. They were just making conversation, getting to know him. Something something optimism.
It didn’t feel like that. It felt like something else. But maybe Damian’s family was just… intense. He’d implied that in his note, hadn’t he? Without meaning to, he glanced at Dick pleadingly, and Dick gave him a kind smile that made Danny’s shoulders loosen.
“That was just a very thoughtful remark,” Dick explained, loose and relaxed. “Most people don’t think about how heroes present themselves.”
Well, most people weren’t heroes. Danny’s mouth twitched, and he leaned back again, forcing himself to settle.
“A bit,” he conceded at last, carefully. “Amity Park has a couple of heroes that manage its rogue activity too, but it’s only been a couple of years, so they’re both really inexperienced compared to Gotham’s. The Bats are old guard, you know?”
He shrugged again, hyperaware of everyone’s eyes on him. There was something he was missing here - weight to this conversation he didn’t understand the meaning of. Weren’t there rumors about Bruce Wayne and the Justice League? Some connection? He wished he knew.
“That’s understandable,” Dick said agreeably, also not acknowledging the elephant Danny couldn’t see. “People that live around heroes do tend to regard them a bit differently.”
The others settled down around the room, picking armchairs and couch spots.
“What are the heroes in your town like, then?” Tim asked, his eyes too intense. The calculating edge had never left them, Danny realized, assessing Danny for some reason or another.
“So weird to see Damian squirm like this,” Stephanie muttered, and got elbowed by Cass.
“Well, there’s two,” Danny said, slow and careful. How could he even talk about this without bringing up ghosts directly, or explaining the portal his parents had built? Damn it, how was he supposed to explain the portal? “Phantom and the Red Huntress. They work together now, although they didn’t always. The Red Huntress is human, and Phantom is the same… kind of meta as the rogues.”
“It’s an alien situation,” Tim concluded immediately, making Danny flinch. “Did something happen?”
Danny was saved from answering when Damian’s phone rang.
AKA "Danny haunts the Wayne Manor shortly after Jason Todd's death. Bruce... takes it as well as a grieving father probably would." DPxDC prompt idea! TW: Mentions of child death (for obvious reasons) and hallucinations.
Okay, so hear me out! Y'know how Dick Grayson had hallucinations of Jason Todd after his death for, like, months??
What if Bruce sees a shadow that looks suspiciously teenager-shaped around the manor, kicks into paranoid mode, and immediately runs 80 tests to figure out what it is. He does blood tests (he hasn't been poisoned by Fear Toxin), his MRI doesn't show any abnormalities, and he triple-checks his chronic pain medications to make sure they don't cause hallucinations. Then he focuses on the hidden cameras to determine whether an intruder infiltrated the manor. The cameras show... nothing. He can clearly see himself on the frame, but there's nothing where the figure was.
Until he switches to infrared and ultraviolet cameras. Then he can see a cold spot that looks like a teenager with medium height, average build, and wisps on its head that almost resemble unruly hair. Bruce spends the next 32 hours watching as the cold spot move from room to room. It mostly spends its time in the library (and that's Jason's favorite spot, his favorite armchair right next to the fireplace).
And Bruce feels... something. Watching as the cold spot enters Jason's room, seems to stand hesitantly in the doorway, before retreating to a spare bedroom. His chest tightens uncomfortably as the shape curls up on the spare bed, looking so small and alone. Bruce doesn't call Constantine or Zatanna. Instead, he turns off the Batcomputer and takes a shower. Asks Alfred to make a cup of hot cocoa, takes it to the spare bedroom, and quietly sets it on the bedside table. (He isn't exactly sure why he does it. But thought that it could be Jason, that his baby boy could be curled up on that bed, ignored and alone, makes his eyes burn.)
Danny, who's been freshly exorcised from his human body and escaped into the Infinite Realms to get away from the GIW, takes refuge in a nearly-abandoned manor with only the company of a grieving father and butler. So, it's weird when he wakes from another Pain Nap (because the GIW really got him good this time, ouch) to find a cup of... hot cocoa?? On the bedside table?? It sucks that he can't drink it, but if he wraps his hands around it and concentrates, he can kind of feel the warmth still.
