DpxDc Prompt idea(on a high from watching dragontwin clips):
SO the whole shabang is that, it was a bad reveal, bad fenton parents(tm), Jazz(20, her birthday is before Danny's I hc, she also became immortal cause I love her too much to let her die) managed to get Danny(17), Ellie(15 in physical years, 3 in actual), and Dan(17 in physical, 27 in actual) escape via portal, destroying the portal in the process so no one would follow, including the blue prints.
they end up in a somewhat medieval times of the dc universe(not an au, just medieval at the moment of time), and Danny is the only one of the three Phantoms to have learned shapeshifting(maybe Dan has the ability to he just can't to large beasts or only subjected to humanoid things), and Ellie begs (read as: demands) for Danny to become a dragon so they can overtake one of the corrupt kingdoms, Jazz takes one look at the kingdom and sees how fucked up it is and just lets the three insane gremlins have at it.
Danny shifts into a giant ass dragon, and Dan, Ellie, and Jazz go and take over the kingdom(no one knows what happened to the orignal rulers and are too scared to ask), and Danny would speak in ghostspeak to Dan and Ellie(Jazz sometimes too), making the citizens think they have an unbreakable bond to the dragon that has been named "Phantom" of course, but Danny does go by other names while in dragon form.
Through the years they grow a vast kingdom feared by many and all.
They would live in this world for a couple of centuries(or less) and soon leave "mysteriously" (Clockwork had notified them that they now have a permanent home in the infinite Realms.).
So after a bit in the infinite realms they decided to revisit the place they called home when their orignal one rejected them.
They see museums built to house their treasures and even some of Danny's scales, and claws!
But what angered them is that Lex Luthor proudly displayed the two horns that Danny shed(like a deer) like his family long ago defeated the giant beast.
And they get a little note from Clocky saying
"I believe they need a reminder who was once the ruler of all... Don't kill anyone young heirs" -CW
They look to Jazz who looked easily as pissed. And she smiled in approval.
.=.=.=.=.=.=.
The Justice League. Had no idea what was happening.
It started in the museum of [Whatever their kingdom name was], the stolen artifacts were of the royal advisor's(Jazz) necklace, the Queen's(Ellie) staff/scepter and crown, the Queens loyal Knight's(Dan) armour and sword, and the giant spear they used to control their dragon (Danny) while in flight (the spear wasn't actually stabbed into his back, just made intangible which felt like a small tickle to Danny)
all artifacts were heavily gaurded from the amount of magic they had imbedded. Constantine even said that a ritual could be preformed to revive them, even their dragon, that oh so many feared.
The last thing the theifs needed were the horns of the Dragon, Phantom.
which, the theif was found by the Justice League mid-Heist, who was a young, teenage girl who eerily resembled the young Queen, even holding her scepter and wearing the crown, both looking brand new.
Lex Luther was less than happy to see the horns of the dragon in the "theif"s hands, demanding the horns back.
The girl only responding with a smile, dropping the horns on the ground, using the scepter to smash them apart and yelled, "RISE MY DRAGON! FOR WE WILL RULE ONCE AGAIN!"
And Danny, being dramatic as ever. Used Intangibility as he shifted into his dragon form and fly out from the ground, Ellie grabbing onto one of his spines as they dramatically exited where the now shattered horns were being kept.
This is from a 3rd person perspective because I write characters like that better
The young girl was sitting comfortably on the back of the large dragon. She looked exactly like the old queen of these lands which is to say- extremely off putting. Her eyes glowed a bright green almost neon color and her arms and legs looked far too long compared to her torso and the teeth she bared while laughing were incredibly sharp. And the artifacts she held were quite the same glowing and pulsating at the pace of a heartbeat. The dragon snarled an almost speech like growl and the girl laughed louder and spoke: of course we will, they will come to us soon dear phantom. A man by the name of John Constantine stood nearby confused out of his mind as he
Pt 5 of forever teen Danny adopted JJ Tim and Red Hood. Damian finally gets to see his Akhi again.
[Pt 4: Here] [Ao3 with more]
Damian only got glimpses of the second group of vigilantes in Gotham over the year and a half he's been with his father before he realized how fallible his Father is. He feels woefully misinformed by his Mother, who only sang the man's praises.
At first, it was because the Bats trust him not to use deathly force as well as the last two Robins' being a fresh wound for Father and Richard. And it stung to hear them make plans to convince a meta child to join them so that the crazed lunatics that loyally follow him will follow suit. Sure, it was because one of the lunatics was the second to last Robin who went crazy and refused their help, but it felt like his Father and supposed big brother simply found him unacceptable and burdensome.
Eventually, he decides to break into their files to learn everything they have on the non-Bat Gotham vigilantes, only to discover that the Bat version of events that he was told was incomplete. Horrendously incomplete.
He found camera footage of how terribly they treated Timothy Drake from the moment he entered the Waynes' lives to the moment he ran away. Damian would stay far away from them, too, if he endured half of what Timothy did. Damian already wasn't planning to help his Father and Richard to bring him back into the fold, but now the reason for why is completely different. Damian shall aid him if the moment arises.
The second "lunatic" Damian could recognize anywhere. It's his Akhi from the league! Mother must have sent Jason to Gotham ahead of him. He's using the name Red Hood and became significantly less violent since being adopted by Timothy and the Meta. Damian didn't know pit madness was curable, but the reports prove they did something and helped his Akhi. He wonders if he could ask at some point. Healing others with the affliction before they have to be put down would be amazing! Damian had been terrified of the day Akhi would be next, but now he doesn't have to worry.
Obviously, he's not going to help the Bats arrest his Akhi.
The last person of the group, the meta called Phantom is a complete unknown to him, and the Bats apparently. They estimate him to be 13, or a small 14, year old, but he's the clear leader of the group if the trio has to make a decision together. They've seen him use superstrength, fly, turn himself invisible, and turn himself intangible. He can transfer the last 3 abilities to other people or things so long as he's touching them. He seems to have a rigid moral code, but it isn't the same as Father's. Phantom is perfectly fine with murdering those he deems unacceptable, like the now deceased Joker or Black Mask (both were killed after a Robin was harmed. Which makes him feel a little safer.) or the random serial killer or rapist they find.
Father believes he can sway Phantom to his way of thinking, but Damian is not so sure. Phantom has made his hatred for Father and Richard well-known. And anytime they attempt to corner Phantom, or Timothy, or Akhi, the other two come in swinging.
Damian isn't sure what tonight's plans had been, but he had a bad feeling when he saw them taking John Constantine with them. He already figured out Phantom was a supernatural. He hasn't aged a day since he was first documented, and he's fairly sure Akhi counts too. He's just not sure what Akhi is. Damian is going to be pissed if Father and Richard have Constantine kill Phantom and Akhi just so they can get Timothy back. He'll personally break Timothy out of wherever they decide to lock him away and get them both out of Gotham if the hypocritical Waynes hurt the odd group.
