Moonster @messedupmoon - Tumblr Blog

Danny and Sam are on the run after rescuing Danielle from the GIW. They had forced her into her core, a testamentto how much damage was done. However, once they were safe and far away thanks to Tucker, she reformed as an infant.

They are now living new lives with new identities in a small aptly named Kansas town. They are just starting to make things work with Danny making money by fixing old farm equipment and Sam training to be a nurse.

Then a member of the Justice league knocks on their door in civvies, and they panic dash for their go bags.

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Superman.

Of all the possible ones the Justice League could have sent for them it was the one Danny probably wouldn't win against.

"Sam," he cried, forgetting their false names, "Take Dani and Run! It's Him!"

He was charging up his most powerful ectoblasts possible and launched them as he heard the backdoor slam open and Sam's footsteps growing distant.

They may take him down but he was gonna take some of them with him.

Superman dodged, dropping that oh so innocent looking pie.

"You won't get them, not on my watch!" Danny Wailed, taking out the side of the house and knocking Superman out of the air.

"I just--" Superman got back up.

Clark recognized the terror on the other man's face; this was a desperate attack, not a malicious one.

He had a choice and he made it; he raced forward and grabbed his once hidden metahuman neighbor before shooting up in the atmosphere, away from the humans of Smallville.

But David, and Clark was thinking that wasn't his real name, fought and density shifted like J'onn, out of his grasp.

He blasted Clark again with those Tamaranean like energy bolts and they hurt. David was screaming with everything he had, not unlike Black Canary's own cries.

Clark concentrated on where "Lisa" had run; the baby was crying, Lisa was terrified and running with everything she had.

Clark went away from Lisa and the baby, leading David away and hoping to calm him.

"Peace!" They were over a cornfield now so Clark stopped.

David stopped as well, "You won't take them. You or the Government."

"What? No, I don't...what are you talking about David? Are you three in trouble...?"

David searched Clark before realization creeped over him.

They had blown their cover for nothing.

David floated down, Clark followed, and landed in the cornfield.

"Please, please, let them run," David begged, "take me...take me instead."

"David?"

And it all spilled out; laws that trod dangerously close to violating the MPA, a town that had begged for help and received none, a hurt child.

And Superman, Kal-El was angry.

"Come to my parents'," he ordered David and the man nodded glumly.

"I'll round up Lisa and Ellie," Kal-El added gently, to David's horror, "we'll keep you three safe. We'll tear down these acts. Ellie will be safe. Do you have a codeword?"

David nodded and croaked, terrified but cornered and oh the hope in his eyes, "Clueless. Tell her that Wes is Clueless. She'll come with you. Please, don't hurt them. Please, Superman. Please. They're all I have left."

Clark nodded, gentling, as he led David to the Kents' homestead. David walked like he was going to the gallows.

Superman later found Lisa and Ellie hidden in a stand of trees; Lisa had a gun that hurt him but he was able to get out the code-phrase.

Once the young family was reunited and under the care of Ma and Pa Kent, Superman got to work.

This was a job for Superman yes, but also Clark and Lois Kent.

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It was Martha's and John's worst nightmare playing out before them; young parents of a baby that didn't come along the normal way, on the run from the government.

It was clear that David and Lisa, whoever they were, whatever they were, loved their little girl.

They were also obviously terrified out of their minds that this all was a trap of some sort.

Clark made a call and Conner was soon landing out by the barn, Lois in his arms with her laptop bag slung over his shoulder.

As a show of good faith, Clark had given up his civilian name officially. Obviously the Krolls recognized him as a Kent and as Superman, some of the few to do so without being told.

Kon swaggered up to the scared couple, lowered his sunglasses, and said, "Hey, I'm Conner. Call me Kon. The clone-son of Clark over there."

David moved in front of Lisa and Ellie, a defensive move, "I heard Superboy was a clone but--"

"Yeah," Kon nodded, "we don't advertise it, you know, but we don't hide it either. May I see Ellie? Clone to clone, you understand. Never met another clone so young."

David was about to object but Lisa moved from behind him and offered Ellie.

"Oh, baby," Kon murmured as he took in the barely year old looking girl, "oh, oh, what's that thing in her chest? It looks...cracked?"

Lisa haltingly explained what a core was and the last resort defense mechanism ghosts had. How Ellie was only half ghost. So that when she was safe, she had reformed as a baby, practically a newborn.

Ghost.

Liminal.

Finally, names for their species.

Lois was taking furious notes as Lisa spoke, telling their tale, of their run. How they had to run from everything they had ever known. How there was a third, that they had a friend who had laid a false trail as he ran opposite of them. How he had risked his freedom, his very life to disable the enemy before they ran.

Ghosts weren't malicious, David argued, shifting forms, not all of them. They were people, dead people. And like people, there was always a few rotten bastards in the bunch and more ignorance than cruelty than that.

With each word, each choked sob of catharsis that someone was finally listening, the Kents grew angrier and angrier.

This was bigger than Superman could handle; it was time to call an emergency meeting.

These Guys in White only had authority in America after all.

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"We're a private non-federally funded international organization," Clark was giving them the tour of the watchtower, "The Watchtower is the ultimate neutral ground, an embassy. All you have to do is ask for Sanctuary here and you have it until we get those Acts repealed."

"Sanctuary, Clark, please, give us Sanctuary," Lisa almost begged.

"Approved." Batman materialized from a dark corner of the hall, "Come. Your room has been set up; Queen and Wayne are paying your room and board."

"The billionaires?" David questioned warily.

"Yeah, both are appalled by these Acts," Clark said as Batman raised a gauntleted fist to reveal ID cards on lanyards. One for David and Lisa each. Also hanging from his closed fist was a tiny security bracelet for Ellie.

"Do not lose these," Batman grunted almost gently as they took the badges and donned them, "they are your lifeline aboard the Watchtower...may I?"

David inclined his head and held out Ellie. Batman fastened the bracelet around her little wrist.

The little family was led to a room; about the size of an average bedroom, maybe a little bigger. A crib had been shoehorned into a corner.

"The Flash is retrieving your things," Batman spoke blandly, "please do not hesitate to ask for anything you may need. You will be allowed in the staff lounge, staff library, the cafeteria, the gym, and this bedroom. An observation deck is being cleared for you. We are looking for your friend and secure communications will be established when we find him. There are showers and restrooms at the end of this hall, you will provided all necessities. A tub will provided for young Miss Kroll."