(Meanwhile, Bruce's heart is absolutely breaking watching his little boy try to hold the cup on the infrared cameras.)
So, months go by and Bruce is trying to slowly coax "Jason's" ghost into revealing himself. Danny is elated that the grieving man seems to be getting better - smiling occasionally, not hiding away in the creepy basement (Danny never goes down there because what if it's a Vlad scenario?? He'll never willingly go into a basement again, no thanks), and actually setting out a dinner plate for Danny! Even the butler seems to be taking Danny's presence in stride, calling him "young master" and setting out cups of tea. He appreciates it, even if they sit there and get cold. It's nice to be noticed, included, regardless if he can't participate. Maybe it's because he's been exorcised from his own human body, but he's totally invisible, intangible, and can only communicate via Ghostspeak.
Maybe Tim Drake never approaches Batman because he doesn't act violently, doesn't become the monster who lashes out due to the loss of his youngest child. Sure, the absence of Robin is noticed, but maybe Tim decides he'll intervene only if Batman seems to really, really need help. Except... he doesn't. Bruce's "son" is still with him. They can still sit together at dinner, "Jason" mostly stays in the library, and Bruce engineers infrared/ultraviolet glasses so he can see where his son is. The manor almost starts to feel... homey again. Bruce notices Jason never, ever goes into the basement and thinks he understands: after all, why would Jason want to be reminded of vigilantism when it got him killed in the first place? (...that Bruce couldn't save his own son from Batman's villains? That it's Bruce's fault Jason died in the first place?)
And then Red Hood comes into the picture.
The final confrontation comes where Red Hood takes off his helmet, snarling about how Bruce chose the Joker over his own son, and Bruce just... stops.
"Jay, why aren't you at home?" Bruce asks. He's baffled - he can't think past how did his ghost get here? How is his son's ghost alive?? Jason, however, is equally baffled. The stand-off ends with Jason somehow coming back to the Manor, which apparently now has infrared scanners everywhere? ("For you," Bruce said quietly. Why the hell would he need a scanner? The fu-)
And then they both pause while looking at the scanner. Because the ghost is... still there. Curled up in Jason's spot in the library with a still-hot cup of tea Alfred delivered moments ago.
Cue Bruce actually contacting Zatanna, who realizes Danny is literally a Hafta and could've gotten Danny back in his body months ago.
What if during those 3 months of Bruce, Alfred, and Dick(even though he was hallucinating in his apartment this whole time before Jason actually came back?) are trying to convince Danny hes still wanted, Danny pops over to the mansion next door thinking that one was abandoned as well only to find Tim there and they become friends in those 3 months. That why, while probably not becoming Robin, Tim can still become part of the family and not be so lonely.
Only this time Danny is the one bringing Tim into the batfam.
The Drakes have old artifacts from their archeological digs all over the house. One of these lets Danny and Tim communicate. Danny is able to explain what happened to him and what where is body is (or at least where it was the last time he saw it) and Tim insists they bring the information to Bruce.
AKA "Danny haunts the Wayne Manor shortly after Jason Todd's death. Bruce... takes it as well as a grieving father probably would." DPxDC prompt idea! TW: Mentions of child death (for obvious reasons) and hallucinations.
Okay, so hear me out! Y'know how Dick Grayson had hallucinations of Jason Todd after his death for, like, months??
What if Bruce sees a shadow that looks suspiciously teenager-shaped around the manor, kicks into paranoid mode, and immediately runs 80 tests to figure out what it is. He does blood tests (he hasn't been poisoned by Fear Toxin), his MRI doesn't show any abnormalities, and he triple-checks his chronic pain medications to make sure they don't cause hallucinations. Then he focuses on the hidden cameras to determine whether an intruder infiltrated the manor. The cameras show... nothing. He can clearly see himself on the frame, but there's nothing where the figure was.
