DCXDP One-shot - The destroyer
For the crown of the infinite realms, one day I will win.
Today on "Everything Goes Wrong" we have: 'character death'. Everything could have gone well if this were another one-shot about a rejuvenated Jason. This starts as one thing and ends as something completely different. Unreliable narrator. This is the third time I've said that Jason and Danny are the same person. A long final note because I don't know how to shut up. I don't speak English; it's me and the translator against the world.
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It began with a spell. The fearsome Red Hood ended up as a small, thin, seven-year-old boy, looking as if he could be carried away by the slightest breeze.
He looked even smaller and more fragile on the stretcher in the cave.
When Zatanna arrived, she waited for the little boy to wake up, but she had already said that it was best to let the spell run its course, so they would have to wait to see if Jason remembered who he was or if they had to tell him.
The sorceress explained that little Jason would grow little by little; it would take days, because he had to remain at one age for at least three days. Bruce's concern was obviously about what would happen when Jason reached fifteen or sixteen.
In a show of intelligence, Duke recruited Steph, Cass, and Tim to rearrange things at the mansion "just in case," because Jason would definitely end up sneaking into the cave and asking questions.
So the family portrait was taken down, the Robin memorial was also slated for removal so the costume could be displayed alongside the others, they searched for every photo they could find of Jason, Cass even got Damian to retrieve some from his time in the League—all "just in case."
Dick was nervous, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible, also keeping an eye on Bruce because he obviously wouldn't know how to handle him well.
When the little boy finally woke up, he was filled with fear, crying, holding back the scream he obviously wanted to let out, looking at everyone in terror.
It took them almost two hours to explain and reassure him, although it was obvious that he didn't fully believe them. He didn't remember them; he only had the memories of that age. It was clear he knew what had happened to his parents, so he just stayed silent, clenching his fists in the sheets, still crying and refusing comfort from anyone.
It was torture at first because all they wanted was to hug him and tell him everything would be alright. Even though that wasn't true.
They spent the first night watching their every move, trying not to disturb the little one who also didn't sleep much.
The only good thing, if you can call it that, was that he would remember the following days, so they wouldn't have to go through the same explanation with each age change.
There wasn't much difference between ages 7 and 9 in terms of height or weight; in fact, at 9 years old he seemed much thinner and fiercer, which broke all their hearts. But they had made much more progress, such as believing them about magic, and seeing the photos around the mansion (at least in the rooms they had taken him to; he still didn't trust wandering around on his own and hadn't gone down to the cave) showed all traces of the adult Jason.
On the second day, at age 9, he changed almost completely, much more relaxed with all of them, although he still kept an eye on Bruce since he was the oldest.
Twelve days after the incident, the 10-year-old Jason Todd became all laughter and sarcasm, enjoying the hugs from Dick, Cass, Steph, and Alfred.
He also asked Duke many questions about school. Tim determined that it was his accent, in addition to his personality, that made him trust Duke more.
He seemed curious about Damian and was trying to get Tim to sleep.
At 11 years old, he became less distrustful of Bruce, read to Cass, played pranks on Tim along with Steph and Duke, and even dared to ask Damian if they could spend time together while walking Titus around the mansion. He showed more skill in the kitchen and started having tea with Alfred. He insisted Dick take him for a ride on his motorcycle and called him stupid for having been a policeman.
At 12 years old, he stood for a moment in silence, looking at his room. He was just as tidy: bigger clothes, his books, his leather jacket. When he went down to the dining room, there were photographs. The space where the family portrait should have been was empty. He had asked about it before because it was obvious something was missing. Tim told him the newest one wasn't ready yet, so the space remained empty. When he got to the dining room, he saw everyone. He lingered a little longer on Dick, but mostly he looked at Bruce.
That made everyone nervous, and before Bruce could say anything, Jason ran towards him, calling him Dad.
Jason's slender body was no match for Bruce's massive frame when he leaped towards him and was caught mid-air.
"You did it!" he exclaimed, still in Bruce's arms, who looked confused.
"I've done a lot of things, Jayland. What did I do this time?" he asked with a gentler expression, enjoying holding his son.
The boy looked at the others. "You got us a big family. I'm sure I told you I always wanted lots of brothers. Now I have so many, even sisters and a little you!" he said, more excited than ever, oblivious to the pain that pierced several of them. "You even got that idiot Dick back. I told you you could!"
"Okay, I won't take it too hard because I was a fool," Dick admitted. "I want a hug too, Little Wing!"
With an ease he hadn't shown before, he simply stretched out his arms, certain that Bruce wouldn't let go until he was in Dick's arms, who practically crashed down beside him to take his little brother.
Twelve-year-old Jason was closer to Bruce than he was to him; he let him hold him, talked to him, and called him "Dad." He also wanted to follow Damian, to watch him train.
Tim, in a fit of jealousy because this was the Robin he had followed when he was young, decided to pull out a large number of his old photos of Jason's Robin.
That clearly made him the favorite brother of the day.
Thirteen years old. Jason had finally stopped looking so thin; his muscles were finally more defined, and he'd gained some height too, although his face still had all that baby fat.
Much more confident. He wanted to go out, but Steph had managed to convince him to stay because Jason wasn't Robin anymore; Robin was Damian, and his current costume didn't fit him at all.
Damian, determined to be the favorite brother again, pulled out his own baby photos, where the older Jason was holding him.
Too distracted by his apparent time training with ninjas like Bruce once was, taking care of Bruce's son.
Damian made the small mistake of mentioning that Talia saw him as a son, so the 13-year-old crisis was calling Talia, her answering (even though they hoped she wouldn't), and seeing little Jason enamored with the idea of sharing a mother with Damian.
They pestered Bruce about it at dinner.
“Look, obviously it didn’t work out with Catwoman because Damian exists, Superman is married with kids, so you missed that boat too, which, wow, I still thought you’d get him, but it’s okay. Superman wouldn’t survive Gotham, and as always, Wonder Woman didn’t even give you the time of day. But Talia called you ‘beloved,’ she still feels something, and don’t screw it up, Bruce.”
“She chose her father, Jayland.”
“Of course she would. What idiot would give up being an Arabian princess for a billionaire Yankee? You made a huge deal when Dickie wanted to choose Starfire, it’s the same thing.”
“It’s not like it’s the same thing, we have a code, Jason.”
“Cultural differences, Bruce. Don’t be intolerant. That’s why Superman didn’t marry you, although I still don’t know how you messed things up with Selina. But Talia’s there, Bruce. What’s the visitation arrangement?”
“We don’t have a visitation schedule, she just shows up.”
“Bruce, I hope you’re not keeping my little brother away from his mother.”
It was so hilarious because Dick could have sworn he knew Jason knew about Talia at that age, but maybe they didn’t take him seriously because he was always in a bad mood about her.
14 years old. The cracks were showing. It wasn’t that they hadn’t started, but they were more obvious this time. They couldn’t just dodge the questions by distracting the boy anymore. The charm was wearing off, it was coming to an end.
The nervousness, the tension, the fear, because even though the lies and deflections were working, the questions were still there, the cracks.
15 years old. Almost a full month since Jason had been turned back into a child. The atmosphere was tense, the questions were different.
It got better, right? I did the same thing as Dick and was an idiot with his teenage angst, right?
Tim… I was mean to you… wasn't I? I… I'm sorry.
Something's not right.
On the 27th, they called Zatanna because they didn't know what would happen when she turned 16. The atmosphere was still tense. Jason was upset because he knew something had gone wrong, something very wrong, and no one wanted to tell him what it was. He couldn't even access the files. He hadn't been able to figure it out in the previous days, but it had to be important to worry everyone about her reaching that age.