"Th-thank you," David stuttered, "thank you so much."

"You're welcome, David, Lisa," Clark said warmly and then he and Batman left them.

Lisa and David entered the room, waited for the door to slide shut, put Lisa in her crib, embraced each other, and cried.

Dani was safe. They were safe.

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Eli kept his head down, he had to; his best friends' lives depended on him staying hidden. So he did just as he was told at his middling job at a middling tech shop working as a middling computer repair technician.

Coast City was a tech city, not quite Silicon Valley but somewhere people loved technology and money and little common sense.

Eli kept his head down, ignoring the Green Lantern of the city even though he itched to offer help.

Eli was just a nobody and he liked it that way.

He slumped into his apartment, eyes on his shuffling feet as he opened the door.

"Tucker Foley."

His head snapped up, his heart hammering away in his chest.

There was Red Robin and the Green Lantern standing in his--

He bolted, dropping his bag as he ran.

But the Lantern caught him in a construct; still he struggled.

"Tucker!" Red Robin commanded as the Lantern brought the so named man back into the apartment and sealed the door and window with energy, "Ember brainwashed you!"

Tucker Foley stopped fighting; the codephrase.

They had the codephrase.

How?

Had the--the others...

"Danny and Sam are safe," Red said softly, "Dani is safe. Up in the Watchtower. Wes is Clueless and Ember brainwashed you...something about a de-brainwashing machine...some sort of school test? They were talking fast."

"You gonna run again, kid?" Green Lantern asked mildly.

Tucker stuttered a head shake; he was let go but almost dropped to his knees, "The GiW...they can't--"

"We're taking down those Acts, promise," Red Robin replied, "the three of them are on the ultimate neutral ground. You need flight capabilities or a zeta-tube to get up there. Your goddaughter and brother are safe."

Red Robin handed over a comm and, with shaking hands, he activated it, "This's TooFine, come in Clueless? Goth-girl?"

"We're here, TooFine," Danny's voice, sleep rough but relieved, came through, "location, Watchtower."

Tucker burst into tears of so many emotions that he must have looked nuts, "Oh my god..."

"You did a good job covering your tracks, Tucker," Red Robin praised, "only reason we found out was because Danny attacked Superman thinking he was there on government orders. Our techie, Oracle, is still having a hard time unraveling your tracks. You're safe now, alright. It's all going to be okay."

"Why...why are you here?" Tucker asked, clutching the comm, "Danny...why are they...? I'm..."

"Our brother," Sam's voice rang out, "you think we'll let you stay in danger? They're there to help you up to us. You can stay on the Watchtower too."

"Really?"

"Oracle and Cyborg wanna pick your brain," Red Robin added, "to hide like you did...impressive."

"Yes."

Tucker grabbed his go-bag and went with the heroes to the nearest zeta tube and up to the Watchtower.

He saw Superboy holding Ellie before he was slammed into, his friends hanging off him in an embrace so tight but that was okay because he was holding them just as tightly on the floor of the zeta-room and they were all crying together and...and...

They were safe.

They were all safe.

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Except they were safe.

Only them.

Every other ghost and Liminal was still in danger.

Including heroes.

Like Greta Hayes, Secret, who was alive somehow but still Liminal, perhaps just short of being a halfa level of Liminal. She was sequestered to the Watchtower quickly.

Then it became triage; who had died and came back were the major worry, then their possible hostages.

A series of safehouses outside America were activated, burned, to get people out of the States. Every Bat for example gave up their international safehouses.

Robin--who was Liminal and young enough to gain a secure lodging on the Watchtower--sent a secure, secret message to his mother.

Reading this missive, Ra's al Ghul became furious to learn that he would have no rights in America and that his heir was endangered by the same laws. But he had to weigh his options as Damian was safe with the heroes. It wouldn't do to tip his hand completely.

Up on the Watchtower, because everyone possible was working on the problem of the Acts, Danny, Sam, and Tucker became the de-facto babysitters for the younger Liminals who were being kept out of the mess.

Younger Liminals like Lian Harper, daughter of Roy Harper aka Arsenal and also someone who has died and come back to life, who clung to Sam's skirt when her dad had to leave for recon missions.

In fact, there were so many Liminals, and one Revenant, that the three ran seminars on traits to look for and how to handle new instincts.

It explained some things for some heroes.

Down below, a woman stalked Bruce Wayne, who had been speaking out against the Anti-Ecto Acts.

She was on a mission.

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Alfred opened the door to the insistent, almost rude, knocking to find a young woman.

"I need to speak with your employer," she bustled past him.

"Excuse me?"

"Your employer, Bruce Wayne--I know he has someway to contact the Bats...please. It's important. My name is Tara and I'm looking for my brother. He's--he's in danger."

Alfred closed the door, "Miss, this seems like a matter for the police?"

"Police have to follow the laws, even if they're unjust...Wayne's been acting against the--the law that sees my brother as nothing but an animal or less."

"You are, I will presume, speaking about the Anti-Ecto Acts," Alfred realized.

"Yes."

"Your brother, is he a Liminal or a ghost?" Alfred led her to a meeting lounge and offered refreshments and a handkerchief.

"He's...it's complicated," Tara admitted, taking the cloth but refusing anything else politely , "he...he ran away with a friend, his two friends. I don't know why, he was so committed to proving not all ghosts are bad. He...he went on a recon mission against the Ghost Investigation Ward and came running home, grabbed his bag, and left. Told me a code-phrase to prove who he was and gave me one if we ever met again."

"I see." Alfred had the beginnings of an idea who this young woman might be, "I shall fetch Master Bruce."

He left.

Bruce Wayne arrived, settling down in a chair across from Tara, "Tara, or should I say Jazz Fenton."

Jazz's head shot up, "You know, you know where he is."

Bruce looked at her impassively, "Yes, he gave us all a password to prove your identity.

"Us?"

"The Justice League who gave it to me and Oliver Queen; tell me, what is your code-phrase?"

"Jonny 13 and Kitty died for their love," she recited.

Bruce grinned, "Accepted. Your brother's okay, Jazz, him, his friends, and little Dani..."

"Little Dani--Danielle! What happened to--!?"

