yeah actually that death can be quite the good thing (for the entire rest of the world) (RIP Lu Ten but your old man kind of sucked until he was forced to realize "oh wait, having one's children die in a war kinda sucks actually")
There is an ao3 fic where Azula is the one whose mind/consciousness was sent back in time before Lu Ten died, and was stunned to see that her kind-hearted uncle, isn't quite so kind-hearted since he hadn't lost his son (yet) and was still the Dragon of the West, General Iroh. (in this story, Azula realized that she actually loved Zuko and her Uncle, and was sad when looking back on all the times that she could've bonded with them, and didn't). So we have an Azula that wants to change the war, and everyone around her is confused by her change in attitude and actions. I have no idea if it was deleted off of ao3, but I'll try to see if I can find it.
If I can fix the battery of my 3DS, I'm going to do a nuzlocke or a challenge run of some sort on my Moon copy.
I want to get an Ultra Sun copy since I still have extras of those cards, yk, with the specific Leg on it and, depending on version, depends on the lvl and item it's holding. (Lvl 50 w/ SIlver Cap for Sun/Moon and Lvl 100 w/ Gold Cap in the Ultra's).
Or should I just by a digital copy of the game if it's available?
This has been driving me insane, but does anyone know of the DPXDC Prompt where Danny is Damian but he escaped, and Damian is a clone - and Talia told the Batfamily and brought them to Amity Park?
Danny really didn’t know whatever he should laugh, cry or flip the nearest table he could get his hands on. He never really thought highly of the Justice League to begin with, hell, you would be hard-pressed to find anybody in Amity Park who did nowadays.
But this… this could just as well take the metaphorical cake of bullshit that has been piling up over the past three years.
He took a deep, measured breath before focusing back on his boyfriend. His sweet, lovable, very-much-chaotic-immortal-man-child of a boyfriend.
“...They think I’m what now?”
On the other side of this conversation sat Klarion, the witch boy extraordinaire, who was combing his slender fingers delicately through his precious familiar’s fur as he watches his beloved having a hard time grasping at the situation. And since he thought of himself to be a rather fantastic boyfriend, he repeated what he said.
“The League of Simpletons have somehow gotten in their heads that I must have enthralled you in one way or another in order to get my hands on some ultimate power, as part of my apparently evil master plan.”
Danny took another breath, this was just getting ridiculous. But then again what else was new, these people really knew how to make a mountains out of a molehills. Even Wes didn’t have this severe of an apophenia, he at least ended up being right more often than not.
“So they think you’ve put me under a love spell or something?”
Klarion merely shrugged in mock-helplessness. “Apparently you wouldn’t be dating me otherwise.” In all honesty he probably shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as he currently is, but he couldn’t help himself.
His ever present smirk widened when his beloved Starlight’s face twitched in irritation. “For Ancient’s sake… seriously?” A simple nod was enough for Danny to want to throw the next Justice Idiot who was stupid enough to come close to Amity Park’s boarders through the nearest window!
Calm down Danny, calm down. Just remember Jazz’s breathing exercise. One… two… three…
…
Wait a minute… would that mean- no way in hell way they’ve been…
“Wait a minute- Is that the fucking reason why they’ve constantly been ruining our dates these past few months!?”
Another nod.
Yeah, fuck being calm and shit, ya boy is absolutely livid! All this time they were doing it on fucking purpose!! He so is going to burn all of their ugly ass capes and dye all their ugly ass costumes pink! Better yet, he’ll paint their entire HQ with the most obnoxious and clashing colours possible.
Klarion let the halfa rage about for a good moment before interjecting. It wouldn’t do to have the lounge destroyed, especially when that energy could be used on something else he has in mind.
“We could have fun with this you know, at their expense.”
Danny stopped in his track and turned his inquiry gaze towards Klarion. He knows that smile and it could only mean trouble, trouble which he was more than willing to partake in. A smirk of his own began to grace his lips. “What do you have in mind exactly?”
Once again Klarion was reminded why he’s dating this gorgeous creature in the first place. Trust him to be able to match his chaotic nature despite his hero persona.
At some point I'm going to mass reblog some of my fav posts/mp's from my fav authors on here, most of which are DPxDC.
So please, don't be afraid or upset that I'm going to do this. And (looking at the time) I prob should get some sleep before I do something else that's crazy.
TW for consensual highkey stalking, but like, it's Tim so what do we expect?
.
Tim has been pulling away from the Bats for a while. They don't notice at first - Red Robin usually works alone, they all do. It's not like they commonly patrol in pairs, so when his patrol count per week lessens from four nights to two or three they don't realize. He's around a little less otherwise. Actually uses a vacation week at work, his attendance at family dinner drops to half. Tim doesn't seem mad at them or anything they just think he's busy. People tend to fluctuate with how present they are after all - they think he's just taking it easy with socializing for a while.
Then several months into this behavior Nightwing decides to go visit. He goes to the penthouse only to find - to his surprise - it was re-converted back into a Bat base. (The penthouse was supposed to be temporary for Tim anyway, so it's not surprising! Dick just hadn't heard he chose a safehouse to home up in finally.)
So Dick tracks him down, but the location is kinda confusing. It's at the fringes of Tim's patrol territory instead of near the hospitals where RR sees most of his fieldwork being done.
Top floor of a fancy skyscraper with obvious hasty Bat additions that are in semi-state of being fortified and obscured. Thus - he's still moving in but has been for quite a few months. It's similar enough to the top story of W.E. that Dick can get in if he wants.
Instead, for laughs, Dick decides to go in through the apartment. He ends up having to go one floor down and through the window intending to go to Tim's front door.
But when he slides in across the sill something seems off. The window had Bat security - of course it did, the entire building would, regardless of other residents.
Then Dick starts finding the other cameras. Bat cameras. The special SD card kind they had so that they didn't have the function of being wireless thus couldn't be hacked for detected. They're EVERYWHERE... Usually the Bats would give themselves privacy corners in their homes and have only ones pointed at the windows and doors.
Dick looks around out of concern and finds several things he did not need to see like lube and toys in the nightstand. He's soooo gonna be judging Tim for a couple of those, is all he really thinks. There's also several plants near the window that Dick is impressed are not dead.
The decor is off… it doesn't fit Tim at all. There's so many glowstars on the ceiling that Dick can faintly see shapes - and the blue halos of three more cameras in the room in addition to the typical security system ones. Checking, even the bathroom has two, pointed towards the shower and medicine cabinet mirror.
Dick is confused, this should be Tim's downstairs neighbor right? Maybe he just took over two floors. Maybe some of the cameras are fakes, or something happened recently that caused need for heavy watching for a while.
When he gets upstairs it's clear no. It's something else.
Because unlike other bases… One entire wall has pictures hung up.
It's Tim's photography. It's skylines and busy diners and the Gotham Botanical Gardens. And all of them, have the same young man in them.