It was like a calling from something. He was lingering around the cave because he wanted to know, even though he had to hide because Bruce called Zatanna.
It was just an accident
He headed to the dining room, already a little late. It still hurt, but he didn't want to think about it.
It was just an accident.
It was as if he wasn't there. He just wanted to eat breakfast and go back to sleep, even though he knew he shouldn't.
Was it just an accident?
He stared at his plate… when…?
“Why do I have turkey ham sandwiches and toast?” he asked, confused, not quite catching everyone's attention because his arm was shaking so badly. “I hate them.”
“Uh… Jason, you don't hate sandwiches,” Dick commented.
“No, I'm talking about the toast. I hate it. We stopped eating toast because I hated the idea of buying a new toaster,” he complained, completely oblivious.
“Jason, are you okay?… What happened to your arm?” Bruce asked, worried.
There was a second when Jason looked at his arm and hand, which were trembling.
It was just an accident. I shouldn't have been there. Just like in the warehouse.
He looked up. Everyone at the table was worried, some more obviously than others. The larger man at the head of the table had already stood up.
"Who are you?" he asked, completely confused. His arm had made a noise, as if it had broken, but the boy didn't even seem to notice. The trembling had stopped. "Who are all of you?"
He looked back at the table, the food, the toast, and his mind shattered.
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They had tried to hide the truth, fearing that Jason would reach 15, that he would remember his death the moment he woke up, that something would go wrong. They had been walking on eggshells, and breakfast didn't seem so good when they saw Jason arrive. He was strangely pale, then his arm and hand began to tremble. He seemed confused; something was definitely wrong.
They clearly heard his arm snap, though he didn't seem to notice, to feel it.
Then he didn't recognize any of them at all.
He fell.
He collapsed screaming, his body breaking in front of them, the other bones of his body, the bruises appearing.
A golden glow was surrounding him, the magic reacting.
It was distressing. Bruce carried him as best he could because he was still writhing even though his body was breaking apart, toward the cave with all of them running after him, though giving Alfred space.
Zatanna should have arrived by now!
Limbs broke, healed, Tim could only watch as things went wrong.
He was calling for Zatanna, for whoever answered.
Cass slipped into the room where Jason was being held, everyone following Alfred's orders as he tried to figure out what was happening. Bruce yelled for someone to bring Leslie, Alfred said they might need the Watchtower.
It was chaos. Zatanna had finally appeared, running towards Jason, when some kind of explosion knocked them back and blinded them with its brilliance.
It stunned them all.
The heart monitor showed no heartbeat.
There was a scream, Tim couldn't even think of it as a real scream, it was a sound of anguish. Then a sob that he knew was Dick's. Of the others around, he was the second to move, along with Damian. Instinctively, he pulled him into a hug to shield him from the sight.
Jason's body was still there, his chest ripped open, blood, organs, and flesh covering Alfred, Bruce, Cass, Dick, and Zatanna. It was like that scene from Alien, only there wasn't a xenomorph bursting from Jason's chest, just his open chest as if it had exploded from the inside. Those seconds felt like an eternity.
Something impossible happened. He saw Jason inhale, though he was sure his lungs were there because of the lamp and Alfred's face. He could see there were no lungs taking in air, that he was still bleeding. But then came the Lazarus Water, his blood turning green and spilling out, forming organs, forming lungs in real time, to their utter horror and contemplation.
Jason seemed to react, his expression of pain clearing. He was conscious, looking at them and screaming, though it shouldn't have been humanly possible.
The scream startled them, snapping them out of their stupor, and someone yelled that they had to close the wound. There was no time for anesthesia. He threw Damian out of the room and closed the door.
It takes them a while to close the wound on his chest, with Jason becoming restless, begging them not to do this to him again, saying it hurts, uttering words he's sure will haunt them forever and give them nightmares, until he finally lost consciousness and they were able to finish stitching the wound together—Alfred, Bruce, Dick, and him.
Zatanna summons them to the Watchtower for better medical equipment.
Nothing makes sense.
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When he opens his eyes, he's in a room that looks like a hospital room. He feels panic rising in his throat, but the window shows him planet Earth. He's in the Watchtower.
He knows he's in the Watchtower, in a private room that must belong to Bruce, even though he knows it's rarely used.
He's in space, and all happiness dies because horror fills his heart.
He knows what happened; it's clear to him now, but he doesn't care. He wants to go crazy right there, to scream, just scream until he can go home. But there's no home anymore. It doesn't exist. Not his old home, not his former life. He's no longer Danny; he's Jason, but he's Danny and Jason at the same time.
The memories of his life as 24-year-old Jason and those of Danny Phantom exist in his head. He's no longer a Halfa; he doesn't have his powers. He's alive, and that doesn't even make it better.
His life as Jason is torture, a cruel joke… he just wanted a family.
All he wanted was a family that would love him.
Although he is surprised that he did not destroy the world, there was a timeline where he destroyed everything because everyone he loved was blown to bits; grief had changed him.
Although taking over crime in Gotham as a crime lord by murdering people was not something he could overlook.
He tried to move, but his arm hurt.
It had been an accident.
Perhaps it hadn't been an accident.
A green note appeared next to a USB drive; a sense of calm washed over him. His father couldn't be happy about this, but he had a chance.
He looked out the window, trying to use his powers. He could feel them, so he tried, though he hoped he wouldn't become intangible… he could very well die and come back, but he wanted to preserve his life.
His arm had no scars; it was somewhat numb, but he touched the window with both hands, gazing at the vastness of space. Maybe it was just seconds, maybe hours, I don't matter to him.
That's when the door opened, revealing part of the medical team and Bruce.
Bruce, his adoptive father in this life, Bruce who wouldn't do anything to save him, Bruce who doesn't trust magic and doesn't know what privacy is… Bruce who slit his throat to save the Joker.
Bruce… who will never be able to protect him.
The paper note and the USB drive feel heavy in his hand. He looks back at space.
Jason Todd has no impediment to reaching space; Jason Todd has been in space on his own, many times, which is not even news, just something more even if he did not go to university.
Jason Todd is legally dead.
But Danny can legally stay alive with a few phone calls while he decides whether to go back to being Danny Phantom or Red Hood, whether to be someone else or stick with what he's comfortable with of Danny and Jason.
He doesn't need Bruce, not a father like him who, even though he loves him, can't save him in the ways that matter.
"Jason"
He has no right, he thinks, Bruce has no right to be like this, to call him that one day as if he were fragile, a frightened animal, and the next day call him as if he were a monster.
His body reacts without his permission, wanting to move away from him, he shudders.
“No” he says softly.
Bruce puts on that pained, desolate expression. It’s not fair. “I just want to help.”
He looks at the doctors and nurses; he knows they won’t hurt him. He knows that.
“You… you never help me in the ways that matter. You’ll never really be there for me… you’ll never save me.”
If he could trust that Bruce would believe him, that he would help him fix things, that he would set him free, that he would accept him, things would be so easy, everything would be alright… but Bruce will never be like that with him. If it were Dick, if it were one of his other brothers, he would help so easily, he would at least respect him, he would at least trust him a little.
But Bruce never trusts him, never Jason, and he won’t trust Danny either.
“Jayland” he calls him with that wounded tone, as if just approaching him and hugging him would make everything alright.
But Jack had hugged him, told him he loved him, supported his dreams, gone out with him, had loved him, and yet… He had still hurt him so much in ways that could never be repaired, swearing he was saving him because he loved him, raging because Phantom had stolen his son, grieving his death even though it hurt him, a grieving father who loved him.