"I don't know the mechanics of it but those GiW caught her and she turned into a baby."

"That's why they ran," Jazz breathed out; a baby, a baby clone halfa. No wonder they ran . She would have too.

"Where're they?" she demanded, "how safe are they?"

"Completely and utterly, they are at JLA HQ."

"You mean the one in space?"

"Yes. That's the one--"

A snkkt sounded and Nightwing came in through a window, "Mister Wayne, your butler called in. Says you have another high Liminal civilian needing protection?"

"Yes, hello Nightwing," Bruce greeted jovially, "This here is Tara; she's David's sister and thus Ellie's aunt. She gave the passcode and everything. Tara, Nightwing, one of our protectors. I'm told you and yours did him and his a huge favor by accident."

Nightwing nodded, "Several of my siblings are Liminal and one is classified as a Revenant. Not to mention Big Blue himself came back to life."

"The laws would affect everyone who has died," Jazz exhaled before handing over the binder she had been holding, "Here's all the information I've gathered. Our parents still think ghosts are evil and....they're mad scientists. There's a doorway--a portal--to the Ghost Realms in our basement. Also it is a laboratory. Please be gentle when you arrest them. There's a map to our town, from the nearest city. GPS doesn't work and cars get unreliable the closer you get. But on foot or by flight... "

Nightwing took the binder gravely before calling it in.

Tara was quickly brought to the Watchtower and reunited with her family.

Diana took her aside though and questioned, "On your parents, would knowledge of your brother's status sway them?"

Jazz was quiet for a moment or two before admitting, "I want to say yes, but that's probably a self-soothing lie. They're blinded of all things ghost."

Diana nodded and let her go back to her family.

Things had just got more complicated.

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The first time the heroes knew they were trusted was unplanned and a surprise;

The small family--a 'fraid to use ghost jargon-- was separated; Sam and Jazz were shadowing Medical and Tucker was working with the more tech aligned heroes.

This left Danny and Dani to haunt the Watchtower as they pleased. Normally this would be fine but then Danny was dragged into an engineering argument (he was right, he knew it).

Without thought, he shoved Dani at a passing hero; Red Hood.

Hood was a good man though so he automatically caught the little girl and adjusted her to his lesser armed hip as Danny stole a pen and began drawing schematics on a wall.

The engineers, once he had drawn out what he was saying, oohed and ahhed and quickly sent a missive to Batman.

Batman appeared and looked over the schematics. spoke with the senior engineers, and unilaterally upgraded Danny's badge to allow him into the places where engineers worked.

Danny then realized his daughter was missing and, looking around, found the Red Hood on the floor, cross-legged with Dani in his lap, strings between his fingers.

"Thanks, man." Danny laughed nervously, gathering Dani.

"No problem," Hood shrugged, standing up, "not her fault you guys are stuck up here. You a STEM kid?"

"Parents. I can reverse engineer almost anything and find better ways to do stuff," Danny admitted with a flush.

"Mind looking over some gear?" Hood asked gently.

"You sure? I know you Bats--"

"I'll deal with DaddyBats. If you're as good as he thinks, he'll likely ask you anyways."

"I'll...take a look..." Danny agreed nervously, before saying, "after Dani goes down for a nap. Bring me what you want me to look at."

"Got it. Thanks, dude."

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"Yes?" Batman questioned.

Sam was wringing her hands but replied, "Can you ask Wayne and Queen for an advance? It's just that Dani's outgrowing everything we have for her; clothes, toys, only thing she hasn't outgrown yet is the crib...we'll pay them back as soon as it's legal and I can contact my family again--"

Batman raised a hand as his other went to his utility belt and withdrew a credit card.

He handed it over with the instructions, "Buy whatever she needs but remember it all must fit in your rooms."

Sam took the card and looked it over; it looked legitimate and had the Bat symbol on it, "Really?"

"I too come from money," Batman admitted wryly, "and I cannot use my civilian cards for certain...purchases. That is attached to an off shore account under my hero name. There is several thousand dollars in it. Consider it yours. If you run out, tell me and I shall refill the account...though I trust you not to be frivolous with the funds."

"Batman, I--we can't."

"You're not going to win this argument," Superman joined them with a laugh, "he does this all the time. Found out the Daily Planet was going under and got Wayne to buy it."

Sam looked between the heroes, nodded firmly, and said, "I--thank you, Batman. If I ever get my inheritance I'll pay you back."

"No. Consider this reparations for not knowing about the Acts sooner," Batman shook his head, "order anything you need and we will have it moved up here with our usual supplies. If you can't get what you need online then we will contact Wayne and Queen."

"...Thank you."

Batman nodded and swept off.

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The dog was wearing an honest to god domino mask as it walked calmly alongside Robin and the younger Superboy.

"Doggy!" Dani squealed but Tucker, who was in charge of her while the other two got some sleep, held her back from the Great Dane.

"Peace, Foley," Robin said calmly, "Bathound is excellent with children. I brought him up specifically to meet young Fenton."

"Dad says it ain't right for a kid to be cooped up, even in space," said the younger Superboy wisely, midwestern twang on full display, "we'd bring y'all down to the farm so she could meet the animals but those mean laws...luckily, Robin has a zoo of his own. Bathound is just one of his pets."

"Bathound is also the only pet cleared for fieldwork," Robin interjected just as calmly as before, "and thus my only pet with security clearance needed for the Watchtower."

"If you're sure?" Tucker turned to Dani, "What do we ask before we pet doggies?"

Dani wobbled up to Robin and asked, "I pet doggy?"

"You may." Robin allowed, ordering, "Bathound, lay down!"

The dog did as told and then Dani was all over him; he seemed to enjoy it even.

"Bathound is a registered therapy dog," Robin boasted, "Nightwing and Father often use him to calm the distressed after a major incident. He is quite found of children and will see that no harm comes to young Fenton."

"Thanks, dude," Tucker sighed, watching his niece, "She doesn't know what she's really missing, being up here. Danny would take her out--into space for exercise--but her transformations tend to fail at random."

Superboy turned to his friend, "Don't Mister Wayne and Mister Queen both have houses outside the US? With backyards and everything?"

Robin nodded, "I will look into it. Perhaps you can visit such a house, Foley, for an afternoon. I think it best if you remain living upon the Watchtower for now."

Tucker nodded gratefully.