But these aren't case photos. There is no red string or map of Gotham. Some are framed. Some are color-corrected digital, or polaroids. Most are candid, taken from a distance or a table or three over. Two have the man absently looking right at the camera by coincidence.
For some reason not a single of those photos was taken at night. Some of the less pro-grade ones that haven't been touched up like the rest are.
… Some of them have this man lying down in bed and dressed in what looks like Tim's clothes, knees visible on either side of his waist as the photographer takes a picture. Some are crystal clear phone pictures of him leaning against a tree in barely hidden seclusion at the park and covering his mouth with hair over his face, Tim's hand in the picture up under his shirt pressed to his abdomen.
There are copies of personal details like a collage of the man's childhood school pictures, grade reports, and on the wall next to the computer extensive medical history was pinned to the wall for easy reference.
… Usually the Bats had chemical compound and police scanner language lists pinned there. For ease of use without having to constantly check and close the desktop files.
Off to the side there's lists of his favorite foods and a few Gotham takeout places that sell it. Some of which are in the candid photos. There's one sheet of paper with a bulletpoint list of people's names like Ember McClain and Dorthea Mattingly, plus scrawled shorthand in pen crowding next to them that Dick recognizes as coded numbers to shorten sentences, and he doesn't have time to break.
(The rest of the room besides that one wall of pictures is average RR equipment Dick had expected to find.)
Then Dick finds the actual files in the filing cabinet - the full top drawer isn't Bat case standard format. The lower drawers are.
Because this? There had to be files. And they're physical copy at that. Tim has one on every single one of Danny's coworkers at a repair shop nearby. Tim has dossiers on several people who were in high school with Danny, including a Wes Weston whose folder had a red X on the front marking it relevant as a threat of some kind or another… the last page of it was a death certificate.
And of course Daniel Fenton's address was the apartment below.
Dick opens his wrist computer and immediately starts hacking. All Bat cell service routes through their own servers, so even if one of them had something to hide from other Bats, it's still more secure to use a burner on the Bat satellite than a publicly used service. He finds that any texts between Tim and Daniel are instantly and automatically wiped hourly. But…
… But almost like trophies, any texts with others who knew Danny weren't erased. Ones where Tim threatens two former classmates of 'Danny' to stay away from him and not ever speak to him again. Ones where Danny's friends keep asking after Danny from Tim like Tim was a go between including frequent check ins that Danny was remembering to have food and water. Like Tim knew better than Danny. On Tim's actual non-burner phone he finds out Kon and Cassie know about this guy because they planned a double date two weeks ago.
From data counts Dick can tell there's phone pictures being sent to some of these numbers and then deleted.
Tim's stalking one of the tenants. And not Bat stalking. This is some kind of relationship and Tim is controlling everything about Danny's daily life including who is around him.
Dick has a crisis, all like, we trained him to get away with this, is hit with all the signs when Tim was a child and the way they encouraged it through the job. Etc.
So Dick frantically gathers a few Batfam members back in the cave. He knows Tim will find out he was there soon and keeps it limited to avoid him finding out even sooner. Explains what he saw.
They find out where Danny works and some go to talk to him while one stays to use the Batcomputer and compile it all plus look for ways they can get this guy protected from someone as talented as Tim.
It's obvious he has relations with Tim, not RR, so B shows up as Bruce. When he awkwardly tries to explain he noticed his son had all these cameras. Well.
Danny just kinda blinks and says he knows.
Dick is bewildered. "You know about the surveillance? And you're okay with it?"
Danny just gives him a weird look and says, "Are you certain you want those answers? I'm trying to be polite here by not saying…"
And when Dick confirms that yes they're concerned and what does that have to do with anything, Danny gets really sarcastic goes all, "Well okay then. Dude, yes, I know Tim has cameras recording me in the bedroom. We like to go back over the footage and watch."
Bruce cringes away as he makes a sound like one of those annoying chicken toys had been run over by a golf cart.
Danny just gives them this DONE look and says, "Yeah, see, that's what I thought. You didn't want to know. And now you have to know that fact for the rest of your life."
Like they're questioning a total stranger's sex life instead of trying to warn him he had a stalker who even controls his friend group's access to him.
The Bats are... They're so confused. SO confused.
They show him the texts with people on burner phones but all Danny ever does is claim to have already known, except about some specific conversations that he calls sweet of Tim to be concerned, and says he knew Tim wanted to fuck with people who were cruel to him in school.
They would think he was lying about knowing in order to cover up for Tim out of fear but there's no tells.
Except then he says he'll be right back and goes outside. The Bats are peeking out the window while Tim's motorcycle RIPS into the lot. He's still got his RR leggings and black boots on. The Bats call it that Tim found out from the disabled window security about Dick being in this guy's apartment.
And instead of hesitating at all or there being a conversation Danny kisses him REALLY hard. Not in a way you whistle at, with tongue or anything, he simply buries Tim's face in his shoulder after and holds him there while Tim clings. And suddenly the Bats feel really uncomfy even though they shouldn't right - they aren't intruding, Tim is stalking this guy they have to stop this.
When they come back inside Tim's all relaxed like 'oh yeah this is my boyfriend' and treating it like it's the very typical for the Batfam 'hid the new beau from the Bats as long as possible' game.
The Bats are so lost.
Meanwhile Stephanie is breaking into the apartment a second time for evidence and checks the usual places she knows Tim puts hidden doors.
That's how she finds the albums. The NSFW ones.
There are threesomes with a guy with white hair. There are pictures taken by Danny of Tim riding him and then leaned to the side with a bright red handprint on his face as he cums. There are ones of Danny naked at what she took to be Tim's feet with a thumb in his mouth. There are ones of Danny being held from behind and displayed by that guy from the first pictures. There are softer ones of him standing in lighting from the windows with a hand at the curtains and relaxed but so, so naked. Or in lingerie. There's one on the last page of Danny in some kind of fancy Halloween crown with gems hanging at his ears from the perspective of Tim under him, then standing at the end of a desk with Tim's legs over his shoulders.
Stephanie slams the photo album shut and puts it back understanding at the least that the photography thing is a kink and wonders if Danny knows how far it goes.
When she gets back to the cave she's told very awkwardly that they have family movie night with Tim's boyfriend and everyone's partners invited that night.
ok guys im on the hunt for a fic/prompt on here that I remember reading and wanted to make an animation for, but I cant find it
So basically, it's a Dead Tired au where Danny becomes Tim's fake public boyfriend, where he acts toxic and like a gold digger
Like- Danny will cause a scene, and it’s like Tim's Brucie wayne cover
I remember there was one reblog with Bruce using Danny to cause a scene at a showcase so he could slip away and sift through the shady company's paperwork
It's DPxDC, Danny is in Gotham with Jazz. Sam, Tucker, and Dani are dead and it's kinda a flower shop au. I'm looking through my bookmarks for it, but that's going to take awhile. Pretty sure it's on tumblr, but someone may have made it on ao3.