Until he switches to infrared and ultraviolet cameras. Then he can see a cold spot that looks like a teenager with medium height, average build, and wisps on its head that almost resemble unruly hair. Bruce spends the next 32 hours watching as the cold spot move from room to room. It mostly spends its time in the library (and that's Jason's favorite spot, his favorite armchair right next to the fireplace).
And Bruce feels... something. Watching as the cold spot enters Jason's room, seems to stand hesitantly in the doorway, before retreating to a spare bedroom. His chest tightens uncomfortably as the shape curls up on the spare bed, looking so small and alone. Bruce doesn't call Constantine or Zatanna. Instead, he turns off the Batcomputer and takes a shower. Asks Alfred to make a cup of hot cocoa, takes it to the spare bedroom, and quietly sets it on the bedside table. (He isn't exactly sure why he does it. But thought that it could be Jason, that his baby boy could be curled up on that bed, ignored and alone, makes his eyes burn.)
Danny, who's been freshly exorcised from his human body and escaped into the Infinite Realms to get away from the GIW, takes refuge in a nearly-abandoned manor with only the company of a grieving father and butler. So, it's weird when he wakes from another Pain Nap (because the GIW really got him good this time, ouch) to find a cup of... hot cocoa?? On the bedside table?? It sucks that he can't drink it, but if he wraps his hands around it and concentrates, he can kind of feel the warmth still.
(Meanwhile, Bruce's heart is absolutely breaking watching his little boy try to hold the cup on the infrared cameras.)
So, months go by and Bruce is trying to slowly coax "Jason's" ghost into revealing himself. Danny is elated that the grieving man seems to be getting better - smiling occasionally, not hiding away in the creepy basement (Danny never goes down there because what if it's a Vlad scenario?? He'll never willingly go into a basement again, no thanks), and actually setting out a dinner plate for Danny! Even the butler seems to be taking Danny's presence in stride, calling him "young master" and setting out cups of tea. He appreciates it, even if they sit there and get cold. It's nice to be noticed, included, regardless if he can't participate. Maybe it's because he's been exorcised from his own human body, but he's totally invisible, intangible, and can only communicate via Ghostspeak.
Maybe Tim Drake never approaches Batman because he doesn't act violently, doesn't become the monster who lashes out due to the loss of his youngest child. Sure, the absence of Robin is noticed, but maybe Tim decides he'll intervene only if Batman seems to really, really need help. Except... he doesn't. Bruce's "son" is still with him. They can still sit together at dinner, "Jason" mostly stays in the library, and Bruce engineers infrared/ultraviolet glasses so he can see where his son is. The manor almost starts to feel... homey again. Bruce notices Jason never, ever goes into the basement and thinks he understands: after all, why would Jason want to be reminded of vigilantism when it got him killed in the first place? (...that Bruce couldn't save his own son from Batman's villains? That it's Bruce's fault Jason died in the first place?)
And then Red Hood comes into the picture.
The final confrontation comes where Red Hood takes off his helmet, snarling about how Bruce chose the Joker over his own son, and Bruce just... stops.
"Jay, why aren't you at home?" Bruce asks. He's baffled - he can't think past how did his ghost get here? How is his son's ghost alive?? Jason, however, is equally baffled. The stand-off ends with Jason somehow coming back to the Manor, which apparently now has infrared scanners everywhere? ("For you," Bruce said quietly. Why the hell would he need a scanner? The fu-)
And then they both pause while looking at the scanner. Because the ghost is... still there. Curled up in Jason's spot in the library with a still-hot cup of tea Alfred delivered moments ago.
Cue Bruce actually contacting Zatanna, who realizes Danny is literally a Hafta and could've gotten Danny back in his body months ago.
What if during those 3 months of Bruce, Alfred, and Dick(even though he was hallucinating in his apartment this whole time before Jason actually came back?) are trying to convince Danny hes still wanted, Danny pops over to the mansion next door thinking that one was abandoned as well only to find Tim there and they become friends in those 3 months. That why, while probably not becoming Robin, Tim can still become part of the family and not be so lonely.
So I've been a bit obsessed with Danny Phantom and DC crossover fanfiction lately and I have this fic idea that I think could be really cool but I don't have the time (or writing skills or DC knowledge) to write it so I'm just gonna give it to the void and if it inspires someone all the better!