He was thankful they were safe, that Dani was safe, but they all worried about what being in space full time was doing to her development.

Dani stayed glued to Bathound until he had to leave but a fuss was avoided with solemn promises that the dog would visit again.

And Robin kept his promises.

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"How old are you really?" Hood questioned casually as Danny looked over the Bats' spare equipment.

His forged papers said he was close to twenty but everyone had doubts.

Danny paused and did some math before declaring, "Sixteen. I missed my birthday this year I guess..."

And Hood could see that; the other man, for he was a man in deed if not age, had very little baby fat left, looking older than he was, ravaged by fear and worry.

He and Sam, and Tucker, had had to grow up fast, even before they ran, from what Jazz could tell them. And running couldn't've helped.

Nor the baby.

Danny must noticed his train of thought and laughed nervously, "I'm fine, Hood. We got through it in one piece."

"You know...Black Canary is a licensed therapist," Hood said.

Danny froze, "I'm fine....don't like therapists anyways. Ghosts again. One fed on misery and got herself hired as a school counselor....pretty sure she drove a couple kids to suicide. She'd find a weak point and...claw at it, making it worse..."

"Christ." and Hood filled in the details in his mind. He'd have to add this to the Amity Dossier.

"We're fine."

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"What's this about you dating a ghost and being possessed?" Diana asked Jazz gently.

The young adult rolled her eyes and stopped what she was doing, folding laundry for Medical, and explained, "One of our usual ghosts, a man guy going by Johnny 13, wanted to make his girl jealous but also prep her a new body. Don't know why. He thought I was acceptable. So we dated and he tried but Danny and I fended him off. Kitty never actually got ahold of me...not like when she possessed Paulina and dated Danny to make Johnny jealous...and I know how messed up that is but after an experience with another ghost, nobody who needs it likes therapy. Believe me Miss Prince, I've tried! I don't even want to be in the psyche field anymore because I've been all my teen years!"

Diana drew her into a careful hug, "You are as much of a warrior as your brother and his friend, young one. I would be proud to call you a sister..."

"I'm no--" Jazz said into the demigoddess' shoulder.

"Some people battle with physical prowess," Diana agreed, "but some fight with their mental prowess. Consider the Bats. They stand amongst gods and metahumans and rely on their wits more than their muscles. Yet, they are counted as the most competent of warriors. You, Jasmine, obviously favor your mind, for all your mother taught you. Your mind is your greatest gift. And I'm so sorry that you had to be counselor to your brother, no child should have to be so. No child should live as you, your brother, his lover, and their friend has. When we take down these so called agents of the Ghost Investigation Ward, I shall strike them in your honor."

And Jazz finally cried; cried for everything she had gone through, cried for everything she had lost to her parents' obsession. Cried for Danny and his friends and little Dani and what her life was and had been and the trauma she no doubt had gone through at the hands of the GiW.

She was tired of being strong, dammit. Tired of being the adult. She wanted to scream and cry and throw the world's biggest tantrum because it wasn't fair.

Wasn't fair for any of them.

And Diana held her, not quite like a mother would but something close, as she cried and muffled her screams in the heroine's shoulder.

She had wanted to be a psychologist or psychiatrist, someone that helped people but she was tired of that too.

Tired of helping, tired of needing to help. Tired of giving of herself until there was almost nothing left.

She didn't want to be a burden but she was so goddamn tired.

"Perhaps you should speak to Black Canary," Diana spoke gently when she had cried herself out, "you too have trauma; perhaps not like your brother or his comrades but trauma all the same. Canary is willing to help and what you say to her remains private as long as no harm is pending."

"Sorry," Jazz sniffled.

"Little warrior," Diana spoke firmly then, "even the greatest of warriors cry, even queens cry. To cry is to be alive and despite everything you have been dealt you have survived. Now you must live. Live for yourself."

"O-okay," Jazz said in a small voice, "I think I'd like to talk to Black Canary."

"Come, I shall introduce you."

And Diana led her from the room, making mental note to add to te Dossier.

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They found the four young adults, because that is what they were, collapsed in one of the staff lounges as Dani played in her play area quietly.

It had been a rough day for all of them; a group session with Black Canary disguised as a mild interrogation about the situation in Amity.

The situation was worse than they feared and Tucker informed them there was most probably a firewall around the town to control communication with the outside world.

He wasn't sure, didn't get a chance to look; his focus, when they had to run, was to send every ghost hunter scrambling so they could use the chaos as cover to get Dani out.

So he set a little virus loose, one he had been building for bug-out if Danny had needed to run, that took down all none necessary electronics in the town. What it couldn't take down, say what you will about their stance on ghosts but the GiW had competent tech support, it spammed with calls and ghost sightings.

Oracle demanded a sample of the young man's coding ability; he refused, saying his code would damage her systems.

Oracle was steamed but patient.

But it would obviously have to wait.

"Superboy," Robin took charge, "take your father and brother and move them to their rooms. I shall mind the child."

Defaulting to following the Bat's orders, the Supers each took a sleeping person, Clark taking two, as Robin divested of most of his more dangerous weapons and joined Dani.

"Wahbin!" she greeted happily,

"Hello, Miss Fenton," Robin greeted, "may I join you in play?"

She nodded and so they whiled away time by building and then destroying block towers; the younger Superboy joined them eventually, reporting, "Everyone's in bed."

"Uperoy!" Dani greeted the young half-Kryptonian.

"Hi, Dani!" Superboy greeted back happily.

She then looked to Robin, "Wahbin, num-nums?"

"Are you, perhaps, hungry?" Robin asked.

"Yeah!"

"Then let us away to seek sustenance ," He stood up and let Superboy pick up the girl.

Together, the trio trekked to the cafeteria; Superboy put Dani in her highchair and moved it and her to a table as Robin got her food.

Once she was set, they went one by one to get their own lunches.

It was during lunch that Phantom appeared, frantic until he saw his daughter well.

He apologized and thanked the boys profusely.

"Nonsense," Robin dismissed the thanks, "it is quite enjoyable, Danielle's company. In fact, I must insist that if you need so, contact myself--"

"And me, her powers might show." Superboy interrupted.

"--or Superboy and we shall happily mind the girl," Robin said smoothly even as Phantom turned back to Fenton and collapsed onto the bench.