I have found the fic! If anybody else wants to read it, the link here should work! https://www.tumblr.com/i-am-pan-da/793552935535738880/dp-x-dc-the-flower-shop?source=share
It's DPxDC, Danny is in Gotham with Jazz. Sam, Tucker, and Dani are dead and it's kinda a flower shop au. I'm looking through my bookmarks for it, but that's going to take awhile. Pretty sure it's on tumblr, but someone may have made it on ao3.
*Joker and Harley and goons holding Wayne Gala hostage*
Bruce, tied up, chaotic idea moment: Wait, it's my friend Harleen from medical school! Harleen, how’s it going?
Harley, momentarily so confused that she almost drops her mallet: Huh??? Bruce??? Wait hottie Brucie was Bruce Wayne??? Wayne the Playboy! I thought you were gay!! *lowers voice and cringes that she might have just outer someone by accident*
Bruce: :D Harleen, it's been so long! I heard you got a degree and everything. I dropped out because medical school was so hard for me. Half of that stuff just flew over my head :) *exhuding ray of sunshine energy*
Joker, inching closer because he hears Harley giggling and it isn’t due to him: Hey, hey, kids, what's happening here? *looks at Bruce, peers at him in that what's up not batsy bats*
Bruce, channelling himbo energy on max: Harleen and I used to drink shots right before exams in medical school :D
Joker: This is lore I did not know about.
*puts a stop to the whole hostage sitch because Joker grills both Harley and Bruce about their old medical school days*
Nightwing finally arrives from Bludhaven to put a stop to this
Bruce: Harleen, it was so nice catching up! :D
Harley, getting hauled into a police van: Thanks, Brucie! Stay in touch, would you!
Joker, so bewildered: What's next? Jonny turns out to be your ex psych professor???
Bruce: Actually he was only a TA at the time!
Joker, choking on his own laughter: No wonder you're fucked up, darling!!
Bruce: Hey, at least I haven't yet decided to dress up as a furry and beat clowns up for a living ;)
Joker, in handcuffs, being manhandled: HA! FURRY, I'll bring that up with the good Bat! Maybe next time I'll bring a tequilla bottle to get you to relive your college days!
Bruce: :D Ha ha! Only if you want me to drink you under the table!
Harley laughing: He's good, too, Mr Jay! Hottie Brucie might give you a run for your money!
Joker, peeling with laughter because he can't reconcile how different "Hottie Brucie" is from Batman: You've got a deal!
Gordon: Mr Wayne, please, don't talk to the criminals :/
Bruce, sheepishly shrugging: Sorry, commissioner, I'm chatty by nature.
Joker spends his entire stay in Arkham trying to get someone to tell him what a furry is because it doesn’t involve him, he’s never looked into it before
Harley knows (her fursona is a bicoloured hyena because Obviously but with the biologically accurate number of boobs)
If you're in the US military or National Guard, and are given an illegal or unconstitutional order, the GI Rights hotline (1-877-447-4487) is there to help give you the support you need to do the right thing by refusing it. It would be good to think about this now before it becomes a live issue for you and it would be smart of you to memorize that number.
In fact: you SHOULD share it without your thoughts on the US Military. If someone in the military sees this number and is considering it, they already know. Just let them see the resource.
Happy that my dad retired from the military years ago when he did since the whole thing is becoming so fucking toxic and soul crushing, it's honestly a miracle that my dad didn't have worse PTSD than what he did have whenever he came home from deployment.
Just, be safe and careful folks.
But yeah, go checkout the GI Rights hotline (1-877-447-4487).
Old news to Danny: Since becoming Ghost King, he has ghost speak that makes all those in the Ghost Zone listen and follow his commands, even if he doesn't like using it that much.
New news to Danny: The person didn't have to stay dead in order for his ghost speak to work on them. All they had to do was died momentarily or even be in touch with death for it to work.
Good news for Danny: Danny was able to meet some of his favorite heroes and sidekicks! Sure it was during a ghost fight that got out of Amity, but he'll take it no matter what!
Bad news for Danny: Apparently a good amount of superheroes have died or have been in near death experiences because when he tried to use ghost speak to get the ghost to go back to Amity, he noticed a good portion of the heroes stopped what they were doing and seemed to be under the same affect as the ghost.
Worse news for Danny: The heroes now believe Danny is now a villain with the ability to control others with his voice. Which he isn't by the way!
Dick is thrown back in time to a couple days before his past self is scheduled to leave on the mission to space, the one during which Jason will die.
Past Dick gets a very frantic and concerning phone call from someone claiming to be his future self, begging him not to go on the mission. And for some reason he‘s supposed to keep an eye on Jason? What the hell is that about? They’re not that close…
Dick goes to the space mission anyway. Future Dick goes back to the future without changing anything (in his timeline), but the words that Future Dick said resonate strongly within Dick's thick skull when he comes back to Jason being dead.
At the end of the day, it's his fault, isn't it? He just didn't want to listen.
Hi, I want everyone to know that Cyr is to blame for my villain arc here. I just wanted a nice and fluffy “future Dick gets to save past Jason” with cuddles and happy endings, but Cyr ran wild and made it even more angsty. But you know what? FINE! I’ll PLAY! And I’ll make it everyobody else’s problem! You want me to be evil? Oh, I can be evil. WATCH ME.
See, Dick shrugs his shoulders and goes on the mission anyway. After all, how bad could it be? Future!Dick was probably just some kind of fraud anyway. And if he wasn’t? Well, he should have known not to try to change the past. There are RULES for that. No harm, no foul.
But then Dick comes back, and the desperate warnings of future!Dick are barely more than an afterthought by the time he passes out cold in his apartment in Blüdhaven. He just wants to sleep for… well, how about a week? That sounds nice. Afterwards he’s gonna see what all the fuss with Jason was about.
And everything is normal. Dick goes to sleep, he wakes up, he treats himself to a long, hot shower and his favorite bowl of cereal afterwards. He crams his cellphone out of his pocket, powers it up and… huh, fine, ok. Maybe there was a bit of a crisis with Jason. Ten missed calls, three texts asking him to pick up the phone, and one more telling him to screw himself for not picking up the phone. No voice mails.
Dick groans because.. darn it, he’s SO not in the mood for Jason’s teenage angst. He just got back from one hell of a mission. A mission to space. He’s allowed to have some time off, right?
But there’s this niggling feeling. The echo of future!dick’s desperation and frantic attempts to get him to cancel the trip and… well. Dick’s been working hard to improve his relationship with Jason anyway. He should probably go have a look what all the fuss was about. He wouldn’t put it past Bruce to have put his foot in his mouth again and wait for Dick to pick up the pieces.
Maybe, he thinks with a dry sense of humor, Jason even moved out, like Dick. Maybe he called to tell him he’d move to Blüdhaven. Wouldn’t that be hysterical?
God, how naive Dick was. How stupid. Because he drives to the manor and it’s like stepping into a house haunted by… something. Dick refuses to put a name to it. He’s just being paranoid. Maybe the blinds are all closed because Bruce wants to sleep in. Maybe all the gadgets strewn around the halls, abandoned and discarded, as proof of a busy night in town.