Bruce won't open him up like a frog, but he'll lock him in an invisible cage. He'll never be able to escape his control, not without dying at least, and he doesn't want to die. He's tired of dying. For once, he wants to die on his own terms, choosing his own cause to die for, the hill on which he chooses to die.
Bruce has contingency plans for him: to beat him, lock him up, hurt him, all under the guise of a code, saying he does it because he loves him, that they're still family, that he'll always be welcome back home, but he'll never stop pointing a gun at him when he steps out of line.
He's fed up with billionaires with secret basements who wear capes and insist on calling him son.
He glances behind the crowd and sees Dick anxiously wanting to get in, maybe drag Bruce out of there and try it himself. Well, Dick is actually better than Bruce.
"Dickie!" He let go.
Dick didn't disappoint, making his way into the room, leaving Bruce behind, and hugged him.
"I've got you, little wing, I've got you."
Jazz also had big sister syndrome, almost like a mother to her. Dick had already been that for others, maybe not for him, but he could always start now.
"I don't want him here, I don't want him, I don't want to see him."
"B, you should get out of here."
At least Dick was able to get Bruce out of there just by asking him to.
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The Dark League was very confused about Jason. The spell had somehow broken itself, but he hadn't returned to his normal age. His memories were jumbled, and he was very quiet. He refused to see Bruce, which didn't surprise most of them.
Things around him were malfunctioning, which was why he couldn't stay at the Watchtower any longer.
All the test results were positive. His organs were intact, there was no trace of Lazarus in his blood, and his eyes had returned to their original blue color, though a different shade.
His arm was fine. He seemed to remember them and didn't understand why he had reacted that way.
He didn't want to see Bruce or Alfred.
He preferred to be locked in Dick's room rather than his own, even if he spent his time looking out the window. Of course, he removed anything that could be used to monitor him, opting instead for a baby monitor and a walkie-talkie.
They weren't talking about the possibility of him staying like this, that he would have to grow up again because they didn't want to use magic again.
"Hey Jay," Dick entered his room, carrying food on a tray. His brother was curled up in a ball, covered by one of the blankets, by the window, his reflection gazing at the mansion grounds. "I brought something to eat."
Jason barely moved, but continued staring out the window, unsure what to say.
“Why did you give me all those chances? I’d never be the same, I changed, I didn’t even think I’d make it to 24,” I ask, looking at him in the window’s reflection, just hugging my knees to my chest.
“Because we’re a family, because we love you,” he replies, unsure whether to move closer or not.
“This isn’t a family, we shouldn’t be a family, it hurts us, we don’t trust anyone.”
“We trust what matters, I trust you with my life, we fight back to back… don’t you trust me?”
“I don’t know if I’d call it trust,” he admitted, shrinking back slightly. “I know you’ll do the right thing, you’ll save everyone even if they don’t deserve it, but you can never beat time, Dickie… I’ve never hated Bruce for not arriving on time, even if you didn’t arrive on time I wouldn’t even blame you… but now I don’t even know if they’d be looking for me or if I wanted them to,” he confessed.
“I’m sorry, I really want to show you that you believe we love you.”
“You don’t trust us either,” he said, not accusingly, but almost sadly. “You entrust your life to us out there, but you don’t trust us to hold you when something hurts you. Nobody trusts anyone, not in the way that matters.”
“I know you’re scared, I know everything looks bad, but we’ll be here, we won’t leave you alone,” he promised.
Jason turned to look at him. He didn’t have that annoyed expression; he actually seemed devastated in such a sincere way, without hiding it. His brother was so expressive, that’s why he wore a helmet. “And when Bruce kills me again…?”
“What?” The question caught him off guard.
“I didn’t survive, Dick. When he cut my throat, I… I couldn’t do anything. I bled out before I could even get to the first aid kit. I died. He killed me.”
“Jason…” He didn’t even try to say anything in Bruce’s defense. He’d just been denying it, grateful that Jason had survived because sometimes he didn’t know what to do with Bruce.
“I don’t want to stay anymore,” he admitted.
“Why did you stay?” It was his turn to ask. His brother looked more agitated, trying not to cry.
“Because I wanted a family,” he admitted. “Because you cared about us, because you killed the Joker for what he did to me.”
“How did you know that?” He had never told Jason, he didn't really think Tim would tell him, and he hadn't said anything before.
"I heard it from Tim. I don't remember who he was telling at that moment, but I remember I started answering your messages. I… I know Tim has a plan, but Bruce is in his way."
It wasn't that Dick didn't know about this plan with Barbara; he sometimes thought about it when he allowed himself to.
"I don't want to try to make people choose anymore, so I stayed, but it feels like torture," he confessed, his lip trembling. He bit it, trying to resist.
He approached more carefully, his heart breaking. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. We'll leave. You don't have to be near Bruce, near this. I shouldn't have dragged you here." This time he hugged him.
They hugged like that, without speaking of the tears between them.
Leaving had been more difficult, but not impossible, not when it was clear there was no more trace of Lazarus Water in Jason, there wouldn't be another miracle, there wasn't another chance.
They would stay in Tim's place for now.
"I don't think I'll ever deserve you, Tim," he blurted out suddenly, placing a plate of food in front of his brother.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, still sleepy.
"It's okay if you hate us or want to keep your distance. I think we've hurt each other too much," he said with an odd calm that made Tim look at him. "I'm glad we could never kill you. You didn't deserve it. You're great, Tim."
"What was that?" he asked, confused and suspicious, but Jason brushed him off, going back to the kitchen.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Timmy."
It was easier to escape from Tim's place, not only because Tim was sleeping longer than he seemed to, but also because it happened just as Dick had left. He had enough cash, but he needed to move to some precarious hiding place near the Lazarus Pit beneath the city.
That was the only difficult part.
He wrote a note, saying he just needed time.
Although no one could have imagined how literal that was.
Meanwhile, he had started stealing technology, not the obvious stuff, but gathering everything, assembling what he needed day by day, one more piece, even though it was difficult being alone.
In the end, he admitted he couldn't do it alone and had to leave the city to find at least one ally.
Roy was the obvious choice; he knew they would look for him first, which is why he didn't call him. In fact, he hoped he wouldn't have to call him and ruin things.
Roy wasn't Tucker, and Tucker wasn't Roy.
That was good, a consolation. There was no comparison between them, and he liked that more than he wanted to admit.
Besides, Roy knew about the All-blades, he knew he couldn't be mind-controlled, he knew few spells could be used against him, and he suspected that was what ruined the spell.
"Jaybird?" he asked, confused more by his appearance because he had that smug look on his face. It was only a matter of time before he showed up at his door.
"Can you help me with something?"
"You know, it's really rare to hear you be so clear when asking for help, so it must be even more serious than I thought."
"How about eliminating a bunch of dimensional Karens for the throne of a magical kingdom?"
"I'll call Kori," he smiled, letting him into the apartment.
One phone call, four hours later, some pizza boxes, help with math homework for Lian, and the secret was out.
Somehow, Kori seemed enthusiastic. Roy didn't know if this was the craziest thing he'd ever heard or if Jason could actually bring them something even crazier.
“That explains why you’re acting different from your usual nervous self,” Kori said. “What do you need?”
“How do we beat those all-seeing eyes?” Roy asked.
“They can never really see me properly. Nothing is clear. Every touch I make, every breath I take, I’m ‘ruining’ what should happen. But they’ve been using the people around me to find out. I have a simpler idea about it.”
___________________
It was the 47th day since Jason had been bewitched. They hadn't seen him until now; he hadn't grown at all.
He didn't even seem bothered.
"Jason!" Dick blurted out, going over to his brother, a little surprised that he accepted the hug and sought that contact when he leaned towards him.