Eighteen years ago J'onn J'onzz was briefly captured by the government.
Seventeen years ago the government tried to use martian DNA to create a super soldier. They failed.
Sixteen years ago the Fentons discovered an abandoned child that somehow looked just like them. They took him home.
Three years ago Danny was electrocuted in his parents basement and came out different, strange, but somehow whole.
Three weeks ago the Fentons saw just how different Danny was and decided he wasn't their son.
Two days ago Danny escaped his parents basement and flew as far as he could before passing out.
Two minutes ago Superboy spotted an injured martian crash into the harbor.
Basically the idea is that Danny is a half human clone of Martian Manhunter who was discarded when he showed no signs of powers after he was created, only to be found by the Fentons and adopted. (He subconsciously shape shifted to look like them as a survival mechanism.) When the portal activated Danny assumes the powers he's gained are ghost powers, not knowing that a good portion of them are martian abilities he hadn't awakened to yet. After the accident he reverts back to his natural form which has solid colored eyes and green tinted skin and starts having to shapeshift to appear entirely human. Eventually his parents see him in his natural state and fanon typical vivisection happens. When he escapes he flies until he can't anymore and ends up crashing in Happy Harbor where he gets rescued by Superboy and Young Justice. Eventually he would join the team, learn more about his heritage, possibly end up dating Superboy because the two half alien clones would be cute together, and discover his origins.
I probably won't ever write this but if this inspires anyone to write anything please let me know!
•When Vlad was in college with Jack and Maddie he studied Xenobiology. To help understand ghost biology if/when they ever caught a specimen.
•At the time this was a HIGHLY fringe field.
•Suddenly it is in high demand since aliens have begun to show themselves and fly around in brightly colored spandex.
•After his accident he decides it is in his best interest NOT to draw more attention to Ghosts. Seeing as he is currently half ghost.
•When he gets out of the hospital (before mastering his powers) he starts Dalv Co as a medical equipment developer/manufacturer.
•Vlad was supplying Cadmus with either the cloning pods, or the components to make them.
•He soon begins getting shady job offers for his expertise as a Xenobiology Specialist that he takes up on the side.
•And if he steals a sample here or a blueprint there, that’s no one’s business but his own.
•Vlad is given samples of Martian blood to study.
It isn’t enough to work with. So he begins to wonder how he can get more.
•Vlad forges documents to show that one of the Cadmus Units was faulty and had to be disposed of. Routine quality control stuff.
•He didn’t dispose of it.
•He wasn’t actually on the Cadmus team tho so he has to reverse engineer the chemicals and processes go the cloning.
•He uses his own ectoplasm in the process, not realizing that is contaminating the DNA in multiple ways.
•He actually got a successful clone faster than Cadmus because he used ectoplasm in the suspension fluid.
•This resulted in a clone that was not fully Martian. The DNA was tainted. A complete failure. The resulting clone didn’t even have Martian OR Ghost abilities. Useless.
•It escaped before he could dispose of it, and he left it for dead. It wouldn’t last long on its own anyways.
•By this point Vlad’s has mastered Overshadowing and most of his powers.
•He is ready to move on from working for others. He is changing his focus to using his powers to make Dalv Co a household name. By whatever means necessary.
•He has no more interest or need to study aliens.
•He doesn’t think about cloning tech again until years later when his stubborn godson refuses to abandon his father. Maybe cloning a human will be easier?
Genuinely can not stop thinking of Dragon Clark hoarding Bruce. It’s taken over my life.
Imagine Bruce in sheer, wispy robes, draped in as much gold and jewels as Clark could find for him. He looks resplendent, lounging upon piles of expensive silks as he waits for Clark to return with more for him
And Clark does, because Bruce deserves nothing but the absolute best, as the heart of his hoard
I like to imagine the justice league's version of knights ( JL members as knights or a team made to help people)
come to help the people against the dragon that keeps stealing their precious belongings to hoard them
and they think they have to defeat Kal to get the gold and jewels back but he's Lowkey chill about giving it back as long as Bruce is willing to give them up, It's only then they realize he's not hoarding gold and diamonds and gems- his most precious belonging is Bruce
Scenes in chapters 1-4 of Liketolaugh’s More Like Home. I tend to imagine fanfics differently depending on the style, and this fic is very grounded and well-thought out so I imagine it in the more realistic style of the Batman/Justice League animated series.