And it’s fine. It’s fine. There’s no reason to assume anything is wrong just yet (never mind that Alfred wouldn’t be caught dead letting the house go into such disarray. Never mind that Dick stumbled over several broken vases and shattered mirrors. Never mind that the manor looks like a poltergeist raged through its halls). It’s all fine. Dick’s just gonna check up on Jason real quick, maybe have a small fight with Bruce or something, and pop back over to Blüdhaven for some well deserved rest.
But when he gets to Jason’s room— the door is open. It’s never open. Jason keeps it closed religiously, asserting his safe space with vengeance. Dick still remembers the shiner the little shit left him with the first time he barged into his room unannounced. Remembers the screaming match he had with Bruce about it. Remembers feeling indignant and angry because Bruce had taken Jason’s side even though DICK was the one who’d been attacked. Remembers Alfred sitting him down and explaining about Jason’s life on the streets. Remembers feeling guilt and embarrassed and so, so ashamed of himself.
But the door is open, and Dick’s stomach does that weird swooping thing but— it’s fine. It’s all fine. Jason just— forgot to close it. That’s it. There’s no reason to assume this isn’t normal. Horses before zebras, and all that.
But then he calls Jason’s name, carefully sticking his head into the room — he just wants to hear Jason’s voice, just a small little “get out, dickhead!” would be enough already— but instead the words get stuck in his throat because it’s not Jason he finds. It’s Bruce, curled up at the foot of Jason’s bed. Looking beaten to hell and back, a five o’clock shadow on his face he’s never seen before, with eye bags that look like he hasn’t slept for several weeks.
This doesn’t— this isn’t right. This isn’t right. Nobody is allowed in Jay’s room. Especially not without him there. And Jason’s room is always in pristine condition but now it— it looks like a hurricane razed through it. Only the desk is still orderly and— and there’s a… note? There’s a note on it. But Dick— Dick can’t step inside the room. Not without Jay’s permission. He can’t. Bruce— Bruce probably asked Jason before coming up. Because Jason is having a sleepover or something and— Bruce’s room must be trashed or something. Right? Right??? And Jason and him had a monumental fight and now he feels guilty, right????
But he knows— there must be answers down in the cave. Mission reports, telling him why Bruce is all banged up.
And he leaves the room. And he flees to the cave.
And as Dick looks at the footage of Bruce’s cowl from Ethiopia, as he sees the glass case holding a burned and bloody Robin suit, as he reads the autopsy report and burns it into his memory—-
All Dick can hear is the distorted, tinny voice of himself screaming over the phone. Pleading with him. Begging him to go home, to let someone else handle the mission. To go back and talk to Jason.
He screams and cries into the echoing silence of the cave until his voice gives it, cursing himself for failing another family member. For killing his baby brother.
He had the chance to prevent it, and yet—- and yet—-
It doesn’t get better. The guilt is eating him alive.
Dick learns to live with it. To work around the grief and the pain without letting it consume him entirely.
And Tim is there. Tim… Tim helps. Because Dick can focus on him now instead of his own failure. And sometimes, sometimes, in his own mind, he pretends that it’s Jason at his side. That it’s Jason smiling at him, babbling excitedly about a new case. Beaming at him when Dick shows him another move.
It doesn’t get better, but with time it becomes… bearable. He still looks at the last texts Jason sent him the day he— from that day. He still looks at them, still wonders. Still replays the phone call with his future self over and over, but he no longer has to wonder at the desperation in that voice. he knows it intimately now.
But with Tim— with Tim, he will be better. This is— not a second chance. Because it’s not about chances. It’s about how he let another family member die. It’s about how he may as well have pulled the trigger. It’s about how Tim is not allowed to die because if he does— Dick is going to follow him.
And then Red Hood makes his bloody debut in Crime Alley, and everybody and their mother knows he’s out for Robin’s head.
And all Dick sees is red because— Joker will not take Jas- he will not take Tim like he did Jason. He won’t let him.
(He dreams of the phone call every night now. He dreams of his future self, begging him to go home. He dreams of Jason in the rubble of that accursed warehouse, asking him why he didn’t.)
But easier said than done, because Dick— Dick severely underestimates Hood. They all do. But it’s fine. Tim’s at Titans Tower now, on lockdown, with several metas to keep him safe, Bruce out hunting the crazy crime lord through Gotham like a blood hound, and Dick well on his way to joining Tim at the tower. It never hurts to have one more vigilante standing guard, right?
Except when he gets there— it’s to the Tower dark and silent, with his footsteps echoing like death along the walls. And all his mind is screaming is a cacophony of no-please-no when he sees the first smatter of blood against the sterile white of the floor.
And when he rounds the corner— Hood has his knife pressed to Ja— to Tim’s throat. And— and Dick can’t see if he’s even still breathing— oh, god, please let him be breathing, please, please, he can’t— not again. Not again.
(“You need to go home! Screw the mission! You need to-“)
And Hood laughs, and he draws the knife across Tim’s throat, and Tim goes down with a weak gurgle and Dick wants to die, please, please—
But- but there’s not enough blood. Not enough for his arteries— there’s still time. There’s still hope. Please, please, anything but this. Anyone but J- Tim. Please.
So he bargains. He bargains with Hood “Please, Robin’s no fun anymore, see? But me? You can still make me scream. Please.”
And Hood accepts. And Hood leaves Tim bleeding and broken on the floor as he lunges at Dick and plunges the needle into his neck but— but it’s ok. Because even though— even though Hood may do— may do things to him now— at least Dick got to see Tim’s chest move before the darkness pulls him under to the backdrop of Hood’s distorted laughter.
It’s ok. It doesn’t matter what happens to him now.
I can make it worse, you know. Doesn't take much in this set up.
It's a loop, you see. Dick tried the time travel bit after he had an accidental trip into the past. He tried talking to his past self. Persuade him to do the right thing and NOT turn his brother into a monster through inaction.
But. He had forgotten how much of an asshole he'd been. Also, caught in his ire as he was, he'd forgotten about the fact that he'd hung up almost instantly.
Past Dick was already on board of the rocket, probably yabbering about preparations to leave Earth with the rest of the Titans. The idiot had no idea about the horror that he was about to unleash.
Dick was hyperventilating. Yes, he was aware. But even as the world turned blurry and his eyes filled up with frustrated tears, he began to enter an unfamiliar number in his phone.
The first attempt was a fail, because Dick fucked it up with his poor vision. He muttered a wave of swears and tried again. The next attempt was far more successful, and actually connected.
"Who the fuck is this?" Jason's teen voice grunted, sounding all hostile-like.
"Jason," Dick gasped.
"What the fu- Dick?"
"Jason, Little Wing, please tell me your location. Please, I need to get to you now!"
"Fuck, no! I'm not telling you shit! You ignored my calls all day! Why the heck do you-"
"Please," Dick was not above begging. "Listen to me. I know you're angry, but I have to-"
"Jason?" a tiny voice called through the speaker. It was a woman's voice. "We're here. Who are you talking to, sweetheart?"