"We can't do that," Fenton said, shaking his head, "you're just kids."

"Legally old enough to babysit by New Jersey and Kansas laws," Superboy argued politely.

"We can't pay you," Fenton tried, yawning.

"Who cares. Grampa and Grandma have said you're family," Superboy explained, "and family helps family. Just like you watch Lian for free, we can watch Dani."

"....We'll talk about it, okay? The fraid, I mean."

"That's okay."

Robin stood up.

"Wahbin go bye-bye?" Dani asked.

"Yes, I must meet with my own Father; do not fear, we shall play again little one."

"Kay. Bye-bye, Wahbin."

"Goodbye, Miss Fenton."

The older Fenton watched this interaction closely, obviously thinking.

That night, the fraid would discuss the matter and agree; Robin and the younger Superboy would join the older one and Red Hood as acceptable babysitters.

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"Thought you'd be against the whole princess thing," Spoiler said as she and Sam watched Dani watch The Little Mermaid, "being, you know, goth."

Sam smiled, "My parents made many mistakes with me but the one thing my dad did was teach me that being a princess isn't all about pretty dresses and dances. When we played princess, he was my advisor and I'd have to figure out things like finances and economy and logistics of feeding my kingdom."

"That's honestly really cool."

"I was the heir, you understand; it was stuff I had to know. Couched in kid words and with lots of coaching when I was really young. Besides, we want her to have a normal childhood, that includes Disney movies. Tell Batman thank you, by the way."

"Why?"

"It's his money that bought these--"

"Shhhhhhhh!" Dani shushed them loudly.

They both laughed with Sam apologizing, "Sorry, sweetie. We'll be quiet."

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"Manson." Batman laid the missing person's report on the table between them.

She didn't even flinch but said, "Wayne."

Batman nodded, "I thought you might know. What gave me away?"

"Robin's speech patterns are the same as Damian Wayne's," Sam said, reaching for the report and thumbing through it, "the rest followed like dominoes. Doesn't help that Jason Todd-Wayne came out of ' witness protection' stinking of ectoplasm. I've gone your galas one too many times not to know you boys. Especially since Mom tried setting me up with any of them. Your comment about coming from money helped too...they're still looking for me? I've been gone for nearly two years..."

"Sam," and it was Bruce talking, not Batman, the father, not the hero, "they're scared out of their wits; they love you. Of course they're still looking."

"C--can I send them a letter? A message?" Her eyes were watery and she shook her head fiercely, wiping them away with a hand.

But Bruce shook his head, "Not until we get the GiW out of your town. We can't be sure they're not reading the post and we don't want to spoke them yet by sending in a hero...even the Flash...do you think they'll accept Danielle?"

"The plan is to pass her off as mine," Sam explained, "we ran for other reasons but I found out I was pregnant. We thought about going back but the GiW were talking about taking Danny hostage to make his parents cooperate for sure."

"If they knew about the baby, they would have taken it as well," Bruce filled in, allowing, "it needs work but it could work as a story. You would have had a homebirth, of course. Doctors were too dangerous, mandated reporting and all. Will they accept Danielle as your daughter? They hated Danny if I recall correctly."

Sam gave a tired laugh, "I honestly don't care. Me and Danny were living pretty fine without them and their money. Yeah, Dani was in a lot of secondhand and thrifted stuff but that's okay; we all were. Smallville will probably take us back. All I know is that Dani, and Danny, is mine. Couldn't be more mine. Once we're of age and it's legal, me and Danny are getting married for real and I'm putting my name down on Dani's real birth certificate. I'm not letting my daughter be treated as some sort of science experiment because she's a clone!"

And Bruce looked at the young woman who was claiming a baby not her own to save the child from a lifetime of invasive inquiries and made a choice.

"Did you know you're my cousin through my mother's side?"

Rolling with the change of topic, Sam nodded, "Not close but there's blood and marriage...?"

"If your parents do not accept Dani or Danny, I will take all of you, including Jazz and Tucker, into the Wayne family based on this connection. As long as I or my children live, you won't go without. Cousin."

"No. Just promise. If anything happens to us and Dani survives, you'll step in; she can't go to the Fentons; their neglect got Danny killed. We should've never been allowed down in the lab."

"Okay," Bruce nodded, knowing her could wear them down later but understanding her priorities."

"Thank you...Cousin."

cjsmalley

Part 1

Danny was wary; he understood Batman's point about needing a baseline to compare Dani to, but he had never really fought or even sparred against living people.

He point blank refused to fight Superman; that was likely not a fair fight because of the Supers' weakness to magics. And Danny had Wailed him like a ragdoll during that first meeting.

So Wonder Woman stepped in, because Batman might become chunky salsa.

Still, Danny was concerned, even as Medical strapped instrument after instrument and monitor after monitor to his ghostly form.

They had already documented that, while in ghost form, his heart didn't beat and breathing was optional. Those were things Danny could have told them. And he was nervous about having an actual paper trail on his other half.

But still, Batman was right.

"Ready," one of the Flashes was playing referere, "set, GO!"

He zipped away as the two combatants began circling each other.

Wonder Woman knew she would have to make the first move; Danny was a Protection Spirit, being proactive was difficult for him unless he was acting in defense of others.

Danny dodged and ducked and even let her blows go through him but remained on the defense.

Then he struck; one punch and Diana felt it like it was a blow from Kal-El. She went down as the monitors of her opponent's dominant fist went crazy.

"Miss Prince!" Danny dropped beside her, "Are you okay? Did I break anything?"

She rubbed her jaw, checking her teeth, and chuckled as she sat up, "No, young warrior. Just bruised my flesh, bone, and ego.

cjsmalley

Part 2:

Danny helped her up.

They began circling each other again and Batman took note of the force of Danny's punch, only a few numbers short of Superman's.

Again and again, Danny played defense, now gunshy about punching even Wonder Woman.

"Come, fight me, Phantom," Wonder Woman tired off the chase, only to earn a kick to the gut.

Again, a blow fit for Superman; it winded the heroine.

Danny fought dirty then; he kicked her in the bum and made her splay out. Then he twisted her arm behind her until she yielded before backing off.

It was clear he had won on brought force alone though; hit her hard, hit her fast, get her to stay down. If she had not been testing the force of his blows, if she had used any strategy, she would have won hands down.