"I needed to think," was all he replied, letting out a big sigh.
"I know, but could you answer some messages?" he asked, enjoying the moment.
"Hey," was Tim's short greeting, landing nearby and walking towards them.
"Timantha."
"What a horrible name," he complained, a little more relaxed seeing his brother.
"It's better than Timotha," he laughed.
Things had gone well that night. Jason had even suggested going to the mansion, which was already a little suspicious, but he seemed so calm about it.
Cass looked at him as they were going to bed after patrols.
“Are you planning something?”
“I want to save someone,” he replied. “That’s why I came, to ask for help. I want to tell you, although I’ll wait until tomorrow.”
“Who do you want to help? Is it urgent?” she asked, much more interested, glad that he wanted to ask for help and curious about what Jason had gotten himself into.
“It can wait until everyone is asleep, at least tonight. I have to think about how to say it. Sleep well, Cass.”
“Rest,” she smiled, a little calmer, looking at her now little brother.
They realized later at lunch that Jason wasn’t there. Again, a note on his nightstand and a promise that even if he died, he would still return.
He had taken the plane, along with many other things. The control panel was smashed in a way that made no sense; it didn't even raise any alarms.
"He said he had to go save someone and would tell us soon," Cass said angrily. "He said he'd ask us for help."
"Maybe he was going to," Steph consoled him, "but when he got here and thought about it, he must have changed his mind."
"The question is, who did he want to save?" Bruce asked.
"I don't know, but I don't understand what he did with the computer. It's ruined, but I don't know how he did it," Tim complained. "I can't track him. I don't know where he went."
"This doesn't make any sense," Duke complained.
"It's Jason. It doesn't really make sense until he wants to give you the clue so you can have it," Dick sighed.
They were all confused about what had happened, taking stock of the things he had taken. Curiously, he hadn't even taken his old equipment, nothing. Their shelters were still the same.
_________________________
With his treasure successfully stolen, he knew he was confusing his family.
He really was going to trust them, he really was going to, but thinking about it more… he didn't want to risk them, nor did he want to risk Roy and Kori, so he had set rules that they readily accepted.
The truth is, when he's with his family, he feels useless; next to them, he's just reckless, violent, sometimes stupid.
He gathers a bunch of geniuses and prodigies, and they'll always find a way to make one of them look stupid.
He was a prodigy, not only a master of weapons but also a gymnast; with his muscle mass, it shouldn't be possible—just look at Bruce.
He was a detective.
He had more heart than people gave him credit for.
Next to Nightwing, Red Robin, and Black Bat, he wasn't much, just a trigger-happy cop.
Against the attitude of Dick, Steph, Duke, and Damian, he couldn't do anything. In his family of geniuses and prodigies, he was flawed.
On any other team, with anyone else, he was incredibly competent.
It wasn't even ego; it was that he wanted to prove he could do it, that it would work out, that he wasn't the weak link.
His emotions weren't a mistake, his personality wasn't a mistake, there was nothing wrong with how he fought for what mattered to him, with how willing he was to do things.
Two lives like that, willing to fight even without a plan to guarantee victory.
Two lives being a hero and then surviving.
Danny Fenton will always die.
Jason Todd's death was a cosmic mistake, but also a constant.
Phantom is an anomaly, a prophesied hero, the one who defeated the tyrant.
A future king.
Born to protect and die to reign.
Not balance; he couldn't reign that way, but he doesn't need to, not if he plays his cards right.
When he arrived at his makeshift hideout, Roy and Kori had already left what they'd found, and now, in an old Lex Luthor lab, he was going to put his own plan into action.
To keep his family from finding him, he planned an escape from Arkham Asylum, putting the Joker on a plane and making everyone think he was returning to Ethiopia. The Joker wouldn't be able to resist and would have to be looking for him there.
The perfect bait.
He had only a few days before the date the spell was originally supposed to be broken and a lot of work ahead of him.
Amanda Waller was crazy, but she was more useful than she realized.
“Well, this is going to be awful,” he complained with a smile.
____________
The Arkham escape distracts them not only because the computer is still useless, of course, but also because it takes them longer to find the Joker until one of Tim's overseas contacts tells him that the Joker is in Africa, specifically Ethiopia.
"What is he doing?" was the question they all asked themselves after almost three days of chasing down the escapees. With the new information about the Joker, it seemed obvious: recreate Ethiopia. One more test, but for whom?
Dick looked at Tim's conspiracy board. A lot of things about this didn't feel right. Cass's words kept echoing in his mind. Jason wanted to save someone. He wanted everyone's help to save someone. He hadn't even taken any of his weapons, his suit, anything. He steals the Batplane, causes a breakout from Arkham, the Joker is in Ethiopia.
It was such an obvious distraction that his brothers were seeing it too, but Bruce wasn't; they couldn't afford to doubt this.
Was Jason lying about saving someone, or was he telling the truth?
Jason had told him he didn't want to make people choose anymore. He wanted to save someone. He tried to trust them to save someone, but when he got to the mansion, being there made him doubt himself, and he preferred to do it alone.
Tim had confessed that Jason had apologized before escaping the first time; it sounded like a goodbye.
Damian had found a book of poems as a gift, Duke a graduation cap for when he graduated. Steph had a small lifetime voucher for instant mashed potato packets. He had been honest with Cass and with him. It seemed he'd been preparing to say goodbye; his note said that if he died, he'd come back to life, as if he were talking about a haircut rather than being resurrected.
Bruce wouldn't listen to them because 15-year-old Jason, missing in Ethiopia where the Joker was, was the best distraction he could muster.
Jason was distracting them from something.
But what?
He'd been keeping an eye on Roy because he knew Jason would look for him eventually. He was right; Roy had disappeared with Kori a few times, and now he was in Bludhaven, apparently.
But they couldn't take any chances, so they split up to search Ethiopia while the rest stayed in Gotham investigating.
Tim pulled another Batplane out of thin air—because of course he had one; his own Batmobile hadn't been enough. Bruce didn't even complain about it.
“Okay, listen, when Jason ruined the computer, he didn't just ruin that, he also ruined part of the Z-tube system and the communications. You never answer your damn phone.”
A terrible habit, he can say that despite the trauma, but it doesn't stop Tim. “Sorry, I didn't actually hear it.”
“Well, there was an alert. They've been trying to call Bruce from the Watchtower. They're really busy with the problem. Anyway, someone stole treasure on Themyscira. Somehow, someone got onto the island, broke into a vault, and took an object. They didn't realize it was missing until a day later. They took longer to raise the alarm, but with what Jason did, they haven't been able to call Bruce. Cassie came by to ask if they needed help.”
“Okay, what are you thinking?”
“The Batplane has a shield that makes it undetectable as an enemy if it approaches the island. At a certain distance, it could submerge. You could swim in, although you'd need to know where the object is, but in theory, you could get in with the Batplane.”
“The question is, why would Jason do that? What does the object do?” he asked, confused.
“It can be used for rituals. One of those rituals could be bringing a god to this plane.”
“That doesn't explain why Jason would use it. If it could be used to return him to normal, they would have told us. And it doesn't explain how Jason would know about it or where it was.”
“That's the part I haven't gotten to yet, but I have a record of some purchases made with one of Bruce's credit cards in Star City. Cameras and everything. It's Roy, Lian, and Kori.”
“Okay, what's so strange about that?”
“Among the clothes, shoes, a whole wardrobe, there are clothes that don't match, clothes that don't seem like Jason's. They're more like something a grandfather would wear, the kind of clothes you'd think a grandfather would wear. Other clothes are clearly for adult Jason; he has more variety than before. There are clothes that don't make sense. It's already a little strange that Roy has one of Bruce's cards, but he would use it if Jason had asked him to.”