Dick's blood turned to ice.
"Is- Is that your mom?" he stuttered.
"No one!" Jason responded, voice muffled for a second. He turned back to the phone, tuning back into the call with a harsh sigh. "... Yeah. Her name is Sheila Haywood. Not that's any of your business," Jason muttered mullishly.
"Doesn't sound like no one," the woman said, almost imperceptibly closer.
"Get away from her, Jason," Dick stammered, heart caught in his throat. Now that he was aware that Jason was in Ethiopia and with... that woman, he felt that the wind had slipped out from his sails. "She's dangerous! She's going to lead you straight to the Joker!"
"No kidding, jackass. My mom's said she's got a lead on the bastard and I intend to use it!" Jason hissed back.
"No, that's not-"
"I know what you think about me, dick," Jason said. All the venom in his brother's voice cut deeply. It was so reminiscent of the present version of Jason, he flinched. "You think me stupid, but guess what? I can detect too, you know? I'm Robin, not you. You gave me the stupid mantle, so you can fuck off with your-"
"Jason," the woman muttered dangerously close to the phone's receiver.
Dick's brother gasped.
Disbelieving, Dick's world stood still, hearing the blood in his ears rushing and rushing over the sounds of past Gotham until the only thing he could hear were the two people on the other side of the phone.
"Mom?" Jason's voice, wobbling and unsure. "What are you doing?"
"Is this Nightwing?" Sheila asked, cheerful and upbeat. "My, you do have poor timing. I'm afraid my son cannot be on the phone right now. He's got... an important figure to meet today. In ten minutes no less. We cannot afford to be late!"
"What the f-"
A shot rang out. Jason let out a scream of pain at the same time as Dick.
"My God, who raised you? Dropping the word 'fuck' at every turn... You're so rude," Sheila tsked. "The adults are talking, sweetheart. I need you quiet. I don't need to tell you what happens if you don't."
Jason pointedly didn't say a thing.
"Hey," Dick barked, managing to get some footing under his feet. "You're still on the line, so you want something from me. What do you want, Sheila?"
"I want to see the hero Nightwing in action," Sheila said, disgustingly happy. "I'm sure that my sponsor will be delighted to see you at his party as well. Remember, the appointment's in ten minutes. Miss it and my Jason will be very disappointed, got it? Bye-bye!"
"Don't you dare- Holy fucking shit, she hang up on me."
Ten minutes? Ten fucking minutes? How the fuck was Dick supposed to get there? He supposed he could manage it with a zeta tube, but that meant he had to get to the Hall of Justice as soon as he could.
Or, he could call Clark. He would be the fastest way to get to a whole other continent, wouldn't it? Relying on Wally would be stupid, what with him being in a rocketship and out of reach.
Besides, it was clearly a trap. He could do with some backup in a rescue mission.
Dick cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Clark! I need you!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Nightwing drew another breath to yell some more, when he suddenly realized that the tip of his fingers were vanishing from sight. The unfurling of Dick's flesh was quick once it got started and Dick had no time to scream again until he was scattered to the winds.
---
Dick didn't understand most of what Jason had said during the days he spent torturing him. He kept yammering about Dick's "betrayal" and his "sweet and poisonous promises". He continuously cast doubt over Dick's heroship and his value of family.
A particular detail that would never be forgotten is that Jason kept saying that he was due to another extension when the torture let up. Red Hood also kept mimicking the sounds of a clock, for a reason that escaped him.
... After the whole time-travel incident, Dick thinks he finally understood what that was about.
Bruce said that Jason had been kept in the warehouse for two days. Two whole days. The Joker had wanted to play a very long game, until Batman's arrival to the country had messed that up, or so he said.
Dick now knew differently. Joker had been waiting on him, with Jason being his very unwilling guest in the meantime. His little brother had most certainly hoped to see Nightwing coming to his rescue, only to never arrive at the warehouse.
And he never would have, because the past's Nightwing had been in space - perfectly happy in his ignorance - where his brother's cries for help would never reach him.
It's been years since Red Hood's debut. And though his relationship with the family is still extremely strained; Tim never quite forgiving Jason for the Tower, or more specifically what came after it (Jason never tells them why he had it out for Dick, Dick certainly doesn't either because he doesn't know how to explain how badly he failed) but things are on the up. Dick's insistence on forgiving Jason, on admitting Jason was justified even though he won't tell them how, has gone a long way to keep him in the family's good graces.
Everything is still tense and strained and fucked beyond reckoning, but they are at least good enough that Jason is willing to pitch in and help when Nightwing gets hit with some experimental weapon that sends him back to a random point in time. Even if the only help he can really give is fetching supplies for the JLD to set up a spell. It takes hourss to locate where exactly he landed so the magic users can hone in on him to bring him back. The spell is set up. All they need is the date. Tim cracked the weapon enough to get the equation for how the device selects the random destination. The Batcomputer calculates. It spits out the answer, right in the middle of the big screen for everyone present to see.
And Jason feels his blood freeze. He's pretty sure the others do too. Because they know that date. Jason knows it better,more intimately than anyone else. Two days before a date carved in stone. The day Dick called. The day he got on a spaceship and left. The day he knew Jason was in danger and still abandoned him to the hands of that psychotic clown.
Except he didn't, did he?
The Dick that stumbles out of Dark's spell circle is crying, panicked, still clutching an old phone with a painfully familiar number pulled up on the screen. That Dick is immediately staggering towards Jason, blubbering apologies and "I tried"s and self flagellation about failures and...
And Jason had thought
He had blamed
He
He was wrong.
He was so so wrong.
And the guilt settles on him like six feet of dirt and a heavy stone.
Oh my sweet darlings, you think I can’t still makes this worse? Cyr basically dared me to, and I plan to deliver.
This amount of villainy brings me no joy, I LOVE making them cuddle and have happy endings and reconciliations. But I won’t stop with the angst on this unless you’re all begging for it. MWAHAHAHAHAHHA
Oh and doesn’t it hurt? To find out you tortured your brother for days until he could scream no longer? Until it was a 40% chance he’d ever go back to doing his quadruple somersaults? To find out you nearly destroyed him when it wasn’t even his fault?
Yes. Yes, it hurt so much. But Jason’s resentment runs so very deep. The pain of a child beaten by a madman, betrayed by his own mother.
This revelation— It doesn’t change anything. Not really.
Jason still died. Jason still came back. And both he had to do alone. Fine, it wasn’t Dick’s fault that he didn’t come and save him, but after? Nobody noticed his body missing from his grave? Nobody cared to investigate a random child showing up as a John Doe in the ER of Gotham General?
He’s really supposed to believe that someone allegedly so very hung up with his death didn’t care to keep track of what happened with his grave? With his body?? That none of Batman and Oracle’s hundreds of safety protocols clocked the catatonic boy at the hospital to match Jason’s injuries down to a T?