Batman made note and would offer a training regimen over seen by J'onn, himself, and Diana.

Danny would gratefully accept, wanting to protect his family but not turn living people into paste.

cjsmalley

Dani's second (re)birthday was on the Watchtower; almost an entire year had gone by since that fateful meeting between Clark and the hidden family.

The League went all out; she didn't have any friends her age but that was almost okay because everyone in attendance loved her to pieces.

The small fraid had been planning a small celebration but then the Flash heard and spread the news.

What was once a small celebration with sheet cake from the kitchens became a League-wide party.

Decorations were hung in the meeting area under the watchful eye of Robin and the older Superboy.

Robin was slowly accepting that his childhood had been horrific, being in treatment with Black Canary, and the older Superboy hadn't had a childhood of any sort.

They were not about to let Dani suffer the same fates because of those deplorable Acts.

Agent A, an often unseen Bat who worked mostly support, baked a cake fit for a queen and the Kents took over the kitchens to bake pie after pie.

The decorations were an eclectic mix of all possible birthday themes as the Flashes had spread the purchases over entire continents. Princesses and dragons and knights and safari and even pop culture figures marketed towards kids of both sexes.

It all went up. Banners and balloons and goodie bags full of little eco-friendly trinkets and toys.

In fact, under Robin's militarant eye and Sam's softly requested wishes, everything was eco-friendly.

The fraid were kept busy until everything was set up; the fraid, sans Dani, looked upon the set up party with tears of gratitude in their eyes.

Then came the party. Dani did not have any same age friends, even Lian was a bit older, but that didn't matter because the younger heroes and Lian made sure she had fun playing age appropriate games.

Robin and the older Superboy were the ringmasters of the festivities and even Bathound got in on the act, playing such games as pin the tail and hide and seek in his own doggy way.

Eventually though, after cake and pie and gifts, Dani passed out on Bathound, in a corner.

The dog woofed softly to gain someone's attention and everyone cooed, snapping pictures, before her father picked her up and moved her to their still shared bedroom.

It had been a good day.

cjsmalley

Dani looked down confusedly, bending to pick at the strange green things.

"It's grass, baby," Sam told her, heartbreaking that she couldn't remember the feel of grass after a year on a space station.

They were in the garden of a chateau owned by Oliver Queen.

Before she could say anymore, there was a commotion; Sam scooped up her daughter and prepared to run.

Instead, from the house came her parents, Danny running after them.

The Mansons stopped dead at the sight of their daughter holding a little girl who looked quite like her.

"Mom, Dad?" Sam handed Dani off to Danny who backed out of the way and then rushed her parents.

Confusion forgotten, they welcomed her and all three ended up on the ground in a messy, crying heap.

"Sam, Samantha," Jeremy cupped his daughter's face, cataloguing the differences two years made, "what happened?"

"The Guys in White," she hiccupped, "oh, Daddy! They were going after Danny to make the Fentons work for them. We had to go. Me and Tucker, we weren't going to leave him alone."

Fury overcame the Manson parents and not even at Daniel, who hovered with the still unknown child; they knew how loyal their daughter was to her friends. Of course they had run with him. How dare those fools in white suits cause this mess!

"Mama!" called the child and Sam turned as i8f on instinct and reached for he.

"I'm okay, we're okay..." she soothed, rocking the girl gently.

"Samantha," Pamela breathed in horror and heartbreak and love as pieces started to form an image.

"I didn't know," Sam assured, "when we ran. She's why we stayed gone but I didn't know she existed when we ran."

"You and Daniel..."

"Just once...well, one day. Remember that ghost singer? Ember. She used a lust spell on us."

"And of course..." Jeremy nodded, not taking his eyes off his granddaughter.

"Danny stepped up immediately," Sam assured, "got us settled while Tucker ran further. Small town in Kansas. We didn't go far and once we knew...he took, takes good care of us."

"Honey, I'm so sorry you went through that alone," said Jeremy, "you must have been so scared! But, sweetheart, the Green Arrow brought us here?"

"We're in protective custody," Sam explained, "from the GiW. We finally got in touch with the JLA. Living on the Watchtower. There's...the GiW has Amity on lockdown, that's why nobody but Phantom helped. And he came from the portal, inside lockdown."

"He's missing...."

"He might have given up on Amity," Danny said softly, "might have found something more important to protect. I swear to everything, as soon as we're of age, I'm going to marry Sam. As soon as the JLA finishes the GiW off, we'll come home. I know you don't like me but if you treat our daughter--"

"Nonsense, Daniel," Pamela harrumphed, "the girl is a Manson!"

Both teens relaxed.

"We'll have to set up an expense fund, of course," Jeremy mused, "because you are going back to school after all this is over. And a trust fund."

"You cannot let anyone know you've found us," Tucker's voice rang out, "even my parents or the Fentons. "

"....We won't. Although the Fentons are blaming your disappearances on ghosts."

"Of course they are."

cjsmalley

The Mansons stayed as long as they were allowed to, getting to know their granddaughter and son-in-law.

But eventually they were escorted out.

"We have a job for you," Green Arrow said, passing Jeremy a thumbdrive, "we need a backdoor in. Put that in any computer and a neat little code will find its' way to these Guys in White. It'll let us in digitally."

The Mansons nodded as Jeremy pocketed the drive, "You will take care of them, won't you?"

"The kids? Man, they have so many people looking out for them. The GiW? Yeah, we're working on it. We need info. Cyborg and our techies created a worm...well, they used a lot of technical jargon that flew over my head but whatever's on that drive is our way in."

Again the Mansons nodded; the JLA needed people on the inside of this lockdown situation.

They were happy to be those people if it meant the kids could come home sooner.

Once they got home, Jeremy inserted the drive into his desktop and let the virus go to work.

And work it did, unbeknownst to Jeremy, the virus scraped everything from not just the GiW but the Fentons too and made permanent but hidden doors into each mainframe.

Everything the heroes needed.

And Justice League Dark was not happy with what was found from the Fentons.

cjsmalley

Zatanna cursed...well, no, she swore but she was ready to do some cursing.

"We cannot let Danny or Dani go back to the Fentons, Jazz might be safe but her too," Zatanna said to the gathered Inner Council, bringing up a powerpoint on the projector.

"Look at this," she said experatedly, "they have, erroneously might I add, declared that all ghosts are both non-sapient and yet evil to the core, no pun intended."