He was forced to take the day off because of a sprained ankle. Which is ridiculous, he's done more with worse injuries, but decides not to argue so he can watch through their mask cameras. Damian seethes at the lies and half truths his family feeds to Constantine to get him to comply.
The trap they set works perfectly, unfortunately, and just as Constantine is about to try to exorcize Jason, the teens breakout into their own chant. The video feed becomes nearly completely static and voices cut in and out, but he can understand what's happening. Damian feels hysterical as he realizes what kind of fire these idiots were playing with and can barely scrape together sadness and guilt for them. He stares at the screens long after Phantom and his adopted children leave, only getting up to prep the med bay after Constantine moved Bruce and Richard to the batmoble. Gordon already called for the doctor, so there's nothing else he can do.
This stunt has broken any trust or safety Damian may have felt in the men he's supposed to view as family. He thinks about his options. He refuses to go back to his Mother or Grandfather, but he's not sure he wants to stay with the Waynes either. It feels like being stuck in a rock and a hard place.
Then he remembers how Timothy got adopted by "The Ghost King" after he tried to go to the Bats.
As much as he hates to leaving behind what feels like his responsibilities, he can't live here. He found plenty of recordings, from different Bats eavesdropping, of usually Phantom telling his sons that just because you can do something doesn't mean you have to. So just because he can help Bruce and Richard, doesn't mean he has to or should. Phantom was very clear on what he wanted THEM to do. Damian isn't part of the equation, and honestly doesn't want to be, he already was walking on egg shells when they weren't going to be belligerent.
When the batmoble barreling in, Damian decides his last act of service to the Waynes will be to help Constantine and Pennyworth get them to the med bay. He doesn't leave the cave until everyone is settled or left, and Pennyworth ushers him to bed. He glances at the peacefully sleeping Bruce and Richard (they were drugged to make setting their bones easier) one last time before complying with Alfred's order, sort of. He goes to his room.
While in his room, he pulls out the bag he arrived at the manor with. He packs 2 changes of clothes, his sketchbook, his pencil case, and his "allowance". He doesn't take more than that. He doesn't want to be indebted to the Bats anymore than he already feels he is. He feels like this will be an unforgivable betrayal in their eyes, but he finds he doesn't mind as much as he feared he would.
He decides to leave them all notes.
[Dear Pennyworth,
Thank you for your hospitality. I shall remember your lessons and think of you fondly, but I can no longer be in Father's care. His dealings with Poltergeist, Red Hood, and Phantom have been unacceptable. He rather kill an undead than reassess his ways. An undead that is my Akhi. I won't be returning until I feel they've actually changed.
Warmest Regards,
Damian Wayne Al Gul]
[Richard,
You preach of brotherhood, but I found the recordings of how you treated Timothy and Jason. I don't see why I would be treated differently. I suggest you figure yourself out and apologize to both of them before trying to "big brother" any other strays Father attempts to bring into the fold.
Damian Wayne Al Gul]
[Father,
I can no longer stay under your care. You have proven to be just as unsafe as Mother and Grandfather. I shall be staying with my Akhi until you are less of a danger to mine and others' safety. Hopefully, this is a wake-up call, but I don't see it being anything more than another excuse for you to punish and push everyone who cares about you away. Your track record is telling.
Damian Wayne Al Gul]
They're not much, but he feels better for writing them.
Damian has outgrown the LoA gear he came in, so he dresses in black jeans, combat boots, a dark green, almost black (Richard said he needed more colour in his wardrobe) hoody, and a surgical mask. He knows Alfred shall be retiring soon and that all the windows and doors leading outside are alarmed. He'll have to sneak out of the cave and use Bruce's codes to get out without an alarm immediately going off. Richard's go off, so Bruce and Alfred know he's been there, and Damian's are so he can't leave without a Bat with him.
It took him two weeks to see enough to piece it together and was infuriated when he realized it was Jason's death date. It's completely disrespectful to Jason and clearly just another form of self flagellation, plus it's like using a birthday as a code, someone IS going to guess it eventually. It killed a lot of whatever respect Damian may have held before tonight.
When the time comes, he doesn't hesitate. It feels surreal to him as he escapes the Manor for probably the last time. He doesn't linger on the fond memories that seem to dig their fingers in as he sneaks away and makes his way to Crime Alley. He swallows the bitterness of realizing his blood relatives have never made him feel safe, only his Akhi. A man who willingly lives in the worst part of Gotham when he deserves the best.
But Damian knows how Jason's heart works. Crime Alley has always been his home, and he'll guard its people till his dying breath.
He climbs down a building and tries to not spook the pair of sex workers, "Excuse me?"
Mission failed, they both startle. The one with mostly straight hair and colourful makeup yells. "JESUS, KID! Ya tryin' ta scare me inta an early grave!?"
"Sorry." Damian mumbles apologically, "I was wondering if you could call Red Hood to pick me up?"
"Sure, kid, but why? Someone try ta sell something to ya?" The other one, with dredlocks and white and black makeup, asks.
"He's my brother, actually... I, um," Damian decides to lay it on thick, wobbling his voice and forcing himself teary-eyed. "I ran away from our relatives. They kept me trapped, and I haven't been able to contact him to tell him I wasn't as safe as we thought I'd be. I ran away, but don't know where he or Poltergeist live..."
"Shush, kid, alright," Black and white sighs, pulling out her(?) phone and hitting call on a contact. "Don't make me regret this!"
Damian nods and stays silent during the phone call, only speaking once she(?) hangs up. "Uh, where should I wait? I don't want to disrupt your business more than I have."
"Ya a doll! Just like our Hoody!" Colourful coons.
"Ya know how to get to the roofs?"
"Yeah?"
"Then wait up there. A kid hangin' about is definitely bad fo' business and Hood will be comin' from the roofs anyway."
"Okay. Thank you for all your assistance." Damian bows slightly towards her before climbing up to the roof to wait. He can't be sure how long he waits, it feels both like hours and mere minutes have past when he hears Jason's familiar footsteps.
"Dami?" Jason sounds confused, which is valid. Last time they spoke Damian was willing to do anything to prove himself to his Grandfather and Bruce. "What are you doing here?"
"I have found both sides of my blood relations to be lacking." Damian admits. "I feel unsafe and wish to stay with you. If your new family would be amenable to it."
"Uh, dad?" Jason asks, tilting his head to the side. A voice coming from open air is very odd to witness in person.
"I don't see why not, but we'll have to ask your brother first." Phantom fades into view and drifts closer to Damian. It feels like the (APPARENTLY) Ghost King (??? Damian is still processing that detail to be honest.) can see Damian's soul. Who knows, maybe he can? Will he find Damian lacking?