“Everything is very strange. We haven't had any luck on this side,” he explained, having given up on catching Bruce.
“Look, I'm fed up with the Joker, so I'm going to solve this. Just give me 30 more minutes.”
“Okay, be careful.” Tim didn't say anything else, and their communications were cut off.
Sometimes Tim's hunches about something were right, even if they didn't make sense; they were missing pieces of the puzzle.
He knew that until Tim knew if his hunch was correct, he wouldn't tell Bruce, because they didn't need that mindset right now.
Twenty-five minutes later, Tim had caught a furious Joker who hadn't found Jason and was also chasing him, trying to find him before Batman.
Now that he was locked up, they had to figure out if there was a clue or anything that would tell them where Jason was or why he had done this.
________________
Things were ready. It was a pain that one had to wait for things like this, but he bet Clockwork didn't suspect his plan, at least not his part of it.
No one would expect him to be under Arkham; his family would never look for him here! The best/worst hiding place in the world. Any anomaly would be mistaken for the work of some rogue; the place was so cursed that no one would detect it until it was too late.
Amanda Waller didn't disappoint him with her Batman clone, even if it was more of a Thomas Wayne clone than a Bruce Wayne clone. He really wanted to have a word with Clockwork for choosing this body.
His body was now in the circle, the treasure activated, the items gathered, and he uttered his own prayer—one Clockwork had given him long ago, like a speed dial—his blood, and he begged that it would truly work.
Roy and Kori were waiting a few floors above. For a moment, he panicked because Tim had brought the Joker here with Superboy's help, but he still hadn't figured out what was right there.
Well, when everything went to hell, the Joker could finally die.
His body ached, it changed; 54 days had finally passed. The magic of time surrounded the room. It was good to have clothes, just in case this worked.
When he opened his eyes again, not only had the ritual worked, but he no longer felt so much pain, although he must have fainted for a few moments.
Clockwork was looking at him from his new mortal body. Both his eyes were fine; nothing suggested he had power. He wasn't a god yet.
He didn't need a god.
The circle went dark; he didn't have much time, which was so ironic.
"Daniel," he called, with such longing and happiness that he felt a knot loosen inside him.
"Hello, Clockwork, I'm so glad to see you," he said, helping him out of the circle. Although he too felt a little weak moving, he didn't let that stop him.
They shared a hug that he wished would last longer.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you more, Daniel."
"Do you trust me?" he asked, because he could do this by force. He hoped not.
"Yes," Clockwork hadn't assembled it yet.
The observers and a few others will always be watching Clockwork, because they too could see what Clockwork saw.
Danny Phantom ruins it simply by existing, free from fate.
To free the ancient being from time, it was necessary to destroy him, break him. They had mocked this. Clockwork was willing to cease to exist if it ensured his safety; some other ancient being would be born and take his place.
There was another way to break and destroy time.
"Roy, now," he called into a walkie-talkie.
Of course, the portal didn't work, but he had power now.
"Fine, time to die, for the sixth time, shit."
So he ran, with Clockwork on his back. What time and observers witnessed were variations of Danny re-entering the portal. In some versions, he carries Clockwork and sets him down before entering; in most, he simply leaves him there in the circle so that the energy released when the portal activates will provide him with enough power. In other visions, the portal isn't even beneath Arkham.
Jason ran with Clockwork on his back, not letting him go. He went straight in, almost throwing them both inside, grabbing his hand so they could both touch the power button.
Clockwork's incredulous look when he realized what he was doing elicited a hysterical laugh that quickly turned into a scream.
He was grateful he'd worn the clothes he wanted and had chosen something similar to what Clockwork wore.
____________________
The power went out across almost half the city, and then, a few minutes later, Arkham Island suddenly imploded upon itself, causing a tremor—or perhaps the tremor came first, as it was once again the epicenter of an earthquake.
By the time they arrived, there was no building left to save or person to rescue. The earth had collapsed, the water churned, there was nothing to be done.
However, the immense magical power that shot out like a shockwave let them know it wasn't an earthquake.
The Justice League arrived soon after.
"The artifact was used, but there's no god," said Wonder Woman.
"I see the bodies, but there's no one alive. There's a lot of rubble, but I can pull some bodies out," reported Superman using his X-ray vision.
"Bruce, are you alright?" Diana asked when she saw him. He was silent, staring at where the island should have been. He must have felt like a defeat. It couldn't even be Jason's fault because it didn't make sense. He couldn't think of anything that would have caused Jason to steal the artifact to use it. He shouldn't be here, even though his paternal instincts told him it was all Jason's doing.
Her phone vibrated. She pulled it out to look at it because she wanted to think about something else.
It was a message from Jason: coordinates and a smiley face that felt intimidating for some reason.
He looked again at where the island should be; it wasn't even disappointment or helplessness, it didn't feel like a failure, just something strange.
He decided to just sit on the edge of the roof, looking at the mess he was trying to coordinate.
"My children will be my downfall."
____________________
It takes them a whole damn week to follow all the clues. They go back to damn Ethiopia, then to Gotham, then they end up through a secret passage descending directly down a curve until they reach another, larger cave where the remains of the Batplane are located, along with the structure of some machine. The water surrounding it must be where the city gets its water from.
“I want to know how the hell he managed to get the Batplane here?!” Tim exclaimed. “And what the hell did he do to it?!”
“I really want to know how and why it was here,” Dick said, still quite lost in the situation, looking around where Bruce had noticed a suitcase.
The suitcase was a protective case. Inside, there was an old laptop, blueprints, notes, and a USB drive with a smiley face drawn on it.
When he turned on the laptop, the desktop displayed a black background with a stylized letter “D” and the Red Hood symbol.
He clicked on the first folder that said “clock tower.” Although it didn't show him Barbara's tower, it looked like a code and sigils; there was a note at the beginning of the document: “Run the program on the ship… Batship? Activate the shield, leave the autopilot on.Arrive, don't touch any damn clocks, seriously, don't touch any clocks, go up the tower, second room on the right.Don't touch anything except these, don't lose them, don't give them to anyone, hide them.”There was an image of a drawing of something that looked like a gear.
He left that folder and opened another one that said “fortress.” “Don't touch the sword, don't take the sword out of the pumpkin. And nobody touch that stupid coffin! We don't need a universe-collapse situation!”
Another folder contained what appeared to be photographs of some creatures, along with files about them.
There was one called “Far Frozen.” If things didn't go as planned, I'll do everything I can to get here. It's very likely the situation will be a disaster because, come on, how am I going to win?
It doesn't matter, this time I'll do it right. Things will turn out alright, even if I get hurt, as long as there's something left of me.
Don't arrive hostile. They are allies, they are more than allies.
At first, they will see the Batship and think they are invaders, but when you lower the shield, you must activate the speakers and say the following code. They will know you come from me, that you are not enemies, and I hope no one reacts badly to them because I'll kick someone if they hurt their feelings!
Look for Chief Frostbite.
If for any reason you are injured, you can trust them. They will help. Frostbite can explain, but you should only go if there is no one in the clock tower.
Tim had picked up the blueprints and was looking at them.
“This looks like a portal, but I don’t understand why they’re building it here,” he complained. “He printed them, but made some notes over them.”
“Look” Steph pointed to a section of the blueprints. “Save Danny.”
“Who’s Danny? Couldn’t Jason have made it clearer?” Tim was very exasperated by all the back and forth.
Bruce took the flash drive, plugged it in, and found the original blueprints. There was also a folder with a video.