"I don't understand," said John Stewart, "how can something be evil if it's not sapient? We cannot call an animal cruel because they don't have the means of right and wrong."

Zatanna pointed at him, "Exactly. You can't be both non-sapient and evil because you have to understand good and evil to be evil!"

"So we know at least half ghosts are sapient," said Barry Allen, bouncing a leg at superspeed, "and Deadman seems all there, so what happened?"

"Miscommunication, mostly," Danny entered, "sorry to interrupt but I've done some research of my own. Ghosts don't think much like humans; a ghost is an idealized version of who you were when you were alive...I always wanted to be confident and helpful so Phantom is. Ecto ghosts, unlike magical ones, also fight for fun and forget how squishy the human world is...I bet Superman can understand that problem."

Kal-El inclined his head briefly; he could.

Zatanna was nodding, "That lines up with what the Fentons recorded but not concluded...I'm sorry, Danny. We're probably going to arrest them. That Portal alone..."

Danny nodded his head, "We figured as much. I'm not taking Dani to them unless they change their minds about ghosts. The Mansons will likely take us in."

"I will see if Wayne can foster you if we arrest them while you're still a minor and the Mansons do not take you," Batman declared.

"Thank you."

cjsmalley

Danny began using every minute he wasn't with his fraid to turn out anti-ecto gear based on remembered Fenton blueprints and his own designs.

The JLA were ridiculously vulnerable to ghostly possession and he sought to cover that vulnerability.

Especially if they planned to retake Amity from the GiW and the Fentons.

He and Jazz had talked things over and had agreed that, though their parents loved them to pieces, they would both become Walkers or Nightingales or even their assumed surnames. The Fenton name would be too tainted.

Sam had shyly but sincerely offered Danny at least the Manson name; she would have to talk to her parents about adopting Jazz but Danny had an obvious route into the name.

Dani was going to be Danielle Manson at least until her father settled on a surname and her parents decided to hyphenate.

It wasn't even that they hated the Fentons, no they still loved their parents, but they couldn't trust them; especially with Dani even if she had been born purely human. FentonWorks was a deathtrap and it was downright miraculous that they had managed a combined thirty years before one of them was injured.

And it wasn't just an injury, not even a disabling one; Danny had died that day, at least halfway. One foot in the grave in a quite literal sense.

He should have stayed dead. And just because he hadn't didn't erase the absentminded neglect that caused his half-death.

No kids should have been allowed in that blasted lab.

cjsmalley

They watched the vote anxiously, hands gripping each other's as numbers for the repeal of the Acts ticked upwards.

Superman and Red Hood had gone on National Television, no channel wanting to miss it, and revealed that they had died and under these Acts were considered less than a cockroach. Superman had read the Acts, piece by piece, while Red Hood translated the legalese.

An uproar.

Anyone who had died and come back were subject to the Acts, including Grandmas and children who flatlined and were resuscitated.

Lois Lane had the first ever non-biased interview with a ghost; with the infamous Phantom of Amity Park who pled his peoples' case and told of a government conspiracy based on faulty science.

Then the Fenton boy, the son of ghosthunters, had backed up the specter's claims, buoyed by support from the Manson Heiress.

He told of how they had escaped Amity Park with Phantom's help but it had weakened the ghost extremely, of how they were affected by the Acts because of constant exposure to ecto-energy and ectoplasm.

How their daughter was subject to the Acts; their two and a half year old daughter condemned for the supposed crime of being born to contaminated parents.

Copies of the Fentons' reports and test results and everything the least bit scientific were given to anyone who asked.

The Fentons' life's work was promptly torn apart; ghosts were a known quantity, different ghosts but still ghosts.

Everything was torn apart; their methodology, their theses, their methods of sampling, especially their conclusions.

"I would expert better work from a kindergartener!" one scientist proclaimed with a laugh

The Fentons, once given the chance to refute these rebuttals, predictably fell on their prosecution complex and blamed ghosts for twisting the minds of their son and his girlfriend.

They became laughingstocks, and not for the reasons they assumed.

Martian Manhunter spoke up next, spokesperson for all the aliens of Earth when he asked a pertinent question: Who Next?

If the humans could turn on the souls of their ancestors like rabid dogs a piece of meat then what chance did the aliens amongst them stand?

And it all came down to this.

A vote by the government.

The FORs climbed.

And climbed.

Until it was called.

They had done it.

The Acts were being Repealed by the common people of the United States of America.

Dani was safe. Danny was safe. Every ghost and Liminal was safe.

cjsmalley

Epilogue I

“Danno! Jazzypants!” Jack greeted from his cell.

Maddie was silent.

“Hi Dad,” Danny greeted back.

There was an awkward, uncomfortable silence before Maddie spoke, “Danny, you sided with Phantom. We proved—”

“You proved nothing, Mom,” Danny cut her off, “your math was about the only thing correct about your work and even then…I had to help. You were about to help commit genocide, Mom. Do you get it now? Most ghosts are intelligent, sapient even. An entire race and you were about to help wipe them out because you didn’t understand.”

“And you do?” she shot back angrily.

“Maddie—”

“No, Dad. Lemme talk; yeah I understand because…because I’m one of them.”

“What? How?”

Danny shifted before his parents, “That day in the lab—my accident, I died. Came back but only halfway. The others call what I am a halfa. Halfa human, halfa ghost. I’m Phantom.”

“No!” Maddie snarled, “Liar! You possessed my baby boy! You ecto-scum!”

But Jack had seen the truth of his son’s words and was weeping.

Danny shrugged tiredly, detransformed, and added, “by the way, you have a granddaughter. She’s a halfa too.”

But Maddie was too far gone to hear, raving about possessions and lying ghosts.

Jack just wept harder.

Without a word, Danny and Jazz left them to their fates. They would put in a good word for Jack, but Maddie obviously needed help.

cjsmalley

Epilogue II

The wedding was attended by everyone who had helped them; they had had to rent out Amity’s sole park as heroes and vigilantes and one benevolent Crime Lord came and went, dropping by to give gifts and well-wishes. Some even brought Blessings or Gifts from their Gods to bestow on the happy couple and their child.

Amity Park itself had turned out, her people helping celebrate the nuptials of their local heroes.