"Right, okay, one second." Jason pulls out an odd looking phone and dials a number. "Don't get me wrong, Dami. I would love to have you, but it's a family decision to let you live with us. I cou- Oh! Yeah, so funny situation! How do you feel about adopting another bird?... Yeah...pfft yeah, okay, you have a point...And it'd be funny! .. Sweet! See you soon!"
"He said yes?" Phantom sounds amused and looks fond and unsurprised.
"Yup!" Damian can hear Jason's grin. "You're bunking with me until we upgrade our apartment again!"
"Very well." Damian easily accepts. Phantom tilts his head, eyeing Damian as if trying to get a read on him about something.
"Do you plan to continue being a vigilante?" Was not the question Damian thought he was going to be asked.
"I would like to. I left the Robin costume in the cave, though, so I'd need a new one." Phantom nods in acceptance. Damian doesn't know what he'd do if Phantom said no.
"I will allow it and help you make a new identity IF you promise to stay with me or your brothers when you go out. I won't have any of you dying before you're old and gray." Phantom looks like he will burn the city to the ground at the thought of his children dying. It's comforting. Damian can see why his throughly traumatized predecessors were drawn to him.
"I accept these terms so long as I have more independents as an adult."
"Hm.. we shall revisit the issue when you're 19." Phantom concedes, which is good enough for Damian. "I shall fly us home now. It's getting late and it's faster than parkour."
Damian barely has time to process that before they're rocketing through the Alley. Phantom's strange powers protecting him from wind resistance and gravity. It's the oddest thing he's ever felt, but not bad. Phantom simply phases them through the wall when they get to their apartment.
The frontroom is colourful. Furniture is random, but not clashing, colours. There's pillows and throw blankets of every colour folded to the side or scattered like someone pulled it off in a hurry. Books, games, and puzzles are crammed on multiple bookshelves. It's bright and chaotic, but also lived in and cozy.
Timothy skips in from the kitchen with a tray of 4 steaming mugs of hot cocoa, somehow not spilling a drop. "Hi!"
"Hello, Timothy. Thank you for letting me stay." Damian bows at about a 45 degree angle to show his respect.
"Oh! Um, no problem." Timothy's wide, but calculating eyes show he understands the significance of Damian's bow. "I made everyone hot chocolate. I wasn't sure how you liked yours, so I made it how Jason likes his. Yours and his are the navy and red cups. Dad's is the Nasa one, and this one is mine!"
Timothy says, holding up a rainbow cup with unicorn impaling someone on it.
"Thanks, Tim." Phantom says with a fond smile before something unexpected happens. Phantom turns into a human as he reaches for his cup. After a sip or two, he notices Damian's confusion. "I'm a halfa, kid. My name's Danny Kronoyios in this form. Still legally a dead guy and a ghost. I can just digest things easier in this form and access my powers in the other, can still do both in both, though."
"It's weird, but you get used to it." Jason says while ducking into a hallway. Damian awkwardly grabs the blue cup and sips at it. There's a lovely mix of spices in the cocoa, making it slightly spicy. Jason returns in pajama pants and a band t-shirt Damian doesn't recognize and plops on the couch Timothy has curled up on. "It's been one hell of a day!"
"Indeed." Phantom (because what kind of name is "Danny" for an undead king?) hums, "Want to watch an episode of something before bed?"
And that's how Damian's surreal night ends. He and his possibly new family, drinking cocoa while watching an episode of some show Damian doesn't really understand, but found amusing anyways. Timothy gives him some of his pajamas when they realize Damian didn't bring any. And Jason using him as a teddy bear when they all go to bed. It's nice. It's the safest he's felt since arriving in Gotham. He is positive he made the right choice.
Pt 4 of forever teen Danny adopted JJ Tim and Red Hood Jason. Sorry if you're a Batman or Nightwing fan, I'm not nice to them in this one.
[Pt3: Here][pt5: here]
The last 4 years have been a riot. Danny has 2 wonderful and slightly unhinged boys that he stole from the Bats. They've gotten in so many shenanigans, between normal vigilante shit, the Bats and/or ghost/supernatural hunters trying to bag them, and them just fucking around.
It's the most fun he's had in a while. They're good kids, but they, of course, have started branching out. They're 19 (Jason) and 17(Tim) now and don't necessarily want their dad following them around. So Danny gave them his personal summons just in case and made them promise to stay close together, the two of them are good at covering for the other's weaknesses. Like how Tim only being Liminal, he can take more hits from the ghost hunters that will clock Jason as a Revenant or Jason's supernatural strength taking out the bigger assholes that target Tim for his small size or Joker mannerisms.
So he tries not to worry, simply going to work and trusting them to either deal with any trouble themselves or summon him. And for 3 months they don't need to summon him once. But at the end of month 3, he feels it.
"Hey, Eddy! I got to go! My kids are in trouble!" Danny calls to his boss, already moving to somewhere there's less witnesses to see him poof.
"Okay! See ya! ...Wait, you have kids?" Danny doesn't answer, letting the summons take ahold and pull him through the fabric of reality.
A fun side effect of being summoned is that he always ends up in his High King form. The form is humanoid in the vaguest of sense. It's also just stars and the void of space. His eyes are giant stars and his mouth is too wide and full of rows and rows of needle-like teeth. A crown of ice smokes like dry ice on his head and the ring of rage is simple stripe of neon green on his right hand's middle finger (he thought it'd be funny to flip people off with it). All in all, he's terrifying for mortals to see unprepared.
And the cussing around him tells the people hassling his sons are NOT prepared.
"HOW THE FUCK DID YOU SUMMON THE GHOST KING???" A very distraught British man shrieks. Danny would feel bad, but this idiot is standing near the Bat and Nightwing AND Danny's sons are tied up in front of them.
"DAaaaAD!" Tim whines, flopping over to look at him. "They're trying to excorise Hoodie!"
"Are they now?" Danny hisses. His voice sounds like glaciers crashing together.
"Bats! What the fuck??? You didn't tell me THAT WAS THEIR DAD!" British man sounds on the brink of a mental breakdown.
"We've never seen this entity." Batman frowns.
"Yeah! They've been calling a ghost kid dad this whole time!" Nightwing defends. "How were we supposed to know they could summon this guy??"
"What...what did you say the "kid"'s name was?" British dude asks faintly.
"We didn't." Batman says.
"Weeell, Johnny-boy!" Jason sounds like he has a shit eating grin. "What they didn't tell you is our sweet ol' adoptive father is called Phantom~!"
"Oh goodie! We're so dead..." "Johnny" says and starts chugging his flask of probably alcohol. It suddenly clicks that this is the fabled John Constantine.
"You should know better than to take a job half-assed, John Constantine." Danny grins with teeth.
"Oh good, he knows my name.." Constantine mumbles to himself.