The camera showed a red-haired teenager who looked tired; there were some scratches on her face, and her eyes appeared red from crying.
"Okay, I can't postpone it any longer. There's no time. You'd think that when you know time, you'd have time, but it seems we don't have any of that."
Her children approached to watch the video.
"We're going to save you, okay, little brother?" We have so many plans, it will work out. I'm so sorry, Danny. I know you don't want to hear it anymore. I know you say it's not my fault, but I'm your older sister. I shouldn't have fooled myself like that. I wanted to believe that they wouldn't hurt you, that when they saw the truth they would stop because they loved us. I think it would have been easier if they had hated us. - She tried in vain to hold back her tears - No matter how much our parents loved us, they couldn't understand. They were so blind, so stupid. They're so intelligent, but even more stupid, proud. They couldn't see the truth even though it was right there in front of them. They're crazy. No, saying they're crazy is giving them an excuse. They knew what they were doing. They hurt you because they chose to, saying they loved you, that they were doing it for your own good. And I knew we had lost them, and I didn't take you out of there because they loved us. It's pointless now, isn't it? But I still wanted to say it because you deserve an apology.” He took a deep breath. “We’re going to save you. We’ll get you out of there. You won’t even have to see this, but… just in case, just in case.”
The words were heavy. He wiped away his tears and tried to smile. “I want you to know that I love you, little brother. I love you. I’m so glad you were my brother. Despite all the problems you went through, you’re a hero. Always. You’re good no matter what. No matter what happens, remember that you’re loved. All of us are coming for you. Even if we never see each other again, help will come. It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault. It’s nobody’s fault. We didn’t ask for this. One of us will stay behind to gather more help. We’re on our way. I love you, little brother. Remember that. You’ll always be loved, the most loved.”
“What the hell did you get yourself into, Jason?” Steph murmured.
They remained silent for a few seconds. Bruce opened another file, a shorter video. A young African American wearing a red beret also appeared. He looked very tired.
"Okay, I don't know who's watching this because there aren't many of us, and only Estrella and Paulina are staying. It's surprising Sam agreed to let Paulina keep this, but Mr. Lancer wasn't going to let us go on our own." He snorted. "Fine, whoever you are, I hope you know shit about mechanics, programming, and engineering because this is crazy. I left Danny's improved plans for the portal and the ship because we're obviously taking the original, but the one you build will be better—well, that's assuming you get better materials. What you need to know about the portal is this: don't turn it on with anyone inside. No, I know you're looking at me like I'm crazy for stating the obvious, but we wouldn't be in this situation if the first portal hadn't had the power button inside. When you turn it on, you'll have to move away so the radiation can't mess you up. The improved plans are Danny's, although I hope no one has to follow us around and put all this together. Okay, calm down, Tucker. We'll have to destroy the portal once we're done. Let's go, it's best if no portal is left open. I hope the explosion isn't too big. Once they open the portal, they should have a way out. Anyway, there's a biometric lock to keep it closed until someone returns."
“Well, we possibly have the ones responsible for the explosion, but that doesn't explain why we should build the portal here if we have to destroy it,” Dick commented. “It wouldn't give us time to get out.”
“There's a note about it,” Damian commented. “It will fix the problem, that's what it says.”
“Well, we'll have to finish building and rescue Jason and those kids,” Steph sighed.
The construction of the portal and the ship doesn't take them too long, not all of them. There are some setbacks, such as not being able to use more modern materials. Then one day, the water in the cave's pond glows like Lazarus water. They see a crack open underwater for a few minutes, which contaminates all the water, and then they see the crack close. Some of the water goes to the city… the city's bottled water.
Although the water never heats up or becomes like the Lazarus Pits on Nanda Parbat, after a week the water is clean again, and two days later another crack opens. This led them to conclude that Jason had chosen the cave because the rift opened there, and the dimensional or supernatural veil was thinner.
The batplane, or what remains of it (since many parts have been taken, possibly for the first portal), is ready, although they still don't know how 15-year-old Jason managed to get it there. They have many doubts because Jason wouldn't let the children go with him. If the information reached Jason, it's even more confusing because how and why?
In the end, they build everything. The stolen object from Themyscira is returned anonymously, with a small apology note for taking it without asking, which only makes everything more confusing.
Normally Bruce would have had someone check what they were building, but with the premise that Jason could be in some other dimension without help at 15 years old, he doesn't even bother to call anyone; he's been building like a madman.
Following the instructions, Jason had built a fort because the cave, however extensive, had a small passage to follow. The battery was of Tamaranean origin; Dick connected it normally.
They would turn it on, secure it, and then call other people and go look for their lost bird.
From the shelter, with a device Jason had already built as a shield, the green glow made them suspicious, but if Jason was sure it would work, then so were they.
When they activated the controls, they felt the same energy wave as when Arkham sank.
The cave trembled. The smell of ozone, electricity, even magic hit them; the green light shone.
Lowering the shield and re-entering the cave, they saw the portal in all its supernatural and profane glory.
A green vortex; the Tamaranean battery didn't explode; the machine creaked. The green of the water reached the portal, purifying it. They waited, but no crack opened again underwater.
It was horrible to think that someone had once been inside a portal; a horrible way to die, without a doubt.
Communication was restored. Barbara reported there was no blackout; the tremor was slight, and everything was fine on the surface.
The green portal looked like a gateway to hell, although Bruce might say that gates to hell actually look different; the feeling was the same. Something deep inside them felt wrong, as if they had done something terrible.
Before they could move to close the portal to another world, something approached. Bruce barked the order to enter the ship, which had weapons and shields—the safe side.
They were ready to fight.
The ship that came out was white, or rather it used to be, it looked like a small submarine? old, he had many scratches, signs that he had gone through a lot.
It landed softly to the side, through the glass they could see Roy Harper and Kori driving.
Roy had a somewhat long beard, easily a few months old, neater than expected, winter clothes.
Starfire was just a little pale, also wearing a big winter sweater, and waved when she saw them.
The side of the ship had the black letter D, the same one they had seen on several things.
The hatch opened, Roy almost kissed the ground beneath his feet.
“solid land at last!” he exclaimed alone lying on the ground like a star with his belly to the ground of the cave
“It wasn't that bad” said Kori, peeking out from the door.
"It's solid! Firm! I won't fall through this earth!" He exclaimed, turning around so he could see her, although he was still lying like a starfish.
“No, I guess not” he nodded, he directed his gaze at them who were coming out of nowhere cautiously “I thought it would take them longer.”
“Kori, where is my brother?” Dick asked at the edge of his sanity.
“Oh, leave me awake.” He went back into the small ship. Seriously, it couldn't be so big that he needed to go in to look for someone. In any case, they could hear the Tamaranian princess. “Jason, we're here, let's wake up.”
"uh...are we there yet? Really?" That was Jason's voice, 24-year-old Jason, his voice sleepy and grumpy.
“Your family is outside, so yeah, I think Dick is about to faint.”
“Well, leave him on the floor, he probably needs to sleep too.”
“Batman is out there too,” she clarified.
“Ugh, well, I'm up, I didn't remember these damn uncomfortable bunk beds, I swear, they break my back, they make me want to take out my spine.”
“Please don't do it where I can see you.”
Finally there was Jason, peeking out from the door of the ship, his face still sleepy, bleary eyes, sweatpants and sweatshirt with gray slippers.
He was there, as if he hadn't scared them, 24 years old, back to normal although without white hair or green eyes. He got off the ship lazily.
Damian was the first of them all to move, hugging Jason who was surprised.
“you are stupid”
Seconds later he had all his siblings on top of him, knocked down on the ground, with complaints, the teary eyes of more than one that no one was mentioning.