No. He fucking doesn’t believe it. They just didn’t care enough to come take a look themselves. Instead they let the League deal with him, throw him in a Lazarus Pit. And only then was he allowed to come back, but oh, wait that’s not right either. They wanted the him back that died. Not the nineteen year old that crawled out of the river and made bloody splash in Gotham’s underworld.
So this? Yeah, fine, tough shit. He tortured Dick. And it sucks that his dear brother didn’t even know what for, apparently. So maybe he should do it again? You know, really drive home the point that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I want one of those scenes in a dude bro film where “tomboy” chick has to wear a dress to go undercover or whatever, but instead of the guys drooling as she walks down the stairs, they’re like “k. U need to stop. Go put the cargo pants back on. You look super uncomfortable and awkward in that. Brutus, you go be the fake prostitute.”
I constantly forget how many fics I'm subbed to and, sadly, for a lot of them I'm no longer that deep in the fandom. Mostly cuz of toxic fans that have drained my love for the fandom, or the creator of the fandom being such a piece of garbage that it almost hurts reading the amazing fics that people poured their heart and soul into.
What if instead of Bruce, Danny was Damian's father but only Ra's knows.
Like every thing goes according to canon but then around the time of Damian's creation Ra's finds out about the High King of the Infinite Realm and decides that an heir from him would be far superior (whether Ra's actually means Danny or mistakes him for Pariah Dark im unsure) and somehow manages to get some of his DNA
The problem is that Thalia is insistent on using her beloved.
Now, in order to keep his daughter's cooperation he simply switches the samples while she is unaware. (Or maybe he adds Danny's dna afterwards with or without Thalia's knowledge so Damian is both Bruce and Danny's son)
Now years later something happens causing Damian and the batfam to find out that he is, in fact, not the blood son.
Maybe its when he first gets there and Bruce runs a paternity test that turns up negative, poor baby Damian would be so shocked and confused and Bruce may not be the father but he's not just gonna kick this stabby 10 year old out onto the streets. He definitely wouldn't feel comfortable sending him back to the LoA, naybe they can help the kid find his real father
Or in the case that Bruce's DNA is also used maybe the batcomputer can only register Danny's side as Lazarus water so thing just pass as canon until something reveals Damian's connection to Danny.
IDK, maybe they meet somehow and ghost instincts recognize the familial bond. Maybe Danny occasionally works with or even joins the JL sometime after Damian shows up so now the Batcomputer has Danny's DNA on file to check against should the need to run Damian's blood come up again.
I imagine Danny's well into adulthood here, and there could be the potential for Spirit Halloween
(Im not likely to write this so imma just, @hdgnj @omnicrafts @nelkcats @nerdpoe @im-totally-not-an-alien-2 @ailithnight, any of you got additions or thoughts)
I'm choosing both. Damian is a special boy, he gets two dads.
Batman called the meeting to order. It was time to introduce new members. And while it was rare to get a new parent/child team added. It wasn't wasn't unheard of. He pulled up the files he had on the pair. Phantom and Phasma, civilian identities, if they had them, unknown.
Batman: This latest pair require a small briefing. You are all now aware of the defucnt anti Ecto acts. These two were instrumental to their destruction. And are the two being responsible for the US government not causing an inter dimensional war. Between them, with the aid of a handful of human allies, they managed to keep a dimensional breach contained until they could safely seal the man made portal.
Batman waited as that sank in. It was important that his colleagues take the pair seriously. They were experienced, veteran heroes. And they were incredibly forgiving and caring. He did not want his colleagues running them off.
Batman: The portal was created by the Dr's Fenton some 15 years ago. Phantom kept Ecto entities, colloquially known as ghosts, from leaving Amity Park and causing wide spread destruction. He also kept humans from meddling too deeply in the Realms and causing war. His daughter, Phasma, was created by his main rogue when he was 15. Due to his lacking knowledge of cloning technology she was unstable. She was frozen at the roughly 12 years of age until she reached that age. No one here will speak disdainfully of her status as a clone. Phantom will happily take you to task in a painful and humiliating way. As Superman learned last month.
He paused again. letting them realise what had cause Superman his unfortunate incident last month. No actual harm was done. But Clark certainly learned not to speak his mind on that front. Connor had been spending a lot of time with them. Bruce was fairly certain Phantom was going to offer to adopt the boy soon.
Batman: They have been gathering enough evidence and political allies to get rid of the anti Ecto acts ever since they were introduced. Due to the constant atacks on both Liminal humans and Ecto entities however it was a long process. Between them, they have saved the world several times as well. I don't expect you to like them. But if anyone on this team is the reason we end up at war with the Infinite Realms I will be deeply disappointed.
Constantine finally paid attention then. Looked at the photo's and started to swear.
John: You got King Phantom to join? How! What the fuck!? And his heir? You got him to let the Princess join the juniors team?
Wonder Woman: King? Phantom?
Batman: Hm. The previous King of the Realms was awoken by his most irritating rogue. Plasmius, Phasma's creator. The previous King decided to invade Earth to get back his stolen belongings. Phantom led and army and took the Deposed King one to one. At age 15.
Wonder Woman: And this was 15 years ago then? Roughly? I wonder how much his power has increased then!
Batman: Ecto entities often find by fighting. It was one of the reasons he had to keep them contained. They forget that humans are significantly weaker. And that baseline humans can't in fact survive being ripped limb from limb.
Jihn: He ain't exaggeratin! I've seen King Phantom in his friendly brawls. They make our fight with rogues look friendly. Most of em weren't tryin ta hurt humans. They wanted ta play with their new neighbours. Humans opened the door, they musta wanted to do a meet n great right? King Phantom is still connected enough to his human roots ta know better.
Flash:... Wait, is ghost not just a name?
John: 50/50. A dead soul can become one. Or they can be born that way. Or be created. Ectoplasm is psychic like. So someone dies near a weak spot in the veil? And it was emotional enough? They can come back. King Phantom died. At 14. An ya won't be askin about it. Trauma responses in ghosts ain't pretty. And it's involuntary! Phasma, as a clone, was born that way.
Batman: Strong belief in a weak spot can also form beings. Many 'gods' have formed this way. One of the Royal tutors is the embodiment of time. Another hope.
John: Not to say they ain't friendly! Cause they are! They'd not hurt us permanently like! But they're strong fuckin fighters. And I'd like to keep em helpin. Not fucking off to the Realms.
Batman waited for all of the information to be digested before letting everyone to to meet them. They were currently speaking to the younger heroes. Connor had been showing them around.
And then stopped and sighed at the disaster area the once pristine room had turned into. How had this managed to happen?
Batman: Robin. Why are you attacking the Heir to the Infinite Realms?
Phasma: Don't worry! We are bonding!
She then made a troll sound that seemed to irritate Robin even more, as he redoubled his attempts to skewer her. Phantom was watching them spar with a find look on his face.