"Give me one good reason to not kill you all for trying to kill my son and kidnap the other." Danny waves a hand and slices his sons' bindings. "I have only been so patient with you bats because my sons are fond of you, but my patience is running out."
"Tim belongs with us! He needs help and healing!" Nightwing proclaims.
"I talk to a licensed therapist twice a week and take my meds every day! Try again, Big Birdie!!" Tim snarls. "Just because I'm not what you want me to be doesn't mean I'm a broken doll in need of saving!"
"Besides, don't you have a new bird to destroy?" Jason asks with a head tilt. "The second birdie died, the third got mentally fucked, the four died... I think we can count birdie #1 as mentally fucked up, meaning if we follow the pattern, birdie #5 will be mentally fucked by the time he flies the nest."
"How do you know so much about us, Red Hood?" Batman demands with a scowl.
"He doesn't have to tell you anything!" Tim steps in front of Jason and glares.
"I'm still waiting on a reason to not kill you." Danny reminds them. The bats look towards Constantine.
"Don't look at me, mates. That's head bitch of all head bitches. The fact he's letting you plead your case after threatening what he deems as his is a step up huge from most overpowered dead guys. From what I heard, the last guy would have just killed us the moment he was summoned and then destroyed the whole dimension afterwards. This guy beat that guy in single combat." Constantine pulls out a cigarette before addressing Danny, "Your Majesty, I had no idea these were your kids. I was just told a Revenant had kidnapped and "brainwashed" the ex-Robin. Clearly, I wasn't told accurate information."
Nightwing sputters, "What Do You Mean?? Clearly Tim has been brainwashed or something!!"
Constantine whips around to Nightwing, "Oh shut up, you big blue twit! King Phantom DESPISES mind control! Which means your ex-bird is with these two completely willingly."
"There's n-" Nightwing tries, but Constantine bulldozes on.
"I don't know what you did to the kid, nor do I care. But he's considered ROYALTY to the dead and undead now. He doesn't have to have ANYTHING to do with you. If you take him away from his new and apparently accepting family, that's considered an interdimensional crime, and no magician or supernatural or even god-like being will help you." Constantine takes a long drag of his cigarette. "I suggest you apologize, make your excuses, then leave them the fuck alone. Besides, crime has been at a record low in Gotham from what I hear. Let them do what they want. "
"That's because Red Hood keeps killing the Rouges!" Nightwing protests. "Who gives him the right to be judge, jury, and executioner???"
Constantine points to Danny and says flatly. "The ruler of basically everything, that's who."
Danny grins at him, his ghost half is very pleased with the man. "I shall spare you, magic man."
Constantine looks like he's going to faint from relief, moving to park himself by the door. "Just fucking apologize and leave them be, Bats."
"But!" Nightwing looks like he's going to cry. He turns his teary eyes to Tim. "Why can't you just come home, Timmy?"
"What home?" Tim stares down his nose at Nightwing, anger clear in his voice. "The Manor was Never my home. I was simply the stand in for your and B's grief for a boy you both pushed to his death. Phantom showed me what family really was. And that was AFTER I was too broken for you to accept. I was NOT Joker Junior then or now. I'm my own fucking person and I'm staying with the family that accepts me for ALL my oddities."
"You tried to put him in Arkham when he tried to go to you." Red Hood growls. "He wanted your support and help and you were going to lock him up and throw away the key."
"We were n-"
"YOU WERE!" Tim starts to trembling in hurt and rage. "You couldn't even look at me! I wanted you so badly to help me and you were going to put me in there right next to Harley! I wanted you to be my family, but I've only ever been a tool to you!"
"You weren't-" Danny doesn't like how the Bats seem ready to jump at his kids, so he freezes the Bats' feet to the floor.
"Shut up, Dickwing." Jason snarls, pulling Tim into a hug. "You lost your chance to be his brother 4 years ago. Go pretend to care about the new cannon fodder. We don't want to hear it."
"Hood." Batman finally speaks. "Who are you?"
"Who do you think, old man?" Jason takes his hood off for the first time ever in front of the Bats. They visibly startle, recognizing him despite all the changes.
"Ja-" The Bat starts.
"Shut up." Jason glares. "You were a shit dad and brother to me in life. I found the BEST family in death."
Danny picks up his boys, deciding to let them decide on the severity of the Bats' punishment. "Maiming or death?"
"... I say maim, but only because I know the newest bird and want him to stay out of the death cult his mother's in." Jason says softly. The Bats sqawk as they Just realize Danny froze their feet to the floor. Mortal tools and fire can't break/melt his ice, but it's amusing to watch the bats try.
Tim is quiet for nearly 3 whole minutes, locked in some sort of internal battle, before he answers. "Maim in a, at least mostly, healable way. Gotham needs Batman, even if we don't."
"Hmm." Danny ignores the Bats' protests to think about what he should do. "Ah! I know exactly what to do!"
He unfreezes their feet and gently forces both to the ground and processes to break both of Nightwing's legs and both of Batman's arms. He pulls one of their coms off and hands it to Tim, he's the only one that sounds normal on normal tech. Jason hasn't been able to use normal tech since Danny fixed his ecto, so Danny modifies anything he or Jason use.
"Hi, Agent A! Batgirl!" Tim's cheerful tone barely hides his seething rage. "You should send a pick up for Dickiebird and B-man! They need medical attention! Ba-bye~!"
Danny can hear the shouting over the com, but Tim simply yeets it towards the Bats instead of listening to whatever they have to say.
"I have a reason for the injuries I picked." Danny informs the room. Jason and Tim look intrigued, Constantine looks exhausted and slightly guilty about the Bats getting hurt on his watch, and the Bats themselves look dazed and in pain, so who knows if they'll remember his reasonings. "Nightwing is an acrobat and truly a bird, so grounding him is cruel, but hopefully he feels as small and helpless as you both did. Grounding him will give him time to think on his actions and their consequences."
Danny's sons look curiously at the grounded Nightwing before looking back to him.
"I broke Batman's arms so that he's forced to ask for help and communicate. He's far too old for his shitty behavior." Danny frowns. "They both need therapy, but I doubt the flying furries will actually get the help they need."
Tim suddenly cackles in delight. "Maybe THEY should check THEMSELVES into Arkham! Ya know! Since they think I, the one ACTUALLY getting help, should be in there!"
Jason starts cackling alongside his brother while Danny chuckles.
"I shall take my children home now, good day." Danny says while wrapping his sons in his invisibility and intangibility and takes them home. A cozy 3 bedroom apartment on the top floor of a building Jason owns as Red Hood.
Pt3 of forever teen Danny adopting JJ Tim AND Red Hood Jason.
