I just realized DC AU Delusion is going to be so annoyed with Percy and Somnus, because of all the people in Gotham City they could have fallen for, they fell for some of his most annoying Rogues.
Just imagining Percy getting tangled up in Byte’s plants midfight and he’s. he’s definitely normal this. He’s completely normal about it Freddy don’t look at him like that—
And then on the other side of the city there’s Somnus throwing himself at Gouge. She’s actually more capable than most of the thugs he’s fighting day-to-day, so he likes the challenge. And he usually winds up getting at least a small dose of fear toxin into his system, but he doesn’t seem all that upset once it’s clear and he calms down. Man wouldn’t it suck for Delusion if he learned that Somnus was actually studying the fear toxins firsthand and handing over the results to Gouge. Neither of them discussed this arrangement beforehand, they just Do It.
Also pinball but I have no idea Vida was created or what their situation is, other than most likely not with Gouge. There isn’t really a reason for Puzzle to take them unless Byte doesn’t want anything to do with them either and just. hands them over to the Local Orphan Collector (Delusion), who then proceeds to throw this baby at Puzzle for some reason. So they might be raised collectively by the Horror Squad. I’m sure that’s a very well adjusted lil guy with no criminal tendencies at all <33
Actually. Alternatively to Horror Squad raising them, maybe Gouge did give the kid to Byte, and she and the Horror Squad decide they’re not responsible enough to handle this little guy, and just. offer them to Red Hood next time he shows up to chat about supplies/get intel for his crime-fighting. Just
“Uh. Hey this is kind of sudden but do you know anywhere we could give a kid to? like, a good place to give a kid to. because we don’t want to screw him over, but also we are going to if we keep him. and if we try to drop him off, people are probably going to recognize us— or at least Byte and Slash— and just scream and run before we can explain. plus, you seem like a nice guy and we trust you to find a half-decent place for him. "
And Puzzle just stares at them blankly (through his helmet, so no one can see the full horror and confusion of when the fuck did these guys get a baby) for a solid five minutes before he just goes “I’ll take him.”
“…Okay, but just to be clear you do not have to keep him—"
“Nope. My baby now. No takesies-backsies.”
Okay maybe it wouldn’t go down exactly like that. but that’s the heavily paraphrased conversation.
I hear your “wouldn’t it suck if delusion found out Somnus was helping gouge learn more about her fear toxins” and raise you “delusion finds out about that + realizes that something Not Fully Platonic is happening at the same time when he and Somnus are out, run into Gouge, and she awkwardly thanks Somnus for helping and he goes ‘o-oh! It was- I mean, you’re welcome.’ while blushing furiously. gouge meant to say something a while ago, but she didn't know how to make it not awkward, and now she's talked to him like a dozen time without saying 'thank you' and she was starting to kinda feel bad so she just blurted it out, and somnus wasn't expecting her to ever say it at all because she was always so absorbed in what she was doing and he didn't really think much of it anyways, and-
and delusion is staring at his son in silence like "You have got to be fucking kidding???"
also for some reason my brain just gave me a mental image where puzzle found gouge and byte talking about this baby one of them is holding, hearing 'i can't take him' - 'girl neither can i??????', and just appeared out of nowhere like 'i'll take him.'
'wh- where the fuck did- why??'
',,,,why do you want a baby'
'i didn't but you two clearly dont either so i'll take him'
'you can't just adopt some random baby on the spot??'
'why not. that's what my dad did with me and my like 11 siblings'
'are you going to give me the kid or not'
....maybe in a crack timeline