Phantom: Don't worry B. I'll stop them before he gets tired. Oh! We need to uh. Chat later. About your littlest bird. Those pits you mentionned? Definitely ecto. He's liminal as fuck. I can bring the Royal healer over as well to check his health.
Batman: Good to know. So I assume Phasma decided to bond with him the proper way then?
Phantom: Of course she did. My girls a menace! And it's good for your Robin as well! Hey Connie, long time no see.
John: King Phantom. Nice ta see ya. Finally got the laws sorted then?
Phantom: Yup. You know Sam. She's a force of nature!
John: Manson scares me more than you ever could mate!
Phantom: Fair! Entirely fair! So. I'm assuming everyone got as thorough a debrief as I was subjected to about me, as I was about you. I'm Phantom. Sadly still King. Please don't do what Connie does. He only calls me King Phantom to be annoying.
John: And cause your lawyer fuckin scare the shit outta me.
Phantom: Ah Sam. Scaring everyone with a brain since we were kids. Anyway! I'm always down for a spar. I am aware that I need to be careful. So feel free to hit me up as a partner for potentially injurious or deadly moves you want to test out.
Phasma: Dad makes a great testing dummy!
That caused a round of snickers, especially as Robin had finally managed to stab her. And all she did was cheer and congratulate him.
Phantom: Try not to bleed all over the floor moonbeam!
Well. That certainly proved his point. She was still happily fighting with Robin after all. It hasn't even slowed her down. She just slapped her hand over the wound and seared it shut to stop the bleeding.
Phantom mingled with the older heroes for the next hour or so, as the younger heroes. All took a turn at trying to beat Phasma. Even Superboy looked tired after a while, when she was still clearly ready to fight. Not that she had done much more than like at weak spots. Sometimes calling out wound she could have caused. Which added to the sense of playfullness.
Toward the end of the meeting Batman walked over to Phantom.
Batman: Feel free to join us tonight. You and Phasma. Superboy as well. I'd like to know about Robin soon.
Phantoms miles at him and nodded before going off to collect his daughter, and likely soon to be adopted son.
Batman collected his kids and they all took the zeta to the cave.
Phantom and Phasma changed to their human forms. To the shock of everyone except Bruce and Connor. His kids looked at him sharply. Seeing that he was already aware they all made some sort of face at him.
Tim: Civilian ID unknown my arse!
Danny: Right! I'm Danny, this is Elkie. Pleased to meet you. Bruce. I need you to run my Ecto against Robin's.
Bruce: ... What?
Danny: Yup. Whatever Ecto Ra's added to Damian? It feels similar to mine. Might not be. But I think I we would all rather know now.
Bruce: Yes. Hm.
Danny: He's still your kid. Even if he did use my ecto, just means he has another person to turn to.
Ellie: Yup! Also, he has like, a teeny baby core! And it kinda felt like a family one should? But it might be that the pits are from Pariah.
Danny: At which point it resonates with us, because I had to eat his core.
Dick:.... If that's the case. I should grab Jay as well.
Bruce: Hm! Yes.
Danny: Oh shit! Yeah! Your wayward bird! I'll summon Frostbite. I hear Robin likes animals?
Damian: Yes. How does that matter?
Ellie:: Frostbite is our Dr. He's also a 7ft tall yeti. He is so fluffy. And yeti babies are actually the cutest beings in the world!
Damian perked up. A Dr who was also fluffy and soft? They had his interest.
Ellie: He lets anxious people stroke his fur! Cause it helps them calm down! All the yeti are super relaxed! Just so so laid back. And really kind.
Phantom: Scholars and artists to the last member of their tribe. Frostbite is their chief, and head healer. He was also my first tutor.
Damian: Father. I would prefer to switch Dr's.
Bruce: Hmm. I suppose I can allow it. As it would be in your best interest. And would get you to comply with Drs visits.
Bruce drew a small amount of Danny's. Ecto/blood to compare on the computer. While they were waiting for Dick to drag Jason back to the cave Danny began to draw up the circle to summon Frostbite. He was showing Damian and Tim the exact steps so they could replicate it on an emergency.
If they were ever in a situation where help was needed and Danny wasn't there? Well, this would allow them to save themselves. He started the chant, and they watched as Frostbite appeared in the circle. The hero smiled as he saw his King, and the surrounding people.
Frostbite: My King! Giving out my contact details to those young heroes are we? It is a pleasure to meet you young ones. I am Chief Frostbite. Leader of the Far Frozen. You may call me Frostbite. Now! How many I be of help?
Danny grinned at his first tutor and waves him over to meet the entire clan that was in residence.
Danny: For now I was hoping you could give everyone a check up. You have far less invasive methods. And I am fairly certain everyone here is at least lightly liminal. But you know my sense for that aren't as good as yours!
Frostbite laughed and gently knocked him on the head.
Frostbite: Give it time my King. You are going yet by our standards! And you are correct! Everyone in this room is liminal to some degree. But the ectoplasm feels... Stagnant. Now! The test the King proposes is a simple scan. I have a tool that checks ectoplasm levels, and hmm. Viability?
He muttered to himself for a few moments as the bats watched. Damian was near vibrating in place. Until Frostbite moved his tail toward his hands in clear permission. Damian looked awed at how soft his fur was. None of them could stop a smile from forming at the sight.
Frostbite: Aha! The word I was looking for does not translate. It is close to viscosity. To do with how it goes through your systems. And if you are getting enough that it does not clog. So viscosity will suit for now. If you are willing there is a second scan I can perform. It checks your bodies health as well. But I assume you have a human Dr yoh may prefer to see for that side of things!
Bruce just sighed. It would most likely be a good idea to do both. Nd he would undergo all the same scans as well. So that his children can't argue their way out of it.
Bruce: No. You should do both. To my understanding you are the I my healer who has true knowledge on how to properly care for liminals?
Frostbite rumbled happily hearing that. It was always good when people took their health seriously!
Ellie: Yup! Dad was his first hybrid patient. And then Amity Park slowly became more and more liminal. Most of the liminals moved full time to the Realms. And Frostbite is their Dr! But he is training all his students as well!
Frostbite: Indeed I am Princess. And yes, the keep is home to several thousand liminal humans I believe? Although, now the laws are gone some may decide to move back. But not without my summoning circle. Or that of my students.
Bruce: So it would be best for all of us to get both scans. I include myself there. I know you lot will argue otherwise!
Danny: Me and Ellie can go first. We're about due a check up anyway!
Ellie: Oh! I wonder if my core has started to set yet?
Bruce could see his kids grumble. But as Danny and Ellie volunteered to go first, and he would also be scanned? They all have in.
Bruce heard the computer make a noise that signalled the rest was complete. He went over to check the screen and had to take a moment.
Bruce: Danny.
Danny looked over, clearly reading the strain in his tone. E walked over and looked adopt the screen.
Danny: Ah. Damian. You might want to come her for a moment.
Damian walked over stiffly. Bruce out his hand in his shoulder to reassure him.
Bruce: So. The ectoplasm used was Dannys.