[Pt2: Here] [Pt 4: here]
Jason had absolutely no idea what he was looking at. Talia's information was apparently out of date when she sent him back here. There's a tiny vigilante version of Joker talking to the air on a rooftop in Crime Alley that wasn't in any of her reports. The whispers on the street call the kid Poltergeist, and he's apparently a chaotic good character and used to be Robin #3 before a run-in with the Joker turned him into the loony he sees before him. Jason is pissed Bruce let a second kid fall into that monster's hands.
And despite Jason searching, he hasn't found anything on the guy that supposedly saved the kid from Joker. Harley is still fucked up from seeing this Phantom guy kill her "Puddin'", but considering she helped fuck this kid up, Jason has no sympathy.
"Shit!" Jason ducks for cover when the kid suddenly snaps his head over to him. When Jason looks back, the kid isn't there anymore. "Double shit."
"Why have you been watching me?" Is asked from behind him. Jason will deny the yelp and jolt if anyone asks, but he totally did as he whips around, finding the kid perched on the building's roof access. There should be no way he got there that fast (is the kid a meta?). He has his head tilted like a curious puppy, the dark purple lipstick smeared over his lips and facial scars not hiding his little little frown. "Who are you, anyways, Mr. Tank?"
"I just wanted to check out the new player." Jason is glad his helmet disguises his voice, it masks some of his awkwardness.
The kid pouts, "I've been around 3 years if you count my year as Robin, that's not very new. If anything, you're the new player, Mr. Hood."
So the kid does know who he is? "Yeah, well, I've been outside of Gotham for those 3 years. You're new to me."
"Hmm, you couldn't have been Red Hood before you left." A second teenager's voice says from just to the left of Poltergeist, startling Jason. An unearthly looking 14(?) year old fades into view. The kid(?) is floating, answering the question of how Poltergeist got to where he is without Jason noticing. "Your ectoplasum is funky, my guy. How long have you been an Revenant?"
"A what?" The helmet can't mask how baffled he is.
"Yeah! Yeah! What's a Revenant, Dad!?" Poltergeist excitedly asks the other kid(?). The (not)kid's obviously not human, so Jason is obviously an idiot for assuming. Guy looks like a kid, but doesn't have the vibe of a kid. And he gets the vibe Poltergeist is call this guy "Dad" in a 100% "this is my father" way and not the weird "I call my sexual partner Daddy" thing that cropped up while Jason was without internet access.
"A Revenant is an undead that had a violent death and had a need to avenge themselves so desperate they rebound their soul to their body." The unknown explains, then seems to stare into Jason's soul. "Something is off about your ectoplasm, though. You should really get that looked at."
"Looked at by who?" Jason asks warily, "Who even are you?"
"Ah, I'm Phantom. Friendly neighborhood dead guy." Phantom fucking finger guns, what even is Jason's life? "And if you're asking that, I can only assume you've never been to the Infinite Realms."
"The where??"
"A dimension that runs parallel to this one. It's the dimension of the dead, undead, and neverbornes. It's very green." Phantom explains. "They'd have more knowledge on how to fix you the best, but I currently don't have easy access to it and don't know where you could. Good news! I'm pretty sure if I give you my own ectoplasm while slowly removing the fucked up bits of yours, it'd straight itself out. The unfortunately side effect is you'd be considered my kid in the eyes of the Realms and I'd want to know who the fuck you are before either of us commit to that."
"It'd fix the pit rage?" Jason asks in a daze. He's killed more people than he ever wanted because of the blackout rage he gets sent into.
""Pit rage"?" Phantom is staring into his soul again.
"I get so angry I blackout and can't truly tell you what I did during the, usually, hours I'm lost to it." Jason explains, "It's how I got on B's radar before I meant to."
Poltergeist is now creepily staring at him. Kid really is mimicking his dad.
"Yeah, no, that's not normal." Phantom scrunches his face in thought. "Rage is normal for a Revenant, it comes with the territory, but blackout rage isn't..."
Phantom looks over to Poltergeist, "How do you feel about a sibling?"
Poltergeist hasn't stopped his staring. It's freaking Jason out. Even more so when the kid starts cackling in delight. It sounds Joker-like. Which is fair given what Jason heard about how the kid became this way.
"I know who You Are Revenant ~!" Poltergeist sings. Making Jason freeze, because seriously??? The Bats haven't figured it out, but this kid in one meeting did???
"Oh?" Phantom asks fondly.
"He's the second Robin!" Poltergeist crows. "You definitely have my permission! How could I refuse the best Robin being my brother??"
"Wha-how-what the fuck, kid?" Jason sputters.
"You thought I wouldn't recognize you?" Poltergeist grins manically. "I stalked you and the B-man every chance I got before you died! I know you! Batsy was a fool to let you go!"
"You what now?" Jason doesn't know how many existential crisises he can handle in one conversation.
"I had a baby stalker phase!" Poltergeist admits happily before turning to Phantom, "Does being a vigilante mean I'm still a stalker?"
Phantom seems to genuinely think about it before answering, "I think you have to be to be a Gotham vigilante. Just try not to let it branch out to other areas in life. Normal people, and probably normal heroes and vigilantes, would probably get scared off."
"Jazz already told me." Poltergeist whines and flops over. Jason can now only see his feet. "Normal people are boring anyways."
Phantom just shakes his head fondly before looking back at Jason. "I'll let you think on it. We'll be around."
And with that, Phantom scoops up Poltergeist and turns them both invisible. Poltergeist's shriek of "Ta Ta!" and happy cackles echo in a way that means Phantom is flying them away.
Jason doesn't need to think on it, but he appreciates the thought.
He heads to his nearest safe house and starts researching up a storm on the supernatural to at least have a baseline on what he (and Phantom possibly) are. He takes a lot of the info with a grain of salt, though. He'll have lots to ask when he meets up with his potential new family. Who needs the Bats anyways? B told him he wasn't his father before he died, why should that change now that he died and came back? Nah, B will just be mad he's a crimelord. Phantom and Poltergeist don't seem to mind at all.
Yeah, he's joining their weirdass family. Maybe he should add a symbol or something green to his vigilante get up to declare it? He'll decide after he talks to them. Phantom might have a family crest or something.
Pt 2 forever teen Danny adopts post-JJ Tim. Tim accepts he has a new dad.
[Pt 1: here][pt3: here]
Tim has known Danny a month, and he can say it has had a positive effect on his life. He's super understanding and accepting of all Tim's weird quirks. And when he ran away back to the Bats (which was a train wreck. B and Dick seemed relieved for 2 seconds, then tried to throw him in Arkham. Between him not selling out "Phantom" and still having JJ traits, they found him unacceptable.), Danny let him go, understanding, before accepting Tim back as easy as breathing when he came crawling back. He helps Tim break into Drake Manor directly after, revealing the invisibility and intangibility Tim thought he hallucinated to get clothes, toiletries, his phone (there's 20 missed calls, 5 are Dick, 2 are Bruce, 2 are Barbara, 1 is his parents, and the rest are his school.), his photographs, camera, and the card linked to the allowance his parents send every 2 weeks. Tim took the last thing because he doesn't want Danny to suffer for taking him in and help with expenses, Danny frowns before giving him a lecture about that not being Tim's responsibility when he finds out. Tim still buys groceries and gets them both new laptops when Danny isn't looking.