Cass nudged him on the nose with her fingers, which shook him and made him grimace and pout.
“You should have taken us” he scolded softly, although now he could see the ship which illogically looked bigger inside, there was no one “did you save Danny?” I ask carefully
Roy and Kori had strange expressions, Kori moved allowing him to see a small box that was on a small table inside the ship.
Everyone moved to get back up, an awkward silence forming, Jason looked at the box.
“Actually I think it was a bit the other way around,” Roy said with a sad smile. “That brat saved us all a little in the universe and in any dimension.”
“And he Time broke, I want everyone to know that” Jason laughed as if he were proud of that particular achievement.
A green note appeared on Jason's face, out of nowhere, Jason didn't miss a beat looking at the paper, laughing, looking at the ceiling "come on, not even you expected that, it's a clean victory" a second note appeared "we all win"
The third note appeared right in front of him, he took it looking at it "yes, being alive sucks, but now you can eat, I think it's a good deal"
“what is happening?” Tim asked, fearing that everyone was going crazy.
“Ah, he's fighting with Thomas Wayne, it's better to leave it like that,” Roy reassured.
“I'm sorry?” Bruce exclaimed.
“Let's not talk about that, I want to see my daughter,” the red-haired man excused himself.
_______________
Getting the truth out of Jason was, as always, harder than pulling a tooth.
They had closed the portal, leaving the ships down there.
They let a few days pass, watching Jason who let himself be by his brothers.
He made obvious moves.
That made them end up in the same cemetery where Jason had been buried, just in a different section.
It was a mausoleum, the spaces were underground, no one prevented their passage but they saw Jason put small urns in the spaces of the niches.
They saw the engraved names and dates, they had not reached 20 years old, Valerie Gray, Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, there were more people, all 17 or 18 years old. Jasmine Nightingale was the closest to 20 at 19 years old.
Until they saw the niche, the last one to be sealed, without an urn, there was an old toy rocket, Danny, 14 years old.
Jason Todd-Wayne, 15, a jar of marbles.
Our most beloved son, brother, great friend and hero.
Jason took the niche cover and put it in place, letting out a big sigh.
“I'm sorry you couldn't be saved in time,” Dick said carefully.
“At least he finally has a grave,” said Jason.
There was a silence between them, when another neon green note appeared, the small message said "you can tell them." Jason huffed taking the note.
“Come on, look at all the shit I went through for telling the truth, I thought you said I could never tell them” he complained to the air.
The next green note appeared
'You may never tell Bruce and Alfred, but they will stay'
“I don't want to make anyone else elected,” he replied tiredly, taking the note.
'it will be fun to keep the secret together, you can still have a family :)
“I don't know how you make a happy face look threatening, but you're just in a bad mood because you lost,” he complained.
'I don't know what you're talking about, dear' :)
“Okay, but if something goes wrong I'm going to remind everyone that you lost and you're a bad loser.”
'be good to your brothers, Daniel'
Jason just huffed again, they stood guard, prepared.
“I can explain it” he excused himself.
“Who are you and what did you do to our brother?” Dick asked.
"See? Now they think badly of me, how am I going to make them listen to me?" he complained on air “they never listen”
No new notes appeared.
Cass looked at Jason, how tired he seemed at the idea of starting another fight to get out of there, she left her posture, stood in front of everyone, "we'll listen to you first."
“Cass!” exclaimed Tim and Steph.
Cass looked at them all and they gave up although they still looked suspiciously at Jason who was surprised, now he seemed nervous.
“It's okay,” he scratched the back of his neck, thinking about how to say it. “The spell went wrong because I died in the cave, it made me remember before… I… I used to be Danny, reincarnating sucks.”
“How did you die in the cave?” dick protested
"You were reincarnated? Couldn't you have chosen something better than this?" Damian didn't seem impressed.
___________________
He noticed that his sons were taking more care of Jason, making jokes with each other, Jason to his credit took it all in by pouting or protesting that they were being mean to him.
Of course they didn't let Jason tell him what had happened, although he had done the necessary tests to make sure it was his son.
Dick told him that they already knew what had happened and that was enough, the trip had changed Jason, it had helped him be more at peace with himself.
Later they would tell him that it had happened but there was no risk, that he should let it be like this, even if Jason didn't return to the mansion, he wouldn't return to him, he was safe and he was closer to his other children.
"We take care of Jason, okay? That's what matters" is what Dick had said.
Yes, actually that's what matters, if your child was calmer, more at peace with himself and without isolating himself it was fine, it was fine that way as long as he could know that he was safe and happier.
So he decided to leave it at that, although he really wanted to know what had happened.
He only reached the mausoleum, the many niches with names unknown to him, young people.
The youngest was Danny, someone had drawn stars on the slab top.
Although I was really curious why he said “the destroyer of time” as an epithet.
He could wait for that mystery to be solved in a few years, if his other children knew it was fine.
He was glad that Arkham no longer existed, although he didn't say it out loud.
There was no reason to fight with his son anymore.
There was no longer any joker that would cause him suffering.
In reality, that gave him the power to open a new psychiatric center that he could fully finance, to give real help and prevent those who were placed there from never leaving.
A few months had already passed, the dark league was talking about a peace treaty and diplomatic relations between a new race, they were nervous but very happy that everything was going well.
They would have the monarch on a social visit, which allowed him to be present.
A portal opened, Zatanna and Captain Marvel came out, that nervousness in Marvel who smiled a lot trying to be serious.
A man came out, with the face of his father, Thomas Wayne, dressed in formal clothes, a scepter with a clock and a crown that seemed to be made of clock hands, one eye was red but the other was blue. Her long hair was styled in a ponytail and the strands in the front were a little gelled the way Alfred did.
Everyone could see him and the king looked specifically at him with a smile that for some reason made him feel like he was in trouble.
“uh…am I seeing right or is that Thomas Wayne?” Cyborg asked, who was also looking at him.
Thomas Wayne only smiled wider, giving him that look that Alfred also gave him, walking towards him, hugging him by the shoulders.
“You and I need to have a conversation about childcare, I want you to know that your mother also wants to have a little talk with you but that will be for later.”
He just nodded, that feeling of being in trouble paralyzed him, he looked at the others for silent help, he looked at Dick who was trying not to laugh, he waved, approaching
“I guess you know that Little Wing comes in a package” he commented with a smile.
"I wouldn't have thought it any other way, Richard, where is my son? He promised me good food."
“I called him, have fun with B in the meantime” he walked away happily leaving everyone even more confused.
“Nightwing…”
“Come on, Bruce,” Thomas insisted, guiding him through the watchtower as if he knew it.
“There are no names in the field,” he murmured, praying that someone would save him.
_______
“Well, everything is resolved,” said Roy after a good bath.
They were in the fortress, Jason's castle, who actually seemed very happy.
“It looks like you're happy to be 24 years old again,” Kori told him.
“Absolutely, going through damn adolescence once was enough, thank you,” he said.
“I'll catch up with you later Daniel” clockwork was still not adapting to being half human, he was even a little offended, he could have gone back to being a god but he can't deny that he would have seen that movement
“Actually there is one last thing” the horror knight appeared, he carried the crown and the ring in a display case
Without much ceremony Jason placed it on her head.
“You will be a good king, in a while” Clockwork looked proud, his voice was very different like the clone of Thomas Wayne and his ghost version
Kori, Roy and some ghosts who were there applauded, the horror knight seemed tired of Halfa.
Jason's smile was one of pure delight, which was a little strange in itself.