Listen, he loved Dan. Loved him with his whole heart; which is why he tried to avoid the idea of his boyfriend meeting his family.
For a lot of reasons, too. Not just because his adopted father was a paranoid bat vigilante who wasn’t too fond of people with powers and that the rest of his family were vigilantes and were def going to embarrass him.
Though he had to say he mostly hid his boyfriend from them bcs he doubted they’d react too well when they found out about Dan’s…past adventures.
The point was that because Tim loved Dan he was trying to hide him from them. But it didn’t work, because why would it?
Hence the family dinner his boyfriend and him were currently at.
“So,” Dick grinned, his voice too cheerful, “how did you and Tim meet?”
Followed me home from patrol and broke into my apartment to give me flowers, a bejeweled dagger, the severed hand of Ra’s Al Ghul, and a poster board saying “please love me” Tim mentally snorted, “it was a chance meeting, I guess,”
“Like fate,” Dan grinned, his fangs gleaming and Tim could see Bruce take note of it in real time
Damian turned to face Dan, “What makes you think you are worthy to be connected to the Wayne name?”
Bruce sighed, “Damian,”
“It’s an honest question, Father,”
“Well,” Dan started, “To be honest, I suppose the fact that I am—“
A swirling portal of green ripped through the dining room, the Waynes leaping into action minus Tim (and Dan, of course).
Three Observants stepped through.
“Dark Phantom,” Observant 1 said, “You have been neglecting your duties to—“
Dan snarled as his eyes glowed red, a powerful ectoblast slamming into the two Observants next to the one that had spoken and a blast powered up for the last one.
“I,” Dan’s voice was Eldritch and horrific, “Am meeting my cursed treasure’s family. Disperse before I rip out your souls from your bodies and devour them!”
The Observants quickly vanished and the portal disappeared; Dan sitting down in his seat calmly as the rest of the Waynes stared in horror (minus Tim, who had his head in his hands and muttering about never living this down).
Dan made eye contact with Bruce and grinned, his teeth sharp and needle-like in his too-wide grin, “Pass the salt, please,”
Danny: and this is The Mold’s hunting ground gestures to the backrooms. Sometimes people fall through and get eaten. But they're fine, mostly.
Tim: What…?
Danny: yeah the GIW are trying to figure out how to get through it to get to the rest of the realms but it has been stumping them. Its kinda funny to watch actually.
Tim: who…?
Danny: the GIW? It’s actually A-sync but they’re a subdivision of Ghost Investigation Ward. It’s a government funded anti-ghost group. *clicks* Pests.
Tim: okay. Im gonna need you to back up ten steps, what?!
*proceeds to explain the realms*
Danny: yeah the realms is the glue between dimensions ya? The backrooms is where this semi-sentient mold lives. Its like the first level of a video game, the higher the level, the weirder it gets.
Tim: and what level are you from?
Danny: the boss level. *said casually*
Tim: *sus look to Danny.* hmm okay… How do I get back to my dimension?
Danny: thatll take a bit, gotta find the correct universe for your specific bat colony. Time dilation is a factor too. You’ll be here a while. *looks at him up and down* Ya you could pass. We’ll say you’re Dani’s older brother thats been traveling. That usually works around these parts.
Tim: and what parts is that?
Danny: Illinois. *opens door into the streets of Amity Park* For my town specifically, we get a lot of tourist as the most haunted town in america that new faces tend to blend in.
Tim: god damn fuckin’ mid west. *thick jersey accent*
Danny: Ahhh east coast. Been a while since we had any of those. They got their Salem, Maryland witch trials. They-
Tim: You mean the Massachusetts Salem trials?
Danny: no, Maryland. What the hell is Massachusetts?