Danny modifies any electronics to be untraceable, showing Tim the whole process, so that Tim can contact his school with a fake doctor's note, a fake kidnapping story (some thugs heard what Joker tried to do with Robin and tried their own hand at it. Harley squawked about the JJ thing and how a new meta called Phantom killed Mista J, so it's all over the news. (A fake police report magically appears in the GCPD)), and how Tim won't be able to physically be at school for a while and if they could please send his schoolwork over. Tim holds off on contacting his parents, curious to see if they notice anything, and can't find it in himself to be disappointed that they don't (not even when they stopped by the manor a few days ago, they texted him exactly 1 time to scold him about the lack of food in Drake Manor).
When Tim's physical injuries are mostly healed, Danny moves them from the shitty 1 bedroom apartment to an equally shitty 2 bedroom apartment, still in Crime Alley. Tim feels slightly guilty about Danny refusing to let him sleep anywhere other than the bed, taking the floor or couch before he moves a second bed into the new apartment. Tim isn't sure what to do with the level of care Danny showers him with, but he loves it.
Danny, while disapproving and disliking Tim wanting to continue being a vigilante, doesn't actually stop him (something about being a hypocrite if he says no?). Tim designs a new costume since he can't be Robin, and Danny helps create it! Tim isn't sure how Danny got the nearly indestructible materials that need specialized cutting and sewing materials, but it's awesome!
The costume's base is black. Black cargo pants, an armored turtleneck, black domino mask. But he decides that since he unfortunately can't get rid of all his JJ traits (the laughing fits, the scars, his hair is growing green??, the (bipolar depressive/) manic episodes, etc.) and the Bats won't accept him anyways, so why not lean in. Over the black base, he adds a gothic tailcoat vest. It's very dark purple with bright Kelly green lapels and buttons. The lenses on his mask and his combat boots are the same shade of green. He feels like the green ties his new vigilante look to Danny's ghost form. He also finds the whole fit awesome and a giant fuck you to both Papa J and the Bats.
This does lead to his current dilemma. He needs a new name before he debuts his new vigilante identity.
"I refuse to be Joker Junior!" Tim huffs at Danny, who's calmly making dinner.
"Like I've said before, then don't be."
"But what should I call myself? I can't use a bird or bat name either. I've never had to think of a name for if I was an independent before!" Tim flops on the floor. The kitchen and frontroom is basically one room, so Danny can still see him being dramatic without Tim getting underfoot.
"Name yourself a ghostly name."
"Huh?" Tim sits up to look at the slightly blushing man trapped in a child's body.
"I mean, you're already connected to my ghost form, since everyone is going to connect you to your old vigilante identity, so why not pick something ghostly or supernatural." Danny turns to do something Tim can't see, but Tim knows he's just trying to hide how embarrassed he is about sharing the suggestion. "You don't have to. You could pick something more personal, like Shutterbug or Mania or something."
"Huh... That would work. It'd really rub in the Bats' faces that they basically killed 2 Robins." Tim mutters before twisting himself into a pretzel. "Any suggestions?"
"Depends. What do you want people to get from your name? And what annoyed do you want people who know both your IDs to be? Phantom was a literal pun off my lastname."
"How is Phantom a pun off of Kronokori?"
"Kronokori is Jazz's last name, mine's Kronoyios."
"Huh??"
"And those are our lastnames because Clockwork, or I guess Kronos, adopted us. Our original lastname was Fenton."
"You got adopted by a god?"
"Basically, yeah. Don't worry about it. It's probably one of the least weird things to happen during that time, but that's for a different time. What do you want from your name?"
"Uhhh..." Tim takes a moment to really think about it. "It should be something loud and chaotic, but not necessarily good or evil? I don't really care if it would make people eye roll or groan if I share my ID. Maybe something that is angry? I definitely feel angry."
"As you should." Danny affirms and thinks a second. "Wraith? It's a vengeful spirit seen shortly before or after death."
"Mmm... No."
"Sprite? It's a-"
"No way!" Tim pauses and thinks on his violent reaction. "... Sorry.. It just feels childish and like I'm a 2 dimensional game sprite. Not something that can grow with me or demand respect."
"It's fine, Tim." Danny flashes a reassuring smile. "How about Bashee? They scream to warn someone death is near."
"Aren't they all women?"
"Not necessarily. Kinda like selkies, there's more myth about the women, but there's men too." Danny starts plating the food he made. "Apparition? They're closer to an after imagine of the dead."
"But are they loud?"
"Not usually...hmmmm" Danny hands Tim his plate while scrunching his face in thought. "Let's see, Dullahan, Kelpie, Sphinx, Shade- Oh! Oh! I know! Poltergeist! They're loud, chaotic, usually malicious, they bite and scratch and slam things! It also doesn't sound childish, so you can keep it for as long as you need."
Tim munches on his dinner while thinking it over. "I think that would work. Hehe! A Poltergeist under the care of a Phantom."
Danny smiles, "Glad to help, kiddo."
Tim sets his mostly empty plate down and launches himself at Danny. Danny used to the behavior, quickly gets his own plate out of the way and catches him in a hug.
"Thank you, Danny." His tone indicates he's thanking him for more than just the name.
"No problem." Danny kisses the top of Tim's head. They stay like that for a moment before Tim pushes himself up.
"I think I should talk to your sister." He grabs his plate and sits near Danny on the couch. "I don't want someone to trigger me with a dumb comment or something."
"I'll tell her tonight." Danny says, "She's been wanting to meet you. Mostly because she wants to know her new nephew, but also because she likes to psychoanalize hero types. She finds us fascinating, but is still usually chill about it. Unlike when we were teens."
"What happened when you were teens?" Tim asks curiously.
"So Jazz has always wanted to be a therapist, and unfortunately, that means she knew a lot on the topic, but had none of the tact in implementing the knowledge." Danny looks absolutely fond. "She'd corner me to try and force me to talk about my feelings. "You can't keep it all bottled up, Danny." "You're hurting yourself and others by not talking." It was very annoying for an angsty teen to hear. She was right, but her methods needed work. And she's definitely put in the work since then."
"Any chance she's going to be anything like Harley?"
"Not a chance. She hates clowns and isn't one for jokes that aren't well thought out. You have to be really clever to even get a chuckle at a pun." Danny explains, taking their empty plates to wash them. "She isn't opposed to dark humor, but only if she knows the reason for it and knows it's not your only coping skill."