Pamela Manson, who had learned some hard lessons while her daughter was missing, did not take over planning like Sam had feared but merely coordinated it like a seasoned hostess would.

Amity had been let in on Danny and Dani’s secret, mainly because Dani, now four, was experiencing powers. They had merely accepted them, figuring not all ghosts were bad if Danny was one of them.

It was a strange, eclectic guest list that was put together; everyone from a farming couple from Kansas to the Waynes to Wonder Woman came for at least a few minutes. And yes, the guest list included ghosts.

“Who’s this Frostbite?” Pamela asked.

“Danny and now Dani’s doctor,” Sam replied easily, “we couldn’t risk contacting him while on the lam, he was pissed I pout myself in danger, not getting prenatal care with Dani. But he’s a good friend. He also has a midwife lined up for if I ever get pregnant again.”

“Alright, any special accommodations?”

“Not that I know of.”

“I’ll put him on Danny’s side then.”

But then the day had arrived; it had become something of a city-wide party with food trucks, entertainment, and, not the least, the actual ceremony.

Damian Wayne and the younger Superboy minded Dani as the ceremony occurred, every hero and heroine on high alert for a retribution attack from the stragglers of the GiW; the two boys minding Dani knew it was their job to get her into the huddle of ghosts if something went wrong.

Thankfully, nothing did and the newlyweds walked down the aisle as the officiant announced the new Manson family.

And still, nothing happened and it was good.

Later that night, the couple put their daughter to bed and left for their honeymoon.

Unbeknownst to them, the ghosts had agreed not to cause trouble until Phantom was back.

They kept to the agreement.

cjsmalley

Last one:

Epilogue III

They had discussed it when she was too young to understand and easily distracted besides; whether to tell her the truth and if so when to tell her.

They had even asked Kon for his opinion; he was blunt and told them to tell her.

They had decided that now was the time.

It was the day after her sixteenth birthday, as they hadn’t wanted to ruin her Sweet Sixteenth, when they sat Danielle down and told her that she was a clone.

She started laughing, obviously think it was a joke, before her laughter petered off when she realized that they weren’t laughing with her.

“You’re joking, right?” her eyes darted from one to the other and back again, “no, you have to be joking…I was…I was a teen pregnancy because of Aunt Ember’s music? Mom? Dad? I can’t be Dad’s clone! I’m a girl!”

“Your creator messed up the genetics somehow,” Danny sighed, “trust us, we had the same questions. Testing confirmed it. You’re a single source clone.”

“Oh my god! Has it all been a lie? Am I just…just a science experiment gone wrong?”

“No!” Sam said sharply, “Never, you’re ours, Dani. Mine.”

“But you didn’t—”

“I adopted you, Danielle! Are you saying adoption isn’t the same? I love you as mine, I—”

“Lied!”

“Enough.” Danny stepped in with his Phantom voice, the one that always quelled arguments between Danielle and her brother David, “Dani—you’re too young to understand…things were different—”

“I’m sixteen!”

“Too young to remember the Anti-Ecto Acts, the Ghost Investigation Ward…your Fenton grandparents. There’s a reason we lived with your Grandpa Jeremy and Grandma Pamela when you were younger, why you’ve never met your Fenton grandparents…honey, we lied to protect you.”

“The Fentons were ghosthunters,” Danielle said in a small voice, “and we’ve read about the Acts in school…Dad, you and Mom helped get rid of them.”

“Sweetheart, you were originally thirteen.”

“What, I don’t—I remember growing up—”

“When you were made you were thirteen,” Danny swiped a hand down his face, “I wasn’t—I was fourteen, in hiding myself, with ghosthunter parents. I let you go. I let you be free. Told you to stay away from Amity, from the Guys in White—but they caught you. They—they had you and they tortured you and I’m so damned sorry Dani. You reverted back to your core, remember the core talk from Frostbite? You reverted and then we found out and saved you but we—we were being hunted. They were looking for three teens and a weapon. Not a newly married couple with a baby. When you came out of your core, when you felt safe enough, you reformed as a newborn. So we concocted a story, two. One to hide under, one to tell our families if it was ever safe to contact them again. We couldn’t let you be a known clone.”

“Kon—”

“Came out sixteen and with superpowers,” Sam explained, “he could protect himself. You were just a baby, a perfectly normal baby girl. You didn’t get your powers until you were four. He wasn’t being hunted for being half-alien. If anyone found out about you or your Dad—”

“Oh,” her eyes watered, “am I still a Manson, Mom?”

“Of course! You’ll always be a Manson. You’re my daughter, Danielle.”

“I—I’ve gotta think; is this why I have superheroes as uncles and aunts? Because they know I’m—is that why Jon and Damian babysat me—?”

“Not really? We lived at a superhero base for about a year, year and a half,” Sam answered honestly, “and Damian and Jon offered to babysit. Damian is liminal, you know, so he was grounded to the base until those Acts were repealed.”

“I—do they know? Did everyone know before me?”

“Not everyone,” Danny hedged, “everyone who needed to know the truth knows. So the Bats and the Kents and a few medical staff at the base we were hidden at. They kept checking your clone markers and DNA, making sure you were stable and functioning. Apparently, Kon didn’t age for a few years, something about missing the needed processes.”

“Oh my god, Kon! Is that why Kon is always so nice? Because he knows I’m…I’m like him?”

“No, he’s nice because he’s not an asshole and he does love you like a little sister.”

“Because I’m like him…why,” she licked her lower lip, “why was I created, Dad? Who created me?”

“To kill and replace me,” Danny said bluntly, needing to get it out and not trusting himself to manage if he did so gently, “but you were—to your creator only—a mistake—”

“A mistake? Like an accident?”

“He wanted a perfect clone, an identical clone,” Sam explained.

“But I’m a girl,” Danielle said dully, before asking, “He? Who made me?”

“My godfather; he was insane and wanted to marry my mother, kill my father, and have me as his son.”

“What about Aunt Jazz?”

Danny paused, “Good question. Never really knew his plans for her, if he had any.”

“So that’s it. I’m just…just a failed copy—”

“Bullshit,” her parents said at once, before her mother spoke fiercely, “You’re our daughter, Danielle—”

“You never asked for—”

“That’s right, we didn’t ask for you,” her father said, nodding, “but we took you anyways.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re ours. And you always will be.”