Danny: But! Bruce is still your Father. See here? That's Bruce's DNA. That strand is Talia's. And that is mine. You have three parents. But, I won't demand anything from you. I would love to get to know you. But you don't ever need to see me as family ok? The choice is yours. And you can think I'm it for as long as you want!
Damian looked at both men. Searching for signs of deception. All he could read was care and concern. He nodded sharply and thought for a moment.
Damian: I would like to get to know you before I decide.
Danny smiled at him and nodded.
Danny: That is entirely sensible. It took Ellie two years to decide herself. Feel free to ask her about it. I'm sure she will tell you any number of ways I embarrassed myself trying to offer her the right to chose, while still saying I wanted her.
Ellie: Yup! Dad went around in circles! Telling me it was my choice! And that he wanted me, but I didn't have to be his daughter. I could be a sister, or cousin or friend. And tried really hard to not pressure me at all. Dad was only 15 at the time though. So he was bound to not get it quite right! And we got there in the end.
Danny: Yup! Plus! Your Dad won't let me pressure you! And Frostbite would absolutely drag me off if I tried!
Frostbite laughed hearing that. He remembered well his young King coming to him in a panic. Asking for advice. How to tell her how much he wanted her, without making her feel like she had to choose him.
Frostbite: I would indeed. Any patient of mine will not be put into such a situation under my watch. Not even for my King.
Danny smirked over at him.
Danny: Frostbite knows far too many of my secrets for me to ever step over that line. I swear, this is your choice.
Danny waited until Damian nodded and then moved away. He didn't want to make him feel enclosed. And giving him some space now was important. He walked over to Frostbite and stood in place. Allowing the scans to take place. Everyone needed something to focus on, so Damian could at least have a few moments peace.
Before I say anything, I wish to say that angryricepudding has a great addition to read in the reblogs as well.
But, this here? This here is awesome. It’s pretty open ended on how things could go. Damian would definitely need time to bring having another bio-father into his world view. Then, he can go on to figure out if he even wants Danny in his life.
Ellie might be a help in that. If she shares the story of her creation, how she met Danny, how she backstabbed him, and how she turned to his side, it might sway his opinions on Danny from no longer just having the outsider knowledge of his person, and now being given insider knowledge on that.
Frostbite might- also- be a factor. It would make sense as Frostbite calls Danny ‘Great One’ and is always open to telling a story (as long as it doesn’t break doctor-patient confidentiality). Damian could ask for Frostbite’s opinion on Danny and hear both stories of his great deeds, and small deeds (these ones are more impactful I think. A person of any character may do great deeds, but a person of a kind nature would be the one to offer to take from their free time, away from a busy work schedule, to play with various children across the Infinite Realms- and other such things), as well as Danny’s relations with other denizens of the Infinite Realms.
Yes, spending time and getting to know Danny, but Damian was raised an assassin. An assassin is trained to look for deception, but people of different cultures- let alone species (hybrid actual adds to the complexity)- have different physical tells, and Damian couldn’t actually know the tells of an ecto-entity considering these are possibly the first he’s ever met. Damian would need something else to reassure him that Danny is being genuine, and Ellie & Frostbite would be a good start to that.
Also also, what if we took Ra’s part in this a little differently? Like, what if Ra’s found that some samples of the Lazarus Pits acted like a binding agent and decided to secretly test what that would cause when used to bind DNA and slipped it into Damian, without actually realizing that those samples were actually Danny’s ectoplasm/dna/ectoplasmic dna? Considering how Danny’s ectoplasm is that of a halfa, it probably is specialized to act as a binding agent, especially towards human DNA.
Danny has SO many new babies! And he also needs to clean the pits. And save his children! They are his now. No one else wants them. And they are all feral and stabby. He want's them! Ellie wants siblings. To the castle with them!
Danny with his sprawling army of adopted siblings, cousins and children. Bruce looks and goes. I want that. That is exactly how I want to live my life.
The bat kids are just amused... Ah that explains his inability to keep a relationship. He needed them to also be a good parents. Fair enough!
Danny can cheat. He is a King. He just issues a proclamation. It counts. He checked! Bruce may or may not be incredibly envious from behind his stacks of paper.
Just, Danny’s castle is sprawling with his newest family members. They get to live their own lives for once and they’re gonna take as much time as they need to be happy! I love that! Respawn is probs there as well.
Good parent is now a very firm thing the Batkids check for.
Also, I love that Danny looked at the usual adoption process and decided that his Kingship finally had a good use.
Yes! Respawn finally gets to have a good life! Ellie is having the BEST time! She is a big sister! to so many chaos gremlins!
The castle is magic, and expands to give them all space. And their rooms change to reflect them and their slowly emerging personalities.
I imagine at first they were all very generic and slowly as the brain washing is undone? Their rooms morph to reflect their interests and preferences.
Danny is so happy the first time he sees this. It is working! His babies are healing!!!!!
Look, Danny has so much shite to do as King. He is GOING to take advantage of any perk he finds. He refuses to do his duty, and not use the few privileges he gets! And this one is great! It makes taking care of his kids so MUCH easier!
And I imagine the Realms love this too. Their King is happy. Which would help the Realms as well.
Ok! Danny is absolutely down to teach his kids anything and everything. He takes them around the Realms. Mortal and Infinite. Gets them all the goods and drinks they could ever hope to try. All the clothes, and styles they would ever want. They are encouraged to try anything, so long as they are being safe.
Ellie of course takes the lead here. She has already done this. When they come to her in the dead of night with questions she answers.
"Dad really does want you to be happy. And he wants you to learn what makes you happy. He wants us to tell him what we like and don't like. He might not understand. But Dad wants the best for us! I swear. "
Ellie teaching them how to pull pranks, how to have fun. How to relax. These are her siblings! And she will teach them all she's learned!
The Respawn comes to her with an idea. He knows there are other mirror born out there. And lots of them are hurting. Does she think their Dad would help them save the others?
Danny immediately pulls out a plan for a new keep. Designed based on his own. He was going to present it to Ellie when she was older and wanted more space. He has plans for Lairs for all of his children. But insists they don't have to move out ever. But maybe the new keep could be a home for the mirror born they save?
Ellie and Respawn chat with their siblings about it. A few want to help. Others will help once they have people saved. But don't want to do the hero thing.
So a few of them head off to track down escaped clones. Offering them a safe place to hide if they need it. And information on where they escaped from. They won't be letting any of their kind suffer anymore.
And this would lead to Ellie becoming a protector spirit for Mirror born. (There was a post about it. But I can't find it!) ( I found it!!)
And as her keep grows. So do her powers. She's finding it easier to hunt them down. Respawn is her tactician. And one of the main fighters.
Danny of course is so proud of them! Look, their first mission! And they want to help others! Look at my babies go!
And yes! Magic castle that morphs to the needs of its inhabitants! Each room matches their occupant. It makes sense then for it to show their healing. And it allows Danny to know who's struggling most and adapting best. So he can make sure to support his kids.