"So you got in trouble with her a lot, didn't you?" Tim teases, knowing Danny still uses dark humor as his main coping mechanism.
"All the time, but I started listening to her advice when I was.. 30? 32? Somewhere in my early 30s." Danny admits. "I got really tired of wanting to die all the time. And her advice has definitely helped minimize the want, unfortunately, mental illness doesn't truly go away."
Tim thinks about that. He knows you can't cure the types of mental illness he has, and Danny has been very open about his own issues, but he can't help his disappointment.
"Hey, on the plus side," Danny speaks up as if sensing Tim's thoughts, sometimes Tim is positive the man can. The man isn't facing him currently, so it's definitely not because Tim was making a face or something. "You're legally a person, so Jazz can get you meds. At least for your bipolar. I know you've been struggling with the whiplash between your extreme emotions."
"That's good..." Tim stares at the back of Danny's head. "You're not legally a person?"
"Nah. In the eyes of the government, I'm dead. It's why I've been hiding out in Gotham. The government has no place here, and as much as I hate the guy, Bats keeps the people hunting me down away." Danny pauses. "You know, I wonder if they think I faded? I haven't made an appearance in nearly 20 years. Then again, Harley snitched to everyone in existence, so I might have to start dodging ghost hunters again. At least the Anti-Ecto Control Acts got repealed, so I won't be taken to a secret government lab to be experimented on again. Shout out to Amity Parkers for clawing their way into office."
"The dad lore of your life is extensive." Tim jokes.
Danny chuckles. "Being a lab accident made ghost child vigilante with a portal to the infinite realms in his basement and ghost hunter parents and the government after you and the other ghosts visiting your town will do that. You'll have your own out of pocket stories to tell your kids one day, well, if you want kids. Otherwise, shocking friends is just as fun. Just imagine telling someone about the last 2 months. "Yeah, hi! My name's Tim! I was the 3rd Robin because a furry couldn't get his act together and then the Joker kidnapped me and I got adopted by the dead guy who showed up and killed him!""
Tim giggles. "I don't sound like that!"
"Maybe, maybe not, but it's still something you could say." Danny grins at him, drying his hands. "Do you need any help with your homework?"
"Yeah, there's a chemistry problem I don't understand-"
Tim loves living with Danny. It's everything a Tim pre-Batman would daydream about. Just a dad taking interest in his life and interests and taking care of him.
Just imagine: Forever teen Danny adopting a post-JJ Tim. I just think it would be fun.
[Pt2: here]
Danny has looked 14 for 26 years. It's literally the worst case of baby face in the world. He's not 14 emotionally or mentally, and when he's in human form, his scars and joints ACHE. He FEELS his whole 40 years of his fucked up life, even if he's stuck looking like a child. Thank Gods for Gotham's loosey goosey with child labor and Crime Alley Apartment background checks. Otherwise, he would have been homeless. He bounces between several jobs every 5 years, legal job or not, doesn't matter to him, so long as he's not outted to the flying furries.
He doesn't fuck with weirdos that have child soldiers that he replaces like tissues. He doesn't even seem to care about them. He was here when the Bat kicked out the first Robin. And while he seemed genuinely distraught over the 2nd's death, he didn't go to therapy. Instead, a 3rd Robin had to come and correct his shit, like a goddamn security blanket instead of a child. Danny seriously thinks the Bat should be in Arkham with the rest of the crazies, but since he's the only one willing and able to stop the Rouges, Danny won't fuck with it for now. Let the crazies fight themselves.
Or at least that was Danny's plan. All it took was phasing through one wall to change his stance.
He admits to noticing Batman and Batgirl frantically searching the city for something. It was easy to piece together that Robin #3 got kidnapped. And they haven't found him in nearly 3 weeks. So any "positive vibes" he might have had for Mr. Doom-and-gloom die a cold death.
Anyways, Danny decided to break into a warehouse. He likes to explore what weird shit is in them. It's an entertaining break from his day to day and he occasionally gets to sabotage Rouges' shit.
Danny instantly turns invisible when he steps through the wall of what he assumed was an abandoned warehouse, only to find it isn't as abandoned as it looked. The occupants don't notice him. Mostly because two of them are Joker and Harley, who are occupied with each other. Joker is beating the shit out of Harley, and Harley is fawning. The last occupant is a suspiciously Robin #3 sized child being electrocuted and isn't aware of the world outside of the pain he's currently experiencing.
Danny sees enough. He figured out how to transform without a light show years ago, and if he's about to out himself as a meta, then he's going to do it while looking the part. Once in ghost form, he floats behind the Joker, phases a hand into his chest, absorbing any ectoplasum in the guy's blood before he crushes his heart. The last thing he needs is this fucker becoming a ghost. He drops his invisibility so Joker can see his pissed off face as he dies.
"Wha-?"
"Shut up, you clown school reject. Die knowing no one thought you were funny and no one will mourn you." Danny growls at him. Danny completely ignores Harley screaming her head off and grabbing "her puddin'" as he falls. Danny instead destroys the machine shocking Robin #3 with extreme prejudice.
Robin #3 starts giggling deliriously between sobs. The kid mumbles, "D'n't wan' be Joke Jun'r"
"Then don't be." Danny tells him, unstrapping the kid from the dolly tilt table he's obviously been tortured on for weeks. Danny has to catch him when he flops bonelessly off. "Whoa, there."
"WHO ARE YOU??" Harley shrieks, but makes no move to leave the Joker's body.
"Someone who will be your worst fucking nightmare if you don't shape up, Dr. Harleen Quinzel." Danny growls at her, letting his eyes glow in a way he knows scares the unaccustomed. "But you may call me Phantom. I'll be taking the kid."
And with that, he zooms home with the kid in toe. The kid is barely conscious, but Danny needs to look over his injuries. He sets him on his ratty couch and quickly grabs his med-kit.
"Hey, kid, I need you to stay awake a little longer. I need to check you over to make sure you're not about to kill over." The kid mumbles something and shifts to sit up straight. He helps Danny remove the blood and mystery fluid stained clothes. Joker must have forced the kid into them at some point because they're thin bullshit that no one would be caught dead in in Gotham. "What's your name, birdie?"
"Birdie?" The kid slow blinks. Danny is mildly concerned about a concussion on top of the electrocution after effects.
"Yeah. You're the 3rd Robin, right?" Danny ignores the kid jolting, more focused on cleaning and stitching a shallow stab wound.
"I can't go back.." The kid whispers.
"Hm?" Danny pauses and looks at his face. The kid is staring off.
"I became Robin to fix Batman. I'm too broken now." Danny has to swallow his anger.
"Kid, he's a grown ass man. It's not your fucking job to "fix" him. You're what? 10?" That gets the kid to react. He twitches at the first part, probably to protest, but ends up pouting at the end.