"Actually" he took the crown on his head "I, the ghost king Phantom accept my defeat in our single combat for the crown" he said confusing everyone in the room, the horror knight had given up, even Clockwork seemed confused
With pure joy he walked up to Clockwork and placed the crown on top of him "congratulations Dad! You're the new ghost king! Long live the king and the king is dead, whatever!"
Clockwork would have found that cute but to his horror the crown stayed on his head, changing from his son's crown of ice and stars to some kind of crown with clock hands and thorns.
Jason proceeded to laugh “I told you I would make you laugh like crazy at my nonsense!”
"I don't understand what just happened," the knight of terror admitted, but at this point he didn't care, "but the crown has accepted the change so I bow before you, your majesty, infinite and ancient king of time."
The other ghosts bowed, Roy and Kori didn't understand what had happened either but they imitated the gesture and Jason too in a more mocking way.
“what?” was the only thing he could ask
The fortress changed instantly, he knew that his lair had merged with the place, all the decoration changed, his clocks were on the walls
"We bet on the crown, remember? What wouldn't make you laugh like a lunatic?" Jason explained, admiring the place and then crossing his arms to look at it. "We won and lost the bet, you said it was totally valid as long as I said the words."
"...you beat me...losing? I lost and... I won?" He questioned, there was no logic, he was actually having a hard time remembering exactly when he said that, his human brain Halfa couldn't catch up with his extensive phantom memory.
“yep” the younger Halfa nodded “you are the new infinite king, since you are much older and wiser when new observers are formed you will be able to face them and since you are a halfa they will not be able to see everything you see, they cannot catch you again” he nodded satisfied
“But you, you are supposed to be King.”
“You know, all those prophecies said that the great period of prosperity was when a Halfa had the crown.”
Clockwork was stunned, watching his son downplay how things were supposed to be.
“from now on I will be the destroyer of time, or something like that, I like it, a little cheesy but very clear” he laughed harder at the totally offended expression of his half-ghost father
“You're a damn brat, why did I adopt you?” stammered in horror that the crown was still on his head
“It's a shame, you can't make me old again” Jason was having a lot of fun, it was funnier because being in Thomas Wayne's body he looked a lot like Bruce so in some way he was seeing Bruce's offended and distraught face, he was a winner no matter what.
____________________
Look, this is a self-contained one, it's the second one!
This is the third time I say that Danny and Jason are the same person but now as a reincarnation! How many modes can I use that are the same person? We'll find out as things occur to me.
Bruce is not told which Clockwork is not Thomas Wayne until Bruce retires as an old man, by which time he is too intimidated and is his fourth father. Alfred finds out on his own after a few more years because Clockwork knows things and likes to play pranks on the butler, he never tells Bruce because someone has to see his foolish son's face at least once in his life without it endangering his life.
The Justice League has the idea that Red Hood came up with a complicated and crazy plan to 1st get back to normal 2nd get adopted by Thomas Wayne to be mean to Bruce 3rd made him infinite king because why not? 4° he “destroyed” time, which they understand actually killed “chronos” and gave power to Thomas because “they were already there” all this to annoy Bruce.
Said king actually likes to be called your majesty, just to annoy and embarrass Bruce.
Everyone feels sorry for Bruce because he has been/and will be threatened many times with “your mother is watching you, you don't want me to bring her here, so behave.”
In reality, everyone fears/respects him, especially his little notes with smiley faces. Once someone got an angry face, it didn't go well.
Clockwork has a lot of fun scaring the Justice League
In fact they never tell the justice league the truth, it's the inside joke of all the Batkids, Roy, Kori and Clockwork.
So Clockwork spends a few years tormenting Bruce, which greatly improves Bruce's relationship with his children. Jason and Bruce are no longer father and son but there is no longer any bad blood between them, a lot has to do with the fact that there is no longer Arkham.
The Batkids get up to a lot of mischief having an ancient grandfather of time and infinite king.
Jason/Danny stays with the title of “the destroyer of time” it is the only title he likes, because he beat his ghost father, he will never let him forget it, Clockwork is a bad loser, Danny/Jason is not letting himself be fooled by Clockwork, he is very happy without being the ghost king, enjoying being the son of the ghost king, very happy with his freedom.
Clockwork and Roy are the only ones who can use the name “Daniel/Danny” with Jason, Roy edits Jason's name on his phone from Jaybird to “Janny” Why? Because that makes sense in my head, are they a couple? Not really, Danny/Jason love Roy platonically.
Originally the second portal was going to be made by Roy and Kori, but Jason changed his mind and took them with him, not that he left it for the Batfamily to help him, he planned to use the crack in the cave but never reveals it to the Batfamily. Imagine that even though the Batfamily are more people still had trouble building things because the instructions weren't as clear, it was because it wasn't meant for them to do so.
Since Jason's message still directed them elsewhere, he didn't think Tim was going to get fed up and cut the game, that's very villainous of him, to believe that he will have the heroes following his game when said heroes are his brothers and one of them gets annoyed with his nonsense.
It's something I wanted to say because Danny/Jason was tortured and dissected by his parents, parents that he loved and they loved him, the most tragic part of the matter is that he suffered all that because his parents loved him, they believed that they could save him, that they did it for his good and then in his name to avenge him. Then he recovered his memories while he was Jason seeing the same pattern, Bruce who tries to "save" him because he "loves" him, brothers who let everything go or normalize that it is his fault, that he has to be "saved"
This Danny/Jason believes that being reincarnated as Jason was a punishment, a form of torture, and how the half-dead, twice-revived teenager made him everyone's problem.
(actually he is being unfair because Clockwork has defects, he loves the ghost but said ghost has also forgotten that his son was half alive, he was a child and of course he would never want to be king, his greatest checkmate was making Clockwork infinite king, he beat the observers, his world, his brothers, Bruce and Clockwork)
Watch extra scene!
Danny had a hard time, it was easy to see, his studies were overwhelming him but he finally gave up, collapsing onto his pile of books after a small cry of exasperation.
"How am I supposed to be king? Really, there must be a way for me not to be," he complains again.
“Precisely because you don't want that power is why you will be good, Daniel,” he repeats, looking at his son with tenderness.
"That's ridiculous, what kind of cliché is that? Uhg! I can't even pass the lancer exams! How am I supposed to reign something infinite? That's crazy!"
“trust me, you will do fine, now relax a little”
“It's impossible,” he mutters with his face glued to his textbook, he even kicks under the big table.
He rarely allows himself to act like that now, not like a teenager anymore, a child maybe but it's not a tantrum, he just sighs.
The sounds of the various clocks downstairs relax him, ticking that seems uncoordinated at first but with the good humor of his protector there is a melody hidden there
So he turns to his new favorite hobby (he laughs at his own thinking) trying to make the old man laugh in the most scandalous way.
As frustrating and difficult as it is, he knows that one day he will achieve it.
“No matter how tender you are, Daniel, you know you won't be able to beat me, you keep losing,” he says, patting little Halfa's head with amused condescension.
“No, listen to me, let's make a bet Clockwork” he says with a big smile, he even extends his hand to close the deal “for the crown of infinite realms, one day I will win”
He denies, moved, but accepts, shakes the hand of his living son, “for the crown of the infinite realms one day I will win” he repeats.
Knowing that no matter how many crazy things, silly puns or situations Danny won't be able to make him lose his composure enough to make him laugh maniacally. Not so spontaneously.
Clockwork looks back, it was a damn clean victory, Daniel never said he would make him laugh with some joke. The joke was on him.
He lost and won because his son also remembered, remembered that 'day'
That quiet day, almost unimportant on the other days but he had kept his little star.
Something completely human.
It was a great play.
Well, at least his son learned to cook very well because having a human body is being quite an experience.
The end!