"I'm 13. And Batman would have died if I didn't step in."
"Maybe he should have if he can't help himself without a child soldier security blanket." Danny tells him and cuts off the kid's protest. "I understand he does a lot of good for this shit hole. At least if it isn't Crime Alley. But the dynamic I've seen between him and you Robin's isn't right. You deserve a mentor or whatever that actually cares about you and not just what you can do for him."
"Batman needs a Robin!" The shout triggers a giggle fit. Danny pauses his stitching, waiting it out.
It takes a minute, but the giggles subside. Danny continues the first aid. "Okay. But do the Robins need Batman?"
"What?"
"The first Robin seemed to be fine without the giant furry breathing down his neck, it wasn't until the second Robin died that Nightwing seemed to spiral." Danny prods a bruised area on his ribs, checking for a break. "How many times have they called you his name?"
"I... How do you know they do that?"
"An educated guess." The ribs are only bruised. "I can smell the guilty consciouses wafting off them, especially when I see them interacting with you in Gotham proper. They need therapy."
"They won't agree... and I don't know if I can because of Mama Harley.." The kid grimaces. "I mean Harley Quinn."
"That's fair. Would you be willing to do zoom meetings with my sister? She's a therapist, but is chill. She specializes in childhood trauma and veterans." Danny wraps bandages around a swollen ankle. "I'm Danny, by the way."
"...Tim.."
"Nice to meet you, Tim." Danny cleans and slap bandaids on some scrapes. "My sister's name is Jasmine Kronoskori. Think about looking her up when you're up for it."
"..okay.."
"Do you have family outside of the flying furries that I can drop you off with?" Danny asks gently.
"My parents won't be home for another month.." Tim giggles nervously. Time will tell if that particular conditioning will stick.
"Would you be okay with me taking care of you? I can't just leave you alone with the shit you've been through the last, what, month?" Danny quickly grabs a clean shirt and pajama pants from his room. "I can't in good conscious leave you alone."
Tim lets Danny dress him. The clothes absolutely drowned the kid since he's practically skeletal.
"Can.." Tim swallows more giggles, looking sad and guilty. "Can I stay here? I... I can't face Batman... Not yet.."
"Kid, I know barely anything about you and I'm fully willing to fist fight the furry and adopt you." Danny informs him. He adopted his murderous clone when he was actually 14. He'll adopt this tiny child with a savior complex.
"You Can't Do That!" Tim's eyes are wide and a little wild. "You're the same age as me!"
"I'm 40. I died and stopped aging at 14." Tim chokes on his own saliva. "And I adopted the kid that tried to kill me when I was actually 14. No one can tell me not to at least emotionally adopt you."
"Uh! I have so many questions!" Tim flails. Danny finds it adorable.
"I might answer." Danny says while heading towards his kitchen. On the plus side of being broke, he has plenty of foods that should be easy on Tim's stomach. He'll skip adding all the seasonings he usually adds for flavour. Even if Tim can handle the flavour, his stomach wouldn't be able to. "Any food allergies?"
"Um, coconut? I'm also mildly fructose and lactose intolerant?" Tim admits curiously. He twists to look over the back of the couch, watching Danny putter around the kitchen.
A quick internet search later, and Danny has a simple potato soup made up. Tim doesn't speak the whole time, but Danny explains what he's making and why. Danny hands Tim a bowl and sits with his own. "Eat slowly. You'll throw up if you don't, and that's the worst."
"You've thrown up because of eating too quickly when suffering starvation?" Tim asks.
"Yeah, I was in a dark place... I think it was 15 years ago. Tried to starve myself to death, didn't work obviously, but the recovery period was the worst." Danny shrugs, "Means I know how to help with that at least. Don't even have to give you the "you deserve to eat" speech Jazz gave me."
Tim shoots him more curious looks while following the advice of pacing. Once they're done eating, Danny takes and cleans the dishes. After that, he picks the kid up and tucks him into his bed. It's not the best, but it's clean and beats the couch.
"Get some sleep, kiddo. We can continue talking after you get some real rest." Danny smiles sadly, "I'll be checking on you periodically to make sure you don't take a turn for the worse."
Tim konks out near instantly, between being fed, bandaged up, and made to feel safe, kid never stood a chance. Danny can only accept his obsession isn't going to let him leave this kid alone.
Just once, I want Danny to spout off something that he’s clearly heard from Jazz and then cringe at it.
Jason: “Just gotta wait until the Stockholm Syndrome kicks in!”
Danny: “Actually, that is a phony diagnosis created by a sexist psychiatrist who saw a hostage situation on TV and decided that the woman, in fight-flight-fawn mode, was in love with the man waving a gun at h-"
Jason: *raises eyebrow*
Danny, realizing: "Oh, you meant it as a joke… Ancients, I sounded like Jazz there.” *shudders*
Dick, exasperated: “Monkey see, monkey do, after all…”
Danny, eating a snack: "Actually, monkeys mimic behavior as a form of communication and survival, while the so-called Chameleon Effect is influenced by a desire to fit in and be liked by the people around us. It's also influenced by a part of the brain that certain- *pauses* *pushes snack away* And that was super fucking weird to bring up all of a sudden, sorry, what were we talking about?" *face screwed up in disgust*
Dick: *is just amused*
Damian, angry enough to turn red: "-I will eviscerate you so much that even your mother would be disgusted by your incompetent-"
Danny, off to the side and kinda zoned out: "Did you know that excess violence in teenagers, while typically attributed towards early childhood development by those around the teenager, is almost always caused by their current situation and a feeling of estrangement, lack of control, or- wow, yea, okay, I'm shutting up now, I just realized what I sounded like. Uegh."
Damian, suddenly calm: "You bring up a valid point, Daniel. Come, make your argument in front of father. Please."
Tim: "I'll sleep when I'm dead; for now, there's coffee."
Jason: "That shit stunts your growth, pipsqueak."
Danny: "That was actually debunked. What coffee does do is it blocks your adenosine receptors and enhances your dopamine signaling, increasing your mood and motivation as well as enhancing your memory, and then it also improves your attention and alertness. However, it also increases your anxiety and sleep disturbances, which can mess up your memory consolidation and brain recovery." *makes a disgusted face* *shudders* *takes a sip of an energy drink* "Anyways, ignoring all that nonsense that I'm definitely ignoring that I've accidentally memorized, sleeping when you're dead is also a myth. I would know." *chugs energy drink*
Tim, despairing with a tight grip on his coffee: "Nooo, I was relying on that!"
ryland grace is aroace. however he is also stratt’s dead wife, rocky’s red string of fate starcrossed soulmate, & intensely violently homosexual for mark “simon iron lung” iplier. all things are true & all things can coexist. peace & love on planet erid
